Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight I, ZombiePie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the site-related news and best user-created works for your reading pleasure!
First, if you are reading this around the time it comes out, don't forget that the Giant Bomb Community Endurance Run is hosting an impromptu continuation of Giant Bomb's collaboration charity stream for VEAP! Several Giant Bomb users will be streaming to help Giant Bomb and MinnMax hopefully cross the $300K mark with their ICE Out - Protect Our Neighbors donation page! With the current total being $280,207, I think the power of this community can make it happen! And you can catch all of the action on the current Giant Bomb chat which will host a rotation of community streams.
Speaking of which, I know many of you have comment in support of Giant Bomb's ICE Out contributions on the VODs here and on YouTUbe, but don't forget to thank MinnMax for their contributions as well. If you haven't done so already, please consider dropping a supportive comment on their YouTube VOD of the stream they did with Giant Bomb.
Chuck posted an unlisted video on YouTube which lays out the plan to make the RSS feed situation better as well as what site improvements to expect in the coming months. If you have any input to share after watching the video, drop a comment in this thread they posted.
Other quick tidbits that I will explore further in the "Announcements" section include a call from Chuck for more Giant Bomb users to help them out with testing the video RSS Feed for Grubbsnax Premium AND some notable changes to forum settings and emails.
Finally, if you missed the Discord Townhall this past week here is the archive! The staff chatted about hockey, said "i love you" to dump truck callers, and shared CRUCIAL UPDATES on the 3D dragon printing organization.
Videos & Art
Thank You - MinnMax + GiantBomb [VIDEO] (By: Becky from VEAP)
VEAP, the charity Giant Bomb and MinnMax have been working to raise fund for, has published a "Thank You" video and the thanks extended to all of you in the community that watched the stream, donated, and spread the word. Give it a watch if you have not done so already.
February 5, 2026 [VIDEO] (By: Adam Parker)
On February 5th, 2026 Virtuoso killed Mike Minotti. The signs that the game were melting his brain were there almost immediately, but thousands of Giant Bomb fans and his closest friends and co-workers did nothing to get him help. He will be missed.
🎶Turn Around, Blight Cluuuuuub!🎶 [VIDEO] (By: firehair12000)
Did you want to see a mashup of Mike losing his mind to Virtuoso to Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart? Whelp, firehair12000 has you covered on BlueSky!
Collection Of Giant Bomb Tech Decks (By: Wetmaxxer)
A while back I shared renders for a Giant Bomb themed Tech Deck and this week on the Giant Bomb Discord, which the link above is an invite to if you haven't yet joined, Wetmaxxer shared their collection of Giant Bomb-themed Tech Decks.
Virtuoso Minotti (By: Pickle_Giraffe)
Virtuoso has only been blighting Minotti for a hot minute, but Pickle_Giraffe is already firing off iconic works of art in their honor. The game might be shit, but Pickle_Giraffe's art never is!
Community Articles
Coffee in Guatemala (By: Chuck Zimmerheld)
It's technically not a "community" article but if you still have not read Chuck's fun and highly article on Giant Bomb about coffee cultivation in Guatemala and coffee culture where it is grown, give it a read by clicking the link!
SuperHarman’s January Journal (By: superharman)
Taking a note from others on the site, to get into the habit of publishing articles on the site, superharman is starting a series that hopefully will continue throughout all of 2026 in which they summarize all of their gaming ups and downs in the previous month. Want to read about their thoughts on Unavowed and Final Fantasy XV? Well, read this blog to find out!
AllTheDinos' Favorite Games of 2025 (By: AllTheDinos)
Yes, it's another tardy GOTY 2025 write-up, but considering AllTheDinos hosts the community voting for "Hottest Mess," I think we should all give them a little leeway on that front. Nonetheless, if you want to read which games they enjoyed that weren't smoldering trash fires, give this article a read!
Indie Game of the Week 453: Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils +
RetroPiece Theater: Ore ga Omae wo Mamoru (By: Mento)
Mento once again graces us with a couple of fun reads this week. First, they write about Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils for the latest edition of their "Indie Game of the Week" feature! Learn more about this homage to the Game Boy Color!
And their RetroPiece Theater series makes a return on the site with a look at Ore ga Omae wo Mamoru! The game obviously never came out of Japan, but it has RetroAchievements and Mento wanted to see how tricky or hard they were with something that requires a fan translation.
ZombiePie's Multimedia Mondays - Part 1: DOSBox Pure Unleashed Is Cool & Roly-Polys no Nanakorobi Yaoki Is Definitely Special (By: ZombiePie)
Moderator ZombiePie comments in this article why 2025 was a great year for retro PC gaming thanks to the release of DOSBox Pure Unleashed AND provides an in-depth look at Osamu Sato's utterly bizarre Roly-Polys no Nanakorobi Yaoki!
Forum Posts Worth Checking Out
Announcements
Let's Test The Video RSS Feed For Grubbsnax Premium! +
Site Update 02 - RSS & Email! +
Forum Setting Updates (By: chucktowski)
Want to help out Chuck test the Video RSS Feed for Grubbsnax Premium to make sure the premium RSS Feeds are working as designed? Drop by this thread if that sounds like something that interests you!
Next, if you missed the latest site update video and thread, use the middle link and after you watch Chuck's video using the YouTube link, feel free to share any additional input you may have about the future of the site.
Finally, there's a minor update to forum settings that people need to read about from Chuck. First, new users are going to have their first comment go through moderation or an approval process by default. This is a new anti-spam measure Chuck and the moderation team are going to take to stave off bots. In better news, Chuck and the staff are also aiming to have updates and weekly digests but to take advantage of these cool things, users likely need to update their emails.
General Discussion
I Am SO PROUD. (By: baltmatrix)
If you haven't already joined the rest of the Giant Bomb community in thanking Dan, Jeff Grubb , and the MinnMax people for raising over $275K for their ICE Out - Protect Our Neighbors charity drive, do so here. Once again, fantastic work from all involved.
Giant Bomb - This is the Run Club (By: moshjerrick)
Someone went ahead and started a Strava walking/hiking club! If you want to pursue basic exercise with your fellow Giant Bomb users, drop a comment in the thread above and someone will add you to the group!
The Lyrics to Bundle of Nerves (By: jordha)
User jordha has done the Lord's work on the Giant Bomb forums, much to the chagrin of Mike.... They listened to the lyrics of Bundle of Nerves by Thai Dyed Suicide and transcribed the song's entire lyrics!
AMD & Epic Do Microsoft's Job Marketing The Next Xbox: AMD's CEO Points To 2027 & Epic Announces EGS Will Be On It (By: ZombiePie)
News keeps dropping about the next Xbox and you can join the discussion about it on the Giant Bomb forums! Is the Epic Games Store on Xbox actually a gamechanger? Also, what do you make of AMD and Epic doing more to get people excited about the next Xbox than MS?
Steam Hardware Delayed (By: baltmatrix)
Steam published a blog saying they have re-evaluated the price and shipping of the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. So, where do you think the price on all of their announced hardware is now?
Resident Evil 1 - Is it Worth It in 2026? (By: mjhicks88)
We have a thread on the Giant Bomb forums in which a user admits they have never finished the first Resident Evil and they ask if there's any point in playing the OG in 2026! Do you think all of its spooks and thrills still hold up? Share away here!
Sound System - Have One? Still Use It? (By: xmarty97)
For those of you with a home sound system, what's the absolute state of soundbars and sound systems in 2026? Do you have any tips to share? What are the most common mistakes you think newbies can avoid? If so, drop them in this thread.
Is There A Way Of Watching GB Videos On A Smart TV (By: ortega)
For those of you with Smart TVs, have your tried using your Smart TV to stream or watch Giant Bomb? Which apps work best and what advice do you have to ensure streams are as stable as possible? And as Chuck points out in this thread, the GBFan app will also be back soon.
What Are You Playing/Finishing/Abandoning This Week (February 1, 2026 Edition) (By: laughingman)
So, how has everyone started the month of February in terms of gaming? Have you picked up any new games? Did you drop any games from your rotation? Join the convo on the forums by using the link above!
What Are Y’all Playing On Your Retroid Pocket 5’s (If You Have One?) (By: yeahbrother)
Have any of you checked out or even bought the latest generation of Retroid handhelds? Do you recommend the Pocket 4, 5, or upcoming 6? Is anyone else continually annoyed by Retroid's marketing or release strategy with their devices?
What Are You Playing/Finishing/Abandoning This Week (February 1, 2026 Edition) (By: laughingman)
So, how did the first full week of February treat you in terms of gaming? Did you add a game to your rotation? Did you drop a game? Is there anything you played for the first time that you recommend? If you have an answer to any of those questions, share away in this thread!
Premium-Only
Grubbsnax Question Thread (By: jeffgrubb)
For those of you with Premium subs, you can head on over to the Premium-Only board and possibly get a question answered during Grubbsnax if you write and post it in this thread. Huge props to Grubb for taking the time to engage with the forums to whip up some community engagement!
Premium Topic: You Have Twenty Dollars (By: jordha)
As the title suggests, you have twenty dollars, but to make things interesting, you can only spend it on a convenience store like 7-Eleven, Wawas, Buc-ee's, et al. What are you buying to get the most bang for your buck and why?
Where Is The Place That Would Help The Most Watching GB Content (By: migrations)
This topic pops up from time to time, but to echo what Chuck shared, it doesn't really matter where you are consuming Giant Bomb media after a stream is over. Just watch it and drop a comment thanking the staff for their hard work, and if you want to go one step further, share the video to someone interested or tell your friends about Giant Bomb.
Suggestions & Bug Box
Problemo (i.e., Big Black Screen On The Front Page) [Answered/Resolved] (By: snuffymcgee)
If the front page, or any page for that matter, looks like a giant blank black box, Chuck has narrowed it down to ublock. As they say "disable, refresh, accept or decline cookies, then you should be ok."
How To Access Premium Stuff? [Answered/Resolution Coming] (By: lofilofi)
This specific topic is about having a hard time locating the new Film and 40's, which is in the Giant Bomb Presents podcast feed, but rest assured that this is going to get better soon as Chuck is working on a whole page with links to everything.
Lists
2025 Game of the Year (By: slamvanderhuge)
As I have been saying for a while, no GOTY list is ever "late!" If you still haven't gotten around to making a GOTY 2025 list, whip one up and I will happily showcase it when it is ready. This week we have slamvanderhuge who has a bit of everything covered in their list.
User Reviews
Cairn review by relentlessknight
relentlessknight's review for Cairn discusses why they got past the game's unusual control scheme to accept and fall in love with its moving story and breathtaking visuals and vista-like set pieces.
Pokémon Scarlet/Violet review by rawkpartee
With this possibly being an off year for the Pokémon franchise, Giant Bomb user rawkpartee decided to reboot Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and wrote a review detailing why it is a perfectly fiiiiiiiiiine entry in the franchise.