John Michonski

Austin

Editor in Chief at Video Game Choo Choo

Freelance Writer at NSM Today

I do @thegamesline and host its games podcast. Contributes to @osgretro. I love handhelds! 30 He/Him Who is cuter-Pikachu or me? Header/Avatar: @harlequinwheels

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Articles

John's Favorite Games of 2024

6 days ago | gamesline.net | John Michonski

Well folks, 2024 happened. I am so glad to be in a new year, and games are looking to be good in 2025. I was unemployed for a large amount of the year, so I didn’t get to play anywhere near as many games as I would’ve liked. In fact, these are pretty much all of the 2024 games I played in total! I also played Zenless Zone Zero for a few weeks, but I don’t have anything to really say about it here. I don’t know what Gamesline is in 2025.
Art is By People: Dreams and Deadlines and the Ghibli AI Trend

3 weeks ago | gamesline.net | John Michonski

I went to see Princess Mononoke a few nights ago, and it hammered in how stupid AI art fans are. I never respected any of the rising interest in generative AI, especially once the extent of theft these models were trained off of became apparent, but hoo boy.
Unlimited Rail Works Episode 131: What if Princess Latte Had WhatsApp?

3 weeks ago | gamesline.net | Elvie Mae |John Michonski

The entire crew is here, and this time we’re going over the Spring 2025 anime schedule! Find out what sounds good, what sounds heinous, and what we’ll be watching, because we’re probably gonna watch a mix of both. The opening is Gallant Char from Gundam, and the ending is Horoscope Rhapsody from Galaxy Angel.
It's Time to Retro Duel! John and Rose Check Out the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection

1 month ago | gamesline.net | John Michonski

VIDEOThe latest Konami retro bundle, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection, is out now. John and Rose dig into the classic (and less classic) titles that kickstarted one of the greatest TCGs.Subscribe to our YouTube or watch our streams live on our Twitch!
Unlimited Rail Works Episode 129: The Return

1 month ago | gamesline.net | John Michonski

Last time we did this was uh. A while ago. So we’re back getting our sea legs in the anime realm by just going over a few things we watched recently! Rose is enjoying old man isekai and tokusatsu, as always. Maverick enjoyed the wacky adventures of the Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night group, and ate up some Obayashi films to boot. John is kinda worried about the Yu-Gi-Oh! Chronicles anime, and has read a lot of manga. Elvie was too sleepy to be on this one.
Unlimited Rail Works Episode 128: Fall 2024 Previews

1 month ago | gamesline.net | John Michonski

We went over the Fall season a few months ago, and forgot to upload this! Oopsie. It’s here now though, you’re welcome. The best dang anime podcast returns! Rose, John, and Maverick regroup to talk about the current anime season’s batch of new releases, and catch up on what we’ve been watching and reading since our last episode….two whole seasons ago. Gulp.
A Perfectly Sharpened Blade - Blade Chimera (PC) Review

Jan 15, 2025 | gamesline.net | John Michonski

Team Ladybug’s games feel good. I don’t like the term “game feel” as it doesn’t explain anything on its own, but sometimes the way a character moves as you press buttons on your controller gives you the same sensation as rolling downhill on a bike.
Pokémon's Unreleased Myths and their Context

Oct 14, 2024 | gamesline.net | John Michonski

An unprecedented leak took place this past weekend, and a full terabyte of Game Freak’s internal files are currently being sifted through. I’m not here to discuss the moral ramifications of these files getting out (I think it’s cool the developer stuff is public, but the personal information of employees is a big no-no), but instead I wish to comment on the biggest controversy that has launched from these leaks: The Pokémon myths.
Why The Hell Did I (Almost) 100% Final Fantasy XIII?

Jun 17, 2024 | gamesline.net | John Michonski

I had been told a lot of things about Final Fantasy XIII. Mostly in abstract, and most of it not good. There are outliers, our own Rose sings the game’s praises often, but the general consensus has been that FFXIII marked a major downturn for Final Fantasy as a franchise. I had even tried it as a youngster, but bounced directly off of it. I recently became unemployed, and had also gained access to Final Fantasy XIII around the same time.
John's Top 10 Games of 2023

Apr 26, 2024 | gamesline.net | John Michonski

2023 was a year where I felt separated from Gamesline. I wanted to do more. Wanting does not equal doing, and that ended up making for a lot of time not spent here and more spent at work or just trying to come down from work. I can only hope 2024 allows me more time here, and while that hasn’t fully happened yet, I think it will begin soon.