Album Review: Barry Manilow’s What A Time — A Timeless Triumph Nearly 15 Years in the Making

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It has been nearly 15 years since the world received a brand-new studio album of original material from music icon Barry Manilow. The wait is finally over with the release of What A Time. After diving deep into an advance copy of the record (including the three bonus tracks), it’s clear that Barry has delivered a masterpiece that seamlessly honors his legendary pop instincts while fearlessly exploring mature, fresh sonic territories.

Anchored by brilliant production work from long-time collaborators like Michael Lloyd, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Demonte Posey, and Dave Cobb, What A Time is a powerful reminder of why Manilow remains one of the greatest showmen, musicians, and composers of our time.

Here is a track-by-track breakdown of this spectacular new release, featuring insights into the creators of this brilliant music and Barry’s own thoughts on the material.

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Nice Day for Fishing: An Epic NPC Adventure

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If you’ve spent any time scrolling through YouTube over the last few years, chances are you’ve stumbled across Viva La Dirt League. Their Epic NPC Man sketches—which lovingly poke fun at the absolute absurdity of open-world RPG tropes—are legendary.

And if you know the channel, you know Baelin. He’s the simple, endlessly cheerful fisherman NPC whose entire existence consists of walking a set path, holding a fishing rod, and happily chirping his singular line: “Morning! Nice day for fishing, ain’t it!”

Well, someone finally gave Baelin his own game. Published by Team17 and developed by FusionPlay, Nice Day for Fishing for Xbox turns a brilliant running internet joke into a surprisingly addictive, charming little Action-RPG/Fishing hybrid.

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Black Jacket: Master the Odds in a Sinister Casino

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Ever since Balatro completely hijacked our collective free time, the gaming world has been desperately hunting for the next great roguelike card obsession. There is something intoxicating about taking a classic, universally understood tabletop game, wrapping it in modern mechanics, and giving players the power to break the rules.

Enter Black Jacket, developed by Mi’pu’mi Games and published by Skystone Games. It dropped quietly on Xbox Series X|S last month for $14.99, and if you have any weakness for deckbuilders or high-stakes risk-management, it is going to absolutely ruin your sleep schedule.

But instead of playing with a poker hand, this time you’re sitting down at the ultimate underworld casino floor. Your game of choice? Blackjack. The stakes? Your literal soul.

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Transform Your Mind with Zen Meditation

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There’s a unique kind of chaos that comes with urban life. Even when you’re doing work you love, the ambient noise of a city like Philadelphia—the sirens, the constant movement, the digital buzz—can slowly build up a layer of mental static. For a while now, I’ve been looking for a way to cut through that noise and find a more profound sense of stillness.

My curiosity wasn’t accidental. It actually began in an unexpected place: Jet Li’s autobiography. Reading his recent memoir sparked a fascination with mindfulness and his personal exposure to Buddhism, sending me down a rabbit hole of books on the subject. But as any reader knows, there comes a point where you need to move past the theory on the page and actually put the practice into motion.

That search led me to the Philadelphia Zen Meditation Center (part of the Buddhaland on Earth organization).

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Slots & Daggers: A Unique Micro-Roguelike Experience

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If you told me a year ago that one of my favorite gaming experiences would involve pulling the lever on a slot machine to hack a skeleton to pieces, I probably would have laughed. But here we are.

Solo developer Friedemann (the brilliant mind behind the cozy building game SUMMERHOUSE) teamed up with indie publisher Future Friends Games to bring Slots & Daggers to consoles, including Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. And let me tell you, it is an absolute blast of dopamine, crunchy beats, and retro charm.

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Revisiting Hero: Jet Li’s Greatest Martial Arts Epic

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Ever since finishing Jet Li’s fascinating new memoir, Looking for Jet Li (which I just wrote about here), I’ve been on a massive deep dive through his filmography. Reading about his transition from a hyper-disciplined wushu champion to a global action star—and ultimately to a man focused on deep spiritual mindfulness—adds a whole new layer of meaning to his entire body of work.

While revisiting his classics, one film stood out as an absolute masterpiece demanding its own dedicated spotlight: Zhang Yimou’s 2002 epic, Hero.

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Why SUMMERHOUSE is the Best Game to Unwind

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We’ve all had those days where the brain is completely fried. You want to play a game to unwind, but opening up a massive RPG feels like a chore, and jumping into a competitive shooter sounds like a recipe for a stress headache.

Enter SUMMERHOUSE for Xbox.

Developed solo by Friedemann (one of the brilliant minds behind Islanders and Townscaper), this little indie gem is less of a traditional “game” and more of a warm digital hug. It describes itself as a love letter to long-lost summer afternoons, and honestly, it hits that exact note.

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Experience High-Tech Racing with Formula Legends’ New DLC

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If you’ve been following my deep dives into Formula Legends on Xbox, you know I have a massive soft spot for this game. 3DClouds built a fantastic foundation that leans heavily into open-wheel racing history. When I reviewed the Raw Power Pack last November, I fell in love with how it leaned into striking, historically inspired machines, even if the physics demanded absolute simulation-heavy precision. Then came December’s Tech Power Pack, which pushed the envelope with bizarre, experimental vehicles that truly tested my racing lines. Most recently, in January, I took a nostalgic trip through blown diffusers and screaming V8s in the Early 2010’s Season Pack.

But for their latest expansion, 3DClouds isn’t looking backward. They are leaping straight into the modern, high-tech world of electric motorsport.

Formula Legends: Formula E – Electric Evolution is out now, and it changes the entire tempo of the game. If you’re used to the roaring engines of the classic eras, the immediate, high-pitched whine of these electric beasts is going to be a total paradigm shift.

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Dungeon Clawler: A Unique Deck-Building Adventure

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We’ve all been there: staring down a neon-lit arcade claw machine, convinced that this is the time we’ll actually grab that plushie, only to watch the metal hand limp-drop and slip right off. It’s a mix of hope, mild frustration, and addictive “just one more coin” energy.

Now, imagine taking that exact feeling, putting a pastel-colored fantasy coat of paint on it, and smashing it together with a deck-building roguelike.

That is the bizarre, genius premise behind Dungeon Clawler, an indie gem from Stray Fawn Studio that just hit Xbox Series X|S. If you like games like Slay the Spire or Balatro but want something that replaces card math with arcade physics, this is the game you need to download right now.

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Explore Monster Crown: Sin Eater’s Unique Monster Creation System

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Whether you grew up with a Game Boy in your hands or you’re just a fan of deep RPGs, you’ve probably felt that itch for a creature-collector that actually respects your intelligence. Most games in the genre lean into the “cuddly” and “whimsical,” but Monster Crown: Sin Eater—just released on Xbox—is a very different beast.

If the original Monster Crown was a love letter to the darker corners of 90s handheld gaming, Sin Eater is the grit and the consequence that comes after. Here’s why this one should be on your radar.

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