Halo Wars or Definitive Edition? Check the Platform Before You Pick a Copy
Original Xbox 360 copy or Definitive Edition? Separate disc collecting, Play Anywhere licensing and PC storefront multiplayer before buying Halo Wars.
5 min readRead story
A new level of gaming
ZYPHER XP
Gaming news, guides, retro deep dives & collecting
All in. All game.
Latest edition
Start exploring
Your next rabbit hole starts here.
Find the games, guides and deep dives worth coming back for.
OFF YOUR RADAR
A different corner of the XP archive. One click, one new rabbit hole.
Your checkpoint
There is more to the story.
Your unfinished reads, saved on this device.
THE ZYPHER STORE
Read about it. Play it.
Find your next game at Zypher Trading Video Games. Every shop link here leads to our own store.
Explore all platforms
Browse by platform
From the games you grew up with to the next thing you cannot put down.
The full story
Deep dives
The franchises, the turning points, and the games that still deserve your time.
Deep dive
Age of Empires III Deep Dive: The Next Shipment Needs a Plan
Revisit the 2005 RTS through its Home City decks, shipment decisions and economy, with clear distinctions between the original, legacy collection and Definitive Edition.
7 min readRead story
Deep dive
Crimson Skies Deep Dive: The Brakes Belong in a Dogfight
A guide to Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, from braking and aircraft roles to Pandora, upgrades and choosing the right Xbox edition.
7 min readRead story
Deep dive
Rise of Nations Deep Dive: Win the Ground, Then Build the Nation
Borders, city takeovers and an economy measured in rates give Rise of Nations its identity. Revisit the original design while keeping Extended Edition features straight.
7 min readRead story
Finding stories from the full archive…
The rise. The fall. The aftermath.
WTF happened to…
Revisit the games, studios, and ideas that left us asking what happened.
WTF happened to
WTF Happened to Neo Geo Pocket Color? A Handheld Cut Short in the West
SNK pulled Neo Geo Pocket Color distribution from North America and Europe in 2000. Here is what ended, what survived, and what to check before buying one.
5 min readRead story
WTF happened to
WTF Happened to ReCore? The Launch Problems and the Definitive Edition
ReCore’s launch criticism and its expanded Definitive Edition belong to different moments. Here’s what changed, and what an Xbox One buyer should check.
5 min readRead story
Finding stories from the full archive…
News & releases
View all ↗
Nov 09, 2026
New Games This Week: November 9–15, 2026
Play smarter
View all ↗
Find your next rabbit hole
Pick a franchise. Go all in.
Deep dives, announcements and stories from across the complete XP archive.
The Zypher XP collection
The XP archive
Good stories do not expire. Search every story, revisit a franchise, or start at the beginning.
472 stories
More filters
Halo Wars or Definitive Edition? Check the Platform Before You Pick a Copy
Original Xbox 360 copy or Definitive Edition? Separate disc collecting, Play Anywhere licensing and PC storefront multiplayer before buying Halo Wars.
5 min readRead story
Wait, How Rare Is This? Halo 3’s US Limited Edition
Halo 3’s US metal-case edition needs more than a good-looking tin. Check the book, bonus disc, regional package and dated sale evidence before paying a collector premium.
5 min readRead story
Six Years of Gears Tactics on Xbox: From Soldier to Squad Leader
Gears Tactics turned familiar Gears combat into a squad-level responsibility. Six years after its Xbox launch, the prequel, convoy and platform history explain the change.
6 min readRead story
The Zypher Top 25 PC Stealth Games: Shadows, Plans and Clean Escapes
Dishonored 2, Hitman, Thief and 22 more PC picks, ranked for infiltration choices, distinct tools and the tradeoffs between pure stealth, tactical teams and action hybrids.
11 min readRead story
Halo MCC Campaign Co-op: Four Players Does Not Mean One Screen
MCC campaigns have different player limits, Xbox split-screen stops at two for campaigns, and PC has no native split-screen. Plan the right Halo session.
4 min readRead story
10 Wild Quantum Break Facts: The Villain Gets a Vote
Ten documented Quantum Break details, including Paul Serene’s choices, the Monarch viewpoint, Time Echoes and the surprising uses of Jack’s powers.
4 min readRead story
Deep dive
Age of Empires III Deep Dive: The Next Shipment Needs a Plan
Revisit the 2005 RTS through its Home City decks, shipment decisions and economy, with clear distinctions between the original, legacy collection and Definitive Edition.
7 min readRead story
Grounded Shared Worlds: Keep the Yard Moving When the Host Logs Off
Pass hosting duties without losing track of the group yard. Grounded’s Shared Worlds, Standard copies and Steam account choices need different checks.
5 min readRead story
WTF happened to
WTF Happened to Neo Geo Pocket Color? A Handheld Cut Short in the West
SNK pulled Neo Geo Pocket Color distribution from North America and Europe in 2000. Here is what ended, what survived, and what to check before buying one.
5 min readRead story
Factorio Splitters: Sort the Item, Then Set the Priority
Sharing a belt, preferring a supply and sorting an item need different splitter choices. Read the input, output and lane behavior before rebuilding the junction.
6 min readRead story
Deep dive
Crimson Skies Deep Dive: The Brakes Belong in a Dogfight
A guide to Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, from braking and aircraft roles to Pandora, upgrades and choosing the right Xbox edition.
7 min readRead story
Xbox Series X Care: Give the Vents Room and Use the Right Cloth
A Series X care routine built around Microsoft’s console-specific cloth rule, ventilation clearance and the point where repeated shutdowns need service.
5 min readRead story
Steam Deck LCD vs OLED: Where the Upgrade Money Actually Goes
Screen size, battery capacity, weight and the games you want to play: compare Steam Deck LCD and OLED without mistaking a 90Hz panel for a 90fps promise.
5 min readRead story
Wait, How Rare Is This? Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition
Identify the Project Scorpio launch edition, then separate a dated UK bundle sale from its estimate, console-only value and unverified survivor counts.
4 min readRead story
Zypher Feature: Two Battle Plans for Minecraft’s Overworld
Dungeons builds the adventurer. Legends gives the hero an army to lead. How two Minecraft spin-offs changed the job, and what that means when choosing a copy.
5 min readRead story
The Zypher Top 25: PC Third-Person Action Games, Ranked
From Devil May Cry 5 to Sunset Overdrive: 25 PC action games ranked for combat choices, movement and the systems worth learning, with exact editions and buying tradeoffs.
11 min readRead story
New Games This Week: November 9–15, 2026
Football Manager 27, Shrek 2 Remastered and Warhammer Survivors arrive Tuesday, with Pikmin 4’s Switch 2 edition on Thursday. Here is what to check before choosing.
4 min readRead story
10 Wild Age of Mythology Facts: Hungry Giants and a Very Generous Rainstorm
A resource-eating Colossus, compulsory peace and rain that helps the other side: ten documented Age of Mythology details, with original and later editions kept straight.
4 min readRead story
Deep dive
Rise of Nations Deep Dive: Win the Ground, Then Build the Nation
Borders, city takeovers and an economy measured in rates give Rise of Nations its identity. Revisit the original design while keeping Extended Edition features straight.
7 min readRead story
State of Decay 2: Keep the Community, Plan the Next Chapter
Continue the group or send survivors to the Legacy Pool? Plan State of Decay 2’s next chapter around the people, equipment and base you want to keep.
5 min readRead story
WTF happened to
WTF Happened to ReCore? The Launch Problems and the Definitive Edition
ReCore’s launch criticism and its expanded Definitive Edition belong to different moments. Here’s what changed, and what an Xbox One buyer should check.
5 min readRead story
Psychonauts 2 Settings: Easier Gliding, Clearer Dialogue and Three Different Assists
Separate Psychonauts 2’s glide inputs, subtitle choices and combat assists, with practical advice for adjusting the part that interrupts your session.
5 min readRead story
Sea of Thieves Story Nights: Give the Tall Tale Some Room
Tall Tale checkpoints and Safer Seas solved different interruptions. Here is how those changes can shape a crew’s story night, with clear limits on old launch information.
5 min readRead story
Xbox 360 Save Preservation: Follow the File All the Way
Find the right Xbox 360 save, choose a local or cloud route, and check the destination before retiring the hardware that holds your progress.
5 min readRead story
There is always another way in
Let’s find your next story.
No stories match. Try a different search or clear your filters.
THE ZYPHER STORE
On the shelf at Zypher
Games available in our store. Choose your platform and condition on the product page.
Tetris Plus | PlayStation 1 | PS1
Available options from $9.96
View available options ↗
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 | PlayStation 1 | PS1
Available options from $14.96
View available options ↗
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | PlayStation 1 | PS1
Available options from $14.96
View available options ↗
NBA Live 2002 | PlayStation 1 | PS1
Available options from $7.96
View available options ↗Will it work on my console?
Straight answers on backward compatibility.
Find a game you missed
Cult favorites, retrospectives, and hidden gems.
Get more from your collection
Condition, authenticity, storage, and care.