Thank your own personal deity—possibly Miquella the Kind—it's Friday! The biggest eyebrow raise of today is Sand Land dropping down into the $50 range on PS5, despite the Xbox version staying near a hundred. Pricing error? Too much stock on one platform? Who knows, my friend. Capitalize first; ask questions later.

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 22nd birthday of Frequency, Harmonix's psychedelic, instrument-less proto-Guitar Hero. I have distinct memories of spending way too much time trying to perfect my "track shift" combos on the 25+ songs included here—in particular, No Doubt's 'Ex-Girlfriend'...for some reason. Though Frequency didn't sell a bunch, it was a serious gateway drug for Westerners whose only exposure to the genre had been PaRappa the Rapper and Bust A Groove. My kingdom for a remake of the latter...

This Day in Gaming

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Frequency (PS2) 2002.

- Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (XB) 2002.

- Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PC) 2012.

- Resident Evil 5 (PS4,XO) 2016.

- Super Mario Maker 2 (NS) 2019.

It always makes me sad when bona fide AAAs go the way of delisting, like Forza Horizon 4 will by year end. However, I find the sting of that loss is lessened when the publisher not only has the good sense to warn gamers about the axe well in advance but also provides an 80% discount to boot. Such a sweet ride. Put it in your Steam garage before it peels off into the sunset forever.

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 33rd birthday of Dr. Mario, gaming's most trusted and beloved antivirus software. The brainchild of producer Gunpei Yokoi, creator of the Game Boy and Game & Watch, and Metroid series creator Takahiro Harada, I fondly recall Dr. Mario for its simple addictiveness and earworm tunes that were way more infectious than the virii I was eliminating with drop-block pills.

This Day in Gaming

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Dr. Mario (NES) 1991.

- Lego Batman 2 (PC,PS3,X360) 2012.

- Rogue Legacy (PC) 2013.

- Sniper Elite III (PC,PS3,XO) 2013.