And just like that, the end of 2021 is upon us. It’s been another, shall we say, interesting year, and we hope we’ve been able to offer you some respite from ... *gestures at everything* ... in the wide range of stories and videos we’ve sent out into the world. From the deepest secrets of The Lord of the Rings to the magic of playing games on an ancient television (and everything in between), we’ve got you covered. Thanks, as always, for joining us on this wild journey we call Polygon. We look forward to continuing to serve you in 2022!

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The Year of the Ring

In honor of the 20th anniversary of these enduring cinematic classics’ debut, we’re exploring every aspect of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material to the best scenes and moments, along with the continued influence of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King on modern pop culture. Read the stories

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Playing games on my ancient TV connects me to the present

by Jordan Starkweather

CRTs may be big, but they offer something a flat-panel TV never will. Read the story

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Break-ups, porn, and bakas: The legend of the Barnes & Noble manga section

by Ana Diaz

What if we kissed in the manga section of Barnes & Noble? Read the story

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A guide to the first 15 seconds of every game

by Patrick Gill

When you boot up a video game, you see a bunch of logos and stuff you might not recognize. Welcome to the exciting world of middleware! Watch the video

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D&D’s Drizzt books were built on racist tropes. R.A. Salvatore wants to change that

by Charlie Hall

“If the drow are being portrayed as evil, that’s a trope that has to go away ...” Read the story

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In the ’80s, she was a video game pioneer. Today, no one can find her

by Patricia Hernandez

The search for Ban Tran. Read the story

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Netflix has a troubling problem with its biracial characters

by Petrana Radulovic

It keeps removing parents of color from their coming-of-age stories. Read the story

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The origin of Noob Saibot

by Michael McWhertor

Mortal Kombat’s secret ninja was even a secret to the man he was named after. Read the story

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Shhhrrreeekkkk

A collection of stories thinking about the ogre himself, 20 years after his origin story. Read the stories

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My living room has three TVs and is the harbinger of human evolution

by Ryan Gilliam

What’s the best TV to put in your living room based on size and wall availability? The answer is not one TV, but three. Read the story

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A mini oral history of Willy Wonka’s gross chocolate river scene

by Matt Patches

“That scene probably wasn’t OSHA approved.” Read the story

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It took me two years and 300 hours to beat Sekiro

by James Bareham

I don’t consider myself a gamer. When I first announced to a few experienced gamer friends that I was going to play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, most of them suggested I steer clear of it. I didn’t listen to them. Read the story

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An investigation into the lack of kissing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

by Joshua Rivera

Do the superheroes know there are many reasons to kiss? We should tell them. Read the story

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Why Assassin’s Creed Unity can’t rebuild the Notre-Dame Cathedral

by Simone de Rochefort

Our perception of historical accuracy needs major retooling. Read the story

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Street Fighter: The Movie: The game: An oral history

by Matt Leone

Our Street Fighter history series continues with a look at the time Capcom copied the copycats. Read the story

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Inside the Neopets black market

by Nicole Carpenter

‘Black market’ players want you to know they’re not boogeymen. Read the story

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MiSTer 101: A classic gaming device to rule them all

by Christopher Grant

If you care about accurately playing the games from your youth, exactly how you remember them, look no further. Read the story

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Deathloop’s big twist is unearned and underbaked

by Maddy Myers

The main characters of Deathloop, Julianna and Colt, spend the game trading bullets and quips with each other. Their chemistry was my favorite part of the game — until Deathloop’s big twist and downer ending left me cold. Read the story

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The Sonic Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade crash: An oral history

By Jack Yarwood

The infamous moment, as told by those who were there. Read the story

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Activision Blizzard workers walk out, call for CEO Bobby Kotick’s resignation

by Nicole Clark and Nicole Carpenter

Employees protested at Activision Blizzard’s offices and online. Read the story