Hardware · Purchased January 20, 2023 · $32.47 via Amazon
Photo: PowerA
The Setup
An officially licensed rechargeable battery solution that replaces AA batteries in an Xbox Series X controller via a swappable battery door, charged over USB-C. I’d been burning through AAs for long enough that this felt overdue.
The Review
Simple drop-in swap for the AA door and decent battery life for casual play, at a more affordable price than some third-party charging-dock bundles. Capacity is noticeably lower than higher-end rechargeable packs, and you do have to pop the controller open to swap the door and battery — a charging cable/dock is sold separately from the bare pack, which feels like a minor cash grab.
What I Liked
Officially licensed, simple drop-in swap
Decent battery life for casual play
Affordable, convenient USB-C charging
What I Didn’t
Lower capacity than higher-end third-party packs
Requires opening the controller to swap the door/battery
Hardware · Purchased January 15, 2023 · $119.86 via Amazon
Photo: TP-Link
The Setup
A plug-in dual-band Wi-Fi 6 range extender (the RE700X) with a Gigabit Ethernet port, OFDMA, beamforming, and OneMesh compatibility for extending my existing TP-Link router’s network into the one corner of the house that always struggled for signal.
The Review
It solved the dead zone immediately, and setup through the TP-Link Tether app was painless. OneMesh support means devices roam between the router and extender without me thinking about it most of the time. Like any extender it roughly halves throughput on the extended segment, and placement took a bit of trial and error to find the sweet spot.
What I Liked
Solid Wi-Fi 6 speed/range boost for the price
Easy app-based setup
OneMesh gives near-seamless roaming
Compact plug-in design
What I Didn’t
Roughly halves throughput on the extended segment
Placement is finicky — needs a decent signal from the router first
Some devices need to manually reconnect when moving between zones
Toy Review · Purchased December 10, 2022 · $130.00 CAD via Lego Store
Holiday Main Street, 10308. Photo: LEGO
The Setup
The 2022 entry in LEGO’s annual Winter Village holiday collection, set 10308 depicts a 1,514-piece snow-covered city street with a bakery/toy shop building, a subway entrance, string lights, and 6 minifigures, compatible with LEGO’s Powered Up motor and light system for anyone who wants to add motion.
The Review
The Winter Village line has been a genuine highlight of LEGO’s annual lineup for years, and this entry keeps that streak going — the street-level scene with its bakery/toy shop and subway entrance gives it a real sense of place that a lot of holiday sets don’t bother with, and the little string-light details throughout sell the wintry mood convincingly even before it’s actually displayed anywhere near real lights. Compatibility with the Powered Up system is a thoughtful touch for anyone who wants to take it further, even if I haven’t added that myself.
At 1,514 pieces it’s a substantial, well-paced build that never drags, and it displays beautifully as a genuine centerpiece rather than a background piece. Closing out the year’s purchases with this alongside the Rainbow Road track set felt like a fitting way to wrap up a year that swung between giant Vonado builds, bootleg busts, and this kind of confidently well-made official set — and this one’s a clear reminder of what LEGO does best when it’s not trying to be oversized or unofficial about it.
What I Liked
Genuine sense of place with the street-level bakery, toy shop, and subway entrance
String-light details sell the wintry mood convincingly
Compatible with the Powered Up motor and light system for further customization
Substantial, well-paced build that displays as a genuine centerpiece
What I Didn’t
Powered Up motor and light elements are sold separately if you want them
Seasonal-adjacent set, so it may see reduced availability outside the holidays
The Verdict
Rating: 4.5/5
Another strong entry in a consistently excellent annual line — a genuine centerpiece build and a great way to close out the year.
Toy Review · Purchased December 29, 2022 · $150.00 CAD via Amazon.ca
Hot Wheels Mario Kart Rainbow Road Raceway. Photo: Mattel
The Setup
An 8-foot translucent Hot Wheels track set styled after Mario Kart’s famous Rainbow Road, with electronic light-and-sound start/finish gates, a spinning “Item Box” randomizer, and two exclusive 1:64 die-cast racers, Mario and King Boo.
The Review
The last purchase of the year closed things out on a genuinely fun note. Assembly took about the promised 15 minutes, and the translucent track pieces with the light-and-sound gates capture the Rainbow Road aesthetic surprisingly well for a physical toy set. Racing up to five cars at once with the spinning Item Box randomizer adds a real element of chaos that makes repeated races stay entertaining rather than becoming predictable.
Individual races are over fast — there’s nothing on the track to slow cars down, so a race is more of a quick burst than a sustained competition — and at $120-140 depending on where you find it, this isn’t a cheap track set, especially once you factor in that extra racer cars are sold separately. It also needs a genuinely large amount of floor or shelf space to set up fully. None of that stopped it from being a great, high-energy way to close out the year’s purchases.
What I Liked
Over 8 feet of track with light-and-sound effects that capture the Rainbow Road look
Comes with two exclusive die-cast racers not sold separately
Game Review · Purchased December 27, 2022 · $80.00 CAD via Gamestop
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me. Photo: Steam
The Setup
The fourth and final entry in Supermassive Games’ first Dark Pictures season, sending a documentary film crew to a museum built as a working replica of real-life serial killer H.H. Holmes’s “Murder Castle,” where the curator traps them in a deadly game.
The Review
This is the best-written entry in the anthology so far by a clear margin — the film-crew characters feel like more than just vehicles for quick-time events, helped considerably by each one carrying a unique gadget that turns into a genuinely clever character-specific puzzle tool rather than a generic interaction prompt. The slasher-movie premise, playing off a real historical serial killer’s methods, gives the environmental storytelling and collectibles a stronger hook than some of the more purely supernatural earlier entries.
The visuals and animation are noticeably behind Supermassive’s own The Quarry from earlier this year, with stiffer, more segmented character movement during routine interactions that occasionally breaks the immersion the writing works hard to build. Still, as a closing chapter for the anthology’s first season, it goes out on its strongest character work, and that’s the part of these games that actually matters most.
What I Liked
Best character writing in the Dark Pictures series so far
Character-specific puzzle tools are a genuinely clever addition
Strong environmental storytelling tied to real historical horror
Engaging slasher-movie narrative throughout
What I Didn’t
Visuals look noticeably dated next to Supermassive’s own The Quarry
Stiff, segmented character animation breaks immersion during routine interactions
The Verdict
Rating: 4/5
The anthology’s strongest character writing yet closes out the first season on a genuine high note, dated visuals aside.
Where to Buy
Steam listing (also on PlayStation Store, Xbox/Microsoft Store)
