A look into the historical impact of video games highlights **Majora’s Mask's narrative depth, the Sega Dreamcast's innovative legacy, the influential Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 soundtrack, the pioneering design of Diablo II, Counter-Strike's dorm-room origins and competitive impact, and the immersive conspiracies of Deus Ex**.

• Majora’s Mask Had No Minor Characters — New York Times Arts -
• The Sega Dreamcast Was the ‘What if?’ Console — New York Times Arts -
• ‘A Soundtrack of Skating’ Let the Tony Hawk Games Soar — New York Times Arts -

• These Demons of the Past Are Worth Embracing — New York Times Arts -
• The Billion-Dollar Game Built in a Dorm Room — New York Times Arts -
• The Open Secret Behind the Shadowy Conspiracies in Deus Ex — New York Times Arts -

The literary world explores the personal quandary of exercise via books, introduces new psychological thrillers, and reviews **Mark Doten’s ‘Whites: Stories’** examining contemporary American culture.

• The Case for or Against Exercise: A Reader’s Quandary — New York Times Books -
• Twisty New Psychological Thrillers — New York Times Books -
• Book Review: ‘Whites: Stories,’ by Mark Doten — New York Times Books -

The music scene anticipates **Taylor Swift’s new album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’, while indie-rock guitarist Meg Duffy** finds a new voice on their latest LP as Hand Habits.

• Anticipating Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ — New York Times Music -
• Meg Duffy, an Indie-Rock Guitar Ace, Finds a New Voice — New York Times Music -

The television landscape focuses on **Hulu’s mini-series ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox’, offering a fictionalized account, alongside a broader guide to this week’s top TV watches**.

• In ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,’ Amanda Knox and Grace Van Patten Became One — New York Times Arts -
• ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,’ Plus 6 Things to Watch on TV This Week — New York Times Arts -

The dance world celebrates the creative partnership of choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, bringing their latest work, **‘Seven Scenes,’** to Little Island.

• Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber: A Partnership of Passionate Choreographers — New York Times Arts -

A unique dive into visual history reveals the **analog allure of photographers’ contact sheets**, offering a rare glimpse into the creative process behind iconic images.

• The Analog Allure of Photographers’ Contact Sheets — New York Times Arts -