Pokémon: Gotta Catch ‘Em All!
The Pokémon franchise is one of the largest on the planet, captivating massive audiences for years and challenging them to fully explore each game with one mission in mind… “Gotta […]
Mario and Sonic: Finding Common Ground Through Unified Purpose
For years, Nintendo and Sega’s respective mascots existed in an adversarial relationship… as the competing public faces for their brands, the idea that we would ever see Mario and Sonic […]
“Paper Mario”: A Deeper Experience Requiring a Larger Commitment
The “Paper Mario” series of games represent a massive departure from the simple “run and jump” side-scrolling adventures of a standard Mario game… these titles feature a narrative with actual […]
Pikmin: The Importance of Being Part of a Diverse “Body”
The Pikmin series features some of the most unique protagonists in all of gaming… taken individually, these tiny beings appear relatively weak and helpless, and at first glance the world […]
Mega Man: Balancing Free Will and an Optimal Path
My original console gaming experiences were pretty linear affairs… games like Super Mario Brothers simply took me from one level to the next, while Zelda gave me a rudimentary feeling […]
The Reveal of Samus Aran: The Answer We Didn’t Know We Needed
In the early days of video games, strong female protagonists were virtually non-existent… so the “helmet removal” reveal of Samus Aran at the end of the first Metroid game on […]
StarFox 64: “Do a Barrel Roll”!
When a supporting character in a video game gives us instructions it is typically designed to be helpful, acting as in-game representative of the game developer to give us clues […]
Dr. Mario’s Secret: Overcoming Evil With Good
While most of Mario’s gaming adventures are designed around demonstrating his physical acrobatics, in his exploits as “Dr. Mario” he gets to show off his more cerebral side by carefully […]
Kirby and the Importance of What We Choose to “Consume”
Kirby is one of the most identifiable characters in all of gaming, but it is his very unique method of learning new skills in his games that makes him truly […]
The Legend of Zelda: It is Dangerous to Go Alone
One of the most well-known quotes in gaming came from the original Legend of Zelda, when at the beginning of his adventure Link is told, “It’s Dangerous To Go Alone”. […]
Finding God in Video Games 