Paper Mario and a Deeper Experience
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 real story with […]
Tiny Pikmin, Big Impact
The Pikmin series features some of the most unique protagonists in all of gaming… these tiny beings are individually pretty weak and helpless, and at first glance the world around […]
Mega Man and a Perfect Plan
My original console gaming experiences were pretty linear affairs… games like Mario simply took me from one level to the next, while Zelda gave me a rudimentary feeling of exploration […]
Metroid and Surprising Answers to Prayer
In the early days of gaming, strong female protagonists were virtually non-existent…so the reveal of Samus Aran at the end of the first Metroid game was a pretty big deal. […]
StarFox and Doing a “Barrel Roll?”
When a supporting character in a video game gives us advice, it is typically designed to be helpful… but when it is given in a demanding, repetitive manner, it only […]
Dr. Mario and “Overcoming Evil With Good”
While most of Mario’s adventures involve acts of physical acrobatics, his exploits as Dr. Mario allows him to show his more cerebral side by carefully matching doses of medication with […]
Kirby and “We Are What We Eat”
Kirby has a very unique way of learning new skills in his games… he consumes an ability and then becomes capable of demonstrating that power. As Kirby literally becomes what […]
Anakin and “Pride Before a Fall”
As the “Duel of the Fates” between Anakin and Obi-Wan reached its climactic crescendo, the full truth behind Anakin’s fall to the dark side was exposed… it wasn’t just a […]
It’s a TRAP!
There are few lines in cinema more iconic than when Admiral Ackbar suddenly realized that he and his fleet had been lured into a dogfight with a FULLY operational Death […]
Compromise and Lando’s Changing Deal
Lando’s friendliness and hospitality in “The Empire Strikes Back” hid a dark secret… he had made a “deal with the devil” to surrender Han and Leia to Darth Vader in […]
Finding God in Video Games 