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 […]
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 […]
Anakin’s Undeserved Redemption
The journey of Anakin Skywalker from a simple child prodigy, to a Jedi hero, to the scourge of the galaxy, to finally fulfilling his destiny and bringing balance to the […]
Plan 99: Tech’s Sacrifice
Star Wars characters making a final sacrifice is certainly nothing new, but if I’m being truly honest, losing Tech was the one that hit me the hardest. I could never […]
Bo-Katan, the Death Watch, and “The Way”
Many of the most memorable characters in the Star Wars franchise started with a problematic background painted in shades of gray… such as Bo-Katan Kryze, a Mandalorian warrior who errantly […]
Obi-Wan’s “Losing Battle” and a New Hope
With the releases of the prequel movies as well as a prequel streaming series, we’ve learned that Obi-Wan Kenobi defeated Darth Vader at least twice in a direct lightsaber battle… […]
Finding God in Video Games 