Deconstructing the Duck Hunt Dog
The gaming villain who had the greatest impact on me at a young age wasn’t Ganon, Ridley, or even Bowser… it was the Duck Hunt Dog. It wasn’t because he […]
From the Virtual Boy to the 3DS: Right Dream, Wrong Timing
While Nintendo is known for making some of the most successful and beloved gaming hardware of all time, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been made a few missteps along the […]
Console Wars: Sega Does What “Nintendon’t”?
The original “console wars” between Sega and Nintendo got a little bit feisty… both companies battled it out for the hearts (and wallets) of the gaming audience in each successive […]
Super Mario Bros: Desperately Seeking Shortcuts and Finding the WRONG Secrets
Back when the original NES Super Mario Bros. game first came out, I heard rumors that there was a secret level hidden within the game… the mysterious “World -1”. After […]
An Inconsistent Experience: Balancing “Shovelware” with the Nintendo “Seal of Approval”
After all these years, the Nintendo Wii console still stands as one of the best selling hardware platforms of all time, selling over 100 million units during its’ lifetime. But […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Finding God in Video Games 