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 […]
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 […]
The Bad Batch Finale: An Unanswered Prayer
(SPOILER ALERT for the Series Finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch) As I sit here pondering the finale of the Star Wars: Bad Batch series, I find myself torn… […]
Crosshair’s Burden and Judging Others
The redemptive arc of “Crosshair” from the Bad Batch took years to play out… his path from a merciless agent of the Empire to his restoration with his brothers played […]
Finding God in Video Games 