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 […]
“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 Legend of Zelda: Discovering the Answers to Our Prayers In Someone Else’s “Side Quest”
“Fetch quests” in role-playing games are a pretty standard part of the experience, and the Legend of Zelda is no exception. Sure, there is an evil warlord trying to take […]
Breath of the Wild: Content Beyond the Endgame
When we finally reach the end of a Legend of Zelda title, typically all that remains for us to do is to passively watch a few last cutscenes and enjoy […]
The Legend of Zelda: Working in Mysterious Ways
Over my years of adventures with the Legend of Zelda series I have found that there are parts or each game that don’t make a whole lot of sense, and […]
Finding God in Video Games 