Quick Words on Tifa Hate

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the fact that none of my blog entries this month have had pictures, but that's because my computer is broken and I'm using a really old one that is simply too unreliable. Sorry about that. Secondly, I know the hot topic of the day is that dumb article from the Mary Sue that talks about Tifa. (Update February 25, 2016: It has come to my attention that the article was intentionally written as a joke, which the Mary Sue, and by extension most readers, took seriously.) I've spoken my thoughts regarding issues like this before, but to sum them up: it's OK to draw sexy women and make sexy female characters in gaming, it's OK to enjoy sexy characters in gaming, and focusing on looks is wrong.

The Main Theme of Suikoden 4

The fourth game in the main Suikoden series, Suikoden 4 is often seen by fans of the series as being one of the worst, or at least most disappointing, games in the series. There are many reasons for this, ranging from the gameplay (a paty of 4 when the series ALWAYS allowed for a party of 6, high random encounter rates) to the presentation (only five or 7 towns to visit, depending on how you count certain areas of the game, and only ten or so dungeons), even the story gets some flak. And it's true, the story of Suikoden 4 is very short when compared to the stories of Suikoden 2 or 3. But just because it's short doesn't mean the story has no meat to it. In fact, a close observation even reveals the main theme of the game: leadership.

The Butts

In an episode of Tropes vs Women in Gaming that was at least three years in the making, Anita Sarkeesian brought to light the troubling lack of diversity in female antagonists in gaming, how most of them are either sex pots or old crones, how few video games actually have a woman in the role of the main antagonist, and how too few games show female antagonists that...Wait, no, she didn't. She talked about how many female video game characters have clothing designed to showcase but not exactly show their butts.

Between the Lines- Fallout 4 and Nuclear Apocalypse Media

I've been playing Fallout 4 since Christmas, and let me tell you that I am addicted.As I played the game, however, I couldn't help noticing the very many elements it had in common with other media I had seen regarding nuclear weaponry. As I kept playing, I kept making mental notes about these similitudes, and what kind of message a gamer could take away from the game.

Plans for 2016

Well, 2015 came and went, and now we have a whole new year to look forward to. I don't know about you all, but I have a few plans for this year. First off, if I find work, I'm gonna buy myself some good games for the PS4 like Disgaea 5, the FF7 remake, and so forth. In regards to the blog, though, I already have some big, big ideas.

I'll be doing a blog entry about an old game called Tattoo Assassins, a game made in reaction to Mortal Kombat's success as a shameless attempt to cash in on the latter's popularity. It was canceled because it was so poorly done that NOBODY wanted to beta test it. What I'll do this entry is look at how the game could have been done better.

For February, I want to take a second shot at Love in Gaming Month. Last year, due to my school work, I was unable to do more than one entry; this year, I plan on doing 3. What I'll do is simple: take a look at some couples and explain what makes them work or not. They are:

Mario and Peach from the Mario Franchise.
Phillip and Anna Strenger from Witcher 3
Tidus and Yuna from Final Fantasy X.

As I am uncertain as to what Ill be doing this June, if I'll take summer courses or not, I'm leaving that month open. On July, however, I'm planning on doing a countdown for the Top 11 Male Characters in Gaming. Like always, this is a look at 11 characters, 11 entries examining what makes these characters so awesome. I can already hear the feminists crying out "where are the female characters?" My answer: I'll get to them eventually, I just need more research.

As for December, I'm still up in the air what I'll do then. It really depends on my ability to play one of two games: if Uri releases her next game, The Hanged Man, I'll be doing a Month of the Strange Men, where I look at all four games in this series. If not, and if Uncharted 4 is released and I manage to play it, then I'll be doing a Month of Uncharted. But I have eleven months, so let's all relax.

Here's to a successful 2016!