Sonic Adventure: A Failure?

In the year 1998, the Sega Dreamcast was released to the excitement of fans all over the world. To prove the console's power, Sega released the then long awaited leap to 3D for their best-selling franchise: Sonic the Hedgehog. The big 3D debut's name was Sonic Adventure. But... was it a retrospective failure?

Act Raiser 2- A Word

When Act Raiser was released in 1990, it gained some minor fame for its blending of simplified Sim style gameplay with some passable and challenging platforming hack and slash. The game was good, but not great; it earned enough to spawn a sequel. That sequel, Act Raiser 2, has been derided as one of the most disappointing sequels in gaming. But was it? Is Act Raiser 2 a disappointment?

Gaming in China: My Personal Experience

When moving to China, one of my biggest worries was not being able to game. However, within a month of staying here, I am pleased to announce those fears were very, very much unfounded. China has a robust gaming culture, and I have had the privilege to experience it just a tiny bit.

Level Analysis- Cemetery of Ash from Dark Souls 3

I've restarted and rage quit Dark Souls 3 more times this month than I have ANY OTHER GAME in my entire life. Because of that I've become very well acquainted with the entire tutorial level of the game, to the point that I have it etched into my mind. And the more I played it, the more I realized that this is a tutorial level done right. This is the reason why.

3 Games That Deserved a Series

Every now and then you come across a fantastic, truly original game that leaves you with HOURS of fun. You think "oh man, this is so cool! I hope they make a new one!" But the developers never do, leaving the title to be a simple, one off thing that eventually fades to obscurity. In my opinion, however, these games showcase such brilliant ideas, and exhibit such amazing mechanics, that turning them into a series not only becomes justified, but obligatory. These are three games that I feel fit the bill.

The Five Worst Weapons in Fallout 4

This is a short list of the five worst weapons in Fallout 4. Each entry will include a brief description of the weapon, what you can do with it, and why it deserves to be called one of the worst (if not THE worst) in the game. Let us begin...

What Happened to Sonic?

Twenty four years ago, Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the biggest game franchises in the world. Comic books, cartoons, and of course the games, the Blue Blur was not as much a franchise as he was a phenomenon. Today, though there are still the comics and a cartoon, the Blue Blur is simply not the powerhouse he once was. What happened?

Tattoo Assassins- Analyzing a Failure

Imitation is not always the sincerest form of flattery; sometimes it's just a shortcut to success that seldom works. In gaming, few imitators see any level of success comparative to what was being originally copied. Bubsy attempted to copy Sonic the Hedgehog, with limited success. Super Smash Bros is a multmillion dollar franchise, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale was a dead flop. Some copy cat games get released quietly, and some are never released at all. One of these was Tattoo Assassins, a game that shamelessly copied off of Mortal Kombat. The game was a shameless ripoff; its cancellation was to the bereavement of nobody. But, did it have potential?

photo taken from http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/tattoo-assassins/

Just for Fun- The Five Worst Games I've Ever Played

I've been gaming since I was just a five year old child, and in that long and illustrious time playing games, I've played some truly fantastic games. I've played games that have changed my perspective in life, games that have entertained me for hours on end, and even games that changed my life for the better! League of Legends, EVO: The Search for Eden, Final Fantasy Tactics, The Crooked Man, these are but a few of the best games I've ever played. But, I also played some pretty damn bad games in my time. This is a short list of the five WORST games I've had the misfortune to play.

A Short List of Amazing Female Video Game Characters

In honor of International Women's Day, I have assembled a SHORT list of amazing female video game characters. These are women who break the mold, who demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are more roles for women in gaming than just being the damsel, the sidekick, or the sex reward. Not all the women in this list are heroes; you might see some villains too. These are in no particular order. Anyway, on to the list:

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.

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.

Nintendo Origins: "Pokemon" Revolutionizes the Handheld Market

Though these days we're enjoying a highly varied games market, it wasn't always like this, especially in the handheld department. There was a time where handheld gaming was exclusively for casual gaming; most hand held games could be beaten in under an hour. Handheld consoles didn't have any deep, complex properties; in fact, most handheld games were either puzzle games, mini game packages, or watered down versions of games you could play on a home console. This was due to the fact that, unlike home consoles, handheld consoles had shorter operation times, due to battery consumption. This all changed with a little game called Pokemon.

Nintendo Origins: "Star Fox" Humiliates the Competition

The Fourth Generation of Video Game Consoles was witness to what can arguably be called the greatest Console War ever seen: Nintendo versus Sega. When Sega released its biggest video game console ever, the Genesis, they promoted it with a simple, but arrogant campaign: "Sega does what Nintendon't." The shots were fired, and Nintendo did not take it sitting down. The war was on between the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Not to be outdone, several other companies, most notably Atari and Panasonic, joined the war with their own consoles. Each company tried to outdo the competition by having consoles with superior graphical capabilities. During this time, Nintendo released its then newest property, which in turn would be the deciding factor for Nintendo's victory in the War: Star Fox. 

Nintendo Origins- "Super Mario Bros." Saves the Console Market

The Video Game Crash of 1983 was caused by more than just E.T. for the Atari; it was the end result of an unregulated market that was too over saturated with mediocre products, copy cats, and an overabundance of companies that cared very little about the quality of their products, which in turn led, again, to the mediocre or downright awful products being sold. Atari allowed any game company to make video games for their system, the 2600, and that policy is what eventually led to the Crash. Nintendo, who had just released their latest system, the Famicom, was determined not to allow that to happen to them; so when they released the Famicom in America, they were forced to take up some pretty Draconian measures. But, they also had to 'wow' an audience that had grown cynical about video games. They needed a game that could blow people's minds away. Enter Super Mario Bros.

Nintendo Origins- "Donkey Kong" Hits the Arcades

The year was 1981, and the video game was enjoying its greatest era: the Golden Age of the Arcade. During this time, arcade games were HUGE; arcades were big money makers, and people would line up to spend a quarter on any game they could get their hands on. Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Centipede, these were just some of the games that were taking the world by storm. However, one game would come to revolutionize gaming, not just inventing a new genre, but also reinventing how game presentation works. That game was Donkey Kong.

Revisiting Sephiroth

On September 15, 2013, I had finished a blog entry analyzing Sephiroth, the main villain of Final Fantasy 7, where I made the argument that he was overrated because his motivations were unclear. However, it had been pointed out to me that I missed some key details regarding Sephiroth's history, which explains his motivations better. Mistakes were made on my part, and upon reexamining the game, as well as the data available to me, I am certain that I can revisit Sephiroth, to see if I truly was wrong to call him overrated. This is a second analysis of Sephiroth.

Sephiroth's portrait during his short tenure in the party.

Heroine's Quest and the Swan Maiden

Suppose you meet a woman who's married and has a child, and she's miserable. She's upset for a rather valid reason, like being unable to return home and thus feeling trapped by her situation. Suppose you had a way to help her one wish come true, but doing so would mean she'll abandon her family. What would your course of action be? That's the sort of situation presented in one of the sidequests in the game Heroine's Quest.

The first screenshot I took by myself for this blog!

Five Reasons Why I'm Still a Gamer

I've been a gamer since I was five years old. I first started by playing Super Mario World for the SNES, and my entire childhood was defined by that machine. Twenty four years later, here I am, making a blog about video games. In many ways, I've not changed since I was a child. I've been asked before, though, on why I'm still gaming, why I haven't "grown up" and be like the rest of my peers. These are my five reasons why I'm still a gamer.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 1

"Be the hero of your own story." Ever been given this advice? It's very good advice; it means to be the kind of person you want to look up to. Do good with your life; be successful, be happy, be GOOD. Take charge of your own life. But sometimes we screw up; we make one bad decision after another. Sometimes these decisions are so fatal, we become our own worst obstacles; our own villains. There will be times when the cause of our misfortune is ourselves; sometimes we can make up for it, sometimes we can't. When we can't recognize our own faults, our own shortcomings and weaknesses, we become our own villains. And if we're not careful, we end up hurting other people. Today's villain is a man who ruined his own life, and then kept on ruining everyone else's: Kratos, from God of War.