Cliches that Work: Grandia 1

Grandia 1 is one of those games whose success is utterly baffling: a game with an unoriginal premise, a predictable plot, stock character archetypes that don't evolve beyond their predictable pattern, and a graphical presentation that has NOT aged gracefully. And somehow, some way, it's STILL one of the freshest, most amazing games you'll ever play. How could this happen?

Regarding Lara Croft

When you think Lara Croft, the average gamer will quickly think of the woman who can duel wield pistols, crawls around jungles and exotic locales, all while dressing rather scantily in a pair of hot pants and a tank top. It is inevitable: Lara Croft is rather pleasing to the eye, no matter how many changes you make to her design. But there are people who take issue with her specifically BECAUSE of what she does and how she looks. There are those who oppose Lara's design, saying that her design undermines her as a strong, female character. The question is: does being sexy undermine being strong?

Five Video Games That Changed my Life

Though my entire life does not revolve around video games, they most certainly do take up most of my free time. Some would say I'm wasting my life, but in the words of John Lennon "time spent enjoying yourself is time well spent." Video games are fun, but that's not the only reason I love them. Some video games have left a lasting impression on me, helped me become who I am today. So today, I'll share this list of video games with you.

Three Year Anniversary

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but my life has been so busy lately that I find myself with the real possibility that I might not be able to write this down. On August 2nd, this blog will be three years old. Three years, ladies and gentlemen, three whole years.

Everyone who has read this blog from day 1 knows that I never expected it to last three years. In fact, I was almost certain I'd last around fourteen entries, get bored, and then abandon everything. But I didn't. I stuck to my guns, kept writing, and now I have 202 blog entries.

This blog has evolved quite a bit since it began. When I started out, and some of you may have noticed this, I was trying to emulate other people's styles. Specifically, I was emulating Dr Nerdlove, whom three years ago I greatly admired. Of course, things change, and that admiration has fizzled out into contempt. My original blog entries are a bit slipshod, a bit all over the place, and lacking in seriousness. I originally added pictures just to add a wisecrack or two, something I no longer do.

I'd like to think the future of this blog is looking rather bright, as far as content is concerned. Among some of the blog entries I wish to make are:

1. An analysis of Grandia 1 and how a cliched game can seem fresh by actually respecting the Tropes it's using.
2. A revisiting of the two Chrono games, and why Chrono Cross is actually a suitable sequel to Chrono Trigger.
3. Another World Analysis, something I haven't done since 2013. This time, I've got my eye on Johto from the Second Generation of Pokemon. What I'm planning on doing is demonstrating just how Johto really expanded on the world of Pokemon, in EVERY sense of the term.
4. Continuing the analysis of how Lunar perfectly defines how women can have varied roles in gaming beyond being damsels or bit characters, this time focusing on Xenobia and her role as a villain.
5. Asking ourselves a very, very tough question: is Final Fantasy becoming irrelevant?

And of course, we must not forget that December will be Uncharted Month. Every Saturday, we'll be taking a look at each Uncharted Game, chronicling Nathan Drake's growth and development as a character, as well as explore the themes present in each game.

So yeah, there is a LOT to look forward to in the future! Stay tuned!

The Ten Points to Make a Good Sonic Game

Sonic the Hedgehog, like it or not, is no longer the entertainment juggernaut he used to be. Or at least, that's true as far as gaming is concerned. After some consideration and some analysis of what made the classic Genesis titles be classics, I've come up with ten points to what should constitute a GOOD Sonic the Hedgehog game.

Is Pokemania Back?

Some of my readers might be too young to remember Pokemania, when Pokemon was dominating pop culture and was literally everywhere. Pokemon toys in Burger King, Pokemon trading cards, Pokemon events in Toys-R-Us, the Pokemon movie opening to PACKED theaters, list goes on. Pokemania came in 1999, died out sometime around 2001. But now, thanks to Pokemon Go, the franchise is back again in the Mainstream Media. Question: is Pokemania back?

The Women of Lunar 1

Opponents of gaming, as we as those uninvolved with our culture, like to make the claim that women's roles in gaming are limited. They claim that women can only be sex objects, damsels in distress, or pieces of background furniture. They also claim that femininity and strength in gaming are opposites; a strong female character is JUST a male with breasts. Those of us involved in gaming, however, know better. And today, I want to introduce a few female characters from that GROSSLY under appreciated game franchise, Lunar. This entry will focus exclusively on the heroines of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, but future entries may focus on the girls from Lunar 2, as well as the villains of both games.