Nintendo’s cult classic Fire Emblem series is known by gamers the world over for its ability to inspire both pleasure and frustration in shockingly equal amounts. Seldom-used word combinations like “punishingly addictive” or “enjoyably frustrating” are employed freely by anyone and everyone that’s ever given the franchise a spin.
While this generation of gaming has seen its fair share of innovation, there are two particular examples that should be considered definitive. One of these is the motion-sensing capabilities of Nintendo’s “Wii-mote”; at this point, that’s probably a no-brainer.
Regardless your gaming platform of choice, it’s safe to say that 2008 was one hell of a year for video games. The quality and range of titles and genres represented was truly inspiring and there really was something for everyone. Whether you rocked out with any of the multiple Guitar Hero iterations, explored Fallout 3’s irradiated wasteland, or swayed in time with Wii Fit’s virtual hula hoop, finding a good game last year should have been pretty easy.
The survival/horror genre of gaming has certainly seen better days. Of course, for the sake of clarity, when I say “better” I mean “more nightmarishly horrific.” The golden days revolve around the first few Resident Evil’s, Silent Hill’s and Fatal Flames before the respective series petered off into light gun centric shooters and lackluster, dumbed down sequels that cater to the crowd a little too thick to enjoy 7even or Silence of the Lambs, you know, those people that keep buying tickets to the latest version of Saw.
As election day fast approaches, a mystifying number of Utahans actually seem excited to get out there and cast a vote that, let’s face it, won’t count. If you’re an idealist, you no doubt read the previous sentence with a quietly dignified feeling of moral superiority and a smug smirk that sarcastically screams, “Oh, a cynic.
Getting excited about school can be tough, especially during fall semester. Maybe it’s just me, but graduation seems like a lifetime away, and now that dropping classes is no longer a free affair, I’ve noticed some disconcerting changes in my previously benign professors.
When Rock Band arrived last November it was greeted with both breathless anticipation and a kind of gloomy skepticism. After all, Donkey Konga had given us a rhythm game revolving around drums, Sing Star and Karaoke Revolution had filled our crooning needs and Guitar Hero taught us what it was like to be, well, guitar heroes.
Let’s face it: For some people, more is more. We all know some big guy that looks as cuddly as a teddy bear, but take away that excess baggage and all of a sudden he seems more grizzly than plush. The same is true for the ladies. A little curve goes a long way and besides, it’s not like Sir Mix-A-Lot didn’t know what he was rapping about.
Of all the accusations that are constantly (and arbitrarily) hurled at the video game medium, none is more unverifiable than the claim that “games aren’t art.” In a world where gaming is increasingly becoming an integral piece of the cultural pie, it’s getting harder and harder to shoehorn gamers into the violence-prone, anti-social, basement-dweller cookie cutter of a bygone age.
If you’re a typical college student, it’s almost certain that things such as homework, dating angst and student loan payments will always be in surplus. Unfortunately, for most of us, one of the things we wouldn’t actually mind having more of – money – isn’t usually on that list.