Stifling the medium

The tall poppy syndrome is a pejorative commonly used in Australia to describe the social phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are criticized for being exactly that. It’s a ridiculous societal response that encourages people to censor their achievements

After Pressing Start: Dragon Quest IV Chapters of the Chosen

When the world is falling into despair, the Hero is always ready to catch it. The Villain will inevitably have a head start but the Hero’s accelerated growth will always save the day in the nick of time. Heroes rise

Golf and godhood

There is a God and He is in a golf game. You won’t find Him at first, though. Much like the various religions that portray Him, His existence transcends human understanding. He is behind every drive, chip, and putt in

Serving the douche: When usability trumps character

Oh, I have a partner in this game? Wonderful! You take this, and this, and this, oh I might need this, but take this…. Partners in video games have it rough. They’ve been shafted ever since the palette-swapped Luigi. From

The zoology of Dragon Quest IX

I have a confession to make: I have an undying love for the palette-swapped monsters in Dragon Quest IX. The monsters are cute, for starters, devoid of the baroque stylings of their Final Fantasy brethren, and they’ve made a consistent

To the end (and back again) – Endless play in Nidhogg

If you were to trace my interest in video game endings over time, the graph would resemble a cascading wave of disinterest. I came into the gaming landscape at an age where my heightened sense of imagination was paired with

Confronting violence in Nier

I’ve killed a lot of people in video games. There weren’t many games that chastised me for killing until Nier, though. Shadow of the Colossus certainly tried, but it’s difficult to feel guilty when you can unlock power ups via