A Video Game Design Blog
In 196 BCE, the Rosetta Stone was engraved in three languages for the eclectic citizens of Memphis, Egypt. This edict was the key to cracking the code to Egypt's ancient hieroglyphs, a language notorious for being impossible to understand before the stone tablet's discovery in 1799. As I said in earlier blog posts, playing games … Continue reading Yacht Club Games, Part 3: Gaming’s Rosetta Stone
The high-demand religion that I grew up in had a peculiar passion for family history. When I heard stories about my ancestors, my overactive imagination started kicking into gear, pretending I'd been transported to their time period. "How would I live?" I'd ask myself, "What would I eat?", "What would I do for fun?", and … Continue reading Yacht Club Games, Part 2: The Video Game Family Tree
The blank page: a writer's (and my) worst nightmare. The blank page offers all of the creativity in the world; but without any ideas, I often leave that page blank. However, if I have a set of rules that I need to follow, ideas start flowing much easier. My yearly Game Dev Project, for example, … Continue reading Yacht Club Games, Part 1: Limitations Breed Creativity
I can't believe that this marks my 5th Game Developer Summer Project. For those new to my blog, every summer I research and analyze a specific game developer's history and philosophy. With every passing year, I end up studying a developer that provides a counter-argument to the one I studied the previous year. It's a … Continue reading The Life and Times of Yacht Club Games
The mountains of Renais were usually peaceful. However, their calmness was interrupted by a horse rushing through the trees. A proud but wounded knight rode upon it. A princess clutched the knight's waist. In the distance the burning castle of Renais was getting smaller and smaller. Exhausted, the knight Seth stopped and to dress his … Continue reading History of the Emblem, Chapter 5: Eirika
Roy's our boy! Roy's our boy! This is what the audience chants when Roy, a mysterious red-haired swordsman, is winning a match in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It was a memorable cheer; any Melee player could chant it even today. But back in 2002, Melee fans had little explanation about who this character was or … Continue reading History of the Emblem, Chapter 4: Roy & Lyn
I often wonder how the Western video game market would've been different if we had Japan-exclusive games like Mother 3 released here. As infamous as that game is, its actual audience will forever remain limited to diehard fans. Only the fans willing to find the fan translation and emulate it will actually experience the game. … Continue reading History of the Emblem, Chapter 3: Sigurd & Leif
Sunlight fills the cathedral windows, causing Celica's red hair to glow. She bows her head. Her hands are clasped together: "Mila, our Mother Goddess, please hear my prayer. Our crops are dying. Abominations are rising from their graves. Rigel has invaded our homeland. I can no longer stand idly by. What must I do?" Celica … Continue reading History of the Emblem, Chapter 2: Celica
I remember feeling the heat from my desk lamp on my cheek. It was comforting, in a way, as I stayed up late into the night sketching out mountain ranges, archipelagoes, and the names of kingdoms. I had always loved fantasy, but when I was thirteen, the Lord of the Rings trilogy lit a fire … Continue reading History of the Emblem, Chapter 1: Marth
So you saw the trailer for Fire Emblem Engage back in September, and, after laughing at the protagonist's hair, you thought: "Why are they summoning Smash Bros. characters like Marth to fight for them?" Judging from the fact that you're reading this article, I'm assuming that you're interested in Fire Emblem Engage. Maybe you played … Continue reading How to Prepare for Fire Emblem Engage
Hookshot, Charge Beam, Revive 