So you want to try playing NES games. Maybe you're curious about where your favorite game series got its start, or maybe you're interested in video game history. Maybe you've already tried playing a few games but you got lost or you bounced off of them. Regardless of how you got here, I'm here to … Continue reading A Newcomer’s Guide to the NES
Tag: Nintendo Switch
A Newcomer’s Guide to Pikmin
So far on this blog I have been an ambassador for the Metroid series, the Xenoblade series, and the Fire Emblem series. It's time to champion a new underdog from Nintendo's franchises: Pikmin! From an outsider's perspective, Pikmin looks... odd. You control a squad of tiny plant people that you pluck from the ground by … Continue reading A Newcomer’s Guide to Pikmin
A Farewell to the Virtual Console
We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of the Virtual Console. For a little over a decade, it was Nintendo's premier method of preserving video game history. It provided gamers the ability to travel back and play Nintendo's past consoles, whether for the first time as a new gamer, or again as someone … Continue reading A Farewell to the Virtual Console
The Highs and Lows of a Metroid Fan
When you're a fan of less popular video games, you feel a special mix of joy and frustration. Having the game acknowledged or celebrated feels like a special gift. But it's often a gift that no one else understands. Once I said to some friends that my favorite 3DS game was Metroid: Samus Returns, and … Continue reading The Highs and Lows of a Metroid Fan
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and the Art of Overanalyzing a Video Game
I stand amid the roarOf a surf-tormented shore,And I hold within my handGrains of the golden sand—How few! yet how they creepThrough my fingers to the deep,While I weep—while I weep!O God! can I not graspThem with a tighter clasp?O God! can I not saveOne from the pitiless wave?Is all that we see or seemBut a dream within … Continue reading The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and the Art of Overanalyzing a Video Game
My 2022 in Gaming
Welcome to 2023, everyone! As is tradition, I start every new year by looking back and taking stock of last year's experiences. I played many games in 2022, and they're all very different from each other. Some games were from familiar franchises like Splatoon 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. However, for most of 2022, I … Continue reading My 2022 in Gaming
Mini Review Marathon 2022
Holy moly, it's already the end of 2022. I just got in the habit of writing the correct year down whenever I sign something! At the end of every year I write a series of paragraph-long reviews of the rest of the games I played this year. It's not that I think these games aren't … Continue reading Mini Review Marathon 2022
History of the Emblem, Chapter 1: Marth
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
How to Prepare for Fire Emblem Engage
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
Hades Review: Rogue-Likes Aren’t So Scary Anymore!
Hades is a Rogue-like Action RPG created and published by Supergiant Games. It was released on PC and Nintendo Switch in September 2020, and on PlayStation and Xbox in August 2021. MSRB is $25. I played the Nintendo Switch version. Happy Halloween, everyone! I didn't play any spooky games this year, but I did play … Continue reading Hades Review: Rogue-Likes Aren’t So Scary Anymore!