Tag: nintendo

Metroid II: Return of Samus: Crafting the Genocide Run

Posted on by Chris in Another Metroid 2(021) Rewind, Criticism, Video Games

There’s something eerily beautiful about the ending to this game. In a way, it does mirror the first Metroid — the shafts filled with metroid larvae that appear just before Samus fights the queen feel much like the entrance to Tourian, and it fills the space after its final boss with an ascent. But this ascent isn’t timed and frantic; it’s really the only moment of peace this otherwise relentless game has to offer. It also is the only moment the game forces Samus to wait for anything, as the hatchling gnaws through otherwise impermeable barriers. It is, in a way, as if it’s asking her to stop and recollect — and it comes as close as it can to a feeling of revelation.

Metroid, and the Art of Getting Lost

Posted on by Chris in Another Metroid 2(021) Rewind, Criticism, Video Games

Metroid wants to disorient you, to leave you confused and scared and wondering wait, have I been here before as you backtrack through its labyrinthine world, and the result is an environment that feels like its own kind of enemy. And its lack of a visual map — a design choice almost unheard of in decades since — is essential to that feeling; all you have to rely on is your notes and your memory, and both are set up to let you down.

Another Metroid 2(021) Rewind: Mission Statement

Posted on by Chris in Another Metroid 2(021) Rewind, Criticism, Video Games

After almost two decades in limbo, a game called Metroid Dread will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in early October. In the meantime, join me for a deep dive into why that matters — not just for longtime fans of a seminal series, but for anyone interested in the way video games developed as an art form and storytelling medium. So, over the next three months, I will be playing through the entirety of the Metroid and Metroid Prime series. Welcome to my 2021 Metroid Rewind.

An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part V: The Heroes’ Legacy

Posted on by Chris in Reviews, Video Games, Writing

So Breath of the Wild is the apex of open-world design. It's filled with secrets, and it makes exploration itself feel rewarding. Its narrative has depth and resonance, and its characters feel three-dimensional and relatably real. It takes the tropes of post-apocalyptic fiction to a new level—depicting a world not irradiated and destroyed, but retaken by wilderness. And in … Continue reading An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part V: The Heroes’ Legacy →

An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part IV: The Post-Post-Apocalypse

Posted on by Chris in Reviews, Video Games, Writing

I've spent far too long now extolling Breath of the Wild as the best that open-world game design has to offer, but open-world games pose a huge narrative challenge for developers trying to tell a coherent story. Because the game's events can be played out in any order, it's quite difficult to build a satisfying, well-plotted narrative, especially … Continue reading An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part IV: The Post-Post-Apocalypse →

An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part III: Into the Wild

Posted on by Chris in Reviews, Video Games, Writing

So Breath of the Wild is open world in the best sense of the term; it presents you with a vast world to explore, where everything you see can be reached, every mountain climbed, every river sailed, every canyon traversed... but so what? I've extolled its world design and its exploration mechanics and rambled about its well-crafted mapmaking, … Continue reading An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part III: Into the Wild →

An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part II: “Open World”

Posted on by Chris in Reviews, Video Games, Writing

In modern game design, "open-world" has become something of a buzzword; after series like GTA and Elder Scrolls popularized the genre, developers (especially Ubisoft) embraced it and began to churn out game after game after game in that mold. Open-world games, in short, discard the notion of linear progression and instead throw the player into what is … Continue reading An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part II: “Open World” →

An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part I: A Genealogy

Posted on by Chris in Reviews, Video Games, Writing

Rarely, if ever, does a game like Breath of the Wild live up to its expectations. I still remember the first time I watched the trailer for what was then known only as "the Wii U Zelda"—a mysterious, supposedly open-world title that Nintendo had spent almost three years developing for its flagging console. It starts with a black … Continue reading An Exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Part I: A Genealogy →

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, or How to Make a Prequel

Posted on by Chris in Reviews, Video Games, Writing

It's been almost three years since Yacht Club Games released Shovel Knight, a long-awated Kickstarter project featuring, well, a cerulean knight wielding a trusty shovel. From that whimsical, retro-inspired concept, they built a game that was simple yet not simplistic, zany yet never pretentious, and controller-smashingly difficult but always satisfying. The original Shovel Knight has remained one … Continue reading Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, or How to Make a Prequel →

Pokémon Sun and Moon: Finally, A Story Worth Telling

Posted on by Chris in Reviews, Video Games, Writing

If you're reading this, and have ever read many of the other posts I've made about games on this blog, you're probably aware that I spend more time than is physically or mentally healthy playing, thinking about, and writing about videogames. But all obsessions start somewhere, and for me, my love affair with games began Christmas … Continue reading Pokémon Sun and Moon: Finally, A Story Worth Telling →