Thoughts on Animal Crossing: New Horizons (7 Months In)! - wave2hi

Back in the days before our podcast started... when I met Sergio 3.5 years ago, he showed this amazing scrapbook of photos of his experience in Animal Crossing: New Leaf in full color, pages front and back.

I was astonished - I told Sergio that I didn't know this was a thing and that this is amazing... like just wow. Couldn't believe it, and I mean... if this isn't the definition of a super fan of something, I don't know what is!

One of the very first screenshots that I took - this was during the "What is the name of my island going to be?!" session.

To the Moon - ScheiGuy

I feel it necessary to add several prefaces to this post. First, it contains major spoilers for the game To the Moon. If you ever want to play that game, then don't read this article until you play it first. Second, this article is going to be more about personal experience than a typical post. If you prefer articles that are mostly game-centric, then this may not be for you. Third, and finally, I understand my circumstances aren't uncommon and aren't the toughest out there. By no means do I ever wish in this article to belittle anyone's personal struggle nor to act like I have it worse. I'm simply writing through the lens of my own experience - it's the only one I have.

An Ode to My Favorite Genre - BIGsh0t

I was recently asked what my favorite genre in gaming is and at first, I did not know how to answer. I see the strengths and shortcomings of a lot of different genres but did not know if I had a clear favorite. As I started to ponder on it and search through my gaming library, I came to a startling conclusion: roguelikes. I own nearly 10 different roguelikes, and I did not even realize how quickly they were becoming a mainstay in my collection. But what is it about the genre that is so appealing to me? Why have I been purchasing these since my return to gaming?

After taking a near decade hiatus from gaming, I returned to try out the Switch; this is where my exposure to roguelikes began. The uniqueness of the system created the perfect marriage between my available time to game and the short bursts of gameplay that the genre supplies. It was easy for me to pull out my Switch on a lunch break or when I had half an hour and attempt a run in Children of Morta, Enter the Gungeon, or The Binding of Isaac. For those not familiar, the key components of the genre include: procedurally generated levels, brutal starting difficulty, permanent death, discovery and limited retention, and grinding, grinding, grinding. Through time, I have discovered that I enjoy roguelikes because the genre best encapsulates and teaches us about life.

Dubs vs Subs - In Defense of Both for Nintendo - LightningNaga

It’s the debate that spawns a thousand memes in the anime and video game communities. 

“Do I watch it dubbed or subbed?”

This is a question that is actually pretty sensitive among fans. Do I pay respect to the original voice actors and writing? Do I listen to it in my most natural language so I don’t necessarily have to rely on subtitles? 

While this is a debate that is typically found analyzed profusely with anime fans - the video game fandom has the same debate. This is especially the case when it comes to Nintendo-released titles. And I’m sure if you join the Nintendo Jump Discord you could meet people with a ton of different opinions. 

Nintendo for the Non-Gamer - Beczilla

        

     Happy 2020 (when do we reach the moratorium on wishing a Happy New Year) and I am under siege by the amount of entertainment there is at my disposal.  There are so many movies, tv series, and reboots it’s dizzying.  And then there’s the books - oh boy - there’s the books.  My backlog is multiplying at alarming rates, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve always loved film, music, and literature - I was never in short supply of any thanks to my outrageously cool parents and my equally inspiring college friends.  But other than some minor Tetris, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro, I’ve largely ignored gaming for the bulk of my life.  

Games that Defined the Last Decade for Nintendo - DecoyDW

It’s hard for me to believe that we have come to the end of the 2010s. The past decade has truly been a roller coaster in my life with huge milestones including several big moves, new jobs, getting married, starting a podcast, and a ton more. It has been a decade of extreme highs and low lows, but one that I know I’m going to miss and look back on with nostalgia in the years to come. 

As Nintendo gamers, we have also been through quite a ride. We’ve been through some of the craziest highs and lows that the industry has ever seen: all centered around Nintendo, and all occurring in the span of just a few years. In these closing days of the decade, I think it’s important to look back on the defining moments that occurred, and how they shaped where we are today. And when I view this in terms of Nintendo’s decade, I have to focus on the games themselves. So without further ado… here are the games that I believe defined the 2010s for Nintendo and paved the way for what the company is becoming:

Gaming In The Context of Our Own Humanity - ScheiGuy

Each day I game, I strive to be appreciative. I'm grateful that I have circumstances and time that allow me to game, and I'm grateful for the moments, memories, and relationships gaming has given me. Gaming is a special medium that allows us to share experiences, form/strengthen friendships, and learn a lot about ourselves. We're actively engaged. We're drawn in. We're emotionally invested. To a large extent, we create our experiences, which makes sharing them and discussing them special. We all put on masks and fronts at times, but eventually who you truly are is expressed in how you play games, and I think that's the key. We aren't just sharing interaction with manifested computer code on a screen. When we game, we share a part of ourselves. We share who we really are - not entirely, but enough to make the relationships formed meaningful. The beauty is we don't have to consciously express ourselves. The expression comes naturally while playing, making the anxieties that come with many social interactions disappear. Barriers crumble. Friendships flourish. 

When I reflect on any relationship/friendship affected by gaming, I'm flooded with positivity. Honestly, I can't think of a single instance where gaming had a negative effect. My father died nine years ago, and I reflect often on the positive effects gaming had on our relationship and the legacy it provides for me to pass on to my own wife and children. My dad lived a hard life, and he wasn't the most expressive guy you'd ever meet. However, we shared a lot of fun, laughs, and memories centered on games that really drew us close to each other. Solving problems together, hand-drawing maps together, competing against each other, and being awed at next-gen games together had us both so involved that we were effortlessly sharing real parts of our inner-selves with one another. I understand similar moments can be had outside of gaming, and I have several fond non-gaming memories of my dad. However, gaming created unique opportunities for us to create cherished memories that I wouldn't trade for anything. Now, I'm able to create these moments with my own children - something I hope I'm never foolish enough to take for granted. I jokingly say that Mario Kart is a way of life in our household, but there's truth behind my quip. My wife and I spent considerable time through our dating and marriage bonding over Mario Kart, and we love involving our children as we make new Kart (as well as other gaming) memories. Beyond my own family, gaming (and especially Nintendo-based gaming) was a catalyst to nearly all of my closest friendships through the years. I won't sit here and give you the play-by-play of it all, but I earnestly believe these beloved relationships and memories couldn't be equaled by bonding through another means.

I believe this interpersonal phenomenon generalizes intrapersonally for single-player games. We all have relationships with ourselves. We fight our inner-demons. We reflect and work hard on the kind of person we want to be. When we're immersed in gaming, we are open with ourselves and learn about ourselves. When we're tilted, we learn how we handle negative emotion. When we persevere, we speak volumes to how we can respond to life's hardships. When we cry, when our jaw drops, when we smile, when we laugh, when we stop and soak in a moment, when we're mesmerized by a song, when we jump up from the couch in triumph, when we squeeze the controller so hard it may snap in two, when we smile, when we try again - this time using the gamer lean (it just works... it's beyond science) - all of those moments are you. They are a part of you. They are manifestations of you. They play a role in molding who you will be today and the next. They unequivocally let you be you with no fear - fully vulnerable and uniquely you, manifested the same on the outside exactly as you are on the inside. Such moments are rare for a lot of us in real life. However, in gaming these moments are organic. They are spontaneous. They are real. They come from the full-immersion, wonderment, and joy that gaming provides, doing so with no true equal.

Gaming doesn't exist in a vacuum. Games are created and experienced through the medium of our own humanity, and that's the best part. In a world that's often cold and cruel, gaming provides revelatory and genuine moments for us to learn about ourselves and to connect meaningfully with others.