30 Day Video game Challenge (Day 4)

Favorite Female Character

Bayonetta (Cereza)

First Game: Bayonetta

Created by: Hideki Kamiya

There are a whole host of female characters in video games today, Zelda, Lightning (from Final Fantasy) and of course Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). However, a more recent female character has in my opinion, has taken over. Bayonetta was introduced to us in 2010, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it was released for the Wii U in 2013.

Bayonetta was created by Hideki Kamiya, he wanted to have a female protagonist. She was one of two surviving “Umbran Witches”, and searches for answers regarding her forgotten past. Bayonetta is highly stylized from her costume made of her on hair, her “beehive” hairstyle and her fighting style. Bayonetta is a highly sexualize character. Many found this to be a problem, others saw this as an asset. Some found her depiction to be, “sexist, gross pandering, and it’s totally unnecessary”.

Computer and Video Games praised her “as more interesting than the game’s story line, describing her as the “sexiest collection of pixels [they’ve] ever seen”, though not a character they considered a sex object“. Bayonetta is a fearless fighter, who can hold her own if a fight against any adversary. She has style, bravery and a sense of humor are all qualities that make Bayonetta my favorite female video game character.

30 Day Video Game Challenge (Day 3)

A game that is underrated

Mirror’s Edge

Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE)

Published: Electronic Arts

Released Date: November 2008

Console(s): Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

Mirror’s Edge is an action-adventure platform game. The game was set within a “futuristic dystopian society“. The main character, Faith, “act as couriers to transmit messages while evading government surveillance”. Her in game movements are inspired by parkour. This game featured a highly colored, and bright style. Mirror Edge was mostly well received, the game was considered unique.

However, it was criticized for a lackluster story, repetitive gameplay and length. It won the “Annual Interactive Achievement Award for Adventure Game of the Year”. The game wasn’t a flop, but managed to sell only a few million copies. While I would agree that the gameplay could have been smoother, I enjoyed the fresh mechanics and style.

30 Day Video Game Challenge (Day 2)

Your Favorite character

Link (The Legend of Zelda)

First Game: The Legend of Zelda (1986)

Created by: Shigeru Miyamoto

My favorite character from video games is Link. Link is the main protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. He’s a reincarnated version of the same character. He’s a Hylian, who travels through Hyrule, defeating forces of evil and saving princess Zelda. Link doesn’t speak, though he does make audible sounds. According to the creator of Link, Shigeru Miyamoto “He tried to make people identify with Link and have the opportunity to be heroes like the character“.

I think he was successful, and that is part of the reason why I love Link. Miyamoto said, “Link’s name comes from the fact that originally, the fragments of the Triforce were supposed to be electronic chips. The game was to be set in both the past and the future and as the main character would travel between both and be the link between them, they called him Link.” He is “renowned for his swordsmanship and fighting skill, such as his boomerang accuracy“. He often start off as an ordinary boy, before gaining in power. Ultimately, Link doesn’t have the most dynamic personality, but you can sense his desire to save the world. You can respect his courage in attempting to do so.

30 Day Video Game Challenge (Day 1)

Very First Video Game

Super Mario World

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Publisher: Nintendo

Release Date: November 21, 1990

Console(s): SNES, GBA, Virtual Console

Last week I finally completed the “30 Day Anime Challenge”, so I thought I’d start another challenge. The “30 Day Video Game Challenge”, similar to the anime challenge, this challenge features 30 “challenges/questions” based on experiences with video-games.

When I was five my mother got me and my brother a SNES and at the time it included a copy of “Super Mario World”. Super Mario World is the fifth title in the acclaimed Mario Bros. series. Me and my brother played this game over and over. We had a ignorant concept of what “winning” was, so a few stages complete was all that was need to satisfy us.

We also had no idea that e could save our progress, so we always started from the beginning. However, this really wasn’t a problem, because at the time we though it was suppose to be that way. As a result I never actually beat the game, or the next few dozen games I got after. Like I said my concept of winning was different back then. Beating a game wasn’t necessary, just playing until you ran out of lives. Like most Nintendo games it was a lot of fun regardless.