How gaming helped me deal with bullying

September 19, 2014 by Darik Kirschman

I’ve always loved video games. Some of my earliest memories are about them. The first system that I could call my own (as opposed to the NES of my uncle’s on which I frequently gamed) was the original, brick-sized Game Boy with a copy of Link’s Awakening. It was a birthday present from my father, and one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. So yes, gaming has been a huge part of my life, a true constant in the sea of changes that inevitably comes with growing up.

Hitting the right notes with licensed music

July 14, 2014 by Darik Kirschman

There's a moment at the beginning of Saints Row IV, where the Boss is climbing up the side of a rocket equipped with a nuclear warhead in an attempt to disarm it and save the day at this risk of his or her own life. Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing roars in the background as characters take turns talking about how much they care about the Boss. It's a moment that works as well as it does thanks in no small part to that piece of licensed music and its associations outside of Saints Row IV. By putting it on at that exact moment, the developers bring forth memories of Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, animal crackers and Liv Tyler from 1999's Armageddon. The entire scene is lifted up by that song choice, elevating what would have been a fun little gameplay section into the hilarious, brilliant moment in which I decided to give my full attention to Saints Row IV.

Music affects us in a myriad of ways; it's capable of cutting to the very emotional core of who we are. Licensed tracks, when used properly, can enhance a title in a way music created specifically for the game cannot, bringing outside experiences with those songs -- and all the feelings and emotional connections a player has with that particular piece of music -- with it. Music and memory are deeply linked, and exploiting those links can result in an in-game moment that resonates with the audience.

In defense of 'clone games'

July 08, 2014 by Darik Kirschman

Enemies surrounded me, but I dispatched them with relative ease. Having risen from the dead and granted a powerful weapon, only one thing was on my mind: revenge. Anybody or anything that stood in my way was cut down in a whirlwind of fury, blood and blades. Not even the Gods themselves could stop me -- or perhaps in this case, ordinary men with rocket launchers.

This is the world of God of War. It's also the world of Marlow Briggs: The Mask of Death.

Dawn of the Final Day: The Philosophies of Majora's Mask

July 08, 2014 by Darik Kirschman

There’s something intrinsically bewitching about Nintendo’s storied franchise, The Legend of Zelda. Each title has something that makes it unique in the grand tapestry of the series, and perhaps none so much as The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.

Desperation is something many games try to evoke: a feeling of utter helplessness and the motivation for one last-ditch effort to improve your standings in the virtual world. Few games ever take the concept to its natural outcome: futility. Majora’s Mask’s world of Termina is filled melancholy, misery and mourning. It exudes feelings of hopelessness; the citizens see the celestial crisis advancing, bringing them ever closer to doomsday, and react accordingly.