There's something inherently relaxing and nostalgic about playing video games for me. Something in them penetrates and resonates, and brings a special calm in their familiarity. Thankfully ZNes, my super Nintendo emulator, runs without the internet. So on the occasions when the internet at my place is on the fritz (all too often) I flip on the oldschool Mario bros to keep my calm in the face of internet crashes. This prevents the office space printer scene, a rage against a machine, from occurring. I often wonder regarding fairpoint, what do I pay you people for?!
Video games are a unique medium onto themselves. The audience is in control of the fate of the characters. In the last ten years, the storytelling through video games has emerged as an art form. The characters are as rich and compelling as in any novel one might read or any film one might view. We, the audience feel especially connected and invested in the character's survival and achievement of their ultimate goals. Not that the side-scrolling Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehogs of the world don't deserve their rightful place in videogame history and offer unique stories, but they were limited by their respective times. In the world of video games, sequels and trilogies rarely meet the resistance they face in film. There's limitless opportunity for reinvention of the character/story.
The story of the Super Mario Bros is both familiar and unique. Saving princesses has been around since the early fables however this is usually by a valiant knight, but by a Plummer?! It also begs the question why would Nintendo, a Japanese company, feature as the main character of their crown franchise, an Italian plummer? Well a pair actually, my bad Luigi. Super Mario Bros (1993) the movie takes care to clarify why they are the Mario Brothers with several lines of dialog":
Clerk: "How many Mario's are there?"
Luigi: "There's three. Mario Mario, and Luigi Mario."
The enemies, King Koopa later to be dubbed Bowser, is a Dinosaur of sorts, sworn enemy of Mario. Why is never properly discussed, nor does it need to be. The baddies, the goombas, bullet bills, koopa troopers, pirhannas, bob-ombs, those fire shooting flower things, are as unique and imaginative as any in popular culture history. Would you rather see a million identical storm troopers? Or a variable galleria of unique and interesting enemies? Just jump on them, easy enough. Or if you should find yourself lucky enough to get a powerup such as a fire flower or a star, just shoot fireballs or run into them respectively.
Keeping with the originality, Super Mario Brothers boasts one of the most famous and unforgettable themes of all time. See Super Mario Bros Theme. It's amazing to me the extent to which video game music has had an impact upon my life. It's quality music composed for the purpose of eliciting specific emotions or setting certain tones. In recent years, I've dedicated considerable time, effort, and American dollars to amassing a subgenre of video game music in my iTunes library.
I have always loved video games, though it seems lately my love for them is at odds with the outside world. When you're a kid, you hardly care what the hell anyone else thinks. I often struggle with identifying myself as a gamer when I think about all that comes along with that identification. Namely, avoidance by the opposite sex.
Purchasing a video game instantly brings me back to that excitement of a new game. Few things could match that anticipation of holding that box or case that the game came in. Then struggling with its shrink wrap death grip on the case, wrestling it from said case, jamming into the console, skipping the tutorials and playing. It's difficult to attain video game bliss without having first foreknowledge about the product.
Marketing commercials for video games were once evident on most of today's major TV stations. Video game commercials are rapidly going the way of the dinosaur. Enter video game trailers. Games have become so complex and involving, and the market of gamers is constantly evolving, studios have begun placing ads in the form of mini-trailers to generate excitement regarding the game. It became apparent to me how long this practice has been in play when I stumbled upon the top 100 game trailers of all time.
Insert MY FAVORITE GAME TRAILER OF ALL TIME!
Have you caught your breath yet? How awesome was that?! And that song?! Iron by Woodkid. I swear if there's a battle anywhere, I'm listening to that song beforehand. The drums and horns are so intense and warlike which is in stark contrast to his near whisper, powerful a whisper as it is.
And lo, a character so near and inspirational to me (despite never having existed) Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The ancestor of the series' protagonist Desmond Miles in the present. Not here to recap the entire Assassin's Creed story line mind blowing as it is. For that please see attached for your attention Assassin's Creed in 3 Minutes. Crap. That only gets you through ACI featuring Altair.
Altair fits with the third crusade. He is rugged, stoic, reserved, determined, and controlled. In ACII Desmond begins to relieve the memories of his ancestor in the Renaissance era, the aforementioned Ezio Auditore da Firenze. We enter the story with Ezio at age 17, foolhardy and brash, he suddenly has the weight of the world in responsibility thrust on him with the unjust murders of his father and two brothers. He dons the Assassin's garb, unaware of the creed itself, and sets about on a revenge mission before soon realizing that his duty will require much more than that. However, it's that transition from audacious young man, to worldly, driven, and mature assassin that we take with Ezio every step of the way. It's the coming of age with which the young men are likely to identify. Though Ezio's is more dramatic, he still grows from his exploits as an assassin.
The aptly titled "Revelations" promises just that, answers. Each game in the series has ended on such an infuriating and intriguing cliffhanger that fans are foaming at the mouth for answers and closure. This is the show "Lost" in video game format. Addicting in its ability to build depth and expand the scope of the story, while leaving you, the viewer at the mercy of the animus for little shreds of answers. That, and the time and energy you're willing to dedicate to finding those answers. Bravo, Ubisoft. I'm a slave to you.
Review on Batman: Arkham City to follow! Stay tuned.
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