For the Analyst in All of Us.

So, for a change of pace I thought I’d talk about video games (The joke here is that lately that is all I’ve written about). I notice I don’t talk about “deep” stuff anymore. I think it’s being worried about revealing too much online in combination with becoming an adult and having less “profound, life-changing” realizations. It’s not sad or depressing to me, it’s just growing-up.

I still wholeheartedly believe in the Socratic adage, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Do it. Examine everything. Be a skeptic. Ask a lot of questions. Accept criticism. Don’t be afraid of change. The problem is the results usually are more personal and less universal these days.

This was not the intention when I started this post. Not even close. It does kind of lead into what I did want to talk about though. (I am going to transition this dammit!) One of the things I’ve always wanted to do is make a video game. Not just some throw-away clone of something else, but a true, honest to goodness video game. What the best advice a writer can get on how to better their skills? Read books. A lot of books. With a critical eye. So, I am adapting that advice and applying it to this situation. I want to make game. How do I make a good one? Play lots of games. With a critical eye.

I have very little free time. Very little. The time I do have I want start taking detailed notes on the things good games do right, and what they do wrong. I am going to write it up here and hopefully use those notes in some magical future project that I will work on and make the entire world happy to play. That is a totally reasonable and attainable goal.

The first game on the metaphorical chopping block is Metroid. The NES classic. I love the Metroid series. Yes, even Other M without the misogynistic overtones. I’ve never beaten the original, so I am going to go back to the source. I feel that often with the technological barriers falling, game designers lose sight of the important aspects and go for the whiz-bangs and flashy graphics. Technological restrictions gave birth to many creative solutions. That is why I think this is a perfect place to start. Stay tuned for my write-ups if that interests you at all. I am trying to hang-up my fanboy pants and put on my…objective…pants (this metaphor has fallen apart). Once again to Zebes!