This idea of how women are handled in video games is interesting. As the minority demographic in mainstream advertising for games, you can see what effect it has in protagonist choice. Is the industry simply approaching their characters wrong?
Other nominees include games like SimCity & Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.
There are some good nominees in this list that are deserving to be inducted also, but I feel Metroid has had the most impact on the industry out of all of these. Look how Metroid influenced the evolution of the Castlevania games, and the "Metroidvania" subgenre of games have become a prevailing force in gaming today. Especially now, Metroidvanias are bigger than ever.
I can very much see Resident Evil being added later too, bc it really did popularize and define the survival horror genre. I would say that one is next in line.
Agreed. When I got my NES back then, I of course had Super Mario Bros. But I also got Double Dribble, Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Rad Racer, Zelda and Metroid. Loved playing all of them over and over. But Metroid was so deep and the music was so other worldly, that that game has stuck with me to this day decades later.
Sure other awesome games came along like Contra, Castlevania, Mega Man, etc. But Metroid really hit that sci-fi fix. And the twist of finding out who was in the suit was one of those great moments in gaming history talking with other friends in the neighborhood that had the console that rushed to the end to find out for themselves.
Definitely deserves hall of fame like many other picks. Should have been inducted a long time ago.
If any Metroid game should get the honor it should be Super Metroid , it's perfection in my eyes . 30 years later and I still feel it's the most epic shit ever .
Yea, I agree that Super Metroid REALLY raised the bar on atmosphere and exploration, still in my Top 10 or 20 games of all time. The original Metroid did set a good framework, but Super Metroid perfected it in its first sequel. Since it's the only one up for vote, I'd still vote for the original Metroid bc it did establish a very good concept of gaming in a more primitive gaming era. But, you're absolutely right.
The GBA remake deserves it or Super Metroid, the original was a very sloppy and rushed game programmed in 3 months and it shows.
If you've never played the remake, it's absolutely a must play, fixes basically every flaw in the game. Check out ExoParadigmGamer's comparison video.
BY MICHAEL WESSON: Gaming mascots have long served as the faces of their respective games and gaming platforms. They have embodied the essence of what their titles are about and often transcend their digital origins, becoming cultural icons with a significant impact on merchandise, movies, and even theme parks.
Lara Croft is among the most recognizable characters in gaming, so here's a list of the absolute best Tomb Raider games.
who gives a fuck as long as the game is fun to play. If you like it, play it; and if dont, then not. It is as simple as that.
This article...ugh...here's the thing that I've come to notice:
I don't think women gamers KNOW what they want out of female characters.
I'm not saying this to be mean but I'm just being honest here.
Guys play a lot of violent games to release tension, to blast people down, to live that "power fantasy". But the thing is, do women really like blasting open skulls? Decapitating enemies and mowing down hundreds of thousands of baddies to fulfill that fantasy on as regular a basis as guys?
Also, let's not get the numbers skewed here. There are ALOT of games for female gamers, they just aren't mainstream. Female gamers contribute a lot to the puzzle, hidden puzzle, brain teaser and casual genres. They are, in fact, the larger demographic of those markets. There are also a ton of adventure titles featuring female leads over male leads, and most point and click games are geared toward female gamers (most of Sierra, Lexis Numerique and Pendulo Studio titles, anyway).
The thing is, most of the protest seem to be about the portrayal of women in games for guys. Of course women will be over-sexualized in DOA, Skull Girls or Mortal Kombat. But the question is, are equal amounts of women playing these games for the same reasons that guys play them? Because if they aren't, just like the article states, they aren't driving sales for the game and in turn aren't really supporting the very thing they're protesting for.
Added to this...the indie scene is no-holds-barred. Anyone, of any gender, of any age, of any orientation can make an indie game that can sell well if it reaches an audience. If female designers really have a character to showcase that they feel needs representation, take it to the indie scene and we'll all support it as gamers...if the game is good.
No.
I don't think the issue is how they are dressed represented, but rather (as the writer pointed out) the character's flaws and failure to actually have the gamer get attached to them while they are in a leading role.
I do believe that uncharted did a great job of having you get a sense of how well you know the female characters and the character development was astounding. However I believe the major issue with female characters is that female gamers most likely don't care enough about the characters to even expect anything more or less.
That being said I play what I enjoy, if its a female lead protagonist or a male lead protagonist it makes no difference as long as its an enjoyable game. I don't play videogames to live out fantasies, I play them to be entertained (that's no slight on others who do play to live out fantasies). I like to appreciate the sheer artwork and creativity of developers but at the end of the day its all about how much fun I'm having and all of that factors in.
If it's this big of a deal- and I don't think it's as big as some people want to make it out to be- then maybe it'd just be better to not have females in games at all. I mean, hell, there'll be criticism regardless of what developers do, so why not eliminate the headache once and for all by getting rid of all female characters?
Surely that'll work, right? I mean, I won't game in such a landscape, but at least all the bitching will be gone, right?