Yanni

In regards to the statement that retro games are the gaming equivalent to McDonalds because of their lack of substance, is a bit short-sighted.
There have been plenty of games created in recent years in a retro style that also mange to weave in compelling narratives alongside the comforting familiar retro art style. Shovel Knight is a great example of this…Undertale is an even better one.
If anything, it can be said that the creators of certain modern retro games are in their own way raising the bar for games, by wanting to inject more mature or complex storytelling into sprite and pixel games, widely considered in the past to have little or none of that.

Other than that, a great article, and yes, I believe that it is about time video games gain more of a culturally critical reputation.

A decent and well-argued list. Nice job!

What I think would be interesting to consider is whether or not female villains can also be placed on a list, ranking them in order of their status as role models. Of course, villains are usually not characters you wish to be looking up to as role models, but I believe that there are always specific elements of a character that you can admire, no matter how devious or despicable they are. Just a thought.

Again though, great list

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was already the show that got me the most excited to talk about in conversations with other people, what with its incredibly deep thematic concerns, influential and controversial directing choices, terrific characters, the list goes on…But you with this article have masterfully and succinctly explained so much it is astounding. Writers like you not only reveal the greater genius of a piece of entertainment, but in-so-doing provide us all with insightful new ways and methods of looking at the media we all too often take for granted.
Thank you for writing this, and I can’t wait for your analysis of Yuki (She really is one of the most intriguing characters)

A good summary and insight into the career and ego of Kanye West, and how the two are seemingly intertwined. I personally think that maybe a bit more discussion of his life as a celebrity post MBDTF could make for a more holistic article. Good stuff

I have found in my experience that many hardcore fans of anime and especially anime snobs will often not hold anime like Pokemon and Digimon in high regard due to their intense mainstream appeal and highly commercialised nature.

To those people, I think it is important to remind them of something. The international success of shows like Pokemon, Digimon, Yu-gi-Oh!, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball Z, proved that anime had a place in West, and could be commercially viable. I doubt that we would have a lot of the ‘serious’ and niche anime in the Western world if it wasn’t for Pikachu and Goku.

An excellent point you have raised, for it is one that I think needs to be thoughtfully discussed.

Art galleries and museums were never designed with the intention to showcase a video game, or indeed any specific temporal, interactive work that can hypothetically be an endless experience. Along with the commercial aspect of video games (and indeed the fact that they are thing that you play), museum institution is perhaps the main reason why video games have not been so readily accepted as works of art throughout history. It really showcases an oversight of the system of art appreciation and recognition; if something can be placed in a gallery, then it automatically makes it a work of art (think “Fountain” by Marcel Duchamp). But what if the placement of something in a gallery jeopardises what makes that that thing worthy of attention and analysis by being counter-intuitive to its basic design and functionality?

I guess the ultimate question to all of this is: Do we need a physical space like an art gallery to inform us that something is art? I personally do not think so.

A very well reasoned thought-piece that I believe accurately sums up the general feeling of the gaming populace who are in wanting of a new Metroid game.

If I could add a point; As you have mentioned, Samus maintains a strong place in the world of gaming. As a stoic female that (as you write) doesn’t need justification to be cool, she is an incredible asset to the gaming community, more than most people probably realise.
Especially in the era we are living in now, in which the rights of women have been thankfully brought to the forefront of the public consciousness like never before, Nintendo have the opportunity with Metroid to really make a meaningful statement on feminine identity with a well-handled and timely new game that explores Samus’ character in a way that does not seem contrived.