Weekly Wringer 9: The Significance of Sports Games
Sure the Superbowl was fun, but the far more pressing matter pertains to the role of sports gaming as a subsection of gaming culture. Are sports gamers real gamers? The Commodore provides (read: rambles through) his insight into the state of sports gaming. Then it's time to get luvie dubbie as the Wringer for next week provides a distinctly Valentine's Day feel. Ever had a crush on a collection of pixels on a screen? Then this week's Wringer is made for you!







I really had to think about this one, but I think I'm going to have to go with David Kaye. I personally consider him to be one of the 'big' voice actrors. While he has done a fair number of video games, he doesn't have many 'title' characters. His most notable would be Clank, Megatron (being one of the 2 long running voices for him in the cartoons), and Ford Cruller from Psychonauts (as well as various other voices in that game). He's also what I consider to be one of the few good english dub voices when it comes to anime.
Now I'm going to cheat a bit and say that since I'm bi I should get to pic a woman as well, but I'm going to go super cheap on it:
Bayonetta
Sexy librarian with skin tight clothes, dark arts, and guns named for a folk song? Come on.....
...
...
...
...
...
pass
This is a bit of a strange question to me, but I like it. I've thought girls in games are attractive before, and had good traits, but I've never had a crush on a video game character. I wouldn't rule out having a crush on an electronic personality because I know how fast the medium is evolving, and it's only a matter of time until a true AI is written. Although that'd probably be like 20 years down the line, and I would hope to be long married by then. :-P Really for now, something like that is so far out that I'm just being speculative. It's hard to have a crush on something that you can't even truly communicate with.
There are women in games that, if they were real, I might have a crush on:
Ibuki from Street Fighter 3 has got great style and seems really fun, but that's not a enough to base a relationship on. :-P
Olympia from Etrian Odyssey 3, maybe. She knows what has to be done and does it, although maybe she goes a bit too far (not that I can think of a better alternative). >.> I do like her attitude, though. Also, more personal moments might be impossible. Haha!
Bianca from Dragon Quest V I always liked. Loyal, caring, adventurous, a good friend, strong. Lots of good qualities.
Alena from Dragon Quest IV also seems like she's a lot of fun, but thanks to the piss-poor DQIV DS translation that cut out party chat and added an unnecessary accent, I couldn't learn more about her personality than what is directly presented in the story. She's a tomboy and seems to be really adventurous, light-hearted, and true to herself.
Samus from Metroid, of course. Still, even with as much time as you spend playing AS her, you don't learn an awful lot about her in most Metroid games. And well, I don't really know what she'd need to be satisfied.
Sveta (Stella in Japan) from Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. At first, I thought her faith in her brother was misplaced. She was really forced between a rock and hard place with the decisions she had to make, and she walked that tightrope equally through action and selective inaction. And of course, what she did at the end of the game really showed how selfless she is.
"The Guardian" from The Guardian Legend (Guardic Gaiden in Japan). I really just bring this up because it's my favorite NES game and it helped formed part of my personality. But she's a super-cute chick who protects the whole Earth alone and can transform into a high-performance space ship. That's awesome!
TBH the problem I have is that I've really got a serious/loner/stoic and a silly/friendly/fun side to me, and I invest a lot into both. They're kinda opposites and sometimes it's hard to know which is more true to me. Ibuki and Alena would be more aligned with my silly side, Bianca and Sveta a bit more in the middle, and Olympia, Samus, and "The Guardian" more on my serious side. I guess I just can't narrow down my "perfect girl" for this reason, but at the same time it's best not to be too discriminating. One thing that is true about me no matter what, though, is that I'm not looking for the "damsel in distress," or a passive or weak woman. I am looking for someone who can complement me and also drive me to be better or stay sharp. I want someone who takes action when there is something she wants, and is true to themselves.
*Edit*
Oh, I guess I forgot Bioware games. Tali from ME and Morrigan from DA:O. I liked 'em both.
I would go with a girl like Navi.
She's dependable, and always willing to go along with you from hell and back in any crazy adventure you get yourself mixed into.
She always keeps you on the right track, though always stating the obvious.
Though at times anoying, you know you would be completely helpless without her.
Your escapades into hell like casms and horribly terriffying dungeons would be unbearable without her to keep you compainy.
She helps keep things in perspective by helping you see the target and so you may go at it full force in this vast and confusing 3 dimentional world of life.
And most importantly, she sometimes acts as your voice when you cant find one for yourself.
Fortunatelly, I have a girl like Navi.
For my video game valentine, I would have to say Keira from Jak and Daxter (not the later games cause they made her character model look freakin weird). On top of being hot, she's also very smart. If only she had some sexy glasses. But she is still my first pick for my video game valentine.
My choice would have to be Princess Midna from Twilight Princess, out of all of the females in the Zelda Universe SHE is my favorite. Not only is extremely beautiful but she does a bunch of cute things in the game. She seems to be a fun person to hangout with and probably could kick ass at the same time (another plus) also she is probably tall. Oh and did i mention, SHE FREAKING BEAUTIFUL!
Anyway she is my Video Game Valentine
My video games valentine would probably go to Leigh Alexander as I not only find her very cute, but she also has a big interest in games I enjoy watching, rather than playing, so pretty much would be the perfect partner :D
If I was going to go for a character though, it would have to be Rinoa Heartily - because she's intriguing, very forward and sexy - lol. Plus, she's the second half of what is for me, the most beautiful romantic storyline in any video game.
Yeah...
Lets just go with Rydia green hair rules!
EDIT:Um.. yeah lets change that to Rydia after you get her back in the under world the first time.
I was thinking Rydia right off, but then I thought about it and my video game Valentine is my eldest daughter, as she is always ready to play a game.
Whether it be Lego Star Wars, Just Dance, any Zelda game, Scribblenauts, or Wrestlemania 2000 on the old N64, I can count on having a good time.
I have drawn my wife closer to the dark side as she uses the Wii and Gold's Gym Dance Workout. We had fun doing the sword fight in Wii Sports Resort as well.
And the newest addition, my 4-year-old daughter loves playing games on the Nick site as well as the dance game with my wife.
What can I say, I love my girls!
Haha i will make sure and never let my girl see this or hear of this but!
Odessa from Suikoden, hot and is the leader of a rebel army chicks that are strong willed RULE!
Celes from FFVI, a girl that can kick my ass it hot and c mon she is a general!
Aries from FFVII, Don't LIE given the chance anyone would put on ring on her finger at first glance!
Well, the question's very vague, so I've got two answers. If it's based on the line from the video description about having a crush on pixels, then my answer would be Samus Aran. As a prepubescent boy finding out the cool armoured bounty hunter I just played through Metroid as turned out the be a girl, I was blown away. Instant crush. I followed her through Metroid II and beat the game over and over to see the best ending of her in her skivies and drooled over each page she appeared on in the Captain N comic book in her green jumpsuit. As a 30 year old today, I still admit my adolescent crush showed through whenever I saw her in her Zero Suit in Other M, or seeing those eyes behind the visor.
And as I say, since the question's vague, my first thought of an answer was my real-life girlfriend. She's my video game Valentine because she fully supports my love of video games and enjoys watching my play through most titles I buy. Also, while not a gamer, she will suggest playing more casual titles when we have friends over. While they may just be Wii Sports Resort or WiiPlay, you can't deny the fact that she's willingly suggesting to turn on the game system. Also, the times when she suggests playing Mario Galaxy 2 so she can be the Luma co-star are great. I'll suggest going for a walk or shopping when bored, and she will come back with "I was hoping we could play more Mario Galaxy..." That's pretty cool to hear right there, making her my video game Valentine.
Two things.
(1) Bad time to ask this question since Dragon Quest VI was released on Valentines and I visited five stores on the 14th and do not know how many today (15th). I am not in the mood for a Valentines.
(2) I not sure how to answer this weeks wringer. I would say whoever did the remakes of Dragon Quest on the DS along with Level-5 for Dragon Quest VIII since I have been looking for that type of gameplay in an RPG since Final Fantasy (NES).
As for a game character, besides liking the personality in the game they are just a video game character to me.
I'm gonna have to go with Tifa Lockheart from FF7 or Roll from Megaman 64.
Tifa: She's just really simple and supportive and she dosen't demand things out of others. She's strong willed, but can have a motherly touch as well. And she has an amazing body, but for some reason I feel really awkward for saying that about someone who dosen't exist.
Roll: I really don't even know why but as a kid I kinda had a crush on her. She just seemed really cute even with the horribly outdated graphics. She was also supportive and she made pizza! Maybe that's the only reason, th pizza...
Well, if we're going for Video-game characters, I'm not entirely sure who I'd pick, tbh.
However, if we go by the Commodores People in the Media, then how could everyone forget about Felicia Day?
So I made the mistake of watching this weeks Wringer with a couple friends around. now they're arguing over the wringer. loud. When they calm down, I'll answer. >,<
.......
....
.. ok.
My lesbian friend wants to be called Big S, my gay friend, wants to be called Blondie don't ask me why, and I'll just be me. We'll each answer our picks.
Big S- I'm going to have to go with Alicia from Valkyria Chronicles as a current VG crush type character. She's cute, affectionate while not being annoying, and a good strategist.
Blondie- I am currently nerd crushing on Gabriel Belmont from Castlevania Lords of shadow. He's hot, can kick ass, and determined. I like that. not to mention his game is a GOOD 3D castlevania...those ardent too common.
Mikeke352- Ok, since I'm Bi i guess I have two choices... For the girl I choose Laura From the warp games D, Enemy Zero, and D2. She's a really strong character that shows good emotion and is very well rounded for a character that doesn't speak....that and she's not too bad on the eyes in D2 for the dreamcast either. My guy choice.... hmmm.... is either Richter Belmont or Dante from DMC.