R.I.P. Ben Daglish

Original video located here. Accessed 5th October 2018

R.I.P. Ben Daglish

Half a world away

I find a fascination with gaming in the Eighties. History will declare that the decade was defined by the Great Gaming Crash that took Atari under and created an opening for Nintendo to storm in with the NES. Nintendo becomes a big deal and Mario, Link, Samus, Mega Man and Simon Belmont all become icons beyond reproach.

But this scenario, which has been told many times before, is viewed from the perspective of the U.S. - and as they say, history is only told by the winners. Coming from the perspective of someone outside the U.S., a different story is told and the contrast between within the U.S. and without the U.S. is astonishing to say the least.

To begin with, being in Australia, places one riding off the coattails of what was happening in the U.K. and Europe (as is often the case in Australia). If there was anything happening in the U.S. it had little to do with us - which is surprising considering the geographical location of Australia places in between U.S. and Europe. But I digress.

So yes, the choices of we Australians made was a replication of what was happening half a world away. Thus, whilst having a NES was commonplace in the U.S., that wasn't the case in Australia. Indeed, at the time, I remember more people I knew at school had a Master System than a NES and I noticed at the local toy store that the Master System had a more prominent place than the NES (indeed, that's a funny thing to look back on when one considers how things turned out for both Nintendo and Sega). So when the SNES finally showed it's face, there was indeed a sensation comparable to descending down from atop Mount Sinai and a sign that Nintendo suddenly was a big deal. Hard to imagine I know, right?

But the true victor in the Eighties gaming arms race in Australia was neither Sega or Nintendo. Nope: It was Commodore. I've lost count on how many people had a Commodore 64 when they were young and/or knew what one was. They were more commonplace than a NES or a Master System and many people point to it as being a starting point towards their interest in computers. And, much like the U.K., the Commodore 64 had a long and fruitful life in Australia that lasted well into the 16bit era.

This, in turn, would seem strange to the those in the U.S. as we in Australia (and the U.K.) had our own gaming culture develop separately. Whereas they had a rivalry between Sega and Nintendo, we Commodore 64 users had our own mortal enemies with the Spectrum users. When they were exchanging password codes, we were applying cheat codes. When they had Mario, Link and Samus, we had Armakuni, Turrican and Rockford.

Funny thing how cultures develop independent of each other. Naturally you wouldn't have that now when everyone and everything is linked online but looking at the same era from two different perspectives is an eye-opener to say the least.

Ninja Musicology

Here's something of interest I came across recently: A kickstarter campaign based around the music of the Last Ninja trilogy.

Go fund this! It has a lot of potential! I did!

Strike of the Ninja

A Kickstarter? To do a revamp of The Last Ninja?!

Prince Megahit

I was expecting that last post to inspire a tsunami of disgust and contempt - but none such came. Somehow, it seems strangely disappointing.

Anyway, here's something I came across recently: Footage of the Commodore 64 version of the original Prince of Persia:



I heard about a C64 conversion of Prince of Persia about twenty years ago: back then the C64 was slowly on the way out but I knew of Prince of Persia and was kinda excited about it. Of course, the conversion was started but never showed up - and it is only now, as in the past twelve months, that the someone has finally completed the game and unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

Looking at the video itself - I'm....astonished. I was a loyal C64 user for many years but seeing this I never knew the C64 could produce something like this. Sure there were some great games on the C64 that involved the system being pushed to the limit (the Last Ninja series comes to mind) but this is staggering. I said last week in my assessment of Double Dragon that the C64 was capable of so much better and here is all the proof I'll ever need.
It goes to show that sometimes great games can come out of an then aging system being squeezed for every last ounce of oomph (see: God of War and Chrono Trigger for other examples)

31 Songs (no.1)

This month is the month of November - What does it mean? Not much - but for me it may be a good enough excuse to put together another serial. So, for the duration of November, every Friday I'll be talking about a subject over a series of posts, describing my own opinions and sharing experiences with a particular topic.
So what's the serial topic this time around?
Game music!
Yeah we should admit to it: We each have our particular favorite tunes in any game and we've even halted progression in a game just to listen to them. We may have downloaded some to listen to on the computer or Ipod and may have even sought out some remixes done by someone else who thought the tune was really cool.
So for this serial, I want to talk you all through some of my favorites. And as I've over two decades of gaming experience, there is quite a lot to get through. Therefore, this serial will be done with each post focusing on a particular gaming generation and, hopefully, track an evolutionary path through music, technology and taste.

So let's begin with the roots of my gaming experience, the third generation!

Arkanoid theme

Unlike most kids of the late eighties and early nineties, I never had a Sega or a Nintendo. Nope, I had a Commodore 64. Can't complain though: The damn thing had it's fair share of moments and some decent games. Indeed, it's fun to go online now and finally see other people share an interest in what I thought was ace at the time.
So about Arkanoid: This was a Breakout clone where, for the unfamiliar, the player controlled a bat facing a layered wall of bricks and to take them all out by bouncing a ball at them. Arkanoid however provided its own spin on the formula with power-ups and a 'space' theme with a mammoth space ship on the title screen and aliens that wander through the playing area. And of course, it had a rockin' theme tune.
I love how this tune is divided into sections starting with the explosive bass, before evolving into some electronics, followed by a mournful noise and then finally grinding to a complete stop. The end result is something surprisingly epic-sounding from the lowly C64 SID chip. Funny thing is, when I was a kid I thought that this was a theme best suited to a space-exploration/Star Trek-esque game - so imagine my disappointment that was used for a Breakout clone.
Still this was the sound of a sound system being pushed to the limit proving that anyone can make anything epic-sounding with even the most limited of tools.


Bubble Bobble - Theme

OMG is this song catchy. It has to be the most insanely catchy song every created in the history of gaming. Once heard you can't really get it out of our head! It's insane!
Now I've played Bubble Bobble in other formats namely the arcade version and the NES one on the Virtual Console and, I have to say that it is still the Commodore 64 version that works for me, in the terms of playability, graphical and, of course, the music. And how can one say no to that one tune? It's cheerful, catchy and, although repetitious, it never once gets boring. It's the time of theme that bores it;s way into the mind but in a good way - which is rare feat for any piece of music to accomplish.
What more can I say except it's so damn catchy and, even now, I'm still yet to tire of it.
Not that I want to anyway.


Last Ninja 2 - Central park

As this is a serial on my favourite game themes, I set myself a little challenge: To actively select games that I played and enjoyed, to deliberately seek out little known themes & shine some light upon them, and not fall into the trap of suggesting the obvious.
Which brings me to the Last Ninja 2. As mentioned previously in my Greatest Gaming Heroes list, this series was the defining game for the system and beloved by many a C64 owner. Sure the Nintendo kids may have had Mario or Link to champion but what would I care? I had Armakuni.
One of the trademarks of the Last Ninja series was the fantastic music. Whilst the first Last Ninja had some cool themes, it really stepped up with the sequel. I listen this theme now, after twenty-plus years of technological advancement and I'm still impressed by how the C64 SID chip is being pushed at such a rate one would never have thought possible. It's a hard rockin' theme and a damn good imitation of a metal band - I particularly like that solo/coda that wraps up the song. In fact I think this may have started the trend of having footage of ninja's fighting synced to metal music (and a gazillion and one Naruto AMVs). Okay maybe not but I'm still claiming it for Armakuni!
The rest of the soundtrack of Last Ninja 2 is indeed impressive but this still works for me - and judging by the many rock covers/remixes that exist of this theme, many more agree with me.


R-Type - Title theme

This was something of a milestone in my gaming history: This was the first time I'd actually sit at the title screen of game purely for enjoying the music being played. And how could I not? This was a fantastic opening theme and a pace setter for a brilliant soundtrack. It was energetic and perfect music for gunning down aliens and evading bullets with intensity. And the person we have to thank for this is Chris Hulsbeck - the man who wrote the equally excellent music for Turrican and, more recently, Star Wars Rogue Leader.
Funny thing is I've played various R-Types since and I can recognize some familiar themes. But I'm used to the frantic soundtrack to the Commodore 64 version - thus the other versions come across as being surprisingly stiff. True - they don't work for me. Why I heard the title music to the Amiga version and honestly it doesn't hold a candle to this one. Even hearing it now they seem to be completely different themes - but if the Commodore 64 version of R-Type truly got it's own theme then it's one up for it!


Ramparts - Theme

Not to be confused with the strategy game of the same name that made it's way to various systems (including the C64!) this Ramparts is actually a clone of the classic game Rampage. The major difference is it went for a medieval/fantasy theme with the players controlling an armored giant climbing castle towers and smashing them to pieces. Looking back it's a bit of weak game with dodgy controls, awful graphics (by C64 standards) and little to maintain interest.
But the game's saving grace is a genuinely freaky theme: Played throughout the game, this is truly a theme of giant destroying large buildings. I recall this theme being the one that frightened me as a kid - even to the point where I was more focused on the music than the actual game itself - and if the music is more engaging than the game itself then something must've worked. Okay so maybe now this theme can't compare to the likes of the Silent Hill games but for one of the scariest gaming themes ever made it sure makes a compelling case.


Tetris - Type A

Yes this is a no-brainer and yes it's inclusion breaks my own rule of not kowtowing to the obvious but damn, how can I honestly say no to this?
Interestingly enough, it is only in recent years that I found out that all the music from Tetris was based on Russian folk songs - and Type A itself originated from a song called Korobeiniki. Funny thing is, most people would probably recognize this theme almost instantly - and even then it's most likely through Tetris. Funny how game's can do that....

And on that note, this concludes the first part of the series - tune in next week when the music steps up a notch as we enter the fourth generation....

Favourite Gaming Heroes

Well who would've thunk it? I've hit two hundred posts in this blog! Yay me! Well any feat is as good as any so to acknowledge this milestone, something special.
Last year I posted a length post about my favourite gaming heroines. Since then it’s become my most popular post on this blog. So what the hell – I may as well do a long post about the other side of the coin: My Favourite Gaming Heroes!
Admittedly, taking up this task is a lot harder than coming up with a list of favourite heroines – purely because there are a lot more candidates. Nevertheless, I eventually settled on heroes that I liked, were unique in their own way or established some sort of connection with. That being said, there may be some glaring exclusions (well at least in someone else's eyes) but in that case either a) the missing hero didn't make that much of an impression or b) I haven't played (or have yet to play) the game in question.

So here we go: My favourite gaming heroes. If I ever needed to get some people together to form a posse, these are the dudes I’ll call:

11 – Kratos (God of War)
I love this guy. At a time when Playstation games were defined by pretty-boy types (ie Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts) along comes a protagonist who’s completely different: Ugly, muscular and violent in a brutal unflinching method. Of course, such qualities would make anyone a detestable character but here it works: I don’t know why though - maybe it’s the fear that arguing with Kratos would probably result in one getting their head caved in.
Of course, part of the appeal is that the original God of War game benefited from great writing. Seeing the lead character commit suicide at the very beginning is a strong opening move and commands attention. And as the story progressed, decent motivation was supplied in the form of revenge. In addition, the fact that it was pretty much all Kratos’ stupid fault and the extraordinary lengths he had to go to undo it all made the narrative ever the more epic and compelling.
Sadly, in the subsequent sequels, Kratos has become less interesting. Without a decent motivation, Kratos now comes across as being a violent jerk just for the sake of it. Suddenly the striking first image we see of him (plummeting to his death) is forgotten and Kratos comes across as being a parody of himself: Being a kill-crazy, revenge-obsessed psychotic because that’s pretty much all he’s good at. But that isn’t true and, as a result, Kratos claims the lowly position on this list.
Still, if you need something big and ugly dead, this is the man to call.


10 - Auron (Final Fantasy X)
The Final Fantasy games have no shortage of heroes so choosing from them is a daunting task. So after much consideration, I eventually decided to go with Auron – I mean I could’ve gone with Cloud but that seemed too obvious.
Final Fantasy X may have Tidus as the main character and Yuna’s quest as the focal point, but it is still Auron who steals the show. And who can blame him? A hard-bitten veteran warrior carrying a blade as big as himself, a man of mystery and wisdom about the alien world that is Spira, a modern-day samurai who carries with him a huge bottle of grog and perhaps the only sane one in the entire party. What’s not to like?
Whilst there have been warriors of the noble/tragic vein in previous Final Fantasy games (Freya Crescent being one such example), Auron is perhaps the accumulation of them all – He is the sole survivor of Lord Braska’s party and taking the uncompleted mission onto the next generation through a promise made to both Braska and Jecht. He bares the burden of being a man out of time and one who won’t go until his uncompleted task is finally done. But with the task left undone, Auron has left a terrible trail in his wake: He openly defied a system and ended up being cursed and restless for his trouble. Whilst this is familiar fare for the ‘veteran warrior’ archetype, Auron pulls it off in away that is all his own. Not sure how he does it though: Is it his cool head in times of crisis? Is it his connection with Tidus that makes him the likely target to find what the hell’s going on? Is because his VA actually did a good job?!
Or maybe it’s because he can cleave through the monsters like a hot knife through butter.


9 - Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 4)
I came into the Resident Evil games rather late: Although I knew of them, I never actually played them (although, admittedly, it wasn’t hard to identify Jill Valentine in her RE3 incarnation). Therefore, like a whole lot of other people, I only got interested in the Resident Evil series through RE4. So whilst Leon may have appeared in RE2 I honestly don’t care: No.4 is where he made an impression on me and that’s where he comes in with this list.
One of the golden rules for writing a story is never make things easy for one’s protagonist. And boy does Leon go through a whole lot of hell: Sure he starts off having to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter but what he ends up doing is dealing with psychotic villagers, dealing with psychotic monks and then psychotic pirates. He has to contend with a potential love interest who knows more then she’s letting on, grotesque monsters that just won’t lay down and die, so many people who want to see him dead and, worst of all, a shrill little bitch who can’t do jack except whining and getting kidnapped. It’s a succession of increasing disaster that would break a lesser man but not Leon.
Thus I give credit to Leon: He’s a cop turned government agent. He carries around a case of guns and ammo that miraculously halt everything when he needs to change weapons. And he still goes through hell only to come out the other side still standing. Leon’s a hero worth cheering for every step of the way and definitely someone you’d want watching your back.


8 - The Prince (Prince of Persia Sands of Time)
As an aspiring writer, I can tell you one of the rules of writing a compelling character is something called a ‘resurrection’. The story begins with a character being presented but as the story progresses they go through various trials and tribulations – thus by the end they came out the other end as someone completely different and unable to return to the person they once were. Whilst there have been several gaming characters to undergo this process, the one I feel works best is the Prince from the Sands of Time.
At the beginning, I didn’t like the Prince at all. But as the game progressed, I found him growing on me. Through the progress of the game, it’s interesting to see how the Prince hardens through the various obstacles that come his way and how, as character, he evolves from a snobby prick. He is a capable fighter, an excellent story teller and, by the end, the journey really feels worth it. I particularly like the ending, how he is pretty much the only left who knew exactly what happened and he leaves Farah in a state of bewilderment.
Ultimately, I hold the Prince as a fine example of character development done right and perhaps the best example of the resurrection theory. Now if only other game developers will catch on….


7 - Armakuni (Last Ninja series)
I can imagine some of you young pups might be saying “Who?” at this point so allow me to explain: My gaming days began when I was a kid on the eighties with the Commodore 64 – and if you had a Commodore 64 you had the Last Ninja games. It was that essential game one needed (the Halo of it's day if you will) and for good reason. At the time (late eighties), it provided a then innovative mixture of action and adventure where a ninja traversed through a 3d isometric environment collecting items and weapons, fighting bad guys, solving problems and going through fiendishly difficult jumping sections all accompanied by a rockin’ soundtrack involving a C64 SID chip being pushed to the limit. Although mostly forgotten now, it’s hard to imagine many games existing without it (Tomb Raider comes to mind).
Which brings me to Armakuni, the titular character. The game manual revealed quite a lot about his motivations: His ninja clan defied the tyrannical shogun Kunitoki who responded by having then all killed in massacre at a sacred temple. Armakuni was the survivor (through not being at the temple for some reason) and he takes it upon himself to go out for revenge. And Armakuni must be extremely pissed off to do so. Why? His vengeance-filled eyes became the box art (see above), informing that this is a ninja who isn’t fucking around - and subsequently providing one of the most unforgettable images in gaming history.
And in the sequel things started getting weird with Armakuni and Kunitoki somehow being transported through time to modern day New York (?!?) where the ninja finds himself running the gauntlet with psychotic cops, homicidal motorcyclists and the dangers of the modern world.
Growing up with the Commodore 64, Armakuni was one of my heroes – he was smart, a capable fighter and his quest for vengeance was one worth following through with. The time-travel plot was odd to say the least but it was indeed compelling to see a warrior from the feudal era adapt to a completely alien environment. And hey, anyone who can make nunchucks out of the flusher chains found in women’s toilets (yes you read that right) deserves some credit.


6 - Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy 9)
Well there’s always room for another Final Fantasy character.
Selecting Zidane for this list is more drawn from my own experience: of all the Final Fantasy games I’ve played, Zidane was the one who I had the greatest connection with. But I’m still not sure why this is so: Was he a character who’s actually likable? Did he win me over with his womanising and his humour? Was his romance with Garnet one of those rare gaming romances that’s actually compelling? Or was he a welcome change of pace following after the cheerlessness of Cloud and Squall?
No matter: I liked Zidane a lot and I found his adventures across Final Fantasy IX compelling enough to follow all the way to the end. Even for an old, grumpy gamer like myself I couldn’t help but like the thief and his chipper/plucky/never-say-die outlook on life. In the game itself, Zidane is the representation of Virtue. And whilst virtue is usually a formula for a wimpy, so-good-it’s-sickening type character, Zidane pulls it off so well you can’t help but cheer him on. It also helps that Zidane’s cheerfulness is balanced out with him bearing the burden of loneliness and the knowledge of what his purpose is. All of this makes for a fascinating character.
I think his character description in the game manual said it all: “You don’t need a reason to help people.” It’s a philosophy that many a game character may have followed but, IMHO, Zidane is the one who embodies it fully. Go the monkey boy!


5 - James Raynor (Starcraft)
As much as I resent the narrative of Starcraft I have must give at least some credit to the writers at Blizzard: They managed to create a universe and populate it with three very different races. Each one with their own personality, motivations and colourful characters who each have their own unique voice in the game.
That being said, out of the characters in the game, James Raynor has to be the most human - an obvious statement true but still an impressive feat in a game populated by hostile aliens. He is the guy who's giving it his all but all he does is come out the other side empty-handed. And that’s what makes him so fascinating. He tries to do the best for the human colonies but he’s persecuted for doing so. He sides with an idealistic revolutionary (Arcturus) who ultimately turns out to be a power-hungry prick no better than those in the Confederacy. He has an attraction towards Kerrigan who in turn gets corrupted by the Zerg and stabs Raynor in the back (multiple times). Raynor then sides with the Protoss only to get caught up in a civil war. He then joins the fight back against the Zerg and the UED only to have those he called friends and allies dropping like flies. And because of his past failures, he ends up hitting the bottle and being surrounded by various people who try to influence his line of thinking.
Yet in the end, it’s an impressive feat that Raynor manages to stay standing. Whereas any lesser man would’ve buckled and gone nuts, Jimmy Raynor somehow staggers onward. And give him credit: When the rest of the universe goes insane and everyone’s out for themselves, at least there’s someone putting himself on the line for so many others – more so when it yields little in return.
So yes Raynor works for me as a classic example of the thankless hero – and hey, if I saw him in a bar I’d buy him a beer ;)


4 - Vyse (Skies of Arcadia)
Back in 2000, when everyone was intent on arguing on whether or not Cloud could out-emo Squall, along came a breath of fresh air: Vyse, the star of the ace RPG Skies of Arcadia. Now I will admit that I have a soft spot for this guy. And how could I not? He certainly has a lot going for him: He’s courageous, witty and certainly able to keep a cool head in any crisis situation. He is hardly one to back down from a challenge – when faced with the impossible Vyse wouldn’t run – in fact seeing it as impossible would be more than enough reason to try it himself. In addition, Vyse has an adventurous spirit, and is an able commander of his own ship who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and lead from the front.
But what I get the most out of Vyse is indicated by the opening sentence to that last paragraph: It seems he was made out to be an open defiance to the moody anti-heroes popularised by SquareEnix. When trouble arose, Vyse wasn’t the type to sit around moaning or grumbling – no way, he was too busy taking a stand and finding his own path. When placed in a group of companions, Vyse didn’t act resentful or anything – no he made every effort to inspire his crewmates. And when he was deemed a criminal by the opposing tyrannical empire, Vyse was laughing every step of the way.
In short, whilst Vyse may not be as well-known as other JRPGs leads but there certainly is a lot to like about him. So much so, it made his journey through Skies of Arcadia one worth taking. And for me, Vyse is a strong enough lead to make good reason to hang onto my Dreamcast and Skies of Arcadia - I'm not one to replay JRPG's but Skies of Arcadia is a rare exception.
So yeah, Vyse certainly a captain I would follow – and anyone who can fight with a blade in each hand is a winner in my book.


3. Link (Legend of Zelda series)
Link! He come to town! Come to SAVE! The Princess Zel-Dah! Ganon took her away, now the children don’t play, but they will when Link saves the day – HALLUJEAH!!!!
*ahem* Well what can I say about Link that hasn’t been said before?
Well for one thing, Nintendo seem to be very good at building an everyman figure: The hero whom the player can latch onto and serve as their avatar in a world that’s waiting to be explored. Like stable-mate Mario, Link is an ordinary Joe who gets thrust into some world-spanning adventures and ultimately ends up saving the day. And it is indeed important to build such a connection between player and character - something a lot of game designers these days seem to forget.
Also kind of cool is that Link is something of pioneer: the child/youthful character who goes on an epic quest to save the world (or something). Along the way, he goes through various trials and tribulations but he doesn’t seem at all bothered at all – all he knows is that his quest is a noble one and worth seeing all the way to the end. Such a metaphor is taken to a literal sense in Ocarina of Time as Link starts as a child but ends as a young adult. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine the likes of Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Ico, that kid from Limbo, or even both the afore-mentioned Zidane and Vyse without Link.
Granted it’s a bit annoying that Link is a silent character – He has a face and a name so from the perspective of being a player avatar, as opposed to a character, it is kind of off-putting. As such I’ve often wondered what Link really felt being hailed as the Hero of Time and constantly being roped into doing various small tasks from one end of Hyrule to the other. He’s described as being humble in this adulation but to me he strikes me as being caught up in something whether he likes it or not. One has to wonder if Link ever stops and wonders ‘Do I have to do EVERYTHING?!?!?!?’ (or is it my job as the player to do so?).
But from a personal level, Link is my bridge to the world that is Hyrule: Through countless hours of exploring and adventuring, I actually felt a connection to the character like no other. I went with him on an adventure and I felt every blow, the delight of finding something new and the relief of solving a baffling problem. For a silent character he certainly has loads of personality than his more talkative brethren. In a way, Link is my buddy and a guy worth traveling with.
That being said, I like Link a lot and he still claims the number three position on this list. The fact that I’m willing to cosplay as this guy does indeed say a lot (pun not intended).


2. Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid)
Snaaaaake! Snaaake! Oooooh it’s a snnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!!!!! (okay I’ll stop that now)
Those who’ve been following this blog will know that I’ve talked about Metal Gear Solid, Solid Snake and the emotional impact the game had on me so what more can I add? Well Snake is a capable fighter, intelligent and the best in the infiltration/sneaking business. He is the reluctant hero – one who knows all about doing right but being far from willing to actually do it. He may save the day true but mostly because he’s got nothing better to do.
But most importantly of all, much like the Prince, the Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 1 is another fine example of the character resurrection. He starts out without direction and in a state of resignation but by the end he comes out a completely different person determined to make his limited time on earth count – but whilst it may sound cheesy in text, in the game itself it’s pulled off in a manner that seems genuine, believable and not in any way that could considered false.
Really, the mark of a great character is when they leave an emotional resonance on you, the audience, or this case the participant. The only difference is whereas in a book or a movie the audience are watching a group of characters run through a course of pre-determined actions and events, a game presents a situation where the audience becomes an active participant and has a say in the way things proceed. Therefore, the participant can become more of an accomplice to the character, the journey they take and the actions they do. Whilst I may have built up such a connection with Link on several occasions, Solid Snake however is in a class of his own. His journey is much less saving the world than it is saving himself – and we went along with the whole odyssey to a point where it rubbed off on myself, the player.
So much so that in the days since whenever I’ve faced a problem or difficult decision there have been times when I’ve caught myself wondering: What Would Snake do? It may sound daft in theory but really if a character has made such an impression then you know you’ve done something right.


And my number one favourite gaming hero is….

1. John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)

Why? Because he’s John fucking Marston. That’s why.
Okay now let’s get serious: A relative newcomer to this list, John Marston still charges through to the top. So what makes him so special? Oh where do I begin? John Marston has to rank as one of the most compelling and well-realised characters ever in the history of gaming –a tough call considering his game was only released last year but damn, I have never seen a character make such an impression on me – and I doubt that I ever will.
Firstly, when gaming these days seemed confined to a rigid good/bad, black/white system, John Marston is a true grey: In his hands is a much wider and diverse morality system and enables to do has many goods things as bad things. Such a wide offer of options shapes his character and forms him into a compelling character. He may have moments where he’s a ruthless killer but other times he’s trying to do some good after so much time spent doing wrong – it’s that clash of personality that makes for a fascinating character.
Secondly, John has a substantial motivation: He’s trying to put his violent past behind him and try to be a decent father to his son Jack in raising him in a better world than John knew. But no matter how hard he tries, John can’t really bury the secrets of his past, no matter his assertions that anyone can change.
Thirdly, John is man out of time: His era of the Wild West is coming to an end and far too often is he comes across as an anachronism. Through the game, we see the world through John’s eyes and there is a whole lotta bad people and bizarre shit going on – thus challenging the idea whether or not the world is worth living in and whether John truly has a place in it.
Fourthly, this is a genuine adult character. Yes this is a father who’s trying to do the right thing by his son and wife but this is game that will be played by adults. And for the designers to realise that and take it seriously is a credit to them. I feel like I’m being taken seriously and the developers are using this canvas to say what they want. I mean, if I were to do type this out ten/eleven years ago, when I was in my late teens, the youthful characters, Link, Zidane and Vyse would’ve ranked higher. Instead they lose out to Mr. Marston.
And finally, John Marston strikes me as the type who doesn’t take shit from anyone. And I like that.
So hats off to John Marston. He may have only had one shot at making an impression but what an impression it was.

And that's my list of eleven best gaming heroes - the one's who've made their mark on me and for good reason. Hope you've enjoyed reading this list and a big thank you to everyone who has ever visited this blog over it's lifespan so far.
So here's 200 posts in this worthless corner of cyberspace!!!