I’m rolling out a quick (can’t promise that) intro here in
case anyone is curious about my experience. Any review blogger worth their salt will do that much.
First off, no one is ever surprised that I am a female. There was ONE time when I worked in a mall
and the guy was genuinely surprised that a girl would like video games. ONE TIME. It’s not that prevalent for guys to be shocked about that.
I’ve been an avid gamer since my single-digits, starting out
playing on my mom’s Commodore 64 and my uncle’s Atari. We got the Nintendo Entertainment
System (with the Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Track and Field game pack that had the
gun and power pads). I would play
those games and my older brother would relentlessly play Back to the
Future. I was still a bit casual
even then, since playing outside was still a thing. I didn’t get sucked into avid status until we got Dragon
Warrior for free when my dad subscribed to Nintendo Power magazine. I was ten at the time and the first
time I played it, I didn’t understand level grinding and I couldn’t get past
the Green Dragon.
One day a year or two later, I picked it up again and just
wandered around killing things while I saw if there was any place I could go
other than to the dragon. I
noticed enemies had gotten easier to kill in one hit and thought “what the
hell… I’m going after the Green
Dragon again.” I remember how my
heart pounded in my chest and how I leapt out of my chair when I slayed
it. The music changed and suddenly
I was carrying an adorable pixel princess in my arms. There was no turning back from there.
Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest was my first love, but I learned
that role-playing games were not a one time thing. It wasn’t just RPGs.
My younger brother and I would also play Wizards and Warriors,
Battletoads, Double Dragon, Ninja Turtles (I actually beat the original), Mega
Man, Punch Out… It’s a long list
because Video Village’s used game sales were open season on increasing our
library quick. The first system I
got for a birthday was the SNES. I
fell in love with the Final Fantasy series when FF3 came out (later properly
renamed to FFVI). My brother and I
also got the Sega Genesis and played Toe Jam and Earl. I remember even then I wished that RPGs
borrowed more action elements, so you can imagine my glee that action RPGs and
open world gaming became a thing.
My brother went the N64 route where I took a gamble on the
PlayStation. Guess who is still a
Sony fangirl? My brother and I
both got the PS2 but he got into PC gaming at that time, so it was his last
console to date. I got the PS3 and
Xbox 360 (not a fan of Xbox—I may share why at a later date) and now the
PS4. Someday I’d like to get a
bookcase that actually holds all the games I own so I can give you proper photo
evidence of the collection I boast.
It’s not just the quantity.
I don’t own a game that I didn’t lovingly or frustratingly invest gobs
of time on.
I’d be happy to wax nostalgic on the details with any
gamer. The gamer community is
mostly one I am proud to belong to.
It has inspired me as an artist and designer. Gaming isn’t just something I dabble in for some bonus nerd
cred. In fact, I am clearly a
geek. I don’t care for hoarding
stats, I’m just passionate.
That being said, this is a hobby I care about, so I write
reviews with the attempt to let developers know what they are doing right and
wrong from an actual gamer’s perspective.
I will continue to spark discussions and call them on bullshit and
ultimately, hope it keeps our shared passion for the media growing and evolving
into something we can all continue to enjoy.
I am not a feminist nor do I operate with any agenda aside
from what I want to see in games.
I also speak my opinion and I don’t confuse them with facts. Social justice can kiss my ass. You will be treated exactly as you
deserve to be treated based on how you treat me. I won’t attempt to censor anyone, but this is my fucking
blog. If you want to make a stand,
put some real work into it and make your own. I feel that this disclaimer probably isn’t necessary, but
why not get the crap out of the way so we can focus on the things we really
care about?
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