Author Archives: Nico Dicecco

About Nico Dicecco

I'm a PhD student at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. My research is built around adaptations: films based on novels, video game tie-ins, comic versions of beloved (and not so beloved) literary classics, theatre, dance, television, action figures... I love me some media. I come to games criticism as both a fan and a person incapable of enjoying cultural objects at face value. I'm always looking for a critical angle on the things that I do for fun. As a co-founder of Medium Difficulty, I have a fancy title of some kind – Chief Operations Officer, if I remember correctly – but I'm still trying to figure out what that means while folks like Kyle, Karl, and Kait do most of the heavy lifting. Maybe if my name also started with a K, I'd be a better colleague.

Gamers Gamely Game Games: A Review of The Metagame

You have five cards in your hand, each one bearing the title of a different game. For fun, let’s say you’ve got World of Goo, King’s Quest, Prince of Persia, Silent Hill and Myst. The judge turns over a card … Continue reading →

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Mechanics and Mystery in The Last Express: Or, A Love Letter to the Manuals I Never Read

I remember a glorious day in the formative years of my gaming life: my Dad called me over to the computer, and he laid out Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail on the desk. He said, “Son, I know you … Continue reading →

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A Modest Proposal: Satire and Saints Row the Third

by Nico Dicecco Can we call a game like Saints Row the Third a satire? Okay, we can call it whatever we want. We can call it left-nippled frozen burrito slosh. Let me rephrase my point: is it critically useful … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism | Tagged | 7 Comments

Nico Doesn’t Like Things

By Nico Dicecco People keep telling me I don’t like things. I think they’re wrong. It seems to me that I like all sorts of things, but I like them the way I like them. Games are one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Columns , Criticism , Nico Doesn't Like Things | Tagged | 5 Comments