Tag Archives: Konami

Opening the Door: Exploring “The Closet” in Games

The first queer character I remember encountering in a videogame was Baron in the 1998 N64 platformer Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon. Baron wore blue lipstick and eye-shadow, a single bright red earring and had an asymmetrical hairdo that falls in … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation | Tagged , , , , , , , Legend of the Mystical Ninja , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

La Mulana and The Archaeology of Design

The remake of La Mulana has finally been released, and it is good – probably the optimal way to experience this impressive game. Consider that the review portion of this article, and go buy it: now let’s jump into why … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Genre and Girl-on-Girl Action: Feminism and Skullgirls

You know that joke where a boy walks into his parent’s bedroom and catches them having sex? The one where the punchline is something like “What you’ve seen you can never unsee?” I’m not even sure if there is a joke like that but it pretty much sums up my experience with day-to-day things after my liberal arts education exposed me to many facets of feminism. I can see sexism. I can never unsee it. I’m not imagining it and it’s everywhere. I’m glad I see – I am a politically aware, socially active woman – but damn, it ruins shit for me that I used to enjoy.

So when I volunteered to write an article on Skullgirls it was not without an amount of trepidation or masochism. The game could very well enrage me.

Now, I don’t take myself too seriously and I like a good off-colour joke. But it really depends on the context of that joke. It’s the difference between, say, Chapelle’s Show and Fox News. It’s about awareness: of your art, of your medium, of your audience — most of all, of your genre. Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments