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more about #discussion Zaranell: From now on, every time I play a Super Mario game, I will imagine myself crushing the rebellion of petty workers and their foolish notions of freedom.... more » EmTeeZ: I assume Bowser lures them in with promises of paying for the Goombas' college tuition. more » Kobun: more » (Starman) Zuul~!: Oh ♪-wee ♪-oh ♪-wee ♪-oh ♪-weee ♪-oh ♪--wee..... *marching music* more » Windrummerboy: Hmm... wasnt Goombario part of a population of "good" goombas? not all of them are working for bowser. more » konaa: The Goomba are just casualties of war. It's not like you focus on trying to kill them but they make you bounce higher and move faster. Unless you're ... more » gold163 (° д° ): I don't like how this article implies that EVERY game's cannon fodder should have some kind of motivation to fight the player. It's absurd from a desi... more » Krackatoa was hit by a smooth criminal: Bowser's organization has good dental. /article more » badasscat: Reminds me of the contrarian analysis of Star Wars, that the Empire was really just a centralized government attempting to bring law and order to the ... more » 1up: That was an interesting read. But dammit, seeing SotC mentioned makes me want to play it :( Can't believe I ever missed out on that gem. Anyway, he r... more » gandhios: "One day the kingdom of the peacful mushroom people was invaded by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving... more » Chesu: Hmm... Well most people killed Bloopers with their trailing young in Mario 3, right? more » Arteen: This reminds me of when I replayed Golden Sun. Just outside of the first town, I got into a random battle with some zombies. There are zombie hoarde... more » Izod517: Really it's Nintendo's statement on race. Think about it, the white guy squishing the brown guy. Horrible. more » salaminizer: Fact: Who cares about the Goombas, I mean, NO ONE cares about the veggies in Super Marios Bros 2? Just because they live in Subcon doesn't mean they should ... more » Vidunder: "Goomba" is a word that comes from a southern Italian dialect, "cumbà ", that means simply "dude" or "friend", in a sort of local band of rovers, even... more » Fernando Jorge: You know, I don't think this is a issue at all. In fact, I think this is something that serves to define a game genre. The way I see it, just like num... more » Surreal_Sunshine: I think Braid did a really good job of making you question whether the "hero" was really that good a guy. As a kid playing Mario, though, I just thou... more » Pretty Sneaky Sis: As far as the Mario example goes, I could side with the possibility that Mario's just a huge tool. And Peach too. Think about it; he kills most everyt... more » MegaClank: "What if you came across a Goomba with a wife and kids? Would that make you think twice before so carelessly jumping on their head and crushing their ... more » -
#weekendreader
For the Goomba, What's Their Motivation, Again?
Boss battles are critically important to most video game genres, providing climactic story points as well as the kind of challenge for which the game was bought in the first place. But what about the minor foes of a game? More » -
#weekendreader
The FPS: Where Freedom isn't Free
As game designers become more like film directors, the paths they lay out for players becomes increasingly scripted and, frankly, downright restricted. Still the illusion of freedom persists in this genre. More » -
#2010preview
You're A Gamer In 2010...What Will You Do?
You aren't some kid holding controllers from different systems posing for stock photos. You're a real gamer. You piss pixels and bleed polygons, and ultimately the fate of gaming in 2010 is up to you. What will you do?
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#2010preview
You're A Game Developer in 2010...What Will You Do?
You can't believe you got a job doing this. Your mom said you would never get anywhere with these games. Now you're a big game developer. What will you do to ensure 2010 is a better year that 2009?
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#2010preview
You're A Video Game Retailer In 2010...What Will You Do?
Whether you're a hard-working entrepreneur running your own store or a corporate executive overseeing a worldwide chain, what will you do as a video game retailer to make 2010 a better year for the game industry than 2009?
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#2010preview
You Run A Big Game Publisher In 2010...What Will You Do?
Cast aside those ratty sneakers and step into the expensive, well-polished shoes of the CEO of a big-name video game publisher. What changes would you make to ensure the success of your business in 2010? More » -
#weekendreader
Performance and Mastery: Changing One's Motivation as a Gamer
Faced with a challenge, people are largely motivated by one of two processes - either the opportunity to demonstrate their talent, or the opportunity to improve it. Game genres also appeal to these processes. More » -
#weekendreader
The Straight Story of 'Gay Tony'
Calling it "the straightest Grand Theft Auto ever," largely for effect, PopMatters' G. Christopher Williams says The Ballad of Gay Tony hews to some hetero-driven crime-novel representations of both sexualities, but in the end is about much deeper themes. More » -
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#weekendreader
Their Bodies, Our Games
That picture above poses an interesting question to Massively's Seraphina Brennan. Why, she wonders, is the knee-jerk reaction to get bent out of shape about a buxom, indiscreetly clothed woman in a video game, but not a ripped, stripped-to-the-waist man? More » -
#weekendreader
Cooperative Multiplayer with the Devil You Don't Know
New Super Mario Bros. Wii released a week ago, and even its lighthearted cartoon environment and four-player cooperative mode still manage to bring out the worst in multiplayer behavior - if you don't know your partner, that is. More » -
#weekendreader
The Meta-Narrative That Pulls Back the Curtain for All Games
Was GLaDOS, the artificial intelligence in 2007's critically acclaimed Portal, in fact a game designer? And if so, what does our relationship to the computer, and its abuse of our trust, say about the other games we play? More » -
#evil
Industry Types Confess the Evil Deeds They've Done (in Games)
What's the most cruel, unfair, downright evil thing you've done in a game? Bitmob polled some industry types with the question. Hal Halpin was a real jerk in Mario Kart 64; Todd Howard created a suicide squad in X-Com. More » -
#weekendreader
Why Games Should Have a Few More Senior Moments
In video games, senior citizens are largely stereotyped NPCs. Rare is the kind of game like Metal Gear Solid 4, with a truly aged, playable protagonist. Can games create more roles for the elderly? Should they? More » -
#weekendreader
Forced to Strip: How Games Might Teach Us More About Sex
The upcoming Heavy Rain features a sequence in which its female protagonist is forced to strip for a disgusting mob boss. It's sex but it's not sexy, and it moves the needle for games teaching us to differentiate the two. More » -
#weekendreader
Manual Instruction: Two Types of Learning in Game Tutorials
Who reads instruction manuals any more? These days even the most complex console game arrives with just a 16-page booklet. Increasingly, we rely on in-game tutorials, and the two modes of learning they promote both have their benefits - and drawbacks. More » -
#weekendreader
Discussing a Dangerous Game — for Girls
Another new concept we're trying out for our expanded weekend coverage is the Weekend Reader, where we excerpt a well-written long-form piece on a subject in gaming and invite readers to discuss it. More » -
#discussion
What Would You Show to Someone Who's Never Seen a Game?
As some of you know, I'm living with my grandfather for the near term, because he's 86 and needs some assistance, and the companionship's good for him. But he keeps asking me about video games. More » -
#fatprincess
A Weighty Debate: Discussing Fat Princess
Perhaps it would have been naive to assume that Sony's Fat Princess could have surfaced without stirring controversy, but as the media's picked up on a few dissenters in the blogosphere, we now have a little issue on our hands. More »
