Metal Gear Solid 4 – Smoking Metaphor

October 6th, 2008

metal gear solid 4 act 1

I’ve been thinking about Metal Gear Solid 4 again, sorting through the game’s many metaphorical elements to discern a connection to other something article worthy. I think I’ve got one, I’m sure that I’ll have a few more in future, here goes.

Spoilers, of course, including the game's conclusion.

Throughout the Metal Gear series, smoking has always been significant, to a certain degree. There’s obviously a connection between cigarettes and the ‘grizzled soldier’ stereotype of Solid Snake (main character) . Quite often the cancer inducing product is cleverly melded into the gameplay too. Such as in the original game where smoking slowed down the timer of a bomb, prompted to detonate, giving our hero a greater chance of escape.

In Metal Gear Solid 4, the role of cigarettes represents a crucial piece of Snake’s fading identity, in a world which has succeeded him. As the game’s introduction puts it “war has changed”, war in MGS4 is no longer about training and experience, it’s about manufactured output. Something that Snake has a hard time dealing with.

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Gaming Observations from Shanghai (China)

September 28th, 2008

shanghai internet

I’ve spent the past weeks in Shanghai and after a lot of commotion I have finally settled down and am ripping into my studies. Of course, as I promised, I have been keeping my eye out on the state of gaming in China, while I will undoubtedly be going more in depth on these issues on the future - you know I gotta makes some more friends first – for now here is everything that I have noticed in dot point form.

Firstly, it must be said that with or without piracy, games are big in China, much as they are around the world.

A driving force behind that are Internet Cafes (Wang Ba) which provide facilities for the most popular games in China this includes games that can be played locally, as well as access to movies, instant messaging and a wealth of other services.

Many of the internet cafes are themed around gaming with furnishings inside very similar to the old Time Zone arcades.

The most popular games in the internet cafes seem to be World of Warcraft and Counter Strike with random card and party games also being popular (I think these are linked to QQ; China’s most used instant messaging service).

People spit on the floors of the internet cafes - spitting is normal in Chinese culture but this shocked me – and smoking is allowed and often taken up by the participants.

I noticed a shortcut to Bookworm Adventures on my computer.

Much like in other Asian countries, the arcades still maintain a significant following in China, both new and older titles. I’ve been to one arcade in Xujiahui (Shanghai’s electronics centre) so far which had most of the typically popular games for arcade players. Also plenty of sponsers from Sega.

Most popular arcades game is – no surprise - King of Fighters ‘98, this is the most tournament likened KOF game.

Department stores seem reluctant to sell video games or consoles full stop (I tried two upper class stores and a Best Buy).

Although I did notice on the Samsung TV displays - everything is divided by brand and seems individually licensed out – they had 1080p video of Street Fighter 4. Samsung TVs are popular for their colour so it was a suitable selection.

Electronic stores (as in crowded complexes filled head to toe with electronics) do sell games though. Maybe I am not looking in the right place but they don’t seem to popular in contrast to laptops and whatnot. I think that I need to find the pirated goods store.

Most games on sale are probably legit (well at least where I was; a lot of *seemingly* brand sponsored stalls).

All games are NTSC, being either Japanese or Hong Kong imported, proving that nobody wishes to sell games directly to China.

Nintendo do though and their products are co-branded with ‘iQue’ so that is ‘iQue Nintendo DS Lite’ etc.

I have also spotted several DS card readers with the mini SD cards, too bad for the iQue.

Overall though the PSP seems to be the most popular console (handheld or otherwise), although I didn’t check, the consoles on sale are again probably Hong Kong or Japanese. They’d have to be as they had so many colors available.

The PSP is also beating the DS in the subway wars.

Oh yeah, the Wiis would have been from Japan as they had Tales of Synphonia 2 being demoed and I confirmed with the shop keeper that it was Japanese.

Also the reason why the PSP is so popular is because they are the easiest to crack and get games for.

Lastly, when I was in best buy they had a rom or hack of Super Mario All Stars going on one of the laptops (looked like a hack) with a PS2 styled controller hooked up.

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Tags: china, video games

The Love of the Land – Zelda: Twilight Princess

September 6th, 2008

legend of zelda twilight princess

When I first bought my Wii back on release, December 7th 2006, one of the three games that I bought with it was the obligatory “must buy” Zelda: Twilight Princess. After a few days of holding off, I worked my way into the game’s first dungeon, caught myself on a puzzle, stumbled and then submitted the game, along with my years of finely honed Zelda-mastery to the shelf.

A week ago(as per when written), a year and a half after release, I finally booked the time for a long overdue return to the land of Hyrule and have a few, noteworthy observations to put forth.

The Love of the Land

Something that became significantly apparent as I made my way through the first part of the game - exchanging requests for items in a series of obstacles designed to warm me into the new gameplay additions - was how in tune the Zelda franchise is with the natural environment.

Link’s home village of Ordon contains subtle clues to the village’s native roots. The topography of the land is ruggered with a small river making its way through the heart of the village. Villagers work in harmony with the land, tending cattle, generating small amounts of power through a water wheel and planting foot to eat. Animals play a significant part also, particularly in your first time acquaintance with village life.

Off the top of my head, here are a list of examples where the game allows you to interactive with the local fauna:

-attack and float in air with chickens
-ride your horse Epona
-use Epona to round up goat-like cattle in a timed mini game
-play a context sensitive sub-game preventing your cattle from escaping the ranch
-play a music note with a horn-shaped plant to call forth an eagle
-then use that eagle to swoop on a monkey
-knock down a beehive for the bees to attack a dumbfounded villager
-fish in the river
-nurse a villager’s pet dog
-attract the attention of a pet cat by catching fish
-return to the village as a wolf and talk to the animals

As you can see, there is a wealth of opportunities that the game provides you with for connecting to the environment ad the creatures of the earth.

As the game picks up and you find reach the first dungeon, more of this connection is unveiled, the use of the the macabre twilight world is a good example of this. Before I go on though, for people unfamiliar with this series, the dungeons are a staple of the Zelda series which can best be described as capsules of gameplay which advance inventory and teach new tricks by applying inventory to labyrinth styled puzzle situations. They often make up a the bulk of the game’s challenge.

wolf link and midna

The actual happenings which first summon you to the dungeon converge with the distress of a local family of monkeys, many of which are imprisoned within the dungeon. One of the monkeys, assumingly a female - distinguished by a red flower behind the ear - makes a silent compromise with the hero in that if he rescues her other family members, then her and her family members will exchanges their collected services to guide Link through the dungeon. As a player, it’s hard to directly notice this occurrence taking place as the monkey has no language to tell you so (beyonf the pointing and squeals). At the end of the dungeon, after uniting the whole family, they chain together to form a rope for Link to swing across, providing him access to the stage’s final boss. It’s at this stage that, for many I suspect the connection will chime in and the results of your actions realized.

As you can see the connection between man and earth are subtly implemented expressing an important relationship that runs deep with the lore of the franchise. Applying this thought to other entries in the series conjures up a plethora of relative examples. The various animal/elemental themed races such as Gorons, Zoras and Dekus, the light and dark words (a metaphor for natural vs industry?) and the long gone tradition of chickens and what’ll happen if you abuse them.

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Tags: zelda

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