Growing up, I remember important gaming decisions, made by my sister and myself, that addressed and overcame our preconceived notions about certain games. For example, when The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was coming out in 2003, my sister, one of the biggest Zelda fans ever, hated the concept. The art design was way... Continue Reading →
Now, some people are doubtless going to argue with me on this one. I hear you. Milon's Secret Castle . . . a windfall? I never beat this game. I never even came close. It was way too hard. I didn't know anyone that even had the game, and those of my friends brave enough... Continue Reading →
I read a well-researched, fascinating article the other day titled "Tales of an aging gamer: Why don’t I pick up a controller as often as I used to?", by Theo Karasavvas. I highly suggest you read it before you read this article, but if that's tl;dr for you (too long; didn't read), I'll try to... Continue Reading →
Well, here we are! I've mostly tended to be very accurate in this story to the Nintendo game Dragon Warrior, but Gwaelin's homecoming is finally where I fudged a little bit. I mean, carrying her right into the throne room, filthy and disheveled? How undignified! I think no one will mind a little added romance.... Continue Reading →
Wow, I'm getting more likes on my fanfics than I ever have on the thirty-some-odd articles I've written for this site! Is that a hint? Because if you want stories, people, I've got stories. This one's lasting longer than I thought, and I'm loving it. My biggest fan (my sister) has somehow managed not to... Continue Reading →
Well, that sister of mine has quite an impressive memory, it turns out. She was thrilled at my first article in this series, and even remembered the name of the ancient fanfic that inspired it! I have resolved not to read it again until I'm finished with my Dragon Warrior flight of fancy, but Gwaelin,... Continue Reading →
You know, it's funny. I've done a lot of gaming-themed writing for this website over the last year and change, but it's all been articles. It never occurred to me to write creatively until Drea posted her short story about the inspiration for The Cartographers Guild name. I used to do a lot of creative... Continue Reading →
A little more than fourteen years ago . . . I can't remember how precisely it started. I remember that it wasn't my kind of game, or so I thought. My bread and butter at the time was the more old fashioned class of console RPGs, which involved menus and turn-based combat. My first legitimate... Continue Reading →
The Wikipedia article for Crystalis, an NES game published by SNK and released in the US in 1990, calls the game "a cult classic." I'd agree with that. It's not Final Fantasy or Zelda big, but the people that love this game, love it, and I'm among them. This is one of those games that... Continue Reading →
One of the things my parents did really well was encourage my sister's and my individuality . . . extra important, because I'm an identical twin. They exposed us to all kinds of things, and if we displayed an interest in something, they tended to be really supportive. As with all siblings, sometimes our interests... Continue Reading →
The Cartographers Guild 