Level 8: Link's Own Worst Enemy - Himself?

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for my first blog post devoted specifically to the Zelda series.

*Cue maniacal laughter*

Those of you like me who are diehard Zelda fans will be glad to know there's a lot more Zelda coverage coming in the printed version of Virtuous Worlds once it's released to the public.

Heckler: "What does it take to be a diehard Zelda fan?"

Well, first you have to practically consider yourself a citizen of Hyrule (that's the name of the kingdom featured in most Zelda games).  You also have to be plagued by shrill voices in your head shouting "hey, listen" at odd times throughout the day.

Heckler: "Huh?"

If you didn't get the joke, well, that probably means you've never played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, because if you had, you would probably be smiling right now.

So.  Ocarina of Time is the Zelda game we're going to zero in on here.  As with pretty much every Zelda game, Ocarina of Time features a series of dungeons that our hero Link must conquer in order to save the Princess Zelda and restore peace to Hyrule.  This involves not just fighting enemies; it also requires players to think their way through a series of puzzles.

One of these "dungeons" in Ocarina of Time is called the Water Temple.  The Water Temple comes late in the game, and it is considered by some players to be the most difficult (or at least the most frustrating) dungeon in the entire Zelda series!  I don't know that I'd go that far, but it certainly is one of the odd ducks when it comes to dungeon layout and the nature of some of the puzzles.

I think my favorite moment in the Water Temple is one that comes when you've made it about halfway through the dungeon.  You open a door, and suddenly you're in the middle of a room of bright white lights and an inch or so of water covering the floor.  Go forward, and you'll run into (of all things) a tiny tropical island complete with sand and a palm tree.

Go a little bit farther, and you'll encounter a locked door.  There's no way to open this door, so you're forced to turn around and go back the other way.

Not so fast.

Before you can even pass the tropical island again, you'll be faced by...yourself.  Sort of.  The figure standing in front of you is shaped like Link and even carries a sword and shield that look like his, but his/its clothing is stained entirely black.  A pair of red eyes stares out at you from a face shrouded in darkness.

This is Dark Link.

Dark Link is not like your typical enemy in a Zelda game.  If you take a swing at him, he'll swing too...at the exact same moment you do and with the exact same movement.  Basically, he does whatever you do.  If you didn't know better, you might say he knows what you're going to do before you do it.

Like the Water Temple itself, Dark Link is one of the more challenging obstacles you'll face in Ocarina of Time.  In other words, one of Link's own worst enemies is...himself.  Dark Link is little more than a twisted parody of the "real" Link.

Or is he?

What does water do?  It reflects reality.  Yeah, sometimes the reflection is a little distorted, but not quite that distorted.  Personally, if I were Link, I'd be doing some serious self-examining after an encounter with Dark Link.  I'd probably be asking myself, "Is this really what I am?"

Actually, that's a question we probably all need to ask ourselves.  It's tough to admit, but we've all got a Dark Link inside us.  He may come out in the form of a curse word shouted at someone who cuts us off on the freeway.  He may come out when we walk by the dirty magazines at the supermarket.  Better yet, he may come out when we're singing hymns at church and we spy someone we don't like sitting in the pew in front of us.

Most religious traditions agree that there is some sort of "Dark Link" inside us.  Where the disagreement comes in is usually in how we're supposed to deal with that Dark Link.

"Sin" is Christianity's name for Dark Link, and there's only one way to deal with this jerk, according to tradition.  And that is to call on a force more powerful than ourselves.  That force is...

Heckler: "Jesus?"

Fifty rupees to our friend the Heckler!  If you keep trying to attack your own twisted self portrait, it's just going to swing back at you.  It knows you better than you know yourself.  Good luck trying to come up with a trick it doesn't know.

You've gotta get outside help, hero!

Level 7: Nothing New Under the Sun

Nothing New

Pay attention to the gaming industry for any length of time, and you’ll begin to notice a pattern.  When a game is successful, it inevitably spawns a sequel.

Heckler: “Duh.  Money talks!”

Good sequels pay their respects to what the first game did as well as adding their own new twists on the old formula.  Still, no matter how much of the “new” there is, nothing can change the fact that the old is what’s really driving the bandwagon.

Yeah, Twilight Princess had nice graphics and interesting new characters and the Wii Remote and all that good stuff, but it’s still the same puzzle-solving, dungeon-crawling, world-exploring, Ganon-slaying formula we’ve been familiar with since the original Legend of Zelda came out in 1987 (I’m speaking for those of us who are old enough to have grown up with this series).

Just look at some of the games that are coming out over the holidays, and you’ll see that this pattern of unoriginality is alive and well.  Tomorrow, Donkey Kong Country Returns will be unleashed on US shores.  This $50 Wii epic is little more than a massive homage to the three Donkey Kong Country games that came out on the Super Nintendo in the mid 90’s.  Yes, the controls are fresh, and the graphics are all spiffy, but at heart it’s still the same 2D side-scrolling, banana-grabbing platformer we know and love (I’m still speaking to the senior citizens in the audience…you know, those of us over twenty).

Here’s another good example.  On Nov. 2, Activision released Goldeneye 007, a first-person shooter based on the James Bond film of the same name.  The thing is…there’s already been a game based on that film.  It came out in 1997 on the Nintendo 64.  Most gamers consider it a huge classic.  The new Goldeneye is a remake of the N64 game; among the changes that have been made are the replacement of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond with Daniel Craig, and the game’s levels have been tweaked and redesigned and generally improved.  But it’s still a remake, one that clearly relies on its predecessor’s reputation even as it attempts to create a fresh experience.

Oh, and then there’s Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, coming out on Dec. 12 (also for Wii).  This is literally a copy of Super Mario All-Stars, an anthology of the first four Mario games (Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3) that we first saw as a Super Nintendo cartridge more than a decade ago.  There are no tweaks here.  No new levels.  No new characters.  Aside from a soundtrack disc and a booklet and a couple of other frills, this is the exact same Super Mario All-Stars.

You know what I say to all these sequels and remakes and thinly-disguised cash-ins on the popularity of well established franchises?  I say bring it on!

Cranky gamers may complain about the lack of originality in games these days, but companies are churning out unoriginality for a reason.  People like these games.  No, they LOVE THESE GAMES!

Almost three thousand years ago, Solomon began what would become the book of Ecclesiastes with these words: “History merely repeats itself.  It has all been done before.  Nothing under the sun is truly new” (1:9, NLT).  Even what appears to be new, deep down, is just a well-disguised copy or spin-off of something old.

Some people find this disturbing.  I find it comforting.  It means that good will remain good, and evil—as much it tries to come up with new evil—will fail and someday be destroyed forever.

The ultimate endorsement of unoriginality is found in Hebrews: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (13:8, italics mine).  Does this mean God is boring and stagnant?  No, it means He’s reliable.  Since He’s good, it means good will never go away.

Unoriginality done right isn’t a bad thing.  It’s a glorious thing.  Besides the comfort factor, it means a whole new generation of gamers (or believers) will be introduced to something that’s good with a long record of being good.

So yes, I plan on buying (or at least playing) all of the remakes and copies and sequels I can get my hands on.

Who’s with me?

Level 6: Cosplay!

Cosplay is a subject near and dear to my heart.

Heckler: "What the heckler is cosplay?"

As I briefly explain in the final chapter of Virtuous Worlds, cosplay is what you're doing when you dress up as a character from a movie, a television show, a book, a video game, or some other medium of pop culture.  That's a simplified definition, mind you, but there you have it.

When I compare myself with some of the folks who have exhibited their work on http://www.cosplay.com/, my own attempts at cosplay seem half-hearted--but believe me, I've had fun doing it!

You may have already browsed the photos I took with my Link cosplay at this year's Gen Con (see the link at the bottom of the page).  Here's another link (pun intended) to my album from last year's Gen Con, when I dressed as Mario:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4927&id=100000044474655&l=9469f1203d

Believe me, if you're a geek and you've never tried it, cosplay is a blast.  Just try walking into your local Taco Bell dressed as Mario or Link and count how many stares you get (I speak from personal experience).  Better yet, attend one of your local gaming or anime or generic pop culture conventions as that same character and see what it's like to hang out with thousands of other people doing the same thing.

Those of you who have a hard time relating to this experience and who may already be on the phone with the local sanatorium hoping you can get me committed before I infect the rest of the human race should hold that thought for a minute.  We all have hobbies and passions and interests that can make us look silly to others.  It isn't a sin, and sometimes these things enrich our lives in ways we're not even aware of!

All this talk of costumes and characters has a point.  When gamers play the part of their favorite characters, whether on the television or computer screen or--better yet--in a costume, they are inhabiting and taking on and representing everything that goes with that character, whether they realize it or not.

Case in point.  When my cousin and I dressed as Mario and Luigi at last year's Gen Con (this was the first time I had ever cosplayed), I knew people would recognize the characters, but I had no idea of the reception we were in for.  One smiling little girl ran up to my cousin and hugged him; her mother said that Luigi was her daughter's favorite character.  I had people shouting things at me in the hallway like "It-sa me, Mario" or "Our princess is in another castle!"

Oh, I'd love to tell you in detail about what it was like doing impressions of Mario on a stage in front of a crowd of 800 people at Tracy Hickman's Killer Breakfast.  Even at the time, I think I was well aware that they weren't really laughing and applauding for me.  They were doing it because they loved the character.

Role-playing Mario that weekend was an experience I'll never forget.

In a similar way, Christians are called to role play as Christ.  No, you don't have to put on a beard and a robe and a sash and sandals and walk around quoting the Sermon on the Mount until your neighbors have you arrested, but we as believers are supposed to role play Christ's characteristics.  "It is no longer I who live," Paul wrote to the Galatians, "but Christ lives in me" (2:20).

That weekend at Gen Con, it wasn't I who lived, it was Mario who lived in me (go ahead and laugh if you want, but it's true to some extent).  And that wasn't such a bad part to play.  Try to find a happier or more pure character in video game history, I dare you.  I feel like a better person for having done it.

Heckler: "Stop making me spew my soda all over the monitor."

Anyway, that experience meant a lot, but I know that even Mario isn't the most important role I'm called to play in life.  Son, brother, friend, and believer in God come to mind immediately.  Those aren't easy roles to play, but they're even more worthwhile than the ones we play for three or four days in a crowded convention center.  And depending on your taste in dress, chances are it's much easier to "cosplay" a son, a brother, a friend, and a believer than it is to cosplay a video game character.

Gamers, brothers, sisters, believers, PLAY YOUR ROLES WITH ZEST!!!!

Level 5: Resident Evil: Degeneration

If I'm ever going to talk about Resident Evil on this blog, what better time to do it than on Halloween?

Enthusiastic Gamer: "Yay, zombies!"

First, let me say that the Resident Evil series is a good example of what I'm talking about when I say that not all of the games I mention on this blog or in my book are necessarily for everyone.  Families should rightly be concerned about the content of the games they welcome into their household, and the violence that is present in the RE games is not for the casual or squeamish gamer.

That said, I think it's only fair to point out when games aimed at older audiences manage to nail a solid point of spiritual truth.

Enter Resident Evil: Degeneration.

Befuddled Gamer: "But Degeneration is a movie, not a game!"

True, Degeneration is technically a CG film based on a series of games, not a game in its own right.  Still, since it's so closely related to the games, I think it's worth discussing here.

I am no expert on zombie films, but I know enough to say that Degeneration is about as close to family-friendly as you're ever going to get with this genre.  Yes, it's a bit violent, and there is cursing here and there, but these elements are relatively light when compared with the competition.

So why am I talking about it on the blog?  My reason is simple, and it can be summed up in a single line of dialogue taken from the film.

"If you don't try to save one life, you'll never save any."

There is a sharp line drawn in Degeneration between the self-centered characters who are only interested in their own survival (epitomized by a US senator) and the selfless heroes who will risk it all for the sake of one individual (epitomized by Leon Kennedy, veteran of more than a few zombie attacks).

Leon utters this stirring line of dialogue during a key sequence in the film.  I think it's an awesome expression of the value of each and every human life and a strong encouragement to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12).

Looking out for number one is a natural reaction when things get tough, so it takes a special kind of person to hold on to his or her humanity in those situations.  It doesn't have to be a zombie attack, of course!

Jesus once said: "What is the price of five sparrows--two copper coins?  Yet God does not forget a single one of them.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7).

In other words, every human life is precious to God.  If you don't value one, you don't value any.

Summary: every human life is worth saving.  Where did I learn that?  From a zombie movie based on a video game!

Who would have thought?

Level 4: KOKOMO-CON!

Greetings to you, fellow geeks, geekettes, and curious observers.  Although I had intended to post regularly to this blog on Friday evenings, I broke that streak this weekend in order to bring you a report straight from the frontlines of KOKOMO-CON, a new pop culture convention held in my hometown of Kokomo, IN at the city's Event Center.

Compared to Gen Con's 30,000 or Comic-Con's 130,000, KOKOMO-CON's attendance was relatively modest, but considering that this was the first KOKOMO-CON and not that many people seemed to know about it in the population at large, it was well attended.  Once again, I donned my Link costume in order to hang out with my fellow geeks.

Though the emphasis at KOKOMO-CON was clearly comic books, many of the vendors represented the other corners of geekdom as well.  Books, art, toys, movies, and video games all had their presence at this show.  I couldn't resist playing a few minutes of Super Mario Bros. 3 with Angel from PwnEm.com.

I took several photos at the show, which you are welcome to view with this public Facebook link.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=42582&id=100000044474655&l=439d482ec5

I'll probably add a more permanent link to the album later.

I chose KOKOMO-CON as the focus of this week's post, because one of the things I hope to get across with my book and this blog is that gaming is more than just a refuge for antisocial dweebs.  We gamers (and we nerds in general) know how to party and make friends as well as anyone!

God said in Genesis 3, "It is not good for man to be alone."  There's nothing like that feeling you get when you're around people who understand and appreciate you, and it's all the better when they happen to share your interests.  I made several new acquaintances at KOKOMO-CON, and all of them helped to make the day worthwhile.

During the course of the afternoon, I participated in a costume contest.  There were maybe 15-20 contestants, most of whom had excellent costumes.  Although I did my best to wow the judges with my rendition of "Zelda's Lullaby" on the ocarina, the prize went to the amiable Mark LeMieux of Platypus Productions, who was dressed as the Mad Hatter.  It was a pleasure to make Mark's acquaintance, and I hope to see him at the next KOKOMO-CON or perhaps at next year's Gen Con!

Here's to the social and spiritual fellowship of the Brotherhood of Nerds!

Level 3: Book Description from Winged Lion Press

Still no word on an official release date for Virtuous Worlds, but I do have an interesting update on the publication front.  Professor James Thomas of Pepperdine University, author of Repotting Harry Potter and regular guest speaker at some of the country's largest Harry Potter conventions, has a new book coming out from Winged Lion Press just in time for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in the cinema.  The book will be titled Rowling Revisited and is being billed as a sequel to Dr. Thomas's earlier work.

What does this have to do with Virtuous Worlds?  As is common with many publishers, books from Winged Lion Press include a catalog of upcoming titles printed somewhere near the back of the volume.  Rowling Revisited will be the first book from WLP to feature an ad for Virtuous Worlds!

Here is the full text of the announcement that will be appearing in the back of Dr. Thomas's book:

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Virtuous Worlds: The Video Gamer’s Guide to Spiritual Truth (pub 2011)

John Stanifer

According to a recent report, there were 34.2 million units sold of video game hardware or "consoles" in 2009. This does not include much larger sales numbers for the actual games. Popular titles like Halo 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess fly off shelves at a mind-blowing rate. John Stanifer, an avid gamer, goes beyond a general overview and shows readers specific parallels between Christian faith and the content of their favorite games. Written with wry humor (including a "heckler" who frequently pokes fun at the author) this book will appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. Those unfamiliar with video games may be pleasantly surprised to find many elements in those "virtual worlds" that also qualify them as "virtuous worlds."
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Speaking as someone who has read Dr. Thomas's earlier book, I can say I'm very much looking forward to the new release (and not just because of a certain announcement in the back of the book).

Expecto Patronum!

Level 2: Warp Zone!

Last month marked the 25th anniversary of that godfather of all video game classics, Super Mario Bros.

*Cue wild applause and the clinking of many glasses of Dr. Pepper*

Sep. 13, 1985.  The year life began.  At least for Mario.  Eight days later, my life began quite literally in a hospital room in Terre Haute, IN.  I know, I know, TMI.

Gamers old and new who know SMB well will no doubt remember the many “warp zones” scattered throughout the game.

Non-gamer: “What’s a warp zone?”

Warp zones allowed players to skip big chunks of the game, jumping into the later (i.e. more advanced) levels.  Sometimes, that meant getting into things you weren’t prepared for.  For sure it meant missing out on some well-crafted video game artistry in the form of all those levels you were skipping over.

Heckler: “Get to the point.  What are you trying to say?”

Warp zones are everywhere in life.  You know that email that you saw in your junk folder the other day, the one advertising the one-of-a-kind, two-step, three-week program to your best body ever?

That was a warp zone.

How about that paper mill where you can choose from hundreds of A+ essays that will instantly turn your grade around in that tough English class, making it easier for you to elbow your way to the more advanced classes?

That's a warp zone, too.

We’re all tempted to use those warp zones from time to time, but in the end, the more satisfied gamer is the one who beats each level of the game one by one.  That’s the person who really deserves the mushroom…er, medal.

Proverbs says “wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time” (13:11).  It doesn’t have to be wealth, of course.  Taking shortcuts in anything is more often than not a recipe for disaster.

Okay, I admit it.  I used to love the warp zone in Super Mario Bros.  And don’t get me started on those warp whistles from Super Mario Bros 3.  I still get a kick out of whipping those out every once in a while.

But it’s really more fun to play the game through, isn’t it?

What do you think, gamers?  Were you (are you) a warp zone addict, or do you think it’s better to play the game level by level?

P.S.  For the more observant gamers out there, I realize that Mario was actually born in the arcade game Donkey Kong (although his name was actually Jumpman then).  But really, if it wasn’t for SMB, would the world still know who Mario is?  As far as I’m concerned, SMB is our friendly neighborhood plumber’s true debut.

Level 1: Start!

Welcome to the official blog for my book, Virtuous Worlds: The Video Gamer's Guide to Spiritual Truth, which will be published by Winged Lion Press sometime in the first quarter of 2011.  Please stay tuned for the exact release date.

The title pretty much says it all. The idea behind the book is to look for connections between real-world spiritual truths and video games. Though it is written primarily from a Christian perspective, I believe the book can be of use to a person of just about any background.

I hope you will join the discussion on this blog. I plan on adding more features and more content as time goes on. For now, please enjoy my album of photos from this year's Gen Con gaming convention in Indianapolis, IN. The green Link in the background photos and in most of the pictures in the album is me, just in case you were wondering.

To get a little discussion started, please feel free to reply to this post with a comment that answers the question(s): "What is your favorite video game and why?"  Bonus points for going beyond "it has great graphics" or "I just love it."  Why does that one title keep you coming back again and again?

Thanks for stopping by. Please contact me with any questions or comments you might have, and come back soon!