Nintendo

Anthropology of the Mushroom Kingdom

The so-called “Mushroom Kingdom” is a hotbed of biological discovery. We’ve already covered the…

Kirby Series Primer and Playlist

Kirby may seem at first glance to be an odd choice for this kind of article. Kirby is hardly an unknown property, easily being Nintendo’s 2nd or 3rd most successful franchise only behind Mario and Zelda. Kirby’s aesthetics have gone on to influence a great deal of media…

Pokemon 20 Years Later

Ash Ketchum peeled himself out of his sleeping bag. He vaguely remembered when the sight of the sunrise over Kanto was still inspiring to him. Now he just thinks of each new stiffness in his joints. Each morning the routine is the same, and each morning he is able to force down any…

Pokemon Battles in Context Part 3 — That’s Just Not Cricket

Conflict Minerals and Games

Trigger Warning: Rape and sexual slavery

“The DRC’s greatest curse is its wealth.” — Jean-Bertin, Congolese activist, 2012

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most resource rich places in the world. It is home to…

Ecology of the Mushroom Kingdom — The Parabiology and Anthropology of the Dry Bones and the Boo

The Mushroom Kingdom is not only a paradise of unique and unknown species for ecologists and biologists to puzzle over, it is also home to what we in the soft sciences…

Link’s Awakening

Link’s Awakening, first released in 1993, was the first Zelda game to appear on a portable console. Originally planned as a port…

Great Game Moments: The Marrymore Suite

Marrymore is a town in Super Mario RPG where toad couples go to get married. Apparently it…