Video Game analysis - post your preference for particular post-modern post-mortems of popular protagonists (possibly ported)

Video Games
#1

I’ve read a number of great articles which really pull apart video games in ways which your average gamefaqs user review does not. (rent or buy?).

I’m a big fan of “reading” video games as a whole. Meta-text and interviews with game designers decades afterwards are great, and certainly do in the blanks a bit, but I’m also not keen on “Game Company said x=Canon, so no other interpretation is valid”. Gaming is so individually experiential, and some games are deliberately vague and open to interpretation.

We’ll researched and concise video analysis is also good. Waffling timeline theorists are bad.

Here’s a couple which really nailed it for me.
I cannot praise ‘Driving off the Map’ highly enough (the first MGS2 link). Sets the standard by which video games can and should be analysed.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty:
http://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2/

https://kilroydancefighter.wordpress.com/tag/chris-zimbaldi/

Majora’s Mask:

http://www.firstpersonscholar.com/link-dons-the-mask-of-truth/

Ocarina of Time:

I look forward to your responses.

#2

There are a bunch of books like this, on MIT Press and written by academics. I think they’re basically their final papers, slightly edited, and published in book form.

I tried one - the SNES book “Super Power, Spoony Bards, and Silverware” but it was way too dry and lacking in emotion for me.

I’d be happy to learn if there are any more approachable books in the range. I’ve heard good things about “Racing The Beam” so maybe I’ll try that one next.

https://mitpress.mit.edu/topics/game-studies

#3

Thanks Matt.
I’ll check it out.