The Video Game Critic

Yeah I will admit Sailor Moon became less interesting as it went on, still liked the show, but I did not care much for Rini, and I had mixed feelings about the new voice actors once Cloverway took over the dubbing from DIC.

I think when it comes to games, it has more to do with what you're doing in the game than what it looks like. Mario is good for all ages because even though it's whimsical and cartoony, it can still provide a good challenge for older gamers. Do any of you remember those old Putput games that used to be on pc? They, and some other games like Freddie Fish, Spy Fox, and Pajama Sam, we're point and click games that were entertaining for little kids, but even they wouldn't be challenged anymore after figuring out where they're supposed to go and what they're supposed to click on. If there was a bunch of full grown men obsessing over Putput and calling themselves Putties, I would consider that the gaming equivalent of Bronies.

I've been a huge Sailor Moon fan for as long as I can remember and I'm currently enjoying watching the new Sailor Moon Crystal. I'm looking forward to the new DVD releases by Viz since the old Sailor Moon DVDs are pretty darn-gosh pricey nowadays. As for the new My Little Pony. It's a decent enough cartoon but that's all it is. Just a decent cartoon. No more, no less. I don't really understand the brony mentality of it being a godsend to animation. Sure, it's better than most cartoons nowadays but is it really good enough to warrant its own convention? If the bronies can have bronycon then where's my Johnny Bravo convention?

But back to the original topic. I'm sure every game series has their share of fans outside of their target demographic but nothing really springs to mind. At least not anything that blew up out of nowhere in such a massive way as the MLP fandom. Most of the adult fans of Pokemon have probably been playing it since Red, Blue, and Yellow when they were kids. At least that's how I got into it. Although my dad did play it with me a lot when I was younger, so I don't know. I remember Pokemon being huge among us kids back then. To the point where teachers made announcements that Pokemon cards were banned at lunch time. Me and my friends would get in trouble if we even said the words "Pokemon" or "Pikachu" in front of our teachers. 


 

[QUOTE=nesfan]To the point where teachers made announcements that Pokemon cards were banned at lunch time. Me and my friends would get in trouble if we even said the words "Pokemon" or "Pikachu" in front of our teachers. 


 [/QUOTE]

I'd say that seems harsh, but in my primary school we could get in trouble for saying "Oh my God" because that was taking the Lord's name in vain. I don't remember any policies regarding videogames, but then, I was out of that school about the same time the gameboy got released, so it's unlikely it was a big deal. 

It's not difficult to understand why the new My Little Pony appeals to adults - where else, in geek culture, are you going to go for girls in the lead with actual personalities (both good and bad, often in the same character) and a positive attitude that isn't so forced it violates your human rights?

I won't ever become a Brony, the way my roommate is a Pegasister, but I don't always regret watching the show with her. That's more than I can say for almost any cartoons made when I was young. ("Curses, you dodged all my lasers!" "Well, my laser hits with all the force of a rude push!" "Nooo...I am defeated!")

As for games that have a fanbase outside of their targeted audience, can you imagine telling anyone in the early 90's that young women would love JRPGs? You know - the genre that's 80% combat grinding using an abstract battle system that makes chess look like Call Of Duty? The one where the bosses you face may be attractive women who object to sensible clothing on aesthetic grounds? The one where the hero almost always ranks somewhere on the autistic spectrum, but in universe, complete strangers will throw flirt bricks and innuendo missiles at his thick skill until he possibly figures out they're interested?

The one where Cloud and Sephiroth aren't actually in a relationship, no matter how difficult it is to make that argument after all the spin-offs practically go out of their way to give fan fiction writers ideas?


See also: Legend of Zelda, and survival horror.  

[QUOTE=Atarifever][QUOTE=nesfan]To the point where teachers made announcements that Pokemon cards were banned at lunch time. Me and my friends would get in trouble if we even said the words "Pokemon" or "Pikachu" in front of our teachers. 


 [/QUOTE]

I'd say that seems harsh, but in my primary school we could get in trouble for saying "Oh my God" because that was taking the Lord's name in vain. I don't remember any policies regarding videogames, but then, I was out of that school about the same time the gameboy got released, so it's unlikely it was a big deal. 


[/QUOTE]I went to Catholic school so "Oh my God" was a phrase that was frowned upon by my teachers as well.

Sorry to go further down the MLP rabbit hole, but I had a thought about it just now.  For the last number of years I wondered what the next generation could possibly do to shock us.  I mean, their parents (I'm in this group) already accepted pretty much every genre of music as acceptable (I don't like them all, but once you're cool with rap songs about killing the police, it's pretty hard for new genres to startle you).  We already play videogames.  Heck, my kid's grandparents already play games on Facebook, so even that generation, while not accepting AAA games as such, is already largely over "OMG imagine playing games at your age!"  Certainly my generation is pretty hard to shock with games.  Me and my wife already go to horror movies ourselves.  Comic book heroes are the biggest thing in the world right now.  Schools have LGBT unions.  Kids don't put anymore private data online their their own parents.  What can little Johnny do to make his parents uncomfortable?  I know!  What if he liked a cartoon made for 8 year old girls?  No.  Not liked it.  LOVED IT!

Like everything else, this isn't something kids will think about.  I didn't like Dragon Ball Z, Star Trek, videogames, and comics because my parents didn't.  However, when I was a certain age, I probably didn't want to like the same things as my parents either.  When your dad already has a music collection made of every genre and thinks horror movies are cool, and your Mom already plays games on Facebook and watches Ironman, what's left for you?  A show made for little girls.  Every generation throws something in their parents faces.  Maybe some people in this one are throwing happy rainbow horsies at them.

By the way, I liked Sailor Moon too.  I think for my generation of geeks though, largely with anime (before DVD and Netflix and the internet) we took what we could get.  I knew I liked the art style and tropes from videogames, and there wasn't much selection.  We had Sailor Moon, DBZ, and an occasional season of something that'd be on late at night and that you'd never see for long.  I wanted better stuff, but even the weak dub of Sailor Moon had great art, some cool fights, and an occasional death.  It wasn't much, but it was still more than many of our cartoons. 

[QUOTE=scotland17]Maybe Atarifever can elaborate more on Animal Crossing, cause that seems to be close. .[/QUOTE]

I think with Animal Crossing, part of the appeal for some adult gamers would be that it is possible to subvert the game.  Certainly some people (myself included) do that.

Instead of making a display room in the museum, I make a public washroom there, then make a Miiverse post about the mayor (my wife) implementing a policy requiring public washrooms in buildings over 1000 feet.  

Instead of making happy face shirts, I make red sickle and hammer ones and make the characters call me "comrade." 

I write characters letters that, when my wife of visitors are shown them, are obviously sarcastic insults, but that the animals thank me for by sending me free furniture.  

I sell my used coffee mug in the flea market store, because the animals are too stupid not to buy it.

For me, I do like building up the museum collections and occasionally increasing the size of my house, but 90% of the game for me is making my wife, me, or a visitor laugh by doing something I think the developer would appriciate, but not plan for.  

If the game was "edgier" I would actually find it less appealing.  I found nothing fun to do in Viva Pinata for example.  It was candy coloured and cutesy too, but the designers were too "in" on the joke.  They knew you had to kill the pinatas sometimes, or that things would kill your pinatas and leave candy behind or whatever.  It left it feeling like it was trying to subvert itself.  I ended up hating that game, after initially thinking I liked it.  I play Animal Crossing, partially, to break it.  

My wife, and most women I know who play it, just play it straight up to advance and fill in collections.  I can see the appeal there.  It's basically an animal MMO, with online being only optional.  You grind away at it for a long time, and in the end you get another outfit, or more wallpaper, or a bigger house, or a full museum.  And if you want to, you go online and ask for help getting stuff you need, or you go look for ideas for outfitting your town.  It basically scratches the same itch as WoW, just without combat and without eating your life (because of the real time component limiting the time damage you can do to yourself).   

So it's either fun for adults as a light MMO that won't eat your life, or as a kind of canvas on which you paint a great big clown face (or middle finger if you really want).

I've posted this before, but this is the best review of an Animal Crossing game I ever saw.  
 http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/2006/12/there-is-only-one-game-of-2006.html

I've got to admit, I've never really considered trying an Animal Crossing game (it seemed like a cutesy, Japanese "Sims" game.) Which game would be the best intro to the series - GameCube, Wii, DS, or 3DS?

[QUOTE=ZetaX]I've got to admit, I've never really considered trying an Animal Crossing game (it seemed like a cutesy, Japanese "Sims" game.) Which game would be the best intro to the series - GameCube, Wii, DS, or 3DS? [/QUOTE]
The 3DS version is one of those rare sequels that betters the games that came before it in every way and leaves you with no real reason to play the others.  The others are still nice, and if you have fond memories of those (and towns that still exist) you can find a reason to play them.  Still, the 3DS one is the best, and offers much more to do than the others.  

It is best if you have someone to share a town with, but it can be addictive on its own.  Bonus if you have a wife or girlfriend (who won't hold playing a cute game against you).  I have heard of a great many people getting their wives or girlfriends hooked, and after Farmville et al. it should be even easier these days.