Too Many Heroes, Not Enough Heroines

This girl deserves a character like her

Just in case you haven't noticed, let me be the first to tell you: There aren't enough female characters in video games. 

Now, I'm not talking about damsels-in-distress or barely dressed sexual objects because everyone knows that we have enough of those to last for several lifetimes. This is about strong well-developed female leads that save the day or maybe even come to a helpless male's rescue. It should be obvious that those characters are rare and highly undervalued.

A recent article about a father who took the time to switch all the male pronouns in his copy of Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker so that his daughter would know that girls can be heroes too just makes this fact all the more upsetting. Just like the 3 year old from this story, I always change Link's name to match my gender, but the game never shifts to match me. No matter what his name happens to be, Link is still a boy hero that has to rush in to save the defenseless young princess.

What this man has done for his daughter is highly commendable but no one should have to hack a game in the name of gender equality.

How do you feel about the presence of female characters in video games?

Wish List--Running Low on Health? Get a Heart Container Meter Necklace

It's dangerous to go alone...

Haven't you always wanted a life meter to display your health status for all the world to see? 

No? That's just me?...

Well, if you never dreamt of such things, you still can't deny the appeal of this wonderful piece of Zelda inspired jewelry. A necklace this awesome could (and should) be appreciated by anyone, even someone who has no idea what it's supposed to be.

The coolest thing about this necklace is that it's creator is willing to customize it for you so the hearts are as full or as empty as you want them to be. Great if you're feeling absolutely fantastic/excruciatingly crappy and you want everyone to know. And bonus: you never have to worry about an annoying warning sound or a companion getting on your nerves...

Find this on Etsy.

Ocarina of Time: How It Feels to Give Up On the "Greatest Game Ever Made"

Greatest Game. Biggest Regret.

My name is Erin and I have a problem. I have a bad habit of not finishing video games. My collection is full of games that I have set aside for various reasons, hoping to eventually get back to them later. I regret every unfinished adventure, but the most heartbreaking entry on my growing list of "Games Still Awaiting Completion" is one many people consider the greatest game ever made: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

I can feel your disappointment.

After all, in the late 90's many kids grew up in Hyrule, traveling through time and defeating Ganondorf's monsters. But, I was extremely late to the party. We were well into the new millenium (2004/2005, maybe?) when I received a copy of the game from my older brother, who only heard that the game was good from a helpful sales associate. I didn't know much about the game--or anything about it, really--but I did understand that I had magic in my hands.

Soon, I found myself completely immersed in Link's adventures. Many of my days revolved around saving Zelda and Navi's "Hey! Listen!" kept ringing in my ears. The game could pretty much do no wrong in my eyes; even the Water Temple wasn't that bad. I finally understood what all the fuss was about.

And then I made it to the Shadow Temple. (Fear shot through me as I wrote that sentence. Real, unadulterated fear. That's just how much it still gets to me.) When I unlocked the temple, I didn't even go in at first. After Kakariko went up in flames, I just shut the system off and ignored it for a few days. Realizing that I was being unreasonable, I decided to not let a little darkness stand in my way. Link traveled into the depths of the dungeon as I sat on the edge of my bed in the middle of the afternoon with all the blinds open. And I still couldn't get through the first few moments. Haven't tried again since.

Now, let me say that I love Zelda. I have saved the princess and the land many times. My wall is currently showcasing the Club Nintendo Zelda poster set and one of my greatest possessions is the Phantom Hourglass Feather Pen Stylus. In my mind, it is one of the best game series ever created. But I hesitate to call myself a fan because of my irrational fear of completing what most people consider the pinnacle of the series. One day, I will scratch Ocarina of Time off my list. One day. Maybe.

Have you ever been too afraid to finish a game? Was it a title that isn't even supposed to be that scary? Did you overcome your fear?

More on my absolutely terrible track record:
Super Mario 64 and Why It Shouldn't Take Eight Years to Collect 120 Stars

Gaming Dipped in Gold...Paint: Club Nintendo Gold Nunchuk

Because even Nintendo cares about matching accessories.

The gold Wii Remote offered with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was a pretty big deal but it left most people wondering why Nintendo didn't release a nunchuk to match. Now the wait is finally over!

I'm not sure if anyone was still waiting for it (I wasn't), but better late than never.

If you're a member of the Club Nintendo rewards program, you can receive this new accessory by trading in 900 of your hard-earned coins. Before you get too excited, Nintendo wants to point out that the nunchuk "will simply be gold in color and does not contain any precious metals". You know, just in case you were thinking about melting it or selling to a jeweler.

Isn't the white cord a bit tacky though? I don't think it would have taken too much effort to make match the rest of the controller, but I know nothing of the processes involved. Maybe it does.

I should stop complaining about "free" stuff.

Have you joined Club Nintendo? Are you going to be redeeming your coins to snatch this prize up?

Virtual to Reality -- Princess Zelda

Updated July 23, 2012
When it comes to character development, Princess Zelda is very different from Nintendo's other star princess, Peach, for one basic reason: she means business. Yes, she still needs a hero to save her, but Zelda can definitely take care of herself better than Mario's number one girl.

However, when it comes to clothes, Zelda's various designs prove that she's not so different from the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. In her early appearances, Zelda's artwork showed her in formal pink gowns, similar to Princess Peach's signature look.

Over time, her dresses became more detailed, reflecting the more serious tone of the series. Zelda's clothes also started to display her position of power by including the crest of her royal family in some way (usually on a front sash). Though different shades of pink make up the majority of the princess's color schemes, she has also appeared in blue, white and red.

Many of Zelda's designs seem to be a variation of the same structure that was established in the artwork of A Link to the Past. But the most recognizable look for the princess seems come from her appearance in Twilight Princess. The theme was later reused in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, making it the one image comes to mind when most players think of the wise ruler.