For some time, I’ve been planning an unusual play through of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.” I call it the Vegan Challenge. As one might expect, the goal is to beat the game while minimizing harm to animals or seemingly-sentient creatures, and using their byproducts as infrequently as possible. In short, no riding. No capturing or hurting cuccoos. No drinking milk. No capturing fish. No capturing poes or fairies. That sort of thing. Killing animals or sentient creatures in self-defense is fine.
Now, where did this idea come from? Well, I’m admittedly an animal rights activist. My first book — forgive the self-promotion — is a biography of the founder of the Animal Liberation Front, and will soon be published by McFarland & Company. So I have that in my background. But I didn’t pretend there was much political significance to my challenge. It was mostly an attempt to bring fresh life to a game I’ve beaten about ten times or so.
On a January day, I plugged a USB controller into my computer and loaded Nintendo’s classic, 1998 adventure game on an emulator. I was ready to begin my epic quest. After watching the opening cutscene, I awoke in Kokiri Forest and set out collecting those items I’d need to start my journey — a sword and shield. Like Indiana Jones, I dodged a rolling boulder, my brown boots stamping the ground furiously as I ran. Who knew if the footwear was intended, by the game designers, to be leather? It wasn’t something I could control as a player, so I didn’t worry about it.
After sending my child avatar climbing into a large chest to retrieve the Kokiri Sword, I used the weapon to cut grass, revealing rupees underneath. If only earning money in the real world was so easy! In a matter of moments, I’d saved enough to purchase the Deku Shield from the nearby Kokiri shop. With all the items I needed, I headed toward the Great Deku Tree, a guardian spirit under threat from malevolent forces. These had been unleashed by Ganondorf, the game’s central antagonist, who sought to dominate the land of Hyrule.
Once inside the titanic growth, I was confronted by Deku Babas, carnivorous plants which lunged toward me when I got too close. Did they qualify as a seemingly-sentient creature? They didn’t speak, as other plants in the game did, like Deku Scrubs. And in the real world, Venus flytraps can move to some degree — while lacking consciousness. Regardless, the Deku Babas were a threat. By the rules established initially, I believed I could kill them. So I did, collecting the Deku nuts and sticks they left behind.
But as I progressed into the tree — solving puzzles and killing more obviously sentient creatures, such as the spider-like skulltalas — I wondered if I was interpreting the rules too permissively. If one were to move that rationale into the real world, couldn’t a hunter deliberately move into the territory of a dangerous animal and justify killing the creature because it then posed a threat? Ultimately, though, my Vegan Challenge was a silly attempt to liven up a familiar game. So I didn’t worry about it too much. But I resolved that, if my interpretation made the challenge uninteresting, I’d change things going forward.
Eventually, I battled my way into the den of Queen Gohma, a giant arachnid. I made quick work of her and her children — which, when you write it, doesn’t sound particularly vegan! But far more than killing skulltullas, killing Gohma was necessary to advance the game’s storyline. Having done this, I was transported outside the Great Deku Tree, who was succumbing to Ganandorf’s curse. Before the guardian spirit passed away, he told me to visit Hyrule Castle, home to Princess Zelda. And that’s where I’ll be going next in this ongoing series. Keep an eye on my Twitter feed, where I’ll post a link to the next installment.
Jon Hochschartner is author of “The Animals’ Freedom Fighter: A Biography of Ronnie Lee, Founder of the Animal Liberation Front,” which is slated to be published by McFarland & Company. Visit his website: www.Hochschartner.com. Follow him on Twitter: @JonHoch3.
Let’s take a trip back to 1987, a game entitled Double Dragon had just been released as a coin-operated arcade side-scrolling beat-em-up. The genre was still in its infancy: gamers are set up against an absurd amount of enemies that required a higher level of skill in order to progress through the storyline. Many, many kids and teenagers were losing their quarters faster than ever. Most games that are released within this genre are co-op or even 4 player, allowing friends to team up to ease difficulty. This was commonly seen in later titles such as The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Keeping tradition of the beat-em-ups, I Am The Hero is a 2D side-scroller with pixel style. Developed by Crazyant, this games cites the classics that were ingrained in our memories as children. Using this passion as the source material, I Am The Hero encapsulates exactly what we all love about these brawling games, lots and lots of ass kicking. Although the game is easy to pick up and jump into, you’ll have to invest some time to really master the combos and the proper timing for more effective damage.
*Fight your way to a multitude of enemies with their own combat styles (or weapons for lack thereof.)
Gameplay
Using an interesting contrast of 2D foreground and sprites, with a slightly-skewed 3D perspective background, presents an interesting visual style that set it apart from other games in the genre. Keep your imagination running while chaining your combos and knocking enemies off the screen. Invite your friends for classic local co-op or online for survival modes. No matter how you approach it, you’ll be fighting your way through a multitude of levels and unlock the backstory of your mysterious protagonist. The title of the game seems to answer a question you’ll have yourself as you progress, “am I the hero to this story?”
*Juggle your enemies with combo chains, or simply end them with a powerful finishing blow.
Storyline
The exposition has still, comic-like cutscenes and dialogue of witty, crude banter. Although the story of your main character is dodgy at best, by the end of the game, you’ll know for yourself whether your efforts were for the greater good or if he simply just wanted to kick a lot of ass. If you play a beat-em-up game for captivating storylines, you will be a little disappointed. But no matter what the personal motivations of our “hero” are: there’s lots of fun on the way.
*WHOOP-ASS! C-C-C-COMBOS ALL DAMN DAY!
Visuals & Graphics
The colorful presentation keeps the visuals fresh and crisp, as you continuously run to the right to unlock the entire story. Combined with the driving rock-based soundtrack and lofty chip-tune melodies, offer an experience that is one to remember. Fighting in this game is kept fresh with a multitude of fluid combos to masterfully execute, paired with a “Critical Blink” feature which unleashes massive damage to your foes as a finishing move. Needless to say, the combat throughout this game is does the beat-em-up genre great justice.
*Use your combos to charge power-ups, based on a grading system of your efficiency and execution.
Overall Impression & Verdict
While the fast-paced action and lofty storyline are not going to please everyone, I Am The Hero definitely rewards determined gamers. Playing the game to completion feels like it did when we were children: an accomplishment in its own right. The fact simply is because it is a hard game. Even on it’s opening difficulty, it is downright frustrating when learning how to negotiate bosses and learn their patterns for attack. Crowds of enemies are common and very commanding, skilled gamers will find this aspect rather satisfying, especially if you have a good grasp of the controls and timing.
Clean animations, smooth graphics, easy to jump into, and challenging to master. This is one game that shouldn’t be passed up, especially for any gamer who grew up in the genre. I Am The Hero has earned a spot in my personal library, from one gamer to another, include it in yours too.
We all dream of doing what we love, and video games are what you love. How do you make money playing video games and get paid to do your favorite activity? Let’s go over some of your options so you can turn your favorite hobby into a money making cash cow!
1. Become a Video Game Tester
Becoming a video game tester is a dream of a lot of serious gamers. However, for some people it may not meet your expectations — you have to thoroughly test a game and use every option at your disposal to “break” it and find bugs, glitches, and other problems. You also might get assigned to work on games that you wouldn’t ordinarily play.
If you’re prepared for those realities, how do you become a video game tester?
You need to build a resume and apply to game testing jobs. You don’t need an education to be a game tester, but if you’re planning on moving up the ranks and becoming an artist, programmer, or designer, you may want to get an education. Ideally, you should have something on your resume that proves that you’re seriously interested in game development, like open beta testing games or creating your own gaming blog.
Then, search for “QA tester” or “Quality Assurance tester” to find job openings.
You’re going to need to be focused (to play and replay a game a zillion times), detail-oriented (to notice bugs and figure out how to replicate them consistently), a good writer (to communicate with game devs), and to have a good attitude.
You also need to be prepared to work from home — many studios have you working remotely on your own equipment, which you will need to buy yourself. Some people just aren’t “programmed” to work without a traditional boss managing them, but others thrive in this environment. The decision is up to you.
Warning: There are a lot of video game testing job scams out there. Be smart when applying for jobs and don’t get hooked on something that sounds too good to be true!
2. Enter Video Game Tournaments
Also known as eSports, video game tournaments at the professional level often involve hefty cash prizes.
To go this route you need to specialize in a particular game and get really, really good at it. This involves not only raw aiming skill, but tactical perfection.
I interviewed pro gamer Justin Goulais, who played Quake and Counter-Strike between 1996 and 2016 and then switched to Overwatch. He also owned and managed four gaming organizations. Goulais said:
“Everyone and every team that finds success at a high level of competition all have one thing in common: time. How much they’ve invested in the game they’ve chosen and how they manage it after bridging the gap from amateur to professional. There isn’t a single salaried gamer in the world that doesn’t feel it necessary to treat their craft as a full time job.
“The time you put into quality training and practice is proportional to the rate at which you’ll be able to climb the ladder from playing on public servers for fun to winning prize money in professional competitions for fun.”
If that sounds good to you, get practicing!
3. Get a Gaming Sponsorship
Pro gamers can also get corporate sponsorships. Sponsorships are one of the best and most secure ways to make money gaming.
Many people think that they can get gaming sponsorships by tagging companies on Twitter and just asking. I hate to break it to you, but this isn’t going to work. Instead, prepare like you would for a job interview!
First, learn the different kinds of sponsorships that are out there. Learn what to expect. Each type of sponsorship provides a different percentage of funds. Some only focus on something specific like insurance or accommodations, while others donate equipment for the gamers to use.
Here are the types:
Title sponsors give 75-100% of funds. The brand will give its name to the tournament, team, or player. It usually comes with extensive sponsor rights, including decisions about other sponsors and promotional activities.
General sponsors give 50-75% of funds. If you don’t have a title sponsor, this is the sponsor that gives the largest contribution. Their rights usually include widespread presence and use of media for advertising.
Official sponsors give 20-50% of funds and generally only focus on a certain part of the funds, like insurance or accommodation.
Technical sponsors support teams, players, or events with equipment, hardware, goods, or services. This is one of the most common ways to be sponsored in eSports.
Participating and informal sponsors are involved to a smaller degree.
Second, visit your prospective sponsor’s homepage and find their guidelines. Read them carefully! Decide if you fit the requirements and then follow all their rules. You will probably have to inform them about your project/team/personal details, how far your audience or social reach extends, and what kind of sponsorship you’re looking for. Help them understand why you can provide them with value.
Third, make sure you have the recommended or required web presence, like a GameBattles account, a YouTube channel, and a website with a domain ending in “.com.” You probably want to start streaming on Twitch as well.
Lastly, remember in all interactions to be professional!
Hint: check out HelloGamers.com for a platform that connects gamers with sponsors.
4. Write Game Reviews
You’re the kind of person that got A’s in English class. Maybe you like to read in addition to gaming. You know the difference between “your” and “you’re,” even if you usually just type “ur.” Someday you’d like to write a book. Good news: you’re a perfect candidate to get into game journalism.
First, it’s a good idea to build up your writing resume. You don’t need to have a degree in Journalism, but education can’t hurt. The next step is getting professional: join a freelancing site (I swear by Upwork) and take odd jobs. Only do legitimate jobs– ones that pay a reasonable amount and don’t seem sketchy. Then you can look for gaming-related job openings and get your career started! You can also see if you can blog for some of your favorite publications by politely and professionally getting in contact with the editor. Bigger blogs might be harder to break into, but they usually pay way more!
Alternatively, you can create your own blog and get paid via Google Ads. This takes finding a good niche you can write consistently about and that not everyone else is covering. Then, create a professional-looking website with its own domain name and learn about SEO. (If you’re not much of a web developer, you may need to hire help.) The key is to publish quality content regularly– ideally, as often as possible.
While game journalists aren’t generally swimming in free games, once you get started you can email game companies and ask for a free copy of the game in exchange for a review. This will save you from spending all your hard-earned cash on more video games!
Remember, this is a difficult career path, but you can do it if you don’t get discouraged!
5. Record Let’s Play Videos
If you upload videos of yourself playing video games onto YouTube, you can enable monetization and get paid more the more popular your videos are.
Sounds easy? Wrong. It really takes having a special something to get popular and make money this way.
Usually these videos will include commentary, which is really your chance to shine.
To do this, you will first need permission from the publishers of the game. It sounds like a pain, but it’s better than having your videos taken off YouTube.
Secondly, make sure you have the right equipment and applications to play and record gameplay. This could be a serious up-front cost.
Thirdly, choose a game to play. This could be trickier than it sounds– many games have already been done to death. You may also want to avoid brand new games, as sometimes people will unsubscribe to avoid spoilers.
Then record your play time, record your commentary, and edit it together. The better the production quality the more likely you are to get popular.
Remember to Search Engine Optimize (SEO) your videos. Include the most relevant keywords for your video in its title without sounding spammy. Think: if you were trying to find your video, what would you search?
Also, learn about branding. Branding is the key ingredient to making your Let’s Plays popular enough to make you an income!
6. Stream Games on Twitch
Stream on Twitch and encourage people to subscribe!
Just in case you’re not in the loop, Twitch (owned by Amazon) is a site that allows gamers to stream themselves playing, plus commentary. To log in, you can create a username or just use your Facebook information.
You have three options: you can get ad revenue, you can receive donations, or you can join the Twitch partner program– or you can make use of all three! To join the partnership program, you must have an average viewership of more than 500, broadcast at least 3 times per week, and conform to the Twitch terms of service as well as the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.
Some popular streamers bring in 20,000-50,000 streamers per broadcast. For those most popular subscribers, Twitch will give them the full subscription cost!
To create a successful Twitch channel, you need to decide what kind of channel you’re going to have. Are you going to wow viewers with your skills, or are you more in the entertainment niche? You also need to make use of the same content and branding that you would with a YouTube channel.
There are plenty of ways to make money playing video games. Its all about choosing what makes the most sense for you and giving it a shot!
What’s your plan to make money playing video games? Let us know in the comments below!
Remember the days of video games past that didn’t hold your hand? Those games that failed to give you a tutorial mode or even really explain what the game was all about? The intense gameplay that was characterized by an onslaught of enemies that could insta-kill you just by invading your personal bubble? Aside from Dark Souls, few games these days give you the kind of vibe that the titles of yesteryear offered. If you’re disappointed by the offerings of modern games and are looking for that nostalgic experience once taken for granted, Bloody Walls may scratch that itch and provide you with that familiar rush of an old-school challenge.
Bloody Walls, a free-to-play clicker game developed and published by L. Scotch, doesn’t start off with any real sense of a storyline – everything you learn is inferred. With a clock set to 00:00 and a couple of antidotes at the ready, you, the apparent hero, are the last hope of a room full of survivors trying to withstand a possible zombie outbreak. With little more than a gun and gumption, you enter the elevator and begin your ascent into the zombie-filled floors. Your goal seems pretty straightforward – kill all zombies and ensure the survival of your ragtag group of what is surely the last remnants of humanity.
Controls and Feel
The controls are pretty simple – use “A” and “D” to move left and right, respectively. Click the left mouse button to shoot and hit enter to commit an action. Walking in front of people and objects will cause a speech bubble or icon to appear, and clicking on said icons will result in the player being able to interact with the person/item. All controls are fully customizable to make your experience more intuitive, so don’t get used to the controls if you don’t feel like using the defaults. To each their own!
Graphics and Presentation
The graphics are fluid and aesthetically pleasing – there is only one “real” color, which is blood red. The more enemies you shoot, the more red you see splattered on the walls, giving the place a literal splash of paint. The music is perhaps my favorite part of the game in that it’s moody without being annoying; in fact, it’s downright satisfying. A calm, somber, and slightly eerie song plays in the absence of enemies and makes one feel a sense of uncertainty, seriousness, and dread, while a fast-paced rock song is pumped through your speakers when zombies are charging, making that feeling of “kickassery” come nice and easy (Word didn’t underline “kickassery” which is pretty kickass).
Depending on the difficulty level, the hero begins the zombie-culling with either 5 or 35 antidotes. The mechanics of the antidote are unclear, but their purpose isn’t – they’re staving off the infection and keeping you sane. Each antidote has a time-limit of 60 seconds, and when you’re down to zero, it’s Game Over, so speed is of the essence.
Gameplay
Gameplay is fairly simple – run through each floor of the ten story building and kill all the zombies. Don’t let them get too close to you, because they’ll take a bite out of you and turn you into one of them, resulting in a Game Over – that’s right, it’s one bite and you’re outta there. With no save states and no extra lives, this feature is a nod to the retro classics we all grew up on and can result in a few ragequits.
While the game is pretty easy to grasp, it’s hard to master. Killing zombies isn’t a matter of shooting in their general direction and hoping for the best; instead, you have to use your mouse and hover over the zombies’ heads. Even though they can kill you in one bite, it’ll take several bullets to do them in. The closer you are, the more damage your bullets will do; thus, finding the optimal distance between you and the charging zombies while watching out for those coming at the rear is key to defeating them.
Final Thoughts
Even though this was a fun title to pick up, it was perhaps too frustrating to play for an extended period of time. I wouldn’t consider the hour or so I spent on Bloody Walls to be a waste, but I’ll not likely play this game again. Still, the fact that a game of this quality is free is surprising – it’s no Left 4 Dead, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to charge a dollar or two for this gem.
Bloody Walls is a testament to the fact that enjoyable, solid free-to-play games with no microtransactions can exist. The game is designed well with no foreseeable bugs or glitches. The graphics, animation, and music are all well-done and give the game a feel of polish, albeit a bloody one. Bloody Walls is a great way to spend an afternoon and is an easy choice for streaming – it’s easy to see why hundreds of reviews on Steam rated this game “Very Positive”!
Despite articles like those in The Atlantic claiming that “Nostalgia Is Ruining Video Games,” I feel that there’s a much stronger case that the reverse is true. Let me explain.
Confession time: I cannot rightfully claim the 80’s video game culture as my own. Being born in 1988, I appropriated it in a hand me down fashion from my older brother. Nevertheless, my childhood is filled with memories of playing Donkey Kong Country while enduring my first case of pink eye, traversing through Hyrule with a wicked case of strep throat, and Street Fighting in secret after slinking away during family get-togethers.
Recently I got into a conversation with a friend that made me realize just how invested we become in these keystones of our childhoods. I was wearing a t-shirt with a black and white picture of a Ninja Turtle from the 1990’s live action film eating pizza, and we were at odds as to which Turtle it was. Raph and Leo were immediately ruled out, because the facial expression “just didn’t match their personalities.” I was quick to then rule out Michelangelo because, as true fans know, Mikey’s head is smaller and more circular than his brothers. We came to the mutual conclusion that it was Donatello.
That, to me, is loyalty. Knowing the intricacies of a fictional turtle’s personality is a tell-tale sign that these characters mean a whole lot to you. I can only see how this would benefit video game franchises. Playing Turtles in Time in the 90’s set the gears in motion to solidify my status as a fan; so much so that I would follow those 4 brothers wherever they went, regardless of whatever horrors Michael Bay would release upon their origin story.
I’ve followed Donkey Kong from Super Nintendo to Nintendo 64. I’ve followed Street Fighter from Sega to Xbox. I continue to follow Super Mario as he adapts himself to more and more platforms, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop. And it’s not just me (as I may have previously feared)- there’s science behind the effects of nostalgia.
The Psychology of Games2 describes the emotion in question thusly:
“Nostalgia is often experienced as bittersweet remembrance tinged with regret about things lost to the passage of time,” and reveals that “Researchers in psychology and consumer behavior have studied these questions, and what they’ve found out suggests that video games may have the potential to elicit more nostalgia than any other medium.”
Moreover, the site reports that “Nostalgia seems to act as an antidote to sadness and feelings of loss. It elevates our mood and other research has found that people who tend to get nostalgic easily tend to have higher self esteem, find it easy to trust others, and suffer from depression less.”
When gamers get hit with a wave of nostalgia, it takes them back to their happiest memories of that game. Just as Epona’s Song will always remind me of the time my friends and I whistled it during a high school volleyball game as a sort of good luck chant. I don’t remember if it worked or not, I just remember the whistling.
That sounds like a pretty nice perk, right? So why are some people making the claim that nostalgia is actually ruining video games? User kuu2 took to the Game Spot message boards3 to call out video games for “using nostalgia as a blunt marketing technique,” and went as far as to suggest that the “recent remake bubble we are in is truly killing off the industry.” The post went largely opposed, with most commenters stating that the video games from back in the day were just plain better.
Damien McFerren of Eurogamer4 has a different reason for taking up issue with nostalgia-related gaming. He says:
“With the passage of time my adoration for ‘classic’ software and hardware has swallowed up more of my income than I dare think about; I’ve sought out pretty much every major format over the past decade or so, and each year fresh collecting obsessions break the surface. However, the end result is always the same: items are bought online, excitement levels rise prior to delivery and then when the big day comes, the products in question are lovingly cradled for a few minutes before being consigned to the shelf with a sense of grim inevitability, where they will remain until I feel like staring at them for a few minutes or sell them to fund some other ridiculous retro-themed venture.
Actually using them for that they were created for – interactive entertainment – is something that rarely occurs.”
To me, this seems very subjective. I do have friends that wouldn’t dare break the seals of their first edition ANYTHINGS so I can’t imagine they’d ever sell video games, while I myself am more under the impression of “I have it, I might as well enjoy it!” You don’t HAVE to spend mega bucks on vintage games, but if you do, there’s no one really to point any fingers at but yourself.
The takeaway from looking into this matter of nostalgia and its relationship with videogames, for me at least, can pretty much be summed up with how those Game Spot forum commenters reacted to the allegation of reboots taking over. If you have a quality game, that game will get quality fans. And the same way people religiously follow their favorite sports teams, gamers follow their favorite franchises. I don’t think that gamers won’t give new games a chance just because their favorites might keep getting reboots. A good game is a good game- nostalgia factor included or not. I’ve yet to meet a fellow gamer that will ONLY play games that they’re already familiar with.
The same goes for video game production. I don’t think companies are actively turning away new titles in favor of old ones. Businesses go with what sells, and if your game has got the goods, it would only make sense that it would get picked up despite lack of street cred.
Nostalgia is just an emotion. It may sway you one way or another when making a decision, but you CAN ultimately ignore its pull. But why would you want to? There’s only one place I want to be when my nostalgia beckons- and that’s the “Big Apple, 3 AM.”
Mega Cat encourages you to blow the dust off of the SNES system you have coiled up in your closet. Embrace the feeling of pushing in the game cartridge, (whether it’s one of your own or a Mega Cat title), and hoping to whatever higher powers there may be that the game starts. Revel in your retro roots – the zombies aren’t going to stop THEMSELVES from eating your neighbors!
About the Author:
Mega Cat Studios is independent video game development studio with a global team. At our core, we are passionate game developers and artists who seek to create meaningful experiences through our games and services.
We are all gamers, collectors and enthusiasts first. In a world of cloud storage, download codes and virtual licenses, we are excited and proud to create exclusive artisan collectibles that complements the effort that goes into indie and homebrew development.
We love creating games. From retro cartridges to PC & current generation consoles, we want to get make games every gamer can access and enjoy.
