June Roundtable: The Definitive Ranking of Bad Dads of Games, Part I

June Roundtable: The Definitive Ranking of Bad Dads of Games, Part I

We may be past the height of the daddification of games discourse, but bad dads are eternal. This month, in celebration (?) of Father’s Day, we’re returning to our series of listicles in which we nominate our favorite (?) bad dads and our Patrons vote on which bad dad reigns supreme. (more…)

Why I Hate Crisis Core: Part II, Jenova Boogaloo

Why I Hate Crisis Core: Part II, Jenova Boogaloo

Here we are again, thanks for coming to the reunion! Now that I’ve outlined the different cast members of this play, how do they perform? Well, not great!

(more…)

May Roundtable: Labor in Games

May Roundtable: Labor in Games

May Day may have come and gone, but it’s always a good time to talk about labor and worker’s rights. Both in and out of games (and the games industry), we’re seeing a growing consciousness of how exploitative labor practices shape our society. From increased pushes for unionization to games explicitly about striking or exploitation in the workplace, these ideas are also part of ongoing conversations within the gaming industry. That’s what we’re discussing this month—labor and work within the games industry, both representationally and behind the screen. (more…)

Why I Hate Crisis Core: Part I

Why I Hate Crisis Core: Part I

Never have I ever been more livid at finishing a game than Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core on the PSP. Staring at the credits in order to assign blame for this travesty, my head was a storm of feelings that I couldn’t fully put into words. Now, with some time away and no longer being a teenager, I want to go over the game’s narrative that so fully filled me with rage. Thankfully, wonderful folks down over on the internet have the full cutscenes of both the original and the remaster. I’m not here for debate. I’m here as an old school FFVII fan with a chip on their shoulder, so let’s mosey.

The following contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. The game contains instances of war, suicide, and body horror. (more…)

April Roundtable: Earth Day

April Roundtable: Earth Day

Happy April! Despite much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I have once again declined to make our roundtable theme “frogs” despite the arguable seasonal appropriateness. The only thing we love more than Wario and Waluigi here at Sidequest is frogs. But April is the month of Earth Day, April 22—so let’s talk about the Earth, ecology, and associated themes this month. (more…)