Video Game Classics Part 2

    I would say that there can be classics that are classics just because they provide some sort of entertainment or joy. For instance, I have seen several paintings which I would consider classics just because I think they are beautiful to look at. There are several novels that I have read which I would consider classics just because I enjoyed reading them. And there are several games which I would consider to be classics just because I enjoyed playing them. For instance, I personally would consider the game Ms. Pac-Man to be a classic. It is a fairly simple game (you just move Ms. Pac-Man around a maze eating pellets and avoiding ghosts). There really isn’t any story (except for the occasional very basic cut scene), there is no dialogue, and no amazing thought provoking inspirations (that I have seen). And yet I have found great joy in playing the game. It has relieved stress, provided a challenge, and has given me many hours of fun throughout my life. To me it is a classic.

    There are also classics which are on a different level then just providing entertainment. These classics stimulate thought, inspire action, and teach truth. These classics can be examined in more ways than just  forms of entertainment. They have more to offer us. This does not make the games that provide us pure entertainment bad, it just means that these games provide different things for us. A great example to use here is the game series Kingdom Hearts. This series is about a boy named Sora who is taken away from his home when a great evil destroys it. His friends were also taken. He arrives on a new world, and he begins to fight this evil with a magical weapon called a Keyblade. With his teammates Donald and Goofy (yes, the Disney characters) he begins a quest to find his friends and stop the darkness. This series provides many interesting things to think about. First is the kind of Taoistic idea that light and darkness have to coexist. That they constantly struggle against each other. That this battle is never going to end. And yet that does not mean that you should stop fighting. You should always strive to fight for the light, and to stand against the darkness. To get a good idea of what the struggle between light and darkness looks like in the game, it is similar to the idea of the light side and the dark side of the Force in Star Wars. There is light, and there is darkness. There are people who use and follow the light, and people who use and follow the darkness. Both sides are constantly struggling against each other, but neither side can ever truly be destroyed. So those who follow the light stand against the darkness. But there is one interesting aspect of darkness that is not usually seen. The series makes it clear that darkness is not in and of itself evil. It offers power, it tends to corrupt, and those who use the darkness are usually evil. But darkness itself is not the evil. It is the individuals, not the power, that need to be fought against. These concepts I think are best shown with a conversation that takes place in Kingdom Hearts 2 between Xemnas (the villain), Mickey and Sora’s best friend, Riku:

    Xemnas: “Denizens of light, answer this: why do you hate the darkness?”

    Mickey Mouse: “Aw, we don't hate it. It's just kinda... scary. But the world's made of light AND darkness. You can't have one without the other, 'cause darkness is half of everything. Sorta makes ya wonder why we are scared of the dark...”

    Riku: “It's because of who's lurking inside it.”

    The game makes the point that darkness in and of itself is not evil, as it is usually portrayed. Rather, those who use the darkness tend to let the power they are granted corrupt them. But it is not the darkness that hurts us, it is the people within the darkness that do. The series has many other things it talks about: sacrifice, life, friendship, fighting for what is right, truth, promises and many others. This video game series has been one of the most thought provoking I have ever played. You walk away from it questioning things. It inspires stimulating discussions. It makes you think. It has added a lot of good to my life. It is a classic.

    Another good example of a video game classic would be Wii Fit Plus. Wii Fit Plus is an exercise game, designed to try and inspire people to take care of themselves. In the game you can both play various games which are designed to keep you up and active (this happens through both the Wii’s motion sensitive controllers, as well as a balance board which the game comes with), as well as allowing you to do many actual exercises, such as push-ups, sit-ups, yoga and many others. The game even provides a virtual trainer to help teach you how to do these exercises properly. I have found this to be a very good tool to inspire you to make sure you exercise every day, and in fact I have talked to several people who only exercise every day because of this game. It is the tool that they have found best helps keep them going. With it you can set goals, keep active, and have fun. My whole family uses it, and we all greatly enjoy it. We compete against each other, have fun playing the games, and even watch each other as they try to get the top score. It has helped to create a balanced life style by making sure we stay fit. It has been a great benefit to all of our lives. It is a classic.

    One last example I would like to provide is the game Wii Sports. This game has various sports, such as bowing, tennis, and golf that you can play alone or with others. Because of the Wii motion controls for the most part you stay up and moving. This has been great because it has provided a lot of family quality time. There have been many evenings where my family and I would turn the game on and play bowling against each other. This even includes my grandparents, all of whom got Wiis of their own after playing this game. We have spent many good times playing with each other, being competitive and just having fun. It has provided our family with many hours of joy. It has been something which has helped all of us set aside whatever it is we are doing to just spend time with each other as a family. This I think is incredibly valuable. This has brought a lot of good into our lives. This game has been very valuable to us. It is a classic.

    I hope I have provided you with enough good examples to show that video games can be classics. They have brought a lot of good into my life, good which I would not trade for the world. And it is not just me. Video games have been bringing good to many people throughout the world. Whether those people just enjoy playing them, experiencing the story, or studying and discussing them, video games have been a benefit to the lives of many. Many of them are great classics, works which I think will be remembered for many years to come. These games have provided joy, thoughts, truths, and inspiration to many people around the world. People think about, learn from, discuss and enjoy them. Many people have had their lives improved in some way because of a game they played. Many people have experienced the good which video games have to offer. I hope I have shown why so many people love video games, and why that is not a bad thing. There are video game classics. They have been around for many years, and will be around for many more.