| Video games have come a long way. baby, a long | | | | then a beautiful represntation of what art can be. In |
| way, indeed. And luckily for us gamers, the image of | | | | it, you wander vast, pastoral plains on horseback and |
| the suspender wearing nerd who has to put his | | | | tackle beasts of epic proportion all in the name of |
| controller down every few seconds just so he can | | | | rescuing your love from her somnolent slumber |
| push his taped glasses back up his nose has faded | | | | (actually, she's dead.)Your only indication of who your |
| away. Because now, even the cool, ruffled collared | | | | next foe will be is from a ostensibly heavenly voice |
| kids are playing games, as well as the loyal crowd | | | | from the sky that speaks in an awkward manner |
| that has been playing them since Battlezone and | | | | that sounds like somebody's playing a Yanni record |
| Frogger hit the arcades, making it a multi-million dollar | | | | backwards.The landscape, music, story, and character |
| enterprise.But sadly, as with any fairly new form of | | | | development (the protagonist, Wander, loses another |
| entertainment, as gaming gets more popular as a | | | | piece of himself with every majestic monster he |
| genre, in come the naysayers who want to push it | | | | meticulously manhandles) are all as artsy fartsy as |
| right back down its totem pole. And the most recent | | | | something you'd be privy to seeing in a Norwegion |
| attacker (passively, of course) of this upward | | | | epic, and it truly is an engrossing experience that |
| movement is Roger Ebert, who gamers have been | | | | everyone should embrace.And like many other |
| crying foul at ever since he said that video games will | | | | elegant games like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy and |
| never be art.He claims that video games will never be | | | | other magnificent titles, Shadow of the Colossus IS |
| as worthy as movies.Um, hello! Wasn't the same | | | | true art, And if somebody can drag Mr. Ebert away |
| thing said about movies when THEY first arrived on | | | | from watching Mean Streets for the umpteenth time, |
| the scene when compared with books? I'm sure | | | | maybe he could find that out for himself.Video |
| some prissy, English chap with mutton chops that | | | | games, like books, like movies, like, I don't know, |
| spiraled out of control and went down to his ankles | | | | Anime, will be accepted in time, just you wait. As |
| probably said something along the lines of: "That new | | | | long as there are examples like Shadow of the |
| vulgar cowboy film all those degenerates are | | | | Colossus to push it forward, they will eventually get |
| slobbering over at the nickelodeon cannot compare | | | | there in time.Rich is a bum looking to be a writer. He |
| to the wit and grace of Mr. Dickens. Forthright!"Films | | | | enjoys comedy but will take anything as long as his |
| had to gain the respect of the critics, just like books | | | | employer pats him on the head occasionally and |
| probably gained the respect of some ancient | | | | cleans out his cage when the feces starts piling up. |
| Egyptians who were just fine and dandy with their | | | | He enjoys reading, playing video games, complaining |
| wall murals of eyeballs and weird shaped snake | | | | that there isn't a third Ghostbusters movie, and oh, |
| dealies that spelled out utmost love for the | | | | yeah, writing, and would love to get a job that's |
| pharoah.And while games, this gamer must admit, | | | | accomidating to those aforementioned activities. Oh, |
| HAVE been lacking in the story department, leading | | | | and he's also a demon at the buffet table. Boy, |
| one to believe that they are not art but rahter just | | | | howdy, he scoffs at three plates, I tell you, scoffs |
| loud explosions and prostitute killing, there is hope.The | | | | at it! |
| recent game Shadow of the Colussus is, if not art, | | | | |