Syntheses: Fun and Games...

Syntheses:
Fun and Games for All

There are certain names in video games that every gamer has heard. Mario, Zelda, Sonic, Final Fantasy, Metroid -- names that are synonymous with "good gaming" no matter what genre one prefers. Occasionally, developers try to add new spice to these well-known names by introducing a game that deviates from the original formula behind the name.

In 1996, Nintendo came together with Squaresoft, a company quickly rising to the top on the wake of the Final Fantasy series, to create an interesting synthesis of unlikely elements titled Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. With the release of this game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Mario took his first step out of the two-dimensional realm of platforming and ventured into a seemingly three-dimensional, isometric world with a plot consisting of more than the infamous, "Thank you, Mario! But our Princess is in another castle."

The game does start out much like the Mario games of the past. Mario's mushroom buddy Toad comes to Mario's home to ask him to save the Princess from the evil clutches of Bowser. Mario, ever the valiant,head-hopping hero, dutifully sets off to save her. Within the first ten minutes of the game, you've beaten Bowser yet again, saving the princess from doom. Unfortunately for Mario, though, it turns out that Bowser isn't the real threat to the Mushroom Kingdom this time. Mario subsequently sets out on a larger adventure than any he'd ever seen before -- one packed to the brim with puzzles, secrets, and new characters.

Super Mario RPG was a game both suitable and enjoyable for gamers of all ages. It didn't rely on blood, guts, gore, or criminal actions (as do many of today's games) to bring about enjoyment. It had a bright color palate and mood-lifting music. It was a great game to give to children, yet it had enough complexity hidden in it that older gamers could enjoy it, too. It was the first RPG I ever beat. A few years later, it became the first RPG I ever beat twice. That second time through made the game's general appeal all the more clear to me. Already one of my favorites due to gameplay, music, and general humor, my gains in experience I between these two times I played the game allowed me to better appreciate both the humor and jokes spread throught the game in great quantity and the quality of the story.

Looking back on it, I realize that had I been as veteran a gamer as I am now when Super Mario RPG came out, I probably would have ignored the game unless it was recommended to me. "I mean, seriously -- a Mario RPG? Riiight...whatever!" As it was, I played it as soon as I came across it, and it turned out to be one of the greatest gaming experiences I have yet encountered.

Such syntheses of unlikely elements don't happen very often. But recently, Squaresoft again made an odd partnership. This time coupling with Walt Disney Studios, Squaresoft pumped out Kingdom Hearts, an RPG for the Sony PlayStation 2, in late 2002.

In the universe of Kingdom Hearts, there are numerous worlds. Each world is separated from the others by magical barriers. But the barriers have mysteriously fallen, and worlds have begun to disappear. Sora, the main character, witnesses the destruction of his own world, an island paradise, before being swept away to another world, where his adventure really begins. He ends up travelling through many familiar Disney worlds, accompanied by Donald Duck and Goofy, trying to find his friends and restore the worlds that have been lost.

Again, we have an excellent synthesis of unlikely elements. Another excellent game to present to parents, and for many of the same reasons. It also carries the appeal of being a Disney game -- excellent bait for potential gamers of younger age. To many older gamers, however (especially those that have experienced the horrors of Disney-based games before), this prospect is frightening. Some refuse to even consider playing the game. But it's not as bad as they think. Yes, you will see over-used main characters from the most popular Disney movies; yes, you will see some scenes that are almost verbatim cuts from these movies; yes, some of the voice actors aren't the same as the ones from the movies; and yes, the voice of the hidden boss Sephiroth of Final Fantasy VII fame is done by N*Sync teen idol Lance Bass. Trust me, I feel your pain.

But the way Squaresoft tied it all together makes all those horrors seem like nothing.

Despite the fact that your happy-go-lucky Disney films provide the base for most of the game, the story that ties all of these worlds together is a dark one. The story has intricate plot twists; the villain is a sick and twisted bastard that should have been locked away long ago. Squaresoft's developers brought all of their expertise to bear on this project, creating a masterpiece with fantastic music, a great story, good main characters (all of which were created just for Kingdom Hearts), and good real-time gameplay.

So don't ignore games like Super Mario RPG and Kingdom Hearts for silly reasons like an "E" rating from the ESRB or because a typically family-safe company is involved. Remember, a game doesn't have to have blood to be fun. After all, how many times has Tetris been ripped off?