Digressing and Sidequesting

Smart video game discussion levels up with "Digressing and Sidequesting," which takes an educated look at video game mechanics and game design. Game theorist Ronnie "Oni" Edwards puts his unique spin on hit points and health bars, looking at Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Legend of Zelda, and Street Fighter to see what creative things these games have done with measuring how well you're playing a game.

With the Nintendo Wii U ready for release, everyone is talking about Wii U gameplay. But what is asymmetry in video games? Is it just a gimmick that will make the Wii U unbalanced? This week, Ronnie looks at symmetry and balance in game design and how the Nintendo Wii U is far from the first video game console to feature this style of gameplay.

Video games are behind the curve when it comes to defining its different genres. But survival horror games are ahead of the game, explaining both gameplay mechanics and tone in one fell swoop. Ronnie explains why survival horror games like Slender and Eternal Darkness are the progressive thinkers of the gaming industry.

Pokemon is one of history's most successful video game franchises. But how did the Pokemon games become so popular? DNSQ looks at how the gameplay of Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue helped the games achieve viral status around the world, what role the Pokemon anime had in the process, and even how the Pokemon card game factored in. Spoiler alert: It wasn't just the cuteness of Pikachu that made these video games huge!

Street Fighter is the quintessential fighting game, defining the design for an entire genre of fighting games. But why did the designers of the Street Fighter series make the decisions they did? Sometimes the most simple-looking video games have the most thought behind their design, and fighting games are no exception. Just let Ronnie explain the elegance behind the evolution of Street Fighter's display!

Super Metroid is hailed as one of the best games of the 16-bit era and for good reason. On this episode of DNSQ, Ronnie reveals Super Metroid's best kept secret, the hidden game design decisions that help shape the player's experience without ever breaking the game's sense of isolation.

Super Smash Bros has a damage system unique in the world of fighting video games. Smash's emphasis on damage percentages seems like an odd choice, so why did Nintendo choose to go this route? What benefits does this system provide a game like Super Smash Bros? In honor of the five year anniversary (five year?!?!) of Super Smash Bros Brawl, Ronnie is going to find out!

Earthbound's greatest strength is its personality, something most modern games seem to lack. But, from a game design perspective, "personality" isn't something often considered. How does Earthbound use its charm to benefit its gameplay and story? And how did this quirky RPG gain a cult following unlike so many other games that have come out before or since?

There are some design aspects that gamers often overlook when it comes to the Zelda franchise. How do Zelda 1 and A Link to the Past figure into all of this? And how does their history come into play? Ronnie "Oni" Edwards seeks to solve all these puzzles and more.