Author Archives: Margaret Robertson

One More Go: God Hand, or why hardcore games ring my bell

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

Videogames are sometimes disparagingly described as mere wish fulfillment power fantasies. If we accept that for a moment, then here’s what I learned about my psyche today. Sometimes, you have days bad enough and journeys home stupid enough that all … Continue reading →

One More Go: Wipeout, or The Single Best Games Console You Never Bought

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

What’s your favourite console ever? Mine’s grey, regular in shape, weighs about three pounds. Graphically, it’s a bit underpowered by modern standards – great colours, lousy detail – but it’s got a killer game library. The one I’ve got is … Continue reading →

One More Go: Rittai Picross, or the One-Word Secret of Good Game Design

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

Here’s a game design conundrum for you: what do Halo and football have in common? I’ll save those of you who are now deep in the process of trying to find a punchy Red Vs Blue pun the trouble. What … Continue reading →

One More Go: Majora’s Mask, or How to be your own hero of time

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

I’m sitting in a hotel room with a girl I barely know. She is beautiful, but sad and close to tears. The man she loves has deserted her, and she feels like her world has ended. I know she’s wrong, … Continue reading →

One More Go: Werewolf, or why playing games can give you hairy palms

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

Last night I killed eleven people. Not virtual people, not avatars, not NPCs. People. Some I knew, some I didn’t. Some who would have killed me first if they could, some who died trying to protect me. I kill because … Continue reading →

One More Go: World of Warcraft, home is where the hearth is

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

A few days ago I held my breath, squared my shoulders and stepped through a magic portal. It sucked me forward through space and time, turned winter to summer and day to night. It also beeped because I’d forgotten to … Continue reading →

One More Go: Rhythm Tengoku, or Why plucking the hairy onion makes a new woman out of me

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

In a few more months the DSi will arrive in Europe, and this is something that I view with dread. It is, in part, because Nintendo’s incremental handheld improvement campaign has so far cost me more than a brace of … Continue reading →

One More Go: Disgaea‘s quest for numerical orgasm

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

This American Life, Ira Glass’ impeccable radio show, always urbane and humane in equal measure, opened the year by re-broadcasting one of its classic episodes, Numbers. Catching up, it introduced me to the story of Andrea, who as a young … Continue reading →

One More Go: Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

Posted on January 7, 2009 by Margaret Robertson

In my line of work, I hear a lot of bad game ideas, which is something I find agonizing. This is because about 90% of them are emanating out of my own mouth, usually prefaced with something asinine like, ‘This … Continue reading →

One More Go: Ranarama

Posted on December 24, 2008 by Margaret Robertson

Christmas Eve. Finally the house is quiet, and the lights are dimmed to twinkles. All the hard work is over, the fridge full of once-a-year delicacies and everyone else has gone to bed. But I’m still up, as I always … Continue reading →