Trans-Inclusive Gaming
Nintendo revealed many games lined up for 2021 in their Nintendo Direct on Feb. 17.
As the first proper Direct of 2021, this direct focused on Super Smash Bros Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda, and many other games. Many points in this Direct surprised many Nintendo fans as no one was able to see any of these coming.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Nintendo rereleased Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light on the Nintendo Switch. Originally released in 1990, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light never received an official release outside of Japan. There was the remake released in 2008, however the original Famicom release was never localized in the west. As this is the first game in the series, many features in modern titles are missing. Seeing how far the series has come from the first game is nice as players compare it to recent titles.
For an obscure series on the GameBoy Color, Shantae has become a fan favorite with many gamers. Shantae and the Seven Sirens released on IOS in 2019 and 2020 for everything else. Being the fifth game in the series, Shantae and the Seven Sirens has a lot to follow up on. Building upon previous games, Seven Sirens brings is culmination of everything WayForward has done with the series so far
Super Mario Sunshine released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube. Being the follow up to Super Mario 64, Sunshine improved what 64 had built without feeling too different. Many gamers that grew up with a GameCube fondly remember Sunshine. This review will use the Super Mario 3D All-Stars version as it is the most accessible version of Sunshine.
Transgender representation in video games is lacking. Narrow that down to transmasculine representation and that number goes down even further. In 2020, Naughty Dog Studios released The Last of Us Part II to somewhat mixed reviews. The player must switch to Abby during the latter half of the game. During her story, she runs into a group of kids defecting from a religious cult, Yara and Lev. With Lev’s reveal as a transgender man, Naughty Dog created a character that received mixed reactions from players.