A READER writes:

I don’t know if your readership is aware but recent trends in the last few years has been for old video games to be reworked in a new “refreshing” feminist style.  Old games that featured the “evil” concept of a masculine hero rescuing the damsel in distress are now routinely hacked or modded to reverse gender roles.  Take for example the following articles from kotaku, a standard bearer for gaming culture.

Donkey Kong-Pauline Saves Mario

Zelda Saves Link

Many more of these reversals have taken place and are hailed as acts of liberation against evil male stereotypes.  Another notch on the belt for feminists and another scar on the minds of young men struggling to find examples of masculinity in modern culture (even in the world of video games).

Another trend you might be interested in noting is a shift in the last 20 years in games and their messages to players about religion or even the existence of a God.  I won’t bore you with the names of games in this time span, but there is an obvious trend for the heroes in these games to “grow” as characters to the point where they reject all orthodoxy or the very concept of God.  These usually tend to be role playing games that end with a rather annoying humanist philosophy of the characters no longer needing God (or the pagan stand-ins during the game such as a Dragon God).  They even make speeches about the goal of life being the individual making choices and having experiences.  As expected, gone are the days of people seeking heaven rather than hell.

This won’t come as a surprise to you or your readership, but I thought I might add a few more details to your excellent grasp of a modern culture returning to paganistic madness.  The messages in these games (and yes I enjoy them for purely entertainment purposes) are reinforced in the classroom and the news.  It’s all one tight sadistic package seemingly impenetrable to all.

— Comments —

Danny and Henri write:

Games being altered to reverse the gender roles after the fact is one thing. Lately, Nintendo has actually been “updating” their Mario & Zelda franchises themselves.

In the two most recent major Zelda titles, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, Link has been depicted as weaker than in previous titles, while the female characters around him have become stronger.

In Twilight Princess, a band of rebels called The Resistance, the strongest member of which is a female knight named Ashei, assists Link several times during his quest, including saving his life once. And when Link is turned into a wolf by an evil power, he requires the help of a female imp named Midna and a female cat named Louise to return to his normal form. He is also berated by the daughter of his village’s somewhat incompetent (male) mayor when he overworks his horse, and is given much sage advice by a noble female bar owner.

In Skyward Sword, Zelda stands up for herself and Link against a group of dumb male bullies. She is also protected by a guide named Impa (a tall brown woman) who insults Link for being too slow.

Plus, in the handheld title Spirit Tracks, Zelda is turned into a ghost, and gains the ability to possess enemies, which aides Link’s progress immensely.

The Mario series has been affected much less, but in the critically-acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy, a new character named Rosalina (wearing a blue dress) is introduced; she is much more intelligent than Princess Peach (in her pink dress), who is always being rescued by Mario!  She explores space in a flying observatory, and controls very powerful beings called Lumas, which she uses to help Mario complete his mission.

Laura writes:

Interesting.

There’s nothing wrong with strong female characters, except when men are consistently portrayed as weak.

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