ANT Stoic's essays

ANT Stoic's essays are really provacative and thought invoking.You should find some time to read them, either on AOL (click the banner at the bottom of this page) or on the web, at www.ant.com.

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ANTs, remember Germany's evil Berlin Wall. For some forty years, that cursed wall divided East and West Berlin into two sections, one Soviet communist and one free. It seemed as though the Soviets had a permanent stranglehold on the region. Then one day, the people of East Berlin arose and tore down the wall, quickly ending the rule of Soviet communism forever. Similarly, the gaming world is currently divided into two opposing camps. And major cracks are beginning to show in Sony PlayStation's 32-bit wall. As with West Berlin and democratic freedom, time is on our side

-ANT Stoic


The Symbolism of Starfox 64

Without a doubt, one of the most outstanding games to emerge this year is Starfox 64. What a fantastic achievement. Nintendo's master of game design,
Shigeru Miyamoto, has crafted what many are calling the best shooter of all time. But have you considered the profound symbolism of the tale told in Starfox? Amazingly, the archetypal story of Starfox 64 is symbolic of what is transpiring today in the real world videogame market. Consider the following interpretations...

The Lylat System of Starfox 64 represents the videogame market. There is a limited amount of territory available, and two opposing forces are clashing for dominant control.

On one end of the Lylat System lies the forces of good: General Pepper and the Cornerian Army (symbolizing Nintendo's President Hiroshi Yamauchi and the N64 ANT Army).

On the other end of the galaxy lies Venom, the evil Andross, and his minions (symbolizing Sony PlayStation and its armada of games). Just as Sony has invaded the videogame market, Andross has invaded the Lylat System.

Like most Sony PlayStation games (Bubsy 3D, Hardcore 4x4, PowerMove Pro Wrestling) most of Andross's ships and soldiers are weak and easily defeated. However, Andross has a few powerful bosses and the Star Wolf team in his army (symbolizing PSX titles like Madden 97, Tekken 2, and Final Fantasy 7).

The Cornerian Army (Nintendo) counters with the Starfox team (a smaller library of superior N64 titles), which although few in number, possess greater skill.

Although outnumbered, the Starfox team is armed with superior firepower. The futuristic spaceships called Arwings symbolize the advanced 64-bit technology of the Nintendo 64.

Fox McCloud himself is representative of Shigeru Miyamoto: the ace pilot whom General Pepper calls upon to destroy the competition.

Fox McCloud has two missions. One is to defeat Andross, while the other is to find his betrayed father, James McCloud. The backstabbing character of
Pigma Dengar may represent all those once-loyal Nintendo players who have betrayed their NES and SNES roots to join forces with the PSX. Or alternatively, Pigma Dengar could be representative of Squaresoft, which betrayed Nintendo to publish software on the Sony PlayStation.

Of course, by now we all know how Starfox 64 ends. Let's just say the spirit of Fox's father James McCloud (possibly symbolizing Zelda 64 and/or 64DD?) is ready to save the day and destroy the opposition.

By examining the symbolism in works of art such as N64 games, we are able to better understand the forces which shape the daily events of our gaming lives. What do you think of these interpretations of Starfox 64 symbolism?

As Peppy Hare once said:

"Never give up. Trust your instincts!"

Discuss these profound issues and more with your fellow N64 loyalists in the Starfox 64 Discussion board.

--ANT Stoic

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