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Isha's First Game Analysis
Video games, according to Bob Rehak, take us into world in which we see ourselves growing and learning to survive in a new environment that has been created for us. Rehak stresses the idea of avatars and refers to Lacan’s mirror stage. Both these concepts are evident in several video games, including Zelda, Ocarina of Time.
Zelda, Ocarina of Time, is a video game for Nintendo 64. The story follows the life of a young boy who’s “ideal video game name” is Link. He is in search of the truth behind his life and strives to save the land of Hyrule and the princess Zelda from the evil workings of Ganondorf. Rehak’s theory regarding avatars is very evident in Zelda. We are “born” into this world and are given the option to name the character of Link with our own name. As we embark on the adventure, we are given stories behind the purpose of our existence in the world of Hyrule and our goal to find Zelda and protect her. The idea behind the avatar states that we are born, die, and are given the chance to live again without a scratch. We are given a certain amount of lives with which we can continue to grow in the game. In Zelda, with each new life we are given, we can start from the same point where we had died. As our character travels through Hyrule to find Zelda, many obstacles come up and we either defeat all enemies in our way or get defeated. But, even if we are defeated, we have the opportunity to redeem ourselves. Rehak is sure to mention that the cycle of rebirth and the idea of avatars ties in closely to our own egos. He mentions the cycle of rebirth being like a “vicious cycle of ego-confirmation” (Wolf and Perron 107). Though we die, our ability to be reborn confirms that we have the ability to redeem ourselves and prove to ourselves that we can be better and can improve our skills in the game. It is clear that the idea behind Rehak’s avatar can be noted in the video game Zelda, Ocarina of Time.
Another concept which I find to be clearly evident in Zelda, Ocarina of Time, is that of Lacan’s mirror stage. What he was trying to describe was this idea that what we see in the video game is truly a reflection of us. When we play the games, we become the characters and the actions of the characters reflect our successes or failures. Lacan actually compares us, the players, to human infants. He states that human infants between the ages of 6 months to18 months begin to “first encounter and respond to their own reflection as an aspect of themselves…the human infant seems engrossed, and commences a kind of gleeful experimentation” (Wolf and Perron 105). As players, we act as these human infants do. We become engrossed in the video games and choose to continuously play or “experiment” until we get the hang of the game. In Zelda, skill is developed as you die and repeatedly play. We are more engrossed in the game because we see ourselves as the character of Link. Not only does the video game refer to that character by your own name instead of the name Link, but the game allows us to feel an emotional attachment to the actions of the characters. When the character is hurt or dies, we personally are affected and we strive to do better and improve in the game.
Torben Grodal’s concept of repetition is also evident in the video game, Zelda, Ocarina of Time. As we play the game over and over again, we learn to become better at the game and our skill level increases. Grodal stressed that those who play the video games repeat their actions and they learn to adapt to the style of that specific game. In Zelda, the same is being portrayed. As we continue to repeat certain levels and actions, we learn to adapt to the style of fighting and living in that game. For example, in Mario, the method of playing differs significantly from the method of playing in Zelda. In Mario, there are magical movements and elaborate flips. In Zelda, there is the realistic use of a swords and actual fighting skills. Each game requires a different style of playing which can only by adapted by repeatedly playing the game, as Grodal emphasizes.
Overall, the concepts Grodal and Rehak portray are represented quite well through the video game Zelda. Grodal’s concept of repetition can be noted in the game and Rehak’s reference to the mirror stage and the concept behind avatars is evident as well.
Zelda, Ocarina of Time, is a video game for Nintendo 64. The story follows the life of a young boy who’s “ideal video game name” is Link. He is in search of the truth behind his life and strives to save the land of Hyrule and the princess Zelda from the evil workings of Ganondorf. Rehak’s theory regarding avatars is very evident in Zelda. We are “born” into this world and are given the option to name the character of Link with our own name. As we embark on the adventure, we are given stories behind the purpose of our existence in the world of Hyrule and our goal to find Zelda and protect her. The idea behind the avatar states that we are born, die, and are given the chance to live again without a scratch. We are given a certain amount of lives with which we can continue to grow in the game. In Zelda, with each new life we are given, we can start from the same point where we had died. As our character travels through Hyrule to find Zelda, many obstacles come up and we either defeat all enemies in our way or get defeated. But, even if we are defeated, we have the opportunity to redeem ourselves. Rehak is sure to mention that the cycle of rebirth and the idea of avatars ties in closely to our own egos. He mentions the cycle of rebirth being like a “vicious cycle of ego-confirmation” (Wolf and Perron 107). Though we die, our ability to be reborn confirms that we have the ability to redeem ourselves and prove to ourselves that we can be better and can improve our skills in the game. It is clear that the idea behind Rehak’s avatar can be noted in the video game Zelda, Ocarina of Time.
Another concept which I find to be clearly evident in Zelda, Ocarina of Time, is that of Lacan’s mirror stage. What he was trying to describe was this idea that what we see in the video game is truly a reflection of us. When we play the games, we become the characters and the actions of the characters reflect our successes or failures. Lacan actually compares us, the players, to human infants. He states that human infants between the ages of 6 months to18 months begin to “first encounter and respond to their own reflection as an aspect of themselves…the human infant seems engrossed, and commences a kind of gleeful experimentation” (Wolf and Perron 105). As players, we act as these human infants do. We become engrossed in the video games and choose to continuously play or “experiment” until we get the hang of the game. In Zelda, skill is developed as you die and repeatedly play. We are more engrossed in the game because we see ourselves as the character of Link. Not only does the video game refer to that character by your own name instead of the name Link, but the game allows us to feel an emotional attachment to the actions of the characters. When the character is hurt or dies, we personally are affected and we strive to do better and improve in the game.
Torben Grodal’s concept of repetition is also evident in the video game, Zelda, Ocarina of Time. As we play the game over and over again, we learn to become better at the game and our skill level increases. Grodal stressed that those who play the video games repeat their actions and they learn to adapt to the style of that specific game. In Zelda, the same is being portrayed. As we continue to repeat certain levels and actions, we learn to adapt to the style of fighting and living in that game. For example, in Mario, the method of playing differs significantly from the method of playing in Zelda. In Mario, there are magical movements and elaborate flips. In Zelda, there is the realistic use of a swords and actual fighting skills. Each game requires a different style of playing which can only by adapted by repeatedly playing the game, as Grodal emphasizes.
Overall, the concepts Grodal and Rehak portray are represented quite well through the video game Zelda. Grodal’s concept of repetition can be noted in the game and Rehak’s reference to the mirror stage and the concept behind avatars is evident as well.
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