video games | I Do Run

My Dearest Honey, Link,

I write this letter to let you know

About this quest, I must undergo.

As this journey of Mine crafts,

Alone, I must complete this task.

In the Torchlight, I can see

The maze that is my Destiny.

Shrouded in Myst, I peek in the gloom

It seems Unreal, this Portal of Doom.

With a shiver in my spine and a painted on smile,

I take a step on my chosen Path of Exile.

I’ve become the God(dess) of War,

Ready with Blossom Blasts galore.

Overwatch this Diablo maze,

Space Invaders ready to raze.

As written in the Elder Scrolls,

They beam in, grabbing any Dark Souls.

So I keep my soul light and sweet,

Like Candy Crush’d beneath my feet.

Despite what this maze of life may define,

Remember, it’s my choice, Honey, Mine.

It’s my turn to save the day.

I’m taking control, I won’t go away.

So sit back, relax, take a snooze,

Because in this adventure, I get to choose.

Be back soon! I don’t play to lose.

Love, your Sweetie, Zelda

Last week, SarahSouthWest post a fun challenge on dVerse called “Game Night”. She had a list of current video games and our task was to create a poem using at least three of those video game names. Coupled with this picture from Hélène’s “What Do You See?” Weekly Photo Challenge, and this poem emerged from the computer screen.

I don’t know if you young’uns remember Link and Zelda when they were just 2-D characters that could only go up/down and left/right. That was one of four video games that we had in our house growing up – the others were Pong, Tetris and Mario Brothers. Needless to say, I am not much of a gamer but I am amazed by the graphics of today’s video games and how realistic they are. It makes me wonder how these realistic games affect how the players view real life.

Another influence for this piece is a musical I saw last week called, “Disenchanted“. If any franchise needs a dose of reality, it would be Disney’s Princesses. But like the gaming world, which is disproportionately male ruled and male oriented, I wonder how these stories of heroes and villains, war and adventure, would be like with a strong feminine presence. Would it change how the children (and adults) playing these games view the world?