Saturday, 05 December 2009

• Game Fight: Monkey Island vs. Ninja Gaiden

  Many relationships between things and entities in our world are best understood through a sense of competition. In sports, we have classic rivalries like the Yankees and the Red Sox, the Patriots and the Colts, and the Celtics and the Lakers. In nature, we have diametric opposition often marked by the desire to eat your adversary; the classic image of a cheetah chasing a gazelle comes to mind. Meanwhile, some contentious relationships are considered a given, even though their origins are decidedly murky. Such is the case with pirates and ninjas, and this context forms the basis of this round of Game Fight.
  
  

  
  

  
  In the red corner, we have the Monkey Island games, a whole series about piracy and starring perhaps the greatest pirate of all time. Ahem, not Jack Sparrow, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about Guybrush Threepwood, the mighty pirate! (Just ask him; he'll tell you.) For the sake of perspective, the original Secret of Monkey Island was first released in 1990 and was playable on DOS. I guess for the sake of more perspective, it did not involve MMORPG-style or FPS combat!
  
  

  
  

  
  In the blue corner, we have the Ninja Gaiden games, and as with the Monkey Island games, a male protagonist dedicated to his craft, Ryu Hayabusa. Believe it or not, this series is even older, being first released in Japan in 1988 on the Famicom. Seeing as the Ninja Gaiden games are famed for their difficulty, I guess I'm glad I was only three when the original came out. Otherwise, I might've played it and been one-and-done in the arena of gaming...gasp!
  
  Which games are better: the Monkey Island games or the Ninja Gaiden games?
  

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