What Would Yoshi Do?

Can videogame characters be role models? Graeme Virtue knows there's only one way to find out: Pretend to be an assortment of gaming icons for 24 hours and record the results.

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A good article. I like how it shows what kind of role models we can find from video games but also what effect emulating these role models can have on what we do and how we behave.

Lara's cake are a lie ^^. Great little article.

Nice article, Good examples used here =)

My personal pick as a videogame role model:

The boy with no name from Shadow of the Colossus.

Determined. Undeterred by tremendous obstacles.
Faithful/Hopeful. Continuing steadfastly to strive for something that seems nigh impossible and an outcome that is ultimately uncertain.
Loyal. Steadfast and loyal in his love for the woman he lost.
Strong. No explanation required.
Kind. Kind and gentle in the way he treats his faithful companion, his horse.
Self-reliant. Alone in an unknown land with only the companionship of his horse, yet with relentless motivation to accomplish the task at hand.

Awesome article. Sometimes I just wanna be JC Denton.

Why the fuck didn't I think of this article?!

Novan Leon:
My personal pick as a videogame role model:

The boy with no name from Shadow of the Colossus.

Determined. Undeterred by tremendous obstacles.
Faithful/Hopeful. Continuing steadfastly to strive for something that seems nigh impossible and an outcome that is ultimately uncertain.
Loyal. Steadfast and loyal in his love for the woman he lost.
Strong. No explanation required.
Kind. Kind and gentle in the way he treats his faithful companion, his horse.
Self-reliant. Alone in an unknown land with only the companionship of his horse, yet with relentless motivation to accomplish the task at hand.

His name is Wander, actually.

And you forgot "willing to stab innocent creatures in the face."

Ok first day at a new school tomorrow going to use The Lich King as my role model and see how many friends I can make.

The Lich King from various Warcraft titles-

Badass: will kill you if you look at him funny
Cold and calculating: It takes one smart cookie to mobilize brainless undead into an army, a good one at that.
Carries A huge sword: got nothing
Doesn't mind the cold: I mean his throne is made of freaking ice so is his city (this one helps because I just moved to Ireland)
A good people person(because he controls them): The man has a huuuuuge fanbase spreading from all races and even virtual and non-virtual.

CantFaketheFunk:

Novan Leon:
My personal pick as a videogame role model:

The boy with no name from Shadow of the Colossus.

Determined. Undeterred by tremendous obstacles.
Faithful/Hopeful. Continuing steadfastly to strive for something that seems nigh impossible and an outcome that is ultimately uncertain.
Loyal. Steadfast and loyal in his love for the woman he lost.
Strong. No explanation required.
Kind. Kind and gentle in the way he treats his faithful companion, his horse.
Self-reliant. Alone in an unknown land with only the companionship of his horse, yet with relentless motivation to accomplish the task at hand.

His name is Wander, actually.

And you forgot "willing to stab innocent creatures in the face."

I believe he's only named in the Japanese version of the game, where he's named "Wanda". It didn't translate very well into English so I think they dropped it for the American version.

I don't know whether or not the colossi are "innocent", or even "creatures", but they sure are cool.

stormcaller:
Ok first day at a new school tomorrow going to use The Lich King as my role model and see how many friends I can make.

The Lich King from various Warcraft titles-

Badass: will kill you if oyu look at him funny
Cold and calculating: It takes one smart cookie to mobilize brainless undead into an army, a good one at that.
Carries A huge sword: got nothing
Doesn't mind the cold: I mean his throne is made of freaking ice so is his city (this one helps because I just moved to Ireland)
A good people person(because he controls them): The man has a huuuuuge fanbase spreading from all races and even virtual and non-virtual.

That's a heck of a role model. Don't forget your long and tormented transition from hero of the alliance to master of the undead hordes!

Novan Leon:

stormcaller:
Ok first day at a new school tomorrow going to use The Lich King as my role model and see how many friends I can make.

The Lich King from various Warcraft titles-

Badass: will kill you if oyu look at him funny
Cold and calculating: It takes one smart cookie to mobilize brainless undead into an army, a good one at that.
Carries A huge sword: got nothing
Doesn't mind the cold: I mean his throne is made of freaking ice so is his city (this one helps because I just moved to Ireland)
A good people person(because he controls them): The man has a huuuuuge fanbase spreading from all races and even virtual and non-virtual.

That's a heck of a role model. Don't forget your long and tormented transition from hero of the alliance to master of the undead hordes!

Very true however If I go from the Ner'zhul side of the story I get to be a wise,powerful shaman corrupted by demonic forces, then later see the error of my ways and try to turn back however my former demonic masters capture me and freeze my spirit inside a block of magical ice, from which I corrupt a young,human prince to become the new vessel for my now omni-powerful mind.

I've always wanted Leon Kennedy from RE4 as a role model, simply because he owns so very much.

Great article! I think I'm going to act like Yoshi tomorrow.

I shall choose Minsc from Baldur's Gate. He is a greatest hero of all time!

I like Rosalina as a role model, if only because she presents God as a mother figure instead of a macho construction worker. And I'm male.

Um... this article didn't seem to have too much of a point. I mean, for me, it turned into more of a "Oh, what will the wacky writer try next?" extravaganza than an intelligently written article. I mean, I understand that it was trying to decipher role models in a video game world, but couldn't that have been better accomplished by drawing a comparison between the archetype role model and a particular video game character, and then analyzing similarities and differences.

But I'm rambling. It did get me to think about which character I'd choose as a role-model. But other than that... it gets a resounding "meh." from me.

I am reminded of my friend's brother who decided he would try to run at full speed everywhere he went for a week, because that's how it's done in FPS games.

Flying-Emu:
Um... this article didn't seem to have too much of a point. I mean, for me, it turned into more of a "Oh, what will the wacky writer try next?" extravaganza than an intelligently written article. I mean, I understand that it was trying to decipher role models in a video game world, but couldn't that have been better accomplished by drawing a comparison between the archetype role model and a particular video game character, and then analyzing similarities and differences.

But I'm rambling. It did get me to think about which character I'd choose as a role-model. But other than that... it gets a resounding "meh." from me.

Is it a crime to write something light-hearted and fun?

Sylocat:

Flying-Emu:
Um... this article didn't seem to have too much of a point. I mean, for me, it turned into more of a "Oh, what will the wacky writer try next?" extravaganza than an intelligently written article. I mean, I understand that it was trying to decipher role models in a video game world, but couldn't that have been better accomplished by drawing a comparison between the archetype role model and a particular video game character, and then analyzing similarities and differences.

But I'm rambling. It did get me to think about which character I'd choose as a role-model. But other than that... it gets a resounding "meh." from me.

Is it a crime to write something light-hearted and fun?

Well, no. That'd just be ridiculous. This just doesn't seem like a topic that necessarily lends itself to Chaplinesque humour.

Never did I say that it was a crime to write a "light-hearted and fun" article. Please don't put words in my mouth. I simply said that, in my opinion, it would've been more interesting to have an examination with a more logical than humourous approach.

Flying-Emu:

Sylocat:

Flying-Emu:
Um... this article didn't seem to have too much of a point. I mean, for me, it turned into more of a "Oh, what will the wacky writer try next?" extravaganza than an intelligently written article. I mean, I understand that it was trying to decipher role models in a video game world, but couldn't that have been better accomplished by drawing a comparison between the archetype role model and a particular video game character, and then analyzing similarities and differences.

But I'm rambling. It did get me to think about which character I'd choose as a role-model. But other than that... it gets a resounding "meh." from me.

Is it a crime to write something light-hearted and fun?

Well, no. That'd just be ridiculous. This just doesn't seem like a topic that necessarily lends itself to Chaplinesque humour.

Never did I say that it was a crime to write a "light-hearted and fun" article. Please don't put words in my mouth. I simply said that, in my opinion, it would've been more interesting to have an examination with a more logical than humourous approach.

*cough* so hard to breath in all this smug....

Good article. I thought that using the reactions of others as a gauge for how effective a model each character is was a sound and amusing system. I don't think that this article is without its merits either. Children would likely behave in this way. I saw a little kid yank someone off of their razor a couple of weeks ago in front of my house. When I asked him what he thought he was doing, he replied: "Playing GTA". It made me laugh a little. Children really do focus on the most obtuse elements of a role model and eagerly regurgitate them until they are no longer recognizable. Good work.

P.S. "Lara's cakes are a lie" is the kind of joke me and my friends would refer to as a "Snarf". Think about it.

Novan Leon:
My personal pick as a videogame role model:

The boy with no name from Shadow of the Colossus.

Determined. Undeterred by tremendous obstacles.
Faithful/Hopeful. Continuing steadfastly to strive for something that seems nigh impossible and an outcome that is ultimately uncertain.
Loyal. Steadfast and loyal in his love for the woman he lost.
Strong. No explanation required.
Kind. Kind and gentle in the way he treats his faithful companion, his horse.
Self-reliant. Alone in an unknown land with only the companionship of his horse, yet with relentless motivation to accomplish the task at hand.

I absolutely loved Shadow of the Colossus. I put it down as one I'll remember forever onward.

Back to the article, seems a lot like role models in real life: Hit and Miss.

Nice article, I'm sort of finding myself agreeing with Emu on this one though. However, that aside, I think it could have been more useful to act as a character more easily... human. "What would Yoshi do?" makes for an eye-catching article name but I'd rather if Yoshi wasn't actually in the article.

However, I find it odd, as someone half touched on above, that some of these characters are, in essence, sociopathic killers. In fact, most heroes tend to be. I'm just wondering if it's actually okay to treat any kind of murderer in such a light. Maybe I'm missing the point though, maybe it's precisely the fact we could never do it that makes us worship them? I don't know.

Er, you forgot Snake!

I wouldn't say Lara Croft is a good example:

Impossible barbie frame=dysmorphic body image?
Raids tombs, clear violation of archaeological procedure.
Solves most problems with bullets.

WTF??

Who doesn't love yoshi? He's awesome and a good role model.

To answer the question of "What would Yoshi do?" i give you the obvious answer: exactly what he always does, ovulate.

Not exactly a great way to deal with life's problems...