Gaming - News
The Messed Up Parts of These Games Nobody Ever Talks About
By CHRIS SIMS AND CHRISTOPHER GATES
Mario’s Adventures
A weird thing about the “Mario” franchise that’s rarely pointed out is that most of the adventures didn’t actually happen. Many of the games are fictitious within the context of their worlds — “Super Mario Bros. 2” is revealed to be a dream at the end; “Super Mario Bros. 3” is themed like a stage play; and “Mario 64” features Lakitu with a camera, implying it's another production.
Mario’s Possession
In “Super Mario Odyssey,” Mario has the ability to throw his magic hat Cappy onto an assortment of enemies and objects to take control over them. When he starts possessing people, however, things start to get troubling — especially since it’s implied that whoever’s body is being used to solve the game’s puzzles is actively fighting against their possession.
Theft in DuckTales
Like Scrooge McDuck in the cartoon, the character in “DuckTales” adventures to distant lands and recovers "lost" treasures so that he can drag them back to his private vault. In the game, though, players assume a much more active role, and things don't take long to get sinister, as they repeatedly steal cultural artifacts such as a blood diamond from the Congo.
Shepard’s Punch
Commander Shepard's conflict with Westerlund News reporter Khlaisah al-Jilani runs through the entire “Mass Effect” saga, with al-Jilani taking a pretty antagonistic stance against whatever the player's been doing. Players are given the option to punch her square in the face in all three games, a moment that often winds up on compilations of the funniest moments in the series.
Night Trap's Peeping
The infamous “Night Trap” has players taking on the role of a security guard tasked with saving a group of teen girls from vampires by activating a mansion full of deathtraps. The premise itself is strange, but it gets stranger when it is implied that the guard was chosen for the job because they are good at creeping — and is even reprimanded at times for not being voyeuristic enough.
