Avatar: The World's Oldest Profession

 

For achievement/trophy hunters, it's been said that "Every Point Matters".... It's also been said that if you're looking for quick and easy gamerscore, the unequivocal, axiomatic go-to game is 2007's Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Burning Earth. What's discussed far less often, however, is what the psychological effects of this caliber of achievement whoring can have on the human psyche. Thus far I've successfully avoided the temptation of this shameful 1000gs gimme, but journalistic duty commands that I compartmentalize my pride, swallow my dignity, and finally descend into the belly of the beast in an effort to see if holds up to the hype.

A Race To Battle

As a fan of all (well ok, MOST) of what developer Rockstar puts out, I've been keeping a patient yet keen eye for information on the latest installment in their most iconic franchise, Grand Theft Auto V. I'll save my opinions and hopes for the next GTA for another time (ahem, vehicle customization), but amidst all the rumors, conjecture, official statements, and news articles, something caught my attention a few weeks back.

A Collection of Thoughts

We've all done it. In Super Mario Bros 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, we scoured tirelessly for the Tanooki Suit, even though it was merely an alternate version of the Super Leaf with the nearly useless added ability of becoming an immobile stone statue for roughly eight seconds. In Sonic The Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Genesis, we endured seemingly endless iterations of that maddening "3D" bonus stage in an attempt to collect the otherwise inconsequential Chaos Emeralds, all just for the chance to briefly become "Super Sonic" before the end of the game. In The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time for the N64, successfully collecting shards of Heart Containers meant either being completely prepared or woefully vulnerable when it came to your final encounter with Ganandorf. Collectibles have been present for nearly as long as video gaming has existed, and up until recently there has been little to no reason to question their inclusion.