The Hero…the Protagonist…the one (or ones) that get to save almost everything and almost everyone in the world in which they find themselves. An archetype woven into the very fiber of most people as seen in the history of the human race. Commonly represented as a character who undertakes some form of adventure, faces trials and tribulations, overcomes them and returns to his or her home transformed for the better. I’m quite certain there are some forms of caveman stories of heroism, likely within hunting, gathering food for the people to save them from starvation.
As seen many myths, noted in legends grounded in reality or fantasy, we as a species have the innate propensity and desire to want to be Heroes! With this in mind, I will still pose the question: What is the concept of a Hero TODAY?
According to Google, a Hero is defined as: “a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities.” Indeed these are things worth striving for as a person. For any person, really. These are traits, certainly not limited to these alone, rooted in mythology and many traditions across the globe but trickle down into our modern sphere, though probably not as commonplace. Or could it be that we simply don’t know the songs of unsung heroes? In parts of the world others dare not go. Or should we simply look to the Guinness Book of World Records for those? (Seriously, No…don’t do it).
Many of us have had such dreams from childhood. Of being a hero of some sort and saving either the things or the people we love from some form of evil that may be largely unknown to us. The swing of an imaginary wood sword, defeating imaginary monsters in the home and under the bed. Our imaginations helped us slay countless creatures and save “many-a-damsel” (typically our mothers, siblings, cousins and sometimes the family pets).
Along Came Heroes in Videogames…
As we grew, the hero scape changed for us. For some, including myself, the first semblance of being a hero beyond the house and backyard was Pokémon Yellow. Not exactly the most ideal case but that is where I started with my silent ‘Yes-No-Cyndaquil’ choosing Hero named by me. I saw the good old arcades but never went in because of the smokers and drinkers as the machines were located in a pub. But yeah, the portable consoles definitely helped things! Managing to put the adventures right in their hands.
Pokémon allowed me to ‘meet’ many people, see many places and creatures beyond my world. Help people that needed help and feel good about it. Other games that certainly tested my mettle and resolve were Golden Sun (*whispers* remake Golden Suuuuun!!!) Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Advance Wars (I could go on and on but you get the point…I think).
In videogames, the Hero, be that Isaac from Golden Sun, Samus Aran from Metroid, Link from The Legend of Zelda, Bayonetta or your custom-made protagonist, these are more than just characters. Their backstories and origins or the lack of either aside, these are the vessels through which most of us have had to make decisions and over time, grew so much into them that the characters feel like they ARE us.
Many studies have shown correlation between videogames and their positive effects on various areas of human cognition. Some of these include studies by Isabella Garnic “The Benefits of Playing Videogames”, Niklas Johannes, Matti Vuorre and Adrew Przyblski’s “Vidhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.202049eo game play is positively correlated with well-being” and “Video gaming may be associated with better cognitive performance in children” by the National Institutes of Health, United States. And that’s just to name a few. There are thousands more
I, for example, built a lot of great vocabulary and contextual socialization from games like Fire Emblem, Golden Sun, Shin Megami Tensei and Final Fantasy, for example. Games like Pokemon REEEAAAALLY tested my patience! Sonic Advance 2 had me learning to pay attention to details. The story and suffering in Golden Sun had me relating to people on a much different level. Fire Emblem had me wanting to protect things and people I love at almost any cost (namely restarting battles the moment a character I like dies!).
In my lifetime I’ve been privileged to travel many lands and meet many creatures and people crafted within videogames. I’ve been shown and taught the many ways evil could come about and the many ways that good can triumph. Videogames, if I could say in a literal sense, helped me become a better person and even understand some of the morals we struggle to live by. Because many of the characters we create or adopt…go through some of these too.
Lets strive be have each other’s backs. Let us be each other’s Hero
