These girls have game part 2!
Last Updated (Thursday, June 04 2009)
So when we last left off I spoke on some classic female trailblazers in the gaming realm. They were some safe picks as they started a lot of the movement for female characters to be accepted in the gaming universe as characters we play as. In part 2, I want to start with the heavy hitters and keep the ball rolling with more strong female characters that have rocked our world with their combat skills and sharp shooting abilities.
When it comes to a woman perfecting the art of holding a gun in a video game I really have one woman that comes to mind...Ms Lara Croft.
Her beginnings were humble (graphically at least) but ever since she entered the scene of searching through those tombs guys and girls were clamoring for more Lara all the time. Designed by Toby Gard Lara pushed the sex appeal in video games. From the way she walked, to the way she drew her pistol, no other female character in video game history drew as much attention from the guys as Lara Croft did.
She simply couldn't be contained to video games...she has been featured in comic books novels, and two feature length motion pictures. We are not even talking about just a female game character anymore...with this level of attention we are talking about global icon here. She is more than just a woman..she is legend. Here is a list of here gaming accomplishments.
-Tomb Raider -Released in 1996, Playstation
-Tomb Raider II-Released in 1997, Playstation
-Tomb Raider III- Released in 1998, Playstation
-Tomb Raider: Chronicles- Released in 2000, Dreamcast, Playstation
-Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness-Released 2003, Playstation 2
-Tomb Raider: Legend- Released 2006, PlayStation 2, xbox, xbox360
-Tomb Raider: Anniversary-Released 2007, PlayStation 2 Xbox 360
-Tomb Raider: Underworld-Released 2008, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Playstation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS
Now that is a heavy duty list of games. She has seen her fair share of systems as well. However the system that benefited the most from Lara's quest is the Playstation line. With games like the Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider helped mature a new breed of gamer on the Playstation.
Like any mega popular female star...there is a scandal waiting to happen. The scandal for Ms Lara Croft came in the form of the Nude Raider Patch. There were rumors circulating that the code for the patch came in house from Core and Eidos, but this was not the case. Core and Eidos clearly wanted all images of Lara presented in adult fashion removed from all sites. However you know gamers talk and rumors spread and one of the biggest rumors was that the nude raider code was acutally built into the game...this simply was not the case. What satisifcation people would get from a pair or pixelated breast is beyond me...but many a gamers seeked out that patch. But like a true star Lara Croft didn't let the scandal tarnish her she she still went on to sell millions doing it the right way!
Her most recent title, Tomb Raider: Under World was supposed to be an upgraded version of the Tomb Raider Mythos. The graphics were fine and it was a nice Tomb Raider game...but it did not really push the series any further to any greater heights. With games like Uncharted: Drake's Fortune being made...the Tomb Raider series needs to step it up a notch. Uncharted provides gamers with greater graphics that illuminate the world and greater combat sequences.
Lara is not going anywhere and the Tomb Raider Series which is over a decade old will produce more games. I simply hope the team isn't too afraid to push the series to new levels and make Lara Croft relevant in the gaming world again. You can't rely on past success in the world of gaming. Like all forms of entertainment, in video games you are only as good as your last hit.
As I stated before Lara Croft was never a character that was limited to pixels and pre-rendered computer graphics. There has always been a real life person involved in being Lara Croft. Here is a list all the models who portrayed Ms Croft at some point. They are listed in order.
1. Vanessa Demouy
3. Rhona Mitra
6. Lucy Clarkson
And let's not forget the comics where Andy Park penciled her to perfection.
And on her biggest stage Angelie Jolie played the raider of the Tomb in two films.
Lara you have come a long way since 1996 and there are few women in the past 13 years who has aged as gracefully as you!
Stay tuned for part 3 coming soon...
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