Akira

No longer a platform-hopping lil' guy in blue, Mega Man is now a muscular online avatar of sorts, an extension of his offline counterpart Lan. I'm reminded of the anthropomorphic logos that were common in the 1950's but were retired in modern times, because a walking stack of tires (Michelin) just wasn't "cool." Perhaps this MegaMan.EXE avatar was brought to the console by Capcom in order to prove that their gaming icon can stay relevant.

Culture changes. And whatever the intents or purposes of the culture makers (or artists, choose your term), they have to change with the times. On one level, it's a rather cynical process: aging artists and gray-haired entertainment execs trying to stay hip and fresh by copying what the kids on the streets are doing. Appropriation and exploitation is sometimes the name of the game.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence

Game Description: In Mega Man: Network Transmission, you must explore the gloomy stark and mysterious Cyber World to deal with a new computer virus harassing the Internet. Mega Man's inly link to the Real World is through friendly character Lan, who offers feedback and advice during play. Mega Man's first 3D action role playing adventure for the Nintendo GameCube; story-line tie-in to the Mega Man Battle Network series; collect battle chips, battle enemies; solve puzzles and uncover secret characters from the Mega Man universe.

Game Description: Explore the magic of deep-sea diving. Follow heroes Leo and Zucco as they explore the truth behind tales of the Caribbean’s Bermuda Triangle and Coral Reef in this expansive underwater role-playing adventure. Uncover the sea’s mysteries, as you freely explore sunken treasure ships, play with dolphins and other underwater sea life, wander the great Coral Sea and avoid shark attacks. It’s a fun-filled adventure for all ages!

A few minor exceptions aside, most role-playing games have been wedded to the fantasy genre. This is no doubt due in a large part to the format's origins in the pen and paper world of Dungeons & Dragons. Whether you're smashing orcs over the head in Neverwinter Nights or defeating some ugly monstrosity with a fire spell in any of the Final Fantasy games, the setting is the same (albeit with small alterations). Rest assured that if you're playing a role-playing game (RPG), you'll be lost in a world full of mages, fantastic beasts and people who have names like Wakka.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Everyone Animated Blood, Mild Violence