David Theiss

Forget the economy.  Forget Katrina.  Forget his misguided positions on the environment, energy, stem cell research, and immigration.  Forget that he started a war in one country based on false pretenses, and neglected a war in another country, enabling the very enemy we aimed to destroy almost fully reconstitute themselves.  Forget that he secretly implemented a program that made law the largest breach of civil privacy since the Japanese internment during World War II.  Forget he left office poised to be ranked among the worst presidents in the nation’s history and brought the Republican Party to the brink of ruin.  Most of all, forget 9/11.

Why?

Because, at the end of the day, when the cold and sober gaze of history looks back on these times, George W. Bush will predominately be remembered for two things: 1.) he prevented a second terrorist attack after 9/11, and 2.) the degree of success to which he brought democracy to the Middle East.  A president only gets a few signature issues, and those are undoubtedly fated to be his two.  These things are facts – no matter how bad you wish they weren’t.

While those who trumpet the former president’s national security record conveniently leave out the 2,ooo pound gorilla in the room (he did preside over the largest and most catastrophic terrorist attack in American history), President Bush’s record since that day has been immaculate.  There were no dirty bombs.  No mass shootings on July 4th or Christmas Day or New Years Day.  No doomsday chemical or biological attacks.  No pipe-bombs on the streets, no runaway car-bombs, and no suicide bombers.  There were domestic scares, of course – the Anthrax letters and the DC sniper – but they were handled quickly and without unnecessary panic.  The Orwellian color-coded terror meter, which seems ridiculous now, was useful and heeded by all at the time.  And whether it was a scare tactic or not, every suburban mom and dad went out and bought duct tape, flashlights, and a battery powered radio – and that’s a good thing.  President Bush simultaneously enacted policy that that kept Americans safe while preparing us for what most thought was not only probable, but inevitable. To what extent he used the pervading climate of fear for political gain is debatable – what isn’t, is the fact that 9/11 part 2 never made its way to our shores.  And that is truly commendable.

When President Bush left office, foreign affairs looked dire.  Iraq, while improving, had been to civil war and back.  Afghanistan was tilting in the direction of a stalemate, North Korea was beginning to defy The West again after being taken off the Terrorist States list, and our relations with foreign allies were frosty at best – to say nothing of the unexpected conflict in Gaza.  Since then however, the turn-around has been drastic, and much of it is due to the current president.  Barack Obama swooped in and immediately calmed the international waters.  Obama smiled, shook hands, and speechified his way to eased tensioned and mutual understandings.  Without accomplishing much concretely, much was accomplished.  The uneasiness subsided.

However, there are things going on now internationally that cannot be attributed to Barack Obama – and these things are much more important.  American soldiers are now pulling out of Iraqi cities, and although this will more than likely be attributed to President Obama in the history books, it must be remembered that it was a deadline negotiated and set by the Bush administration.  In addition, amidst a troop increase and the bloodiest month seen as of yet in Afghanistan, the Afghan people are poised to hold their second free and fair elections on August 20th.  This, along with the prospect of Iraq holding it’s own second national election in March of next year, shows a promising and incredible display of democracy in places few thought it would ever exist.

But the most staggering sign of the spread of democracy in the Middle East is more current, more incredible, and surprising that nobody is giving it proper attribution.

The recent protests in Iran, by all indications, show a population of young, motivated citizens speaking out and demonstrating against their totalitarian dictatorship.  With the ever present threat of execution floating overhead, Iranians are taking to the streets and demanding their election process be fair and transparent, and that their current president be deposed.

Iran sits directly in between Iraq and Afghanistan.  With real elections being held on both sides – albeit, each being reached in an ugly, and maybe dishonest way – can it be then extrapolated that the winds of democracy are spreading across the boarders and into Iran?  That the Iranian protests are directly related to our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan?  Can it be assumed that once the Iranian people saw their neighbors casting ballots and electing government officials of their own choosing, they finally believed that they could have the same – or better yet, that they deserved it?  Can we really believe that the timing of the largest display of defiance to the Iranian theocracy in 30 years is really just a coincidence?  That it just happens to come once their neighbors are finally taking part in government and getting honest results?  Can we, with all intellectual honesty, believe that?

And if we can agree that we can’t, isn’t this exactly the vision George W. Bush laid out after 9/11?  Could his dream, thought to be naive and laughable only 6 or 7 years ago, really be showing signs of becoming a reality?

One day there will be a free Iran.  Then what?  Saudi Arabia?  Syria?  Could the seeds planted by George W. Bush really lead to a peaceful and more stable Middle East in 50 or 100 years?  If that hypothetical eventually materializes, invading Iraq and Afghanistan will become the linchpin to what will no doubt be touted as the greatest political and humanitarian achievement since the defeat of the Nazi’s.

When it’s all said and done, like Truman before him, could the presidency of George W. Bush really be considered a magnificent achievement?

Could George W. Bush turn out to be a success?

I just finished BioShock, which was my entire reasoning for writing a post about which games I believe to be the best of all-time.  To be frank, BioShock is not on that list.  I did enjoy the game for the most part, but found it maddeningly redundant and boring at times.  Since I heard from so many publications and friends of mine who had played the game that it was basically Jesus on a disc, maybe I was destined to be disappointed.  But I have played many games on high recommendation previously and been thoroughly impressed with many of them.  While it was a pretty good game, BioShock was not one of them.  Once I found that the game wasn’t as utterly transcendent as I anticipated, I looked to the Internets to find someone to validate my opinion so I didn’t feel so lonely.  And I found a few.  This review is essentially exactly (no joke, pretty much word-for-word) how I feel about the game (except for the whole System Shock parts – I’ve never played that game).  My explanation might have been articulated a tad slower, however:

With that demands the question: what are my favorite video games of all-time? Well, the following is the list I’ve compiled to answer that very question.  Mind you, I haven’t played every game most consider “great” in my life up to this point (I’m playing through Half-Life 2 now, so we’ll see about that one) but I’ve gotten through a lot.  I’ve also trended toward Nintendo systems my entire life up until recently, so to have the list skewed in the Big N’s favor is to be expected.  Here is my list:

10. Final Fantasy VIII (Playstation)

I put this as my 10th best game to begin with, then took it off, toyed with a few other entries, only to end up back where I started.  The reason I didn’t want to put this at number 10 boils down to a single, simple reason: I haven’t finished it.  In fact, I don’t think I made it past the 3rd disc.  But it still makes the cut because I love this game to death and all over again. It would probably be in the top 5 had I finished it, but the Playstation we had was my brothers and I’ve never had the opportunity to start it again.  But it’s an amazing game, and I may have loved all Final Fantasy games if I had ever owned a Playstation, a Playstation 2, or a Playstation 3.  The GF battles, the SeeD’s and the Balamb Garden, the assault on the train, and the ballroom dancing – I’m sure all adds up to an amazing game in the end.  And for me, it already does.

9. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo Entertainment System)

The Audrey Hepburn of video games.  Absolutely timeless.  A classic in every sense of the word.  This game raised me.

8. Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)

Like GoldenEye 007 before it (further on down the list), Halo: Combat Evolved marked a new era for first person shooters.  Never had a game continuously held up such high levels of concentrated action interspersed with the feeling of literally being dropped in the middle of a full-on war.  There are moments in the snow covered sections on the Halo ring where the Master Chief walks into some of the most daunting and amazing battles I’ve ever experienced.  And the best part about it is that there are literally 15 different ways you can attack any given situation, giving you a level of choice and strategic thinking never before accomplished in gaming.  Even though the two sequels never could quite match the pure fun of the first, the original Halo is an awe-inspiring experience.

7. Metroid Prime (GameCube)

Transitioning from 2-D to 3-D, in any franchise, has never done more gracefully than this.  Metroid Prime is astonishing in its attention to detail, its intricately planned worlds, and the atmospherics which make the game so immersive.  There was a lot of skepticism going in on the part of a great many people who thought a first-person Metroid game to be nothing short of blasphemous.  Many thought it would be dumbed down for a wider audience – focusing more on shooter aspects while straying away from the quiet exploration which made the franchise so popular.  Theywere so wrong.  Metroid Prime took everything we loved about every Metroid game that came before it and upped the ante ten fold.  Everything in this game is done with care.  The graphics are perfect down to Samus’s face reflection in her HUD, the story is told masterfully and is left up to the player to discover, and the replay value is virtually endless.  The entire Metroid series is getting re-released in the near future – if you have a Wii and haven’t played this, you have to.

6. Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars (Super Nintendo)

I’ve never been one for turn-based RPG’s, but when I was a young tot anything with Mario attached to it was instantly gobbled up the day it came out.  Little did I know that Super Mario RPG would be one of the most unique, hilarious, and expansive gaming experiences I would ever have.  Drawing from much of the Super Mario lore throughout the years, Square (in what I believe was their last game on a Nintendo console for some years) designed a game that, for many, is one of the very best SNES titles ever.  After Princess Peach is captured yet again, Mario goes on an incredible journey, meeting up with puffy marshmallow boys, star-beings embodying children’s toy figurines, the nefarious Bowser, an evil cake, and a giant talking sword to try and save the Mushroom Kingdom, yet again.  Coupled with some hysterically irreverent writing, dozens of side quests, fun combat and inventory systems, SMRPG is a game many are still playing today an eleventh time through on the virtual console.  We’re still waiting for a true sequel – but this one game should be plenty.

5. Shenmue (Dreamcast)

I’m not entirely sure anyone played this game.  I’m also not entirely sure if anyone with a Dreamcast played anything other than the first Sonic the Hedgehog.  But Shenmue was quite the incredible accomplishment.  Building on games like Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda, Shenmue’s watershed achievement was the environment.  Whether it be villages in Japan or bustling Hong Kong, each inch of the Shenmue universe was living, breathing, and usable.  You could interact with every pop machine, arcade game, roadside vendor, and passerby in the game.  You could go anywhere and do anything.  The seasons changed as the game went on and weather patterns moved in and out, bringing the prospect of rain, snow, or sunshine at the beginning of each new day.  The combat system is fun and deep and the conversation mechanic was revolutionary making games of today like Mass Effect and Fallout 3 possible.  If there is any way you can get your hands on this game, do no hesitate.

4. Myst/Riven (PC)

Since they’re basically the same game, I have chosen to combine Myst and its sequel Riven into one entry – albeit 6 years apart.  For me, there has been no more difficult gaming experience mentally than Myst and Riven.  These are truly “thinking” games and made for people who enjoy a good puzzle.  The games are both absolutely gorgeous, despite the fact that they are not fully rendered 3-D and are instead point-and-click endeavors, and have some of the most moody and creepy ambient music in gaming history.  They have also been wildly influential – even to the point that the creators of the television show “Lost” cite Myst as a major influence on the show and its mythos.  Also, of all the games on this list, Myst and Riven are probably the most replayable and timeless – they will never get old or dated.  These are two titles that everyone can enjoy regardless of age or game preference.  Turn down the lights, put on a pair of headphones, and get sucked in – and be prepared to think.

3. GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64)

Truly a revolutionary game.  There is a distinct line when it comes to first person shooters, console or otherwise: everything that came before GoldenEye and everything that came after.  GoldenEye raised the bar in every measurable way – graphically (the draw distance in the snow level is still impressive), level design, and variety of environments and gameplay.  Also, the extent to which it remains true to the movie is commendable – the Archives level designed is exactly the same as the movie set.  And then there’s the multiplayer.  For better or worse, the necessity of the FPS multiplayer can be traced to this title – Counter Strike doesn’t exist without GoldenEye.  And because of how incredible it was, few games have come close to the fun that the GoldenEye multiplayer was, and still is.  Best shooter ever, period.

2.  Metal Gear Solid (Playstation)

The first game that made stealth cool.  It was also the first video game to approach film in terms of story and production value – there are set pieces that are still amazing to this day: the Psycho Mantis fight, Snake vs. the Hind D, the hand-to-hand combat atop the smoldering Metal Gear.  MGS spawned a legion of imitators and still has yet to be matched.  Solid Snake is one of the most entertaining and badass heroes in gaming and the army of memorable baddies are – if a little ridiculous – incredibly memorable and full of character.  Even though the sequels never matched the greatness of the original (full disclosure: I haven’t played Guns of the Patriots), the original Metal Gear Solid still stands on its own as one of the great gaming experiences.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)

Hands down, bar none.  Best video game ever.  Perfect score, 10 out of a possible 10.  Nothing comes close.  The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time completely changed the rules for what a video game could do – and what was to be expected of them – in the Next-Gen world more than any other title.  Every game released today, in one way or another, owes itself to it. The world design is perfect in it’s sheer size and scope.  There are memorable characters in every town, forest, and dungeon in the game.  The dungeon puzzles are an ingenious mix of challenge and fun (for some reason that Forest and Water Temples still give me trouble), and there are no shortage of side quests to distract you from the enormously satisfying main quest.  It was the first time a fully living, breathing, functioning world was realized in a video game.  All and all, this game can be called nothing other than perfect.  There aren’t nearly enough adjectives available in the human language to allow me to praise it as much as it needs to be.  If you haven’t played it yet, there is really no excuse.  Borrow a Wii and download the virtual console version.  You’ll thank me.

I’ve been trying to force myself to finish playing BioShock after starting and stopping it several times over the past year and a half so I can write up a post detailing my 10 best video games of all-time.  Unfortunately, I’m finding it pretty difficult to finish the game (not because it’s hard, but because I’m just not that into it), so I need to post something else to keep my blogging momentum up.

Even if it is a throw away blog entry, I have something little and relatively insignificant to impart.  The guy that does the “All Songs Considered” show on NPR, gave three songs that he considered to be the best of the year – so far.  One of them, “Charlie Darwin” by a band called The Low Anthem sounded interesting to me, so I wrote it down and made sure that I would listen to it later.  I did, and I must say I love it.  They have another song called “To Ohio” which is a little different, but still really good.  I honestly don’t know anything about this band yet, so they may be really popular or they may be nobodies – but they are more on the “indie” sounding side of things.  I will definitely be downloading their entire album, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, ASAP (which will most likely happen well before I finish BioShock).

I’ve come to realize that most music I like will garner strong hatred from basically everyone I know regardless of their own personal musical tastes.  So, I understand if nobody likes these guys.  But I do.

Here are the two songs I mentioned earlier, “Charlie Darwin,” and “To Ohio.”

UPDATE: They will be at the Grog Shop in Cleveland on August 5th (a Wednesday).  Who’s with me???

Happy July 4th.

Have a safe and happy weekend.