This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
The Bitmob Featured Community Writer series focuses on you, the Bitmob community member. We dust off a writer's old articles and give them their just reward: more eyeballs. We're featuring some of your favorite contributors, some you may have overlooked, and maybe even you!
Jonathan Oyama has been a Bitmob community member for more than a year, and he's got over 50 articles to prove it. He's as plugged in to gaming news as anyone, and his knowledge of Japanese RPGs and fighting games is unmatched.
On top of that, Jonathan is one of the most active commenters on the whole site, and his remarks there are just as good as his articles. So to honor his valuable contributions, we're featuring some of his best work here.
Front-page highlights
The Ninja Kids: An epic war between ninjutsu and Satanism: "Although most people will probably never want to play this horrorfest of a game, it will always hold a special place in my heart thanks to its strange Satanist imagery and its odd (Christian?) message."
Digital friends with benefits: Socialization in games: "I'm a little disappointed with video games these days because most are just yearly rehashes of previous releases. Thankfully, titles like Persona 4 and Team Fortress 2 stand apart from the rest of the crowd. These titles use social elements to enhance their gameplay in lieu of more pedestrian mechanics."
Why Final Fantasy 13 was a success (part 1): Revamping the battle system: "All the battle mechanics make fights more entertaining and exciting than any previous entry in the franchise. The entire game ends up being a visceral, action-packed experience. It's not perfect, but I have to say that the press' ill will toward the title seems a bit unwarranted."
Mobfeed highlights
Girls, love, and video games: "I'm embarassed to say this, but I've learned the most about mutual romantic relationships from video games. It all started with Chrono Trigger. I fell in love with an infamous beautiful girl named Marle. And for most of my early childhood, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Well, until I found out what sex was."
Shantae: The quest for the bikini photo: "I rejoiced once the ending picture came on the screen. Okay, I'll admit that this thing wasn't worth all the blood, sweat, and tears I had to endure in the final battle. But the bikini challenge is more about the journey than the ending."
Gamers' History: Fighting-game story evolution: "When people played the first fighting games, they probably didn't expect them to evolve with deep storylines on the dramatic level of Blazblue. Even today, some gamers wouldn't say that fighting game plots are the most memorable. But the current fighting game narratives are much more epic than the comedic centerpieces they used to be."
Want to be a Featured Community Writer? Then register with Bitmob and start contributing! You need to use your real name, and it wouldn't hurt to write a Meet the Mob post about yourself and tag it with "Meet the Mob." If you have a favorite Bitmob community writer and want to nominate him or her, send me an e-mail at layton.shumway@bitmob.com.