Why are you studying games?
Ever since I got my first console, a Nintendo GameCube, I've always dreamed of putting my own creations onto it. Of course, the GameCube is defunct now, but having grown up on Super Smash Bros. Melee, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and the many Pokemon games, I've always been interested in learning how they were put together, and I've always wanted to make something that could attain that level of style and entertainment. To me, games are entertainment, and I'd love to help people feel good about playing them.
Describe your favorite project made by a classmate.
Snakety-Eight was created by Rowan, a friend of mine, as well as a team of his friends, which combined the gameplay of arcade classic Snake and the mobile game 2048 into one piece. It was shockingly well done, and kind of came with a slew of other Snake-based games. I just always remember it.
Describe your most embarrassing playtesting moment.
When presenting a card game based on superheroes, we had to use preexisting images of comic book characters due to time constraints. During playtest, while it went only okay because the game was essentially a convoluted version of Pandemic, I posted the images of the playtest on Imgur, where uninformed bystanders only grew incredibly confused by what the cards were supposed to be.
What's your secret weapon?
A years-old laptop that can barely run Team Fortress 2 without stuttering like Porky Pig.
Describe one memorable lecture, assignment, or exercise you've had at the Game Center.
The fighting games lecture in Game 101! The fact that terms like "salty", "bodied", and "When's Marvel" were a part of it will always amaze me.
How has the Game Center changed your thinking about games?
There are people out there with such diverse and deep knowledge of obscure games that it's made me self-conscious about how mainstream my tastes are.
What do you hope to accomplish after school?
I want to work in a studio and help design and work on major projects.
What's the last great game you played and what's great about it?
Psychonauts. The game is hilariously written, the psychic abilities you get are all useful and introduced at a good pace, and the art style and music hold up over a decade later. The platforming is diverse and interesting, and the worlds you traverse are a wonderful mixed bag of settings and mechanics.
What's your favorite New York City spot?
The dumpling shop down the street from me where the owner knows me by name.
