By @arombough
Way back in 1996 there was a wonderful spring time of youth occurring with videogames in the home reaching unparalleled strength as console gaming broke through to the third dimension and started making every day gaming all the more real and satisfying. Eidos had a great idea for a return to classic adventure style gaming, not a new concept, think Pitfall for the Atari 2600, but they had a great idea for the main character and protagonist of this game.
Way back in 1996 there was a wonderful spring time of youth occurring with videogames in the home reaching unparalleled strength as console gaming broke through to the third dimension and started making every day gaming all the more real and satisfying. Eidos had a great idea for a return to classic adventure style gaming, not a new concept, think Pitfall for the Atari 2600, but they had a great idea for the main character and protagonist of this game.
A chick.
Not just any chick either, a buxom British heiress with automatic weapons and skin tight clothes providing little to no protection from the adverse jungle climates and dinosaurs she would have to face. She was strong, brave, and kicked ass, and the teenage boys just ate her up. A good game for the time for sure, but the lasting impression whenever someone mentions “Tomb Raider” or “Lara Croft” is of a sexy woman in short shorts with hand guns. A digital sex symbol for the new age of videogames was born.
After several mediocre sequels, comic books, imitators, and a couple of major motion pictures featuring the well known for her own figure, Angelina Jolie. It seemed like the world had tired of its first leading lady of adventure. The original Tomb Raider that started it all got a revamp in 2007, bringing Lara to the exciting world of anti-aliasing graphics and dynamic shaded models. Also, her breasts no longer looked like perfect pyramids super glued onto her chest. Enhanced and remodeled, she had a new lease on adventuring videogame life!
Not just any chick either, a buxom British heiress with automatic weapons and skin tight clothes providing little to no protection from the adverse jungle climates and dinosaurs she would have to face. She was strong, brave, and kicked ass, and the teenage boys just ate her up. A good game for the time for sure, but the lasting impression whenever someone mentions “Tomb Raider” or “Lara Croft” is of a sexy woman in short shorts with hand guns. A digital sex symbol for the new age of videogames was born.
After several mediocre sequels, comic books, imitators, and a couple of major motion pictures featuring the well known for her own figure, Angelina Jolie. It seemed like the world had tired of its first leading lady of adventure. The original Tomb Raider that started it all got a revamp in 2007, bringing Lara to the exciting world of anti-aliasing graphics and dynamic shaded models. Also, her breasts no longer looked like perfect pyramids super glued onto her chest. Enhanced and remodeled, she had a new lease on adventuring videogame life!
This was a nice resurgence to nostalgic gaming that had been good, but recently the makers and owners of the Tomb Raider franchise have decided to ret-con Lara and start from the very beginning again. However, this time Lara won’t be packing her two greatest assets.
Looking more youthful, and baring a striking resemblance to the female leads from the film “The Descent” Lara has been given a virtual body makeover and now appears to be a rock climbing gymnast, even matching the Olympic gymnasts in that oddly young body she now possesses.
Will it be a good game? Has she lost some of her beauty and original form to reflect the Hollywood body image for young and popular actresses? Only time will tell if this new direction is a good one or bad, but at least we know that she’s not dead yet, no matter how many times it seemed that way both in the real world, and in the virtual land of video games.
Will it be a good game? Has she lost some of her beauty and original form to reflect the Hollywood body image for young and popular actresses? Only time will tell if this new direction is a good one or bad, but at least we know that she’s not dead yet, no matter how many times it seemed that way both in the real world, and in the virtual land of video games.
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