Games
Jeannail ‘Cuddle_Core’ Carter takes us through her all-time three favourite games, but ultimately only saves one in the latest Save Your Game podcast.
As one of the best Tekken players in the World, Jeannail ‘Cuddle_Core’ Carter needs little introduction. Hailing from Chicago, Cuddle_Core fought her way up through local tournaments all the way to winning the ICFC North American finals.
Her love for games spreads further than just fighting games though – in this episode of the Save Your Game podcasts she talks about some of the best narrative games from her youth and explains that even single-player games can bring people closer together. Ultimately, Cuddle_Core will have to pick a single game to save for the Save Your Game podcast.
Almost every gamer remembers some of their earliest gaming memories. For some, it’s a nighttime drive in the backseat of their parent’s car, using the street lights to illuminate their GameBoys to play. For others, it might be stepping into a fantasy world for the first time, and truly falling in love with the environment. Cuddle_Core’s early gaming memories consist of her playing games with her father. To no surprise, one of those games was Tekken 2 – the game that kickstarted her love for fighting games and competition.
As her love for games grew, so did Cuddle_Core’s skill level. She started competing in local tournaments, where she met other competitors and quickly became friends with them – joining the local FGC. Her talent and determination to improve led to her being one of Tekken’s top players in the World, often beating the international competition and landing her a top eight spot at the latest EVO.
God of War
The first game Cuddle_Core thinks about saving is God of War. The game was released in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and sold over 4.6 million copies worldwide. In God of War, players control Kratos as he murders his enemies in gruesome hack and slash combat. What Cuddle_Core loves about God of War is the narrative storyline between all of the games and the difficulty spikes against the bosses. In the podcast, she explains that “You’re really not supposed to like Kratos in the beginning, but you kind of sympathise with him”. Throughout the storyline of the different games, Kratos’ character develops a ton, Cuddle_Core points out, even becoming a father figure in the latest instalment.
Cuddle_Core tells us that she can somewhat relate to that father-child connection – which makes the game special for her. She also talks about the fact that the boss fights can be extremely tough and the valkyrie fights ramp up in difficulty. She loves a challenge, and God of War is a perfect blend of difficult hack and slash combat and a great narrative storyline.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 was (as the name suggests) the second instalment in the famous Resident Evil series. Released in 1998 for PlayStation, the game set the tone for future horror titles. Fans still debate which Resident Evil game is the best, and Resident Evil 2 comes up often as one of the front runners. In 2019, Resident Evil 2 was modernised and given a fresh coat of paint while keeping most of the 1998 gameplay intact.
When the horror staple was released, Cuddle_Core was too young to play it – but she watched in awe as her father waded through hordes of zombies. Years later, she picked up the game and noticed that it was still just as scary as before. One of the aspects that made things so nerve-wracking was the fixed camera angle, and she explains that “Walking towards a door or a corner while not being able to switch the angle before you walk past is scary – you have no idea what’s waiting for you until the game shows the next fixed screen.”
Devil May Cry 1
Devil May Cry 1 launched in 2001 for the PlayStation 2, and was immediately praised as something special. In Devil May Cry, you control Dante as he slashed demons with incredibly rewarding combat using his guns and swords. “Over the top action” is the best way to describe the hack and slash game – as you combo your opponents in the air and kill them before they ever touch the level’s flooring.
Cuddle’s introduction to Devil May Cry was, again, her dad playing through it. Her first thought was “Wow, this guy (Dante) is so cool!”. However, the main draw to the game was the combat. “I liked how you could set up the combos with Dante and the environment was great too – it was very Gothic to me”. The flow of the game is one of its strongest points, as the player never really feels a dull moment, and Devil May Cry is an action movie that never really puts on the brakes until the ending credits begin to roll.
If you’re curious which game Cuddle_Core picked to save for the Save Your Game podcast or if you’d like a more in-depth explanation on how she grew as a Tekken player and who inspired her, then make sure to listen to the entire episode of the Save Your Game on Red Bull TV, Apple, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
