Martin Wood-Features Writer

Editorial Team

Features Writer

January, 2022
MA Literature & Culture, BA English
Pokemon, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda
  • 323
    articles
  • 323
    Features

Page 11

About Martin Wood

Having worked as a writer since 2014, Martin Wood started as a gaming academic before joining TheBestWarGames. His passion and aspirations for the field began with his childhood favorites, like Pokemon Silver and Jak & Daxter. Now an advocate for the critical study of gaming and backed by a Master's in Literature & Culture specializing in digital media from the University of Birmingham, he's hoping to share his ideas and insight with others. When he's not cooking up new articles though, he'll either be "researching" new games or trying his hand at some game design of his own.

Favorite Games

Despite its age and hit-and-miss legacy, the Jak & Daxter trilogy will always have a special place in my heart alongside others like Pokemon, Uncharted, and Assassin's Creed.

However, my most recent favorites include the likes of The Legend of Zelda Switch games, the Horizon series, and Control.

Favorite Console

Thanks to games like Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom, it has to be the Nintendo Switch for proving that you don't need the highest specs to deliver a great gaming experience. I can't wait to see what comes next with the Switch 2!

Industry Focus

With my academic specialization in digital media, I'm driven to engage with gaming at a deeper cultural and technical level.  I want to understand what makes games tick, why they succeed or fail, how future games might evolve moving forward, and so much more.

Ultimately, I want my enthusiasm and ideas to help encourage others to see gaming as more than just entertainment, but as a fascinating field worth digging into.

Latest

Overwatch 2 LGBTQ Heroes
All LGBTQ+ Overwatch 2 Heroes

As Lifeweaver is the latest addition to Overwatch 2's roster, there is a growing number of heroes who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has already been nominated and won multiple awards.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Isn't Out Yet But Has Multiple Nominations and A Couple of Awards Already

Despite not even being out yet thanks to delays, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has several awards and nominations to its name.

Pikmin 4 Night Levels Silent Realms
Pikmin 4's Night Levels Could Take a Page from Skyward Sword's Silent Realms

It seems Pikmin 4's new night levels could be taking notes from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's Silent Realms through similar mechanics.

Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom New Vehicles
What Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's New Vehicles Could Mean For The Master Cycle Zero

With vehicles and building mechanics revealed for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the fate of the Master Cycle Zero is in question.

Pokemon Scarlet Violet Cat Dog Debate
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 'Settle' the Cat vs. Dog Debate

After the series spent years avoiding the question, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet seem to finally have an answer for whether Pokemon favors cats or dogs.

Pokemon Scarlet Violet Tauros Forms Undermine
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Tauros Variants Undermine Regional Forms as a Concept

Due to its poor reception in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Paldean Tauros and its three forms seem to ignore what made regional variants so beloved.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom 2023
What to Expect From The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023

After much anticipation, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is nearing its release date and prompted new talk about expectations for 2023.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has stressed the issue with Nidoran's gendered forms.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Put Game Freak at a Fork in The Road With The Nidoran Lines

Despite trying to innovate on gender in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Game Freak still hasn't resolved the growing problem of the Nidoran lines.

Joel and Ellie from The Last of US TV series, the latest video game adaptation.
Video Games Broke the 'Adaptation Curse' Long Before The Last of Us

Ahead of The Last of Us TV debut, talk of cursed gaming adaptations reared up again despite this curse having been broken well before the HBO series.

Pokemon Hisuian DLC
How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Set Paldea Up for Hisuian DLC

With datamines leaking Hisuian Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, there could actually be earlier signs that Hisuian DLC was planned all along.

Pokemon Scarlet  and Violet has multiple gimmicks, including those seen here with Paradox Pokemon, Terastallization, Titan Pokemon, and Regional Fakes.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Feel Overwhelmed by Gimmicks

While ambitious, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's many gimmicks have resulted in them fighting for the spotlight with none shining through in the games.

Assassin's Creed Mirage logo with its codename
What Assassin's Creed Mirage's 'Rift' Codename Suggests About Its Story

Speculation about Assassin's Creed Mirage's story might lead one to look back to its working title "Rift" alongside other codenames for clues.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's introduction of Kingambit with an official Pokemon chess set
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Kingambit Missed the Opportunity Channel its Chess References

Kingambit's introduction in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet shows the Pawniard line still has potential, but the new evolution misses its chess references.

breath-of-the-wild-2-tears-of-the-kingdom-title
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom May Unfortunately Reduce the Titular Princess to a 'Damsel in Distress' Again

Players might be hoping for a bigger role for Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but early signs seem to suggest otherwise.

Pokemon still has several unused type combinations as of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Exploring Every Type Combo Still Unused as of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Even after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, there are still plenty of unused type combos that Game Freak should explore in future games and generations.

New Pokemon type combinations introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's New, Never-Before-Seen Type Combos Explained

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet went above and beyond in terms of introducing unused type combinations with both all-new Pokemon and Paradox forms.

Divine Beast Trial
Zelda: Breath of the Wild's DLC Could Help Influence New Dungeons in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It's unclear how The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will approach its dungeons, but fans believe that previous DLC could provide vital clues.

The three dragons from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Should Do More With its Dragons

With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom taking to Hyrule's skies, it has huge potential to expand its dragons in terms of story and gameplay.

Zelda Hookshot
The Case for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to Add a Grapple Mechanic

After being cut from its predecessor, grappling should be part of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to expand players' freedom across Hyrule.

Bayonetta 3 Perfect Ending Cerezas Trilogy
Bayonetta 3 Was a Perfect Ending to Cereza's Trilogy

Though it left fans divided, Bayonetta 3's ending is actually the perfect way to complete Cereza's trilogy so that the series' future can thrive.