The Power of a Non-Stereotypical Asian Character in Gaming

The early '90s were a nostalgic and unique time in gaming. As a bookish 11-year-old in braces and a hot pink jogging set who didn't fit in on the playground, my only comforts were my best friend Denise, our after-school episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation over Pringles, and the family desktop, in all of its beige glory. While most of my classmates in elementary school argued over whether the Super Nintendo or the Sega Genesis was the superior console, I turned my attention to PC gaming, then just an afterthought. Most kids in my grade only used their family computers to boot up Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing or Encarta to finish their book reports. Because my mom's longtime boyfriend was a computer repair person who often brought his work home, I grew up around piles of IDE cables and optical disc drives, excited about weekend trips to Fry's Electronics to check out of the large, glossy cardboard boxes housing the latest entertaining floppies and CDs.