Drawn to Life
TIP: Some stuff here changes color if you hover over it!
What It Is
Drawn to Life is a series of platformers initially made for the Nintendo DS in the late 2000s. Their central gimmick derives relies on the DS touch screen, which allows players to draw their own hero character and props (like weapons and platforms).
The game is rated E, but it has some surprisingly serious elements, including injured children, unreality, car accidents, and Christianity.
What It's About
The game focuses on the plight of the Raposa, little anthropomorphic fox-like critters. The player controls the Hero – a mannequin brought to life by the Raposa's demiurge, the Creator – to help the Raposa deal with the threat of Shadow and its patron: the devilish Wilfre.
The majority of the game itself is a simple E-rated good-vs-evil narrative with heavy Christian flavor, though the very end of the DS version of The Next Chapter has a shocking twist in the credits so grim and serious that future rereleases and the Wii version had to change it entirely. Despite this, the threequel, Two Realms, later confirms the original ending's canonicity very explicitly - in fact, it's a central part of the story.
I haven't managed to finish Two Realms, and I'm not familiar with the Wii version of The Next Chapter, which has an entirely different plotline than the DS version. I hear they're not as great, and I don't doubt that, but hopefully, someday, I can try and enjoy them for myself.
Why I Like It
As you can imagine, as an artistic kid, I loved the premise of making your own player character from your own drawings. I first got the sequel, The Next Chapter, from my cousin's friend's mom at a party after she saw me with a DS. I didn't get an opportunity to play the first game until the Switch threequel came out, but that was okay! I was enthralled with that installment of the game all the same. It perfectly exemplifies the nostalgic DS era of gaming in my eyes.
In addition, while you probably wouldn't expect to hear this about a game where half the stuff is made by you, it has some wonderful original character design and art of its own! The Raposa are cute and full of personality, and the music is catchy and fun.
My favorite character is the villain, of course. Wilfre embraces his role as the bad guy, and his role in the story is fascinating. Keeping to the game's blatantly Christian themes, he's a clear analogue for Lucifer, the fallen angel, characterized by his charismatic past life and arrogant irreverance for the Creator. In addition, the ending of the sequel recontextualizes his goals entirely. Was he, perhaps, the good guy after all? (Nope.)
In addition, I just love Wilfre's related music, especially his final boss theme, and all of his relevant designs are just as fun. Wilfre's just a great character, and I hope he gets a more prominent role in any future installments we might get!
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