Cirque du Strange

Life’s a drag
So there you are, Cloud Strife, hero of Final Fantasy VII, your quest to save the world suddenly halted by a lecherous gang lord. Fight him? Threaten him? Not with love interest Aeris on hand to insist that you take the stealthier option. “Cloud, why don’t you dress up as a girl?” Dignity goes out the window in a chorus of Benny Hill music, and that’s just the start. Winning a wig from a strongman in a squats contest? Shudder.

Strumpets of Silicon
You know your industry’s made it when the porn world starts to take notice. From bizarre little clips such as the endlessly circulating Lara Croft striptease of Petra Verkaik, Playboy’s 1997 Model of the Year, to entire movies. Movies such as Misty Mundae: Erotic Raider, featuring the dullest lady-on-lady action in the history of Sapphism, and ironically starring an actress as flat as an ironing board. Oh, the things we research for you, dear reader. Unfortunately, elsewhere matters get much darker, with the Japanese market going in for what can only be described as rape fantasies about its many RPG heroines. Extremely unpleasant, and that’s all the detail you’re getting.