Dave The Diver Taught Me To Enjoy The Simple Things In Life | A Dave The Diver Retrospective

Dive. Sushi. Sleep. Repeat.

In this video essay, we explore the 2023 adventure comedy video game Dave The Diver, “diving deep” into the game mechanics while diving & sushi serving, how it sets itself apart from other underwater games, how Dave is a video game representation of a mindful life, not needing luxury while managing to get along with everybody above the surface and at the Sea Village, and why this game’s motto should be “everyday alive is a good day” (for convenience's sake, I recommend Chapters 3, 4, 6, and 8 to get to the sushi meat of my critique in this video).

Chapters/Time Stamps:
1. Introduction – 00:00
2. The Pixelated Man And The Sea – 08:16
3. Sushi – 18:12
4. Playing For Pleasure – 28:10
5. Music Matters – 58:34
6. Dave – 01:05:39
7. On The Other Hand – 01:34:23
8. “Indie” Game In The Room – 01:40:23
9. Conclusion – 01:46:34
?. Teaser - 01:51:03

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Watch My Other Video Essays:
Night In The Woods Taught Me To Love And Hate My Hometown -
   • Night In The Woods Taught Me To Love ...  
Hyper Light Drifter | At The Heart Of Mortality -
   • Hyper Light Drifter - At The Heart Of...  
Breath Of The Wild Taught Me To Love And Appreciate Nature -
   • Breath Of The Wild Taught Me To Love ...  
Why Gone Home Does Not Hold Up -
   • Why Gone Home Does Not Hold Up | A Go...  
Melatonin Taught Me To Love And Appreciate Dreaming -
   • Melatonin Taught Me To Love And Appre...  
Star Fox 64 Taught Me To Love And Appreciate Video Games -
   • Star Fox 64 Taught Me To Love And App...  
The Legend Of Zelda Taught Me To Be My Own Hero -
   • The Legend Of Zelda Taught Me To Be M...  

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References And Sources:
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Duhigg, Charles (2012). The Power Of Habit
Epicurus. The Art Of Happiness
Hemingway, Ernest (1952). The Old Man And The Sea.
Plato. The Republic
https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/pl...
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/et...
https://www.universityofcalifornia.ed...

All Dave The Diver Game Footage Captured By Myself Playing Mac Unless Otherwise Noted.

Video Games Referenced And Captured:
A Short Hike
American Arcadia
Animal Well
Another Crab’s Treasure
Bioshock
Celeste
Dave The Diver
Doom
Dredge
Ecco The Dolphin
Fez
FIrewatch
Five Nights At Freddy’s
Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Harvest Moon 64
Hollow Knight
Hyper Light Drifter
Mario Kart 64
Melatonin
Minecraft
Pac-Man
Papers, Please
Punch-Out
Quake
Roller Coaster Tycoon 2
Return Of The Obra Dinn
Stardew Valley
Subnautica
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2 
System Shock 2
Tetris
The Legend Of Zelda
The Legend Of Zelda – Breath Of The Wild
The Legend Of Zelda – Ocarina Of Time 
The Legend Of Zelda – Tears Of The Kingdom 
The Sims 3
Ultros
Undertale
What Remains Of Edith Finch

Endless Ocean Luminous Trailer:
   • Endless Ocean Luminous - Announcement...  
Super Mario Wonder Trailer:
   • Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Launch Tra...  
The Legend Of Zelda - The Wind Waker Sailing Footage (by Captain Legz):
   • 1 Hour Of Free Roaming The Sea In Win...  

Tags:

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