Much like the way radio and television were once new and unexplored territories before becoming the staple outlets they are today, videogames have yet to exert their full impact on our society, and we as the people playing them still cannot clearly predict the role they will eventually come to play. In this installment of Thought Processing, we look at videogames from the perspective of the "older" generation blazing a trail into this brave new world.

The seventh installment of our semi-regular feature covers Gadget Racers, Dragon's Lair I & II and Gundam Battle Assault 2.

In the world of videogames, there are a number of virtual celebrities that have just as much fame and recognition as those on the silver screen or MTV. In fact, some are so famous that they’ve reached the exalted "single-word name" plateau, eclipsing countless other real-life personalities. Mario. Sonic. Lara. You know them on sight, you’ve played their games, and the odds are that you love at least a few of them.

Once in a while, a game comes along that gathers good reviews from the general public but leaves critics and experienced game players wondering what all the hubbub is about. On the flip side, many newer gamers are often left puzzled why a game they love got the cold shoulder from the press when it seemed like a clear winner.

Welcome to "Thought Processing", a new feature here at GameCritics.com. The goal of this series is to raise issues, start discussion and hopefully get you thinking in new ways about topics relevant to today’s gamers.