The Community Spotlight highlights some of the best articles that didn't quite make the front page. This week, we fight with a defender of the forest, revel in our more base desires, study Sun Tzu by way of Nolan Bushnell, and praise some hidden gems of gaming's past. Not all at once, though, because that would be weird. And possibly illegal.  

Nakoruru: The real Captain Planet
By Jonathan Oyama
I don't know anything about the Samurai Shodown games, but Jonathan's ode to this SNK warrior is stirring. Any character who can prompt allusions to Princess Mononoke and Jesus Christ Superstar in the same article must have some serious depth.

Capitalism and video games: Why are video games popular?
By Soheil Rezaee
Soheil sees video games as a means of escaping reality and expressing the darker urges of our hearts. As he points out, we live in a societal structure where such expression is possible. Hey, when I see investment bankers trading Pokémon on Wall Street, then I'll know gaming has really arrived.

Demon's Souls and football: A love letter
By Mike McLeod
Have you ever been through the hellish football conditioning sessions known as two-a-days? I have, and I'm suppressing my vomit reflex at the mere memory. But they serve a purpose, which Mike aptly points out -- they strengthen a team and bind its members together, just like those who have survived the rigors of Demon's Souls. Makes me want to strap my helmet back on and hit somebody.

Atari of War
By John Drotar
Grab your note-taking materials -- John's got a masterful lecture on the history of Atari. He traces the company through its early years using Sun Tzu's The Art of War as a backdrop for its successes and failures. Want to know why you're not eagerly awaiting the launch of the Atari 3DS? Read this.

10 franchises that deserve another shot
By Jeff Rivera
Man, I miss ActRaiser. Jeff does, too, along with a slew of other gaming classics like Star Control 2, Blast Corps, and Jet Set Radio. Here's hoping they all see the light of day in some form again. (An iOS version of Gargoyle's Quest? Yes please!)