Stealing in video games has fascinated me for years. There's likely something deeper to it, about committing nefarious acts in virtual spaces with zero repercussions, but I've always loved the thrill of pickpocketing unsuspecting NPCs from right under their noses before scampering off into the shadows to revel in the spoils. To this end, Thief would become a firm favorite during my formative years – but my very first experience of theft in games came in 1993.
After sprinting out of the Mabe Village shop with an overpriced Bow in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (980 Rupees? Come on!) I felt like a stone cold hero. That is, until my name changed from 'Joe' to 'THIEF' during every single interaction afterwards, my offense capitalized and all. At just seven years old, a video game had never made me feel guilt in this way ever before, but more than this, a video game had never remembered my actions in this way either. Should you ever return to the same Mabe Village tool shop down the line, an angry shopkeeper awaits, in turn scalding you for your misgivings, before blasting you to instant death with a fatal electric shock.
