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45 articles in this category
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Did You Have The (Nintendo) Power?
On my journey through the world of nostalgia, the flood of memories usually involves my family. Today, video games are more or less about system quality, graphics, achievements, or
and less about people gathering around a system to enjoy the experience. Nintendo still does it – the experience with the Wii and Wii U follows the ideals that video games should be fun for the whole family. I’m not against being a hardcore gamer – I mean, sometimes I feel like ripping a still beating heart from my opponent’s chest, but regardless there is something to be said for the special time games of old. It doesn’t have to go back as far as mine, but consider when you first fell in love with games.
[caption id=attachment_2154" align="alignleft" width="240] At least she has a hobby...[/caption]
Let me take you back, and share a memory when I first fell in love with games.
GET THE POWER!!
In an issue of Nintendo Power magazine, my brother, Dennis, claims there is an ad asking for photographic evidence of the completion of Super Mario World. I'm not too sure of this accusation, since there have been plenty of
issues since then (at least until they stopped printing them) and I'm not about to go scrounging around for the answers. While a stray copy might exist in some nerdatorium-like Bat Cave, or perhaps in the archives of the Nintendo Company, the bass line of truth remains. I do not care that much to prove him wrong. Be that as it may, in the possession of our family photo album is the evidence that we did, in fact, defeat the evil Bowser and release all of the imprisoned Yoshi...or Yoshis back in 1991.
[caption id=attachment_2155" align="alignright" width="223] Get the POWER![/caption]
The hype, of course, was the final battle scene. Bowser would enter the stage riding inside his floating white and green transporter, painted with an orange, clown-like smiley face. Mario would have just made it to the top of the tower after battling various Mecha-Koopas and spitting fireballs. He'd be more than just a little singed, but he might have a feather stowed away- just in case he needs his cape.
To be frank, though, whatever form of 'power-up' he came into the final dungeon with, fire flower or feather; it was long gone by this showdown. The killer part was getting to Bowser with at least some strength, at least a mushroom. Super Mario was better than little Mario any day.
The final dungeon is usually much more difficult than Bowser. Final levels from Mario games past consisted of one continuous level; this new final dungeon had two parts. The problem with Super Mario World’s final dungeon was a matter of personal choice. The dangers span between falling buzz saws to chattering skulls that carry Mario over lava. Every door takes Mario to a separate part of the dungeon. Of course, after we played through the game in years to come, we found a consistent pattern of easiest doors to enter. But, at this particular moment in history, we had never beaten the game.
Facing Bowser
Dennis, my eldest brother, sat on the edge of his heavy wooden chair, analog controller in hand, eyes squinting at the screen. Beside me, my other brother Philip stood, leaning forward like he was about to catch a fish with his hands. I wouldn't recommend catching the bone fish with razor sharp fangs that swam in Bowser's moat. My second oldest brother, Donald, paced, twiddling his fingers before his lips as he observed the final stretch from behind the couch. My mother wasn't watching at all. She was sewing a pair of jeans, but occasionally, she smirked in our direction with a shaking head.
She had seen this all before; the anticipation, the licking of the lips, the hunched shoulders, the leaning so far in that it left one vulnerable to a shove. Whenever Dennis would get close to defeating Bowser, the opportunity would slip from his grasp by way of misstep or miscalculation. Bowser's flying clown car would crush him with its spinning turbines and he would cry out. "That was FFFu--cheap. That was cheap." Lucky to remember my mom was sitting right behind him, he would usually catch himself.
This time was different. Dennis was in the zone. He licked his lips and kept a careful eye on Bowser. He had the algorithm memorized. Bowser would float around and throw giant bowling balls out of his clown chariot. Then he would swoop down on Mario. If the plucky plumber managed to dodge those obstacles, the King Koopa would chuck Mecha-Koops at him. Those Mecha's were oh-so-helpful for striking Bowser, once they'd become immobilized with a single jump.
Dennis was on a roll. One hit would send that over-grown lizard flying.
Bowser Strikes Back
[caption id=attachment_2159" align="alignleft" width="259] This is totally not terrifying.[/caption]
Mom had stopped sewing the jeans and watched the action on the screen. The four of us hardly noticed.
Bowser was ticked. His eyes swirled and he waved his arms in the air. Struck by a Mecha-Koopa, his clown cart capsized. But the giant turtle, lizard, reptile-king managed to control himself and fly off screen. Suddenly, the sky rained fire. Easy enough to dodge, the little spits had two evil eye slits. After the barrage of flame, Bowser's chariot returned. This time, Princess Toadstool rose like a charmed snake and cried, "Mario!" She tossed a helpful mushroom. As the battle continued, Donald's pace quickened. The shelves shook as his feet thudded of the ground. Phil bit his nails, and with his free hand, he clutched the table that held the television.
[caption id=attachment_2161" align="alignright" width="300] Maybe something dramatic will happen![/caption]
"Don't touch that!" I grabbed his hand and forced it off the table. "You want the game to restart?" The good ol' Super Nintendo had sensitivity. One good shake and not only would the game be lost, but the save spot too.
"You're not the boss of me," Phil said.
"Quiet!" Mom was leaning forward now and watching the battle as if it were the World Series. We silenced. Dennis had made it passed the second round and Bowser was fed up. He slammed into the ground with his clown hover, turbines spinning like a windmill in a tornado. Occasionally, he tossed a Mecha-Koopa, bowling balls, or slammed into a section of the rocky castle brick.
We stopped breathing. Dennis was hit by a spinning turbine. Super Mario shrank. It was all over. Little Mario sped out of the way as Bowser crashed along, accidentally smashing one of his own Mecha's.
Mario Out Of Luck
Dennis saw his opportunity. Donald stopped pacing. Phil had no more nails to chew, so he bit his fingers. I clasped my hands together, while my mother covered her mouth.Mario darted beneath the massive King Koopa, grasped the fallen Mecha and threw it high into the lightning cracked sky. Bowser saw stars. He spun out of control and flipped. Princess Toadstool floated safely down and we cheered. This was the moment we had been waiting for.
Dennis jumped into the air...and landed hard. The table and game jarred and the screen went black.
PWNED
A collective scream shattered the room and chaos erupted. Donald ran out of the room and paced in the hall way, yelling at Dennis from a safe distance. Philip began to argue with him over whose fault it was. I was close to tears. My first real video game ending and I couldn't even watch it.
"Why don't you beat it again?" The voice of reason. Mom smiled from her chair. We stared at her and she shrugged. "You did it once, right?" Dennis took in a deep breath and hit the reset button. The Super Mario World coin appeared and it was game on--Part Two.
[caption id=attachment_2164" align="alignleft" width="225] Epic SHOWDOWN...at least that's how we saw it.[/caption]
The second round of Dennis vs. King Koopa was successful. My mother had the camera ready and Dennis kept his feet on the ground. I'll never be sure if he did send a copy to Nintendo Power. I do know that we have a copy to keep this memory; my first game ending ever.
[caption id=attachment_2157" align="alignright" width="256] Worth all the time![/caption]
Since then, there have been many beaten games, many entirely on my own and it was never as epic it seemed. Then again, everything seems so much cooler when you are five. It seems such a small accomplishment now since we can pretty much beat the game blind-folded after playing it so many times.
Of course, there are so many wonderful games out there that I have yet to play, so time will tell. Perhaps my nephews or my own future children will have the same feeling one day.
How about you readers? What was your first epic game experience? When did you fall in love with games? =) Be sure to comment! Now, go play games.
[caption id=attachment_2212" align="aligncenter" width="1920]
Click here so you too can see the credits!![/caption]
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Horror Game Settings: Raccoon City vs The Warlock's Castle
When it comes to fear, everyone has their own poison. Some are afraid of clowns, others spiders, and some might be afraid of plastic wrap, but the general idea is that everyone is afraid of something. I have a handful of irrational fears: the dentist, needles, clowns, and zombies. I'm not really sure why, but something about each of those 'things' freaks me out. Aside from phobias, it is easy for me to be frightened by things, and I blame my love for music and writing.
Music and writing can pray on your fears like a mantis on the head of her mate! It lulls video gamers into a false sense of security, or just nerves them up and boom—you are dead. Still, the mark of a decent writer or a composer is the chills that make a gamer want to vomit as they enter that creaking door.
Now hold on. You know, some people like to be scared. Horror games are a pretty popular genre. But when is a game really scary? I mean, a number of games can have zombies, or ghosts, or...chainsaw wielding killers, but honestly, half of what players hope to be frightening ends up just being ridiculously bad. I, on the other hand, am stuck in a time warp. Times have changed for the horror genre and there are new ways to make gamers wet themselves, but is the style really different today? Do the same skin crawling techniques apply to the current generation of gamers?
[caption id=attachment_2131" align="aligncenter" width="1024] Um...That's a big bowl of NOPE.[/caption]
Actually, I'm not too keen on the horror genre. In fact, if anyone asked me if I've played any recent horror game, I may respond by screaming and throwing holy water on the poor soul. That being said, I'm going to take you way back to a bygone era when I did dabble in scary stuff before my belly was painted yellow.
Now, there are two games I blame for current day cowardice: Shadowgate for the NES and Resident Evil: Director's Cut. How can this be? They certainly can't be too scary now! Not so fast. Maybe my childhood nightmares send me into a panic whenever I hear a zombie shuffle down the alley, but it may very well be the very fibers of the horror genre that still grip me. Consider early horror movies; they are the trend setters for the future of horror! Perhaps the same could be said about video games. Let's examine each game starting with Shadowgate.
Scary Point and Click Games
[caption id=attachment_2132" align="alignleft" width="218] Clearly a lovely way to pass the time.[/caption]
So, why in the world would this lovely game make me want to cry every time it was inserted into the game console?
Well, for starters, the premise of this game is pretty simple. It is a text based game where the player guides the protagonist through a dungeon, searching for an evil warlock. This warlock lord plans on summoning a Behemoth and taking the whole world to hell. It is a nice basis for a typical medieval text based RPG. However, when the player begins the game, the music isn't the normal 'knights and lady fair'
<---- LISTEN!
[caption id=attachment_2133" align="alignright" width="234] I'm sure nothing bad will happen once we go inside.[/caption]
Now you get to enjoy 8-bit music while trying to figure out how this stuff is even the least bit scary. Continuing on, Shadowgate's game-play is based on puzzles that lead the player through the dungeon and ultimately to the Warlock Lord. No actual battling takes place; it's essentially a point and click game, but the player needs to find objects in order to get through the castle alive. If the player doesn't find what he or she needs, death is an instant result.
[caption id=attachment_2135" align="alignleft" width="247]
Click me to hear creepy music as you stare into my glowing coal-stone eyes.[/caption]
Yes, death lurks around the corners of every hallway a player might venture down; it's best to save often. An added bonus of creepiness, the player must constantly keep a torch lit, otherwise, when darkness falls, unseen demons feast on the protagonist.
If the creepy music and the sudden death idea isn't enough to scare the horror seeker, consider the following; it is possible to commit character suicide in this game by various methods. A player can burn his or herself to death with their torch. A player can smash a mirror unwittingly and be pierced by the shards of glass and writhe in agony until he or she bleeds to death. (Coincidently, a player must choose which mirror is the correct mirror to break out of three.) A player can be eaten by a shark, burnt by a dragon, or impale his or herself on a sword. And once a player dies, the haunting death theme plays and the grim reaper shows up with glowing eyes.
[caption id=attachment_2136" align="alignright" width="307] All of these situations end in death.[/caption]
The type of horror displayed in this game doesn't have to rely on view-able violence or evil creatures. The text describes what happens to the 'hero' as events occur, and the music lingers as a reminder, just like the Warlock Lord's eyes that watch the hero from time to time. Shadowgate creates a moment of panic, because there is no telling what will happen to the player at any given moment. It keeps the player on his or her toes, so to speak. If the player doesn't react quick enough, they might have to start over. There are limited torches in the dungeon, specific solutions to the puzzles, and everything is difficult to remember. This captures the basic survival horror themes, but instead of limited ammo, players have limited light - and one false move can destroy all progress.
If anything makes this game frightening today, it could just be because of the power of text. You are given images, words, and music - the rest up to you, the player. The unnerving fear lies in the self-discovery. Try playing this old gem at night; it is possible to saturate the couch seat with sweat...or urine. This is just a game formed on the basics of horror; the second is a bit more visual.
Zombies and Other Freaky Stuff
[caption id=attachment_2137" align="aligncenter" width="320] Do I have to?[/caption]
As a reminder, I am afraid of zombies...so a logical choice for a scary game is Resident Evil. I am aware of the irony. I had this old gem on the PS1, and it has since been remade, remastered, and had it's world destroyed by some terrible movies. (Sorry.)
[caption id=attachment_2139" align="alignright" width="320] Because Bazooka[/caption]
Besides the zombies, Resident Evil makes good use of its score. Deep cello for opening windows, no music at all for sections, orchestrated selections for random attacks; all were effective for creating tension the dialogue lacked.It's best to ignore the terrible acting and get right to the game play. Just the Music.
Like Shadowgate, Resident Evil uses the element of the unknown. The player never knows what to expect. The dead silence can prove to be unnerving, as well as the apparent lack of communication with the outside world. Essentially, the characters are trapped in this mansion full of scientific experiments and zombies. There are no explanations or answers, and the player must choose who will be the hero of their adventure.
Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield are the choices and each provides the player with different scenarios. The game can be beaten in a number of different ways, and not all of the endings are happy ones. I usually pick Jill. Why? She gets a bazooka and Barry. Barry is helpful from time to time, but the Bazooka is amazing when it comes to killing zombies. Speaking of zombies...
[caption id=attachment_2140" align="alignleft" width="320] Oh...hai... [/caption]
...
is what Chris or Jill walks into in the first few moments of the game. Neither of them has any clue what is going on, and following this scene, whoever a player did NOT choose vanishes.This game is far more violent in terms of visual effects, though it is possible that mental anguish could be more frightening. The game establishes a survival instinct, and in order to survive, a player must navigate through the mansion.
Shadowgate and Resident Evil both involve puzzles and dungeons of sorts. Jill must keep her gun bullets stocked, while the hero against the Warlock Lord must keep torches handy. The scarcity of these essentials ups the stakes and each hero is on their own, facing the
What makes both games so intimidating? Nothing is worse then facing an enemy in an unpredictable world. Though the subject matter might be fantastical, the situations are life-like. Life is unpredictable. The hero doesn't always have to survive.
Our new age of entertainment today takes that turn with shows like Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead. We thrive on the unpredictable - we hate and love it. That is the draw of horror; no one is safe. The fear of uncertainty plays the same notes and pulls on similar heartstrings. When the odds are stacked against our heroes, that moment where the music switches gears, and the very second a final scene is set - that familiar feeling of dread starts to sink in. That tension is what horror is all about. No matter the scene, a good game should have a player on the edge of his or her seat so that when the signs appear, they can still be shocked by the result.
[caption id=attachment_2141" align="alignleft" width="320] Adorable zombie dogs too![/caption]
Horror is in the untapped veins of musical notes scratched across a chalkboard, silence, uncertainty, and abandonment. There isn't always need for blood, just the unknown and chance a character might be instantly killed. I think I need to turn the lights on now.
So what do you all think? What games made you want to wet your pants? What are your favorite horror games? Let me know in the comments below!
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Gaming For The Nerd at Heart
Well, first off, this is my glorious ode to my life-long love affair with games. Included in these posts will be stories of games gone by, reviews, and "deadicated" insight on the games of now.
For the most part, I am a big nerd trapped in a smaller nerd's body; but I say embrace that inner nerd. It is for the best. What else could we be if we were not true to ourselves?
These posts will range from personal tales that connect me to the video games of old to comparisons and reviews in modern times.
Honestly, anything is "game"...
HAHAHAA. Okay, enough.
Anywho, I plan to wade into an ocean of board, PC, and console games alike!
I hope that you'll enjoy and look back at your own gaming lifetime and smile. I grew up on games - and I hope those of you, out there enjoy a nostalgia trip as much as I do.
Thanks for reading!
-Sera
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