Annamarie Alvarez Game Journal

[annamarie]

Name of Game: BS, Bluff, Liar or I Doubt It

Game author (If known): N/A


Original Platform Card games: N/A

Original control mechanism when game was released: N/A

Control mechanism you used: N/A

Would the experience have been different using the original? How?: N/A


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

The goal of this game is to get rid of all your cards, if you do, you win. To begin, each player gets an equal portion of the deck of cards. Then, players are to put down as many cards as they want (max 4) and they can lie or tell the truth if the cards match the next number in the sequential order. If another player calls their turn "BS" and the cards are turned over there are two outcomes. If the cards are truly the cards that the player claimed, the player who called "BS" receives all the cards in the middle deck that has been played on up until this point. If the cards are not the cards that the player claimed, the player gets their cards back as well as the middle deck. The game then continues which a certain player at a disadvantage from the additional cards. Each player goes in clockwise order placing cards down all the way to the king and then restarting with the ace until another player calls "BS".


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

A strength of this game is that it is fairly easy to learn and simple in mechanics. It is also very fun to discover your style of play. Are you more of a conservative player or a daring one? You can essentially lie as much as you want and it is possible that you get away with it. On the other hand, you could never lie about your cards and trick people who call “BS” on your turn. A disadvantage would be that once you have played a handful of rounds you get tired of the game as there is not much variety in the gameplay. This game seems to be only played with a classic deck of cards, leaving little variation in the art and design of the game. Another weakness of the game is that one player can easily win by having a lucky hand of a variety of cards, in which there is no need to bluff, causing them to easily win.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

This game is fun as you try to deceive others if you actually have as many cards as you claim. When you play with experienced players, they can tell if you are lying or not, making the game trickier. You can also compete specifically with another player, who are known “BS” ers and call “BS” on their turn very often. This makes the game competitive and fun as you are trying to catch your fellow players in their lies. Through your turns, you quickly learn how to bluff and when to tell the truth. Most players say to bluff in the beginning and tell the truth at the end. The more you play the game, the more tactical it becomes. What also makes this card game fun is that once a player’s turn has been completed, if no “BS” has been called, the cards will never be revealed, so no one will know what another player has played.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

This game was created in I believe that this game is significantly influential as it is a game based on bluffing. Countless games are based on this skill, most notably any variation of poker. As a player, playing “BS” often would teach you to become a skilled liar, making this useful in other games. The mental challenge between players in “BS” could have had an influence on a whole genre of card and board games. I feel as though this card game is one of the original bluffing games created. There have been multiple variations of this card game from Russian and Finnish cultures. There is no date that this card game was invented, but I believe it must have been early in the evolution of games. In the modern game market, there are many card games that seem inspired by this game like Coup (2012), Sheriff of Nottingham (2014), and Skull (2011).


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

3/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Backgammon

Game author (If known) Ancient Mesopotamia


Original Platform Board game

Original control mechanism when game was released N/A

Control mechanism you used N/A

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? N/A


Describe game play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

Only two players compete in this board game and they take turns switching between their actions. Two distinct colors of chips are used to cover the board, each belonging to a player. They are laid out in the board’s columns. The goal of the game is to transfer all of your chips from one side of the board to the other. Each player rolls their dice to determine how many moves their chips can make. A column is occupied if two of one player’s chips are placed in it. If a column is occupied by one player, the opposing player cannot land in that column. Along the way, if your chips are isolated in their row and an opposing chip lands on them, they will be placed in a “jail” and reset to the other side of the board. Once all of your chips have made it around the board, you have won the game.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

The game's design is strong because it incorporates both luck and strategy by allowing players to arrange their chips strategically, and predict how their opponent will respond to each move they make. Then, the game becomes more interesting because you get punished for any wrong choice you make. Although the mechanic of the game requires you to roll two dice to determine the strength of your turn, the player has to strategize where to place their chips for their advantage. I enjoy this game because it is visually easy to understand. Having two separate colors for each player and having simple numbers makes the game easy to learn. A weakness is that the game can go on for a long time if your chips keep getting bumped back to the opposite side of the board. This is what happened when I played in class. As this was a fun challenge the first couple of times it occurred, it became annoying towards the end of the game when I was very close to winning.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

This was my first time playing this game, so at first, I was a bit confused about the rules and strategies. But when I got into the flow of the game, I learned that there is a lot of depth involved in every action. I enjoyed that I had to consider not only how to play my chips during my turn but also how my opponent would respond to my actions. Additionally, I liked how simple it was to become a master at the game. I feel that I could become quite good if I played more. The simplicity of the game, combined with the strategy, allows for competitiveness even from beginning players. So even if you don’t understand the mechanics at first, it may only take you a couple of rounds to understand the game as well as someone who has been playing for a long time. This game was also fun as it is very interactive with moving the chips at every turn.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

Backgammon seems like the simple version of many games. It is noted to be one of the oldest games in the world and therefore, it could have an influence on many existing board games. Checkers and chess were definitely influenced by backgammon as they share similar characteristics in the two colors of chips and the movement of physical pieces. The simplicity of the game combined with the element of chance was probably very attractive to later game creators. It is a game where you can add more rules and more obstacles to it and the essence of the game would stay the same. This game also reminds me of monopoly where players land in certain areas of the board that can be consequential to their winning chances. Also, the idea of putting pieces in “jail” seemed to have originated from backgammon. This concept is used in many modern board games today.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

4/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Pong Game


Game author (If known) Allan Alcorn- Atari



Original Platform Arcade machine


Original control mechanism when game was released Turn dial


Control mechanism you used Keyboard


Would the experience have been different using the original? How? On an arcade machine the experience would be visually different and rotating a dial is very different than a keyboard clicking or mouse driving



Describe game play and mechanics


~ 150-300 words


The pong game is a visual table tennis copycat. To begin, you choose to play single player or multiplayer. In single player mode, you play against the computer, while in multiplayer mode, your opponent has to be physically next to you and sharing a keyboard. Player one uses the arrow keys while player 2 uses S and X. Each player has one paddle, shown by a square on the exterior of the screen space. You move your paddle either with the keyboard arrows or with your computer mouse (in single player mode). Each player is on their respective sides as they compete in the game while a ball moves back and forth on the screen. If the ball makes it past you without hitting your paddle, the other player scores. The ball's limitations are the screen space as the ball can bounce off the horizontal wall and ceiling and onto your side.



Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design


~ 150-300 words


The visual elements of this game are pretty boring as the player is only looking at black and white shapes. While this is simple, it does allow for endless opportunities for spinoffs of the game. I’ve seen many of these online with every visual style imaginable. For the original though, I feel like they could add even the simplest of colors and it would be more engaging to the player. A change they could make is that the game changes its color scheme every time you play. The strength of this game is that it is so simple that anyone can play it. Any age and any background in games can catch on and be successful in Pong with little play time. Another strength of this game is that it can be a multiplayer or a single player game which allows for a lot of opportunities to play. Like table tennis, this game relies on reaction time speed and prediction of where the ball will go. This skill can be acquired by anyone which makes it very playable.



What made it fun?


~ 150-300 words


Playing in the single player mode, I enjoyed playing this game as I feel like I was competing against myself. It was enjoyable to see how many points I could get. This game is fun as it can get competitive whether you are playing against the computer or your friend/family member. I enjoyed the difficulty level option in the desktop game as it made the Ai a more competitive opponent. At first, if you just played at the easy level, the game can get redundant and boring after a couple rounds. But, after adjusting to the difficult mode, I found a new enjoyment in Pong and wanted to play it more. I then played the game with my roommate in multiplayer mode. This was super fun as the game became 10x more intense. I enjoyed playing a simple game like this as it is easy to learn and you never really have to explain it to a first time player, as it is self explanatory.



Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?


~ 150-300 words


Deriving from the physical game of table tennis, pong is probably one of the most popular games that resembles another game so closely. Being first played on an arcade machine, it definitely created a new culture and excitement around games on a screen. I expect that the multiplayer aspect of the game inspired many other arcade games to be structured the same way and support more social interaction while playing games. This of course has led to the millions of multiplayer games out there today. When I played this game, I immediately thought of a handful of more evolved games like it. For example, there are so many mobile apps that are variations of the original. Also, Pong opened the door for games like Wii Tennis to be popular today. The option to play as a single player seems to also have inspired many games as now you can play AI in almost anything from card games to chess.



How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


4/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Space Invaders


Game author (If known) Tomohiro Nishikado


Original Platform Arcade machine in Japan


Original control mechanism when game was released Joy stick and buttons


Control mechanism you used Keyboard


Would the experience have been different using the original? How? Using a joystick to move around and a button to shoot is more physical movement than a keyboard


Describe game play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words


Space Invaders is a single-player 2D game where you play a ship that laterally moves across the screen and shoot rockets at a variety of aliens that slowly move down and across the screen. It is you vs the aliens. The aliens are shooting at you while you shoot at them. There are 4 safe areas to protect your ship from the alien’s rockets. If you get hit by one of their attacks, you lose a life. Once you have lost 3 lives, you lose the game. Also, if the aliens reach your player’s ship before you can kill them, you will lose. The player’s goal is to hit all of the aliens. Each alien is a certain amount of points ranging from 10-40. There are 5 layers of alien enemies with a “boss” style alien ship in red. This boss moves faster than the others, therefore making it harder to hit him. Your score goes up based on how many aliens you hit. If you kill all the aliens while still with life, you advance to the next round of 48 aliens.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words


This game is relatively simple compared to most 2D games on the market today, but it is still visually interesting. The colors are simple but the animations add a lot of depth to the design. I enjoy how there are different types of aliens with added animation while they move horizontally. It is also visually appealing that when the aliens get hit, they blow up which is an interesting animation rather than if they were to just disappear. I also enjoy how the safe areas diminish whenever a rocket hits them. A weakness is that there are only 3 colors in the game. I feel that it would be more interesting if each type of alien was a different color or if the rockets were different colors. Furthermore, if the background was a space type of style rather than just black, the art of the game would improve. Overall, this game is more visually appealing than the games we have previously played.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words


This game is fun to play as it is challenging and interactive. I enjoyed the dual challenges of how the aliens shoot at you and also are inching closer to you. This game was somewhat hard for me to master as I do not have a lot of experience playing, so I had to play a handful of rounds. This made the game more fun as it was not easy from the start. Also, in multiple rounds I got so close to winning, but then I got hit out of nowhere by an alien. This made me want to play the game more and get more skilled in it. It was also fun how each alien was a different score count so you wanted to get all the aliens to get the highest score you can. I also enjoyed how the game was straightforward but tactical. You can decide when to be safe and when to attack. It was challenging when your safe spaces were all destroyed and you had to dodge the bullets.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words


I think this game is very influential in the evolution of most shooter and action games. In Japan, space invaders became very popular and heightened the demand for arcade games. In a testament to their success, many studios created copycat games like space invaders hoping to gain the same success. IGN said that Space Invaders was one of the main factors in the arcade games phenomenon in North America. Space Invaders was one of the first games that had so much interaction with enemies that inspired many other shooter games like it. It also was one of the first games to keep track of the player’s score and their high score, which concept is used in almost all games today in some way. Furthermore, it was one of the first games to use a background soundtrack, which is used in basically every game today. Games involving space seemed to be growing in popularity at the time. I feel that this game was very creative in using aliens as the main core of the game which inspired more fantasy games like it rather than a real-world based game like Pong.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


4/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Street Fighter II


Game author (If known) Capcom


Original Platform Arcade machine


Original control mechanism when game was released Joy stick and buttons


Control mechanism you used Keyboard


Would the experience have been different using the original? How? Using a joystick and buttons to move and fight seems more interactive then using a keyboard. Also in the arcade machine I don’t believe that they had an AI option, and you had to vs another person.


Describe game play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words


Street fighter is a 1v1 battle between you and and another player or an AI warrior. On the main screen you have the option to either fight against AI warriors or choose a 2v2 battle with another player. At the main user interface screen, each player or AI player chooses their warrior of choice to play and the location that their battle will take place. If you are playing the AI version, the computer randomizes your opponent for you, but if you are in 1v1 with another player, your opponent gets to choose their character. After the character selection, you then are set to fight eachother in best ⅔ rounds. Each player has different attacks and strengths and overall fighting styles. For my keyboard version, specific keys had specific attacks, some stronger than others. After each round, you are prompted to try again and are sent to the character selection screen.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words


There are many strengths to this game as it has a handful of characters and various environments, combined with hundreds of animations. A significant strength of Street Fighter is the combination of attack animations as well as facial animation. You can clearly see what is occurring in the game and you can feel the character’s emotions. This keeps the game entertaining and attractive. If you get bored with one warrior, you can try another or if you get tired of one map, you can choose another, etc. Each grand warrior has their own style of fighting and their own flare on the match you play. You get three rounds in your challenge and you either defeat the other warrior or lose. This is a strength of the game as you have multiple chances to do well. Even if you lose the first round, the game isn’t over and you can redeem your warrior. Also, where each warrior has their own strengths, none feel too overpowered or unbeatable. Some are harder to beat than others, but overall, the game feels achievable to master.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

I enjoyed that you can choose which character you play every round and you are given the opportunity to play against each warrior. This makes it more playable as it gives you the want to defeat every character available with every warrior. Even though this game is a 2D game, the character art is very well done which made it enjoyable for me to look at as a 3D artist. I also really enjoyed the variety of animations involved in the gameplay ranging from the environment animation during your battle, each character’s attack animations, and the user interface’s animation as well. The overall style of the game is very interactive and fun to involve yourself with. My favorite part of the game was the learning aspect. As you play more and more, you learn the fighting style of each warrior and you learn how to beat them. Where I failed to win against certain warriors the first time around, I was given the opportunity to try again the second round, in which I could win the whole game.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words


This game is very influential in the history of games as it was one of the first fighting games. Mortal Kombat and its various spin offs are the most obvious influence that Street Fighter has had on modern-day video games. In both games, players vs 1v1 against each other using their chosen champion who has unique abilities and a persona. This concept is very influential as video game players today almost expect that from their games. They want to have a connection to the character they are playing and they desire to be loyal to them. It seems that Street Fighter began this theme. The game Super Smash Bros and others like it seem to have gained inspiration from this game as well. As the original arcade game was a two-player game, this game supported social interaction from video games, making it a competition between two friends. This concept has immensely grown as most, if not all, popular games today are multiplayer in some capacity.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


5/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Asteroids


Game author (If known)


Original Platform Atari 2600


Original control mechanism when game was released Joy stick and fire button


Control mechanism you used Keyboard arrows and space board


Would the experience have been different using the original? How? I assume with the joystick it would be harder to move and direct your ship in the right direction than the keyboard.


Describe game play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words


In this game, you play a little ship in an asteroid field. Your goal is to dodge the asteroids as they move at various speeds vertically up and down the screen. If you get hit, you lose a life, and if you lose all 3 of your lives, you lose the game. In addition to dodging, your ship can shoot the asteroids and destroy them. The asteroids have three stages of life: the first is a big asteroid, the second is two medium sized asteroids, and the third is one small asteroid. If hit, each level of asteroid does the same damage to your ship and takes one life. The more asteroids you hit, the easier it becomes to dodge the remaining ones and the higher your score goes up. Once you hit all the asteroids and their smaller chunks, you are sent to a new level, which increases in difficulty. In each new level, there are more asteroids that can hit you and on top of that, they are traveling at increasingly higher speeds with each level.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words


I really enjoyed the sounds of this game. The little ship you play makes various entertaining noises when you shoot, when you thrust forward, and of course, when you get hit. The background music was also a strength of Asteroids. The “music” is a two toned rhythm that gets increasingly faster the higher your score goes. The audio elements really engaged me with the game and increased my stress while playing. The graphics made this game rewarding to play as well. I loved how the asteroids were of various colors and that they flickered as they moved up and down the screen. When you hit an asteroid there are little pixel explosions. When a new level happened, the new asteroids appeared out of nowhere, instantly pushing you into the next challenge. I enjoyed the scoring element of Asteroids as well. Each asteroid was worth a different amount of points, and the levels seemingly go on forever. The goal is to get the highest score you can, which makes this game a lot more playable.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

This game was fun for me as I liked how simple it was, but it was hard to master. I really enjoyed how the asteroids broke up into smaller pieces when they got hit, as I feel that it made the game more dynamic and challenging. It was hard to hit the little pieces of the asteroids in comparison to the larger pieces, which became frustrating at the end of levels as those little pieces were the only obstacle you had left. As the first levels were pretty easy to get through, the later levels became more challenging to win. As I played each round, I really wanted to get a higher score than I had in the previous turn. I think this is what made the game fun for me. The gravity element of the game was very fun for me as it made me pay attention. Even when I thought I was in a safe place from the asteroids, one of them ended up finding me. A player could never just sit in the middle of the screen to avoid challenges.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words


This game was influential as it was one of the first space games for a household console. Previously, you could only play these space themed games in an arcade or on super computers. Rather than spending hours at the arcade playing this one player game, you could do it in the comfort of your own home. The popularity of these space games has never gone away and all were most likely inspired by a combination of Space War, Compter Space, and Space Invaders. Asteroids, Space War, and Computer Space all share the same element of gravity that can work against the player. This concept is popular throughout these space games and Asteroids was the first to bring it to the home console. The concept that your enemy has multiple stages seems influential as well. Asteroids seems to be one of the first to implement this challenge where your enemy splits up into littler pieces. Many games use this today.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


4/ 5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: The Oregon Trail

Game author (If known) MECC

Original Platform Apple II/ Disk

Original control mechanism when game was released Keyboard

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? I feel that the experience would be similar, maybe the original version could have been slower due to the computing power.


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

In The Oregon Trail, the player is put in control of 4 individuals and their wagon on a journey to survive a cross country trek through many difficulties. The player wins if they survive with at least one person alive. If everyone dies, you lose. The player is first given a balance of money and a list of items to purchase for their trek. These items include food, ox, wagon equipment, and clothes. After the player decides what to buy, they begin their journey on the Oregon Trail. The player watches as a text box reads out each event that occurs along the way as you see your wagon travel through the trail on top of the screen. Throughout these events, the player is given a number of choices based on the obstacles in front of them. It is player vs computer’s will throughout the whole game. The list of bad things that can happen to the player seems to be endless.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

I absolutely love the design of this game. It is very engaging when the player gets to choose their decisions at every level which is at the core of The Oregon Trail. Even though this began as an educational game, the accurate depiction of the real Oregon Trail in the game play is quite engaging as a regular video game. I enjoy how the player can visually see who we are, where we are, and what choices do what. There is not a lot of mystery in this game. A choice you made at the beginning of the game can greatly impact your success later, but is a strength in the game play. Players want to know that their actions have purpose. Where each variation of The Oregon Trail has its own uniqueness, the core elements are the same: the screen to watch your wagon, the data about the state of your team, and text telling the player events and choices.

What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

I really enjoyed The Oregon Trail as it was the right amount of challenging to keep me engaged, but also simple enough to learn to play over and over again. I loved making choices and seeing how they affected me on my journey. Every choice the character makes is either helpful or harmful, but you may not know which at first. This makes the game difficult for an inexperienced player as you are thrown into a world most people are not familiar with. This was hard for me in my first round of the game as I had no idea what actions would impact me in a harmful way. The more you play the game, the more knowledgeable you become about the world you are thrown into and more likely to make the right choices. I also enjoyed the randomness aspect of the game where many curveballs are thrown at you to deter you on your Oregon Trail journey. This caused me to have to think fast and strategically about what to do in response.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

This game was very unique at the time it was released as it was one of the first storytelling games where the player chooses every action that happens. It was one of the first games to really personalize the experience every time you played. It was difficult to play two of the exact same games of The Oregon Trail. This adventure game allowed for players to develop strategy as they really had to think about each of their choices. The most popular games today are like this, the most notable example is “Life is Strange”. While this game also has a direct storyline, the player is given control of their fate and they can see how their choices directly impact what unfolds. This game also reminded me of new Netflix shows/ movies that are emerging where you can choose what choices the character’s make and those choices have a direct impact on the story. I believe that The Oregon Trail spearheaded all of these advancements in today’s media.

How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

5/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Microsoft Decathlon

Game author (If known) Microsoft

Original Platform MS- DOS

Original control mechanism when game was released Keyboard

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? The experience would be similar, as the keys are similar.


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

In Microsoft Decathlon you play as an athlete competing in ten events. The events include 100m run, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m run, 100m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 run. To begin the game, you can choose 1-6 competitors to play with as well as which country they are from. You then must play each minigame for the number of competitors you chose. After each game, your standings and score are displayed to you. Each game consists of three turns of the activity. The player is given instructions per game on which keys to use to compete. The key combinations differ per game and correlate to the motion that the athlete does in the game. For shot put, for example, the keys correlate to the arm moving vertically and then horizontally to throw the ball. For high jump, you press space to begin, x to plant your feet, and enter to jump.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

I enjoyed the various types of games or levels that you played in Microsoft Decathlon. It allowed for a lengthy gaming experience that was competitive and engaging. I thought that the graphics were pretty simple and a bit boring, but with the technology at the time, they were limited in what they could do. I thought a weakness was definitely the sound of the game. I thought the high pitched notes were somewhat irritating and didn’t enhance the experiences of the gaming events. A strength of Microsoft Decathalon was the creative mechanics of the game. I have never experienced another game like it. I enjoyed how you could control each aspect of the athlete’s body as they competed. Shot put, for example, had you control each motion of the arm, and pole vaulting allowed you to do similar, controlling your run speed and the timing that you plant the pole to the ground.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

This game was fun as there were a variety of different mini games to play. I liked that you could have three opportunities to beat your score as well as beat the score of your competitors. This aspect of the game made it more playable and engaging. Even if I disliked one of the mini games, I could just jump into the next one after three rounds rather than quitting the game entirely. The different key functions were fun as well as you could quickly find which keys corresponded to each game and then spam the keys. This created an intensity that became essentially to the fun of Microsoft Decathlon. This was applicable to the running games especially where you can use your dominant hands to your advantage. The most fun was the multiplayer aspect of the game. I played with my roommates and I loved the competitive intensity of it. It was simple to play with a somewhat difficult to master element. It was really fun seeing someone do bad though, as you had more incentive to do well the next chance you got.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

This was one of the first games to emulate athletes in a life like way and controlling how they function in an accurate manner. Microsoft Decathalon was the catalyst to all of the EA sports games today. While the art and style of games are very different, the mechanics are similar where you can control the moving parts of the athlete competing. This also reminds me of Wii sports games where the player directly controls aspects like arm speed and accuracy in various mini games. This game was influenced by more simple games like Pong on the Atari. Microsoft Decathalon took the principle of emulating a real life sport and took it further, making the game play more accurate to the event. Another influential aspect of this game is the color. Each game has different color usage which was used during this time and became the standard of Apple II games.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

2/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Super Mario Bros.

Game author (If known) Nintendo

Original Platform NES console

Original control mechanism when game was released Controller with buttons

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? Using the controller may have been harder than the keyboard. But I would use two hands for both control mechanisms.


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

To begin Super Mario Bros, you choose a one player game or a two player game. Then, you play through a series of worlds with limited controls, to jump or to move forward or backwards. These worlds include various enemies and platforms to jump on. To kill enemies, you must jump on them. If you touch an enemy, you lose a life. Once you have lost three lives, you have to start the game over again. Some platforms in the game give you coins if you tap your head on them while jumping. Each coin box increases your score in the top left of the screen. Other boxes disperse mushrooms that give your player power ups and increase your score. There are also star boxes that let you power up and become invincible and run through your enemies. Through your gameplay, a timer in the top right is present for each attempt at a level. When you complete the level, you reach a flagpole and castle to celebrate.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

This game is very visually appealing. The world is fun and stylized, giving a fun and light feeling to the game. Even the enemies are meant to be cute looking. The storytelling aspects behind Super Mario Bros is a strength of the game as well. The player can see that Mario is a plumber and that the world revolves around that. For example, the green pipes that populate the world. Having the game be a side scroller is engaging as well. The player feels like they are a part of the world, always looking ahead at the action in front of them. This produces more interactive gameplay as the player can rarely stand still and expect to live. A weakness of this game is that the only way to kill enemies is to jump on them. This is very different from other games where the main player usually has a weapon. While this makes the game more challenging as you have to be accurate in your jump attack, the lack of weapons leaves room for the opportunity to have a more engaging experience.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

I really enjoyed the gameplay of Super Mario Bros. Having only a handful of controls makes the game easy to learn and maneuver, and there is little time for learning how to succeed; no test levels needed. It has a simple premise, but it is challenging enough that the player wants to keep playing. There are specific difficult elements of the game that keep it playable. For example, maneuvering past enemies when the environment is in your way. I found myself getting stuck under platforms and trapped with enemies numerous times. Even though I have played a form of this game before, the classic NES version was just as enjoyable as the more updated versions of this game. I love the 8 bit graphics as well. The different environments and colors make every element of the game enjoyable to look at. There is a certain level of charm to Super Mario Bros that any age demographic would enjoy.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

This game was influential in being one of the first popular side scrolling games. Today, some of the most popular games are side scrollers, for example, Ori and the Blind Forest. This type of game is very engaging as the player is never taken out of the action and never given a break during the level. This allows for more engaging storytelling and gameplay. Side scrollers make the player feel like they are exploring a world rather than confined to the screen space like in Pac Man. Also, choosing to have no weapons in this game was very influential as well. At the time, games with enemies often had you shooting them or using melee weapons to attack them. Using only the jump mechanic to destroy your enemies, the game becomes PG and playable to any young kid. This makes the game very marketable to any demographic as it is inherently innocent in comparison to a game like Mortal Kombat. Super Mario Bros allowed for games like Sonic the Hedgehog to exist and many more like it.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

4/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Sonic the Hedgehog

Game author (If known) SEGA

Original Platform SEGA Genesis

Original control mechanism when game was released Controller with buttons

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? Similar in their functionality, maybe a bit harder on the keyboard to move.


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

In Sonic the Hedgehog, the player is a rolling, running, and jumping blue hedgehog. You explore this 2d world with enemies, rings, and platforms to jump on. There are various levels with different dynamics in each of them. This includes moving platforms and secret passageways. The player gets three lives to complete the level, and if you lose all three you must start from the beginning of the game. The game is timed so the player wants to get through the level as fast as they can. Sonic, the hedgehog character the player plays, is very fast and can gain speed as he runs. There are gold rings that the player collects throughout the level. If you get hit by an enemy you lose coins, and some enemies shot kill you. When you complete each level the score the player received tallies up. The player gets more points for completing the level fast and also collecting gold rings.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

The design of Sonic the Hedgehog is phenomenal. The music is very engaging from the start screen. There is a fun sound for every action that Sonic does, from killing enemies to jumping. The background music also changes per level or act you are in. The colors of the game are bright and fun, keeping the game engaging and pleasant to play. Sonic’s animations are a strength of the game as well. I love his rolling and jumping animations as they are unique to his character. The backgrounds being animated adds a nice touch to the game too. I enjoy that as the levels go on, the enemies and levels get increasingly more difficult to run through. In some levels though, you can just speed run and miss everything in the level, which could be counted as a weakness to the game. Sometimes Sonic is too fast in that sense that it becomes a skill to learn when to go slow in the game.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

A core element of this game is the time clock and the speed of Sonic. The adrenaline of flying through levels is very fun for a player and has not been seen in many games before Sonic the Hedgehog. The screen scrolls to the speed that the player is going which is great. Unlike Super Mario Bros which has a character with one speed, Sonic the Hedgehog allows the player more control over how they want to play. The player has a choice to either run through the level for the time bonus or to collect all the gold rings for the ring bonus. Ultimately, the player is trying to master the skill of having a low time and a large number of rings. Overall, I love all of the aspects of this game, especially the game level layout. The tunnels and platforms are super engaging and make the game really fun to play as there is never a dull moment.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

I think what separated Sonic the Hedgehog from other 2d sidescrollers was the element of speed. The high level of adrenaline rush that the player feels in comparison to when they are playing a slower paced game like Super Mario Bros, is what makes the game attractive and playable. The timer clock element of this game adds to the intensity which became influential to many games after it too. This showed the industry that a 2d sidescroller didn’t always have to be a slower paced adventure game but can be exciting and fun action packed expereince. Sonic the Hedgehog was the catalyst for protagonists that had a bit of an attitude and spice to them. While Sonic is cute and fluffy, he has a lot of personality, shown through the game’s animations, that was attractive to players. This attitude inspired mascots like Crash in Crash Bandicoot to exsist. I think it really showed how important it is for a game to have appealing characters, not just great gameplay.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

5/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Star Fox

Game author (If known) Nintendo, Argonaut Software

Original Platform SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)

Original control mechanism when game was released Controller with buttons

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? Similar as you use two hands for both


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

In Star Fox, you play as a fighter pilot Fox flying through various maps. Some maps are in a field, in an asteroid belt, or even over the ocean.To begin, you are placed in a training stage to get the hang of the controls of your ship. At first, you fly solo and then as you advance, your teammate fighter pilots join you. In every stage these fellow pilots (bunnies, frogs, birds, etc) message you through your mission as they fly alongside you. At the end of each stage, you are given your score percentage out of 100. To increase your score, you want to go through each of the rings by turning right or left and moving up and down. In each stage there are also obstacles you want to avoid. If you hit these obstacles, you lose a life. Your aircraft has a shield that diminishes if you hit enemies or obstacles, or even the ground.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

I think the overall design of Star Fox is attractive, despite a few flaws. I really enjoyed that even though it is a single player, you feel as if you are playing with friends as you receive messages at the bottom of the screen that correspond to your performance in the game. I think the graphics are not all that amazing and it can get repetitive seeing your same triangle ship in front of you with no variation. Having very primitive shapes is not all that exciting. I enjoy that there are multiple stages that have differentiating backgrounds to them and obstacles though. The intensity increases as you advance through the stages. I also enjoy the variety of controls. Being able to boost, roll, brake, shoot, and drop bombs was very engaging. This variety in combination with the amount of activity in each stage makes for a very strong game design.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

I enjoyed this game because of the level of difficulty it contains. While at first, the levels were relatively easy, as you play on, they become almost impossible without a lot of practice. It was pretty fun to dodge while shoot and while trying to go through all of the checkpoints successfully. While it is a pretty hard task to actually accomplish, it was fun to at least try. I thought that adding in the “multiplayer” aspect is effective in creating a fun gaming experience. You can see the choices your teammates make and the consequences they may have to face due to their choices. While this isn’t a replayable concept, for the first time playing Star Fox, it was a surprising aspect. I thought the visuals, while pretty outdated, added to the fun of the game. I liked how there were a lot of colors and explosion effects. I thought that integrating the various 2D characters and making then lead the story was a unique and fun element of the game.The audio was engaging as well.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

Star Fox is interesting as it is unique from the flying simulators that were previously created at the time. Most games previous only let the player forward at a constant speed, but in this game, you are given boosts to push you forward and dodge enemies and obstacles. This game was the catalyst for many air combat games and flight simulators like Ace Combat. I think Star Fox being one of the first successful 3D games added to the attractiveness of the game. Before this time, a 3D game was not possible and even though it had primitive shapes and polygons, it was very groundbreaking. Up to this point, shooter and 3rd person games were all 2D emulating 3D, where this one was actually in a 3D environment. This era made 3D games a lot more popular than 2D games, and gamers expected it. While a lot of successful 2D games exist today, the most popular are all 3D or have 3D elements. This took sci fi games like Space Wars to another level.

How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


3/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Crash Bandicoot

Game author (If known) Naughty Dog

Original Platform PlayStation 1

Original control mechanism when game was released Controller with buttons

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? Both used buttons as there was no joystick on the original play station one controller.


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

In Crash Bandicoot, the player plays as an energetic fox character, who terraces through a variety of maps to save his female counterpart. You can jump or spin to collect boxes and kill enemies. If you land on an enemy you lose a life and have to start over either at the recent checkpoint or at the beginning of the level. At the end of each level, you are scored on how many boxes you got and your level of completeness is displayed. Throughout the 36 levels, you collect gems and keys that advance you in your story. There are many bonus levels and prize levels. Along with enemies, in each level, there are obstacles like ditches, stones, and spikes that you must traverse to get through the level. There is no timer on this game, so you must be careful in each of your jumps and tactics to get through the level. While Crash Bandicoot is a 3D game, some levels are set up as a 2D sidescroller.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

I think this game has a lot of strengths rather than weaknesses. There are many elements in this game that make the game more engaging than other games before it. For example, the 3D aspect ultimately creates a better overall game. I love how it feels like an open world but you are put on a specific path to go on. Even though the graphics are preliminary, the game design is extraordinary as it makes the player want to continue to play the game. The tropical colors are super fun and the animations of everything look great for the time period. There are numerous elements in the game that are introduced as the player advances like boss fights and even riding on animals. No levels feel repetitive and there is always something new to explore. Having no time element in Crash Bandicoot made the game less intense though which could be seen as a weakness, but I think it made the game overall more explorative and platformer based.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

This game was engaging throughout my whole experience. I never felt bored or tired of the gameplay. While it was easy at first, getting a perfect score from the later levels was challenging for me. Also, bouncing from 3D level layouts to 2D was very fun in my opinion. I felt like I was getting every fun element of previous games into one game. Additionally, I enjoyed how the storyline corresponded to the levels very seamlessly. I felt like I was not only in a game but really in a story, which I have rarely felt from games during this time period. The character and environment design created this feeling. The whole game feels super creative and unique. I love the colors and the shape language used in each character and asset. Although it is polygonal, the ideas and look of the game use this to their advantage and make a fun, stylized world.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

This game was the evolution of 2D sidescrollers like Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog. Crash Bandicoot was one of the first 3D games, with a lot of the same concepts as the games before it. For example, jumping as a form of attack and assets like boxes copy the previous games like it. Almost every aspect of gameplay from Crash Bandicoot was influential to platformer games that have come after it. Adding the 3D element to a platformer game makes for more challenging gameplay, and this opportunity was explored in Crash. The variety of gameplay in one single game, like 3D and 2D, set a new standard for game creators. I would argue that it is the catalyst for any 3D game where the character explores a terrain and collects objects. In order for games like Tomb Raider and Uncharted to exist, Crash Bandicoot had to be made.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


5/5 stars

[Professor Watkins]

Midterm

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Sonic Adventure

Game author (If known) SEGA

Original Platform SEGA Dreamcast

Original control mechanism when game was released Controller with buttons and joystick

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? No major differences in my experience as I used an online emulator


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

In Sonic Adventure, the player plays a variety of characters as the game progresses. These characters include Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, Big, and E-102 “Y”. Every character is unlocked after Sonic has met them in the storyline. They all have unique personalities and attack styles involving specific animations and abilities. Characters can jump and attack and even hold objects. Similar to the 2D game, the characters collect rings and explore “open world” levels. You are sent on various quests, involving engaging with other characters and fighting enemies at some capacity. If you are hit by an enemy, you lose the rings you have collected. If you have no rings and you are hit, you lose a life. The gameplay has many cut scenes that move the story along and the gameplay varies between levels. Sometimes, you are jumping and exploring terrain like normal, whereas other times you can be controlling a plane in the air or a race car, or even playing pinball.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

I really enjoyed the overall design of Sonic Adventure as every visual aspect was done well. The variety of environments and characters were done very well from a visual standpoint. Gameplay-wise, I thought that the enemy fights were engaging and that the cut scenes elevated the storyline. I enjoyed that there was one central goal, defeating Dr. Robotnik, but there were many levels to that conflict that involved multiple characters. The camera movements were surprisingly strong being an early 3D game. It was easy to maneuver around, see the world around you, and fight enemies as well. It really makes this game feel like a large world that you are a part of. The sound was a huge plus for me playing Sonic Adventure. Everything has a sound effect and every level has a variety of new sounds and music. It really made me feel energized and more connected to my actions while I played.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

I enjoyed Sonic Adventure for a variety of different reasons. Even though the character animation and the voice acting are a little dated, the gameplay is so fun to engage with. The cut scenes were really fun and it sometimes felt like I was watching a mini movie with how connected the story was to the game. I loved that there were a handful of characters to choose from to play that offered different visual and mechanical elements of the game so I never got bored with playing. I thought that even though the 3D graphics were simple, they were still successful as each character had their own flair and personality. The controls were great and it was easy to maneuver around the environment and complete tasks. While it wasn’t as challenging as a platform game like Crash Bandicoot, it was difficult enough to keep me playing. It felt familiar in the sense that it was similar to the original Sonic the Hedgehog but offered a new level of complication.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

This game was the 3D evolution of the original 2D Sonic the Hedgehog. I can see how this game was influenced by Crash Bandicoot in many ways. For example, having various types of gameplay in different levels and the 360 camera controls. This new era of adventure games allowed bigger studios to fit their characters and worlds into a new type of gameplay. These games prioritized story over gameplay alone. They found that putting effort into an engaging storyline made the gameplay more enjoyable and playable. The cut scenes in this game were definitely influential to later games, having multiple characters and conflicts intertwining. I feel like Sonic Adventure, along with other popular 3D games during this time, solidified the success of the evolving 3D games and “killed” 2D games for good. Playing many 3D characters in multiple environments with a variety of different gameplays was the new standard for games at this time.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


4/5 stars

[annamarie]

Name of Game: Okami

Game author (If known) Clover Studio & Capcom

Original Platform Play Station 2

Original control mechanism when game was released Controller with buttons and 2 joysticks

Control mechanism you used Keyboard

Would the experience have been different using the original? How? The graphics on the version I played were better than the original ps2 version. The story and gameplay are relatively the same.


Describe game Play and mechanics

~ 150-300 words

In Okami, you are introduced to a story of a Japanese village, called the Kamiki Village, being terrorized by evil. The player controls a white wolf named Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun who is appointed to protect Kamiki Village. To begin, the player is placed into a backstory to set up the present day goal. This game is a combination of action, platform, and puzzle games in which you are sent on quests. In this, you can also explore the world around you in all its beauty. You encounter numerous enemies throughout the game in which you have various combat mechanics. One unique aspect of this game involves a brush that you use to attack or solve puzzles. As you advance in the game, you collect yen according to your performance which you can purchase items used to help you complete your quests as well as help your combat skills and healing.



Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150-300 words

The story of this game is so so strong. I love the traditional Japanese art of the game with its deep mythological roots. Everything in the game from the characters to the environment to the text boxes has a watercolor texture that works cohesively with the gameplay. The game is art in every frame. The rustic Japanese soundtrack of Okami works great to draw the player into the world. I love that there are Japanese voices with English subtitles as well. The open world concept of this game is very engaging where the player is still being led by quests, but they have the opportunity to explore what’s around them. The camera movement and animation in Okami is robust and well designed especially during combat. Even though the learning curve is a little steep, the paintbrush tool in this game is an interesting part of the design. It brings a new capability that can be very useful in combat or quests.


What made it fun?

~ 150-300 words

What made this game fun for me was the beautiful world and the engaging storyline. I really like how the cut scenes felt like a story book visually. The art style really resonated with me and I loved seeing new characters and environments throughout the story. Not playing a humanoid character in a game was very fun for me as well. I enjoyed the wolf animations and seeing the capabilities my character had in combat. The fluidity and ease of controlling the character you are playing makes the game so much more enjoyable. The creators of Okami nailed the movements of Amaterasu. What sets this game apart for me is ultimately the Japanese history and folklore that is so different from other games like it at this time. Every aspect of the game seems so throughout and I appreciate how well it was done. Where I have played a lot of open world games like this, Okami stood out in its high quality.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 150-300 words

This was one of the first successful games that created deeply complex characters out of nonhumanoid characters. The story drives the gameplay and is fully intertwined with each other. It directly uses Japanese folklore and mythology throughout the whole game which is not commonly done successfully in most games. Where real life people and events may have been the inspiration for games in the past, Okami clearly shows their direct connection to Japanese folklore. Many aspects of the gameplay of Okami were inspired by The Legend of Zelda games, most notably how intertwined the story and gameplay are. For example, every boss battle you have uses the core mechanics of the game, for Okami, this involved the brush tool. By using familiar mechanics in new and exciting ways, Okami was very influential in the evolution of games. It showed that games can be pushed to success through art style and storyline. Modern games like Ori and the Blind Forest, God of War, and many others intertwine the genres of adventure, puzzle, and open world that are so successful today.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


5/5 stars