Nathan Garcia

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal Entries

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal Entry #1 (1/14/25)

Name: Speed
Author/Studio: N/A
Platform: Card Game

Control System Used: The original game system and rules were used in the game in a 1v1 game

Gameplay & Mechanics:
The game revolves around each player getting 5 cards to begin with per player. There is more cards for the player to draw upon, where each player having their own stock and it being split evenly. In the middle of the table are a row of cards, with the start of the game being 2 single cards, and to the sides of the 2 cards 2 more decks where there 6-7 other cards which will be used. When the game starts, both players will turn the 2 single cards around, they will then look at their deck and if one of their cards is a number above, below, or a variation of the same number, they will put it down as fast as possible before the other player puts a card down, you will draw from your stock, the player should always have 5 cards within their hand. When placing the cards down, you may continue to place more cards, even if they come from the stock. this will continue until both players cannot use any of their cards in hand, where then a card from the sides will be placed, this will continue until one player uses up all of their cards. However, if both players still have cards in hand and all cards from the middle have been used, the bottom card will be placed at the top, this cycle will continue until there are no more cards in a players hand.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
A weakness of this game is that it greatly depends on the skill of the shuffling, as well as the chance of the cards you get, a player can get a 1,2,3,4,5 deck, or a 4,9,8,J,A deck, and one is far more flexible to be used than the other, while the other can be used all at once, the game can also go on for longer than wanted if both players have 1 card left and neither card in the middle has a number next to the one that one of the players have. However, a strength of the game is the chaos of trying to out speed the opponent, and the chance factor can create a very hectic moment if both players have the same card, and need to race to place the card down before the opponent places it first. It can also be extremely tense if both players have 2-1 card(s) left and are waiting for their moment for the right card to present itself.

Fun Factor:
I personally found the game very fun, due to how it’s based off of chance but coupled with the skill of speed and recognition. This creates an environment where skill is not based off of the knowledge of the game or patterns that can be memorized, but instead by the persons ability to draw upon cards and place them down at a fast pace. Most of the game at its core is chance based, but the most important part of the game is entirely based off of skill of speed. This for me creates an environment where if you are super fast, you have a slight advantage over your opponent, however due to the rest of the game based off of chance, it does not matter how fast you are, you can still lose because of poor RNG. This, for me, still makes the game fair to everyone due to the low ceiling and low barrier to entry. This is a game that can be played as a group or just 1-on-1. Intense moments will be part of this game and a chance of a sweep/blowout is rare if not impossible, unless the chance for one player is good and the other is poor.

Influence:
Despite all that this game seems to be, this game does not strike me as influential, it is not part of regular society card games, it is not complex for people who play cards casually or professionally, the game is not entirely based off of chance, making it hard for BS moments to arise due to the simplicity of the game. But since the skill only helps slightly, it does not add any complexity to the game. This game is meant for simple fun where the fun of the game comes from chance, and the win state is that being you are able to empty your hand and deck faster than the other person. However, because this game is not influential does not mean it has little to teach/offer. This game is great when it comes to teaching people to think critically, take chances, have quicker reaction times, recognize faster, and develop hand-eye coordination in a safe, low risk environment that adds a layer of fun and uncertainty to each match. Which offers endless replay value to anyone. This is a game perfect for 1v1 or group play, it can be fun to watch and even place bets on in a casual environment, and most importantly is a creative way to take something that is as simple as cards and make a new twist on it.

Overall, I rate this game 3.5 stars. This is a game best enjoyed in a casual environment where players want to play a game mainly based off of chance with a skill taking a backseat.

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal Entry #2

Name: Backgammon
Author/Studio: No Single Person, Originated in Mesopotamia
Platform: 2 Player Board Game

Control System Used:
Slightly modified rules, there was no gambling involved, therefore it was a true casual setting in a 1v1 environment

Gameplay and Mechanics:
The gameplay revolves around a board, with each side having 2 rows of 6 alternating white and black triangles, each player starts with chips that are laid out on the opposite side of where they are sitting. When the game starts, both players will roll each dice, whoever has the highest number rolls first. The winning player rolls both die can move a chip the amount 1 dice has (ex: 3, 5.. A player can move 1 chip 5 times, or 3 times, they can use the other dice to move that same chip the amount the other die has, or can move a separate chip that number of times). The goal is for the player to have all chips on the left corner of their side. However, there are risks involved. So long as a tile has at least 2 chips, the other player cannot land there, however, if there is only 1, the other player can land there and put the chip in prison (Center of the game). The player who lost their chip must use their highest numbered dice to free that chip, where it will start at the very corner of the opposing players side. If the opposing player has 2 chips on each tile of their row, it is game over. Once the player has all chips on their corner, they can start to stash away the chips, if the player puts away all chips before the opposing player can do the same, they win. When rolling a die, if the player has dice that lands on the same number, they can roll again.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
When it comes to strengths, it can be a very long, intense, and rewarding game. Where each loss is decided by skill and risk. This punishes players for playing safe, as well as being reckless. This makes an environment that allows players to learn critical skills in a game that is naturally slow in pacing. Every decision matters, as it can decide on if you lose chips, or take opponents. This makes each game unique due to the changing scenarios. Design wise, the simplicity of the art makes it easier to understand, as seeing triangles arranged in a particular pattern makes it clear to the player that they are to be used for a specific purpose. There are some weaknesses to this game though. The rules themselves are somewhat numerous, making it hard to keep track of everything if neither player is truly aware of all the rules at all times, and due to each player having to think ahead and plan, it can be easy to miss mistakes until it is far too late to correct. Another weakness is that the game, while casual, can be extremely slow, which can be negative, especially because it is strictly 1v1. Making it hard to be invested unless you have betting involved, which to me, feels like an artificial way to involve others.

Fun Factor:
The game can be extremely fun to play, where the fun factor is in the strategy and planning involved with this game. The satisfaction one can receive when they are able to halt the other players progress and send their chip back to square one is satisfying. And due to the strategic nature of the game, the amount of BS a game will have is nearly non-existent. This makes it hard for players to get mad at the game, as their actions were a direct result of their own loss. However this game is not a game with a high skill ceiling... With enough planning, you will have a considerable advantage if you can force the player to make dumb decisions, but the chance factor in the dice makes it much harder to achieve that goal, and evens the playing field considerably. This makes an environment where even if you are not a great strategist, you always have a good chance against your opponent, whilst if you are good at planning and strategy, you will feel as though you always have a slight upper hand over your opponent, which creates an environment where both players feel empowered. The gambling aspect, while artificial, does add some extra chaos and pressure, which can add to the fun factor

Influence:
This game has survived over 5000 years, safe to say this game is quite influential, even in spite of the rapid rise of electronic gaming. Through several millennia, this game has been around nearly as long as recorded history itself. For the influence of games, it is easy to see how many strategy games have used concepts from this game to inspire their own creations. Where you are given a random factor, and using your thinking skills, resources available, and your position, you must find a way to win. Games such as Hearts of Iron 4 stand out as great examples, where random factors, such as foreign nations interests, your country of origin, your own political party in charge, manpower, land you occupy, and allies, all can change how the game flows. Every game is one of chance, but with planning, you can overcome every single obstacle that comes your way. It is a game where risk is required, yet punished severely if abused with reckless abandon. It encourages cautious, but you will never truly win if you allow yourself to become paranoid. Overall, this game's influence can be seen not only in this game, but some of the best strategy games out there, and will continue to survive through the ages.

Overall, I rate this game 4.5 stars, minor setbacks aside, this is a game that shows why it has stuck around with us throughout our recorded histroy

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal Entry - Chess (Not #3)

Name: Chess
Author/Studio: Unknown Author, Earliest known form dates back to 600 AD
Platform: 2 Player Board Game

Control System Used: The Original rules were used in the game played

Gameplay and Mechanics:
Chess is a game all about strategy. Both sides have 2 rows, with the front most row having pawns, while the back has 2 knights, 2 castles, 2 Bishops, 1 Queen, and 1 King. One player can move any chess piece provided they have the space to move. Pawns can move up to 2 spaces on their first move, however can only move forward, and after their first move, are limited to moving forward 1 time per turn, they can move adjacent only if there is an opponents piece occupying that space. Knights can move in any L direction, knights can move sideways and forwards for as much as they want, Bishops can only move diagonally, but in as much or as little tiles as they wish. The King can move in any direction, but is limited to 1 tile per move, the queen can move in diagonally, straight, or sideways in as much or as little tiles as the player wishes. The goal is to checkmate the king, where that means putting the king in a position where no matter what, it will be eliminated. The player can lose any and all other pieces, but the king must remain in play.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

This game has several strengths, namely helping train the brain to think more critically, strategize, and to take calculated risks. There are many ways to play the game for both sides, making each game unique from each other due to differing approaches that each turn can take. Matches can end in a draw, which makes long games not drag too long if there are limited number of pieces left on the board. However a weakness is the gap between those that are skilled and those that are not. It is no fun to be destroyed by someone who understands the game so much more than another, and it makes it hard to learn when you are constantly punished and being destroyed by those types of players, though those types of interactions are rare. Another weakness is the differing pieces can be difficult for some people to be able to grasp, meaning that if there are 2 less skilled players playing, they are both prone to making actual mistakes that are not the result of poor strategy, but actual breaking of rules.

Fun Factor:
The game's fun comes from having to strategize and plan for each move, trying to trick your opponent to make a mistake or force themselves into a bad situation. This is a game where the fun comes near the end, especially if nearing the end, there are limited amount of pieces left. This is a game that offers endless replay value, combined with the fun factor this game has and the uniqueness to have the fun parts before the game starts and nearing the end of the game goes against some game designs where they put the bulk of the fun at the very middle of the game, where before its more about chance or setup; and nearing the end, where by the time the end comes the fun is dying down as the winner is becoming more clear. The fun factor can be ruined by a mismatch of player skill, though that is rare. Overall this game is fun when players are at equal skill level and seeing both players make moves that force each other to think critically and when to take risks, as well as allowing the game to go on for extended periods of time, where both players gradually lose pieces and both players are forced to either make it a race against the clock as to who can get checkmate first, if possible.

Influence:
To say this game is influential would be a disservice to it. Chess is a game that has evolved alongside humanity and is played in one variation or another across the entire world. It is a game that nearly anyone can recognize and learn quickly. having played it myself, I can safely say this game has shown why, in spite of nearly 15 centuries since its creation, it's popularity and influence has only grown. Nearly all games, board or digital, that was not made before chess, can trace its roots or associate itself heavily with the game of chess. Video games with even semi-complex mechanics, outside of a few exceptions, have the core DNA of chess inside of it. A game that has planning, risk taking, strategy of some sort. Chess is a game that will never fade away due to it being so integral to human history and the history of games. The simplicity of the game yet the complex and nearly infinite possibilities and combinations of games makes this one of, if not in my opinion, the most influential game in all of human history, and something that many games should strive to achieve, not through copying its mechanics, but studying why it exactly stuck around and why people all over the world play it.

Overall, I rate this game a 5/5... A timeless masterpiece

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal Entry #3

Name: Spacewar!
Author/Studio: Martin Graetz, Stephen Russell, and Wayne Wiitanen
Platform: PDP-1

Control System Used: A PC Emulation of the game was used

Gameplay and Mechanics:
The game is about 2 space ships trying to shoot each other, however there is an object in the center that is pulling both of the ships towards them. Both players must try and eliminate each other without dying from either the player or the black hole(?) to win. Each player can turn left, right using the A and D keys, and have a firing button by pressing W. For sticky situations and to move around better, they have limited fuel in the form of a boost, which can be activated by holding the S key, there are also keys for an Alternate Fire mode, which turns from a hold to shoot to per button pressed, as well as a Hyperspace button, which acts as a respawn for the player that presses it. Each time a player dies, a score is added. There is no end to the game itself, so both players must decide when the game is over.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
A strong point of this game is the simplicity behind it, you have 3 basic movements, a way to fire, a toggle between how to fire, and being able to respawn. This makes the game easy to pick up and understand. And due to the primitive technology, it has a charm that many games struggle to emulate. The 1v1 nature makes it fun when combined with the gimmick of the black hole dragging the players, leading to some fun and chaotic moments at times. The simplicity is also a strength, because the only thing to keep players playing is a score, if someone is playing the game, they are playing it because they want to, rather than a few modern titles that rely on marketing and FOMO to draw players in, or having an objective for the player to go towards. Because of this, when they play it, they play it purely and only for the fun of it. However, its biggest weakness is how simple it is, because of how simple it is, there is not much of a reason to play the game if there are other games out there.

Fun Factor:
The game, in my honest opinion, is only fun when playing with another human. Playing this game alone is too boring, as there is nothing stimulating outside of another person. However, with another person, this game could be fun, I just don't have the knowledge or experience to be able to make commentary on just how fun it can potentially be. When playing alone, I was able to make my own fun by trying to dodge the black hole for as long as possible, but eventually that grew boring. If played with someone else, I can see this game being enjoyable, even fun. But if you are playing by yourself, there is no reason to play this game. There are plenty of games that have some sort of AI to use, primitive or not, the lack of any sort of ability to play by yourself makes this game a drag. Some concepts are interesting, like the limited fuel, but this game is rather shallow. Which I'd say adds to its charm and is excusable due to how early this game is, but it does not excuse how boring this game plays when not with someone else. I could only play for 5 minutes before I couldn't get myself to continue, and trying to control both characters is a nightmare, though it might make for *some* interesting gameplay, though I doubt it would last long. Overall, as a multiplayer game with a friend, having music blasting in the background, I see this being a rather enjoyable game, but I can't see it being fun in any other situation.

Influence:
It's hard to say how influential it is, this is a game that was part of early video game history, meaning it gets slack and bonus points for being early and being a pillar for modern games, and due to the primitive nature though good design, it is somewhat timeless. However, this was not the first game ever, it really hasn't been a huge key point of modern game design in my opinion... There are plenty of space games, the gravity gimmick might be one of its most important things that games use today, but most of the other games are simply more influential and perfected the design that Spacewar uses. The gravity mechanic is the only real memorable thing about this game... It showed it could be done, and be done well enough, that much I can give it credit for. But the multiplayer aspect seemed to have exploded with pong, which even today is timeless and can be enjoyed. There have been plenty of other games out there that made better use of the shooting mechanic. Overall this game is something I consider to be very important in terms of making modern games possible... But for an odd reason, I am struggling to see how it is influential, This was a game that laid an important foundation, but nowadays most games base their designs off of far superior and more perfected game design... This was a game that was heavily influential back when it came out, but has lost that title over time.

Overall I give this game a 2/5, Foundationally important, but today, has lost more or less all of its relevancy

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #4

Name: Asteroid
Author/Studio: Atari; Lyle Rains, Ed Logg
Platform: Arcade Machine (Original from Atari)

Control System Used: A PC Emulation using Mouse & Keyboard

Gameplay & Mechanics:
This game's mechanics and gameplay revolve around trying to survive against other spaceships trying to attack you and rocks that are floating about. Your objective is to rack up the highest score possible before losing all of your lives. You have an array of useful mechanics to help you, you can thrust to move forward in the direction you are facing, move side to side, enter a Hyper-Space (Which is essentially just teleporting to a random place on the map), and the ability to fire. You want to avoid the spaceships and asteroids, while also shooting at them. Asteroids start off big, but as you shoot them they get smaller, making it harder to hit them, you still want to clear it so you can add more score and make the map clearer however; you also want to get rid of spaceships, as they fire randomly, and can kill you. However, Asteroids can also destroy enemy spaceships.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
The simplicity of going for the high score can be fun for many people, and if in a casual competitive environment, this can create an intense pressure that is fun and addictive to participate in. This help with hand eye coordination as well as the simple graphics help make this game that is painfully simple be very addicting even today. However, some weaknesses of this game stem from its simplicity. It is a novelty nowadays. You really only play this game if you really want to, going down a retro road, or studying its impact or history. It is a game that was created with the limitations that made early video games what they are today, and while retro games have a small, but diehard fanbase, with support from most gamers around the globe, this game is not something that really catches the appeal of the modern day gamer, the only reason to play is for the high score.

Fun Factor:
This is an extremely fun game in spite of its limitations, in fact, that creates a charm that no modern games can replicate even if they tried to. I can find myself playing for hours on end, getting nervous as I tried to play for the highest score possible before reaching a game over, and playing it all over again so I can beat my old high score, the addictive part of this game is the players pure will to try and be better than their last attempt, which is what many games strive to do, although only a very tiny amount of games throughout its history has it been achieved. Those games are usually timeless masterpieces which can be played to this day and hold its own and even beat some of the biggest releases in todays day and age. This game is best enjoyed by those who want to play this in a casual to casual-competitive environment. Seeing someone skilled at this game would be a treat, as they avoid and destroy the asteroids and spacecraft. Since there is no true professional scene for this game, anyone can pick it up, play with friends, and have an amazing time while playing or spectating it. Also on a personal note, This game would be a treat for the eyes during the night, simple and thin greens with the black background would make it a nice ease for gamers playing in dark rooms something that younger me would appreciate, seeing as I would stay up late at night playing games that would flash bright white at 3AM.

Influence:
This game has had its reach, and it's DNA can be found in some of the most beloved games to this day, in one form or another. Stupidly simple graphics, a simple concept, and a small yet solid foundation or game design helps showcase the lasting impact, and was a key foundational piece for paving the way to modern games with hundreds of things happening all at once, yet still trying itself to a simple concept, built on a foundation that is solid, with plenty of room for expansion. Though through time, this game has lost some of its overall influence, it is still strong, and any game designer should take some notes from this game, however, today there have been more games with more complex things going on that many modern day games follow due to the ever growing complexity in games, AAA Games especially. However, for Indie developers, who cannot afford to put 3,000 things into their game, this is a perfect starting point: Use what resources you have, stick to a simple foundation with a few simple concepts, and any indie developer can create very great games that can even beat out AAA games, where that industry has become more or less stagnant. Overall, this game has been able to establish itself as an important piece of gaming history, something that all games, as complex or as simple as they are, should look at, understand what made it so appealing, and apply the core concepts to their own games.

Overall I give this game a 4/5. The simplicity of all of it creates a charm that I dig.

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #5

Name: Pac Man
Author/Studio: Toru Iwatani - Namco
Platform: Arcade Machine (Original)

Control System Used: PC Emulation using a Keyboard

Gameplay & Mechanics:
The gameplay of pac man is simple, you are placed in a level where there are white dots across all open tiles of the map except the center, where the ghosts spawn is. The objective is to collect all pallets without losing all of your lives. The player starts off with 2 lives, with the chance to earn more for every 10,000 score that is earned. The easiest way to earn score is to collect each pallet, which awards 10 for each one grabbed, you can also earn points from fruits that spawn in the center of the map, and by eating one of the 4 large pallets nearing the corners of the level, you can also earn score by eating one of the ghosts, forcing them to respawn. Each time you clear out the level, the next one loads, with the game itself being faster, and the large pallets effect lasting for less time as each level advances.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
Despite the level never changing, the increase in speed makes the game more hectic the longer you play, which, outside of the score of the game, incentivizes the player to play longer to keep on the rush. Even when the player gets the game over, they will feel the want and need to play again just to get that rush from the hectic and increasing speed/difficulty that later levels provide. Simple controls make it easy for anyone to learn, it also has a well defined skill ceiling. If you are good at the game, you will have a much easier time getting to the later levels, but the anticipation of reaching the later levels is what pushes the hardcore players to continue to play, while for newer/casual players, just getting to those later levels is a fun time in it of itself. However a weakness is actually the reliance on increasing speed, outside of score, it is the only thing keeping players playing for longer than the first 2 levels. Without it, the game would become boring.

Fun Factor:
Pac-Man is a very fun and addicting game, even today. The saturated colors overlaying the blackness, cute yet simple character designs, and the limited, repeated, yet not annoying sound effects have made the game not just addicting, but fun to play. This is a game anyone can enjoy, whether in a casual or competitive environment. Watching someone who is very skilled at the game is fun to watch in it of itself, seeing them easily move around and collect the pallets without dying is mesmerizing, especially when considering how so many games today, mainly AAA games, are pushing towards the competitive market, trying to become the next big Esports game. Pac Man is stupidly simple, and that is what makes it so fun to play. The fact that it isn't trying to overload you with 300 medals for eating a ghost, it uses its limited resources and makes a masterful gameplay loop out of it. It is fun to play as a simple minigame while waiting for your next class, or for a dedicated sit down session. As time as passed, the game has become more versatile, simple controls make it so easy to put onto a smartphone or on the big screen and provide the same entertainment that it did during the dominant era of Arcades. Where some games have advanced from pixelated art due to the limitations imposed by both Arcades and technology at the time, Pac Man is a game that has, for the most part, remained unchanged. Other than the smoothing of the character designs, the same art style has made Pac-Man an easy to make, easy to play type of game, adding to its overall fun factor.

Influence:
Without a doubt Pac-Man can hold its own against some of the most popular and respected games today. It is one of the few games that was there nearing the beginning of gaming, and it will likely stick with it till the end of gaming. Very few games were still able to keep that level of dominance and influence, even while more advanced technology came out. Games such as Mortal Kombat have evolved, but have started to see a decline in recent years due to its concept of it being all about gore and blood becoming less taboo, as well its shift to trying to tell a story (The most recent ones have been garbage (Khaos Reigns especially)) with its concept of the glorification of gore and finding the most inhumane ways to kill someone being pushed to the side, alongside predatory and unwelcome monetization. Pac-Man has been able to avoid this because of its unyielding loyalty to what made it great in the first place. Although its sheer dominance overtime has faded, it doesn't nor does it ever, need to reclaim that spot. Games today can still model themselves after Pac-Man's core concepts, it serves not only as a reminder of how simplicity can be just as effective, if not more so, than complexity, but also to show as a reminder that games don't need 500 sequels, sometimes sticking to one game, and maybe re-releasing it with slightly cooler graphics, character design, etc. for low cost yet low expectations is sometimes just as good of a tool as spending millions of dollars on a game that could backfire immensely. Not to mention this game has inspired movies, had a TV show, and even experiment with 3D and/or Modern game designs (not many of them were good). It is cool that the very first game is so recognizable to any gamer in the world

Overall, this game is a 5/5. A Timeless Masterpiece

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #6

Name: Jungle Hunt
Author/Studio: Taito
Platform: ColecoVision

Control System: PC Emulation

Gameplay & Mechanics:
The Game revolves around going through a series of levels to get a high score before you run out of lives or the timer runs out. Each level revolves around timing your movements, however the way each level tests your timing is different. The first level consists around the player swinging from vine to vine, and timing it so that you do not land on the ground, each vine moves differently, making you have to wait for the right time, but also allowing for risk taking moves where you can try to make a jump to make it to the other vine. When you pass enough of the vines you move on to the next level. The 2nd level differs from Level 1 in that the player has more or less free reign on where they want to move, but the level is under water, with a depleting oxygen bar which can only be restored by going all the way back up to the top, and you also have enemies, where they will swim and move up and down randomly, if you get hit, you lose a life, if you lose oxygen, you lose a life. Once you get passed that level the 3rd level is walking up a hill and jumping over small tumbleweeds and avoiding the bigger ones, the slanted surface makes it more unique, but once you pass you get to the 4th and final stage, where you will need to jump over 2 alien looking creatures and avoid a boiling pot. The game overall has unique levels that revolve around the same concept.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
As stated earlier, a strength is that each level sticks to a single concept but is unique in its approach. With the 3rd level throwing a spin and adding a new enemy type mid-level, this keeps the player on their feet, as they do not know what will show up next. This can also create some stress if the player is low on lives, which to me is a strength, it forces the player to think more carefully about what to do, which can actually contribute to a game over if the player overthinks on making a decision. Weaknesses for this game are likely a result of the limitations of the hardware that was present, but this is a game that desperately needs to be more complex, it feels as though the game is the same exact pattern each time I play, especially the 3rd level. It makes the game more of a one and done, and although there is a high score mechanic, it does not add much replay value, since there is an endpoint. Once I got near the end for the 2nd time I couldn't be bothered to play it again.

Fun Factor:
This game has its moment where it is genuinely fun to play, but that is when you are still trying to progress through the game for the first few times, by the time you reach the last level, you have truly experienced all the game has to offer, which is unfortunate. Once you have played more than 2 times, everything is more or less second nature, and that's when all the fun that I was having went away. I do understand that the issue for this was a result of the technology that was available at the time, but it felt like the ambition of the developer far exceeded the actual reality of the situation they were in. This is a game that is trying to be fun with the concept, but the execution was, to me, what held this game back the most. If done in todays era, with technology allowing for this game to be more random with each playthrough, I would have a far better experience because of how the game would be able to change itself each playthrough, but that is not the case, I had fun to begin with, but became a drag after just a few playthroughs of the game.

Influence:
This game has a little bit of influence, it was a game that likely pushed the hardware it was on and showed concepts that would be refined later down the road, but overall, this game is not that influential. It copied the basic formula most games had at the time, and added a twist that, while unique, and that particular part being the most influential in taking the same concept and adding a new twist on it each level, simply was held back by the technology that they had to available. It felt like the game was a pattern, with no differentiation, regardless of if it was or not, it felt the same each time I played it. This game had a small run of being popular, but that was short lived. Only the most diehard of retro gamers would know of this games existence, it was a game I had never even heard about until recently. This was a game that was made during the early years of gaming and it shows, it's inability to hold its own against titles of today and even against the titans that ran the gaming space during its own release, outside of a few unique spin, is what makes it hard for me to see this game as influential.

Overall, this game is a 2.5/5 - A game that would hold up better today than its actual release window.

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #7

Name: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial
Author/Studio: Howard Scott Warshaw - Atari
Platform: Atari 2600

Control System: PC Emulation

Gameplay & Mechanics:
E.T is a buggy game, and does not convey the objective of the game easily, however, from what I was able to gather, the objective of the game is for the player to find certain items on the map, while avoiding people and holes in the ground which can make progress difficult. You have a limited amount of energy to use (9999) and must find a way to complete the game while accounting for everything that is going on around you. I could not for the life of me get passed finding all the pieces, however many there are. The game's bugs and janky mechanics make this game hard to play, with the only part that seems remotely polished is the energy bar, everything else seems to have one problem or another. For the player, you can move in 8 directions, with a sprint button that increases speed, while needs to be held down for the sprint to work.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
There is little in terms of strength, perhaps the fact that the game seemed to push what games could have been at that point, as most games were endless shooters, arcades, simple adventures, or adaptations of arcades, the only actual strength is the energy, which acts as a resource to manage. The rest of the game is a weakness however, the sprint is way too fast in certain areas, NPC's ignore holes and march straight to you, and getting out of holes is a chore and a half, I often found myself stuck, constantly falling back into the holes, which caused a great deal of infuriation as I tried to complete the objective. The thing at the top is also stupidly confusing, I cannot tell if it's trying to tell me where to go, or where not to go. The only thing that I was able to read from it was when I stumbled across a flower and it did a after I interacted with the flower.

Fun Factor:
This game is not fun. I found myself infuriated more often than not, the sprint only worked in my favor when I had to just go up and down, or if there were no holes there, I found myself falling into holes in areas where I couldn't see any (mainly in the beginning environment), and I was lost during my playthrough on exactly what I needed to do. Symbols giving me messages that gave me nothing to work with, and NPC's that not only hindered my progress, but at times could bug out and ignored any holes in the map made it very hard for me to find any enjoyment. The only part that I found fun was when I accidentally stumbled across a flower, interacted with it, and the message thing at the top did a smile face. Furthermore, the controls felt janky, mainly when it came to escaping the holes, I often would just get trapped again because the character stopped climbing and my foot was 1 pixel in the hole. I am not going to bother to torture myself further by trying to complete the game. The game fundamentally is a buggy, unpolished mess that was an omen to what games would become if outside sources messed with the development of a game.

Influence:
This game is very, very influential. unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. This is a game that shows what happens when a developer is given little to no time, is constantly being influenced by outside sources, and when publishers place unrealistic expectations for a video game. There is a reason that this game is considered to be the game that caused the crash of '83, though this was just the straw that broke the camels back, video games were going into a crash regardless of if this game released or not, it just gave everyone a scapegoat. Oversaturation of not just video games, but video game consoles, where many of both had already started to suffer from a lack of quality control as well as a lack of quality in general. The game's mechanics, while at its core had potential, was squandered by little communication and an expectation that players would already know what everything meant. This game is important for several reasons: It paved the way for the consolidation and the eventual hierarchy of video games, where there would be 4 (now 3) major console manufacturers, a handful of large budget publishers and several other smaller publishers, with developers having to make games that are not only unique, but fundamentally sound and polished to a certain extent (though the mistakes that plagued and caused the crash of '83 seen to be happening again, with the unregulation of unfinished, unpolished live service games, the only exception being consoles remaining untouched by the oversaturation). This game should be remembered and studied, mainly for how not to make a video game.

Overall, 0.5/5... Game is E.T..... Extra Trash....

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #8

Name: Oregon Trail
Author/Studio: Don Rawitsch
Platform: Several (Apple II, MSDOS, etc.)

Control System: Internet Emulation, same Keyboard system used

Gameplay & Mechanics:
You are given $600 dollars to spend on 5 supplies to start: Ox, Food, Ammo, Clothes, and Misc.. You can choose how good of a shot you are as well. You can spend all your money at the start, or save some and pay extra at forts. Food can be obtained by buying or hunting for them, you have to deal with bandits, choosing to eat poorly, moderately, or well. On my playthrough, I spent 250 on Ox, and the rest was divided so I had $200 left over. I had chosen to be a good shot (Level 2) before I started on my journey. I was able to complete the game on my first playthrough by hunting most of the time, never eating poorly, and nearing the end I exclusively ate well. at the end I had 85 on clothes and (to start with I had 100 misc supplies) at the end I had 65 misc supplies (after spending a little extra at forts for them). I had plenty of bullets during the entire playthrough. I was able to avoid any serious illnesses and did not die from dysentery.

Strengths & Weaknesses:
The simplicity of the game makes it easy to understand once you get over any confusions at the start. I was confused and thought you paid for the amount of items you wanted, not how much money in total you wanted to spend (I spent $2 on Ox for 5 minutes before figuring that out.) Simple mechanics makes it easy to play and enjoy, while the mini-games were easy enough to understand but took time to get timing right. The managing of resources and making the choice to spend all your money at once or leaving some for the trip added a layer of strategy, and is the best part of the game, adding plenty of replay value alongside choosing how much to spend on each resource. Text only with 1 button mini-games makes it enjoyable and relaxing to play. The only one weakness that is actually part of the game is at the very beginning, where they should make it clear to buy based off of money rather than amount of resources. The other weaknesses were mainly just the different control schemes of the old PC's, so I can't fault the game for that.

Fun Factor:
In spite of its stupidly simple design, the game is very fun to play, especially if you set yourself up to succeed. The mini-games, while more or less the exact same, even down to the timing, always felt rewarding, and if all failures and game-overs were the result of the player's own choices, rather than the games fault. This type of design is key to any fun game, where the player knows that the result of all failures were not part of the game, but the player themselves. My only complaint was how too easy to game was... Yes I made myself a good shot, but I'd never played Oregon Trail prior to today, only hearing and reading about it; and the fact that I completed it without any issues on my first every try felt a bit of a let down, I was hoping for a more challenging playthrough, though that is the beauty. I can always make it harder on myself the next time, push myself to play as challenging of a game as possible, maybe waste all my money on 1 resource and see how long i last till I die. Despite the game having to work with very little, it has created a game that is more or less endless.

Influence:
This game is a very influential game, and a key player and pillar of game design. while it is not necessarily a game that will beat out a lot of modern/classic titles, it can easily hold its own against them. There is a reason, even after 50 years since its release, and with countless games coming out, it is still playable and enjoyable today. Games don't do that unless they are timeless, classic masterpieces. This is a game that showcases just how little can pack a huge punch, and simple game design that is fleshed out to its maximum will always remain more than complex yet shallow mechanics. The game has primitive graphics that give more than enough information to the player, and only a few lines of text are needed for the player to understand exactly what is happening and what they can do. So many games that are influential take the core concepts of this game, and follow it faithfully in their own interpretation of it, even building upon them. There is something charming about a game like this, rather than trying to cut corners to fit a game into the hardware it is running on, it just uses what resources and technology that was available at the time and made a game that worked, so many games now are not even trying to fit themselves to most hardware, they will simple require the user to get a system good enough (outside of video game consoles), and I think this is a mistake, games should always try to fit themselves to the scope of most peoples hardware without sacrificing its own design.

Overall I give this game a 5/5... Many games died of dysentery, this one didn't

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #9

Name: Microsoft Decathlon
Author/Studio: Timothy W Smith - Microsoft
Platform: TRS-80/Apple II/IBM PC

Control System Used: Keyboard PC Emulation

Gameplay and Mechanics:
This game is a series of minigames, with the goal of reaching the highest score possible out of either npc's or other players. As for the minigames, there are 10 minigames for the player to go through, usually revolving around spamming certain keys to go as fast as possible, trying to time something precisely, or a combination of the 2. Though the difficulty of each one ranges heavily (outside 2 of the dash minigames). Games start off simple, often just using 2-3 buttons, and each button does a simple function, but as you play through the game and play more minigames, you have to deal with increased difficulty, more controls, and more complex controls & mechanics. These mechanics, such as in the 3rd dash minigame, has 4 controls, and a total of 8 directions, another minigame will have you get a running start, before trying to place a pole in just the right area so you can land in just the right spot. Each minigame starts off unique before taking from past ones and adding more complexity on top of it.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
This game utilizes a few simple concepts and turns them into a competitive multiplayer experience that is endlessly replayable. The minigames, despite being rehashed versions of 3 minigames, all feel unique from one another, and are games that take some effort and skill to get good at. Which plays into the competitive nature that this game does promote to the player. Another strength of this game is that is utilizes the technology it has to great effect, this feels like a game that isnt pushing the hardware to its limits, but also feels like a game that will make you feel like you were playing on much better hardware. However a weakness of this game is some wonky controls in some minigames, especially the last of the dash minigames. It felt as though all my inputs were delayed and I struggled to move in any direction that was not straight up, right, left, or down.

Fun Factor:
Decathlon is a very addicting game, in spite of the limited technology, this felt in depth, complex in some areas, and most importantly: stayed true to its concept. Not for a single moment did I not feel as though this game was straying away from the competitiveness this game promotes. Though I was starting to get frustrated nearing the end, as I could not get any more points, I always felt like I could do better each and every time, and felt a want to play the game again. However, one thing I could not stand, for a single moment, was the sound. I straight up muted my sound because the noise would not stop, and it was so loud and annoying, this by far made the game nearly unplayable until I muted my computer. Despite this, the remainder of the game was still fun. This would work great playing against another person, sabotaging them by trying to push them away from the controls. Without the competitive nature of this game, trying to get the highest score possible, or at the very least trying to beat the person or npc, the replay value and overall fun factor of this game would not be nearly as high.

Influence:
This game, while not particularly influential today, likely played a huge role in computer games back then. The simplicity of the controls, yet the complexity in which the game utilizes said controls paved a way for games to use as little keybinds as possible while making full use of each key they do use. This risk/reward factor is also something many games back then and even today can use. Making the player have to take risks, but punishing them for being reckless while making the player feel as though it is of their own fault is what stands out the most to me, and I feel as though this is a major reason as to the influence this game had. Today, as stated before, I do not think this game holds the same influence, and has more or less lost most of it, it is still a game that can hold its own respectfully, and still be a nice options for people that would want to play a very simple, competitive game. It's simple concept, simple design, yet complex use and subtle manipulation of the players willing to take risks has made this game that is fundamentally sound to play to this day.

Overall, I give this game a 4/5... They took a risk with the sound... it didn't work.

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #10

Name: Super Mario Bros
Author/Studio: Shigeru Miyamoto / Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System(NES) / Nintendo Family Computer (FamiCom)

Control System Used: Keyboard PC Emulation

Gameplay & Mechanics:
The game is a platformer, where you are tasked with getting to the end of the level before the timer reaches 0, being careful to avoid enemies hitting you or falling down a pit. You have a limited amount of lives, able to increase them by doing a variety of tasks. There are 8 worlds, each having 4 levels to each, with each getting more difficult from the last level and world. At the end of each world is a castle level where you have to beat a big guy named bowser, you need to defeat him for each castle, and at the very end, you get the princess. Outside of rescuing the princess, you also have score, with remaining time, defeating enemies, and the place where you land on the flag pole each playing a part in how much score you gain, the score is not integral to beating the game, but is a bonus.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
The game utilizes its hardware well, the gameplay and story is easy to understand and follow along, and the controls are super easy to understand to where anyone can play the game. The timer is pretty artificial, unless you are moving at a snails pace you will never run out of time (outside of castle areas). This being a pack-in for the NES showed just how great of a system the NES could be and how good Nintendo is at making video games in general. The secrets and bugs that can be found in the game are what help set it apart, where games were too small to even really have bugs, or were so bad that the game itself felt like a bug, there was an abundance of secrets Nintendo left in each level that made it fun to explore. There are little to no weaknesses for this game at all, it is executed to a high, high level.

Fun Factor:
This game is very fun, addicting even. This is a game that, even after you beat 500 times, you feel like you can beat it again 500 times more... There is a level of charm and mastery in this, being able to have a game that plays the same over and over and over again, but never feels dull unless you play too much of it in a single sitting. This is a game that kids and grown ups alike can have equal amount of fun in, the times where mistakes happen always make me want to push further until I find a way to overcome the challenge. What makes this game more fun is how it never has gone away even after all these years. People playing this game today can have the same amount of fun that a kid would have had when they opened this up for Christmas or their birthday. Simple controls and simple gameplay mechanics combined with simple yet thoughtful level design and clever usage of what system resources the NES/Famicom had to offer at the time all add up to creating an entertaining experience that can still be enjoyed to this very day.

Influence:
This is one of the most influential games of all time, there is simply no other way to say it. You cannot even mention video games without this being the first pick for most people, this is a game that, if put against some of the most modern titles today, this game would dwarf most of the competition. This game can be accredited with being a major reason towards the end of the Video Game Crash, and began the 2nd Generation of video game consoles. Which soon began an explosion of creativity, passion, and design in games which soon sparked the console wars, which is still ongoing to this day in some aspects. The design and principles of this game have been copied time and time again, even by Nintendo themselves. To even think of not including this game as 1 of the 5 most influential games of all time would be a crime to video games themselves. To put it as mildly as possible, this is one of, if not, downright, the most influential game to have ever existed in the history of gaming. Video games as we know them today would likely look completely different had this game never come out.

5/5 wont do it justice... 6/5...

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #11

Name: Sonic the Hedgehog
Author/Studio: Yuji Naka / SEGA
Platform: SEGA Genesis

Control System Used: Emulation, keyboard

Gameplay & Mechanics:
Sonic the Hedgehog is a platformer/adventure 2D side scrolling game, where the objective is to make it to the end of the level, there are 3 acts per zone and 6 zones total with a final one at the very end, at the end of the 3rd act of the 6 zones, there is a boss fight. The maps have some length to them, not only from getting from point A to point B, but also exploring around the map itself. Sonic can not only move fast, but can defeat enemies by jumping (though some enemies are able to damage sonic if he jumps over them, he can also defeat enemies by being at a fast enough pace and ducking, which does a roll. There are numerous checkpoints scattered around each act, and sonic, by playing minigames by having enough rings at the end of the stage, can collect Chaos Emeralds, enough of them will allow Sonic to become Super Sonic with enough rings.

Strengths & Weaknesses:
The gameplay is simple, but fun to play. level design sticks out because of the openness of the level, there are nearly an endless amount of ways to tackle playing through the same act, which adds a lot of replay value, the game itself has a nice challenge, punishing bad play and rewarding exploration and timing. However, while many of the levels well designed, some placement of traps seemed unfair, there were times where, unless I had prior knowledge of an enemy or trap being there, I would get hit no matter what because I did not know about it. The zones feel to long too, by the 3rd act came, it felt like it was overstaying its welcome and I wanted to just get on with the next zone. There also seemed to be a failure to consider player skill in certain areas, the final zone's lack of a single ring means that unless you were smart enough to stock up on lives, you had to play perfectly.

Fun Factor:
The game is pretty fun to play. I found myself enjoying most of the game, especially from the challenge that the game poses in comparison to mario's much simpler and easier gameplay, but there were unfair challenges in many acts, and each zone lasting 3 acts which made it feel like each zone was overstaying its welcome did take away from how fun the game could be. Not to mention the limited amount of places where you could actually be fast, the only time I felt like I was able to truly be the speedy hedgehog was in the first zone, after that it felt like I was constantly being undermined by the levels own design, slowing me down instead of empowering me to try and be as fast as possible, it turned the game into a slightly different Mario game in my opinion, which was still fun, but sonic has always been the polar opposite of Mario, and the game should have reflected that more than it actually did. Limited lives sound fun and while there are numerous ways to gain extra lives, there were times where I felt screwed out of an extra life because it was simply out of my control.

Influence:
This game, despite not being as fun as mario in my opinion, has slightly more influence than mario, its not because it is actually more influential, Mario is way, way more influential overall, but the influence sonic does have is so great in that one category, that it beats mario in a certain point of view. And that influence is that it made Nintendo venerable. Not only did Nintendo have a competitor that outclassed them, but had a mascot that could easily go toe to toe with Mario. It set up the console and bit wars, which (at least for the console wars) are still ongoing (though it seems to have died heavily during the Xbox One, Wii U/Switch & PS4 generation), this paved the way for further innovation and creativity for both companies. Which soon created Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's Xbox companies. This started a much smaller but still huge burst of consoles, though more diverse (Tiger Handhelds, Atari Jaguar & Lynx, Gameboy & Gamegear, etc.) than all the consoles hitting the scene during the generation of the Atari 2600. The design, while not holding up particularly well today, was more than enough to set SEGA up for success, which they were able to capitalize on for a while before falling off a cliff.

Overall, I give this game a 3.5/5... His speed was getting hit enough to drop the rating down from 4 to 3.5

[Professor Watkins]

Graded to here.

[Nathan Garcia]

Journal #12:

Name: Super Mario Kart
Author/Studio: Shigeru Miyamoto/Nintendo
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Control System Used: Nintendo Switch Emulation/NS Joycons

Gameplay & Mechanics:
Super Mario Kart is a racing game featuring 8 characters from the Mario IP. The gameplay and mechanics is pretty simple, you have a way to go forward, backward, a small jump button which can be used to make sharper cuts as well, and the ability to use an item if you have one. The objective is to be in 1st place, or at least as high of a position as possible, and to win each track in 1st place. You can get a maximum of 9 points per track, and if you have the most, you get 1st place for the overall cup. There are 2 speeds and 4 cups, 3 unlocked from the start and a hidden one should you get 1st in all races in all 3 cups. As for items, you have several to choose from: Coins, Mushroom, Feather, red and green shell, banana, and a star.

Strengths & Weaknesses:
The games strengths lie in the simplicity of everything that is presented to the player. There are only a few items to choose from, making it easy for the player to understand what each item does, and how unique each item is, meaning that all the items fill some sort of role. Furthermore, the worse you are performing on the actual race, the better the items you will get, if you are in first, you will likely be seeing more coins than anything else, while if you are in the back, you will be more likely to get an item like a star. The level designs are simple, get the point across, and are mostly unique in terms of gimmicks. Though the levels do not stand out outside of Rainbow Road, cause of the limited hardware, each level, layout wise, can feel samey. The controlls are also not very good, it either feels too slippery or too sharp.

Fun Factor:
Despite its weaknesses, the game is pretty addicting to play either alone or with another friend, the game even has this in mind. though this is probably one of the weaker games today, limited options, tracks that seem to start to blend with each other outside of a few outliers, and AI that can feel artificially challenging at times, this game is really only something I would find myself playing if I really wanted to see how Mario Kart was back in the day. Especially today, I just ask myself why I would choose to play this Mario Kart over Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, that game simply has more to offer in every way possible. However, back in the day, this game would undoubtably be very fun to play. It has recognizable characters, an easy to learn control system, gameplay that makes sense and doesnt overcomplicate itself, and a push for playing with a friend would make this a very fun game when it first came out. Its just the same strengths are present, and expanded upon in a meaningful way in future titles, which is a huge problem for all Mario Kart games outside of Wii with its motion controls and Double Dash with its completely unique gameplay.

Influence:
This game is pretty influential when it comes to overall gaming, but it is the most influential game in its genre, it is quite literally the first of its find: a kart racing game. For its genre, so many games have spawned from Mario Kart, and essentially none have been able to grab that same attention that Mario Kart has been able to draw in, the influence it has over the kart racing genre is unprecedented. The influence that this game has over gaming itself is still respectable. It is one of the most casual and competitive games on the market, where both types of people can have fun due to the unpredictability the game can bring. However, its greatest weakness was that the sequels did not just release, it outright replaced Super Mario Kart. The influence today is not as impressive as it was when it first released. Regardless, this is a game that any gamer that has played games for years would be able to know, understand, and pick up. Which is something very few games can attest too. The fun, family-friendly nature of the game makes this a very influential game, even if its impact has been overshadowed by its own sequels.

Overall... I give this game a 3/5