B. Rocha - Journal Entries

[B.Rocha]

ANGD 3330 SP25 History of Games


Journal Entries

[B.Rocha]

Journal #1

Name of Game:
Poker
Game Author:
There is a bit of debate surrounding the author of the game Poker, but the games of Poker we are familiar with today gained popularity in America in the regions of Louisiana and Mississippi in the late 1700’s.

Game Studio:
I couldn’t find any studio or company expressly linked to the the game of Poker.

Original Platform & control mechanism:
The game’s platform is through a deck of cards, and there can be anywhere between 2-14 players that use their hands to view their cards as the control mechanism.

Control mechanism you used:
We also used the platform of a standard deck of 52 playing cards. We were a group of 4 and we used our hands to deal and handle the cards.

Describe game play and mechanics
Poker is a card game where the goal is to win the ‘pot’ all players bet into a round to play. Each round requires a ‘buy in’ bet of money, chips, or other items that will be used to form the pot. If in a casual group setting, like the way ours was played, items such as quarters, poker chips, or other items can be used and are set at a specific amount for each player. In big league games such as in casinos, buy ins are typically cash, set at elevated prices of $100 and up. The pot is won after each round, after all bets have been placed and all players have had a chance to create the strongest hand possible.

To begin a game of poker, a team of at least 2 players and one dealer is made. Players and the dealer will need to decide on the bet format of money, poker chips (which are representations of money), or other similar items. Once decided you decide on the betting buy in amount. Each player receives 2 cards each while the dealer places down 5 community cards for all players to see. The goal is to reference the ranked combinations of cards to see which player has the strongest hand. Using their two cards, they will scan the 5 center cards and make the strongest hand possible. This can range from a Royal Flush, the strongest hand, to straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, pair, and high card as the lowest.

The fun in this game stems from each player not knowing what the other players have as their two cards in their hand. Once players’ strongest hands are made, players go around and will either remain in the round, fold aka forfeit the round or bet higher. Betting higher requires other players remaining in the round to either match their bet, raising the pot, or folding. Poker is also a mind game, too, so players can bluff weak hands and still have a chance at winning large pots. This raises stakes and creates a lot of excitement at poker tables as players rely on mental tact against other players. Each round will have a winner when players remaining in a bet show their cards, with the highest ranked hand winning the entire pot. Ties sometimes occur and players then split the pot into two. A player can also win by default if all other players decide to fold.

Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design
The art of this game can vary as poker can be played anywhere, with any standard deck of cards and any agreed measure of bet format. The design of the game is where it shines best as it is a skill and mind game. It requires each player to analyze their options of hands to decide what their strongest hand could be and read surrounding players if they might have a stronger hand than you. It is up to the players threshold of risk to decide to commit to their hand and raise the betting stakes to better their winning chances or fold to be safe. By design, it is a unique and powerful game of luck and knowledge that trains you to read cards and people. A weakness, though, would be the luck factor involved in the game. A poor hand can be dealt to you at any point in time, forcing you to fold and lose your buy in bet, and this can sometimes deter players from continuing further rounds.

What made it fun?
I find this game fun because it is not a solitary game, rather a group game that can be a friendly competition that shows off the critical thinking skills of all players. There is a giddy kind of fun getting to read other players emotions and facial expressions whilst trying to shield your own. This aspect tends to scratch a psychological itch most people who enjoy people watching tend to have, like myself. This game is fun because you tend to learn something new every time you play. There are numerous ways to play poker, and various patterns of winning hands to learn and use for future games. This game also fills the excitement aspect that comes with being intentionally deceptive, which is a key component to the game. At times, poker feels like being in a metal surprise party and each player's goal is to figure out whose birthday it is, even if it turns out it is your own! The aspect of lying on purpose can be exciting for some people, and part of the fun of this game is tricking or bluffing others so that you can win the game and ideally come out with a lot of money in the end.

Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?
This game would be considered influential because of how addictive it can be. There is the obvious attraction of the win state, but depending on where and how you play poker, the winning pot can be very profitable for people. Further, there is excitement for some people in reading others and figuring out ways to deceive or bluff out players. There is also the mental stimulation that occurs from having to reference the ranked hands and problem solve in the moment to create a winning hand. In speed and complexity, poker is influential to the way modern games, both board and digital, have come to formulate. Poker also fits into the evolution of games as an early champion or ‘founding father’ of the main components most players enter modern games looking for today. The profit of the win state, utilization of player deception to achieve a win state, and mental stimulation that comes from remembering winning patterns, are components of poker that can be found in nearly all games today. Dating back to the late 1700’s, too, Poker today stems from many roots of the past. It is an early form of entertainment in the early Americas and has records of its influence in society since then as a thrilling game of luck of social interaction.Still, the essence of profit amidst a camaraderie of players is a powerful component that makes Poker unique, especially given that anyone can play it.

How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
3/5 stars

[B.Rocha]

Journal #2

Name of Game: Backgammon


Game Author:
Backgammon is an ancient game that dates back to 2000BC. It is unclear who the direct author of the game would’ve been.

Game Studio:
Because variants and roots of the game Backgammon have been recorded throughout history for over 4000 years, no exact studio exists that claims ownership to the game. Today, though, there exists an internationally recognized World Backgammon Federation that was founded in 2018 that exists to promote and illustrate the game of Backgammon to new and seasoned players all over the world.


Original Platform & control mechanism:
The original platform for Backgammon had many board variants over the globe throughout history made from stone and wood. The game was at the height of its popularity in medieval Europe around the 11th century, then coined ‘Nard’, so their platform would have been wooden or ceramic boards decorated with 24 triangles or squares in alternating color across the surface, two dice, and 15 trinkets/coins/chips for each player in opposing colors.

Control mechanism you used:
The control mechanism we used was a Backgammon board set made by Hathaway Sports & Games. It was a fold out board case that had 2 black and 2 white dice, a surface of 24 triangles in alternating black and white, and 15 checkers each both in black and white, with an inner board and outer board demarcation built into the case.

Describe game play and mechanics:
To play Backgammon, each player will get 15 checkers each, in opposing color. Each player will also use a pair of dice each. The players will then use the board to determine where the inner board and outer board will be. One half of the board will be the players’ inner boards or home boards and the other half the outer board. There is also a bar going down the middle of the board which is where checkers go to jail. The goal of the game is for a player to get all of their checkers onto their home board by going in a counterclockwise horseshoe direction in and into their home, which is a space adjacent to the home board quadrant.

Both players will roll their die and the player with the higher number will be the player who goes first. The dice roll will represent the amount of moves each player can move their chips towards the home board. The player can choose to combine the two numbers to move a chip the total amount or make two separate moves from the two dice values. A chip can be moved to any free triangle point on the board but cannot move onto points occupied by two or more chips of the opposing players’ colors. If an opposing player has only one chip on a point, the player can send that chip to the jail space and occupy that point. To get out of jail, a player must roll and use the higher numbered die to return into their outer board in a space that does not cross an opponent's checkers. If the higher numbered die goes over the amount of spaces required to not pass the opponent, the player cannot proceed and ends their turn. When they roll an amount that will not pass the opponent, they may return to the outer board by that many spaces.

Once a player has all their checkers in the inner board location, the player will continue to roll their die to get all 15 checkers into a space called Home. All checkers must be in the inner board region for a player to begin sending their checkers Home. The first player who succeeds at getting all their checkers home is the winner of the game.

Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:
The strengths of Backgammons art and design are the varied styles of Backgammon boards and checker types. The boards have a strict formation layout in order to play the game, but the theme and style of the layout can be done in several colorful and unique ways that can visually enhance the experience for players. The modern designs are also compact and easily portable, as the folding case style is most common for modern Backgammon and thus the design allows for easier access to playing the game anywhere. A weakness of the design when I played was the confusion at the beginning of determining where the inner boards were and how to follow the horseshoe direction along the board. There are no directional signals on the board that tell you and your opponent where to go, so new players like me had a difficult time figuring out direction. I think adding lines in opposing colors that allow each player an easier read on which direction to send their corresponding-colored chips to, would enhance the experience of the game without taking away from the fun.


What made it fun?
What made this game fun was the chance and luck factor used in Backgammon. There is not much heavy critical thinking or problem solving needed as your turns are always initially decided by your dice roll. Once you have your roll, you can problem solve the best route to get your checkers to Home, but it makes the game transparent and easy to read for both players. There is no need for secrecy or bluffing or mind games, although there is room for those components to be added if players require it. I also enjoyed the jail component to the game, as that is where the majority of competitiveness spawned from. Along with aiming to get all your checkers home, there was a certain satisfaction of sending your opponent to jail as well as an exciting anticipation when you were trying to rush to get out of jail and back in the game. The length of the game was also fun, as it felt not too long nor short. The progress of getting all your checkers to your inner board and then getting all 15 checkers into home, combined with the jail aspect, easily makes the game over 15 minutes but under an hour which I found to be a satisfying time frame to work with. I was able to remain engaged without getting tired of the process and felt satisfied when the game was over.

Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?
Given the age of Backgammon and its records in history going back to 2000BC, I do consider the game to be largely influential and fitting into the evolution of all games. Because records of its influence are seen in areas all over the world, its popularity in history is also a testament to its influence. Further, I think the variations of Backgammon that exist today are symptoms of its evolution into later games. Because societies of the past loved the game so much, over time they adapted to make their own versions to keep the roots of Backgammon alive. History also suggests that Backgammon serves as early roots to later ‘head to head’ games where players compete and race to the finish line of a game in order to win. Backgammon would be placed among the first/early games that fill the evolution of all games, as its presence in history is recorded so far back in time. Having said this, its presence in the world today remains strong and is an example of how ‘old’ or physical board games can still hold influence for players despite the growth of digital media.


How would you rate this game?
4/5 stars

[B.Rocha]

Journal #1

Name of Game: Pong


Game Author: Allan Alcorn


Game Studio: Atari Corporations 1972


Original Platform & control mechanism: First version played on Atari arcade machines which had joysticks on them.

Control mechanism you used: The control mechanism I used was the Pong website. I used my mouse to control my 'racket' and slid my mouse up and down to hit the ball to the computer bot opponent.

Describe game play and mechanics: Pong is a simple game that involves two players and a ball. Similar to tennis, the goal is to gain points against one another. The players can set a point goal of 3 all the way up to 20 to adjust the runtime length of the game per round. To gain points you get your opponent to fail at passing the ball back, this will happen when the ball goes out of bounds before the opponent can reach it. When this happens, you will gain a point. Players will go back and forth in this manner until a player reaches the goal to win. Pong versions like this one, though, will also have a one-person mode that will allow you to play pong against a computer as the second player. There is also added customization to the difficulty when playing against the computer, with an easy, medium, and hard mode.

Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:
The strength of this design is the game’s simplicity. There are no high-definition graphics or mechanics to this gameplay, making this game easy to operate and understand for many age groups. Despite being simple, the added components of customization also aid its gameplay design in that short or long rounds between players can take place. Further, its adaptability to be one or two player mode creates an ease of access for players who would prefer to play against the computer. I think a weakness of this game would be its art style. Because of its ease of use and design, the art style lacks any real art direction beyong the gameplay mechanics. There are no background changes, or customization of the balls or ‘rackets’ of the players, and the game art remains static throughout each playthrough. This weakens the game overall because, while it is a timeless classic, its art style is a reflection of its age.


What made it fun?
What made this game fun was its ease of use. For me, the best games are the simplest ones. I enjoy the pacing of playing in one-person mode and playing against the computer because I can enjoy different levels of difficulty for a challenge or easy time-passer. This game is very low stakes too, so whenever I lost to the bot I didn’t have hours of work and game saves at stake, the way some games operate. Pong can also be a fun coordination practice game to use every now and then to train the eyes to synch with the balls quick movements. Similar to in sports, hand and eye coordination will make you a more efficient player and Pong falls under this category of being a visual aid to help train that.

Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games? 200

This game would be considered largely influential in the evolution of game because this was one of the first games ever to kickstart the gaming industry. Iit was a game that generated mass amounts of wealth and was a commercial success. This helped prove to the world that video games were a worthy financial investment for the future as it was a new form of entertainment that many age groups could enjoy. This would lay the path for the next generations of games to be born as large corporate figures would see the monetary benefit to this new entertainment investment. Particularly with younger age groups, the appeal and amusement of video games started back when games like Pong first came to be born. Pong is a great example, as well, of its timelessness in the evolution of games because this game stills remains a strong nostalgia classic alongside fellow greats like Tetris and Pacman.

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

[B.Rocha]

Journal #4

Name of Game: Pacman


Game Author: Toru Iwatani


Game Studio: Namco

Original Platform & control mechanism: This game was initially output as an arcade machine game. Coins would be used to pay for a game round, and you would use a joystick to move up, down, left and right.


Control mechanism you used: The control mechanism I used was an online Pacman emulator. I played the original Pacman game and used the up, down, left and right keys on my keyboard to move Pacman.

Describe game play and mechanics:
The game Pacman is a game of quick thinking and maneuvers. Stuck with a limited range of movement, you maneuver the main character, Pacman, through a top-down view of a maze. The goal is to have Pacman consume all the white ‘Pac-Dot’ pixels scattered throughout the game whilst avoiding enemy ghosts that roam throughout and chase you. A level is cleared when Pacman is able to consume all the Pac-Dots without crossing the path of a ghost. There are four ghosts in total that roam the maze, and are in red, blue, pink, and orange color. The game will get progressively harder as you clear levels and consume all Pac Dots. The player must think quickly when moving through the maze the faster the game pacing gets. There are four, larger Pac Dots spread across the four corners of the maze, though, that when eaten by Pacman will induce a power up state where Pacman will be able to consume the enemy ghosts as they try to flee. This reduces the ghosts to just eyeballs, and they will have to retreat to the central area of the maze to respawn back to normal. This function proves beneficial when the player is nearly cornered by too many enemies at once, buying the player time to send enemies back to retreat and gives the player a chance to get remaining Pac-Dots to clear the level.

Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:
The strengths of Pacman's design is the maze layout. It provides an ease of visibility for the main character and enemies, which helps a player to think quickly on what moves to make to outsmart the ghost enemies in time. The player is also able to keep track of the enemies better, especially with the visual aid of brighter coloring for the ghost enemies compared to the lines and dots outlining the environment, generating a fair amount of contrast for peripheral vision use. This design choice created an intriguing play space that, although simple in geometry, created an engaging and fun layout that makes a player feel in control and anticipatory at the same time. A weakness I found though is how the player is given an omniscient point of view of the environment. We are far removed and outside the perspective of what is going on in the maze, particularly with Pacman's POV. This means players tend to have an emotional disconnect towards Pacman and his attempts to reach his goals, especially when he is killed.


What made it fun?
What made the game fun to play was the thrill of the chase. The stimulation of being chased by one ghost whilst having to avoid others along your escape path kept me on my toes and forced me to be quick in my actions. This was a fun learning curve to adapt to because normally I don’t do well having to react quickly, but the pacing of the gradual speed increased gave me enough time to adjust to the speed of the enemies. I think the maze layout as well also added to my learning curve because the maze map remained consistent so I could begin to memorize the layout and learn what moves to take and when. I also really enjoyed the added mechanic of the power up sequences. It added so much more excitement to reverse the chase roles of running from the ghosts to turning the tables and chasing after them. There was also added satisfaction when I caught a ghost and was able to send it running back to the center map as a bunch of floating eyeballs. The limited ammunition of the power up balls was also a clever addition because it made me think conservatively when using them and I quickly adjusted to using them sparingly, or when I knew I had several ghosts cornered and could bait them into my favor as I got close to a power up.

Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games? 200

This game would be considered influential in the evolution of games because it stands out as one of the greats created and popularized during the arcade machine era. It had a unique art style and unique mechanics that otherwise were not available to play at the time. There was shooter, fighter, and driving games – but I think one aspect of the Pacman game that changed the dynamic of arcade machines was the games' ability to turn the tables on the enemies. Off the top of my head, I couldn’t compare any other game made during this time that had a similar effect where the main character could induce a powered-up state and chase after the enemies, preceding an enemy chasing the main character dynamic. I loved the addition of this component, and I loved the decision to keep the powered-up pellets limited and spread out along the game’s map. This made the player not rely on easily available or accessible powerup pellets. Pacman fits into the evolution of games by being a popular arcade game that is a prime example of the technological advancements made in the platform availability of games but also in the business of games. Pacman was among the first games made during this era that proved to larger corporations and companies that video games could be a booming business, providing entertainment and financial gain for players and studios.

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

4/5

[B.Rocha]

Journal #5

Name of Game:

Brain Strainers - Clef Climber

Game Author:

This game has no one author listed, but has information citing the developer as Carousel Software Inc. In 1984

Game Studio:

The publisher for this game was Coleco Industries, Inc.
Original Platform & control mechanism:
This game was initially made for the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 platforms and would have been played using the keypad keys on both devices.

Control mechanism you used:

I used a website emulator on my PC which had a library of games published by Coleco Industries. The mechanics I used were the CNTRL key to press start or proceed to next rounds and the up and down keys on my keyboard.

Describe game play and mechanics:

The game clef climbers is an auditory game where that player is given a music tone and must match the tone that was played. There are available game options to adjust prior to playing that can adjust the difficulty. There are options that can adjust time countdowns, note visibility on a music scale, and repetitions of the note to hear it once or several times. I played this game with the hardest settings, so I only heard the music notes once and had a 5 second countdown to reach the matching scale using my up and down keys. If I failed to reach the note on time a loud flat buzz would sound signaling the failure state. If I made it, it would chime the matching notes together and another round could be played. The only increasing difficulty would be the increase in distance along the tonal scale as I would have to rush to reach the pitch from where my tone spawned. This meant I would be rushing up or down and must adjust if I went too far above or below the note and added to the difficulty of meeting my note on time.

Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design: 150
The strength of this game's design is its ability to be an auditory training game for those interested in sounds and music. It makes the player adapt to understanding the notes on a musical scale whilst also having to adjust to noting the flat and sharp versions of a given tone. I also enjoyed the customization aspect which I think amplified the experience of the games art because a player could tailor their preferences to having a visual guide to seeing a music scale, with the music notations given, as well as see their remaining time bar. This allowed a player more control over their learning experience, which is beneficial for those entering this game with no musical familiarity or auditory impairments because this added aspect insured that the game could still be played visually and maintain the rush of meeting the matching note on time with speed and precision.


What made it fun?
This was a unique game to play that I thoroughly enjoyed. Removed from typical rhythm games I’m more familiar with in modern games, this was a fun experience that I had never seen before. It felt like a sibling game to the Simon Says game where a signal was given by the computer and the player had to match it exactly. I found it refreshing that this was an auditory game as well, as I had to really focus on note matching and meeting my tone within my 5 second time limit. I enjoyed the rush of the timer countdown as well as the growing difficulty of the tones becoming flatter, sharp, or further away from my starting note point as I would then rush to meet the note but find I over or underestimated my note and would have to quickly backtrack to match it. This cycle was a fun learning experience to get into, as once I got the hang of it, meeting my note exactly became more and more satisfying. This also meant the failure states I got when I could not meet my mark felt more impactful because I wanted to maintain my win streak and continue as far as I could without failing.

Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?
I wouldn’t say this game would be considered influential, because prior to finding this game on the Coleco library I had not heard of this game before. It also felt very out of place from what I have learned were popular games at the time; shooter and maze games like Galaga and Pacman held most sway, so stumbling across this was new and refreshing but I don’t see it being largely impactful to the overall game industry. Albeit this was the first audio-based game that I have come across where the central theme was emphasis on music patterns and music tones. This, to me, makes it one of the earliest music/rhythm games I have heard of which would fit into the evolution of games as one of the firsts. A think the only fallback of this game that steals from its influential capabilities was its cyclical pattern of gameplay. Once a player has the pattern and control mechanics down, the willingness to continue for more rounds was entirely the will of the player. There was no true goal, and the game ended when the player wanted it to. Still, I consider this game a fitting piece into game evolution because its audio-based mechanics were fun to see as a reference to the early days of music-based games in the early era of game evolution.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
4/5

[B.Rocha]

Journal #6

Name of Game:

Asteroids 1979

Game Author:

Lyle Rains and Ed Logg

Game Studio:

Atari Inc.
Original Platform & control mechanism:
Asteroids was initially played on an Atari 2600 console which had a joystick attachment used to rotatethe spaceship.

Control mechanism you used:

I played Asteroids on an online emulator and controlled my spaceship with the WASD keys on my keyboard and the Spacebar to shoot.

Describe game play and mechanics:

In Asteroids the main player is a singular spaceship floating throughout space. Per the title, asteroids begin to fill the screen which the player will need to maneuver to blast away. These asteroids will grow in size and frequency that will increase the difficulty in the game. Larger asteroids that come into view will need multiple blasts, which break down the main piece into smaller pieces that can then be blasted from their trajectory to hit the player. Smallers asteroids take one blast to remove. Any asteroid that hits you will automatically kill you. Along with the asteroids are also a large and small UFO that also come into view and will try to shoot you from their ships. These UFOs will also need to be shot at to stop their projectiles from hitting you, which will also immediately kill you if they reach you. The goal of the player is to survive as long as possible, avoiding as many asteroids and UFOs as possible.
Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:

The strength of Asteroids’ game design is the gameplay. I enjoyed the growing difficulty and pacing of this game. Despite the simple graphics this game successfully induces the adrenaline rush of quick maneuvering and shooting skills that even modern games struggle to portray. I felt like I was rushing to stay alive and kept on my toes to be quick about my aim which made this game fun and repeatable to play. The added mechanic of growing intensity and frequency also helped this games re-playability because even though after a few repetitions you knew what to expect, it didn’t feel cyclical – each round of growing waves felt like a new orientation every time you spawned in and kept the gameplay design fun and fast-paced. This kept me as a player engaged and entertained long enough to where a decent amount of time would pass each time I played until Game Over.
What made it fun?
This game was fun for me because it was an interesting perspective on a fast-paced shooter. Although not a first-person shooter, the overhead camera angle still managed to make me engaged with my spaceship character with its pacing and increasing wave difficulty. The fun aspect was at its peak when the enemies caused several close calls on my spaceship, and I was rushing to maneuver correctly to blast incoming projectiles. I also enjoyed the need for use of peripheral vision in this game as you mentally had to prepare and calculate what new enemies on screen would be on a trajectory path to hit my spaceship. Mentally this was fun to anticipate because I was calculating my enemies by priority and order of who and where I would need to shoot. Catching on to this trick would take me a few tries, though, and I hit Game Over several times before I actually found my footing on the rules of how to play and succeed in this game. Once I did is when this game became fun, because each time I hit Game Over I felt more confident that I could achieve a higher and higher score. The UFOs were also an excellent addition to the game that i found fun, because when I first saw them, they were a surprise, and I had to adapt to figuring out that the smaller spaceships were smarter at firing at me versus the big UFOs.
Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

This game would be considered influential because this game was a strong frontrunner during the evolutionary transition of arcade to home console games. As the idea of arcade spaces began to die out, the growth of at home console popularity grew and became more popular amongst youth and families. The Atari company being able to adapt to this transition likely would not have been successful without the strength of Asteroids’ popularity as a game. As an arcade game, Asteroids was popular and influential, a top selling game. The creation of the Atari 2600, though, was a pinnacle in the evolution of games because console gaming was a new introduction to at-home gaming, as well as a newfound portability option for individuals who now wanted to take their games to different locations. And although the idea of space and space shooters was not an uncommon game genre during the 1980s, Asteroids is one of the best examples of an already popular arcade game transitioning successfully to a console game and still remaining popular. This makes the game of Asteroids considerably influential in gaming history. Further, its continuing popularity is still seen today, as emulators like the one I played still offer modern gamers a chance to experience this classic.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
3/5

[B.Rocha]

Journal #7

Name of Game:

The Oregon Trail

Game Author:

The original programmers for the game were student teachers Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger

Game Studio:

Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium

Original Platform & control mechanism:
Since the version of The Oregon Trail software, I played was adapted for the Apple II computer in 1985, the platform would have been the Apple II computer, and the control mechanics would have been the keyboard keys.

Control mechanism you used:

I used a website emulator for the Apple II J.S. and ran The Oregon Trail through there. I made use of the arrow keys, number keys, and the enter button.

Describe game play and mechanics:

The goal of the game is to successfully travel to Oregon as your desired player. There is a point system along the way that will track your finances, and equipment supplies your player will bring with them. If the score is high enough, there is the added bonus of being on the Oregon top ten list which has the highest cumulative scores. This game functions as an adventure roleplay and strategy game where the player will read the prompts given by the game and make decisions based off of a list of options. Each decision will prompt different outcomes and different branches of the story will take place. The player will also need to coordinate their plans based on their starting setup for the character, their profession, strength and weaknesses. There are obstacles and different ways your player can die as you make your way to Oregon, so strategy and keeping track of your equipment is important.
Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:

The strength of this game design is it being a choose your adventure style game. The simple pixelated graphics I also think add to the nostalgia feel of the 1980s which made my gameplay experience more fun. I also think the underlying design tone of this being a history and geographical game was also a great addition to experience because it enables a player to have fun and also be learning useful information about real world geography. A weakness of the game, though, was the density of the text where at times there was a whole screen view of text that needed to be read. This at times broke the illusion of the game keeping me intrigued and entertained because it would cause a visual break in the storyline and images. That being said, I enjoyed the variation of option choices when the player was prompted to decide on something as well as the pacing design of the story because it helped the gameplay be more immersive.


What made it fun?
What made this game fun for me to play was its ability to be a customized game through each time I played. I think having the ability to reset and replay the game as a different character with different supplies each time made the playthrough fun and intriguing. I was kept on my toes every time I needed to make a decision and became mentally and emotionally involved with my character and their goal thanks to the game design and mechanics. Further, this game succeeded at making me feel directly involved in my character's success so the wins and losses my character experienced felt like my own. In addition, I also enjoyed being able to name my other companions along the Oregon Trail because this enabled me to be able to have playthroughs where my friends joined in. This meant some of my playthroughs became a collaborative experience and my group and I would go over our next decision as one. I think this version of the way I played the game created the most fun experience for me because I could include others in something I already found fun. This also meant the obstacles we came across felt like a family decision on what to do next because everyone would have a different opinion and pitch in ideas.


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

I would consider this game influential because this is one of the earliest digital software choose your own adventure style games that I have seen and been able to play. Prior to this digital version, most decision-based games were done in analog ways via games like dungeons and dragons where prompts were written or spoken and the player had to decide live and be in a designated space. Further, I think the creation of The Oregon Trail to be used as an educational game is largely influential in the evolution of games because it veered away from typical genres that promoted or insinuated outward displays of violence. Albeit the game does feature different ways the players or animals can be killed, I think lack of outward visuals reflecting death, as well as the prompts that guide the player into understanding death can be a result of environmental affects/accidents and not PvP violence is a large turning point for the overall dynamic of games and their perception of being overly affiliated with negative themes. This makes The Oregon Trail influential in the development of later games that would steer away from violence and created the platform for the genres of choose your adventure and educational games to exist today.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
3

[B.Rocha]

Journal #8

Name of Game:

Microsoft Decathlon

Game Author:

Timothy W. Smith

Game Studio:

Microsoft 1982
Original Platform & control mechanism:
MS-DOS/ TRS-80 computer system that had a keyboard and would require you to use the keyboard keys

Control mechanism you used:

Website emulator retrogames.cz that emulated the game and was playable through my PC keyboard keys

Describe game play and mechanics:

The goal of the game is to compete in a set of decathlon events for as many points as possible. You can name and select the country you wish to represent your character in, and you will compete against other computer bots for the highest point in the 1976 Olympic decathlon series. This game takes inspiration from the real 1976 decathlon games that took place in Montreal and even featured real life competitor Bruce Jenner as an opponent in the game. The events in the game are different, and there are 10 games total before the listings for first, second, and third place are announced. You must get through three rounds of a meter dash run, three versions of long, high, and pole jumping sequences, as well as shot put, discus throwing, javelin and hurdle games. The player is given a score total after completing each round of different games, and their score is then totaled at the end.
Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:

I really enjoyed the design of this game. The multiple challenges made the gameplay feel like a fast minigame party. The design of the pacing was a strength for this game too, as making one playthrough of the decathlon took me about 15 minutes to run through and felt satisfying to complete. Where I struggled was with the art of the game because the demo trials were a learning curve to get the hang of. The controls were simple to follow along with but with the art being so simple it was tricky to figure out on which exact pixel to engage mechanics or where on the screen to be looking at at the start of a round. The hardest this was for me to figure was on the pole-vaulting segment as I could not gauge where exactly to place the vaulting pole at until it took me a few tries to realize there were a few lines of pixels that indicated the vaulting point on the ground.
What made it fun?
This game was fun for me to play because it had relatively quick playthrough time and pacing, the mechanics were simple to follow, and the aspect of competing against others added the momentum to wanting to win and be first place. The easy-to-use mechanics also added to the excitement because once I gained familiarity with the controls, I could engage myself deeper into the game and focus on my timing and aim skills to get the highest score. Although I never did reach first place, Bruce Jenner was just too hard to beat, I made it to third place and was able to feel satisfied with my ending. The small customization abilities also helped this game be fun as I enjoyed competing under my own name and also being able to change the country I represent. It made no difference in the gameplay, but the added functionality was a nice touch I enjoyed. Competing against the other computer bots also added to the fun because I was able to connect with the rivalry and battling atmosphere of the game. This pushed me to try again and try my best to get a higher and higher score, and I was able to correlate this genre of game to how later games would have likely taken inspiration from this game as an example of competition-style video games.
Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

This game fits into the evolution of games I would say as early front runners for what would become minigame based games and sports-related games. There is no highly detailed or immersive storyline the player has to follow, and this game could easily be played by multiple different age groups. Due to this, I think Microsoft Decathlon earns a spot in the early evolution of sports games because it sets the framework of tying real world-based sports skills and events into a digital medium. I am unsure how influential this game would be, though, because prior to this course I had never heard of this title as a common household name for video games. From what I was able to gather, Microsoft Decathlon was a success during the era of its release as it was a hit sports genre game that gathered esteem as a party and minigame style video game. Further, I would say the added component of this software being available on Microsoft computers would have also aided its influence because the ideas of personal computers were on the rise at this time and home consoles were a growing phenomenon. Due to this, Microsoft Decathlon is influential in the evolution of video games and a success during its time and paved the way for at home video games centered around sports and party-style to grow in popularity.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
4/5

[B.Rocha]

Journal #9

Name of Game:

Fatal Fury

Game Author:

Takashi Nishiyama - SNK 1991

Game Studio:

Sega Genesis
Original Platform & control mechanism:
The original platform for the Fatal Fury game was made for the Neo Geo arcade which featured a joystick and buttons. It could be used as a multiplayer machine for up to two players. Fatal Fury was also available on some of the Neo Geo home consoles as well.

Control mechanism you used:

I utilized the website gaming emulator on retrogamez.cz to play Fatal Fury and utilized keyboard keys like the up, down, left and right keys to move and jump and the S, Z, X keys for my attacks.

Describe game play and mechanics:

The gameplay mechanics of Fatal Fury were straight forward, as you play as a character of your choosing from three fighters: Joe Higashi, or brothers Terry and Andy Bogard. Player as Joe Higashi for my playthroughs, my goal was to compete against opponents in one v one fighting rounds, timed at 60 seconds each. The fighter who won the best of two of three rounds would be the winner of that competition, and if my player won, I would go on to compete against more opponents in the competition. My players ultimate goal was to defeat opponents in the fighting tournament known as the King of Fighters tournament and face against the final boss Geese Howard. I made use of my keyboard arrow pad keys as well as my attack keys to fight, and I learned that certain moves done in combination with the arrow key would trigger special attacks that did more damage to my opponents. Once I picked up on a few keys moves, I was able to fight my way through 3 overall opponents until dying. I did not end up reaching the final boss fight in my playthroughs as the enemy difficulty grew with each opponent, and I could not reach the ending.
Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:

The strengths of this game I think are also its weaknesses, particularly with the overall genre of the game. It is a fighting game that features single and two player mode, and the goal is to defeat opponents until reaching a final boss. Albeit I had never played this game before, the likeness to games that I have played before like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, felt all too similar to Fatal Fury. It has been some time since I played the former mentioned games, so the gameplay for Fatal Fury felt different from them, in both timing and key move combinations. This strengthened the design because it made me focus to pick up on move combinations that evolved from my initial button spamming. I only picked up on a handful, but they were able to carry me through three opponents before the fourth killed me. I think adding more key combinations would have strengthened my ability to reach the boss, but because the rounds were only 60 seconds, and I could not locate a moves/abilities card to see the full scope of abilities my character had, I think that ultimately is what caused me to lose. To keep with the spirit of playing the game as intended, too, I avoided looking up online cheat cards and full length move combination lists.


What made it fun?
This game was fun because its tone of action-packed fighting allows the player to get an adrenaline rush off the fake violence. For myself, I think there is a limit to how much gore should be allowed in a digital medium like video games, especially when younger audience could likely have access to it. That being said, I think Fatal Fury was a delightful experience because it maintained the fun components of fighting against enemies that are clearly depicted and insinuated to be ‘bad guys’ and fulfill the sense of justice and righting wrongs as the protagonist characters. Further, this game did not feature outward displays of over-the-top gore or bloody sequences like Mortal Kombat fatalities. I considered this a plus to the fun value of the game because Fatal Fury felt like a game I could share with others, especially younger friends or family and avoid any discomfort or shock value. The opponent difficult also was a fun aspect to the game, as each opponent did fight differently and would have different fight pacing, so each new round against an opponent felt more believable because I would have to adjust my player and their fighting skills to that of my new opponent.


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

Fatal Fury would fit into the evolution of games not as a stand-alone entity in the world of games but rather as an addition to a larger chunk in gaming history. The growth of the genre of fighting and action related games expanded in popularity during this time in history, so the early 1990s were no stranger to what content Fatal Fury had to offer. Having said this, I think this also makes Fatal Fury a background, supporting character to games that were actually the front runners of this genre, namely Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. Whilst Fatal Fury is a unique style game with distinctive characters and locations, it did not feel original. This is supported, too, by the documentation from Takashi Nishiyama who created Fatal Fury and Street Fighter, in that Fatal Fury is an implied spinoff successor of Street Fighter – a game that would become a household name due to its popularity as opposed to the former. Fatal Fury felt like a copy or diluted version of games that had already existed and had already made a much deeper mark in gaming history. Due to this, I would not label Fatal Fury as overly influential but rather a supporting entity to the birth of the genre that would ultimately grow in popularity and influence. In conjunction with other games, Fatal Fury adds itself to the marker in history of the late 1980s and early 1990s that founded the idea of violent single and two-player fighting games and is an honorable mention to the influence this genre and style of game would have later on.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
4/5

[Professor Watkins]

Graded to here.

[B.Rocha]

B. Rocha


Journal #10

Name of Game:

Super Mario 64

Game Author:

Shigeru Miyamoto

Game Studio:

Nintendo
Original Platform & control mechanism:
Nintendo 64 console, featured controllers attached to a main console. It had a directional pad and pressable buttons.

Control mechanism you used:

I used a website emulator that had SM64 on it. I made use of keyboard keys like J, K, W, A, S, and D to move, jump, and attack.

Describe game play and mechanics:

The goal and story of SM64 features Mario, an Italian plumber character who enters the Mushroom Kingdom. He is brought to the Mushroom Kingdom by its princess, Princess Peach. After arriving, Mario discovers the princess has been captured and must rescue her in her castle against Bowser, an evil turtle character. The goal is to explore the kingdom's castle and collect Power Stars from locked rooms and doorways. Mario must collect 120 Power Stars to free the castle from Bowser, defeat him, and rescue the princess. Mario had a few key moves like a high jump, a ground pound, an attack, as well as a swim, crouch, and backflip function. The player would make use of his abilities to traverse the kingdom and defeat enemies like bob-ombs, goombas, chain chomps, and other enemy types. These enemies will cause Mario damage that after a certain amount of hits will kill him. However, the player will have opportunities to gain extra lives that help the player continue the game. They can earn these from collecting coins scattered throughout levels or searching hidden areas on a level to find a hidden item, like an extra life mushroom.
Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design:

A strength of this game's design was its art style and use of a 3D immersive experience. There was a great amount of detail added to every level, with hidden areas and elements to be discovered if the player took the time to explore. The 3D element helped to immerse me into the game and story, as the perception of depth aided the graphics to portray a gripping and enveloping experience. I also enjoyed seeing such an early idea of what graphics and textures looked like in a game like SM64. The colors tended to be saturated and overall bright, adding an upbeat vibe to the Mushroom Kingdom. I think a weakness that was likely a strength at the time but nonetheless threw me off was the camera mechanic. SM64 played as a third person game, where the players movements dictated where and how the camera followed Mario. I was not used to the quick pans or transitions of this type of camera, so rather quickly I got a bit motion sick. Coupled with Marios swift and speedy movements, the combination of a fast-paced Mario with a fast-adjusting camera I think disoriented me too much.


What made it fun?
This game was personally fun because it had the atmosphere of being a family friendly game that offers light, fantasy violence and an easy-to-follow plot. Were I younger, or older, I think I could have found enjoyment playing this game at any age because its art style and mechanics felt versatile and timeless. Part of what also kept me a Nintendo fan was its consistent use of these style choices and story themes. I’d argue they company and creators like Shigeru Miyamoto understood the value in making a game easy to play and fun to experience the journey. At a certain point, I forgot the plot of the game because I could simply enjoy each level for what it was or take the time exploring the castle because I was not rushed or pressed for time completion. I did enjoy how SM64 made use of simple mechanics to make certain levels harder than others as the player progressed. The addition of enemies and different enemy types added to the platformer elements of the game that made environment exploration fun. Making use of the attack mechanics also felt satisfying against the cute, styled enemies, as the omission of blood or dramatic displays of violence added a sort of censorship that i think was necessary for this game. Without it, the stylized, fantasy violence would likely have made it less fun and more confusing for younger audiences.
Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

I'd say this game was influential because it was a strong proponent for the shift towards 3D gameplay. This game made wise use of the combination of an adaptive third person camera and a 3D environment to create an immersive gameplay experience. Further, I think its expansion of different player mechanics and movements also is what made the game so popular. Prior to this game, most playable characters had only a handful of basic movements like a walk, run, jump, and maybe an attack. Super Mario 64 expanded these ideas to create more dynamic combinations the players could trigger on their controllers like backflips, ground pounds, crawling and crouching. Adding mechanics like this that made the character more versatile also gave players a wider range of options when it came to completing levels. There was now an opportunity for different variations on how to progress through levels, which was exciting to see because now not everyone had to play a game a specific way bound by limited controls. This game fits into the evolution of games as a pioneer of the 3D gameplay immersive experience players now know and love today. Games like Super Mario 64 are the reason 3D world building and immersive gameplay emphasis have such a heavy sway over creative and technical design choices when making video games today.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
4/5