One Chance

If you only had a few days left to live, what would you do? One Chance poses this question with this simplistic yet sinister presentation that does a surprisingly good job of capturing the players' attention and of keeping them playing until the bitter end. The plot is as follows: Dr. Pilgrim (above) has developed a drug that has cured all forms of cancer, but as the celebrations die down, it is discovered that this drug has started killing people all over the world and shows no signs of slowing down. So what does the doctor do with his (and many others') last day on Earth? Does he try and find a cure? Does he spend the last few days with his family? Or does he go crazy and party his pixelated socks off? Well the choice is up to the player. But choose wisely, because those decisions will affect how the game finishes. But never mind, because you can just reload the game and start again if it goes tits-up, right? Wrong. Try and start again and you will only be able to see how the world is after effect of the choices you have made. The game is called One Chance, after all.

The recipe for this game could be described as heaps of moody music, a generous helping of philosophy and a dash of point and click to hold it all together. As is customary for me in any game where I have to make choices, I always try and do the right thing, so I tried to find the cure to the disease that is killing everybody, and I managed to do so (although this only involved me choosing to work, not actually doing anything of skill), however, it seems as though I was a tad too late, as the only survivors were Dr. Pilgrim and his young daughter. However, I know from other players' experiences that a few different outcomes are possible. The game can be slightly unfair at points, for example, I missed a days work because I visited the rooftop instead of going to the lab and I saw a co-worker jump off the building (why I couldn't have just gotten on with the work after visiting the rooftop I don't know), but overall, this game is far more engaging than you would expect from a Flash game and it's great discussing different experiences with other people.

Standout Moment: Refreshing the page and seeing the world as you left it.

*I have actually played the game twice, the first time was a couple of years ago and on a different internet connection. I'm not sure which of these was the contributing factor but I know it is possible to just play the game again on a different website anyway, seeing as it is on a lot more now. I don't think this is really in the spirit of the game, though.

WarioWare Inc. Mega Microgames

Blast Off!

Released in 2003, WarioWare is a game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The game challenges the player to complete a series of ‘micro-games’ that get progressively faster and harder as the player advances. Whilst there had been games already available that included ‘mini-games’, none were anything like WarioWare. Whilst mini-games were usually just a short, quick and fun diversion of the main game they were a part of, WarioWare created a whole game out of even shorter, even quicker and arguably more fun micro-games. The games that make up WarioWare usually last approximately five seconds and are always very vague in telling the player what actually have to do to complete them. The games are usually accompanied by a single word such as ‘Shoot’ or ‘Escape’ and it is the job of the player to both work out how the clue relates to the mini game in front of them and then act accordingly, all within the tiny timeframe that the game allows. Whilst this does sound like a fairly weird game to play as it is, it gets a whole lot weirder than that. The game has a very peculiar and often silly sense of humour, which is a big part of the success of the game. For example, one micro-game sees a finger moving back and forth across the screen with a nose above it, the instruction presented to the player just reads ‘pick’, and the player must use his sense of timing and press the A button as the finger lines up with one of the nostrils, timing the ‘pick’ badly will result in the finger missing the nostril and the player losing a life. The clues that are given also get a lot weirder and more vague, an example of this is a micro-game where the player is given the clue ‘Tomato’, and must match up the bottom half of the Tomato with the top. These are just two examples of the madness that this game entails; the micro-games, however, get a lot more bizarre and more difficult to figure out as the player progresses.

Dance!

What is very interesting about this game is the way it fails to fall into any genre of game. In my opinion, this game could be considered an action game due to the speed it plays at and its reliance on players having quick reactions, but even this is debatable as action games are usually considered to contain things such as car chases, fights, controllable characters and cinematic set-pieces. I would also argue that this game could be considered a rhythm game, due to the way the beat of the music helps the player concentrate and focus on when the game is thrown at them; I often find myself tapping my foot as the music plays to help immerse me into that game and improve my chances of progressing. This, however, is also problematic, as Rhythm games are often thought of as games such as Guitar Hero or games that feature Dance Mats, which have an instantly recognisable interface and are very simple in terms of instructing the player what to do. It could be argued then that WarioWare has invented it’s own genre. This is echoed by the fact that the game has won numerous awards, such as the ‘GameSpot Editor’s Choice Award’ in the “Most Innovative Game” category.

Wario!

Something that WarioWare does very well, and also something that Nintendo does as a whole is the way it focuses on a relatively minor character from one game series, and then builds their character and their personality to the point where they are independent of the game that they were first synonymous with. The character of Wario first appeared as the primary antagonist of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and could be describe as a kind of ‘inverse Mario’ – he wore the same style of clothes but with different colours and also looked like Mario, just a fair bit heavier and with a differently styled moustache. The WarioWare series, however, gives Wario not only his own game, but also a whole different style of game; WarioWare is in no way a platform game (although some of the micro-games do reference Mario’s platforming exploits). Wario’s appearance is also a lot different; he wears blue denim with a sleeveless jacket and a cycling helmet with goggles to accompany the motorcycle that he now drives. Wario also has a new set of characters that accompany him. This concept of re-inventing characters is nothing new, especially for Nintendo. Another good example of this is with Donkey Kong. Again, Donkey Kong’s first appearance was as the villain who had to be defeated, but through the Donkey Kong Country series, he has been re-invented as a hero, with his own games and his own set of companions. A good way to explore this concept is through the Super Smash Brothers series. These games feature a compilation of all the different characters Nintendo has created who are then pitted against each other in battle. In the second Smash Brothers game, Melee, the player could only play as Wario if he changed the colour of Mario’s outfit, and even then the player could still only play with Mario’s attacking moves. In the follow up to this game, however, this is changed considerably. In Brawl, Wario is a fully playable character equipped with his own set of unique moves and also his own arena to fight on, both of which reflect the WarioWare series, which illustrates just how far this character has developed thanks to his collection of micro-games.

PullBlox

There are not many games that make as effective use of three dimensions as PullBlox does. That is a thought that has stuck with me throughout the time I have spent playing PullBlox, as it can be seen that the 3DS is the perfect home for this charming little game. Hidden behind an extremely colourful presentation is a very clever puzzle game that challenges the player to push and pull different shaped blocks in order to reach the top of differently themed structures. After the player learns the basics of assembling steps in order to climb higher, the game introduces new elements such as pipes and switches to alter the puzzles and provide a greater variety of challenges.

As previously hinted, the game makes excellent use of the 3DS's visual capabilities, and is a game that really benefits from the use of stereoscopic 3D, unlike some of the other offerings on Nintendo's newest handheld. The game has a huge number of challenges to get through, so for the relatively cheap price tag this game offers excellent value. Not only that, however, but the game has a puzzle creator mode that lets players (you guessed it) create their own puzzles.These creations can be shared with other users via QR codes, and a quick look on google images shows the exceptionally clever offerings produced by the games players. Granted, if you're not much of a puzzle game fan, then this game won't have much appeal, but if you are partial for a bit of a work out for the old grey matter, then this game, just as Polarium was on the original DS, is the first essential puzzler for the 3DS.

Standout Moment: Downloading other players' fantastic puzzles.



The Internet has now made it so that other people can be clever for me.



Command & Conquer

The Global Defense Initiative

Command & Conquer was released in 1995 for a number of formats, but most successfully on the PC. Alongside other games such as Age of Empires, C&C is one of the quintessential RTS (Real Time Strategy) games and one that almost defines it's genre. In simple terms, this game requires the player to build an army capable of destroying the other team. Set in an alternate reality, the original C&C told the story of the discovery of a new, highly valuable material named Tiberium, which the player needs to harvest to fund the construction of their military buildings and units. The game portrays a war between two sides, the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) - a UN funded military organisation, and the mysterious Brotherhood of Nod - a cult-like faction trying to seize control of the valuable Tiberium in order to achieve power. Unlike many games, the player was able to choose to control either of the two sides, each having their own set of campaign missions. When playing through as either side, the player would be shown a full motion video sequence played out by real actors who would brief the player on their upcoming mission.

Tiberium Wars

At the start of most missions, the player would begin with a handful of troops and an 'MCV' (Mobile Construction Vehicle) which would convert into a 'Construction Yard'. Once converted, the player could start to build buildings around their Construction Yard, such as a Barracks or Power Plant to begin establishing their base. As the mission progressed and the player harvested more of the precious Tiberium, more advanced buildings and units could be purchased to strengthen their army. So far so RTS. What made C&C stand out, however, was the personality that this game had, even when it came to the buildings themselves. For example, whilst the GDI had a standard warehouse-type building for constructing miltary vehicles, the Nod had an 'Airstrip' where the cars and tanks were delivered via aircraft. The two different sides had a lot of differences besides the buildings being designed differently, they also played differently. Whilst the GDI had powerful, but relatively slow and expensive units, for instance, the Nod troops were cheap and quick to train, giving the player plenty to think about in the way they conducted their army on the battlefield.

I'm A Mechanical Man

Command & Conquer featured some very memorable moments, some of which came aurally. The soundtrack contained some very catchy songs whilst the SFX provided some of the most painful screams ever heard in a game from the dying troops. The FMV sequences also bring back a lot of memories. For example, one moment that sticks in the mind is, when playing about two thirds of the way through the Nod campaign, the commander giving the player the mission brief is shot in the head in front of the camera, showing off the ruthlessness of the Brotherhood leader as he takes over the job of his murdered sub-ordinate. Blasting the enemy from space with the deadly 'Ion Cannon' is another moment which is remembered fondly.

Command & Conquer has spawned many sequels, the first of which was another brilliant RTS game - Red Alert. None of the sequels, however, have really managed to capture the power and charisma of the original military outing, in my opinion. Being released as a free download in 2007 gave fans the opportunity to revisit this classic, something that this commando is going to try and do right now...

Gargoyle's Quest

Ghosts 'n Goblins

Released for the original Game Boy in 1990, Gargoyle's Quest is a side scrolling platformer that also contained game play elements taken from the RPG genre. The player controls Firebrand, a Gargoyle who is trying to save his home world from an army of hostile creatures. Developed by Capcom, this game is a part of the Ghosts 'n Goblins series of games which also contained games such as Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins, Gold Knights and more. Being a part of this series, Gargoyle's Quest is known for it's high difficulty and unforgiving level design. Considering the time it was released, the graphics and sound are fairly sophisticated, however dated they are now.

The Legendary Red Blaze

This game, as well as the Ghosts 'n Goblins series as a whole, took a lot of inspiration from mythology and folklore, and as such is quite sophisticated for a 1 Megabit Game Boy game. Firebrand the Gargoyle is asked to help save the Ghoul Realm, which has been taken over by the evil King Breager and his army of Destroyers. The legend of the land tells a tale of a mighty warrior known as the Red Blaze who once defeated King Breager and brought an age of peace to the Ghoul Realm, now that the land is under attack again, Firebrand must step in and help. Whilst progressing in the game, the story reveals that Firebrand is destined to become another incarnation of the Red Blaze so that he can defeat King Breager.

Whilst playing the game, the drawbacks of fitting a story this size as well as all of the game play into a cartridge with such a small amount of memory shows, as all the non-playable characters that Firebrand meets all look the same and speak only one or two sentences, some of which are not translated very well. The game starts at the beginning of the first side-scrolling level, as Firebrand traverses what appears to be a burning town. After defeating the boss of this level, the player is presented with a birds-eye-view of the land that Firebrand can explore. This is where the RPG elements come into play; As the player explores the land, he is subjected to random encounters where the play switches back to a side scrolling environment. After defeating all of the enemies, the play switches back to exploration and the Gargoyle can continue his journey.

Pure Nineties

Being a child of the nineties, this is one of the first games that I really enjoyed playing, even though it was extremely difficult. It is only after downloading this game on the 3DS' Virtual Console that I have been able to finish it, as I felt that the circle pad made controlling Firebrand easier than the D-Pad did. The main reason that I was only able to finish this recently, however, is that the 3DS allows the player to create a save or 'restore' point when playing Virtual Console games, so instead of having to start levels all over again after getting yet another 'game over', I could just load my restore point. This game did utilize a password system, but this would only resurrect Firebrand in the nearest town, which still made the platform levels difficult to finish. I feel that this highlights how spoiled we are as gamers now, as it is extremely rare to find a new game that is genuinely hard finish.

In my opinion, this game can feel a little dated now and as such can be a little hard to get into if starting it again, especially if you are playing it for the first time. Having played the original, however, I loved playing it again and loved wallowing in some nostalgia, but I did notice that the game only really starts to engross the player as the game progresses and Firebrand becomes more powerful, being able to jump higher, fly longer and attack stronger. It also becomes a lot more enjoyable and also easier as the player begins to master the controls, dodging enemies and obstacles whilst blasting enemies with relative efficiency.

Although I have only played one other game in this series - Super Ghouls and Ghosts, it is notable that whilst they can feel old and dated, they still contain a lot of personality and can be very fun to revisit, as long as you are prepared to take a mental trip back to a time where games would have you die a lot and regularly revisit the same places, getting just a little further each time, and you would think "Just one more try, I'll do it this time."

Limbo

Turn the lights down and the speakers up, because Limbo is a game that you'll want to fully immerse yourself in. Limbo is a 2D puzzle-solving platformer that tasks the player with taking on the role of a young boy looking for his lost sister in a mysterious and dark world. Who is this boy and why has his sister gone missing? Whereabouts exactly are they? Who are the other mysterious people that seem to inhabit this land? These are questions that the player may ask themself, and to do so would, in my opinion, be missing the point of the game. Although they are perfectly valid, to question the plot would be to question something that the developer has most probably left out deliberately. You see, the plot of the game is nothing more than what I have written in the third line. But ignore the fact that there isn't much of a plot because after beginning to play this it becomes apparent that this game is about one thing: Atmosphere. Limbo more or less defines the word, which is why it is important to play the game in the right conditions.

I've always thought that people who play games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill in the daytime are more insane than an Albert Wesker experiment, but this notion has never been more important than it is in Limbo. I don't just mean make sure it's dark when you play this, what I mean is make sure you're in the right frame of mind and there are no distractions, because the real enjoyment of this game is when you can fully appreciate the style and the effort that has gone into creating this deceptively simple side scroller. And once you can do that, you'll really care about whether this nameless boy finds his sister or not.

Standout Moment: Meeting the Spider.


This is why I'm never moving to Australia



The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

A Much Darker Story

Majora's Mask was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in the year 2000, as a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time (if only there were more direct sequels, then maybe the timeline wouldn't be so convoluted). Compared with it's predecessor, Majora's Mask had a far darker and more melancholy storyline.

The plot picked up where Ocarina finished, after Link had defeated Ganondorf, he went back in time to relive the childhood that he had lost by becoming the Hero of Time. Whilst searching for a missing friend with his horse, Epona, Link is ambushed in the Lost Woods by the Skull Kid, who is wearing a mysterious mask. The Skull Kid and the two fairies that accompany him then steal Link's Ocarina and ride off with his horse. As Link chases after his assailant, he stumbles upon a portal inside the hollow of a tree. After following the Skull Kid inside, he is transformed into a Deku Scrub by the malevolent imp. As the Skull Kid escapes, one of his fairies, Tatl, is seperated and has no choice but to ask Link for help. Link then meets another character from Ocarina of Time, the Happy Mask Salesman. He tells Link that he can change him back to his Hylian form if he can recover the Ocarina that was stolen, he also asks Link to retreive the mysterious mask that the Skull Kid was wearing - Majora's Mask.

Link then finds himself in the middle of a place called Clock Town, which is in the centre of the land known as Termina. The game starts three days before the town will hold a festival named the Carnival of Time. Link slowly discovers that disaster is looming after learning that the Moon is falling and, after three days, at the start of the carnival, the Moon will crash into Clock Town and destroy Termina.

When Link confronts the Skull Kid at the end of third day, he manages to reclaim his Ocarina. After doing so, Link plays the Song of Time to travel back to the beginning of the first day - an important gameplay mechanic used throughout the game. Link learns that to save Termina he must travel to four different temples and free the guardians that are imprisoned there.

However, Link only has three days to do this, meaning he has to keep travelling back in time to the first day in order to complete his mission. After freeing the four giants, Link halts the falling of the Moon, giving him the opportunity to fight not the Skull Kid, but the evil mask that had corrupted him.

The Passage of Time

Interestingly, the sequel to Ocarina of Time actually contained gameplay that related to the passage of time a lot more than it's predecessor did. In some aspects, the gameplay of Majora's Mask had many similarities to Ocarina (such as the fairly open exploration and most of the items, for example), but one of the major differences was the time limit imposed on the player. Link has only 72 (in-game) hours to defeat Majora, however, he can use his Ocarina and the Song of Time to manipulate the flow of time in order to aid his quest. By playing the same song in different ways - normally, backwards or by doubling the notes - Link can travel back to the first day, slow down or speed up time respectively, giving him time to complete both the main quest and also the numerous side quests. When travelling back in time, Link would retain most of the progress he had made, such as the items he had obtained and the guardians he had freed, but some aspects would start again as they did at the beginning of the game, such as the position of the Moon and the actions of Termina's other inhabitants, for example, making for some very interesting gameplay and challenging puzzles.

Another major device added to this game was the expansive collection of masks to collect throughout the game. In Ocarina of Time, there were only a few masks available to use, hardly any of which were essential to progressing the storyline. In Majora's Mask, there was a whole subscreen in the pause menu devoted to the masks that Link had collected, many of which had their own unique powers and were needed to advance in the game. For example, three of the masks Link needed to obtain were the Deku, Goron and Zora masks, which would turn link into a member of the respective species' when he put them on. This was another of the major gameplay additions - the ability to turn into a Goron, a Zora or a Deku Scrub, each with their own unique powers.

There were other new features added to Majora's Mask as well as the wide collection of face-wear. The Swords that Link could obtain were different from the three on offer in Ocarina, upgrading his primary weaponry would eventually result in Link being able to use the Gilded Sword, a golden blade that was extremely powerful. Some other new items included the Pictograph Box (a Camera) and the Powder Keg (an extremely powerful bomb).

An Atypical Zelda

What made this game so captivating had a fair amount to do with the way it was so different from other Zelda games. Some of this was not even down to the gameplay, however. The score of this game was a lot different to that of Ocarina of Time. In parts of this game, the music sounded so melancholy and foreboding, it reflected the storyline and pure evil of the games antagonist extremely well, the player could not help but be drawn in to this disturbing and mysterious universe and all of it's characters. Even when temples were completed, the soundtrack of the cutscenes of the guardians being freed from their imprisonments felt very bittersweet.

Another way in which this game was a departure from traditional Zelda gameplay was its difficulty. Some Zelda games, whilst extremely enjoyable, can be fairly easy to get through. Majora's Mask, however, with its time limit and unforving environments, was a game that was playable yet very challenging, even some of the sidequests were difficult to find, let alone complete.

Majora's Mask was re-released on the Gamecube as part of the The Legend of Zelda: Collectors Edition and subsequently was made available to download on the Wii's Virtual Console. After the re-release of Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, there has been an online campaign called 'Operation Moonfall' where fans have been attempting to convince those at Nintendo to develop a 3D version of it's sequel, proving the amount of appreciation for this game by Zelda fans. Personally, I would love to play this game again, especially in 3D, and I hope that this game does get another run-out, as long as it was not at the expense of a new handheld adventure.

Yoshi's Island

My Favourite Game

If I am ever asked what I think the best game of all time is, I won't say Yoshi's Island, but if I am ever asked what my favourite game of all time is, I won't hesitate to say that it is definitely this game.

Released originally for the SNES in 1995, this game served as a prequel to Super Mario World (although it is titled as the second game in the series). Mario games have never been known for their gripping storyline, but for me this game stands head and shoulders above all other 2D Mario games in terms of its plot. The story is as follows: A stork is carrying Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to their parents house in the mushroom kingdom. Kamek, the servant of a young Bowser, forsees that the two children will cause trouble for Bowser in the future, so sets out to kidnap them. Kamek then attacks the stork carrying the children, but only manages to capture Baby Luigi, with his red-hatted brother falling from the sky. Luckily, Mario lands on a remote island inhabited by the Yoshi's - Yoshi's Island. The Yoshi's decide to help the infant by rescuing both his younger brother and the Stork, carrying him via a relay system. And so their adventure begins, with Kamek and his subordinates in pursuit. Although this plot is arguably a lot more interesting than the well known 'Save the Princess' routine, it is still only the framing device which drives forward an incredible platform game.

Make Eggs, Throw Eggs

This game added a huge amount of new game play mechanics to the already successful Mario formula. Apart from the obvious fact that you control Yoshi for the game and not Mario (mostly), a host of other features were added which brilliantly changed the platforming style whilst remaining simple and easy to play. One of the most important game play devices that this game brought with it was the concept of making and throwing eggs. Yoshi could swallow most enemies and turn them into eggs that would then be used to throw at a number of things - switches, coins, other enemies and a lot more. Yoshi's Island featured a host of new collectible items in each level, similar to the Yoshi Coins from the first Super Mario World. Collectible in each level were 20 Red Coins and 30 Stars, each worth a point each, and 5 Flowers, worth ten points each. Gaining as many points as possible was essential to unlocking extra levels and achieving 100% completion. Collecting more Flowers also increased the player's chance of playing a mini game when they reached the end of the level. Another major feature of this game was the countdown timer. If Yoshi took a hit from an enemy, Baby Mario would be thrown from his back and the countdown timer would begin. If the timer reched zero, Kamek's minions would arrive and kidnap Mario, costing Yoshi a life. The timer could be extended upto a maximum of 30 seconds, depending on how many stars Yoshi had. This point leads me on to the only aspect of the game that I thought could have been improved. Extra lives in this game were so readily available (through the mini-games, most prominently) that is was perfectly easy to have over 100 lives at any one time, making the 'Game Over' system seem fairly pointless.

Yoshi's Island added a host of new enemies that were filled with their own character and charm. Some enemies from previous Mario games returned, such as Koopa Troopas, Goombas and Shy Guys, but with its graphical style and personality, Yoshi's Island made these enemies a lot more interesting. One memory that springs to mind is the Sumo Shy Guy, which produced giant eggs when swallowed that would unbalance Yoshi when he tried to throw them.

The presentation of Yoshi's Island was something that always managed to put a massive smile on my face. The bright, bold colours were complemented by beautifully illustrated landscapes, set to a fantastic soundtrack which were as iconic of the game as throwing eggs.

Treasured Memories

Previous Mario games had fairly repetitive boss battles, with each boss being slightly more difficult than the last, but Yoshi's Island changed that massively. When Yoshi entered the lair of the castles bosses, he was greeted with a lowly foot soldier, such as an ordinary Koopa Troopa, for example. Kamek would then appear and cast a spell on the enemy which hugely increased their size, requiring Yoshi to figure how to defeat each Boss in a different way.

Yoshi's Island was a game that was filled with memorable moments. For example, touching a certain enemy would cause Yoshi to become dizzy and look as though he was drunk. Another moment that just oozed genius was a boss fight that shrunk Yoshi, rather than enlarging the enemy. Yoshi was then small enough for the enemy to swallow so Yoshi had to fight out from inside his stomach. Perhaps the most memorable of all moments in this game is the final fight. After Yoshi defeats the young Bowser, Kamek uses his magic to increase his Master's size to gigantic proportions, Yoshi then needs to fight him in three dimensions as he turns away from the player to throw eggs at an incoming Bowser.

The game eventually got a sequel more than ten years after it's original release. Yoshi's Island DS was released in late 2006, and although it had very solid platforming gameplay and some interesting new ideas, for me it did not quite manage to capture the magic that the original did. Small aspects such as the way mud would splash underneath Yoshi's boots in the original game were missing from the DS version, even though it was on a more powerful system. The soundtrack was also not quite as catchy and memorable as the SNES game.

Yoshi's Island has been announced as one of the games that will be available for free download to anybody who is part of Nintendo's 3DS Ambassador Programme (as it was also ported to the Game Boy Advance). I will be playing it again when it is available, but I have already lost count as to how many times I have completed it, and I have enjoyed it just as much every time.