playgamestime

[playgamestime]

Review: Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (Game Boy Color)

INITIAL THOUGHTS

What is it?

A classic iconic Nintendo platformer that demonstrates why the the Game Boy was a portable dream machine. 

Super Mario Bros Deluxe on Game Boy Color was a long overdue revisit. 

I remember this game because I didn’t get a Game Boy until very late compared to the rest of my friends and I was full of desire to be fully immersed in games vicariously through other people. 

As I kid I traveled quite a bit. So what would happen while I was traveling with my family is the following... Somehow on a plane I would find the one adult closest to me who had a Game Boy and make these really sad puppy dog eyes. The saddest I could possibly make. I didn’t even do it on purpose. It was genuine.  And you know what happened? Just about every single time, the person playing (almost always an adult male) would ask if I wanted to play and they let me play! I know this sounds strange but at the time it seemed like for some reason it gave them a kick to see me happy playing games on this rectangular portable system. 

Looking back I wonder if maybe that happiness was based on a kind of cultural tradition like passing on a torch. Think about how childhood stories remain within the world of children when kids are constantly growing up? Someone has to be around to pass certain things on the next batch of kids. I like to imagine that the game boy created a similar function between adults, mostly strangers (yes I know my parents taught me never to speak to strangers) and their attempt of passing a sacred upper middle class childhood rite of passage on to me. 

Shame I didn’t get one until the 8th grade. 

Anyway, Super Mario Bros was by far the most common game I encountered when in flight, which makes sense because it was one of the best selling games of all time. 

When it comes to Super Mario Bros Deluxe, I remember it having an extra special mystique because it was originally only released in Japan since Nintendo deemed it too hard for American audiences. 

On to the actual game itself... 

Super Mario Bros Deluxe is a beautiful game. There is nothing random about it. Everything has an intent, a meaning, a function, a purpose that reinforces fun. 

I took out some headphones and plugged it into my old Game Boy Color system and was amazed to realize that playing the game at times feels like you are playing a musical instrument. Your movement through worlds is a remix with each level being a track waiting for your inputs in for the form of how you move. Forward, backward, jumps, deaths, every note your movement makes always lands on beat. Even when you are waiting to start the game, the beep that alerts you is more like a siren’s invitation challenging you to play. 

The other thing that I appreciated in revisiting this game after so many years is how all actions are tied to a meaning. I mean I said that before but I’ll get into detail now. Anything you destroy has a meaning. Random blocks add up to points. Coins you collect add up. Enemies you hit add up. Everything in here that you are allowed to interact with adds up in some way. This allows the player to infuse the game with themselves. This character really is an extension of you which in turn helps it have amazing responsiveness and game feel. 

Now all games have compromises and flaws right? The only one I feel like commenting on is the use of sound during some of the puzzle maze elements. In terms of accessibility, this is where Super Mario Bros Deluxe hurts. See sound is such an integral part of this game that if you were to play it on silent... in theory there are some levels that you would never be able to beat because you just don’t get the cue to let you know when you are heading in the right or wrong direction. There could be a visual cue that I just missed and I don’t know about it. If there is then let me know. 

Another downside to this game is that initially it felt incredibly lonely compared to the many games out today that have so many social features. Though Super Mario Bros Deluxe does have some local multi-player features, I don’t know where I can find someone with a cord. I don’t know where my own cord is. I am even shocked I was able to find my old Game By Color and that it still works! I quickly got over that intense loneliness after the first world and... I think the reason why is because this game is excellent at creating gates of flow that you can slide in and out of in short ways. Like you don’t realize you are in flow until you get out of it. Its very easy to lose track of time playing this game. 

One of the things I appreciate about this game is that it gives you just what you need to know in order to get to the next level. Everything is built around need to know information in the sense of... based on the technological limits of the the hardware, how much information needs to be on a screen in order for a player to know what to do next? Super Mario Bros Deluxe mastered this by mastering and understanding the constraints both of the technology and the world they created for players to explore.

I admit though I could be totally bias because I already loved this game as a childhood favorite. 

Why I play it?

I’m exploring old game mechanics. In Super Mario Bros Deluxe, and almost really all the Mario games, just walking and running around in the environment feels fun before you even encounter complex difficulty. This is an important lesson that I hope to remember in my future gamedev dabbles. 

Is it kid friendly?

Hmmm... Yes and no. On the surface if you don’t read anything into it its a pretty damn safe game. A kid can’t get into too much trouble. As an adult I will say that freudian points of view and a brief trip to the gutter might have projected more sexual innuendo than what is actually there. I actually wrote quite a lot about this but I will not be including it in this post. If you see it, you see it. As a kid it flew over my head but as an adult I totally see it so pick and choose your battles if you are debating whether or not this is a good video game. If you see it, psssh... your kid probably will too. 

Final thoughts:

Super Mario Bros Deluxe is a game that has aged gracefully and can teach everyone a thing or two about basic fun and user responsiveness. If you have a game boy, go ahead, dust that bad boy off, pick an empty slot or the slot with the least progress, and start the journey all over again. If you have never played this game, think about how much video games have changed since this has come out. Were you even born yet? 

[playgamestime]

Review: READ ONLY MEMORIES

8 HOURS IN (I need to stop writing reviews when I am sleepy)

What is it?

From the press kit:

Read Only Memories is a new cyberpunk adventure that will take you on a journey of puzzle-solving and exploring as you investigate the mysterious world and characters of Neo-San Francisco. Inspired by classics like Gabriel Knight and Snatcher, ROM is a retrofuturistic take on the point and click adventure genre that features a rich mature narrative and unique gameplay challenges hidden within the beautiful interactive pixel scenes.

In my own words...

Its a trippy little game that has a big huge world. I want to see this move beyond being a game. I want this to be a comic series, a show, a movie, a media phenomenon. Though some of the dialogue can be annoying I actually love this game a LOT. It grew on me. It was not love at first sight. Instead it was that game where you play it and little tiny things stick out to you and then one day you realize you caught feelings. 

How do you play it?

Its a point and click decision making game. I’m in my second run through and I will say that though the dialogue can be annoying at times the differences between what impacts the ending you get a subtle but very cool to stumble upon. 

Why I play it?

I really love the intro and main theme song. Like I REALLY love it a lot. I’ve watched the intro at least 20 times. 

I also love the cyberpunk storyline. I feel that the way the game approaches technology, while totally sci-fi is totally relevant to stuff going on in this world today. The average person doesn’t know what’s being researched and what is possible but whoever wrote this either did their research OR has an AMAZING imagination. 

But the main reason why I am currently playing it again is because I didn’t like the ending I got and want a different one. 

Is it kid friendly?

Hmm... if you have a very mature tech savvy, intersectional rad child then yes. If you have a average American child then nope. If you have a teen, they might like this if they are into point & click games, science fiction, reading, pretty neon colors, robotics, and if they are LGBTQ+ since the game centers heavily around technology, identity, and free will vs “programming” 

Final thoughts (so far):

Play it for the visuals and sound alone. Going through the game without even caring about the actual design mechanics is an experience itself. Then go back and check out the game design stuff. I hope someone takes this ip and turns into  something big because this story world feels so huge for such a simple game. I’m actually in love with the story world more than the game. 

[playgamestime]

Review: BROFORCE

INITIAL PLAY/FIRST PLAY THOUGHTS

What is it?

From wikipedia -  Broforce is a side-scrolling run-and-gun platform video game developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital.

In my own words. Its a fun nostalgic time. I watched so many of these movies. I know some reviews say this stuff gets old but if you are a hardcore action fan you will enjoy all the little details that get revealed along the way. It starts off easy but gets challenging quickly. 

How do you play it?

Deep sighs. Broforce is one of the first games I purchased on my own vs waiting for someone to toss me a free code. I consider myself someone new to playing games and exploring them on my own. How do you play? You shoot and shoot some more and more and more. 

Things that are not intuitively clear:

The controls were not clearly stated but I think that’s just something a semi-newb like me would trip out on. Also, friendly settings for computers that lag. I wish there was some sort of basic setting to choose vs configuring the system through all the choices - appreciate the choices though. 

Why I play it?

I am getting back into the gaming after a long haitus. It was on sale. I gave in because this game was haunting me. I literally thought about this game for about three days before I purchased it - which means I am probably a target demographic. So far I really love this game and how it gets me into flow. I want to master it and then move on. I also love all those action dudes so much because they remind me of my childhood. I wonder if there is a Steven Seagal inspired bro. 

Is it kid friendly?

Hmm... ok if you think about how kids grew up in the 80s and 90s, kids today have this strange dual nature. On the one hand they are treated with very gentle handling. On the other hand they are forced to become adults really fast especially when it comes to sex and drugs. If you were a kid from the 80s and 90s, Broforce, though it has a lot of adult violent themes, is totally kid friendly. But in today’s lens of violence and guns, Broforce, even though its a parody of a certain type of entertainment, would not be seen as kid friendly at all. 

If I had a kid I would let them play it but I don’t think most adults would let their kids play it. I’m talking little kids. It should be fine for a teen that doesn’t have any anti-social issues. 

Final thoughts (so far): This is a game that taps into nostalgia in the very best ways ever. I loved reading this list of suggested bros and remembering what a Hollywood action hero and villain used to be about. 

[playgamestime]

Review: MIITOMOO

What is it?

According to Wikipedia Miitomo is “ a free-to-use social networking mobile app developed by Nintendo ”. I think its a future VR hookup app. Nintendo even dropped hints of VR in the clothing available for purchase. But besides that I have absolutely nothing else to support this. 

How do you play it?

By answering questions the mii version of yourself along with the mii versions of your friends ask you. Some are quite humorous while others make no sense at all. 

Things that are not intuitively clear:

The purpose of candy. When I see candy I want to eat it. I do not want to give it away. I feel like my friends are greedy for asking me if I have some. 

Why I play it?

Its a cute game and I like visiting my friends and seeing their quirky answers.

Is it kid friendly?

Depends on who your kid’s friends are. I have some friends that corrupted the game real fast. Curse words are not bleeped out. I would say this is a late teen to adult social network... that might also be conspiring to hook people up. Some of those questions are intimate. I feel like its asking me all this data and will one day suggest the person I should have been with this entire time. 

Or is that just wishful thinking?