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Apart from gameplay and other such grand features of video games like graphics, there’s other essential parts which need to be perfect. One of the things I see as important is the way in which the game saves itself, so you can later go back to the game and continue from where you left off. It doesn’t sound like much but it actually effects the game in a large way, as I found out yesterday.
So what happened ‘Yesterday’?
Well, I was reading up on a game which is out this month for the Gameboy Advance called MegaMan & Bass. It’s a great little Platformer which was only released on the SNES in Japan, so it’s good to see it come to the GBA. But I read one thing which totally striped this game down to rubbishness (is that a word?), it had stripped it down to sub-MegaMan standards. MegaMan games are suppose to be hard, they always have been and they ‘were’ always meant to be. You are suppose to go from one side of the level to the next, merely balancing on the verge of death throughout the whole level and then you face the Boss who crushes your face. This is true MegaMan fashion.
But no, out trots MegaMan & Bass out of Japanese territory and they think we are retards. They stick in an Auto Save feature, which I hate.
Where’s the challenge in that!?
You start walking through a level, go through a door and then it saves for you. In some ways this is even worse then the ‘Save At Anytime You Like’ some games have incorporated into them. You don’t even have to press Start to save, it does it for you. This is lazy and this is why you are fat.
The challenge in the game has been taken out, it’s what made it great.
Another method of saving, which I won’t moan about, is like the one featured in Metroid Prime. I go from my last save point and venture out into this big unexplored Alien Planet, which is so dangerous that the Plants attack you. Now you don’t see that everyday. Not only that but you have to dodge fire, duel with some evil Warthog thing and jump from high cliffs all whilst going further and further away from your last save point. The thing is, this is a big place, you get lost very easily. You are about to die and your searching for a place to save and still the angry Warthogs try and bite your head off. Your heart is pumping as you have just done another 5% of the game and suddenly you find the next save point, or the one you were trundling back to, and you can breathe again.
Not only does this make the game challenging but it also has a emotional thing going on with it too. It messes with your brain, unlike pressing start and saving or just pressing forward and letting the game do it for you. If you die while being so close you’ll cry, but if you get there you’ll go mental with happiness.
I spit on the Auto Save, it has ruined a good game and destroyed the true ways of a MegaMan game. But it’s taught me something about how games not only need the good gameplay, graphics bla bla bla but also little things like the Save system.
So what happened ‘Yesterday’?
Well, I was reading up on a game which is out this month for the Gameboy Advance called MegaMan & Bass. It’s a great little Platformer which was only released on the SNES in Japan, so it’s good to see it come to the GBA. But I read one thing which totally striped this game down to rubbishness (is that a word?), it had stripped it down to sub-MegaMan standards. MegaMan games are suppose to be hard, they always have been and they ‘were’ always meant to be. You are suppose to go from one side of the level to the next, merely balancing on the verge of death throughout the whole level and then you face the Boss who crushes your face. This is true MegaMan fashion.
But no, out trots MegaMan & Bass out of Japanese territory and they think we are retards. They stick in an Auto Save feature, which I hate.
Where’s the challenge in that!?
You start walking through a level, go through a door and then it saves for you. In some ways this is even worse then the ‘Save At Anytime You Like’ some games have incorporated into them. You don’t even have to press Start to save, it does it for you. This is lazy and this is why you are fat.
The challenge in the game has been taken out, it’s what made it great.
Another method of saving, which I won’t moan about, is like the one featured in Metroid Prime. I go from my last save point and venture out into this big unexplored Alien Planet, which is so dangerous that the Plants attack you. Now you don’t see that everyday. Not only that but you have to dodge fire, duel with some evil Warthog thing and jump from high cliffs all whilst going further and further away from your last save point. The thing is, this is a big place, you get lost very easily. You are about to die and your searching for a place to save and still the angry Warthogs try and bite your head off. Your heart is pumping as you have just done another 5% of the game and suddenly you find the next save point, or the one you were trundling back to, and you can breathe again.
Not only does this make the game challenging but it also has a emotional thing going on with it too. It messes with your brain, unlike pressing start and saving or just pressing forward and letting the game do it for you. If you die while being so close you’ll cry, but if you get there you’ll go mental with happiness.
I spit on the Auto Save, it has ruined a good game and destroyed the true ways of a MegaMan game. But it’s taught me something about how games not only need the good gameplay, graphics bla bla bla but also little things like the Save system.
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Memorandum wrote:
> Challenging save system: Resident Evil.
Understatement of the year...
> Challenging save system: Resident Evil.
Understatement of the year...
metroid prime's save system totally rules. It looks good, has no loading screens and they had the forsight to put these points near the evil bosses. I have now killed first 3 main bosses and have ice beam and gravity suit to play with. Whoo!
Challenging save system: Resident Evil.
Ever played CMR 3? The auto save on that is great, after each race it saves automaticaly, in such a way that you can't just go back to where you last won a race. It adds to the realism a bit, pretty good feature in my opinion.
Aha! I hate auto save. But then again, it does making beating young kids at their own games so much easier. Mwahaha... But, the Pokemon style save was cool. When I was what? 6?!? That's like... 7 years ago! So now I just really on end of level saves. They rock. Without saves, I would be dead. Damn electrickery bill.
I now have a grudge against super metroids. I thought they would be cute, like a see through brainy kindof Pikachu thing.
Oh well, back to reality.
Oh well, back to reality.
Or you can shoot it in the mouth after it's ice breath thing with missiles about 3 times, then drop some bombs under it. You lose less health that way.
You can't roll under the normal Baby Sheegoths (I don't think), but I was talking about the large Sheegoth boss, which took me about a minute.
Roll under and drop three until bombs run out, roll away before rolling right back again and dropping three more bombs. Do that five times. Boom.
Roll under and drop three until bombs run out, roll away before rolling right back again and dropping three more bombs. Do that five times. Boom.
Roll under?
GAH!
I was firing missiles for yonks at their ugly mugs!
GAH!
I was firing missiles for yonks at their ugly mugs!
Baby Sheegoths. Yes.
They're blue with big fangs and they won't leave you alone.
Mummy Sheegoth (:-D) was far easier than the rest of them are. I just had to roll under her and plant some bombs and that was it. These you have to dodge around and blast away at for ages.
Still, genius! :-D
They're blue with big fangs and they won't leave you alone.
Mummy Sheegoth (:-D) was far easier than the rest of them are. I just had to roll under her and plant some bombs and that was it. These you have to dodge around and blast away at for ages.
Still, genius! :-D
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