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Entitled originally ‘The Cheese Project”. The absence of cheese in modern gaming and in fact past gaming has been hotly debated by gaming journalists the world over. I was first introduced to the situation by fellow gamer Ian Cutress who insisted that cheese is not used enough in today’s world, he said “Cheese is an average everyday food item with enough stereotypes and variations to last the full length of gaming history!” Whether he is right or not is another thing entirely, but what really bothered me is why cheese is important in gaming literacy at all? Probably some of you found the concept of this post amusing, and that is exactly the point. Cheese is pure innocent humour that anyone can find funny without resorting to humorous violence (Grand Theft Auto) or swearing (Die Hard: Vendetta), so why is it not used to its full extent.
Cutress cited that developers are becoming more aware of innocent humour with the inclusion of monkeys: “Monkey’s and the variants are hilarious, they are similar to cheese and developers are using monkey’s perfectly.” Cutress is presumably referring to the recent Super Monkey Ball, which is indeed a concept for hilarity and the gun-toting monkey’s of Timesplitters 2. Sadly Cutress didn’t do his research in this department, developers have been aware of monkeys for years in fact over 20 years. Donkey Kong naturally pioneered the monkey revolution with games like Minkey Monkey and Monkey Island following suit. So surly developers inclusion of monkey’s into games are more inspired concepts rather than highly original ideas, something cheese would be. But if Cutress was wrong about monkey’s could he also be wrong about cheese? Is cheese really absent in modern day gaming? Cutress did confess that cheese is not totally absent: “Many RPG’s use cheese as a health restoring or stat raising item… sadly this isn’t funny at all.” So I delved into my back catalogue of games and tried to relive classic cheese moments from previous games.
Cutress had managed to point out several cases on situations where cheese would make a comical addition to the proceedings; one of his main examples is SEGA’s Chu Chu Rocket… “Mice but no cheese?” questioned Cutress, he is right of course cheese would make the game follow classic cat and mouse comic clichés and be a vital piece of iconography. Yet as I pawed through my back catalogue of games I discovered Perfect Dark. For those unaware Perfect Dark is a serious first person shooter from British coder Rare released on the N64. Something which indeed lightened proceedings were the inclusion of a single piece of cheese on each level, it didn’t do anything but it often became an obsession with gamers and damn funny as well. This for me was a prime example of Cutress’ point as opposed to a contradiction, this is example of one game that uses cheese to maximum effect, and it is innocent humour ridiculous to the point of hilarity. So whereas Cutress maybe mistaken into believing cheese isn’t used in gaming he is perfectly right in that it should be used, and more often. The next example of cheese related humour came in to form of yet ANOTHER Rare game Conker’s Bad Fur Day, the first level features a mouse that eats so much cheese he literally explodes. The incident was comical enough but as was the fact the mouse repeated the word “cheese” in some deranged tongue.
And so begins the insinuation that Rare are the only developer that has realized the full possibilities of cheese. After all Donkey Kong 64 proved that they rule the monkey humour department. Is cheese destined only for successful use on the Microsoft X-box? Cutress and myself were together at the Virgin Megastores signing with Shigeru Miyamoto (head designer of Nintendo and all round nice guy), after queuing for 3 hours 52 minutes and 36 seconds we finally got to meet the legend. Cutress and I decided to ask Mr. Miyamoto whether he liked cheese; after all if one person were going to pioneer cheese in modern gaming it would be him. Mr. Miyamoto was naturally surprised by the question but replied “yes”, and so the possibility of a cheese related game has grown*. Mr. Miyamoto is famed for making games based on what he enjoys, Pikmin for example is due to his love of gardening.
Nevertheless the current gaming situation in relation to cheese is dire but the future features much more optimism. With further Rare releases planned and Miyamoto going on record that he likes cheese the future of cheese is a bright one, of course this is excluding the multi-platform Wallace and Gromit game due out later this year… the programmes are a perfect example of cheese related humour and the game will hopefully continue the comedy. So what are your thoughts regarding the future of cheese in modern gaming?
Dringo
*This honestly did happen!
Cutress cited that developers are becoming more aware of innocent humour with the inclusion of monkeys: “Monkey’s and the variants are hilarious, they are similar to cheese and developers are using monkey’s perfectly.” Cutress is presumably referring to the recent Super Monkey Ball, which is indeed a concept for hilarity and the gun-toting monkey’s of Timesplitters 2. Sadly Cutress didn’t do his research in this department, developers have been aware of monkeys for years in fact over 20 years. Donkey Kong naturally pioneered the monkey revolution with games like Minkey Monkey and Monkey Island following suit. So surly developers inclusion of monkey’s into games are more inspired concepts rather than highly original ideas, something cheese would be. But if Cutress was wrong about monkey’s could he also be wrong about cheese? Is cheese really absent in modern day gaming? Cutress did confess that cheese is not totally absent: “Many RPG’s use cheese as a health restoring or stat raising item… sadly this isn’t funny at all.” So I delved into my back catalogue of games and tried to relive classic cheese moments from previous games.
Cutress had managed to point out several cases on situations where cheese would make a comical addition to the proceedings; one of his main examples is SEGA’s Chu Chu Rocket… “Mice but no cheese?” questioned Cutress, he is right of course cheese would make the game follow classic cat and mouse comic clichés and be a vital piece of iconography. Yet as I pawed through my back catalogue of games I discovered Perfect Dark. For those unaware Perfect Dark is a serious first person shooter from British coder Rare released on the N64. Something which indeed lightened proceedings were the inclusion of a single piece of cheese on each level, it didn’t do anything but it often became an obsession with gamers and damn funny as well. This for me was a prime example of Cutress’ point as opposed to a contradiction, this is example of one game that uses cheese to maximum effect, and it is innocent humour ridiculous to the point of hilarity. So whereas Cutress maybe mistaken into believing cheese isn’t used in gaming he is perfectly right in that it should be used, and more often. The next example of cheese related humour came in to form of yet ANOTHER Rare game Conker’s Bad Fur Day, the first level features a mouse that eats so much cheese he literally explodes. The incident was comical enough but as was the fact the mouse repeated the word “cheese” in some deranged tongue.
And so begins the insinuation that Rare are the only developer that has realized the full possibilities of cheese. After all Donkey Kong 64 proved that they rule the monkey humour department. Is cheese destined only for successful use on the Microsoft X-box? Cutress and myself were together at the Virgin Megastores signing with Shigeru Miyamoto (head designer of Nintendo and all round nice guy), after queuing for 3 hours 52 minutes and 36 seconds we finally got to meet the legend. Cutress and I decided to ask Mr. Miyamoto whether he liked cheese; after all if one person were going to pioneer cheese in modern gaming it would be him. Mr. Miyamoto was naturally surprised by the question but replied “yes”, and so the possibility of a cheese related game has grown*. Mr. Miyamoto is famed for making games based on what he enjoys, Pikmin for example is due to his love of gardening.
Nevertheless the current gaming situation in relation to cheese is dire but the future features much more optimism. With further Rare releases planned and Miyamoto going on record that he likes cheese the future of cheese is a bright one, of course this is excluding the multi-platform Wallace and Gromit game due out later this year… the programmes are a perfect example of cheese related humour and the game will hopefully continue the comedy. So what are your thoughts regarding the future of cheese in modern gaming?
Dringo
*This honestly did happen!
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Well done.
The deed is done.
The chicken is well done.
With relationships, I am done.
Look at the fanciful piece of art this artist has done.
*cries*
The deed is done.
The chicken is well done.
With relationships, I am done.
Look at the fanciful piece of art this artist has done.
*cries*
No, Dringo, I'm just shocked and surprised that no one mentioned Luigi's Mansion, full of hidden cheeses. What about Burger Time, it may be processed cheese, but it's still cheese none-the-less. Tom and Jerry, the game, had cheeses, though only as background props.
But perhaps you are right and older games should have shown the way. Surely Gauntlet would have been so much better with "Blue Elf ate the cheese", or Metal Gear Solid, with Snake being chased by an oversized Edam?
We will never know unless the cheeses are released.
But perhaps you are right and older games should have shown the way. Surely Gauntlet would have been so much better with "Blue Elf ate the cheese", or Metal Gear Solid, with Snake being chased by an oversized Edam?
We will never know unless the cheeses are released.
Cheese tastes like digested rubber. Not that I know what that tastes like, but the sound of it is horrifying enough.
Well he did find the question amusing...
I bet he doesn't really, he probably had no idea what they where talking about and just agreed to keep the queue moving.
Miyamoto likes cheese? How strange. Most Japanese people I talk to think it's nothing more than gone off milk.
I've remember yet another game where cheese was used to its full comical potential.
WWF NO MERCY!
You could hit people over the head with a large piece of cheese.
Pure brilliance... AKI were on the ball.
Cheese - the future.
WWF NO MERCY!
You could hit people over the head with a large piece of cheese.
Pure brilliance... AKI were on the ball.
Cheese - the future.
kyz22 did u win on ur first day,
how cool,i won on my second and on my 3rd(comp 3 have a look)
how cool,i won on my second and on my 3rd(comp 3 have a look)
How odd.
How very very odd.
I would say 'pointless', but I'd probsbly be wrong. For cheese and monkeys really are essential.
Yes.
:|
How very very odd.
I would say 'pointless', but I'd probsbly be wrong. For cheese and monkeys really are essential.
Yes.
:|
How random...
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