::scr learning to play games

[Chris Heathcote]

on 7/3/02 11:03 am, Simon Wistow wrote:

> 6 keys (on the Snes anyway) which did high and low kick, high and low
> punch and Axe kicks (iirc). This is easy to learn and has virtually know
> initial barrier to the learning curve. The interesting thing is that the
> special moves were not documented anywhere (for the intial version fo
> the games) yet still lay on a smooth learning curve - it was easy to do
> Chun Li's hurricane kick or thosuand foot kick but Ken's Dragon Punch
> required a lot of practice. Yet they held a certain internal logic.

I must admit these kind of games pretty much passed me by. As do most modern
games. In some ways the interfaces have got simpler - I started off playing
games on a qwerty keyboard, with the 5,6,7,8 and 0 key I think. Someone even
made a clip on joystick to turn these into something more meaningful. Then
we migrated to Q, A, O and P.

Then we got joysticks. Simple four way action with one button. Buttons got
added. Analogue control added new levels of precision. Even more
firebuttons. More joysticks. Rumble Packs. And I've ended up enjoying games
less and less. I seem to spend more time thinking about what I should be
pressing, than concentrating on the game.

This may be because I'm rusty, especially with action games. Sim games rot
your reactions. I do think that the problem with modern games isn't just
that gameplay takes a back seat to graphics, but that you're having to think
of far too much at any time to actively enjoy the game. Maybe I'm getting
old - but give me Vib Ribbon or Parappa the Rapper anyday over Street
Fighter XXI.

c.