2004-06-09
Gyruss, and What Ifs?
I actually managed to wake up and get out of bed before 7 a.m. this morning, so I had time to do a "run" around the block, which is a bit more than a mile long, if my truck's odometer can be trusted. Last year I was able to do this in under 10 minutes, this first attempt was nearly 15 - it was more like a fast walk with occasional jogging. I live in a good area for this sort of thing - I didn't see a single vehicle on the road. So I figure I'll work at getting my time down to under 10 minutes again, and maybe even better. 8 minutes? 7? Ouch :)
So, readers, why don't you bug me occasionally to see how I'm doing with this?
And back on topic, I'm now playing Gyruss on my GBA. It's a space shooter, where your ship flies in a circle around the perimeter of the screen, always pointed towards the center, like it's in a DS9 wormhole. The enemy ships gather deep down in the tunnel, and then take runs at you, getting larger as they come closer.
The hook in this game is that every two or three stages (called "warps" in this game) you arrive at one of the planets in our solar system, and then get a bonus stage. You start heading towards Neptune, then get progressively closer to Earth (or possibly the sun?). I've managed to make it to Mars, and one or two warps away from Earth. I want to keep playing to see what happens when I arrive on Earth. Maybe something special will happen? Or will it just keep going towards the Sun? What happens when you arrive there?
Anyway, this kind of progression really appeals to me - the "what ifs?". Reminds me, I've wanted to write about the idea of pushing the boundaries in games. For example, when you get to the top of the first level of Donkey Kong, the natural thing to do is to go rescue the girl. But what if you run past, and touch Kong? And what about those double ladders he climbs up when you finish the level? Can you climb up those if you try? More on this later.
So, readers, why don't you bug me occasionally to see how I'm doing with this?
And back on topic, I'm now playing Gyruss on my GBA. It's a space shooter, where your ship flies in a circle around the perimeter of the screen, always pointed towards the center, like it's in a DS9 wormhole. The enemy ships gather deep down in the tunnel, and then take runs at you, getting larger as they come closer.
The hook in this game is that every two or three stages (called "warps" in this game) you arrive at one of the planets in our solar system, and then get a bonus stage. You start heading towards Neptune, then get progressively closer to Earth (or possibly the sun?). I've managed to make it to Mars, and one or two warps away from Earth. I want to keep playing to see what happens when I arrive on Earth. Maybe something special will happen? Or will it just keep going towards the Sun? What happens when you arrive there?
Anyway, this kind of progression really appeals to me - the "what ifs?". Reminds me, I've wanted to write about the idea of pushing the boundaries in games. For example, when you get to the top of the first level of Donkey Kong, the natural thing to do is to go rescue the girl. But what if you run past, and touch Kong? And what about those double ladders he climbs up when you finish the level? Can you climb up those if you try? More on this later.
