Simple Yet Complex
With a good portion of video games, what you see is what you get. While there's a gradual learning curve to keep the game interesting, the underlying game mechanics become familiar incredibly early in the game. As you make your way through the story a few new things may be thrown your way, but as soon as things began to ramp up you have all you need in your arsenal to reach the conclusion. An interesting handful of games, however, are sadistic in their approach. On the surface they seem simple, maybe even too simple. You comprehend the few bits of knowledge you need to play the game almost instantly. But as you continue, you begin to realize something: there's more here than meets the eye. These are games that hide their complexity, only to release the avalanche when you least expect it.
Puzzle games are huge culprits in this arena. Tetris, which all of you should know about by now, contains only one simple objective: don't fail. But with this objective come a slew of player-imposed goals, e.g. beating a high score, only scoring points with Tetrises, reaching the highest difficulty, etc. Tetris is a game you can literally play for hours if you become good enough, but getting there requires incredible reflexes and an extensive knowledge of where and when to place the game's seven different puzzle pieces, as well as what positions work in what situations. Tetris is probably the best example of this phenomenon, but let's take a look at some other franchises.
Mr. Driller is a series of games that continues where Dig Dug left off. Originally conceived as Dig Dug 3, Mr. Driller follows the exploits of Susumu Hori, the son of Dig Dug's hero, Taizou Hori. Susumu shares his father's love for digging, but does so instead with the eponymous drill. But, unlike Dig Dug, Mr. Driller has no enemies for you to destroy. The main focus of the game is to drill deeper and deeper through various countries, while maintaining your air supply and trying to to get squished by the unstable rock walls you can't help creating. Each level has a depth goal that you have to reach in order to complete the stage, which of course increases as the levels become more difficult.
For the most part, the Mr. Driller games are pretty simple. Drill down, gather air tanks, don't die. The real challenge comes with how you score points. As you begin to drill, you'll notice that there are different colored blocks. If four of the same-colored blocks manage to touch, they disappear and net you a score bonus. Along with the breakable blocks come more durable ones that decrease the amount of air you have left upon breaking them. These gain even more points upon being matched up, and usually surround valuable air tanks that extend your play time. Add to these factors multiple characters with different abilities, and you're going to be hooked or quite a long time, no matter which version of the game you play.
Mr. Driller begins with an extremely easy goal: make it to the bottom of the stage. But adding to this a puzzle system that nets more points and the added goal of matching colored blocks, you begin to see the complex core of the game that makes it truly memorable.
A very well known series that also exhibits this type of complexity against initial simplicity is Pokemon. Every game in the series is pretty easy from beginning to end. Besides the weakest of the weak, you can basically grab any team of Pokemon you want and stick with them through the whole game. But Nintendo, insidious as ever, included a few odd gameplay mechanics even in the earliest incarnations of the Pokemon franchise. Individual values and effort values, abbreviated as IV and EV respectively, are two sets of special stats that make each Pokemon unique on a very base level. Most fans of the series have no idea of their existence, as the values of both are hidden.
As fans became aware of these hidden values, various programs were utilized in an attempt to find out how they work and what effect they had on the Pokemon they were training. Over time, IVs and EVs became an important part of Pokemon tournaments. It's become so prevalent that one cannot hope to advance far into a tournament unless you've done a good job EV training your Pokemon. You can read more about IV and EV training at Bulbapedia by following these links:
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/IV | http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/EV
While puzzle games hide their complexity with simple rules and others do so with extremely lax difficulty, there's a select few that keep the most elaborate parts of their gameplay hidden behind decidedly archaic graphics. Sometimes, these graphics make the game more confusing than it has to be.
(click on the images for the larger versions)
The biggest culprit of this is an indie game called Dwarf Fortress. A game with a complete ASCII graphics interface, much of the complexity comes from sitting down and learning what each letter, number, and symbol stands for in relation to the Dwarf Fortress world. After getting that in order, you are introduced to the actual gameplay, which is even more elaborate than the graphics. Fans of the game find much satisfaction in constructing a self-sufficient fortress after extensive research into the in-depth gameplay mechanics. In my humble opinion, Dwarf Fortress is probably the most complex game out there at the moment, and the programmers continually amaze me with the little details they've accounted for within the game's code.
One problem I had with Dwarf Fortress upon first playing it was the graphics. You eventually get used to them, but I was worried the only difficulty the game offered was trying to decipher what you were seeing and getting used to such a low-tech way of presenting a video game world. Luckily, various tilesets are available for download that make the game much easier on the eyes, and actually show that the game has much more depth to offer. The pictures above show the difference in graphics, from the original on the left to one with a tileset on the right. Feel free to check out Dwarf Fortress in all its frustrating awesomeness by following this link:
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/
So there you have it, a few malicious game series that choose to reel you in with simple gameplay mechanics and graphics, only to latch onto you and never let go upon revealing the true depth beneath the surface. While each one does so in completely different ways, they'll surprise you when you finally dig in and try out the more complex gameplay mechanics.
Wizard World Toronto Comic Con, 2010
The Pokemon S.O.S
For the more nostalgic Pokemon fan, the past few years have been, at best, discouraging. After the release of Pokemon Crystal, things started going awry for original fans. People used to the first 251 pokemon had to accept the fact that more were to come, about 250 more to be exact. Upon the release of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, the anticipation that left these gamers pining had begun to slow down and fizzle. While the series reclaimed itself with Diamond, Pearl,Platinum and off-shoots like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and WiiWare's Pokemon Rumble, none were nearly as fulfilling as what fans had come to experience in the past. Nintendo did eventually begin paying attention to the decline of their older fans thanks to titles like Pokemon FireRed andLeafGreen, but what fans really wanted was a remake of the Gold and Silver – arguably the pinnacles of the series.
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Luckily for us, Nintendo listened and has re-released Gold and Silver on the Nintendo DS, now titled Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Before experiencing the game, Matthew O'Mara and I had the chance to attend a Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver release party at the Wizard World in Toronto, Canada. Not only did we get to try out the games and accessories first hand, but we also got to colour (believe me, it was fun), take pictures with an over-sized Pikachu (the kids went nuts!) and even got to chat with Matt Ryan, Senior Supervisor of Communications and Advertising for Nintendo of Canada. March 14th was certainly a fulfilling day!
Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver
Ian Walker: The Pokemon series has been one of my favorites ever since I was introduced to it at a young age. And as I've gotten older, so have the games, with maturing and more complex game mechanics to go along with it. The second generation, which includes the Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions always stood out more than the others for numerous reasons. It was the first generation to expand on the hallowed 151 original Pokemon, introduced breeding and stat training, and offered a second quest after the main storyline that allowed you to revisit Kanto, the region where the first games were set, giving you the option to challenge the first set of gym leaders and collect a whopping 16 badges total. This blew my mind when I was younger, and still remains one of the fondest video gaming memories I have.
After the success of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, remakes of the original games for the Gameboy Advance, Nintendo continuously hinted at the possibility of another set of remakes, this time for the Nintendo DS. These remakes were eventually revealed as Heart Gold and Soul Silver, new versions of the second generation. Packed with new content while still following the basic story of the originals, Heart Gold and Soul Silver are two very nostalgic and fresh entries in the Pokemon series.
From the get go, Heart Gold and Soul Silver bubble over with style. Combining the older generation story with the look, feel, and overall gameplay mechanics of the newer generation is a complete home run in my book. While the older games suffered from slow battles and tedious backtracking, the whole experience has been streamlined for the remakes. The battles are still a bit slow for my liking, seeing as that's what you're wrapped up in most of the game, but they much speedier than even the most recent entries in the series. Also, having grown up quite a bit since the originals were made, it seems as if Pokemon has become a bit easier than it was before. This is especially true in this generation and the original before it. The levels of the Gym Leaders' Pokemon make a gradual slope instead of a cliff like previous versions, mostly because the Gym number is double compared to the other games. And while this game does reclaim the title of “Highest Trainer Pokemon Level,” it comes very late in the game during a completely optional battle.
But, the lowered difficulty doesn't lessen the main draw of these games in the slightest. Even after all these years, it's a great thing assembling a team of your favorite Pokemon and tackling the Elite Four, developing strategies and a decent moveset to counter all they can throw at you. A new mechanic that adds to personal experience draws directly from Pokemon Yellow. In that game, Pikachu was your main companion throughout the game's story, following behind you and having short conversations whenever you wished. Heart Gold and Soul Silver have greatly expanded on that, allowing you to have any Pokemon you wish follow behind you as you explore Johto. This even provides some laughs when you happen to have one of the humongous Pokemon, such as Wailord or Steelix, following behind you.
Another new addition comes in the form of the PokeWalker accessory. By transferring a single Pokemon to this device, it gains experience for every step you take. You can even catch some exclusive Pokemon while using the device. One of the main drawbacks, though, is the fact that your Pokemon can only gain one level per trip, making carrying the device on long trips to the mall or school pointless. It's a cool little device for what it is, but using it to actually train your Pokemon ends up being a waste of time. But, being included with the price of the game, there's not much to complain about, and it's actually pretty fun to mess around with when you don't have the game around to play.
All in all, Heart Gold and Soul Silver have lived up to and quite possibly exceeded the games they revisit. Mixing the old school story and quest with the newer graphics and battle system is a definite hit on Nintendo's part. Those looking for a bit of nostalgia won't be disappointed, and newer fans of the series will be blown away by the extended quest and interesting storyline. If you're a fan of the series, new or old, pick this up. You won't be disappointed.
Likes
- Updated graphics and game mechanics make for a more streamlined experience.
- Retains the amazing second quest from the original games.
- It's a nostalgic adventure for older Pokemon fans, while also being a fantastic experience for new ones.
Dislikes
- Battles, while faster, still seem incredibly slow after long play sessions.
- PokeWalker is almost useless after the initial appeal wears off.
- While it's a great remake, it offers almost nothing new to the series.
Review Score
/ 
Erika Szabo: When I was ten years old, I was proud to say I was a Pokemon Master. My team consisted of several elements and attributes that made my pokemon shine. I swear, they were unstoppable. The Elite Four couldn't beat them, Ash (or rather Red) couldn't beat them — at the end of Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal — and my schoolmates certainly couldn't beat them either. As the saying goes, I was on fire. However, my hours of grinding weren't simply for power, it was more for the love of my team. That may sound cheesy now, but I felt as though my pokemon were as much a part of my life as any so I made sure to treat them as well as any adoring child could. Before I faced a formidable gym leader, I encouraged my pokemon; when they fainted, I nearly cried (and sometimes, I did shed a tear or two).
Pokemon Blue, Yellow and Silver taught me how to be determined, kindhearted and, most important, confident. These titles were the pinnacle of my childhood, the epitomes of cool. Even playing them now, twelve years later, I feel that sense of nostalgia, that cheery feeling I did as a kid. I guess you could say I revert back to kid-mode every time I lay my hands on a retro console, retro game or even what is only a hint of what once was: a reminder of the past. I shake with delight whenever I have the opportunity of playing a childhood favourite, whatever it may be, so I think you can imagine how delighted I was to play/review a remake of one of my favourite handheld titles, Pokemon Silver.
Now renamed Pokemon SoulSilver, this Nintendo DS title takes all the best attributes of the original and incorporates several new features to the mix – all of which I am relatively pleased with, particularly the graphics. Considering the graphics of past Pokemon titles, these have to be the best yet. I remember each city or town having it's own character, aura if you will, whether it be the feudal Ecruteak City, the bustling Goldenrod City or the arcane Lavender Town; however, with the now revamped graphics they each have an even stronger sense of identity than before. It's deeply satisfying, to say the least.
Another great addition, and one I had always hoped for, was to have your pokemon follow you — similar to how Pikachu followed Ash in Pokemon Yellow. While Pikachu was used more so as a marketing ploy, allowing any pokemon on your team to trail behind you adds an extra sense of adoration. While I may no longer be that ten year old girl, I still feel a great deal of love knowing that I can further bond with my pokemon and understand what it's thinking and feeling throughout my journey. Call me overly sentimental, but sometimes those little things truly add to the experience.
As much as I enjoy SoulSilver, it still has its weaknesses. While I find the game to be striking and incredibly nostalgic, there are features hidden within that keep me from becoming as mesmerized as I ought to be. As hard as I may have tried, I never could get into any of the Pokemon titles after Gold, Silver or Crystal. I'm not sure if it was because of the overwhelming Pokedex, unfamiliar locales or the nostalgia that bound me, but it certainly involved one, if not all, of these factors. It's a bit more complicated with SoulSilver because it is very much the original title I grew up with — or at least, seemingly so. Pokemon SoulSilver may not include any of the newer pokemon past #251 Celebi (well, as far as I know…), but it still includes their slots in the Pokedex. Imagine how unfulfilling it is to have caught all 251 to find out there are still almost 250 more to collect. If this is the Pokemon title I grew up with then there should not be 493 pokemon in all, not in a remake. Now if this was done to cater to the younger generation than so be it (it wouldn't make sense not to include all of them), but for the older generation it's a bit disheartening to see our original title revamped in order to cater to the popular majority.
Another minor gripe came from the accompanying tool, the PokeWalker. This Pocket Pikachu clone had me giggling with delight just thinking about how I could take my pokemon with me as I walked. Being an almost-daily commuter to Toronto, I fantasized about all the levels I could rack up while away from my Nintendo DS, but unfortunately for me, the experience became less than satisfactory. While it's true that you can level up your pokemon while walking, no matter how far you walk, a pokemon will only gain a level each time. This means transferring your pokemon to your DS and re-transferring it to your PokeWalker in order to gain any of those much-needed levels. Another issue I had dealt with were missed moves. That's right: if you level up a pokemon on your PokeWalker and, let's say, it was supposed to learn a move, it won't learn it. Imagine my dismay when Pidgey failed to learn Gust, one of the most pivotal moves in the beginning of the game.
I can still say that Pokemon SoulSilver is an incredibly compelling game and certainly one that I will continue to play for the next while. However, some features may alter the experience and stop the game from becoming the remake I had imagined it to be. Sometimes, it's hard not to let a factor like nostalgia get in the way as it seems to have such a strong hold on people, my ten year old self included. For what it is, Pokemon SoulSilver is a wonderful attempt at retelling the past for future generations. And, while the experience may have changed, it still remains the game I once loved.
Likes
- Updated graphics and music adds an extra layer of depth to an already amazing title.
- Nostalgia plays a big factor in this remake, yet it still manages to cater to younger generations.
- By having your pokemon follow you on your journey, it becomes that much easier to bond with your companion.
Dislikes
- PokeWalker is more of a nuisance than a helping hand.
- By incorporating all 493 pokemon into the Pokedex, the sense of nostalgia is somewhat affected.
Review Score
/
The review scale at LevelFortyTwo is between 1 and 5. A score of 5 is considered an amazing game, 4 is a well-done game with only minor issues, 3 is in the middle; not great, but not bad, 2 is a very problematic game, and 1 is absolutely terrible.
A Geek’s Guide to Brainwashing Your Friends & Family: Video Games Edition
Geeks are passionate by definition. Whether it’s regarding a sweet kill/death ratio, the most OP deck possible, getting that super leet gear, or a detailed knowledge of every word Tolkien ever wrote, we take our interests to a level bordering on zealous obsession. All this comes with the natural desire to share our interests with friends and family. Unfortunately, we tend to find that your wife doesn't necessarily want to spend Friday night inside raiding dungeons ‘til the sun comes up, or your boyfriend would rather watch the game than hit up that 12-hour Magic tournament, or your kids or parents don’t really want to spend school nights reading 400 page books full of nothing but rules regarding spells and Prestige classes. Alas, we’re here to lay those problems to rest. Here’s a guide to bring out the geek in that special someone (hereafter: the target), so you can finally have someone nearby (the interweb doesn't count) to talk to about the craziness that just went down in the last issue of Green Lantern.
Them There Vidja Games… In this current console generation, many areas of gaming are losing the stigma of being exclusive to the elite underground geeks. Advances in motion technology have generally taken away the need for skill to really enjoy such games; thus, the number of people who would enjoy gaming in general increases exponentially. Up until the past few console generations, the large majority of video games prevented all but the few and the leet from enjoying them because of their general difficulty. Even today, many games assume from the player quite a bit of previous knowledge about how video games work and play. However, there are many ways to break these misconceptions and give any family member or friend the gift of geek.
Geeks have certain tastes in gaming, and as it turns out, these targets or “normal people” do too. The most important factor in brainwashing the target is to make sure they are having fun at all times. Show mom how glorious this bloody, slo-mo headshot looks in Fallout 3 and it can be a quick turn off. Instead, take the target’s tastes into consideration. Any collector (a nerdy endeavor as it is) would fit perfectly into a Pokémon, Harvest Moon, Eye of Judgement, or any MMO, while a car or gun nut would not have as much interest there. A simple way to go is in the very universal genre of Wii gaming. The learning curve there is as low as it gets, and getting to make your Mii and watch it play tennis or go bowling is a good way to show the target that truly anyone can play video games. Once they realize it doesn't take years of training to play a video game, they’re bound to be open to a plethora of new gaming experiences. If your boyfriend or brother can't see an interest in spending hours on end catching all those Pokémon or Piñatas, consider what their other hobbies are. With dozens of new games out every month, there's bound to be a game that relates to their interests. Check out our Holiday Gift Guide for more tips on what games can best fit what kind of person!
Choose their first game wisely. If the target’s never played a shooter before and you want to have them enjoy that genre with you, do not ask that person if they want to play Counter Strike together. You can expect a short and infuriating session, and that person will be much more reluctant to pick up a controller in the future. Instead, play one-on-one or with a few friends in a simple, fun or (relatively) light-hearted shooter like Team Fortress 2, Halo, Quake or Timesplitters. Older shooters tend to have simpler mechanics, so play something classic like Jet Force Gemini, Goldeneye or even Faceball 2000. Break that misconception in their minds that all video games require a huge time investment and unique skills akin to playing a musical instrument. Take your time with them so they can learn the mechanics and how the game works, but don't overdo it, as most people don't enjoy it when you "go easy on them". If you want them to play an RPG, understand that experience points, critical hits, HP, mana, and spell and inventory management are an entirely different language, so start simple with a game like Paper Mario, Pokémon or Sonic Chronicles. Then, over time, the target may find themselves having a good time and looking for more similar experiences with more frequency.
Like cooking a cold blooded animal; turn up the heat in these digital depths slowly. Wanna make her a fan of WoW? Don't ask your girlfriend if she wants to use your level 80 shadow priest to run Ulduar with your raiding guild 'til 3am. Do ask her if she wants to design her own character who can brew potions, engineer mechanical chickens, collect a wide range of pets and rid the world of those slimy Murlocs. Over time, the target will develop an attachment or investment in the game that will get them to play more frequently for themselves. While things like Wii Sports have taken steps to make gaming accessible to everyone, the majority of it still requires a fairly large investment and varying amounts of skill. A key is allowing yourself the right amount of participation in the game being played. Despite what the game may be, don’t play for them. But at the same time don’t make them figure out everything themselves, as you’re privy to years of experience with gaming that will make things far easier for you. This probably won't work in most multiplayer environments where the other team is out for blood, but easily can be found in a slower paced game on an easy setting so they can take their time and screw around if they want. As their skill and knowledge increases, so will their ability to enjoy the finer points of the game's intricacies. Should they still seem unwilling to take that leap, take yourself to their level of gaming. Whether people realize it or not, everyone plays games. Facebook has plenty of games with varying depth that can be the perfect place to start. Anyone who plays Farmville can easily find a comfortable experience in a Harvest Moon, Viva Piñata or Animal Crossing. Eventually, once they find themselves invested in a game, whatever the genre, you’ll wake up to find that they’ve surpassed you and have caught every single Pokémon twice over.
Your target is always going to be unique, so take into consideration that while everybody loves to have fun, the definition of fun will mean a million different things to a million different people. With the gaming market doing their best to turn everyone from grandpas to sorority girls into gamers, your job is made that much easier. Show them that there are developers out there making games specifically for their interests, whatever they may be, and that hardcore gamers are people too… just people with way better gear than you. Keep an eye out next week for our second Brainwashing Guide: Comics Edition!
