OMG Hard Game Design
There's been a lot of talk at the CT meetings about "hard" game design. Just came across this gem from Terry Cavanagh's VVVVVV, while playing through my steam queue .
So to explain what is happening here for those who haven't played VVVVVV before. You start at the top left corner, and then make a simple fall down the tube on the left hand side. You fall for an eternity, six whole screens to be precise. But avoiding the spikes on the sides is pretty easy because you simply have to fall straight down. On your right though you are given a prelude of gratuitous spiky doom.
When you finally reach the bottom you still have no idea where this is going. On the bottom screen all you can see is an information terminal (which, btw, is there to mock you), a check point and a secret pickup. Upon sight of TREASURE you instantly forget about the spiky doom you just witnessed, and start hi-fiving yourself for finding another secret. But then you bump against that tiny little hippo barrier and remember you cant jump in VVVVVV, you can only reverse gravity. And then the horrific realization dawns upon you that you're going to have to navigate 6 screens of spiky death, TWICE!
At which point you want to cry and congratulate Terry for being a sick sun of a gun.
So to explain what is happening here for those who haven't played VVVVVV before. You start at the top left corner, and then make a simple fall down the tube on the left hand side. You fall for an eternity, six whole screens to be precise. But avoiding the spikes on the sides is pretty easy because you simply have to fall straight down. On your right though you are given a prelude of gratuitous spiky doom.
When you finally reach the bottom you still have no idea where this is going. On the bottom screen all you can see is an information terminal (which, btw, is there to mock you), a check point and a secret pickup. Upon sight of TREASURE you instantly forget about the spiky doom you just witnessed, and start hi-fiving yourself for finding another secret. But then you bump against that tiny little hippo barrier and remember you cant jump in VVVVVV, you can only reverse gravity. And then the horrific realization dawns upon you that you're going to have to navigate 6 screens of spiky death, TWICE!
At which point you want to cry and congratulate Terry for being a sick sun of a gun.
Thanked by 1Merrik
Comments
But I finally made it (about an hour later) :D
...and lands on the wrong side of the wall.
FFFFFFFFFFF--
And, yes, there must be something wrong with me!
@tuism, that was in the front of my mind the whole time. I finally made it the bottom and over-corrected and into the spikes. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu! Fortunately games that hard, you dont really get there by fluke. If you can get near, you can probably get there again because by now you've trained your brain through endless repitition...
I do prefer Cavanagh style over SMB.