Super Mario Bro... Sisters!

I'd play that game.

A Video Game Recipe

So we're going to make a game today. Lets follow a recipe.

Step One: Start with a base of RTS.

(The RTS (Real Time Strategy) that I am talking about and the RTS that the graphic is talking about may be two different things. I am aware of this by it was the best example I could find after a five minuet google search.)

Step Two: Add one part Harry Potter.

Step Three: Add one part Groundhog Day.

Step Four: Mix well and cover the whole thing with an Anime coating.

(Anime: Beautiful artwork, terrible story lines)

And Walla: You end up with...

Grim Grimore. A PS2 game that I think you'll find diverting. Fun enough not to be stale yet eccentric enough that it won't become a habit. If you feel like playing something as cute as it is irritating this is the game for you. Try some it will help sate that quirky fetish of yours, I know you have one.

Oddworld's Spiritual Ancestor

This crazy guy is descended from...

I know, I know who'd a thunk it. But it's really just a small leap from this...

to this...

Oddworld incorporated a lot of the same feel that Prince of Persia had. Running and jumping. Acrobatic puzzle solving with your life on the line. And the Scrabs and Paramites scared the snot out of me.

(Scrab, fast and lethal.)

(Paramite, like a cross between a spider and a pit bull. I think they scare me the most. To this day I have nightmares.)

God of War's Spiritual Ancestor

It's true. God of war is a spiritual descendant of the good old NES's

Perhaps you may recall the box art better than the title screen.

This was a great game for the NES. It was ahead of it's time. It was also hard. No mater how hard or how long I tried I never beat this one. But it was good.

What's wrong with linear?

There's nothing wrong with linear. In fact there is more right with linear than non-linear. So why is it with games there is a growing demand for non-linear game play? In case you've forgotten but all those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books sucked. Remember how you used to keep your thumb in place in case you made a bad choice. Non-linear video games are the same thing. Sometimes the're worse, sometimes they choke you with options. Although it is fun I can't play Oblivion because I get to caught up in trying to do everything. Trying to be everything to everyone.

Linear game play is more conducive to telling a good story. A good story is almost always the key element to any good video game.

In case your wondering, this is how you do it.

I'm not saying that things should be ultra rigid. Flexibility is important, and options are fun. I play Harvest Moon, and one of the things I enjoy the most is getting all the upgrades and power berries. It makes me feel like I'm cheating the game somehow. But I often read a review in which the critic laments the game for it's linear quality. For me that's a mark in the pro column.