Who wrote this unspoken hardcore gamer law that we can’t enjoy a game that engages more than just our brains and fingertips? Just because our hobby has been sedentary in the past, a lot of people seem to want to treat this as some kind of necessary condition to enjoyment of a game. I’ve wondered …
Author Archive
The promise of motion control
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 by bruceAnother design mechanic that should die - Remaining lives
Thursday, May 29th, 2008 by bruceThis one has been on my mind lately after finishing the New Super Mario Bros. game on the DS. The little icon reminding you how many Marios remain with which to complete the rest of the game remains ever present. I guess it’s there because, well, it’s always been there, and this is a game …
A design element that deserves to die: The time limit
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 by bruceAhh, our old enemy the time limit. Is there a lazier way for a designer to increase the difficulty of a game?
The latest object of my scorn due to this lazy design element is Star Fox Command on the Nintendo DS. Before you get to the Star Fox part of the Star Fox game, you …
