Ben – You just earned the Game Changer achievement for mentioning Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Congratulations!
To me, games are magic. As a child, when I pulled out a board game on a rainy day or flipped the switch on my Game Boy Color at a swim meet, I entered a world of pure and limitless imagination. I went somewhere else, and I became someone else. Games provided the car I needed to drive along the winding roads of The Game of Life and the Pokémon I needed to defeat all eight gym leaders and the Elite Four. When a game did not exist, my friends and I would create our own zany games. When I learned that video games are not actually magical portals but rather sophisticated computer programs, I grabbed every computer programming book I could find and became obsessed with learning how to tell computers about all the cool game ideas I had. This never-ending quest has guided me here to IST 446. I love all genres of games, but I do have three favorite genres. They are: simulation, RPG, and action-adventure.
Simulation games intrigue me because they empower me to enter realistic worlds where I would not normally be granted access and assume realistic roles. For example, Roller Coaster Tycoon bestows upon me the financial, managerial, and creative reigns to an entire amusement park. In real life, obtaining such an amusement park would require either impeccable credentials or a prohibitively large investment, and failing to turn a profit could mean abject poverty. Within the game, you are an incredibly wealthy and renowned tycoon who can magically retry a scenario whenever ticket sales start slumping. Roller Coaster Tycoon lets my exercise my creativity and try my hand at being an amusement park owner without all the stress and consequences of being a real roller coaster tycoon. Another simulation game I really enjoy is Sim City. I like Sim City for many of the same reasons that I like Roller Coaster Tycoon. I enjoy having the opportunity to step into the shoes of a mayor and finally understand how tempting it is to allow your neighbors to dump trash in your city in exchange for desperately needed funds. Both of these games have taught me a great deal about the real world in a very engaging way. The two important game mechanics that keep me playing simulation games are: realism without real-life consequences and constrained resources. When I can perform an action that looks and feels like it is real and has deep consequences but know that it is only a simulation, I am free to explore all the consequences, both positive and negative. This is a liberating and exciting feeling. Also, when I only have so much money or so many resources to perform an action in a simulation game, this fosters my creative side. I need to either creatively make do with what I already have or find a creative way to earn more money or obtain more resources. Perhaps, the most creative and most fun way to earn more money is to type in a cheat code, which both Roller Coaster Tycoon and Sim City support.
I enjoy playing role-playing games (RPGs) in the same way that I enjoy playing simulation games. However, instead of empowering me to assume a realistic role, RPGs encourage me to suspend my disbelief and assume the role of a fictional person in a fantastical world. For example, Pokémon proposes a seemingly ridiculous quest. If you defeat all eight gym leaders, best the Elite Four, and catch all 151 Pokémon, you will become a Pokémon master. However, when I follow along with this premise, I find myself being drawn down deeply into this magical world that the game designers have created. Pokémon begin to seem more and more like real creatures, and I find myself becoming more and more used to saying their odd names. I even memorize some of them. Before I know it, I am scouring Pokémon guides like a Pokémon scholar on the brink of a major breakthrough in Pokémon-ology. Another RPG that I enjoy playing is Golden Sun. I enjoy this game for its exceptional storyline and puzzles. Also, instead of going solo like in Pokémon, you travel with a constantly growing group of companion characters who complement your skill set. The two important game mechanics that keep me playing RPGs are: addictive collecting and addictive leveling. Once you are fully immersed in the world of an RPG, collecting items and leveling up stats can be a rather addictive yet pleasurable experience. When I catch a new Pokémon, I feel a rush of euphoria and triumph that cannot be matched by many other types of games. When my Pokémon evolves or learns a new move, I am ecstatic with glee.
My last favorite genre is action-adventure games. I love fast-paced action, and I love explorative adventure. When you put these two experiences together, great games emerge. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of my all-time favorite games. This game has such an epic and majestic feel to it. Sometimes, you are exploring vast landscapes, towns, castles, temples, and dungeons. Other times, you are fending off monsters and conquering bosses. Sometimes, you are doing both of these things at the same time! When I beat this game, I felt like a hero who had just finished a great journey. Another great action-adventure game is Donkey Kong 64. Despite the fact that this game is situated on a single, small island, it feels huge. The search for all the golden bananas is nearly endless and requires exploring every nook and cranny of the island. The ability to switch characters adds even more size to the game because certain characters can reach areas that are otherwise inaccessible. This game really appealed to my adventurous side. The two important game mechanics that keep me playing action-adventure games are: big boss battles and nearly limitless exploration. Good action-adventure games use fantastic big boss battles to designate the end of each phase of the game. Besides being satisfyingly intense, these boss battles help make the journey all the more satisfying. Boss battles help you truly appreciate how far you have come in the game. Good action-adventure games also do their best to create a limitless world with infinite opportunities for exploration. Obviously, worlds must have boundaries, but the game designers do their best to hide these boundaries for the sake of the player’s enjoyment.
– Benjamin T. Dodge (btd5030)