GameSpotting

Craig Beers
PC Video Editor

Now Playing: Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
Will Upgrade Computer For: Half-Life 2, Doom 3

Fading Gaming Conventions

In my last article, I went on and on about older games. Well, that started a nostalgic kick for me--I started playing a bunch of old NES games like Zelda and Ninja Gaiden. I had fun and all, but there are some things I noticed that seem to have disappeared in current games. Some things were great, others were annoying. But all contributed to the style of games during this period, which seems to be a lost or dying art.

Kidnapped Princesses

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Link must get tired of seeing this image.
Oh staple of video game plots, where have you gone? Everyone remembers "...but our princess is in another castle" from Super Mario Bros. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wanted to step on those toadstools. Nowadays, video game plots seem to revolve around terrorists, wars, lab animals, and what have you. Have princesses finally figured out how to not be captured? It wasn't surprising that Princess Zelda kept getting captured. When a young kid like Link can figure out castle guard patrol patterns, it's no wonder that Ganon kept getting into the castle. And don't get me started about Princess Peach's entourage. Seriously, it can't be that hard to hire good bodyguards. You would think that Mario and Link would find new love interests after the second or third rescue attempt.

Music
I really do miss old-school music. Sure, I liked Hitman 2's symphonic soundtrack, and Disciples II's sweeping tunes. But MIDI music brings back memories. I especially remember Ultima VII: The Black Gate. The accompanying music fit so well. The title track was so menacing, and you just knew the Fellowship was evil when hearing its tune. Then there's Nintendo game music. I can spend whole afternoons listening to music from Mega Man 2, Ninja Gaiden, and Castlevania. I used to record songs onto tape from my TV when I was younger. There are only a few games in recent memory where I've saved music tracks to listen to outside of the game.

Engrish

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A winner is you!
I know it still happens, but it's becoming rarer and rarer. You all know what I'm talking about--poorly translated English! Game localization is improving, so you won't find mistakes very often. We all know the pinnacle of this phenomenon was Zero Wing, but there have been others that made me laugh, like Pro Wrestling. I completely understand that companies want to avoid bad translations because it's unprofessional, but it sure is funny.

Mazes
Ah, mazes. The most frustrating convention ever devised for a video game. They are the looping screens you encounter in games like Zelda and Metal Gear where you have to go in a specific directional pattern to get out. What the hell are we, lab rats? I don't know whose idea it was to put mazes into games, but I want him or her to run mazes in the afterlife. I assume the original intention was to extend the playtime of the game. Or maybe it was included to force us to buy strategy guides. I don't know how I solved them in the old days, but it makes replaying these games a real chore. At least tell me how long the pattern is! Do I have to make a pattern of four directions? Or five? Who knows? I'll tell you one thing--it's satisfying when you figure out the maze by yourself. Now give me my piece of cheese.

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