Hi Tom.
that's fair enough, and as I said, I have nothing against an accessible 2D
game, it's just that when I see people thinking that Q9 is a comparable game
to megaman or even double dragon I do feel a little sad. On the T2002
turrican windows remake forums, one chap mentioned that T2002 was the game
he loaded most in windows, and I have to agree. If I have a spare half an
hour and want to play a game but don't want the complexity of an rpg,
complex stratogy game or similar, I fire up T2002 and go through one of the
larger levels, trying to discover more. Indeed, I first ran across the
turrican remake in 2006, round about the same time I found shades of doom,
and while I spent lots of time playing shades I'd imagine I probably spent
more on Turrican, not to mention that was the point I acquired the Megaman
aniversery collection so got to try all the nes megaman games I'd missed in
the 80s.
I think that is actually part of the question. A game like shades or even
papasangre (something I've been playing recently), which is an fps movement
system, requires considderably more concentration, mental mapping etc to
play, an d a 3D game would likely require more still. Does this mean such
games shouldn't be made? heck no, I've had a lot of fun from such games over
the years, however, thinking about pure exploration which is one of the
major things I enjoy in a game like Turrican, it considderably helps if your
first concern is not whether your facing the right way or can remember all
the keys, or use the object navigator to wander around, but simply what is
around the next corner, in the next chamber etc. That is it for me with
Turrican, my central thought is the exploration, not navigating the game.
I think this would be one advantage of 2D games, if properly designed even
in audio. Since the navigation system is! simpler, there is an immediacy
that makes the exploration the formost thing, rather the same way there is
in a text adventure game (which likely also explains why I've been having so
much fun with Eamon deluxe recently), where as even in the best designed
first person game, there is a level of concentration and engagement required
from the player that gets in the way if you like.
it's rather like instruments. I've always said myself I enjoy singing more
than playing any instrument, since in singing you are! the instrument, and
all the physical feedback of what your doing, the consciousness of your
body's position, your muscles etc is immediately and obviously to hand.
There is nothing betwene! you and your technique. With other instruments
though, say a flute, you need to physically master the insturment, you don't
get that physical feedback or sensation, and your technique needs to be in
balance with your pressing of the flute keys (this was in fact why i
switched from being a wind player to being a singer). With a violin, things
are even harder, since you are at second remove from the instrument and
aren't even pressing keys, your using a bow to interact, meaning that
connectivity is even harder to achieve.
For a sighted person of course, none of this applies, since a sighted person
has immediate and uncomplicated access to all in game information thanks to
top down perception. They do not see! something and think "is that an enemy?
a power up, or what?" they simply see it and instantly identify it, same
with the space around them, and this applies equally to any game.
This isn't to say of course that games which require more complex work or
engagement aren't a good idea, afterall, racing and vehicle sim games have
a very similar catagory and learning curve, (even for sighted players given
the inequity in controls), and can be lots of fun, and I've certainly had
fun with the more complex audio games myself, only to note one distinct
advantage that 2d games in audio, even ones with sufficiently explorable
maps might have over 3d, an obvious and instant engagement to the player,
letting the player focus more completely on the game and the exploration of
it's world, than in interpreting the environment to which they have limited
audio access.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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