Indie Game: The Movie

A film that came out recently on a number of electronic mediums including Steam and the like that gave me an interesting perspective into the world of video game development was Indie Game: The Movie. This film, from Canadian directors Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky provides insight into the interesting world of video game development - namely indie games.
For those of you are unfamiliar with what exactly an "indie game" is, do not be alarmed for it is not a racial slur of any kind:) It is, in fact, a video game title whose artistic direction and vision are sole properties of a group of individuals (most often team sizes range from 1 to 5 members) that exclusively handle the  burdens of financing and developing their projects entirely on their own. A task that seems daunting at best.
The film highlights the creative exploits of three developers (Team Meat, Polytron, and Jonathan Blow) ( known for the games they have created (the titles being Super Meat Boy, Fez, and Braid respectively).
The film not only highlights the rises and falls of game development cycle but also provides insight into the lives that these game developers and their families lead. It provides a level of characterization not often seen inside the many hacks and saws common to popular titles such as Super Meat Boy.

A Mario-esque platformer in which you, a "skinless" boy
must  save your "bandaged" girlfriend from impending doom

A level of intimacy is heavily encouraged from the film's directors for the stress-intensive periods of time that indie game developers have to endure in light of deadlines and important dates that occur during any game's development. These aforementioned elements come together to make for an interesting take on what many consumers may not consider when ingesting the newest independent title released for the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) or the Playstation Network (PSN).

Furthermore, the film goes into a brief history of independent game development especially emphasizing the advent of modern-day digital download services such as the aforementioned XBLA and PSN whose purveyors (namely Microsoft and Sony respectively) have allowed for lower budget titles to receive their fair share of the spotlight in light of mega titles like the Call of Duty Franchise and Halo series alike.

Polytron's Fez's artistic style is rivalled by few

In addition, a portion of the film is devoted to allowing the viewer to become acquainted with these fantastic titles. From the wall-to-wall platforming of Super Meat Boy; to the cleverly designed three-dimensional opus that is Fez; to the time-reversing adventure gameplay of Braid, gamers will have a blast rolling through hours and hours of beautifully designed titles that come from a group of individual's combined artistic vision rather than corporate grunts whose vision is all too often skewed by the needs and desires of their owners. The former statement truly encompasses the scope of this film's focus specifically the trials, pain, and infrequent success of independently developed game titles that share not only the burden of their creator's time but, in addition, their artistic vision as well.

Until next time... so long.

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A Game that Would Send Demon Souls on a run for its Money

I stumbled upon a game the other day in one of those fits of boredom that drive you to sift through your begotten game collection in search of something... something that can quench your hunger for some form of entertainment and found myself staring at the logo for an SNES title by the name of Contra III: The Alien Wars. A difficult game to say the least, the title pits the player against well... aliens in the midst of their invasion - all in an effort to, of course, save the world. So, now that the game's opening cut scene has been explained please hear me out: THIS GAME IS NO WALK IN THE PARK!!!

Last boss from level one of Contra III: The Alien Wars

For those you who may read this and pick it up on the Wii's virtual console or Xbox Live Arcade I commend your bravery. For one, the game isn't hard to understand. It's actually quite easy to comprehend that once you gain control of the in-game character, you shoot everything that moves whilst picking up power ups and dodging all projectiles thrown your way. Truly, its a side-scrolling shooter that is simple in design. Yet, the terribly difficult part of the game is simply the degree to which the player is punished for failure. At the beginning of the game, the player is given 3 lives and 5 continues (credits) that, to an inexperienced player, will not be enough to get through the first level for their is no form of health whatsoever. From leaping out of the way of shots fired from every angle imaginable to consistently mashing down on the fire button in an effort to effectively end the lives of your enemies, the game has the player on the tips of their toes. A decent title overall, the game is a must play for hardcore gamers anywhere who are looking for a challenge. It is a testament to the great difficulty found in playing classic titles from a modern-day gaming heritage.
In addition, a game was recently released on the PSN that I found had a strange, almost uncanny resemblance to this classic title. The game I am referring to is Hard Corps: Uprising. A title that borrows greatly from the classic series and its earlier derivatives but incorporates a number of RPG elements that make for a title that almost justifies the many deaths that you, the player, are bound to experience. The heavily anime-inspired title has the main protagonist wielding a gun that is far beyond the capacity for any human being to carry while running through levels, shooting enemies that, at times, make it rather difficult to advance without taking damage.

Konami did it again, this time its Hard Corps!

 But that's an important addition: damage. A mechanic that Konami, the developers of Contra, thought to be too much for burgeoning young gamers to have at their disposal. Hard Corps (though the name implies a number of puns that will not be referred to in this post) is an excellent addition to any game library. The developers, Arc System Works, even with the addition of a lot of mechanics fundamental to modern-day gaming, have stayed true to the title's classic roots even going as far as including boss battles that require, in some cases, extremely repetitive sequences that involve a great degree of perseverance (that's right... perseverance). All in all, a great title.
If you're looking for a challenge, pick up either one or both!
And no, I was not payed by Konami or Arc System Works.

Until next time... so long.

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