When I think back on the times that define my life as a gamer, the moments that stick out to me typically involve other people. Sure there are those fantastic single player experiences like Mario 64 or Final Fantasy VII that will always stand out in my mind, but something about playing a game together with others seems particularly memorable.
To be honest, I think this love affair for me with multiplayer began in the days of the Nintendo 64, the first system that brought that LAN party feel to the console realm. I remember after school, several of us would play through 4 player titles like Goldeneye, Conkers and Wrestlemania 2000 for hours on end. We’d make characters, perfect taunts, and listen to the Bond theme play endlessley while my brother mowed us down with the RPC 90.
A lot of debate has generated over the last few years about what makes the perfect gaming console controller. While many swear by dual analog sticks over something like say, the Wii-mote, it’s hard to ignore how overly complicated and cumbersome some controls have become.
If you’re unaware the upcoming PS3 game Heavy Rain, by Quantic Dreams, you should familiarize yourself with it. From the makers of Indigo Prophecy, it is an incredibly cinematic game that lets the character play it almost like an interactive movie, and from the looks of it, is going to be something special.
Back in the days of gaming glory, the 8 and 16-bit eras, we gamers didn’t have a whole lot of options when it came to saving games. Games were systematic and based on rote memorization, muscle memory, trial-and-error and the like.