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From: cseaman@sequent.UUCP (Chris "The Bartman" Seaman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: What makes arcade games fun?
Message-ID: <48913@sequent.UUCP>
Date: 18 Dec 90 18:11:54 GMT
References: <5086.27635370@cc.curtin.edu.au> <1990Dec16.035208.8126@csn.org>
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Beaverton, OR
Lines: 40

judd@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Stephen Judd) writes:
< I find your choice of supporting examples quite interesting.  Namely,
< what is fun about Turrican?  I've played the demo a couple of times - you
< run... jump... shoot... wow.  The excitement and originality of it ceases to
< amaze me.  Yet, many people have raved about it in csa.  I had attributed
< this to it's smooth scrolling and decent graphics, but your posting seems
< to imply the opposite.  So, in all honesty, I want to know: What is fun about
< Turrican (and "arcade" games in general, for that matter)?

This is a very good question.  Demos of 'arcade style' games can do very
little beyond providing a sample of the music/sound effects/graphics/game
mechanic.  They don't (and probably can't) generate much excitement about
winning the game.

What makes arcade games fun (at least to me) are the surprises you find
waiting around the next corner, and the challenge of surviving to see
them.  I too played the Turrican demo, and was duly impressed by the
graphics and music, but probably would not have gotten around to buying
it for myself.  A friend, however, did buy it for me as a gift, and I
am glad he did.  I've spent probably 15-20 hours playing this game, and
it is immensely enjoyable.  There are challenges, hidden surprises, and
areas to explore in every corner of every level.  There are more 1-UPs
hidden in this game than I have ever found in any other.  I would guess
that whatever it is that makes this game popular is the same thing that
make the Super Mario series popular in the Nintendo world (though my
son, an avid Nintendo fan, considers Turrican a quantum leap over Super
Mario 3).

BTW, for all you Turricanners (?) out there, I am stuck on level 4-2.
I reached this level with 21 lives, 6 continues, and a large supply
of weapons, but I can't find the exit!  Any help would be welcome.

Regards,
Chris

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