This part of my blog will house my research. Video reviews regarding the development of my own game through the use of others already released in the industry. I will more so be reflecting upon ease of use, functionality and style in regards to the applications. Furthermore I will be considering aspects that stereotypically relate to “well-made” games. How easy are they to use, how fun are they and finally how original is the narrative and play style. I must keep all of these principles in mind while I review and furthermore in the making of my own game. These videos are all filmed by me however the games are not mine, The games are named at the beginning of every video and are by no circumstances my own. The narration and review of every game is done by me however.
Video one: OMG!
KEY ASPECTS: Visual stylization complementing the game’s structure, simple interface and easy to use. “Field of depth” controller utilized well and comments on a horizontal viewpoint.
This research/review is of OMG! Pirates created by Mikamobile.
Video two: Zombieville
KEY ASPECTS: Simple visuals work well with the games structure. Interface nicely laid out and easy to use, resulting in fun and simple controls. Good use of music and again the horizontal viewpoint helps to create the games laid back feel through ease of use.
This research/review is of Zombieville created by Mikamobile.
Video three: CrystalDefenders
KEY ASPECTS: Simple controls lead to surprisingly deep gameplay. Great music throughout, simple scrolling interface creates smooth transition between gameplay and menu. Comments on an options screen.
This research/review is of Crystal Defenders created by Square Enix.
Video four: SwordandPoker
KEY ASPECTS: Once again good use of music, the concept of an “about” page to list credits, info, etc. The concept of creating something unique mentioned within, however slightly confusing controls could possibly annoy the user.
This research/review is of Sword and Poker created by Gaia.
Video five: Doodlejump
KEY ASPECTS: Vertical view integral to game design producing easy game-play controls, while furthermore adding to the experience and challenging nature of the game. Easy playing style and real time leader boards add to the games additive nature, concepts of “one-up-manship” and challenging people enforce’s this aspect. The game uses the Accelerometer as its main feature, for those unaware of what the Accelerometer is; it is a device for measuring acceleration relative to free-fall. Furthermore it detects magnitude and direction within a vector quantity, mostly all this means is that it senses orientation which is much the case in this game. This is also something I need to look into for my game.
This research/review is of Doodle Jump created by Lima Sky.
Video six: Zombie3D
KEY ASPECTS: The implementation of a well made shooting game is represented here; however although the style is clear, the visualization is not. What I mean by this is that the style while representing the game creates an unrealistic style for what appears to be a realistic shooter; in short the game wants to be taken serious while looks unrealistic. The functions work but at times could be considered confusing and the controls have the ability to look and appear buggy at times. Comments on the use of the cross hair and the aspect of 3d mapping make this a good example for my research.
This research/review is of Zombie 3D created by Be Free Or Die.
Video seven: FightingFantasy
KEY ASPECTS: Implementation of interactive narrative. The intro to the game is very cinematic with the use of great music and smooth animations. The game looks simple but implies seemingly deep gameplay through the use of a strong RPG element. The game offers an ability to customize with set options regarding type but more so within the aesthetic of the game, choice is very prominent here. The strong use of randomization with the players abilities helps to keep the game different every time. Finally nice animations between views however the music can seem slightly contrived at times, even annoying. As an interactive narrative this is a good example to look at in regards to my own game.
This research/review is of Fighting Fantasy created by Big Blue Bubble.
Video eight: CartoonWars
KEY ASPECTS: Comments on interface and easy user interaction. The application promotes deep gameplay while at the same time being easy to understand. Further comments on the aspect of controllers, more importantly the use of the pause button; what it adds and where it is placed in regards to the orientation of the game.
This research/review is of Cartoon Wars Gunner created by Blue G and C.
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