After a month of experiencing burnout to increasing levels of smoldering ash, I finally caved. I have played video games. My first sip of water was Picross 3D round 2. I love it as I knew I would. The 3d models look like Playmobil dioramas. They are very sweet. My main gripe is that it’s too easy for me to accidentally pick blue paint when I meant to pick orange. My other gripe is that it is all consuming and I cannot put it down once I start.
I’m also starting to dabble in the Gameboy library. I love how the first few releases are so simple. Even one of the more complicated games from its first year, Final Fantasy Legend, still seems to have very rudimentary numbers. It’s opaque without being fussy. I’m looking forward to playing it more.
Here’s a couple more that I liked:
Revenge of the Gator - A HAL Laboratory joint. The boards are nice and dense with switches, safety levers, and bumpers. The bottom board is devious. So many of the angles you hit with the flippers will flip your ball straight into gutters or the hole. Choosing an alligator theme for this sewer-green screen must have been divine inspiration.
Motocross Maniacs - This just feels fun to maneuver around. There was so much that I was missing until I read a manual. If you flip in certain spots, you can gain the ability to boost midair and basically fly around the course. In other spots, you find mini-bikers who follow you around. Cool and quaint.
Heiankyo Alien - This is a remake of a 70’s arcade game. It rules. I love the way it looks when you are devoured by the aliens.
Bases Loaded - The computer pitcher consistently throws three balls before sending them down the middle. Fielding feels just right. The soundtrack mimics a stadium’s sporadic musical cues. It’s delightful.
Penguin Wars - You can play as a cow. No notes.