Vixen (Amiga)

Developer:

Intelligent Design

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Release Date:

1988

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Systems:

C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Amiga, DOS

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This week on Super Adventures I'm writing about another obscure Amiga platformer. And I'm going to keep on doing it until you're all suitably grateful for the modern games we have now.

This one's called Vixen, unless you're in Germany, then it's known as She-Fox instead. According to Wikipedia, the reason for the change is that in German "vixen" is pronounced like wichsen, an obscene word meaning "to jerk off", and judging by the title screen I guess was a little too on the nose for them. Surely there's an actual German word for 'female fox' they could've used though?

Some people took issue with the game's cover as well due to the fact it has dancer and tabloid 'Page 3' model Corinne Russell wearing a skimpy leopard-skin bikini on it. The publisher apparently had to reissue the game with 'a less provocative cover'. Then Your Sinclair magazine went and put her on its cover and they got complaints as well. I'd show you a picture of it, but it's the same image as the title screen, except without the flesh-coloured hair and painted on clothes.

This was all happening in 1988 by the way, so the game's from the NES/Master System era, which I haven't visited in ages. It never came out for the consoles though, only home computers, and I'll be mostly playing the Amiga port. Not because I'm nostalgic for it exactly, but it is the version I remember playing as a kid... briefly.

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Ganpuru: Gunman's Proof (SNES)

Developer:

Lenar

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Release Date:

1997

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Systems:

SNES

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This week on Super Adventures I'm playing a game definitely absolutely did not ever get ported to the Commodore Amiga, for a change. In fact this one wasn't even released in English, though it did eventually get a fan translation.

I like fan translations, I think they're a fantastic idea and that everyone who's put their time and effort into making games accessible to more people for absolute zero financial reward is awesome. But I don't play fan translations on my site (it's one of the rules written in the box on the right), so I'm going to be struggling through the original Japanese version of the game for an hour or two. Well, unless it's got a lot of dialogue in it, then I'll be struggling a lot longer than that.

The katakana in the title says Ganpuru, so some people call it Gunple and others say it's probably a compound word formed from 'gunman' and 'proof' (like how Pokémon comes from the words 'pocket' and 'monsters'). Man, if the very first word in the game's giving me this much trouble then that's not a good sign. Google Translate tells me that my two choices beneath it are “From the beginning” and “From the rest”, so at least I don't have an options screen to interpret.

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One game design exercise to rethink the past while looking at the present

This semester, I’d like to propose my students one interesting exercise from the book “The ultimate guide to video game writing and design”. Though I’ve made some modifications, the main idea is to recreate a modern game in an old fashioned way.

Some steps are necessary for this mission:

1) Choose one game from the last generation of consoles (Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch) and mobile devices (Android and iOS). The more complex, the better.
2) Try to imagine and recreate the game for the Atari platform (keep the essence of the narrative and few elements from the mechanics).
3) Using samples and print screens from Atari’s games, build a few simple interfaces for the game. This will be a big challenge. In some way, the interface must resemble some core visual elements.
4) Create a prototype for the cartridge cover.

Below, is one example that I created for this post using the game THE LAST OF US.


I tried to maintain the shooting mechanics with stealth. Characters must use the stairs simultaneously to reach the other side of the screen. In a minimalist way, I tried to keep the essence of the "clickers" enemies. Interface is very simple with stamina and ammunition.


The new game's cover is an homage to a very similar story - the movie LOGAN.

To the check the main idea from THE LAST OF US, watch the trailer below:



Many people are creating modern-retro-art for Atari games, you can check out some interesting examples in this link.

#GoGamers

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Reference:

DILLE, Flint; PLATTEN, John Zuur. The ultimate guide to video game writing and design. New York: Skip Press, 2007

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Teenagent (MS-DOS)

Developer:

Metropolis Software House

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Release Date:

1995

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Systems:

DOS, Amiga

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This month on Super Adventures I'm playing another point and click adventure game! But this time there's a twist: I have absolutely zero idea what this is. All I know is that GOG.com gave it to me for free when I signed up and the graphics looked a bit amateurish in the screenshots.

One thing I'm sure of though is that it's got nothing to do with the 1991 Teen Agent movie (called If Looks Could Kill in the US). This is Teenagent, one word; totally different thing. I'm guessing that it's probably a play on the word 'teenager'. It might also be a play on the word 'newsagent' but I'm kinda hoping it isn't as I'd rather jet around the world immersing myself in international intrigue than sell crisps. In fact I'd better check Wikipedia to make sure...

...oh that's interesting, it turns out that Teenagent was the first Polish game to be released on CD, though it seems GOG's given me the floppy disk version without the voice acting because those voices were all in Polish. I'm not considering that to be a problem. Plus it's running through ScummVM, but that's not a problem for me either.

Wikipedia also tells me that developer Metropolis Software isn't quite as obscure as I thought, as they made games like Gorky 17 and Infernal. In fact it was one of the longest operating game development studios in Poland before getting bought by CD Projekt in 2008 and shut down in 2009. Another fun fact: it was founded by opinionated video games bloke Adrian Chmielarz, who did programming and writing for Teenagent, before going off to make Painkiller and Bulletstorm for his new company People Can Fly, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter for his newer company The Astronauts. So that's interesting.

Okay I'm going to take screenshots of the first hour or so and write words under them now.
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Tips In Choosing A Rodent As A Pet

There are some rodents that can be chosen for pets like gerbils, rats, hamsters and guinea pigs that provide a wide choice in pets. While these are small in size, children can hold and feel the too. These can be put in any corner of the house and they do not need any high maintenance also. If you take good care of them, you will avoid problems created by their biting and chewing that they do when disturbed. Being energetic at nights, you will have to be sure as at that time your kid will be asleep.

Hamsters are rodents which have been domesticated and which are common to the Middle East and the western parts of Europe. These types of animals are easy to have in captivity and are usually treated as household pets or as laboratory specimens.

Hamsters as pets can be kept in commercial cages or terrariums. Homemade dwellings are also options for keeping hamsters. If commercial cages are considered as an option the advantages would be that cages are portable enough to be transferred from place to place. Its bars can be used by the hamsters for exercise purposes since these mammals are fond of climbing obstacles and so. An ideal floor space for these active rodents would be at least two square feet and high tops to encourage climbing activities.

Some pets can be complicated to keep and hence we require the help of the collectors to explain all about them and how to take care of them once they are delivered to our homes. To the amazement of many people, there are rats that are kept at home as pets, but it needs a lot of carefulness when choosing the right variety so that you can learn how to handle them.

A thorough research is good so that you can understand everything to do with rat types, so that when you get to the market you will not have a hard time purchasing the pet you want.

The Color
Pet rat types are distinguished by the color of their fur, although some of them are discriminated due to their dark pigmentation that resembles that of the wild rats. They however have remarkable shades of eye color that make them cute little animals.

How to Tell the Pet Rats Apart
Breeders or attendants at the pet rat stores grade the breeds according to their markings. Grading is based on specific principles. The gradation can be whole white body, patches of white on different areas or white that fades into different colors on areas around the eyes, nose, ears and feet. The markings are done on pet rat types that have been put in a contest to check if the breeder has adhered to all the norms that regard pet rat breeding.

Breed Selection
The act of selection of the breed depends on the reason for the grading. The first one may be for competition purposes where the best rat will be selected after meeting all or most of the requirements. If your reason for selection is purely for keeping the rats as pets, then you can take any breed that attracts you and is easy to maintain.

Guinea pigs likes to be alone in the day since most of them are inactive during daytime but still can survive for as long as they are with another guinea pig companion. Guinea pigs can survive in both indoors and outdoors for as long as you keep them in cages with several rooms. Unlike other pet rodents, guinea pigs require more sensitive care. Also, the materials used in caring guinea pigs are quite expensive. But, they can live more years compared to other pet rodents. 

What makes guinea pigs popular among all rodents today is that they have a unique character that every pet owner will enjoy. They are also sweet, require care less often, attractive and they often come in variety of colors. They are sociable and playful also that is why it is best if they will come in pair if you plan on taming this rodent. 

Choosing a pet can be tough for many reasons. Even though you're excited, take the time to consider all the details that will make this a positive experience for all. Don't make a quick decision that may prove to be costly or a huge waste of time and energy. 

Be sure to take the time to consider all viable options, and consider both the costs and the consequences of the action. If you know what you're getting into and you're ready for it, your pet will bring joy and companionship to your family for years.

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Ernest Adams - Agency vs Story

Visit http://www.criticalpathproject.com to search through interviews with over 100 of the videogame industry’s most influential designers and visionaries.

#GoGamers

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