1. 1. Matthew Mathis Game History 09/06/2013 http://www.dipity.com/ZeroFaction/My-Game-History/
2. 2. Why was this game important to you? This game was important to me because it helped me connect with friends and family. I was first introduced to Chess by my grandfather. He would get frustrated when I was first learning because I think he wanted somebody good to play with. I later found that my cousin knew the game and got better at it by playing against someone closer to my IQ. It helped me discover patience and strategy can be very entertaining even when there is nothing else going on. It also taught me to begin thinking ahead instead of always on the fly. Define the two main skills the game tried to teach. The game teaches resource management and risk assessment through its meticulous use of its pieces. Players must thing about the risk of moving to any specific spot on the board but they must also be aware of the risk posed by the opposing players pieces as well. Because you only have a limited among of pieces to play with, you must manage your resources effectively and make sacrifices sparingly. Resource Management: The ability to control separate sets of items. Risk Assessment: The ability to recognize the pros and cons of a motion. What game mechanics taught these skills? The movement of each piece forces players to make risk assessments during every move. Because pieces can only move in a specified manner it limits the options available to the player. This combines itself with resource management because the player only has limited pieces to play with, the most important resource being the king. But, even if the player has all of their pieces in play on the board, poor risk assessment and resource management could end up putting their king at risk, which could end the game. CHESS June 1993 10 years old
3. 3. Why was this game important to you? This game was important to me because it was the first board game I really connected with. I wanted to have fantasy adventures and this game allowed me to do that along with my friends. I got it as a Christmas present and I remember that our family was having some financial issues so it is the only thing I got that year. I still think it was one of the top 3 best presents I ever received and I still play it to this day. Define the two main skills the game tried to teach. This game taught many skills including risk assessment, resource management, projection of power, and pack mentality. But the two dominant skills were definitely exploration and communication due to the D&D-like mechanics of the game. Exploration:The ability to move about an area with the purpose of learning it. Communication:The ability to share ideas and thoughts with others. What game mechanics taught these skills? Exploration was taught through the use of hidden treasure and the specific mechanics of turn use. A character could either perform an action and then move, or move and then perform an action (like searching or fighting). The game contained hidden secrets that were only discoverable through exploration and searching. Communication was taught by situations that required teamwork to overcome. Players needed to discuss options before a move could take place. Sometimes a certain character was required to perform a certain action. Players would need to organize their use of turns to make that action happen. It could also be important to defeat a strong opponent by organizing attacks. Communication was important because once the DMs (dungeon masters) turn came around, there was a very possible risk of losing the game. December 1995 12 years old
4. 4. Why was this game important to you? This game is the one that kick-started my passion for racing games. I remember how amazing the graphics and the realism was for me at the time. It was the first game I had played that used nitrous and had fuel gauges. Those two concepts really captivated me. Define the two main skills the game tried to teach. The two main skills this game tried to teach were chasing and projection of power. The game made sure that a player could not be in first place at the beginning of a race. It forces players to chase first place. Chasing: The ability to follow a target to catch it. Projection of Power: The ability to press upon a target the hunters superiority. What game mechanics taught these skills? This game taught chasing by never letting the player start in an advantageous situation. You could never get in 1st place at the start of a race. So the player was always chasing 1st place. One of the game mechanics was that the pack always left the players car in the dust at the beginning of a race. Projection of power was taught by the mechanic of nitrous and lap time. Nitrous allowed a player to either catch up to an opponent quickly (if they didnt crash while using it) or leave an opponent in the dust if they were already in the lead. Lap times also displayed power by showing your opponents what you are capable of in terms of speed. Top GearTitleTheme September 1992 9 years old
5. 5. Why was this game important to you? I had played Legend of Zelda far before ever getting my hands on Chrystalis. But, Chrystalis was not the typical Zelda knockoff. It had a massive explore able world and the story was very appealing to me. I remember I borrowed the game from a friend during summer break and I really didnt want to give it back. The enjoyment of getting the best sword in Chrystalis (I dont remember the name) was something I will never forget; I was so excited about an in game item for the first time ever. Define the two main skills the game tried to teach. This game had a strong emphasis on resource management and exploration. Players needed to manage their inventory carefully and alter it for differing situations. They also had to be aware of the area of the map they were in based on their level otherwise they could find themselves in a lot of trouble. Resource Management: The ability to control separate sets of items. Exploration: The ability to move about an area with the purpose of learning it. July 1992 9 years old What game mechanics taught these skills? The game taught exploration by utilizing a mechanic that prevented a player from going to areas too high for them. It made killing enemies far above their level impossible, which forced the player to go searching for what they may have missed. Players also needed certain items to progress, so searching for the items was a critical part of the game. It taught resource management through a system that allowed the character to charge up their sword to release powerful magical attacks. They also needed to choose the right sword for the right situation. The Hero Awakens
6. 6. Why was this game important to you? Oh my, I remember Earthbound. This game was important to me because it was the first game I played that I felt really gave me a challenge and had a decent storyline. I loved the graphics, I loved the characters, and I remember being fascinated by the enemies and how difficult even beginning enemies could be and how the game world felt like it was really alive. This game solidified my passion for RPGs. I dont think it was the one and only game that made me enjoy the genre but it is always the first one that pops up when somebody asks me What is your favorite RPG?. Define the two main skills the game tried to teach. EarthboundTitleTheme September 1995 12 years old This game tried to teach Arithmetic, Exploration, Memorization, and Collection. The main focus was on Exploration and Memorization. Players really needed to pay attention to what the NPCs said in the game, otherwise they would very likely end up lost and confused. The world was vast as well and exploring it was a requirement to find every little thing needed to progress. Exploration:The ability to move about an area with the purpose of learning it. Memorization:The ability to recall items that cannot be easily referenced. What game mechanics taught these skills? Items required for progression were hidden throughout the game. Often it required the player to remember a conversation that took place previously in the game and return to that person, with a vague reference, to complete that task needed to proceed. These two mechanics were combined in this game. Exploration would lead to discovery, which would lead to a task that required you to remember something in the past and explore again to find it. Characters were often not were they were the first time you spoke to them in the game, adding to the memorization and exploration part of the game. You needed to remember where they said they were going and find them.
7. 7. Title Twilight Man. (2010). X7 zeroslash. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:X7_zeroslash.jpg Chess Gold and Silver Chess. (2012). [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2012/07/troy-open-chess-tournament.html HeroQuest Milton Bradley. (1990) HeroQuest Logo. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.members.shaw.ca/shanda/HQ.html Sikamikanico. (2010). Hero Quest. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.coolminiornot.com/247447 Top Gear Leitch, Barry. Masuno, Hiroyuki. (1992). Title Theme. [Recorded by Kemco]. On Top Gear [Super Nintendo Game Cartridge]. Miko, Steve. (2006). Top Gear Front Cover. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/top-gear/cover- art/gameCoverId,56752/ Ryu, Evil. (2005). If the Computer (or one of 2 Players) goes to the Pits, put a Nitro to increase the distance between both!. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/top-gear/screenshots/gameShotId,114584/ Ryu, Evil. (2005). Title Screen. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/top-gear/screenshots/gameShotId,112963/ Crystalis Nathaniel. (2012). Wind Attack. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.exfanding.com/2012/10/a-proper-crystalis-celebration.html Osaka, Yoko. (1990). The Hero Awakens. On Crystalis [Nintendo Game Cartridge]. Oyn. (2004). Front Cover. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/crystalis/cover-art/gameCoverId,33970/ WildKard. (2003). Title Screen. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/crystalis/screenshots/gameShotId,54497/ WildKard. (2003). Emerging from a Cryogenic Chamberour Hero. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/crystalis/screenshots/gameShotId,54500/ EarthBound Slide Johnson, Jeff. (2013). EarthBound Logo. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://gamentrain.com/earthbound-available-for-the-wii-u- today/#.UipjpVXn9hE Suzuki, Keiichi. Tanaka, Hirokazu. (1995). Title Theme. [Recorded by Hirokazu Tanaka]. On EarthBound [Super Nintendo Game Cartridge]. The first and second phases of the final boss fight. (N.D.). [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.eteksciki.info/videos/giygas Yid Yang. (2005). Visiting the City. [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/earthbound/screenshots/gameShotId,117727/ Resources