<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Preserving Games &#187; playability</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/tag/playability/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.ibiblio.org/winget</link>
	<description>Archiving the Creation Processes of the Video Game Industry</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:06:17 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
			<item>
		<title>Not-So-Sensible World of Soccer</title>
		<link>http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/2009/02/not-so-sensible-world-of-soccer/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/2009/02/not-so-sensible-world-of-soccer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:43:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Emulation and Vintage Gameplay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[complexity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[playability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[videogame]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/?p=110</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My experiences playing Warcraft reminded me of a time when games were simpler, and I enjoyed reliving those memories.  Sensible World of Soccer, on the other hand, reminded me that, when it comes to sports games, added complexity is a necessity that is sometimes taken for granted by younger players like myself.  To get right [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My experiences playing Warcraft reminded me of a time when games were simpler, and I enjoyed reliving those memories.  <a href="http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/910/Sensible+World+of+Soccer.html">Sensible World of Soccer</a>, on the other hand, reminded me that, when it comes to sports games, added complexity is a necessity that is sometimes taken for granted by younger players like myself.  To get right to the point, I find SWoS to be almost unplayable.</p>
<p>But before I address how the gameplay in sports games has, thankfully, advanced over the years, I will note that my issues with SWoS began with the speed of the game itself.  When I began playing the game on DOSBox (see previous posts for information on how to obtain and use DOSBox), the little soccer players were zooming around the screen.  Before I could hit escape and catch my breath, it seemed that five goals had already been scored against my team.  No matter much I tried to slow the game&#8217;s movement through DOSBox&#8217;s options menu, the game never seemed to calm down.  Filled with frustration, I downloaded the recent re-release of the game from XBOX 360&#8217;s online marketplace.  To my surprise, though the game was slowed considerably, it was still blazing at a speed entirely incompatible with the actual game of soccer.  Can this really be the default speed?</p>
<p>This was the first of many complaints about the ways in which SWoS presents the game of soccer to video game players.  Soccer is known throughout the world as the &#8220;beautiful game,&#8221; due to the grace and intricacy required to truly compete in the sport.  Soccer is not the kind of hyperkinetic sport that basketball is, or that SWoS would have you believe soccer is.  It is more like an athletic chess match; players are constantly scanning the field, looking for their best option before making a move.  The speed of SWoS makes this kind of thought and strategy impossible, robbing the sport of its great uniqueness.  In modern soccer video games like EA Sports&#8217;s FIFA series, the game allows the player to take his time; indeed, acting or moving too quickly will likely result in defeat.  This is the pace that a soccer video game demands, the pace of the sport itself.</p>
<p>Another glaring issue is the one-button control scheme.  You use the same button to pass the ball and to shoot the ball.  This requires you to use your movement buttons to both move your player and to guide the ball so that, when you press the &#8220;kick ball&#8221; button, the ball is sent toward a teammate for a pass or toward the goal for a shot attempt.  There is not enough room here to elaborate on how incompatible this button scheme is to soccer movement and strategy, but I can simply say that soccer players often find themselves running in one direction and kicking the ball in another direction.  A player running towards the goal may have an open teammate to his left; good luck trying to kick the ball to your left while continuing to move play forward in SWoS.  In modern games, the player is given a shoot button, a normal pass button, a lob/cross pass button, and a through pass button, and all of them are necessary if the player really wishes to recreate the sport itself.  Considering these options in addition to the advanced buttons that a player can now use in modern games to turn a normal shot into a chip shot or an exceptionally powerful line drive, one recognizes how important the new complexities of modern soccer games are.  These control options are not simply added in for innovation&#8217;s sake; they are, in fact, finally allowing the soccer video game to be what it ought to be.</p>
<p>Obviously, I am not suggesting that SWoS was a failed attempt in its time.  I imagine, in the mid-1990s, that soccer fans were happy for any soccer video game they could find, and SWoS certainly broke some important ground that continues to benefit soccer gamers today, most importantly the incredible depth of its leagues, player rosters and career modes.  The <a href="http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/swos/manual3.htm">manual</a> for the game claims to have &#8220;practically every professional team, league, and cup competition in the world,&#8221; and after perusing the team select menus, I am inclined to agree.  Also, the game not only features 26,000+ real life players but also includes &#8220;accurate personal statistics,&#8221; so the better players in real life will perform better in the game.  These inclusions provided SWoS with an off-the-field depth that was ahead of its time and set a high standard for games to come.  Not to mention that the game now serves as a delightful history lesson; for someone like myself who only recently became a fan of world soccer, it is quite interesting to see who was playing for all the teams I know and who were the best players in the mid-1990s.</p>
<p>With that said, I could not wait to turn SWoS off and return to my beloved FIFA &#8216;08.  I have come to expect from soccer video games the ability to guide the players that I know and love via advanced control schemes at a thoughtful and strategic pace, and it is astonishing to see what gamers had to settle for just over a decade ago.  Many of the classic video games that have been deemed important and influential have aged well, continuing to be enjoyable and entertaining to new players even as the graphics increasingly show the game&#8217;s age.  However, SWoS, I would argue, will be better served in my generation by remembering than by replaying.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/2009/02/not-so-sensible-world-of-soccer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Playing Mario on a Keyboard</title>
		<link>http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/2009/02/playing-mario-on-a-keyboard/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/2009/02/playing-mario-on-a-keyboard/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:58:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TimA</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Emulation and Vintage Gameplay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[playability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[videogame]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/?p=99</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Twenty three years after Super Mario Brothers was released in the United States, emulated versions of the game are available for download on numerous websites.  Playing Mario on a keyboard,  however, is not the most intuitive way to play the game.  As the actual Nintendo Entertainment Systems can not be preserved indefinitely, how does one [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Twenty three years after Super Mario Brothers was released in the United States, emulated versions of the game are available for download on numerous websites.  Playing Mario on a keyboard,  however, is not the most intuitive way to play the game.  As the actual Nintendo Entertainment Systems can not be preserved indefinitely, how does one capture the essence of Mario gameplay while playing an emulated version of the game?  There are a couple of ways that this can be done.</p>
<p>The people at <a href="http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=21&amp;osCsid=180ead6bd9b4ba07f6a64fba626074a5">RetroUSB</a> take actual NES and SNES controllers and reconfigure them with USB cords so that they can be plugged into a USBport.  As the website states, the controllers that they use are not replicas, but real controllers from the aforementioned systems.  For $35, you can have essentially the same gameplay experience that you did 23 years ago.</p>
<p>The possibility of acquiring these USB controllers is , of course, dependent upon the continued existence of RetroUSB.com.  While it is possible that replicas of the NES controllers may be produced for the foreseeable future, there is another way to simulate gameplay using a standard keyboard that comes relatively close to the actual thing.</p>
<p>The best way to understand what I&#8217;ll be getting at is to walk through this yourself.  There are probably hundreds of emulated versions of Super Mario Brothers, but I&#8217;ve found that a reliable (and free) emulated version can be played by using <a href="http://nestopia.sourceforge.net/">Nestopia</a>.  This NES console emulator can be used to play all of the games (and there are a lot) that are availalbe for download in &#8216;the Vault&#8217; at  <a href="http://vimm.net/">Vimm&#8217;s Lair</a>.  Click on the link for the &#8216;the Vault,&#8217; then the link for &#8216;Nintendo,&#8217; then the letter &#8216;S&#8217; and then scroll down and select &#8216;Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt.&#8217;  After the game is downloaded, open the Nestopia executable file, use it to open Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt and voila!  Take a moment to revel in nostalgia.</p>
<p>Now open the &#8216;Options&#8217; menu and then &#8216;input.&#8217;  You&#8217;ll see that Nestopia wants you to use the directional buttons to control the motion of your character (makes sense) and the comma &#8216;,&#8217; and period &#8216;.&#8217; for the &#8216;A&#8217; and &#8216;B&#8217; buttons on the Nintendo game controller.  Try playing Mario using these controls.  You&#8217;ll notice that you are using five fingers to play the game: three fingers on your right hand for the directional buttons and two on your left hand to control the A and B functions.  I suppose that with time one could become accustomed to playing Mario this way, but it certainly feels awkward and I would argue that you&#8217;re not really capturing the &#8216;essence&#8217; of Mario gameplay.</p>
<p>Now, I have to give credit where it&#8217;s due so I will give a shout-out to Brandon Schoech for showing me this, but you can reconfigure the keys that you use on your keyboard so that you can play Mario using your thumbs the way that you would on an NES controller.  Open the &#8216;options&#8217; and &#8216;input&#8217; menus and then in the third column select &#8217;set all.&#8217;  For the left directional button select the letter &#8216;a,&#8217; for up select &#8216;w,&#8217; for right select &#8217;s,&#8217; and for down select &#8216;z.&#8217;  For the &#8216;B&#8217; functions select the period &#8216;.&#8217; and for &#8216;A&#8217; the slash &#8216;/.&#8217;  You can leave the settings for &#8216;Start&#8217; and &#8216;Select&#8217; as they are, or change them as you see fit, since you won&#8217;t use them as much.  Now you can postion your thumbs on either side of the keyboard and the effect is remarkably similar to that of using the NES controller.  One key aspect of this configuration is that you can use your right thumb to hit the &#8216;A&#8217; and &#8216;B&#8217; controls simultaneously, which is especially important in Mario as (if you&#8217;re like me) you will want to hold down the &#8216;B&#8217; button indefinitely so that Mario will run through the entire game, but still be able to hit the &#8216;A&#8217; button to throw turtle shells and shoot fiery spitballs.  This key configuration also takes a little getting used to, but it takes less time than the default setting and is certainly more true to the actual Mario gameplay.  Incidentally, I haven&#8217;t played Mario in something like eighteen years, but with the two-thumb key controls, I&#8217;ve managed to make it to the end of the fifth level.  I feel like that&#8217;s not too shabby.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.ibiblio.org/winget/2009/02/playing-mario-on-a-keyboard/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

