on a PC with VGA, I had a whale of a time with a similar broderbund game called Lode Runner. What I liked about LR was that you could very easily design your own levels with the level editor that came with it. Loved that! For graphics, maybe a 5, but for fun game play, it was a 10!
Nice playthrough. I think I made it to Level 7 once when I was a kid. Do you think you would be able to beat this game with the default number of lives?
Probably, with some effort, but it would basically just require playing it over and over until I had a good run with few enough mistakes that my lives lasted until the end. Taking the lives system out of the picture seems like it makes more sense for trying to record a full playthrough. If you watch some of the other Apple II games I covered in this series, you'll see me find other ways to circumvent it in games that are overly punishing, just so that I don't have to spend hours of my own time perfecting my gameplay to be able to record a full playthrough. There might have been a thought by the game designer back then that a limited lives system was a good thing, and helped the game last longer. I know when I was playing stuff like this at 5 years old or so, later levels that I'd almost never be able to see in a game carried a lot of mysticism. I'd have some vague memory of seeing a sibling get further into the game than I was ever able to, but did I really see it, or did I just have a dream about it or something? Before I had the proper context to understand how things worked, that was a really magical experience. This wouldn't have happened without limited lives. These days, my expectations are completely different. ...boy, this really got me thinking about some stuff. I didn't mean to be so long-winded, but game design is fascinating, and I like to talk about it! This topic is reminding of a particularly excellent talk by the author of Frog Fractions. Well worth a watch if you have a moment: vimeo.com/91436410
Not long-winded at all. I enjoy hearing about someone else's experience with games that our generation grew up with. A lot of my friends didn't play (at least as much as I did) so hearing what others experienced helps trigger my memories. 80s was all about limited lives. I remember really having to the crap out of Miner just to get to that level 7 maybe once or twice but, as you pointed out, there was always that mystery of what's beyond. In addition, once I got to that level 7 (or the furthest level in any other game), I was so nervous b/c it was all so new that I would play like garbage. Game design is fascinating. A couple months back, I was looking further into ghosts AI in ms pac man and AI behaviour in Robotron since those are 2 classic games that I would love to do better at. Simply fascinating how game designers created a challenging world that fits inside one simple arcade cabinet. I always loved a design that was easy to pick up and play but increasingly difficult the more you wanted to perfect the play. I will check that video out soon. Thanks for the recommendation and I will definitely be viewing your other vids.
I never made it past level 6 as a kid. It was cathartic to finally see what else lied in store. Thank you!
on a PC with VGA, I had a whale of a time with a similar broderbund game called Lode Runner. What I liked about LR was that you could very easily design your own levels with the level editor that came with it. Loved that! For graphics, maybe a 5, but for fun game play, it was a 10!
I had this one for my Apple 2. Great play through, I could never get past level 5
"Danger Radioactive" meant to say "seizure warning" :)
"Got the apple, too!" Heh.
Got the Apple too, see? ;)
Nice playthrough. I think I made it to Level 7 once when I was a kid. Do you think you would be able to beat this game with the default number of lives?
Probably, with some effort, but it would basically just require playing it over and over until I had a good run with few enough mistakes that my lives lasted until the end. Taking the lives system out of the picture seems like it makes more sense for trying to record a full playthrough. If you watch some of the other Apple II games I covered in this series, you'll see me find other ways to circumvent it in games that are overly punishing, just so that I don't have to spend hours of my own time perfecting my gameplay to be able to record a full playthrough.
There might have been a thought by the game designer back then that a limited lives system was a good thing, and helped the game last longer. I know when I was playing stuff like this at 5 years old or so, later levels that I'd almost never be able to see in a game carried a lot of mysticism. I'd have some vague memory of seeing a sibling get further into the game than I was ever able to, but did I really see it, or did I just have a dream about it or something? Before I had the proper context to understand how things worked, that was a really magical experience. This wouldn't have happened without limited lives. These days, my expectations are completely different.
...boy, this really got me thinking about some stuff. I didn't mean to be so long-winded, but game design is fascinating, and I like to talk about it! This topic is reminding of a particularly excellent talk by the author of Frog Fractions. Well worth a watch if you have a moment: vimeo.com/91436410
Not long-winded at all. I enjoy hearing about someone else's experience with games that our generation grew up with. A lot of my friends didn't play (at least as much as I did) so hearing what others experienced helps trigger my memories. 80s was all about limited lives. I remember really having to the crap out of Miner just to get to that level 7 maybe once or twice but, as you pointed out, there was always that mystery of what's beyond. In addition, once I got to that level 7 (or the furthest level in any other game), I was so nervous b/c it was all so new that I would play like garbage.
Game design is fascinating. A couple months back, I was looking further into ghosts AI in ms pac man and AI behaviour in Robotron since those are 2 classic games that I would love to do better at. Simply fascinating how game designers created a challenging world that fits inside one simple arcade cabinet. I always loved a design that was easy to pick up and play but increasingly difficult the more you wanted to perfect the play. I will check that video out soon. Thanks for the recommendation and I will definitely be viewing your other vids.
Never got past 04 as a kid lol
@ 21:19, do not play if epileptic! 🤯