Game Masters: The n00bs Perspective

Back in July, Dutch had the good fortune to visit the Game Masters expo at Melbourne's ACMI. Unfortunately he walked away disappointed however since I don't own around 60% of the games on display like he does, and I play about 99% less games than him I thought I might come away a little more content.

Nope.

I too walked away feeling somewhat empty; wanting more from what I had envisioned to be a great exhibit. For one it was quite small. If not for a friends quick words I almost inadvertently went to the toilet searching for the next gaming station.

Secondly, it was lacking. While this may be a generic, sweeping statement, the inability to take photos was disappointing especially when there is so much cool stuff on display - models, sketches, a wall of peripherals, a see-through Rock Band controller! I'd feel better about it if the catalogue showcased it all but it didn't.

The main problem was the number of games missing, including historic icons Tetris and Space Invaders. The curator may not have been able to track down a working original version or something but it was a thought shared vocally by a number of visitors during my time there.

But enough about the negatives and on with the positives. Walking into the exhibit to be welcomed by both Pacman and Donkey Kong arcade machines (among others) was amazing. I sucked hard at both but playing them in their original form gave me a new appreciation for them.

I also garnered a new appreciation for the Metal Gear series. When it was released on the Playstation back in 1998(ish) I was hooked. I spent way too many hours playing it. However when MGS 2 came out I wasn't won over at all. After seeing all the games together (including the blocky, green original) I've been inspired to give Metal Gear another chance - here's hoping for a success story.

While the 3D effects on Sonic: Generations molested my retinas, seeing a collection of work by Tim Schafer including original art and models made me feel better. His visual and comedic themes have always enthralled me. From Monkey Island to Day of the Tentacle and even Brutal Legend, his style is both infectious and unique.

A few steps to my left and the constant influx of school kids in my vicinity is usually an annoyance however this time it proved most entertaining as two (teenage) boys battled, quite uncoordinatedly, in a round of some Kinect dance game. It was like a train wreck - I couldn't look away no matter how horrible! Hats off to their public humiliation though. I would never have done that in front if my school class.

The way out featured more recent touch-based games on mobile and tv platforms, pointing the way to the future as we finish moving through the past.

Game Masters may not have met my expectations but I'm definitely glad to have gone. The playable history is like nothing I've ever experienced and being Friday it was only $10 entry (usually $15). Open until October 28, if you've got a spare hour or so and you're in town I suggest checking it out. If not, maybe hire out a retro collection or whip out Mario and live in the past once more.

Be warned though - the seagulls in Fed Square are vicious...

Images courtesy of Impulse Gamer and abc.com.au

Game Masters Review: Almost possible at home

The last few days have been rough: my first two days back at work after a calming, romantic and expensive week in Melbourne with the love of my life. I could write a post about every awesome breakfast, lunch and dinner I got my hands on, but I'll spare you the gory details (read: if you want the best Eggs Benedict on Earth, go to Riverland Bar near Federation Square). I'll instead write about something more relevant to this blog's themes, specifically: vidyagaemz.

I had the good fortune to attend the Game Masters Exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image last Thursday. Don't get me wrong, I walked away feeling somewhat disappointed, but there is something here for everyone. For me, it was the Donkey Kong cabinet in impeccable condition and full working order that I would've hogged for an entire day if not for the siren call of Little Bourke Street's culinary delights. For you, it could be anything: the Metal Gear Solid series juxtaposed to great effect, a drool-inducing display of pretty much any console released in Australia since the dawn of the medium, or even the Dance Central 2 arena where many people required napkins after being served with righteous, piping hot dance moves.

There is something for everyone, but not a great deal to take away. You can't even take photos AND I WANTED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF DEM BEAUTIFUL YOJI SHINKAWA (of Metal Gear fame) PRINTS!!!

For starters, I own about sixty percent of the games on show. Worse still, my TV screen is larger than most of the displays that these games were channeled to. I couldn't escape the feeling that I could've done Game Masters better from my own living room. It would've been lacking the glorious arcade cabinets, a few large projectors, and a respectable crowd; but it would have been possible. Hell, a few years ago I would've had the small clutch of arcade classics lingering on my hard drive somewhere.  I guess I should note that I've been hoarding console games for the better part of two years and my Steam library is getting ridiculously large, so I'm aware that this isn't a criticism that'll be true for all.

Perhaps the greatest criticism I can level at Game Masters is that it almost completely disregards the 8 and 16 bit console eras. Yes, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 are playable, as is Super Mario Bros, but the collection is missing some of the greatest games from two generations of hardware. It's not even as though you could argue that it's due to the setup of the collection: most games are grouped according to their creator but this isn't the case for the "Nintendo" display. Game Masters is primarily composed of recent releases, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that a big part of the gaming pastime is glossed over. 

It's also worth noting that some very notable franchises (and therefore "Masters") aren't on show. No Grand Theft Auto (Dan and Sam Houser), no Resident Evil (Shinji Mikami) and no BioShock (Ken Levine). I thought at first that it may have had something to do with assembling an exhibition that is "safe" for all ages, but the entire Metal Gear Solid saga is on display, and that is not suitable for children. The lyrics in your average Singstar (also on display) song probably aren't really suitable for children, so a little more viscera wouldn't have gone astray.

As disappointing as it was, I felt a certain buzz from seeing some of the greatest games ever made in the same space, being celebrated along with their creators. Yes, I feel the exhibition could've been bigger and that certain events weren't adequately advertised on site (read: forums and talks from industry legends), but it's a beautiful thing to see people of all ages playing the games that have defined your (read: my) life.I couldn't in good conscience recommend that you fly to Melbourne to see the show, but if you're in town, it's worth a look.

You Ping, I Pong

It's safe to say I suck at arcade classics.

A guy down the road is building mini arcade machines packed with retro games and not only did I bomb out of Space Invaders in under a minute (granted I was distracted by a certain little girl who kept running off) but I was beaten at Galaga by a three year old.

I also downloaded a version of Pong on my iPhone created by Melbourne's Australian Centre For The Moving Image (ACMI) for their new Game Masters exhibit. Despite the game's simple concept and approach, my score is far from impressive.

The first ACMI Pong loss was chalked up to not realizing how to control the paddles properly. I'm used to sliding my finger rather than an aggressive tap. The subsequent demoralizing losses are clearly due to a lack of talent.

The game can be used with the exhibit to unlock a bonus round however if you are outside of Melbourne or don't plan on making the trip before 28 October this isn't really of benefit.

Game Masters is an exhibit celebrating the world's most influential video game designers. It includes over 125 playable games across arcade, PC, console and mobile platforms and showcases the work of over 30 game designers.

For more information on Game Masters visit http://www.acmi.net.au/game-masters.aspx and for more info on the custom arcade machines made by the guy down the street, stay tuned to Unbearable Dutch.