The “Push Click” collective was present at the Lx Factory Open Day, thanks to Espaço TRES21. As expected, the Open Day had lot’s of people coming in for several hours for multiple purposes, so we had to take the chance. Here’s a small part of the original PushClick show we had last month, still going until the end of this week. Also coming, some goodies from the show for sale.

Push Click

Right after the PushClick 2nd installment at Lx Factory and just before the main Montana show ends this week, this post comes to celebrate videogames and new artists in Lisboa. This Super Mario Bros wall was conceived inside the “Public Art” talks for the program “Chiado na Moda”. According to the author, Maria Sassetti, this street has been the target of many construction works during the past years making it a very unpleasant street to pass by (which is on route to the Fine Arts School of Lisboa) and since that building in question belonged to the Metro (Subway), filling it with tunnels and pipes would make that connection with one of the most popular games in history.

Super Mario Bros by Maria Sassetti

Controls

I often wonder where the controls are, as it’s really hard to play on a screen as fast/reliable as you can do it on an actual “joystick”, but when games learn with mistakes and can actually improve on such a simple thing as “moving” the D-Pad according to the finger new pressure point, instead of a fixed D-Pad position makes all the difference. “X2Football” is the perfect example of that. If you remove your left thumb and press somewhere else on the left side of the screen, the game will adjust and acknowledge that there’s now a new D-Pad center position, and from there on follow with the controls. Plus the game it’s really quite good, the best in it’s genre for the iPod, with multiplayer option (yeah, we even have a head-2-head tournament here, eheh) and 3 buttons instead of just 2 (and actually work). The only big fail moment in this game I should say, is the lack of AI when you’re on defensive. You can’t slide in an adversary (90% of the time it’s a fault) and the tackle button just tickles the opponent. Yeah, I’m really being picky on this one but it’s also one of the only games I’ve mention worth a continuous play.

Originality

“Rolando 2“. Shit, I just love this game. Couldn’t stop it until it was over. It makes use of the full potential of the accelerometer allied to the fact it’s got one of the best game design of it’s genre, awesome sound design and easy to play. Levels, 3D simulated views, special features, time-attack, bonus gems, online ranking… everything a fun game must have. I finished it, and I loved it!

Design+Gaming+Sound = ADDICTION-IN-A-FUCKIN-PACKAGE

Oh boy… don’t even get me started with this game. “MiniGore“. You just CAN’T play this game once. It’s so addictive! The fact that the sound effects and the illustrations are so well designed are a real eye candy, but making this the simplest of games (SHOOT’n'RUN) that it’s a really no brainer game makes it top notch. You just want to kill more and more and more…till you die! But the song just keeps on going (death is not the sign of game over, but more like “why are you still watching this screen”), and you see your ranking for 2 seconds only to press the screen and immediately start over again to try and beat that score… over and over! The sound never stops, and this really incites you to just keep playing. Ahhh, I hear the sound of the violins. Really, give it a go. Even if you don’t have an iPhuck, just buy the game inside your friends gadget with it’s saved password. He will be pissed at first but will thank you later, trust me.

I’m all grown up now, so let me play inside too!

Just a few examples when things don’t really go as expected:
“Duke Nukem 3D” – Shit, I can’t even get out of where I start. The worst controls ever. Clearly a not tested game, and only out to make a few more bucks.
“Gangstar” – Although GTA is still my only ongoing game of the moment (XBOX), this attempt from Gameloft (clearly the number 1 or 2 publisher of the best games for iPod), a GTA like game fails when it tries to put it all in a little box. Too many controls, makes it complex and hard as hell to play it. I tried… I really tried. This type of game is really hard to play on a gadget like this, so best leave it to the big boys.
“Enigmo 2” – Oh, how much I loved the first version of this game. Puzzles in a time-attack mode, with a tasty sound design that would make you want to lick the screen when the water drops fell over the blocks. But then, they blew it. The 3D version make the game hard to place the piece blocks, which is kind of a big deal since that is the objective of the game. Just making new levels, new ways of interaction and accelerometer inclusion would make it awesome. Too bad.

Oh, and this too…

I know there’s a lot to be said, and the fact I am no avid gammer these days makes me also a doubtful source of knowledge in the matter, but… this is my opinion. I play a lot with this gadget and I see it’s potential, but sometimes it’s just like that. “Less is more”. Either games stick to what they can be on the machines they’re supposed to work for, or just leave it to whoever can do the job. I know it all sums up to the money at the end of the day, but still… Along with this post I’m also writing my letter to Santa to give me an XBox or a PS3 to play for some time. Oh please oh please…

This really made me laugh today.
Help them win if you liked it as well.
Made by Teaandcheese