retro games which are legit
Nov 1, 2018 8:20:55 GMT -5
Post by wyrdwad on Nov 1, 2018 8:20:55 GMT -5
Mini-bump!
Figured I'd pop my head back in to go into a bit more detail on Buddhagillie -- I got my cartridge copy in the mail yesterday and have put some considerable time into it since then, and while I feel I may have overstated things previously, I'm also still REALLY impressed with this game nonetheless.
It does have a certain meditative quality to it, but overall, it's still "just a game" -- I definitely remembered it being more "zen" than it actually is. However, what I can say is that its representation of Buddhist teachings is shockingly well-realized, with every aspect of gameplay having a double meaning of some sort that perfectly encapsulates some aspect of the religion in a really nuanced manner.
For example, your primary "enemies" in each loop are Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death, with each generally coming in a wave of four, and each having its own unique pattern of attack that seems very apropos to its designation. Birth, for example, charges right at you -- it's quick, but easy to dodge as long as you keep to the top or bottom of the screen. Aging is the most persistent, homing in on you and creeping closer and closer in small increments at regular intervals. Sickness comes at you in a Medusa head-like wave pattern. And Death sort of stalks around you, trying to flank you from the back. In later loops, you'll often have to deal with multiple waves of multiple threats at once, which can be quite challenging...
...especially since you actually need to let each of them attack you. You have to "absorb" attacks from enemies (which involves blocking them with your sword) in order to generate a mantra, which you can then fire at the boss of the stage in order to "defeat" it. Each boss has its own quirks, however -- the Human, for example, has one each of Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death circling around it like a shield, and in order to properly defeat the Human and move on to the next loop, you need to destroy the four sufferings around it without harming the Human itself (who is very weak and will die in one hit, sending you back to the stage one Hell loop instantly).
The loops, BTW, consist of Hell, Hunger, Animal, Asuras, Human, Gods, and Nirvana, in that order. Once you complete each of these loops, you are reincarnated in another form and run through the game again, but with a greater difficulty level. There are also apparently alternate ends to these loops -- evidently you can encounter Jesus, for example, though I have yet to figure out how.
Anyway, just figured I'd give more information on this game, as even if it's not quite the zen meditation tool I made it out to be earlier in this thread, it's still the most thought-provoking and well-realized depiction of Buddhism I've ever seen in a video game, and I still maintain it's a brilliant example of games as art, as well as possibly the best religion-focused game I've ever played (which admittedly isn't a high bar to clear, but still!).
-Tom
Figured I'd pop my head back in to go into a bit more detail on Buddhagillie -- I got my cartridge copy in the mail yesterday and have put some considerable time into it since then, and while I feel I may have overstated things previously, I'm also still REALLY impressed with this game nonetheless.
It does have a certain meditative quality to it, but overall, it's still "just a game" -- I definitely remembered it being more "zen" than it actually is. However, what I can say is that its representation of Buddhist teachings is shockingly well-realized, with every aspect of gameplay having a double meaning of some sort that perfectly encapsulates some aspect of the religion in a really nuanced manner.
For example, your primary "enemies" in each loop are Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death, with each generally coming in a wave of four, and each having its own unique pattern of attack that seems very apropos to its designation. Birth, for example, charges right at you -- it's quick, but easy to dodge as long as you keep to the top or bottom of the screen. Aging is the most persistent, homing in on you and creeping closer and closer in small increments at regular intervals. Sickness comes at you in a Medusa head-like wave pattern. And Death sort of stalks around you, trying to flank you from the back. In later loops, you'll often have to deal with multiple waves of multiple threats at once, which can be quite challenging...
...especially since you actually need to let each of them attack you. You have to "absorb" attacks from enemies (which involves blocking them with your sword) in order to generate a mantra, which you can then fire at the boss of the stage in order to "defeat" it. Each boss has its own quirks, however -- the Human, for example, has one each of Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death circling around it like a shield, and in order to properly defeat the Human and move on to the next loop, you need to destroy the four sufferings around it without harming the Human itself (who is very weak and will die in one hit, sending you back to the stage one Hell loop instantly).
The loops, BTW, consist of Hell, Hunger, Animal, Asuras, Human, Gods, and Nirvana, in that order. Once you complete each of these loops, you are reincarnated in another form and run through the game again, but with a greater difficulty level. There are also apparently alternate ends to these loops -- evidently you can encounter Jesus, for example, though I have yet to figure out how.
Anyway, just figured I'd give more information on this game, as even if it's not quite the zen meditation tool I made it out to be earlier in this thread, it's still the most thought-provoking and well-realized depiction of Buddhism I've ever seen in a video game, and I still maintain it's a brilliant example of games as art, as well as possibly the best religion-focused game I've ever played (which admittedly isn't a high bar to clear, but still!).
-Tom