Picture Perfect Paranoia

Back then, I used to pick and play every game with a burning passion. Come hell or high water, I would pick the game which I think is interesting to me, then play it for hours, even bypassing sleep and some snacks, just so that I could finish it to the end. I started to prefer, over any other genre out there, role-playing games, just because of features that catch and pique my interest, like searching for hidden items, strong weaponry that could aid me in my quest for world peace (…and stuff), as well as assembling a motley crew of unlikely heroes that could save the world one way or another in their own way. If I happen to come across a stumbling block, like repeatedly solving puzzles that require some ingenuity and/or luck, in any order, and fail hard, I would not stop going through that puzzle, even as the call from my maids (brush your teeth!) holler in the background.

I would get through this, no matter what, so shut up.

I was kind of an obsessive gamer back then. It’s different, when I am standing.

As for the meaning of “when”, it’s after years of playing all sorts of RPG’s out there, on consoles like the PS2 and SNES, and you look back at what you have accomplished thus far, and feel that you have done what you have to and can be done. You look for other things that interest you, even outside the mainstream selection, and look back less than before.

That’s what I feel. Anyway…

Now that the Finals are over, it’s time to pick up the controller and kick start the game!

By now, I am used to fan-made games made for the PC, that require the use of keys on the keyboard, some reflexes and “good luck”, as well as a gamer’s intuition regarding things to expect in the game I am about to play. Like MM21XX (Final!), which took the concept of playing Megaman X games to the next (a step, at least) level. More on this in another post.

Well, I’m going to step to the next one, which is fan-made games of an obscure title called Immaterial and Missing Power, from the Touhou Project/Project Shrine Maiden group.

After loading the .exe file (th075.exe), and waiting for the game to load (with a beautifully rendered loading screen, like this one):

…the game starts, bringing up the main menu.

The layout of the selectable choice on the main menu, as you can see, is tabbed, so there is creativity on the part of the menu designer. The contrast, though, is dark compared to the choices to be selected, so you have to scroll down the choices (which can be done with either the n button on the alphanumeric section of the keyboard or the down (↓) arrow), then select the desired one using the q button on the alphanumeric section of the keyboard (instead of, say, the Enter (┘) key). That initially struck me as odd, because, like I said, I am used to fan-made games which are sponsored mostly by the West, so this unfamiliarity is the first thing I noticed tactilely.

The Menu List:

• Story Mode
• Arcade Mode (unavailable)
• Duel Human (vs 2P)
• Duel CPU (vs. CPU, duh.)
• Practice Mode (harness thy skillz)
• Replay
• Music Room (unavailable)
• Results (unavailable)
• Option (I has a method!)
• Exit (…)

The controls:

• Q → Weak (?) Attack
• W → SubStrong (?) Attack
• E → Strong (?) Attack
• Y → Jump
• G → Move Forward
• J → Guard/Move Back
• N → Crouch
• GG (press rapidly twice) → Dash Forward
• JJ → Dash Back

I’ve read that there are button combos for spellcard activations, but for now I have no idea as I don’t read and write moonspeak.

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I’ll describe the game mechanics, from this point.

Basically, your goal is to defeat the other player, using whatever spell cards and button move combos you have at your disposal, before the enemy character defeats you, which is indicated above by the life meter at “0″ (shown at the top of the screen).

The game progress as such, unless you understand or have an idea as to what the story is, until the final level/stage. You’re done!

But wait there’s more, which I’ll detail in a future entry related to this one.