14 Focus December 18, 2020 December 18, 2020 Focus 15 A Resurgence of the Past ALLYSON GRAYLIN Reporter Although the currently popular video games may appear vastly different from the classic retro games, they share many aspects that contribute to their success as a video game. Being among the first video games, these retro games are like the Shakespeare of video games. Most of the ideas and tactics have already been tried and are now being placed in a new context. For example, the multi-player Retro Resurgence? fighting style of Sega’s Heavyweight Champ from 1976 is similar to the objectives of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. from 2018. Retro games have mapped out the path and created a blueprint for other games to follow. A major charm of classic retro games is the simplicity. These straightforward objectives allow for mindless gameplay and appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Wyatt Steere (12) pointed out that the “simplicity of these games is entertaining, and the repetition is fun to try and master.” By having a seemingly easy task, it is not difficult to imagine an hour passing by while trying to achieve a Pixels: the Monet of Gaming? new high score. ANNIE MCDONALD A common link between retro games and current video games is their highly addictive nature. Amelia Chiu (10) noticed that Reporter retro games tend to be “very easy to learn but pretty hard to be good at.” A successful video game immerses players in the game Newport Students are no amateurs when it comes to video games. According experience and leaves them wanting to continue. While the lines and dots of some retro games may not seem like much, the intention to a recent Knightlife survey, 34% of Newport Students have coded their own of the gameplay contributes to its value. video game—perhaps thanks to one of our recent course offerings, Video Game Some retro games were so well-designed that their popularity ceased to end. In 2017, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment and Simulation Design. Arguably, one of the most important components of System Classic, equipped with 30 nostalgic retro games. The system was in high demand and sold out in places all over the country. video game design is graphics and visual motifs. The low-powered hardware This continued success of retro games is also seen among Newport students. According to a recent Knightlife survey, a third of systems of the 1980’s meant that all arcade games relied on pixel graphics, more students still play retro games like Tetris and Pac-man. The use of arcade machines may have dwindled, but games have been rebooted specifically 8 by 8 bit color graphics. An 8 by 8 bit pixel is exactly what it sounds and made available on newer operating systems. For instance, Tetris, the 1988-released tile-matching game, is available on a variety like: a square of color divided into 64 sections, each assigned a different tone. of websites and mobile apps. Marketing manager Richard Igros of Innex, a global distributor of modern and retro game consoles, The fewer the bits, the lower the quality. So in 1987, when the 16-bit pixel became suggested gamers may prefer these “clones” on newer platforms over original hardware because they “just want something to plug in popular, game creators began to expand their graphics to have more dimension and use.” Vintage hardware is generally not compatible with the devices used today and breaks down over time. and detail. Then came the 32-bit pixel in 1993, the 64-bit pixel in 1996, and As these video games first began to come out, creators encountered an uncharted arena with a lot of unknowns about the market. eventually today’s 3D graphics. But through trial and error, creators have developed a solid foundation for the video games we enjoy today. Although today’s technology allows for advanced, 3D graphic design, pixel art is here to stay. The modern games of Minecraft, Undertale, and Stardew Valley all pay homage to arcade games’ retro visuals despite being produced in a century where intricate design is easy to implement. But many appreciate pixel art for reasons other than nostalgia. Jason Rohrer, Chicken and Egg Conundrum: developer of the video game Passage, defended his use of pixel art, explaining, “I don’t want to make things that look like watercolor paintings or crayon drawings...pixel art [is] a kind of digitally native cartooning.” Rohrer has a point. Videogames and the Military MIKI KUSUNOSE Unlike the hyper-realistic video games of today, pixelated arcade games leave Editor some of the storyline up to the player’s imagination. Ryan Zhang (11) finds consensus with Rohrer’s statement. The Junior argues, “[with pixel graphics] Many classic video games are enjoyed by students today. Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and Space Invaders are some of the favorites you can be creative without worrying about needing [the game] to look real. amongst Newport Students according to a recent survey. All realistic art is judged by how ‘real’ they look and we only notice their flaws.” The development of video games throughout the 20th century holds many parallels with video game development in the military. Zhang’s statement seems to parallel the opinions of the renowned impressionist In 1948, the Army Operations Research Office at Johns Hopkins University created the Air Defense Simulation. It was operated painter Claude Monet, who rebelled against the precise, strict artistic style of the through the Univac computer, an ancient (at least for us high school students) piece of relic with a large switchboard, capable of simple realist movement. And while the limitations of a pixelated graphic design may arithmetic. The early video game simulated North American air defense and anti-aircraft guided missiles. seem daunting, Myra Lee (10) argues these “limitations can breed incredibly As video game technology improved, more combative themes rose in popularity with video games. Close Combat in the late 90’s used striking looking games.” An example of this would be Minecraft, a game known militaristic art, and Doom, the 1993 first-person shooter game that swept through the country, catalyzed war-themed video games. This for its iconic pixelated, blocky style. Perhaps more game creators will jump rise of military video games in the private industry led to the military adopting the technology to create its own simulations. The United aboard the pixel train in 2021, embracing this form of graphics the same way States Marine Corps adopted a special version of Doom to train its military personnel. realism evolved into impressionist art in the late 19th century. Some military training programs such as JANUS or SIMNET were even recreated to sell on a commercial level in the public sphere. These simulations helped train military personnel for tanks, helicopter, and airplane usage. Importantly, the nature of video games saved money in training costs for the military. Sony, the technology powerhouse from Japan, once hired SIMNET programmers to create similar video games for the PlayStation, their flagship video game console. Justin Zhang (12) agrees that many modern video games try to mimic combat “to a certain extent” but they are generally meant to “appeal to a general audience and aren’t entirely accurate.” Admittedly, modern shooter video games are oversaturated with combat action. Nonethtless, these general overlaps between early video games and the military may lead to speculation on the origins of many video games and poses an interesting question: which came first, video games or military simulations? Since the documentation of early simulation and video game technologies are vague, it is difficult to point to a definitive answer. This chicken or the egg conundrum may remain a mystery, but there is no doubt that the military and video game industry retain close ties. Video game-like simulations remain important in military training today, and modern first-shooter, war-themed video games continue to be popular. United States Army ads Image by Allyson Graylin (12) on YouTube closely resemble videogames and are indicative of the unique video game-military relationship. Did you know? The inspiration for Mario from Super Mario Bros. was Mario Segale, a Seattle-area real estate and construction business owner. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 84. The “ending“ to the original Pac-Man game is level 256, where the right side of the screen turns into a jumble of random images. The United States federal court case, Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd ruled that Donkey Kong and King Kong are two separate types of apes. 16 Focus December 18, 2020 Image by Annie McDonald (12) Top 3 Arcade Games and their Rise to Fame ANNIE MCDONALD Reporter The 1980s brought hundreds of arcade games to the market. But among the pixels and marquees, three games stood out: Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Street Fighter. Combined, 960,000 cabinets were sold, raking in almost eighteen billion dollars (inflation adjusted). Surprisingly, Pac-Man and its competitors did not die with the fall of penny-arcades. In fact, 38% of Newport students admit they play these “retro” games in their free time. 1) Pac-Man. The infamous eating game. Pac-Man can easily be considered a gaming icon, with over 94% of American consumers able to identify the genderless yellow puck. Yet despite its popularity, it was late to the game. By the late 1970’s, arcades were already packed with shiny new cabinets boasting bright marquees: Space Invaders, Asteroids, Defender… the list goes on. The only issue: all these games involve firing weapons. Although the concept of shooting asteroids and aliens may seem harmless compared to today’s Halo or Fortnite, many took issue with the overwhelming number of violent arcade games.