STACK #132 Oct 2016

GAMES

FEATURE

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A Guide To The History Of Rhythm Games That Is So Brief You’ll Probably Miss It.

This month Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 head to the shelves at JB. But where did it all begin?

I t could be argued that the origins of today’s rhythm games lay in the toy that every kid in the late ‘70s had on their Christmas list – Simon. Developed by the grandfather of video games, Ralph Baer, the circular device had four buttons that lit up in sequence. Players were required to memorise the sequences and hit the keys in response. However, it's PaRappa the Rapper , originally released in 1996 in Japan, that provides the modern

you’ve finished playing. The creators of the Guitar Hero franchise, Harmonix, began its rhythm game journey with button tappers Frequency (2001) and Amplitude (2003). 24 months

link to the rhythm games available at JB this month. A rapping teacher delivers the lyrics, and you as the rapping dog must reply by hitting the correct buttons in time with the music. Fast-forward a couple of years to 1998 and the global gaming hit that forced gamers to jump around like idiots in arcades, much to the bemusement of onlookers. Yes, in Dance Dance Revolution , players follow arrows

later, the developer launched Guitar Hero on PS2, introducing the plastic instrument to the world and turning couch potato gamers into

with their feet and keep in step to a techno beat.

A great way to shift kilos and sear arrows into your eyes for hours after

shredding rock gods.

The Uncharted Franchise Gears of War Three Games That Influenced

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Tomb Raider If it was the Spielberg/Lucas collaboration Raiders of the Lost Ark that put the wind into Tomb Raider's sails, then without Lara Croft there would be no Nathan Drake. Tomb Raider was one of the first action-adventure franchises filled with exciting platform stages and puzzle solving. Clearly influenced by a concept that, by the middle of the noughties, had turned stale, Naughty Dog added the cinematic visuals and driving narrative that has defined the Uncharted titles and turned it into Sony’s premiere gaming franchise.

When you think of a franchise like Gears of War and Uncharted, it's hard to see the comparison – until you look at the cover system. Whether it’s simply ducking out of the way while bullets whistle past your ears, or leaning behind a crate to send some lead back the other way, this is where the influence can be found. In Uncharted 2 , Naughty Dog took the concept of cover further by introducing an aerial variant. Now players could swing from signposts or peek in through second floor windows to squeeze off a few rounds.

The platforming sequences in Uncharted are firm favourites with fans of the franchise. Whether it’s climbing buildings in South America, navigating ruins in the desert, or scaling snow-covered mountains in Tibet, negotiating these tricky passages of play are an intrinsic part of the Uncharted series. Play Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and you’ll see where many of these influences stem from, including the logic and thought required to solve puzzles and disarm traps.

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