There are several different types of gameplay available, some that offer more of a challenge than others. This game is enjoyable because you really get to bond with the other player; since it is so simple to play, you can chat while playing.
Quest for the Rings
Philips G7000 (AKA Magnavox Odyssey˛)
by Spanner
The pinnacle of the G7000'sgaming delights came in the form of the "Master Strategy" series; a combination of video and board games. Of the three released, Quest for the Rings was undoubtedly the finest.
Based on the J.R.R.Tolkien book, the game used a separate board to determine what format the on-screen battles would take. As the players made their way along the winding path of the board game, they would encounter castles containing all manner of fantasy nasties protecting a magic ring. The real genius of this game was requiring the players to choose their teams carefully when entering a battle. Often, it was necessary for one of the players to use special abilities to fight off enemies while the other used powers to get the ring. Choose the wrong players or fail to work as a team and the prize was easily lost.
A great game for those long winter evenings, and although it was technically a two-player game, any number of heroes could happily share the burden forming a triumphant Fellowship all of their own. Historical gaming at its finest with nothing a modern system could add to its wonderful, cooperative gameplay.
The Sims 2
PC
By Alex Spencer
The Sims 2 is technically a one-player game, but it is good to play with someone else as there are aspects appealing to the older player which kids might not be as good at, and vice versa.
The day-to-day running of your Sims' lives doesn't seem to be as interesting to older players, but making bigger decisions about their lives, or building and decorating a new house, seems to catch their interest. Perhaps adults enjoy it because it's like living out one of those "home makeover" type of TV programs!
The Sims can be a very long game, so it's ideal for those rainy afternoons when you want to go somewhere where the sun is always shining. It can also be a good way to get rid of a bad mood, as you can take out your frustrations on your Sims' families it can be a laugh seeing what weird things you can make an unhappy Sim do!
Dance Dance Revolution
Coin-Op
by Spanner
A short while ago, I noticed a crowd gathered around a couple of odd looking, behemoth games machines that required the players to strut their funky stuff on floor mounted controllers. What was particularly unusual was how the crowd were all dancing along, practicing routines until their turn on the dance floor came around. An entire entourage of prospective pop stars was acting out detailed choreographies in the middle of an arcade with impeccable timing; all expertly taught by a video screen and a quid's worth of credits.
I realized I'm not quite the hot stepper I assumed myself to be, although once the rising arrows on the screen are associated with aesthetic step routines, the patterns encoded within the music began to present themselves. The purpose of this game, which makes it quite unique, is not one of competition with the computer but harmony with the music and the step arrangements contained within. When two gamers, and a crowd of trained onlookers, successfully unite in a composition of refineddexterity, I can't help but feel that a simple harmony of two players has been transcended to also include the game, its elaborate cabinet and the rest of the arcade; participative gameplay in the extreme!
