Editing 2189: Old Game Worlds
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Created by a VERY OLD GAME CHARACTER. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
− | This comic explores the difference between the real world, where artificial structures require constant upkeep and communities change with time, and the digital worlds of video games, where everything is static until the plot demands otherwise. Although ''online'' games do require server maintenance by the owners | + | [[Randall]] sits at his computer looking at a menu of games which have been ordered into three sections, New, Old and Very old games. At the bottom of this list, 2nd to last, he chooses to click on ''{{w|Super Mario Bros.}}'' which then opens as shown in the next four panels. |
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+ | This comic explores the difference between the real world, where artificial structures require constant upkeep and communities change with time, and the digital worlds of video games, where everything is static until the plot demands otherwise. Although ''online'' games do require server maintenance by the owners, offline games are - and always have been - perpetual existences, unchanging so long as the data is intact. | ||
− | As the narration explores this incongruity, and theorizes about the idea of it not being so, the comic displays the alternative with the ubiquitous video game - ''Super Mario Bros.'' (1985) - as an example. {{w|Mario}} arrives in World 1-1 to find a {{w|Goomba}} expressing surprise that the plumber has deigned to return to the place where his '''first''' journey began. As he advances, he finds both signs of progress - a {{w|Cell site|cellphone tower}}, an {{w|Motorized scooter|e-scooter}}, a {{w|Quadcopter|drone}} - and signs of disrepair - damaged {{w|Warp (video gaming)|Warp Pipes}}, loose blocks. At World 1- | + | As the narration explores this incongruity, and theorizes about the idea of it not being so, the comic displays the alternative with the ubiquitous video game - ''Super Mario Bros.'' (1985) - as an example. {{w|Mario}} arrives in World 1-1 to find a {{w|Goomba}} expressing surprise that the plumber has deigned to return to the place where his '''first''' journey began. As he advances, he finds both signs of progress - a {{w|Cell site|cellphone tower}}, an {{w|Motorized scooter|e-scooter}}, a {{w|Quadcopter|drone}} - and signs of disrepair - damaged {{w|Warp (video gaming)|Warp Pipes}}, loose blocks. At World 1-Castle, he finds {{w|Toad (Nintendo)|Toad}} - usually warning him that {{w|Princess Peach|the Princess}} is being held elsewhere - informing him that the castle has been remodeled into a {{w|Panera Bread|Panera}} bakery. As shown in the previous comic, [[2188: E Scooters]] are not universally seen as a good thing. Similar, the selected modern elements, cellphone towers and (survilance) drones, also might put a dystopian feel to the changed video game world. |
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+ | The title-text abruptly switches to Mario's acceptance of the changes to World 1-1, and deciding to make the most of it by purchasing a {{w|cinnamon roll}}. "Coins" are the ubiquitous currency of the {{w|Mushroom Kingdom}} and most other locations Mario visits in the ''Mario'' series, taking the form of large nondescript golden circles, usually with a rectangular indent on the sides. | ||
− | + | Some readers might wonder why there's no mention of even older games like ''{{w|Space Invaders}}'' (1978) and ''{{w|Pac-Man}}'' (1980), but these games were so abstracted, so pixelated; that there's never an expectation that anything in them would age or deteriorate. Likewise with older text games like the ''{{w|Zork}}'' series (1977–79) or their predecessor, ''{{w|Colossal Cave Adventure|Colossal Cave}}'' (1976–77). So they are sadly ignored on the timeline of games. Also these games may not be on Randall's computer, as they were originally {{w|arcade games}}. | |
− | + | ===List of games=== | |
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− | + | The first panel shows a list of games in a supposedly reverse chronological order of their release: | |
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− | The first panel shows a list of games in | ||
#New games: | #New games: | ||
##{{w|Subnautica}} (2014) | ##{{w|Subnautica}} (2014) | ||
##[https://spookysquid.com/rsd Russian Subway Dogs] (2018) | ##[https://spookysquid.com/rsd Russian Subway Dogs] (2018) | ||
− | ##{{w|Kerbal Space Program}} (2015) | + | ##{{w|Kerbal Space Program}} (2015) |
#Old games: | #Old games: | ||
##{{w|Worms Armageddon}} (1999) | ##{{w|Worms Armageddon}} (1999) | ||
##{{w|Elasto Mania}} (2000) | ##{{w|Elasto Mania}} (2000) | ||
− | ##{{w|Katamari Damacy}} (2004 | + | ##{{w|Katamari Damacy}} (2004) |
− | ##{{w|Mario Kart}} ( | + | ##{{w|Mario Kart}} (1992) |
#Very old games: | #Very old games: | ||
##{{w|Link's Awakening}} (1993) (aka The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening) | ##{{w|Link's Awakening}} (1993) (aka The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening) | ||
##{{w|Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity}} (1996) | ##{{w|Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity}} (1996) | ||
##{{w|SimCity}} (1989) | ##{{w|SimCity}} (1989) | ||
− | ##{{w|Prince of Persia}} (1989) | + | ##{{w|Prince of Persia}} (1989) |
##{{w|Super Mario Bros.}} (1985) | ##{{w|Super Mario Bros.}} (1985) | ||
##{{w|History_of_Microsoft_Flight_Simulator#Flight_Simulator_3.0|MS Flight Simulator 3}} (1988) | ##{{w|History_of_Microsoft_Flight_Simulator#Flight_Simulator_3.0|MS Flight Simulator 3}} (1988) | ||
− | + | ==Transcript== | |
+ | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
− | + | :[A drop down menu is shown with a cursor on the "Super Mario Bros" option.] | |
− | + | :'''New Games''' | |
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− | :[A | ||
− | : | ||
:Subnautica | :Subnautica | ||
:Russian Subway Dogs | :Russian Subway Dogs | ||
:Kerbal Space Program | :Kerbal Space Program | ||
− | : | + | :'''Old Games''' |
:Worms Armageddon | :Worms Armageddon | ||
:Elasto Mania | :Elasto Mania | ||
:Katamari Damacy | :Katamari Damacy | ||
:Mario Kart | :Mario Kart | ||
− | : | + | :'''Very Old Games''' |
:Link's Awakening | :Link's Awakening | ||
:Escape Velocity | :Escape Velocity | ||
:SimCity | :SimCity | ||
:Prince of Persia | :Prince of Persia | ||
− | : | + | :Super Mario Bros [selected] |
:MS Flight Simulator 3 | :MS Flight Simulator 3 | ||
− | :[A | + | :[A scene is shown from Super Mario Bros side-scrolling game, the first level World 1-1.] |
− | + | :It feels weird that you can go into old games and the whole world is still there. | |
:Goomba: Mario? | :Goomba: Mario? | ||
:Mario: It'sa me! | :Mario: It'sa me! | ||
:Goomba: What are ''you'' doing here? | :Goomba: What are ''you'' doing here? | ||
− | :[Mario stands between an e-scooter, a dismounted | + | :[Mario stands between an e-scooter, a cellphone tower and a dismounted Question Mark Box.] |
− | + | :Part of me expects to find that everything's changed. | |
− | :[Mario looks at a damaged | + | :[Mario looks at a damaged Warp Pipe and there is a drone flying.] |
− | + | :That pipes have rusted, walls have crumbled, bad guys have moved on. | |
− | :[Mario has moved on to World 1- | + | :[Mario has moved on to World 1-Castle, the castle has been replaced with a bakery.] |
− | + | :That even our game worlds can't escape the passage of time. | |
:Toad: Thank you, Mario! | :Toad: Thank you, Mario! | ||
:Toad: But this is a Panera now! | :Toad: But this is a Panera now! | ||
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[[Category:Comics with color]] | [[Category:Comics with color]] | ||
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[[Category:Video games]] | [[Category:Video games]] | ||
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