Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A Short Comparative Study on 2D Game Concepts of Plants vs. Zombies, Patapon & LocoRoco

Patapon In-Game
    Two dimensional games or 2D games were known to be the pioneer of all games. Not much of the people remember anymore especially the new generation of gamers , but before they experienced the fun of playing state of the art 3D games like Halo , Devil May Cry , God of War , Assassin's Creed or maybe even sports games like NBA 2K series on their Xbox and PlayStation and in PC consoles, one which nowadays rule over the market and the mass' attention, 2D games namely Pong, Space Invaders and Super Mario which then were eventually improved with the help of the pioneering gaming consoles like Nintendo 64 and the Family computer which is technically known as NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) were once the game industry's juggernauts. That is why some people nowadays may insist that 2D games are out of the mainstream, obsolete and seen as lackluster because of its limitations in its in game features as well as its in its graphics.

Plants Vs. Zombies In-Game
      But has 2D games lost its charm? With the technological improvements that took place on the past years and apparently as well as the gaming industry is concerned 2D games still exist in platforms such as PlayStation , Xbox and in PC, and they exist in a very profitable manner and may be even more so with the emergence of mobile applications using Android technology .The 2D game Plants vs. Zombies released by PopCap Games captivated millions of gamers and may be even non gamers that it won multiple awards namely "Casual Game of the Year" , "Outstanding Achievement in Game Design" and "Interactive Achievement Awards" from the award given body of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences to name a few. But not all 2D games share the same attention like the Plants vs. Zombies franchise, Patapon now on its 3rd installment got mixed reviews but mostly positive from gaming critiques online. But inspite of all the criticisms Patapon undeniably made a name for itself all these years by its unique characters and its Rhythm game dynamics wherein musical sequences are incorporated in the gameplay that took the attention of the gaming world. Also from the studios that made responsible for Patapon , LocoRoco has now become one of the 2D games that is making such impact captivating younger and more gentle gamers because of its feel safe graphics and adorable characters. But what do these 3 games all have in common?

LocoRoco In-Game
     Aside from the characters the 3 aforementioned games have unique and charismatic ones and its catchy musical score and soundtracks its in game features also have distinct similarities. And the similarities they share are the following:
  • Antagonist characters of the respective games are trying to take over and cause trouble on the place or people the Protagonist characters thrive in or protecting.
 - Plants Vs. Zombies - Protects House and Crazy Dave from Zombies
 - Patapon - Zigoton empire takes over the Patapon Tribe
 - Loco Roco - The LocoRoco and their neighboring friends the Mui-Mui were being abducted by the Moja Tribe for invasion purposes, now the remaining LocoRoco have to gather and rescue as many captured friends as possible in order to save their community.
  • There are multiple antagonist characters and each character has its unique function. Functions of the characters may range from offense, defense and support.
  • Anatagonist characters are mostly seen in groups.
  • Mini Games are present in order to help gamers raise in game monetary units or unlock or acquire other characters. 
     All 3 games mentioned are considered and classified to be arcade games, though unique and distinct the game plays are there were significant similarities seen that might give these kinds of 2D a special genre that caters all the similar features that were observed.

Key Words: 2D games, Patapon, Plants Vs. Zombies, LocoRoco

Sources:     

2D Games:
http://bendarby.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/the-history-of-2d-games/
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=479154&page=2
http://www.ign.com/blogs/mrghost56/2011/11/01/2d-gaming-isnt-dead/
http://paranerds.com/?p=3648
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/153063/great-modern-2d-platformer-games
  
Patapon:
http://psp.ign.com/articles/852/852601p3.html
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