Review of ROM CHECK FAIL by Paul

So TIGSource organized a competition where you make a game in three weeks from a randomly generated title.

So if you are actually back now, from clicking the links, you might already know all about the competition and the video game name generator which you can test out yourself. I know you will click it.

Defiantly you read on. Although my game, currently in development, is much better, its important to note GRA has taken 6 months + so far while ROM CHECK FAIL(winner of the aforementioned) took only 3 weeks.



ROM CHECK FAIL, and the competition, takes what I would normally consider a creative writing exercise and runs it against video game design. That's a really good idea and I should know. My game GOODBYEROBOTARMY was created quite randomly after an episode of Stephen Colbert's The Word(A segment that appears in episodes. I don't know how to properly talk about them.). It's one of those witty phrases that appear beside Stephen's head. Pretty Random. Pretty Awesome. So thanks guys but there never really was a competition at all... but seriously:

ROM CHECK FAIL was my introduction to a larger community of indy game designers and confirmation that clever people in three weeks can make a game that is more fun to play than EVE online(not done after all these years) which never seems to be ready or finished in any way imaginable(Hire me!). The TIGSource guys seem smart and maybe they might give me some props one of these days.

Jarringly familiar ROM CHECK FAIL won the competition and as far as I can tell became an instant cult classic. That's what we reviewers say sometimes when we "take on the voice of a reviewer." I suppose a cult classic is something that isn't really important but seems to speak to you directly in some subtle way. At least that's my definition. As with many of the competitors, the title of the game usually featuring two to three things that don't really belong together, is resolved, in quite a literal manner, by the implementation of the game. ROM CHECK FAIL is no exception. It tells the story of game ROMs merging together, phasing in and out of each other as though they are all playing at once, the rules of the world changing every 5-10 seconds if not less. After 5 to 10 minutes of playing it feels like something that has been missing from your game playing life.

Like the wiimote ROM CHECK FAIL does only one thing well but the idea within seems transferable and explosive like my upcoming title:

Radioactive Mind Control Onslaught

At this moment i'd like to publish a few randomly generated names from the program thus reserving them for myself:

Upcoming games by Paul and John:

International Spelling Factory
Go Go Batman Rave
Kirby's Terrorist Encounter
Naughty Wagon III
Super Sexy Sniper Omega
Underwater Vegetarian Shootout
No One Can Stop The Hammer Collection

I think I shall be making my own implementation of a random game name generator sometime soon in the future. This one will have to do for now. Macromedia? Cmon guys.



PAUL APPROVED