Ready Scholar One Flashcards
1
Q
Oregon Trail
What is the Oregon Trail?
Creator, idea, legacy, accuracy
A
- Originally developed by Don Rawitsch, BIll Heinemann and Paul Dillenberger
- Don Rawitsch wanted to teach his 8th grade history class as a student teacher using a game
- There have been many editions over the years
- The game was very popular among American elementary school students as many computers came bundled with the game
2
Q
Oregon Trail Article
How do you play The Oregon Trail?
What are some steps or some things to do
A
- You need to choose your character and then the rest of your crew
- Then you purchase supplies and start traveling
- You have to choose how to cross rivers, you can hunt for food
- Some things may hinder the trail, like storms, illness or broken supplies
- When reaching a landmark, you can stop or look around
3
Q
New Oregon Trail Article
What is the new Oregon Trail?
Who did it, changes, reception
A
- Gameloft released a new version on Apple Arcade last year
- It was quite different but also similar, all in good ways
- You can choose different character with different stats including stamina, morale and charm
- The game is given more options for safety, but it’s not completely tamed
- There is still experience, planning luck and resources involved but there is also a more chill version where bad events rarely happen
- The graphics are overhauled without forgetting the roots
- The views are stunning and the characters are iconic and clean
- Native Americans were also introduced more appropriately, even letting you play from their perspective
- There are also more educational aspects as well as different things to unlock
- Finally, the soundtrack is apparently wonderful, a mix of authentic, relaxing and fun
4
Q
The Seven Cities of Gold
What is the Seven Cities of Gold?
Creator, idea, legacy, accuracy
A
- Strategy video game
- Developed by Danielle Bunten Berry (credited as Dan Bunten)
- Player takes the role of a late 15th century Spanish explorer going to the New World to try and bring back gold
- Name is taken from teh seven cities of Quivira and Cibola whcih were said to be located in the Southwest US
- Considered the first open-world game
- The player can explore the coastline of the new world, set of missionaries and forts, interact with native people etc.
5
Q
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
What is Sid Meier’s Pirates?
Creator, idea, legacy, accuracy
A
- Game created by Sid Meier for the Commodore 64
- The simulation of the life of a pirate, privateer or pirate hunter
- Set in the Caribbean including the Spanish Main, Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula, the entire Gulf of Mexico, Florida, all the Caribbean islands and Bermuda
- Single-player open world game
- Player’s loyalties may change throughout the game
- The games ends when the player retires
- It was revolutionary, with the puzzles appealing more to female gamers than other games
6
Q
Call of Duty
What is Call of Duty?
Creator, idea, legacy, accuracy
A
- Video game series published by Activision
- A fighting game based on different real historical battles
- Primarily WWii, but also war in a modern setting as well as the Cold War
- The series has sold over 400 million copies and is considered the best-selling first-person shooter game series
- It is the 4th best selling video game franchise of all time
7
Q
Ghost of Tsushima
What is Ghost of Tsushima?
Creator, idea, legacy, accuracy
A
- Action adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Centres around Jin Sakai, a samurai trying to protect Tsushima island from the first Mongol invasion of Japan
- The setting was very accurate, with the team visiting the island twice and making sure that all the flora, fauna and scenery were accurate
8
Q
Retro Gaming Article 1
Why are retro games appealing?
Reasons for this, people related
A
- Retro games are like comfort food for gamers
- Chris Schranck says that a big part of retro games is that they have a specific feel to them
- They make you feel like a kid again
- Amanda Lim says that they are cute and fun, though she prefers FPS games these days like Valorant
9
Q
Retrogaming Article 2
What is a retro game?
What is considered to be one, gamers
A
- Largely determined by what evokes nostalgia among older gamers
- Titles released during the 8-bit to 16-bit period are remembered as classics
- The average gamer is around 35-37 years old
- Such players have money to spend on gaming, and nostalgia impels them to seek out games from the 80s and 90s
- Games from this era are truly classics, even without nostalgia, especially games from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) which saved the industry after a crash in the early 80s, releasing Super Mario Bros and the Legend of Zelda
- The quality of these games made retro gaming a highly enjoyable pastime
10
Q
Retrogaming Article 2
What is a modern retro game?
What is it and what are some examples
A
- A game which devoutly recreates the 2D aesthetic of the 8 bit and 16 bit era, and adopts the gameplay mechanics of the classic generation
- Replacates both the appearance and experience of a much older game
- Some exceptions to the 2D aesthetic include Project Warlock and Ion Fury
- Inspired by early FPS games like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D
11
Q
Retrogaming Article 2
What is the history of modern retro games?
What is it linked to, how did it develop
A
- Linked to the development of indie games
- Big game studios were pushing 3D high-quality graphics
- This helped indie developers create a niche for themselves to create games for people looking for nostalgic 2D games
- Cave Story was developed by Pixel Amaya, and the game became quite successful
- Followed by other titles like Braid, Super Meat Boy, Terraria and Minecraft
- Except Minecraft, these early indie successes were already going back to the era of 2D, and Microsoft launched a summer of games event to promote indie games
- As time went on, 2D games took on a more authentic retro look, like Shovel Knight, who led the path to very authentic-looking games
12
Q
Retrogaming Article 2
Why are modern retro games so popular?
Different reasons for this
A
- They are well-developed titles that are highly replayable
- Video games are very nostalgic as they are very immersive
- Such games also are usually simpler to play, though they may be a bit more difficult, and people are more likely to finish the game than with modern AAA games, where most don’t finish them due to very long storylines
- Also an alternative to the toxic culture of multiplayer gaming
13
Q
Retrogaming Article 2
What are some popular retro games of today?
Name and very brief description, 7 examples
A
- Celeste, a difficult game that tells a moving story
- Sonic Mania, which is very retro inspired and goes back to the roots of the franchise
- The Messenger, which includes art styles in 8 and 16 bit form
- Enter The Gungeon, emulates the top-down shooters of the third and fourth console generation
- Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon whichs owes a bit too much to the games which inspired it
- Shovel Knight, comes closest to perfectly recreating an 8-bit game
- Undertale, with an 8-bit aesthetic but fully unique gamplay, with three distinct playstyles
14
Q
Tetris Article
What is the Tetris movie?
Background and premise
A
- In nearly 40 years Tetris sold 520 million copies
- Jeffrey Goldsmith coined the term the Tetris Effect to describe something that takes up so much brainspace it patterns thoughts, mental images and dreams
- Tetris is a new Apple TV movie that explores the true story behind the legal battle that led to the game
- Cold War era thriller directed by Jon S. Baird and written by Noah Pink following Henk Rogers played by Taron Egerton as he travels to Moscow to secure the game’s licensing rights
- In Moscow, Rogers met Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) at the Soviet Academy of Sciences who created the original game on an Electronika 60 computer
- The two worked together to bring the game to the masses
- Tetris was spread through the USSR, then Hungarian businessman Robert Stein wanted to secure rights to it, but then it was sold to Spectrum HoloByte, being released without a deal with the Russians
- Finally, Stein singed an agreement with Elorg for computer rights to Tetris, but he could not obtain licensing rights to the arcade and handheld versions
- Rogers was obtaining rights from Spectrum Holobyte, and set out for Moscow to get handheld rights
- However, being on a tourist visa complicated things, and it was found out Stein was trading rights he did not own
- Battle of rights between Rogers, Stein and Robert Maxwell ensued, where eventually Elorg granted Rogers the rights and cemented friendship with Pajitnov and helped him profit from the came
- Rogers said that they captured what happened to him over a year-and-a-half in two hours
15
Q
Mobile Apps Article
What are 10 games redeveloped for mobile phones?
10 games and new features
A
- Super Mario Run: simple tap controls and one-handed gameplay
- Bully Anniversary Edition: includes touch controls and new multiplayer mini-games
- Pokemon Go: uses phone’s GPS and camera
- Sims Mobile: seamlessly transports to smartphones
- Pac-Man: faithfully captures the original essence, now includes challenging friends for high scores
- Minecraft: touch controls that seamlessly translate the game’s mechanics
- Tetris: includes intuitive touchscreen controls
- RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch: re-imagined classic
- Street Fighter 4 Champion Edition: stunning visuals and precise controls, delivers consol-like fighting experience
- Grand Theft Auto San Andreas: retains the heart and soul of the original, providing a nostalgia-inducing sandbox adventure
