Before its mass-market appeal, there was a time when gaming was about a sheer battle of the will. Platformers such as the first Prince of Persia required pixel-perfect leaps, while shooters required the player to memorise the enemies’ attack patterns in order to succeed. Some would argue that beating these games was more a case of attrition than any sense of fun, yet gamers from that era would argue the opposite: the notion of challenge defined their hobby. But with the advent of casual gaming in the late 90s with the PlayStation, through to the recent domination of the Wii, the games world has embraced a wider audience. This audience may not have the time to put in the hours and ‘master’ a game. As a result, developers have recently been criticised for dumbing down their titles, with Nintendo coming under fire in particular. But is this loss of a challenge necessarily a bad thing?
As a gamer growing up in the mid-90s I narrowly missed out on the truly hardcore games such as the original Contra and Jet Set Willy. But I've heard all about the stories of woe. In the original Contra, a cheat cartridge was usually necessary to even complete the first level, while Jet Set was infamous for being impossible to complete. While I missed out on these particular delights, I did experience hardcore gaming through Contra III on the SNES. It was my first tough title, the sort of game you'd happily throw through the window if it wasn't so much damn fun. I refused to play it in single player, and recruited a friend to stick it through. Taking it on as a team meant that the challenge was no longer a chore but an essential part of the gameplay. After playing it for hours every day, our reactions and predictions of the enemies’ attacks greatly improved, along with a sense of achievement. Although we never completed it, it has stayed long in my memory nevertheless.
Recently, though, the popularity of such games has faded. Contra's sequels on the PS2 were met with little enthusiasm, with out of all things, its six hour-long length being criticised. This was despite the fact that a speed playthrough of Contra III would come in at around an hour or two. Clearly gamers want more bang for their buck these days; replaying a stage over and over again is no longer an acceptable form of entertainment. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox is notorious for its difficulty, while hardcore shooters like Ikaruga are still on the market. This ignores the mainstream, though. In truth, hardcore gaming has become a niche, with today's top sellers providing nothing like the reward and accomplishment that old-school titles provided.
Since the Gamecube generation, Nintendo’s games have been criticised for this very aspect. The Zelda series, traditionally up there with the hardest of Nintendo’s franchises, is a victim of this. Wind Waker received a fair amount of criticism for its short-length and lack of challenge. But the dumbing down of games has also filtered into other areas of the industry. BioShock has no game over screen. Instead of restarting a level, you are placed at the nearest checkpoint with your health almost fully restored, though the damage dealt to your enemies' health remains the same. Another modern title with a similar “safety net” system in place is the latest Prince of Persia. Instead of returning to the start of the level after falling off a ledge, your ally Elika places you straight back on the platform. Great for first-time gamers, you could say, but for anyone looking for more playtime, it's way too forgiving a system.
In previous eras, this lack of challenge would have been seen as a fatal flaw. Compared to today, the release schedule was a barren wasteland, so a game had to last or else players would feel short-changed. Nowadays, however, there are more games than ever: if a title proves to be too much of a challenge, a player is likely to trade it in at a game store to grab another release. Tastes have also changed: while graphics have always been a selling point, a game could rarely be sold on the experience alone a decade ago. It had to have solid and challenging gameplay, and its graphics and sound were merely a backdrop. When you compare titles now, there is ever more of a sway towards the experience over the traditional template of effort and reward. More than ever, video games are now an art form.
To the older, more wily gamer, this absence of a challenge can be disappointing. With the advent of online gaming, though, never has there been a better way or artifically extending a game's length. While the main campaign of a shooter or racing game may be short or too easy, the online modes now provide the true test of your mettle. Mastering a game and stretching yourself is still possible - it just requires a bit of DIY these days.
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