One of my favorite video games of all times is a PS2 game called ICO. The game is so near perfection in all ways that it’s truly an artistic masterpiece. The stunningly beautiful graphics and the minimalist sound and music draw you into the game environment like none other I’ve ever played. The controls are simple and the puzzles are so well designed that you want to keep playing just to see the next one. 1up.com recently posted an article covering a talk with the creators of ICO and it’s clear from their descriptions of the development process that the quality of the game wasn’t a fluke. Read the article, then go pick up a copy of ICO (if you don’t have a PS2, buy one of those too… it’s worth it).
The description of the game reminds me of those many hours I spent watching over your shoulder as you played King's Quest IV on your Tandy 1000. (It may have been KQIII but I remember your giddyness over the 16bit graphics, and oh, when you finally had your first 256 color game!)
We met, it seems, such a short time ago
You looked at me - needing me so
Yet from your sadness
Our happiness grew
And I found out I needed you too
I remember how we used to play
I recall those rainy days
The fire's glow
That kept us warm
And now I find - we're both alone
Goodbye may seem forever
Farewell is like the end
But in my heart is a memory
And there you'll always be
WTF, the Fox and the Hound?!?!
I knew I had heard that from somewhere in my childhood. Ahh the days when I had the flu and I sat listening to my Long-playing-record of the Fox and the Hound. Hmmmm maybe there was a connection between my sickness and those lyrics?.... Nahhh I suddenly have a strange urge to go find my FisherPrice record player.