The Perfect Games

Today - we are going to talk about computer games. You see, after years of ceasesless searching I've finally found what I have been looking for. Let me try and explain.

It was thirty years ago can you believe it that the ZX Spectrum was released. Now I already had its predecessor, the ZX81, but the Spectrum was a huge leap forward at the time - for a start when you hooked it up to the TV, the games were in colour. Armed with a whopping 16k of RAM, or 48k if you could afford the bigger version, these things were about as primitive in comparison to today as The Flintstones is to Futurama.

Anyway - what the Spectrum lacked in graphics capability was made up for by gameplay. Literally hundreds of strategy games sprung up - from the sports based management - including the original football manager and Grand Prix Manager's to trading simulations - Dictator, there was even a game based on Minder where you had to buy and sell like Arthur Daley. Anyway, I much preferred these types of games to action games. Here's a few screenshots of some speccie classics that I used to love.

It was so long ago that's the original
Rosberg, Keke as opposed to Nico!

Decisions, decisions, in Dictator

Ha Ha - how embarrassing Villa!
Fancy losing to Mansfield!

Turn based strategy in Rebelstar - one of my favourite games ever.

I can understand how some people might have found the above boring, but I loved them. Tinkering with the stats, watching things unfold. Perfection.

But somehow during the 90s I lost my way with computer games. As graphics and memory increased, these type of simulation games either fell out of favour, or became way too complicated. I'm well aware that football manager games are still going strong for the PS3 and others, but I haven't been able to get into any of them. Reason being - they are simply way too complex in most cases. The effort to make them the most realistic possible simulations means you have to tinker with so many aspects of running a club that the fun goes out of it. And realism isn't always the most important factor - fun is.

I have had many consoles over the years, including most of the Gameboys and their successors. Have played relatively few games for the PS3 other than driving games for the reasons stated of being over complex. Plus I just can't get into a lot of games - all those platform games like Sonic and others of its ilk never appealed to me and as for the plethora of war themed games that dominate the market place these days - I don't like them, I don't agree with them, and I will never play them. Why do we want to encourage people to sit in their living rooms going around waging war and killing people is beyond me.

As everyone knows I am a big GT5 fan - but even so, I love that game the best for the B-Spec element - where you don't drive but manage your drivers. Most people don't bother with that and think it's crap. As for most PS3 games - way too complex. Apart from the mini games in the PS3 store.

Golf - again something potentially fun but all those Tiger Woods sims are just too realistic and too in-depth. I got much more out of the simple cartoony style Everybody's Golf on the PSP, and Mario Golf on the Gameboy. Simplicity and fun score points over detail for me every time.

The Gameboy/ DS franchise has provided me with one of my biggest successes over the years - which is Pokemon - now this has just the right level of sophistication for me - with it's cartoon simple graphic style and turn based battles - it has captured my imagination like no other games of that ilk and I have owned most of the Pokemon games since the late 90s.

But most have been a disappointment. And then suddenly in the past week I have had a revelation! I've discovered Kairosoft games on the Android Store. These are games orginally made in Japanese and translated into English for our market - much as Pokemon originally was.

I downloaded the lite (free) version of Grand Prix Story from the Android store for my Note. I was instantly hooked - the simple blocky 8 bit style graphics and text had me hooked from the off. Basically it's a grand prix manager type game for kids, with stats, and various stuff going on but just the right level for me - not too simple, not too complex. The thrill of training up my driver (for Team Ollie) and getting him to win his first race was fantastic. The difficulty level is just right too - not too hard that you give up, but not so easy you just win every time. Once I got to the end of the first year, I had to buy the full version at a bargain £2.99. Can't go wrong. When I think of the number of PS3 games I've wasted 10x that amount on and hardly played, I'm well chuffed.

Here's a few screenshots

Getting ready for the race

And they're off!!!!

Having had such a good time with this, I eagerly downloaded Pocket League Story - the football manager equivalent, and even more fun! My team Super Jamie's is working it's way up - first the amateur league and next comes the nationals!

Pocket League Story - checking the stats.

One thing I have noticed is that these games are in very similar style and share characteristics, graphics, themes e.g. you get "research points". It seems finally I have found a game style that suits me - as you'll have seen from all the above. The other great thing is the kids can join in and watch too.

There are a whole load more Kairosoft games waiting for me - which all sound right up my street and reminiscent of my 80s Spectrum heyday. Cafeteria Nipponica - where you manage your own cafe. Game Dev Story - where you run your own company. Kairo Park - an island survial simulation (think Lost). And dozens of others -all in the same style and all for just £2.99

Managing the office in Game Dev Story. The people on fire have an "aura" -
common theme between the games. Funny don't remember anyone ever
having one of those at Nielsen's or the Probation Office!

I forsee a happy winter of gaming ahead. Thank-you Kairosoft - you've found your niche market in me! At last I have found the Perfect Games!

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Jason xx