Ideas and Thoughts: Public Enemy 64

31-Jul-98

First, I'd like to say "Howdy!" to folks coming in from the PSX half, as this is the first I&T; I've written since it began.  I may have uploaded the last after, but... anyways, about the name.  No, this isn't aimed at the N64 specifically, but just a minute or so ago I thought that up, and decided it was much better than the lame "Be the Enemy!", which the directory still is...

Oh, come on now.  We all know everyone has an evil side.  Why not take advantage of it for the sake of replay, eh?  I'll just jump right into the examples, then!

Sports games: Many sports games allow you to play a whole season as a team.  Instead, how about all of your games are AGAINST a certain team, eh?  Your goal would be to, of course, give them as bad of a record as you can do.

Fighting games: Basically the same as the above, though to stop it from getting stale, if you beat it several times as a certain character it would proceed on anyway.

Strategy games: Forget starting out with a small force and having to build up to take on a larger enemy!  Start with a big base (or whatever in the given stage), and defend!

First-Person Shooters: Just imagine playing Goldeneye, but instead of Bond, you're the easily killed Russians!  He'd be able to kill you fairly easily, so you'd have to avoid his shots to stay alive.  Of course I don't mean just being one soldier, but you'd switch into another after being shot... I'm not sure exactly HOW you'd switch, as there are so many, but if done right it'd be an interesting idea.  Of course your point is to kill Bond, or at least make sure he doesn't complete his objectives.  Equivelant changes for other games.

RPGs: Now this would certainly be wonderful!  Don't control "the party" in battle, but the enemies instead!  You'd have the chance to control everything from lowly imps to the likes of Lavos!  Of course your objective is to kill the party.  Of course, if you kill them enough at any certain place, they'll raise levels, buy better items, etc. until they can beat you, so overall you just try to stall them as long as possible to delay the inevitable.

Of course, for all of these a few things should be done, so you can only be the enemy as far as you've actually gotten, so as not to give away bits of the game which you haven't played the normal way and such.  So, "Enemy Mode" or whatnot could be like the cheats in Goldeneye, you could only use them on stages you've beat.  Likewise in RPGs, if possible (and this would work much better with big writeability, ala the 64DD), the computer-controlled good guys shouldn't be able to get "secret" characters, weapons, etc. that you (or whomever's save that you're using) didn't...

But wait, there's more!  If in a game there are modes to be the good and bad side... what if they were combined?  Yes, I'm basically saying that using both could make for an excellent multiplayer experience!  Though using a link cable, or something like that, would be preferable.  Well, it's always nice to have your own screen, but it probably wouldn't be needed in a fighter or sports game, would be especially nice in first-person shooters, and would seem almost necessary in strategy and RPG games.  Etc.  Well, here's to our bad side!  Cheers!

Joshua Slone has never sacrificed another human to an evil deity..