Excellent Space Giraffe review

[Lord Thag]

Space Giraffe Review

 

Space Giraffe is getting mixed reviews. Some folks love it, while others hate it. This review sums it perfectly, and shows why a lot of people are just not understanding the game. It's NOT Tempest 2000, though it does resemble it. It's an evolution of the concept, sure, but it's much more than that. It's also damn hard to explain WHY it's different. The above link does a good job, I think.

 

The game is about using ALL of your senses. When the game really gets going into full sensory-overload mode and you survive it, you fall in love with it. If you haven't played it or hate it, take the time to read this review. In my book, this is one of the truly great 'new' arcade games.

 

What levels have you all gotten to yet?

Edited August 27, 2007 by Lord Thag

[Lastblade]

Space Giraffe Review

 

Space Giraffe is getting mixed reviews. Some folks love it, while others hate it. This review sums it perfectly, and shows why a lot of people are just not understanding the game. It's NOT Tempest 2000, though it does resemble it. It's an evolution of the concept, sure, but it's much more than that. It's also damn hard to explain WHY it's different. The above link does a good job, I think.

 

The game is about using ALL of your senses. When the game really gets going into full sensory-overload mode and you survive it, you fall in love with it. If you haven't played it or hate it, take the time to read this review. In my book, this is one of the truly great 'new' arcade games.

 

What levels have you all gotten to yet?

 

I love this game. The more I play it, the more I love it. I think my last level is 25 or so.

[Gabriel]

I don't think it's a perfect or even a great game. I do think it's solidly good.

[Flojomojo]

I don't think it's a perfect or even a great game. I do think it's solidly good.

The brain-dead OXM review of 2/10 has gotten everyone who likes this kind of game (me included) all evangelical about Space Giraffe. It's great, but it's certainly not for everyone. The reviewer's comparison to "Ulysses" is a good one.

[moycon]

To me this is one of those... Let me try it just one more time type of games. Often time with games these days, you play them through, beat them and then put them aside. This is one of those games, you keep playing to better your score in the early rounds and get just a bit farther in each time.

[liveinabin]

I keep hearing the phrase 'It's not tempest', but surely... it is, isn't it?

[AEX]

Ahh, Jeff Minter...

 

This is a bit of a rant if that's ok!

 

I've nothing against the man, but I think there is a lot of spin sprinkled on his general aura as a games designer. I'm all for creative games that break the mould, even the weirdest and most quirky games sometimes make a lasting impression on me, but I've never understood the relevance of sheep and llama's in his games (apart from his personal affection for these animals) especially when in the past they have been just dropped into a Defender clone.

 

Now we have "Space Giraffe" (the weird name drums up some additional press coverage), most probably the same concept as the failed "Unity" project everybody got so excited about on the Gamecube? You can bet there was a few characters from his farm in that one too... Anyway, my point... Oh yes... Am I the only one who doesn't worship every product this guy does?

 

Ever since the fantastic Tempest 2000 on the Jaguar (the only game of his I actually thought was any good), and the very clever VLM's on the Jaguar/Nuon and 360 (great concept evolved from the Trip-O-Tron product), I have to say that the Minter Hype is just over-played in my opinion.

 

I have no intention of paying even $5 to play "Space Sheep" or whatever its called (although I congratulate Mr. Minter for providing cost effective gaming), but I will keep playing Tempest 2000 because you don't see those color effects in his games anymore...

 

Karl

Edited August 28, 2007 by AEX

[moycon]

Anyway, my point... Oh yes... Am I the only one who doesn't worship every product this guy does?

 

Based on some of the reviews of this game...I'll go with no.

[Lastblade]

I keep hearing the phrase 'It's not tempest', but surely... it is, isn't it?

 

It looks like it, but it doesn't play like it (scoring mechanics is different).

[Atariboy]

Whats wrong with him tossing animal sounds in it? I think its funny and I don't see any reason why he needs to take making his games serious and not make them as silly as he wants.

[Lastblade]

I have no intention of paying even $5 to play "Space Sheep" or whatever its called (although I congratulate Mr. Minter for providing cost effective gaming), but I will keep playing Tempest 2000 because you don't see those color effects in his games anymore...

 

Karl

 

If you enjoy T2K, you might enjoy SG. At least download the free demo, go thru the tutorial a few times and play through the demo to get a feel of the game. It might just grow on you. I love T2K, but I have never played T3K (did he do that one?) so this is really his 2nd game I have bought. I like his style and it SG is actually very deep (in terms of how to score big points). It is addictive, it is a visual/aural overload, and it demands you to play better. It is the best $5 I have spent in gaming for a long long time.

[Flojomojo]

I have no intention of paying even $5 to play "Space Sheep" or whatever its called (although I congratulate Mr. Minter for providing cost effective gaming), but I will keep playing Tempest 2000 because you don't see those color effects in his games anymore...

 

Karl

 

If you enjoy T2K, you might enjoy SG. At least download the free demo, go thru the tutorial a few times and play through the demo to get a feel of the game. It might just grow on you. I love T2K, but I have never played T3K (did he do that one?) so this is really his 2nd game I have bought. I like his style and it SG is actually very deep (in terms of how to score big points). It is addictive, it is a visual/aural overload, and it demands you to play better. It is the best $5 I have spent in gaming for a long long time.

T3K is like T2K with more acid -- it's almost as trippy as Space Giraffe, but not as crisp and smooth. Think Tempest X (Playstation) with better gameplay but harder to see.

 

I also really liked Defender 2000, but that's not a classic in any sense of the word.

[128bytes]

Whats wrong with him tossing animal sounds in it? I think its funny and I don't see any reason why he needs to take making his games serious and not make them as silly as he wants.

 

Exactly. Anyone remember when Cassidy & Greene created the sequel to Crystal Quest on the Mac and made it "Crystal Crazy"?

[Atari5200]

i downloaded the demo and Tempest 2000 is way better than this in my opinion. The game is almost too much, it's too hard to see whats going on half the time. And i just didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, what this game did do though is remind me just how much fun tempest 2000 is so now i'll be playing that a lot more often.

Edited August 28, 2007 by Atari5200

[Atarifever]

The game is about using ALL of your senses.

When a game requires the use of smell and taste, I have to admit to being impressed. Where do I buy the brain electrodes it no doubt requires?

[Gabriel]

i downloaded the demo and Tempest 2000 is way better than this in my opinion. The game is almost too much, it's too hard to see whats going on half the time. And i just didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, what this game did do though is remind me just how much fun tempest 2000 is so now i'll be playing that a lot more often.

 

 

I popped Tempest X3 into the PS3 after some time spent with Space Giraffe. I was curious how they compared.

 

I'm tempted to dig my Jaguar out of storage and play Tempest 2000. Tempest X3 just isn't the same. Maybe I'll buy Protector SE while I'm at it.

 

But of course Tempest 2000 is better than Space Giraffe. Tempest 2000 is one of the greatest games ever created. It should be hard to equal or beat that achievement.

[Lastblade]

i downloaded the demo and Tempest 2000 is way better than this in my opinion. The game is almost too much, it's too hard to see whats going on half the time. And i just didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, what this game did do though is remind me just how much fun tempest 2000 is so now i'll be playing that a lot more often.

 

Fair enough. T2K is indeed a timeless classic. Not sure if SG is ever going to get there (for me), but I will keep trying until I beat it.

[Hyper_Eye]

I played the demo for a while and was enjoying the game though there was a mix of frustration there. You can say whatever you want but the truth is that it is hard to see what is going on at times. It is not as bad as it looks in videos and screenshots but it is pretty bad. When I am playing it I feel like I am getting punched in the face by visuals. In my opinion they are completely unnecessary visuals. It bums me out a little because I can tell there is a great game beneath the VLM but I can't get passed the senses overload. After playing the game for a while I popped T2K into the trusty old Jag and was in heaven again. T2K really is a fantastic game and it doesn't need the visual overload to make it happen. You can say that Space Giraffe is not Tempest but the only thing that really differentiates them in my mind is the bulling of enemies off the web. Sure you obtain jump differently but it's still a jump off the edge of the web. The bottom line is I can not justify spending even 5 bucks on a remake of a game that is more enjoyable and appealing in it's 13 year old form. I could spend the 5 bucks in support of Minter but I think he made a mistake with this product and in supporting it I would be presenting appeal for it which infers making more of the same type of thing. Maybe I will show my support to Minter by purchasing another copy of T2K (though I know it won't count on any list or put any money into his pocket) because I would like him to go back and remember what made his best piece of work so great.

 

I will continue to play the demo to see if I can find an enjoyable method or contentedness with the game but I think I am ultimately going to delete it. All of you can point your finger at OXM and say, "You ruined it!", but I would instead point my finger at Minter and say, "If your making games for other people then you need to accommodate them and listen to them. If you are making them for yourself then why spend time responding to reviewers? Go play your game."

[Lastblade]

Space Giraffe is not tempest, it is not just about bulling enemies off. You can grow flowers, you can bounce enemies bullets back and save it for big points at end of round, and in later levels, there are things that will shoot at you and if you let them get to the rim, you can't bull them off.

 

It is deeper than T2K. But it is not something that you can tell in the first 10 levels (demo).

[Hyper_Eye]

But, in order to experience all that you have to be able to see it. Look, just the fact that he provided a guide to the demo shows that he is worried about it. When I download a demo I don't generally read a guide to it. I play the demo and if I don't like the demo I don't buy the game.

[Gregory DG]

Here's another negative review from IGN.

 

[Lord Thag]

A couple of things. I have heard a lot of comments (as well as a few here) about Minter's reputation being the driving force behind people loving his games. You know, the whole 'fanboy' reaction thing similar to some proponents of Square or Sony or whatever. I can't say whether that's a fact, but I can speak for myself. I didn't know who the hell Minter was until about a year ago when my friend John pointed out that three games I really like (T2k, Gridrunner, Defender 2k) were all made by the same guy: Jeff Minter. I had no idea who he was, but I *did* like his games. When I heard he made this space giraffe game, I checked it out, and fell in love with it. It *IS* different than T2k, but you kind of have to play it awhile to see why.

 

I can understand why some people don't like his stuff. It's either something you like or you hate, from what I've seen. A lot of folks are complaining that it's so crazy and psychedelic, that it's unplayable. That's kind of true, and it's also the point. The game forces you to use all of your senses, hearing especially to play well. It forces you to play the game in a new way, almost changing how you approach the action genre. I've never had to switch from sight, to hearing, to instinct and back so many times in a game. When you finally get it down, and you get into the zone, it feels ... amazing, actually. To me, that's damned impressive, and one hell of a ride, but I can certainly see why someone wouldn't like that approach.

 

As to all the llamas and emus and shit..... Minter is crazy, and also a brit. Monty Python, anyone?

 

Still, not a lot of games these days challenge you to play in a whole new way, and to put some effort intop learning how to play them well. Space Giraffe does, and I really respect that. Then again, I'm a shooter/twitch junkie. I also respect a guy who makes the game he wants to make instead of pandering to the dollar. Good for him.

Edited August 29, 2007 by Lord Thag

[Atari5200]

say what you want, this game basically is Tempest with a twist in my opinion, it's not a totally different game. It follows basically the same logic that sequels follow, try to improve the game but keeping the core the same. But again, the game is too much, to hard to see. how am i to bounce back bullets when i can't see them and i'm playing on a 42" lcd. I hate to see how this game looks on anything smaller.

 

The only good this game has done for me is to retire my Neo Geo CD for a while and replace it with my Jag so I can play Tempest 2k.

[Flojomojo]

But, in order to experience all that you have to be able to see it. Look, just the fact that he provided a guide to the demo shows that he is worried about it. When I download a demo I don't generally read a guide to it. I play the demo and if I don't like the demo I don't buy the game.

ALL Xbox Live Arcade games are required to have playable demos. That's the whole point of the shareware-style distribution of Arcade. I wish the Wii Virtual Console would take a page from this book.

 

But again, the game is too much, to hard to see. how am i to bounce back bullets when i can't see them and i'm playing on a 42" lcd. I hate to see how this game looks on anything smaller.

Here are some suggestions to make it easier. The game rewards practice and learning the audio clues as well as reading the screen. Personally, I find Space Giraffe much easier to see and interpret than many mainstream games with realistic graphics, especially those that use dark or low-contrast colors.

 

[Lastblade]

say what you want, this game basically is Tempest with a twist in my opinion, it's not a totally different game. It follows basically the same logic that sequels follow, try to improve the game but keeping the core the same. But again, the game is too much, to hard to see. how am i to bounce back bullets when i can't see them and i'm playing on a 42" lcd. I hate to see how this game looks on anything smaller.

 

The only good this game has done for me is to retire my Neo Geo CD for a while and replace it with my Jag so I can play Tempest 2k.

 

You don't know what you are talking about if you think this is Tempest with a twist. It is like calling Galaga Space Invaders with a twist.