So, I just found a download for Dreamcast game REAL SOUND, a game for blind people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jrGP098U6I
there, you can "watch" the game.
There are two versions of the game: One with static shots. One completely blank. Both have no gameplay besides pressing a button to progress the story. It's just sound. It was made specifically for blind people, though the static shot version has subtitles -- for deaf people.
Warp -- specifically Kenji Eno -- is one of my all time biggest influences. Yeah, I make experimental music and films, and he makes video games, but the atmosphere he conjures up in his work is absolutely incredible. I mean, he is kind of making "movies" too, really... His unconventional narratives, his odd gameplay devices (in Enemy Zero, you can only save so many times... your batteries eventually run out! Oh, also in Enemy Zero, EVERY ENEMY IN THE GAME IS INVISIBLE, you have to use your sound to play it -- hope you have a new tv, since a lot of older tv's dont' work well with stereo... they still make it mono... if possible, play game with headphones on).
Like, has anyone played D?
Not going to lie, I can't see this game getting any fans aside from some of the more fucked up people out there. But by my estimation, it's better than many of the Resident Evil games, and better than all Silent Hill games (dunno about that newest one -- 6, I guess? Was it any good? The second game in the series is the only one I like, and that's for the atmosphere and music... the music is incredible.. for the life of me, I can't remember that composer's old band.. p-model I think? They were an AWESOME Japanese new wave band I listened to many years ago, whne on my big polysics/spoozys/metronome/motocompo/[some] coaltar of the deepers "weird Japanese new wave influenced rock stuff" kick... but yeah, the silent hill games are just about unplayable aside from the aesthetics... the combat is horrible, the games are just you running through fog, hitting people with sticks, and solving idiotic puzzles).
...
ANYWAY.
I've played through and beaten D and I loved it. You gotta beat it in under 3 hours or you die. Hahaha. The thing is on like 3 discs, too. Unbelievable. But again, the atmosphere, the music, etc... I mean, yeah, the voice acting is extremely bad -- what localized voice acting isn't? -- but instead of being b-movie-hilarious like Resident Evil, it makes the game weirder.. it's surreal as hell, with all the rubber lip having characters... lips flopping but words not matching up... uhhh yeah. Truly creepy as hell, y'all.
SPOILER
...people wonder what "D" stands for right? It stands for DRACULA. You find out at the end of D you're the
daughter of
Dracula or some shit. Okay. It's not a happy ending, really, at least, or I guess not.
END SPOILER
Anyway, D2 is absolutely my favorite Dreamcast game, aside from Bangai-O and Ikaruga and ... well ...
Psyvariar 2: The Will To Fabricate... which is probably the only bullet hell game on the system (plenty of shmups but no "bullet hells")...
NR... JOE? ... please tell me you've played
Psyvariar 2: The Will To Fabricate (I have to bold it -- it's that damn good)? They really don't make more impressive shmups. It's like Mars Matrix but more insane. It's as colorful as Border Down, as epic as Ikaruga, as crazy as Mars Matrix, with a challenge level about on par with Trigger Heart Elexica.
...continued in next post...