Review: Super Concentration Headache Master Pro

[Fenrir-Lunaris]

(Transposed from a Castleparadox Review)

Moogle1's entry into the Terrible Games Contest v1.PWNED (2005). Frankly it scares me.

The premise of the game is not unlike certain reality TV game shows - that one where you had to keep your cool and not let your heartrate get out of hand is similar, as is the old Nickelodeon game show where people would be covered in slime (but nobody can remember its name). The goal is simply to answer as many questions as possible with 4 minutes, while the game itself will constantly flash random, discolored images on the screen at an increasing rate while changing the music.

It's been likened to having ADD. This is entirely true.

The graphics of the game consist almost entirely of still-screens and game shots from various video games, including FF4. Stylistically, as the game progresses, the frequency and oddity of these images increases. Many are blurry, ugly looking, with way too much solarization. Frankly, the sudden shift into a surrealistic, pop-art feel is both disorienting and totally appropriate considering the objective of the game. Brilliantly ugly. They serve their purpose well.

There is no story, except to simply survive the 4 minutes. It is you versus your sanity. A question will pop up, and you'll have to respond with one of 4 answers. It's multiple choice, but with changing music and imagery there to trip you up. In the last 1 1/2 minutes, the color contrast between the lettering and the background becomes nigh-indecipherable.

The game progresses from a slow pacing with random questions and semi-sane backdrops. With each minute, the frequency of the pictures, music, and questions changing picks up, becoming a dizzying blur at the end. It's not a gentle progression, but it gets increasingly harder, which adds to the frantic feel of the game.

You won't be hearing any original tunes here, but that's not the point. It shifts repeatedly, from random songs lifted from just about everywhere. While effective, the selection lacks a consistent feel of a frantic race against the clock. As a second point, to simulate the experience of ADD, a single, fast paced song is more effective at distracting one's attention (since I speak from experience). You've heard the term "can't get that song out of my head". However, since not all people suffer from attention deficit, switching the music constantly is probably the best solution. That and hearing one of the songs from Super Mario world pop up for NO REASON was a bit disorienting.

It's a pop quiz while under the effects of a heroin bender. Now if you'll excuse me... WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
(blood pours from mouth for no good reason)