I covered ancient Atari arcade game Canyon Bomber on Atari A to Z Flashback this weekend just gone (see attached video) and goddammit, I am absolutely hooked on that stupid game.
It is the very essence of simple purity in game design: one button, three chances to fail before it's all over. But my God I love it. I have one go, and then I just have to have another one… and then another… and then another! Back in the old days of Atari magazines, we used to refer to this as the "just one more go" quality, and indeed this is by far the most potent example of it I think I've experienced since Geometry Wars 2. (For clarity, I played Canyon Bomber for the first time long after I played Geometry Wars 2 for the first time; I am well aware of the considerable age gap between them.)
Canyon Bomber is so formidable in the addiction terms because of the variety of different goals you can set for yourself, even within the context of such simplistic mechanics. You can play to beat the other player — be they computer- or human-controlled. You can play to beat your own high score — though you should take note that the other player can easily stymie your attempts in this regard! In the modern Atari Flashback Classics incarnation of Canyon Bomber, you can play to move up the global leaderboards. Or you can attempt the seemingly impossible: to clear the screen.
This latter option is what I'm finding so incredibly addictive. I get so close so often that it must be possible… it must. But I can't do it. I just can't. Whether it be an ill-timed thumb spasm or just general incompetence… I cannot clear that screen. (And, for that matter, I cannot beat my own high score… I have no idea how I scored 433 points.)
But I'm going to keep trying. Maybe just one more try before bed… one more… one more…
Discover more from I'm Not Doctor Who
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
