Why?

Why do we play games? What makes a game exciting? As a kid you don’t ask such questions. You just play. Video games were amazing and the C64 was a thing of magic.

At 50+ it’s different. I’m not much of a gamer. I don’t keep up with the latest releases and I do not own any console. Many game genres do not appeal to me. Idle games? You earn resources by waiting. <irony>Great.</irony>

Recently I browsed for free games on Steam and I tried out a random game. The gameplay was clicking a banana. That was it, just click it and score points. It was not moving or anything. Not challenging in any way. That game has fans!

Were the games actually better in the 80s or is it just me being old and grumpy? Is it possible to feel the same excitement again as we once did?

I think creating a game to your own liking is the ultimate gaming experience. It’s a great way to play and to learn marketable skills at the same time. My professional experience in game development is quite limited. Always happy to learn something new.

Why Blue Max?

Of all C64 releases, Blue Max was certainly not the most advanced or the best looking graphically. It’s usually not mentioned on top 10 lists, but it’s my personal favourite. It was so well crafted and it had a wonderful mix of challenge and mystery. And there was more than one approach to playing a level, you could strafe at low altitude or stay safe and drop bombs from above.

Vision

I remember a conversation back in the C64 days while playing a racing game (it might have been Pole Position) with a friend. He wanted guns to shoot the opponent cars. I argued it was a sports game, of course you can’t have guns. Now I think he was right. It would have been awesome to get a power-up out of the blue that would let you shoot your opponents! It’s a game, let’s make it fun.

So that’s the game I’m going for: Blue Max with unreasonable additions, built on a modern game engine. I want cameos from other games and movies. I want anachronisms. I want references to 80s cultural phenomena. I want sarcastic comments about the absurdity of finding friendly airstrips deep in enemy territory. No use trying to hide plot holes or defects. We are not fooling anyone so let’s emphasize those things instead. And have fun.

“The pleasure is to play
It makes no difference what you say”
— Ace of Spades, Motörhead