Killer Queen - Best goddamn game in the whole wide world.

in #killerqueen5 years ago (edited)


Steem cover image.png
Source - I made this with Pxyel Edit, Photoshop and assets from Killer Queen.

Hello hello!

As I mentioned in my last post... I love games and I love game design.
I don't actually spend much time playing games... I can go months without touching one, but I absolutely feel like that games and I have grown up side by side (or y'know, not grown up).

It's crazy to me that his is how the first game I played looked like this:


wizard_of_war_high_score.jpg
Wizard of Wor - Commodore 64 Source

while this is pretty typical now:



Crysis WarheadSource

Games were always a thrill.... but the most exciting aspect to me was the social side of it. Probably my favourite memory of high school was the IT lab guy setting Doom 2 on all the computers in the computer lab, and we all played one rainy lunchtime. It was a game I had already loved, so I destroyed everyone, most had never seen it before... but it wasn't the winning, I didn't care about that... it was the shouts and cries and cheers that I loved... the shared stories and I loved being able to see each other on different people's screens.

Like so many people, in so many areas... I peaked in high school.... once everyone got consoles my god-mode skill-dominance ended... which is fine because I've now played a hundred trillion video games in my life...

… which is why I feel like I'm adequately qualified to tell you why Killer Queen is the best of them all.


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Source

What is my relationship with a Queen that Kills?

We had some friends stay with us, and during our touristing of Portland, we found a cool little arcade bar called Ground Kontrol.

Firstly, I was so excited to find this place and massively head down memory lane, playing so many games from my childhood... we had a gang of 5, and so each time we had played a Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Simpsons game, someone had to sit out... so when we found Killer Queen we were excited that we could all play together.

It was all one screen... and it was chaos!

We had absolutely no idea what was going on though... we didn't realise we were on opposing teams, we didn't know which character we were... or who anyone else was, or how to win, or what the hell was going on.... but it was all so cute we didn't even care.

We had 3 on our team, versus a super game-competent couple... and they won the first 3 games easily... which gave me all the competitive motivation I needed to start figuring it out... and we won the last two... and then everyone ran out of quarters.

And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since...


So what is Killer Queen?

Killer Queen is the world's only 10 player arcade game.

There are two teams, gold and blue. 4 players play as the drones and 1 person plays as the Queen. I'm sure it doesn't need saying, but in the image to the right... the queen is the middle character.

The controls are so crazy simple... left, right and a button to jump.
That's it.

The queen character is infinitely more complex... as well as jumping, going left or going right, she can also go down.

"Whoaaaaaaaa!"

I know right?

Despite the controls being the most simple of any game... the incredible amount of decision making is nuts.

And that's because....

Winning Killer Queen

There are 3 different ways to win!

That is the genius of this game, all 10 of you have to continuously wrestle between these various win conditions, if you ignore one, that's pretty much the quickest way to lose.

It makes for an incredibly fun and frantic game.


Source

1st way to win... Snail Soccer


In the image above... see the very bottom of the screen? There is a gold worker bee/drone riding a snail and eating a blue drone?

So... if the gold guy keeps riding that snail all the way across the bottom of the screen... then the gold team wins a snail victory.

The crazy thing is.... if your character is riding the snail... you're literally not doing anything... you're not pressing any buttons, you might as well have a drink from the very convenient cup holders built into the console... and yet it's so incredibly thrilling because you feel like such a ninja... and totally trusting in your team to defend you. Since you're riding the snail, your team is basically a member down.

The other team will actually try to get eaten to slow you right down... it's all so genius!

2nd way to win... Kill The Queen

If you scroll back up to that big image, you can see at the very top there are 4 eggs... two on the blue side and two on the gold side. That means that both the Queens still have 2 lives (plus their current life left).

Given the simplicity of the controls... you can kill the queen by running into her with your sword. If two queens fly at each other, then the Queen who is slightly higher will get the kill. Combat is easy, whoever is higher wins... but in that simplicity comes a whole range of skill. In the Insta to the right, the gold Queen is slightly higher... therefore... Blue dead.

One of the 5 players on the team plays the Queen... they can kill the drones, and stop them from winning the game, but everyone is out to get them... they have that extra dive control to attack from above... but it also means you're now lower than everyone who is out to get you.

3rd way to win... Collect all the berries

The cutest possible way to win is to collect all the berries and take them back up to the hive at the top... if you scroll back up to bigger image above... you'll see berry bushes scattered around the place... and then at the very top where they Queen eggs are, you'll see the 12 berry spots. In the example above, the gold team is leading with 4 berries to blue's 2 berries.

It's the cutest way because the drone guys actually follow the berries into each slot, and then pop their heads out and the fall out with all the grace of Winnie the Pooh carrying a pot of honey.

There are finite berries on the screen... and berries have a couple of different uses...


So many decisions...

One of the secrets to game design is decision making... the more options a player has at any one time, the more fun it is... however, if one decision is usually the optimal path, then that effectively reduces the options for players, even if there are technically a lot more options. Game balancing is super hard in any game... but I feel that the makers of Killer Queen have worked so incredibly hard to really balance this game.

Decision Number 1

Do you play as a drone or the Queen? Are you the best person to play as the Queen on your team? The Queen has the most power... they're super quick and can kill any other player on the opposing team... but everyone is out to get you, all the time... and everyone else has infinite lives. If you die 3 times... your team has lost.

Decision Number 2

If you play a worker bee/drone... do you try and ride the snail to victory... or collect berries?

The snail is super slow, and you're easily killed, but you're also tucked away at the bottom of the screen... and anyone who tries to attack you is then in a position to be attacked themselves...

The berries require so much more mobility... but that means you're jumping into areas where you're easily attacked.


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Decision Number 3

As a drone... do you use the finite berry resources to take back to the hive... or do you use them to transform into a speedy worker?

There are 5 gates on the screen...

The Queens... by flying through the gates then control them for their team. If the blue Queen flies through a gate, then only the blue drones can use that gate. A gold drone can't... even if it is carrying a berry.

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The gate to the left is the Speed Gate... the gate in the middle is the Warrior gate.

If you go through the Speed Gate and then the Warrior Gate... then you become a super fast Warrior... but that's also taken up two berries that you could have used to get an economic victory (collecting 12 berries before the other team). If you use a berry to become super fast or a warrior... and you're killed by a Queen or an opposing Warrior, then you lose those powers.

Decision Number 4

Do you use a berry to transform into a warrior?

warriors.png
Source

Unlike drones... warriors can fly... you just press the Jump button a lot.

A warrior can kill Queens, drones and opposing warriors by flying straight at them... again... if two warriors charge at each other, the one that is slightly higher will win.

A warrior cannot dive at an enemy either... so they're not nearly as nimble as the Queen character.

If a warrior dies, then he respawns as a drone.

The thing is... a drone can win the game by riding the snail into the goals... or by collecting berries to fill in the hive spots... but a warrior can only win the game by killing the quicker and more agile Queen. The warriors though can assist their Queen, and protect the drones as they try and win the game.

Decision Number 5

How does your team play? Which strategy suits your collective skill-set? How can you disrupt the other team while still achieving your goals? How will their strategy upset yours?

If you've ever played a multiplayer game with random people over the internet... you know that everyone scattering and doing their own thing is the quickest route to defeat... unless the other team is even less organized.

A game like Killer Queen removes that frustration because you're right there, standing beside your team... but also, the other team is also right there totally within earshot.

Even so... do you all play as drones? All as warriors? A mix? Do you protect your Queen or just hang with a snail?

Why is Killer Queen the best?

So I've explained what it is (kind of), how to win (touched on) and the decisions available (barely).. but I still haven't really explained why I'm so excited about this particular game.

After all, there are squintillions of games all over the world, why this one?

Probably the biggest single reason for me, is that Killer Queen is not available on any device.. anywhere, it is only available in arcades... and when I say "arcades"... I only mean:


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That's it!
While you could technically find it in the arcade and play it yourself... it's never going to be anything like playing with 9 other people.... so not only do you have to physically find an arcade that has the game... but you really can only play with 4 best friends and 5 arch-nemeses.

This unholy restriction has actually created a community... which blows my mind.

Most of the arcades organize league nights... Ground Kontrol has a league night for Killer Queen every Monday. These league nights have their own tournaments, and then those winnerers travel around the country competing against other teams until it all ends up in New York where it all started...

This video is less than a week old, filmed in Portland... and has commentators! It's an eSport yo!

This game was created by two best friends... they did everything... the coding, the pixel art, they built the cabinets themselves (obviously with help, since, y'know, nerds) and it's just grown one Uni campus, arcade, bar at a time... I love that, it's so indie.

The 1st world tragedy for me is that I used to live within walking distance of Ground Kontrol… for 2 years and never knew it existed... and now I'm an hour drive away without a car. I could have been in an interstate-travelling eSport team!!

I personally love pixel art... I love the idea of expressing a story in that very minimalist approach, so the artwork for Killer Queen just kills me. Since I can't play the game at all... I decided to get down an animate it... I built this in Pyxel Edit and Photoshop... and basically had to recreate all the bits off watching videos like the one above and continually pausing to get each frame right. It wasn't a perfect process...

Full-scene-Steem.gif
Source - Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

So, ah, if you've made it this far... well done!
There isn't a lot of information on Killer Queen available online, so I just had to share my latest obsession with you all. I've never cared for my birthday ever... and now I'm already planning a party in April at Ground Kontrol just so I can play this game again... it's just so goddamn good! And adorable! And strategic! And great! And fun! And it has cup holders!

Thanks thanks thanks!

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This game looks very interesting. Do they have any machines in Aus?

They don't... it's literally two guys working out of their garage... so I think they only make a few machines per year... and so far none have made it outside the US.... but if you ever come to visit me man....

That is awesome 2 guys are making this happen! I will def have to check it out when I can get over to US..

Simple games are the best! It might not be the best comparison -- but I've always been a huge fan of Super Smash Bros Melee (the one for the GameCube):

  • Nintendo character fighting game;
  • Two different attack buttons;
  • No crazy combos or super cheeky secret moves;
  • Fast pace and hectic;
  • But once you get into it, it got super competitive -- and there are SSBM leagues and tournaments all over the place, even with a strong community online w/ emulators.

I can only imagine how fun this 10-person arcade game would be, especially considering it's at a pub too. Get rowdy!

All the funs! I've got to get myself down there for League night to truly embrace the rowdy... hopefully someone'll let me on their team.

I've actually never played Super Smash Brothers... but I'd definitely take that over competitive twitch shooters like COD and Battlefield. I did have the PlayStation version of SSBM on the Vita which was pretty fun.

My favourite non-arcade game is Towerfall Ascension... which is probs very similar to SSBM... except all the characters act identically.

I remember a friend got obsessed with Twisted System in Fuzion Frenzy on the original XBox.
He didn't care for Halo or any of the other, cutting edge games, he was all about Twisted System.
Two buttons; Jump and Duck.

I've played Twisted System!
I had a mate that had an Xbox and would get a gang of dudes around his house... and they would all absolutely destroy me in Halo... I had no idea what was going on at any time, they all knew the maps backwards and would just fall down on me with that sword thing... but Twisted System I was competitive.. and BomberMan I would smash them. Those were the days...

One of the guys had a projector. We'd get together with a heap of beer; and do 4 player split screen on the lounge room wall.
Energy swords were vicious. I was a plasma grenade specialist. I'll stick one of those on the back of your leg and tell you about it.
You'd spin around, aim at me and almost get a shot off before you were blown up.
So incredibly satisfying.

Hey Matt, just wanted to let you know that I delegated a really small amount to @frogcake. I know I'm not eligible and that's totally, totally fine... I just love the concept so much, I've spent a lot of time thinking about engagement and trying to get Steem back to the good ol days, and I just love the idea that you guys have set up something so simple that really does encourage chatting and general Steem funness. I figure the more people that see frogcake do it's thing, the more the idea will spread around.... so good!

You've done so much for Steem, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to pay you back... but at least I can donate a little as a thank you. Keep on smashing it!

Also... guess who got sticky bombed so many times... I can't tell you how many times I blew up for no reason while my mates were laughing next to me... we were just split screen on one huge TV and I still never saw it coming.

Thanks mate. Really appreciate it.
When every city has something like frogcake the world will look very different.
I know you move around a lot, which complicates things.
It's hard to offer a lucrative option without drowning in bots. Having to meet someone, multiple times, is a good way to keep from being overwhelmed by non people.
Let's see how it shakes out over 2019.
It could eventually be the dominant model :)

It's definitely a model I'm going to copy once I start bringing the ninja warrior community across (I'm learning code to build a front end for them) so thanks for the amazing idea!

Hey, what was your Steemmonsters link again? I really should log onto that guy to see what cards I've won...

steemmonsters.com/?ref=mattclarke
Careful with SM. It'll drag you in and take all yo steem.

The simplest! Left, right, jump!
Couldn't be easier!

I never played Killer Queen, but in the Eighties I used to play Wild Gunman. You could say he was an expert on it.

Classic games can be very entertaining, especially since they are simple. When the games are too complicated, it is as if they stop being a game in the mind of those who try to win it, and instead of relaxing for a while and having fun, we end up frustrated. Or I do not know, maybe it's just my impression.

That's totally accurate. The problem with complicated games is that it doesn't really become a test of skill or strategy... but merely a test of who remembers the rules best.

Thanks so much for your comment Mr McFly... you must be getting on if you were a teenager in the 80s.

Talk about thorough dude! Awesome work! Wish I had more time for games, in fairness I probably would if I didn't watch so many shows/films!!

By far, the most interesting pixel game I have ever learned about. It's like a chess game with 9 other people and it got me reading through the post. I wonder if this one has an online version or an emulator? Would be nice to have those thrilling game sessions. I'm a firm believer that you don't need fancy graphics to enjoy a game.

Hi aussieninja,

This post has been upvoted by the Curie community curation project and associated vote trail as exceptional content (human curated and reviewed). Have a great day :)

Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.

I never played any games with a word related to killing in my life :D The only time I was playing was when I was still living with my parents and they wouldn't allow me to touch things with this word :D

The only game that I played was Super Mario. My husband still have it back home and we plan to bring it with us one day to play.

Killer Queen really sounds like your obsession. I love the enthusiasm that you put into this post. This is the most extensive review of a game that I've ever read. But I must admit that I can imagine it is addictive. Especially, because you are meeting your friends and having lots of fun.

I would go with the third option to win. Collect all the berries sounds like something for me :) I'm very bad at decision making so it's good that you listed them all and if I would ever be playing the game, I could choose from the list without thinking myself :)

This is going to be an epic Birthday party :) I'm sure your friends will love it!

howdy sir aussieninja! this game sounds like a riot and so unique! Are they only in the United States because of their small manufacturing or something? This is a great review that you put together.

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