ChallengeMode
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Geometry Wars dumbed down for celly release
Gamasutra sat down with Bizarre Creations' Community and Web Lead Ben Ward to figure out just how the heck Geometry Wars is going to fly on the mobile platform. Turns out, it won't -- at least, not in the traditional sense of the game. The controls have been overhauled dumbed down to accommodate for the lack of dual-analogue sticks. In the mobile version, the ship is always firing forward (the direction of fire cannot be changed or stopped), and the arrow keys (on the keypad) direct the ship's course -- double-tapping the center button initiates a strafe move. These limitations have forced developers to re-program enemy AI, as well as slow down the pace and scale of the beloved Xbox 360 Live Arcade original. Geometry Wars Mobile will be padded with some new content, namely a Challenge Mode. The new mode expands on the achievements awarded in the Xbox 360 version, featuring challenges like Survivor (how long can you play without dying). Players can then post their best times and scores onto a network leaderboard.
Secret New Super Mario Bros. Challenge mode: Elation to displeasure in fifteen seconds flat [Update 1]
First off, the good news. Your copy of New Super Mario Bros. has a heretofore completely undiscovered secret mode of play, dubbed "Challenge Mode" by the creators. Certainly, this mere sentence has already launched your hopes and potential delight into the ionosphere. So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to take out your copy of NSMB right now, and turn it on. You're going to start up your game and go into the World Map pause screen. You'll then enter this button combination: L R L R X X Y Y. The screen will flash "Welcome to the secret Challenge mode". You'll enter a level of your choosing, and find out that what Nintendo considers a "challenge" is actually an almost inconsequential and possibly quite irritating facet of gameplay: in Challenge mode, the game will no longer allow you to backtrack in levels. You're going to then cry many tears of pain, for your hopes have been dashed 'gainst the sharp rocks of reality. Okay, so it's a nice throwback to the old days of the original Super Mario Bros., and that's not actually a bad thing. Still, gamers these days prefer the option of backtracking for hidden coins and whatnot, and labelling such a minor addition as a secret Challenge mode is a bit of a faux pas, no? [Update 1: Commenters are reporting that the code appears to function only once the game has been beaten. Why haven't you beaten it yet? Go go go!] [Thanks, Lotsofno!]
