Monday Memories - Out of this World (Another World) - SNES

 

I remember this game as being scary or eerie as a child. I never had intentions of ever playing this game due to the creepy cut scenes that occurred during death or dangerous death defying environments that were so livid, for its time. I can remember watching the gameplay and having a weird feeling in my gut and just thinking how anyone could manage to ever play such a game. This game required so much trial and error, it was ridiculous. I would see the same levels, same cut scenes implying the characters death, and the same mistaken environmental hazard over and over until it was finally done right, only to experience a whole new set of problems. I was too young to understand a game so complicated. For its time, I would have definitely said it was ahead of gaming development of its generation. This game employed cinematic cut scenes, using the limited art design offered at the time, that were so livid and almost surreal. Facial expressions were conveyed, body movements flowed, and the cut scenes showing the characters death were all so creepily smooth. I hated it and stayed away from it.

I finally grew up and decided to give it a try, just to see what I was so scared of. I ended up finding myself in the same trial and error situation, still trying to resolve my errors. I still had the same feeling in my gut, jumping at suspenseful cinematic gameplay that would also spark suspenseful cinematic music that complemented the games performance. I was still aggravated at my level progress. I was still confused and scared. Without the help of online guides, I would have been totally lost at certain levels. The game required skill, as much as it required patience.

This game had a detailed plot that followed the protagonist, Lester, a physicist, through some experiments with particle accelerators that had gone awry. He ends up ripping a hole in time and space which pulls him through, finding himself in an alternate world, hence the video game title, Out of this World. After experiencing the visual intense cut scene, you jump straight into the action without warning, without mercy. The environment Lester finds himself in is potentially dangerous and he lacks any ability to really defend himself other than little kicks he performs to squish some terrorizing unknown habitual bug. If ever Lester comes into contact with anything, he will automatically die trigger a cut scene which will lead to his untimely death, scaring the player. Lester is completely vulnerable to his surrounding and the player has to adapt to the situation through intense chases with musical queues and evade danger. He later encounters an alien race that will lock him up in a prison where he will need to escape and get out of wherever he is. He is accompanied by a buddy, named Buddy, who will assist him with his escape because he is also a prisoner. Lester will acquire a laser gun, which has 3 unique features. The laser gun will have the capability to shoot lasers, create a barrier, and ultimately charge a powered laser shot that destroys enemy barriers or walls. Given these tools to survive, the player will again need to adapt to the environment using the same trial and error discipline. Your main goal is to escape the prison, with no real ending, the game forces an ambiguous ending forcing the player to come up with his own conclusion as to what become of Lester and Buddy.

The game was developed for other consoles before it found itself on the Super Nintendo Entertainment Sytstem (SNES), but I believe it was made famous, at least apparent to me, by that console. It had been released for Sega and Apple computers during its time, as well as other pre-existing consoles. It was released by video game developers, Interplay Entertainment, for the SNES.

The game has gone through a 20^th year anniversary where it was re-released for iOS and the iPad/iPhone. The re-release will give the player the option of re-defined visuals as well as, by the swipe of the fingers, the old layout. It makes for a fascinating reassuring buy for classic gamers. It has also had a 15^th anniversary release as well as many other ports, and many other re-releases.

I was once scared as a child and had haunting memories of this game which later forced me to track my roots and face up to my fears. I am glad I had the chance to experience this game as a child, and played through it as an adult still with the same feelings. The graphics may now seem out of date, but I am sure that at its time of release, it made lasting impressions in the video game industry and development. I know it’s made a lasting impression on me.