Forums > Game Forums > The Tower of Druaga > Arcade games with puzzles, hidden endings e.g Bubble Bobble
Andrew Fisher (693) on 11/9/2022 9:22 AM · Permalink · Report
Was playing Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands (arcade), good examples of arcade games that have hidden endings, requiring collecting things or deciphering codes. Another Taito game of the time, Kiki Kaikai, also had a puzzle in the last stage for breaking the infinite loop as you try to move forward to reclaim your gods' ship, then there was Wonder Boy where you must collect the dolls to get to the boss with his final head. But Tower of Druaga, a couple of years ahead of these, beats everything for puzzles, hidden items and hidden endings. There is loads of equipment you must have in order to progress. Such a strange game for the arcade, Hydlide on the home computer and Gauntlet at the arcade probably stemmed from it and there was a sequel, but I don't know of another arcade game that took puzzle solving to that same extent.
cause a commotion! on 11/12/2022 5:11 AM · Permalink · Report
there's an important aspect of Druaga and contemporary arcade games which isn't always mentioned in coverage and discussion of the subject: the conversation among fans about the hidden mysteries of these games, whether in person or via official and unofficial publications. More interestingly, it seems many Japanese arcades had community notebooks, sometimes referred to as γ²γΌγ»γ³γγΌγ (gesennoto, or 'game center notebook'). People would write down hints and tips, discoveries and curiosities, theories and rumors...as well as a lot of doodling and goofing off.
There's even urban legends that people involved in the development of some of these games would 'leak' secrets about their work by writing them in the notebooks, either as clues or explicit directions.There isn't much mention of this phenomena on the English-speaking internet, due to apparent differences in historical arcade culture, but if you google the phrase I posted above, you'll find a number of Japanese people reminiscing about these notebooks, and even a few pictures of rare surviving examples.
Andrew Fisher (693) on 3/29/2023 11:05 PM · Permalink · Report
Yeah it sounds interesting