The Ittsy Bittsy Spider(s)

I wasn't sure if I was going to come back to this blog.  As much as I enjoyed the concept and making the posts, a different game every day became difficult with little time to enjoy the game and then no time to go into new ones.  When playing Double Dragon, I had the strong desire to stop playing new games for a while and just beat the game itself before moving onto another one.  There was the added problem that I had purchased other games and hadn't the opportunity to play them, as they continued to sit in their plastic wrapping.  So I decided to revamp the concept of the blog, from playing so many games to just playing games in general.  Hence I get to continue it and, while I may go back to doing many different games, I can actually take days off. 

So I start with spiders.

Yes, spiders.

I have this strong dislike of spiders, perhaps bordering on a phobia.  I'm not sure what sets them apart from other insects, but they simply mess with me in a way few other things do.  And video games don't really help this unreasonable dislike.  The number of games with spider enemies is vast, and though they are rarely difficult or intended to be intimidating, and they are always numerous and normally just creepy enough.  There are a few exceptions of course, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble as an example, but it is difficult to make anything in that game creepy.  But moving onto other games, one that sticks out in my mind is the Nintendo 64's Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  The first boss within the Deku Tree is Gohma the Parasitic Armored Arachnid.  The first boss is a spider, who really isn't that difficult mind you, but still a spider (it didn't help that my television when I first got the game was always dark, making him a shadow with a glowly eye). 

But I haven't been playing Zelda recently, the game I've been playing is a bit more recent:

Donkey Kong Country Returns.

The game is incredible fun, with some simple platforming and using a few moves for multiple creative uses.  The fifth world is the forest and the last level before the boss is called Muncher Marathon.  It originally made me feel like they are going to introduce a Klaptrap-type enemy and there would be a race against it or it would be chasing me.  So the level starts within a tree and with there is this bubbly yellow squishy stuff that you can bounce on...strange, but sure, why not?  I keep moving forwards until I reach some boards and I have to ground pound to break through them and continue...and learn I was wrong about my initial assumption of the level. 

The yellow bubbly stuff are spider eggs and the ground pound hatches them.....really?  And so for the remainder of the level, I am being chased by hundreds of tiny spiders which are falling over each other and filling the tunnel behind me.  There are regular enemies that impede your progress as well, but the spiders seemed more pressing.  There were also some pits to avoid, but as I jumped over them, more spiders erupted out and started chasing me. 

Now you remember me mentioning my fear of spiders?  Yeah...

And I pretty well hated the level until the end.  There are K-O-N-G letters and puzzle pieces to collect within the levels, and even though I love collecting stuff in games, I'm not even paying attention to the ones I'm passing.  I'm moving the Kongs with the only thought of doing my best to get out of there.  Needless to say I'm not going back to play the level again. 

So, glad to be done with the spiders, I am going to keep playing Donkey Kong Country Returns for a bit and then move onto something new.  I thought for a moment about playing Limbo, but one of the major enemies is a giant spider.... so, um, no.   But I'll figure out what to play when I get there.  Adios for today though.