the elusive and strangely compelling Japanese

[topaz]

A few days ago vespid_interest brought to my attention Cursor*10, a peculiar Flash-based browser game at http://www.nekogames.jp/.  I spent an afternoon almost wholly consumed with trying to figure out how to get to the final level.  There appears to be a whole subculture of players who actually try to maximize their score, which seems like a special brand of lunacy to me.

Poking around on the same site I came across Plupon, a heartbreakingly simple and insidiously addictive game.  For decades no one has been able to write a pedagogical game that teaches basic math skills and is actually entertaining to play.  Now here out of nowhere this thing comes along.  It's a thing of wonder to me.

Comments

[dbang.livejournal.com]

I hate you.

(And of course. Isn't the point to maximize your score?)

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

When it's so difficult just to complete the game, the idea of going back to try to do it more efficiently is just beyond me.

[dbang.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Once I figured out the "secret" of completing the game, that was straightforward. The challenge, then, was figuring out how to get the most point. It did take me several tries before I got the "aha!" moment of figuring out how to solve it the first time.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

You have a quicker hand than I. I could barely get to the final level before my timer ran out.

[dbang.livejournal.com]

You know that you don't have to click all the pyramids, right? That's just how to get extra points.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

I didn't shoot any of the pyramids and I still barely made it to the final level in time!

[fengshui.livejournal.com]

Are you clicking on the box that you have to click on 99 times with every cursor?

[fraterrisus]

I HATE YOU MILKMAN TIM.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

I live but to serve!