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Saturday, July 26, 2025

NESpresso:\> Random Thoughts \ #004: Video Games are like Cakes

Video Games are like Cakes
Idea #004

Video Games are a lot like cakes & other baked goods. There's different styles, types, flavors & quality of cakes as there are with video games. This idea has came up so many times that it deserves to be the first golden oldie thought. If this gets confusing for you, don't worry too much since it may take a few read throughs to understand it. Let's get down the business & get philosophic!

First of all, you have to know what type of cake that you're going to make, whether it's angle food cake, coffee cake or a cheesecake. With video games, this would be the genre of the game being made. You have to be aware that some people may not like all cakes, just like some gamers may not like all genre of games. For example, a person who likes coffee cake may not be so fond of cheesecake while a gamer may like RPG's, but not really into Sports.

Next, once you have the type of cake figured out, the receipe & the ingredents comes up. For games, it's the storyline or premise of the game as well as the characters in the game. Again, different cakes (like games) have different receipes while similar cakes (& games) may have different variations on the same type (genre) of cake (game). Some receipes may be simple while others are more complex to make, however it's up to the chefs (the people who make the game) to decide how hard they'll have to work. Like cakes, certain ingredents should NEVER get mixed into certain cakes while certain characters should NEVER get mixed into games. A good example is Mario & Lara Croft... it may sound like a good mix, but it's just a receipe for disaster.

Third, it's time for the bakers (programmers) to make the batter (code) & bake (create) the cake (game). This is usually the hardest, if not the most trying of the creation process in games. The programmers make the game, trying to make sure that nothing wrong goes on while the game testers try to "break" the game by finding bugs in the game. For cakes, the bakers put the cake into the oven while other chefs or the baker's kids peek into the oven periodically to make sure that the cake doesn't get burnt or goes flat. Should something bad happens to the cake, they have to throw out that cake & make another one. In video games, should the testers find a bug in the game, they tell the programmers & they have to work on that section all over again. However, they don't have to start from scratch.

After the cake is baked to perfection, the next step is to decorate the cake with frosting or toppings. For video games, it's the graphics of the game. This is probably the hardest to balance out since various people have different tastes. If the decorations are done right, the cake looks attractive & people will want it. If the decorations are done poorly, people will pass it around like so many fruitcakes around the holidays. A good, modern example of graphical balance is Metroid Prime (GCN) with it's lush landscapes that aren't only stunning, but functional. On the flipside, a poor example would be BMX XXX (multiplatform) where their cheap thrills of nudity disgusted many gamers. The other part of decoration (graphics) is proportion control. Realistically, you wouldn't put an entire can of frosting on a cupcake as you wouldn't make your graphics so out there that it smothers out the game. Unfortunately, some people (which I refer to as "Graphic Whores") crave good decorations (graphics) so much that they lose sight of the cake (game) which they should be looking at. A good example of balance would be The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) where the background & the character graphics are perfectly balanced, which makes the game more realistic. A poor example of balance would be Final Fantasy VII (PS1 / PC) where the backgrounds are a little too perfect for the characters that play on them, therefore you lose some of the realistic properties.

Another part of the decoration which is usually not considered a lot in games is the sound of the game. The background music & the sound effects of a game should accent a game, just like sprinkles & other extras accent a cake. If the sound is done poorly, most players will either tune the sound out or pop in their favorite music. If the sound is done just right, it can really move players. In horror games, you really wouldn't want to hear something cheery & upbeat through the game, just as you wouldn't want to hear something dreary at something joyous like a wedding. One thing that is probably hard to prevent is repetition of music. If you hear one tune over & over through the game, you'd want to listen to your own music to get that tune out of your head.

Fifth, any great cake is useless if you can't properly cut up the cake to eat. For games, if the controls are too complex to understand or perform, people will get frustrated & get rid of the game. Cakes should be easy to cut as games should be easy to play. You wouldn't take a chainsaw to cake just like you wouldn't study for a PhD to play a game. This also holds true for the menus of the game. If it takes you 5 minutes of tinkering to get into the game under default settings, you'll most likely throw the game in the closet. A good example of simple controls is the DDR series (multiplatform) since it's a very simple format they use while the Oddworld series is considered poor for it's complex controls.

Another part of that also dictates a game is it's gameplay quality. This is usually decided while the game is getting created (cake being baked), but it doesn't come into focus until it's completed. Gameplay is a critical component to players, like the flavor of a cake is to hungry people. If the cake tastes like dirt, people will demand their money back just like gamers who buy a poorly structured game. It may seem like a double standard, but the gameplay should be easy to pick up & hard to master.

Second to last, no game would be complete without it's replay value just like a cake wouldn't be great if people didn't want seconds. This is probably the hardest component to fullfill since it's has the hardest audience to confront & it's cursed with the Law of Deminishing Returns which states that the more you do something, the less you'll enjoy it... or according to Red Green, you have to work twice as hard to make it like 5% more enjoyable (or something like that). Things that usually help the replay value are unlockable items, codes & cheats, various difficulty levels & multiplayer mode. Multiplayer mode is usually the easiest to do since a game can be more fun when you play with others like it's better when you share a cake. Sometimes, your friends could surprise you with moves or strategies that the computer players would NEVER use!

Finally, some games shouldn't be judged by their looks alone just like cakes shouldn't be bought just because it looks delicious. Some games may look great, but play horribly while other games may not look so hot, but are hidden jems. For example, 18-Wheeler (multiplatform) by Sega looks great on the outside, but is TERRIBLE when you play it while Earthbound (SNES) by Nintendo may not look pleasing, but has an excellent storyline & gameplay. Pretty much the best cliché is "You can't judge a book my it's cover" & it applies to video games as well. That's why gaming magazines get subscribers so they can tell gamers which games are good while others are crap. So it's best to try a game before you judge it.

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