Whatever the definition of "art", it will somehow be associated with the concept of "image". Each person perceives reality through images. But the artist’s task is show their most reality in order to change her. The question arises whether the Creator can create a “best image” to achieve this goal? I would answer no, because it is subjective ... if not for one but. In the 20th century, one person was able to portray "The best image". This geometric object was pure art. With his simplicity, he gave the creator power over reality. The very existence of the image divided the whole world into “denying” and “hosts”, and despite endless disputes, All Helped the image to achieve immortality. Most likely, you already see the outfit of the eye, what specifically is about. It makes no sense to hide, of course, I'm talking about ..

... pink circle.

Kirby -This is the best mask that has ever existed. He is incredibly recognizable, anyone can draw him, and, most importantly, he perfectly personifies his franchise. You get what you see: and Kirby, And his games are very sweet and extremely friendly. But it is worth recognizing them better, and it turns out that they are able to truly surprise and challenge those who underestimate them. Nevertheless, they do not live to surprise someone. They are satisfied if they are remembered as "Something for children", Because there is nothing wrong with helping several generations to love video games. Kirby I’m more confident than I! At the same time, I have enough confidence that he deserves your attention. At least because to find out Kirby - This is a good reason to meet two very special developers.

Imagine: Japan, beginning of the 80s. You are interested in computers, and, to your happiness, the latest models are worth. True, they are too expensive to take them themselves, but your curiosity is too great. You continue to visit the computer department, and other people do the same. You begin to communicate with them. They give you advice, you are in response, and together share the programs through the cassettes. You feel that you are surrounded by the same passionate people like you. It was in this situation that Hal Laboratory under the initiative of an employee of one of these departments. He gathered a group of computer enthusiasts, and then they created a company together. Name Hal meant that they were one letter in front IBM, one of the largest technological corporations. As you can see, Hal Laboratory ambitions cannot be occupied, even if its employees worked in a one -room apartment, and there was only one programmer among them, Satoror Ivat.

But what a programmer! Super From school years he was fond of computers, created games on a calculator and disassembled Comodore Pet for interest. Ivata He worked in a HAL designer, a marketer, as well as a customer of food and a cleaner. It was he who made the most important decision in the history of the company. Satoror Ivat believed that Famicom, or Nes, "Change the world" and wanted to take part in this. As a result, cooperation between Nintendo And Hal Laboratory. And these relations benefit both companies. The first one knew who to contact in the case of a project lagging behind the schedule (for example, classic Pinball, who was able to fix Hal). The second released games on the console, received investments and Fame: The company's logo began to appear on many boxes.

Soon this was a young guy by name Masahiro 666 Casino review Sakurai. Any other would not give the letters h, a, l in great importance. But the cartridge was in the hands Masahiro Not because of a simple desire to play. Sakurai At that time I spent study. He bought and passed as many games as possible. After all, having chosen the path of the developer, he wanted to know what made the games funny. In the process he liked Hal Laboratory, and after some time he came to the company for an interview. The interview was conducted by Sator Ivat, whose smile and attentive attitude towards words made a good impression on Masakhiro. At the same time, Ivat saw a "very special person" in a stranger. In the end, Masakhiro Sakurai received a job in Hal, and Satoror became a mentor for him.

I didn't have to wait a long time. The company was looking for "easily accessible games ", ideas for which any employee could voiced. When Sakurai heard this goal, he remembered the moment from the past. He was a good enough player in arcade machines. Even won 50 consecutive matches in Street Fighter 2. And once he saw King of Fighters 95 machine guns, set so as not to see his opponent. Masakhiro decided to participate in one of the matches and felt excellent. He won, destroyed another player and was in his element. After the victory, he looked at the man after another automatic, and all the joy disappeared immediately: his opponent was a complete beginner who simply wanted to have fun with the second half. Sakurai was ashamed that he might prevent someone from falling in love with a game or even games in principle.

To prevent this, Masakhiro decided to make his first project accessible to beginners. Nineteen -year -old Sakurai came up with an early concept of the game Twinkle Popo and showed him to his colleagues. It was a platformer where the hero could use the opponents themselves to attack. There was nothing concrete yet, even the appearance of the hero was left for later. Instead, the Creator painted a circle with paws and large legs. However, the team liked it so much that it was this "character" that became the hero of the Popopo. Hal Laboratory took up the project.

The development began as follows: “We need to create a simple game. We will make a hero to survive a few attacks. Stop, this is a platformer, and according to the law of the genre, he must immediately die from falling into a hole. But some kind of dissonance is obtained on the issue of complexity. Can give the ability to fly around the abyss? How will he do it? He will pout, gaining air in the mouth. Oh, if he can, then why not absorb opponents, and then spit them out as shells in the form of stars!"So it turned out a gameplay that was clear to any child and made a fun game. And the management consisted of only two buttons and crosses, that is, it was perfect for a popular console Gameboy.

Of course, not all work on the game went so smoothly. Sakurai used the console for programming Twin Famicom. She had connectors for cartridges and disks, as well as for additional devices like trackball (analogue of mouse). But she did not support the keyboard, so Masakhiro wrote the code, choosing letters on the screen using a cursor. He described the process as "cooking lunch using lunchbox". Fortunately, Hal owned software for a slightly more convenient visual programming. However, this did not solve the problem with the restriction from memory. The whole game had to be fitted at 512 kilobits. Not a kilobyte, but 8 times less. Therefore, I had to re -use sprites, limit personnel and reflect on level design. The desire to make a cheerful experience also brought a mountain of difficulties. For example, the victory over the boss was supposed to be accompanied by a hero dance to joyful music. But the composer could not answer the question "How many personnel in the melody". Then Sakurai kept the song on the cassette and during the creation of the animation listened to it again, and again, and again.

And you know what? On the one hand, the terrible first impression - I can only imagine what stress Sakurah survived! On the other hand, Hal Laboratory could not make opponents going down the stairs. But so the levels were played more interesting. Masakhiro could not listen to the victorious melody again and again to perfectly reorganize the dance of Popopo. But so the player's achievements were rewarded. And the team could not listen to some newcomer there from the very beginning. But Satoror Ivata, designer Tatsuya Notia, composer Jun Ishikawa and others - they believed in Masakhiro and burned the desire to turn his project into a game that everyone would like.

After some time, the team finished work on Twinkle Popo. It remained only to find out the number of preliminary orders, and could be sent copies to stores ..

26 thousand. It was ... not a terrible number. However, it did not justify the number of hours spent and forces. Hal Laboratory believed that the game deserved the best! For this reason, the company turned to Nintendo for help. Myself Sigar Miyamoto, The creator of Mario and many other franchises, saw the potential in the project, but was required rebranding. The name Popopo would not have attracted an American audience, so Nintendo has compiled a list of more suitable names for HAL to choose from. I got to them Kirby. And so, after a small transfer and 2 years of development, the game was released, and this small but exhausting charm Adventure attracted the attention of gamers and people far from video games. Kirby’s Dream Land sold more than 5 million copies around the world, almost 200 times more preliminary orders. The first project of a young developer was a success.

Subsequently, Masakhiro Sakurai will create more adventures of the pink circle;A couple of not very popular, but good games and fighting playing Super Smash Bros., which will become one of the most influential franchises in the entire gaming industry. She will collect crowds with her events, create a whole culture with her legends and reveal the beauty of games to many generations. And all this would not have happened if Satoru Ivat and Hal Laboratory were not imbued with the desire of some newcomer to create something good and important. As for the mentor himself, Ivat in the future will become the fourth president of Nintendo and, taking advantage of his experience in Hal, will strive to return people's interest in video. His policy will lead to the new Golden Age of the company, to the creation of one of the best -selling consoles of all time and one of the most beloved games. The motto was the same: “Games are called to be one: funny. Fun for everyone ". And I can’t help but think that one “very special person” influenced his motto.

I wanted to end the text with a classic congratulation on the New Year - after all, December outside the window. But we will be honest, the lack of New Year's mood becomes the same tradition as the holiday itself. The last 3 years have shown how outside our control the course of our lives is. And this thought does not have a careless fun, but makes you just lie down and not get up. But stories such as Masakhiro's careers and Satorer pushing me to move on. Kirby is an image for whose simplicity an unshakable desire to help and unite people is worth. And the success of the creators is an example of what a little sympathy can lead to. Perhaps if we continue to believe at least a little in the best and use this faith in something, even in the very seemingly incredible one, we will achieve something Funny.

This blog was created as part of a small “movement” that I wanted to arrange in honor of the holiday. We, the authors of the blogs, decided to get together and share small stories and memories, one way or another related to the topic "Game Gifts". The reason for my text was last year-new souvenirs from my friends. No, they did not agree to give me things in the same topic - they just know me too well.