December 3, 2008

Super MS Paint Mario

by Nick Montfort · , 7:29 am

Jason Nelson’s new game is called “i made this. you play this. we are enemies.”

The game deals with the difficult issue of his current residence in Australia. It is an investigation of the link, and of corporations and communities on the Web. There are video snippets with unusual stories or story-like discourses (about potatoes, a jar of hands, and so on) embedded within the game. There are screenshots and things to read – or not read, which might be more typical of the Web experience. Figure and ground are constantly at play, unless you are better than I am at discerning what parts of the image are background and what parts are the platforms and walls and such. And it looks pretty much like this:

i made this early screen

i made this early screen

i made this early screen

To all appearances, Jason Nelson did actually make this. He is not, however, actually your enemy. This is merely a conceit that allows him to devise a clever, fun game which you can then play. As to whether or not you do play – that, my friend, is up to you.

5 Responses to “Super MS Paint Mario”


  1. David Says:

    Wow! Thanks for sharing. I think that’s the best jumping sound effect I’ve ever heard in a game.

  2. Matt K. Says:

    Awesome. If A Humument were a video game . . .

  3. zach whalen Says:

    Love it. This comes at an excellent time since we were just discussing Nelson’s “game, game, game and again game” in my class. His fourth “direction” on the “i made this” start screen suggests at least one sense in which we may, in fact, be enemies.

  4. Sarah Hatton Says:

    Love Jason Nelson. I will never forget the “come and meet your maker” sound from “game, game….”

  5. Matt B Says:

    Well made, although for me I think it disappears into it’s own cleverness a little, which acts against the initial proposal of a rebellious experience as it becomes easily digestible as an artwork, removing the label of “art” from the game would to me, be more original and unexpected. As a game for the sake of gaming it could easily found important new work, as art it is subject to a different critique when in fact it should strive for otherness,

    As a game it is abusive to play which is utterly endearing, remove the right of the art critic to judge it and it can be something to really get behind!!

    you have found yourself a nemesis,

    and you are welcome…. x

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