Observation Report 2
Obama Alien Defense was created by a YoMe called Tim on the site Miniclip.com. Miniclip is “the worlds largest online games website with over 50 million unique users per month.” This site hosts over 450 games including several flash games. Games can be submitted to the site if you are a user or a nonuser. It costs nothing to join the site, and you can play all games on it without a membership. Because Miniclip’s games are browser based, they can be played anywhere you have an internet connection. This type of game is what many people call “flashgames.” The term refers to the video player that allows to you to access the game quickly without downloading it from the internet. However, you can usually learn to play and beat the game in a flash while there still being a challenge to more experienced gamers to get the highest score. We believe that is why Miniclip is such a successful game site. Its games appeal to the broadest array of gamers. From those who just need a quick way to take a study break, all the way to those who could spend all day trying to get the top score for a game. Obama Alien Defense was released November 5, 2009, and is already the number one game on the popular site five days later! Therefore, it’s probably safe to say that it has the broad fanbase typical of Miniclip.com.
Obama Alien Defense is definitely a different way to look at how American would be protected if an alien invasion played out. In the game you play an overly masculine Obama defending New York and London from hordes of unwelcome invaders. The story isn’t exactly deep, the controls are a little unreliable, and the music gets repetitive real fast. These are all flaws I overlooked when I came to terms with the fact that this is a flash game meant to poke fun at our President.
Obama Alien Defense is basically a side scrolling shooter with two levels. However, the game play is pretty fun and the plethora of weapons makes it a pretty decent little time waster. Anyone who has played a side-scroller from the 8-bit or 16-bit era will be familiar with the controls. In fact, if you’ve ever used a keyboard you should be perfectly comfortable with the 4-button layout in the game. There are only three or four types of enemies to zap in the game but it still offers a challenge. The checkpoints are lifesavers, especially when it comes to the two boss battles featured in the game. Overall, Obama Alien Defense is a quirky little flash game that is actually pretty fun.
While Obama Alien Defense may not be the most realistic game, it is entertaining to play. Plus, it is a great length (two levels) for the people who are most likely to play it – young adults – and it’s easy to play, so anyone from your little sister to your grandparents can try it out. The settings were creative and relevant to the game’s content – raising flags at checkpoints and even including Obama’s dog in the menu screens played into the whole pro-American idea of the game. Obama Alien Defense is a great marketing tool because it promotes Obama as being a sort of American superhero in a fun, unique way that has already managed to create a buzz on the Web.
