I just saw "Bumper Bears" in the app store. I clicked on it and played it for half an hour. Hey, it's really interesting. It's the same as Xiaoxiaole, but the painting style is cuter and the operation is more worry-free. There is no time limit, so you can spend as much time as you like. I remember when we played "Tetris", the cubes would fall down like a rush, and the game would be over if you slowed down your hands. Unlike today's young people, who can still think about life leisurely.
Speaking of this game, my first reaction was to think of the "Magic Bubbles" on the handheld console, which was also a elimination game, but there were no such high-definition bears at that time. They were all pixels. Now this "Bumper Bear" has a furry texture and blinking eyes. My daughter took one look at it and grabbed it to play with, muttering "This bear is so cute." Hey, I think back then if my parents saw me playing games, I would be beaten. Now parents play with their children. Times have really changed.
But what impresses me most about this game is not how fun it is, but how it reminds me of the changes in the game industry over the years. At that time, when we played a game, we had to buy a cassette. One game of Contra could be exchanged for three games of Super Mario Bros. We had to discuss with my classmates about switching games. What now? Just take out your phone, search the app store, and download it for free. You don't even need to recharge, and you live purely on advertising. What do you think this developer is planning? Maybe it's just for fun, or maybe you want to monetize it based on the number of users. Anyway, for us players, free prostitution is a good thing.
Let's talk about the gameplay. In fact, to put it bluntly, it's still the same old game. From “Bejeweled” to “Match-Up” to “Bumper Bears”, the core logic has not changed—match, eliminate, and get high scores. But people can just change their skin and become more popular. When I was young, I thought games had to have plots, operations, and depth. But now that I think about it, games are meant to make people happy. My cousin was playing "Genshin Impact" and thought the plot was too long, so he jumped right into it. I told him to play it alone, but he said, "I'll just draw the card and that's it." Okay, each generation has its own way of playing.
There is a design in "Bumper Bears" that I really like. The fewer bears left, the greater the reward. Isn't this just to encourage you to clear the place? It reminds me of when I was playing "Bubble Bobble" and there were still a few bubbles left. It felt like I didn't finish the last big question in the exam. I felt uncomfortable all over. Today's games are becoming more and more understanding of players' psychology. They give you small goals and sweet spots, making you unable to stop playing each level. My wife said it was childish for me to play such a small game at such an old age. I said, what do you know? This is called feelings paired with new wine. The more you drink, the better.
Finally, let's talk about the developer, Shenzhen Lieyou Technology Co., Ltd., the name is quite realistic, Lieyou, the fun of hunting games. Unlike those big manufacturers in the past, which often resorted to "fantasy world" and "demon realm". They sounded high-end, but played like that. Nowadays, small factories are more down-to-earth. They know what players want, and they make cute little games in a down-to-earth manner instead of being vain. These days, it is not easy to make a simple gameplay that makes people willing to download and play it.
Anyway, I plan to keep this game. It's nice to bump into bears while squatting on the subway. I remember that when we played GBA on the subway, we had to guard against thieves. Now when I take out my mobile phone, the whole world is my game arcade. Times have progressed, and games have also changed their tricks to please us. The only thing that hasn't changed is probably our players' love for fun. Not to mention, my daughter is grabbing the phone again. I have to connect with her to see who can eliminate more bears. When will this game get a two-player mode? Do you want the developers to work harder? 😂