Friday, April 9, 2010

Impossible 2 – A Heated Challenge

Ever since their implementation, leaderboards have always been a driving force for players. They provide fun and sometimes heated challenges that keep you coming back for more. That’s good news for the designer, as it means that they receive multiple plays from several users.

Good leaderboard challenges are generally those that do not have a specified high score. Generally that means that the level is timed, and remaining time leads to bonus points. When a challenge gets really heated, a split second can mean the difference between a gold and a silver medal.

Before the official launch, Dave Werner (OkaySamurai) developed a level designed to showcase the new ragdoll effects of dying. In the process, he got a little carried away. The result was known as Impossible 2 (sequel to the original Impossible, which has since been removed from the play browser). An unintentional challenge, it has quickly turned into one of the most played and hottest leaderboard challenges in the game’s history.

Impossible 2 

No one is exactly sure why Impossible 2 is as popular as it is. When looking at it, the level is composed of a long stretch of stone blocks loaded with fire-breathing birds, spinning owl traps, and spiked platforms. This level could quite literally be created in less than fifteen minutes. Regardless of its simplicity, players have fought with tooth and nail for the prized gold medal.

While the name implies that the level itself is unbeatable, that is not the case. At the time of writing, there are 43 ranking on the leaderboards. So how do players manage to beat it? Timing, precision jumping, and above all, luck. Finding a path to the finish flag can be incredibly difficult to do, but once you do, you’d better start memorizing it if you have any dreams of ranking high in the leaderboards. The best tip I can offer is to find a pattern and stick with it. After quite a few frustrating tries, you’re bound to make it to the end.

At the time of writing, there’s a three way tie for first place. Multiplayer, Evilpumpkin95, and CloakedYoshi13 have managed to escape the level with a total of 100,185 points. If you think you’re a good player, I highly suggest you take on their scores. May the best player win!

That’s all for today, everyone. Thanks for reading!

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