Since Sunday is a slow day for news, let’s take a moment to muse over games from the past. No game is an island, and the best games of today are built on the most visionary games from years gone by. One of the most influential games ever made is M.U.L.E., a sort of colony-building economic sim with cutthroat vicious multiplayer that makes Street Fighter look like a synchronized water ballet of friendliness and cooperation. Maybe you’ve heard of M.U.L.E. and maybe you haven’t, but traces of this game are found in almost every modern game with a player economy. Like, say, World of Warcraft and EVE Online. Check out this article that talks about M.U.L.E. and its influence on gaming. 1UP has the story.
Back in the days before the Graphics Fairy visited, good games had to impress with their mechanics and gameplay. M.U.L.E. is more or less the champion of gameplay that does what it sets out to do, that is, transforming ordinary human beings into frothing animals filled with greed and hate. It’s amazing.