Space Dreams
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Space Dreams is a top-scrolling space shooter video game and was one of 52 games contained on the Action 52 video game cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Action 52 was released in 1991[1] by Active Enterprises and sold for $199.99[2]. Though Action 52 was initially touted by its creators for having 52 games on one cartridge, it was riddled with problems like programming errors and bugs, poor play controls, low-quality graphics and music, unfinished levels, and a host of other issues. Due to these issues Action 52 has gained a reputation as one of the worst NES games of all time[3]. Space Dreams is listed as game number 20 on Action 52. The background music to Space Dreams is very similar to the music on the Action 52 game Dam Busters.
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[edit] Story
In the game the player controls a baby's pacifier that flies through outer space. This flying binky is said to be trying to reach a black hole that contains all of its space dreams, though in the game there is no actual black hole to reach, nor is their any ending thus the player never gets to see the pacifier receive any of its space dreams. The story, as taken from the game manual, is as follows: "There is a black hole and on the other side are all your space dreams. You must get past all of the obstacles to enter the hole and realize your dreams.[4]"
[edit] Gameplay
[edit] Controls
The pacifier can move up, down, left, and right with the control pad. The A button fires a projectile from the pacifier and up the screen, defeating any enemy it touches. Pressing "start" will pause the game and holding "start" and "select" will return the player to the game's main menu, from which the player can return to the Action 52 game select screen.
[edit] Environment
The levels in Space Dreams all take place in oddly-textured outer space levels. There are many different enemies, like teddy bears, safety pins, and dolls, which will decend from the top of the screen and move down in an attempt to hit the player's pacifier. In addtion to the enemies, there are "sun spots" embedded into the level design that serve as obstacles that must be avoided. Some of the enemies will shoot projectiles of their own that will decend from the top of the screen and will also try to hit the player's pacifier. All of the enemies' movements are the same, that is, they only move directly down and cannot move horizontally or back up the screen. If the player's pacifier gets hit either by an enemy or a projectile the game will end, the player will lose a life, and the player will have to start over again from the beginning of the level in which the player died. The player has three lives, and when those lives are exhausted the player must start again from the beginning of level 1. There are 12 levels, all of them very similar. A player finishes a level when they have gone a predetermined distance in that level. There are no bosses and there is no ending.
[edit] Ending Controversy
Space Dreams has no ending. When level 12 is completed the player will simply be brought back to the beginning of level 1. This is in contradiction to the game's story which states that the goal is to reach a black hole which will help the player realize their dreams. The game contains no black hole, nor does it contain any information on what dreams the player attains. It is unknown as to whether the game lacked an ending on purpose, or if this is just one of the many glitches and/or unfinished parts for which Action 52 is famous.
[edit] Glitches
-Like most Action 52 games, the game suffers from the inability to display multiple sprites, especially when lined up vertically. When multiple sprites are displayed some of the sprites will flash between a state of being visible and invisible, making gameplay more awkward and difficult.
-The game suffers from a very low frame rate and is extremely choppy and lacks fluidity of movement. This can make game play both difficult and frustrating.
-Though it is not completely known if it is a glitch or not, the game nontheless lacks any sort of ending or confirmation of completion. The game will simply return the player to the first level after the final level has been completed.
