2D vs 3D In the 1980s and 90s, programmers began developing games with 3D computer graphics. These were more realistic than games with 2D images and allowed the players more freedom to explore the virtual world. New games consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox used all the power of newer technology to create open world games with immersive gameplay. Games now came with tutorials to take the player through the increasingly complicated controllers and with extra downloadable content for more adventures. It seemed that the days of 2D gaming were over. Or were they?

Return to 2D

As smartphones became the must-have gadget for the new millennium, designers were looking for games that could be played on them. 2D games were cheaper to produce than 3D ones and didn't require as much computer memory. 2012, AngryBirds was the first mobile game to reach 1 billion downloads. Today, Angry Birds is so popular that it has been downloaded over 3 billion times, has produced a range of toys and a film that was a box-office hit. 2D games are back. Console makers have released modern versions of old 2D consoles that are sold as collector's items, and new games are still being produced. So while excellent

graphics and complex gameplay are a must for any serious gamer, it seems there's still a place in their hearts for little pixelated characters who run and jump to collect gold coins.

The World of 2D Gaming

You may think that games with 2D computer graphics are a thing of the

past, but these cartoon-like games are making a surprise comeback. So

maybe it's time to find out about the wonderful world of 2D gaming.

Making 2D

To create 2D video games, you need to know how to code.

Computer programmers must write a series of commmands that the

computer can understand. They use code to create the characters and

program them to interact with other objects in the game. Early 2D

characters were made from just a few pixels - small squares that were

combined to create a simplistic-looking character.

The Early Heroes

In the 1970s and 1980s, there were no consoles to play your favourite

2D games on in the comfort of your own home. There, they

defended the Earth from aliens in the shooter game Space Invaders or

bounced around in platform games such as Donkey Kong or Mario Bros.

In these games, the characters run left or right across the screen leaping

from one platform to the next. Mario Bros. , courageous

plumber Mario tries to defeat creatures coming out of New York's

sewers. The arcade video games may seem simplistic compared to

today's complex open world adventures, but these games captured the

imagination of a whole generation of gamers.

Check these words

make a comeback, code, interact, pixels, simplistic, complex,

open world adventures, capture the imagination, realistic,

freedom, tutorial, increasingly, downloadable content, must-

have gadget, computer memory, download, collector's item,

graphics, must, serious, pixelated, suitable

1 . Match the words in bold in the text

to their meanings.

• need • essential • protected • brave

orders • have an effect on each other

• joined • more and more

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