DragonDrool

This page, created by an MIT student Jeff Breidenbach '97, is a fun game-style narrative that is witty, entertainng, and simple to navigate. Drool begins by allowing the reader to decide what type of dog they would like to be. Then, the poor puppy is whisked away to Boston, MA in a search to find it's master's stick.

The story is presented mainly in black text on a white background, with a few pictures tossed in of buildings around MIT and Harvard, and even an occasional fire hydrant. The story is not completely up to the reader, but it gives the feeling that you are in control.

Because the text is presented in such a simple manner, there are few lexia that require scrolling. One navigational disadvantage is that certain links are informational rather than transportational and therefore do not contain any links. This mandates the use of the "Back" button on the reader's web browser, which can be inconvenient. However when there are links, they are plentiful, adding to the feeling of being in control of the character's destiny. There are several lexia that are teasing dead ends and links to sounds and other pages that were never completed that distract from the mood of the story, making it less of a narrative, and reminding the reader that they are trapped within the confines of the World Wide Web.

While going through the puzzle I got stuck. There was no help options in the game, and the designer had graduated, leaving the wrong email address, so contacting him was impossible. This was very frustrating, and made me want to sblank playing. I was able to navigate through the game by "cheating" using the directories of files... thereby uncovering the ending, which I frankly found very disappointing. Additionally, traveling around the Boston area in this game would be difficult if the reader is not already familiar with it. It is helpful to know which way the Media Lab is from 77 Mass Ave., for example.


Previous | Home | Next