In 1993, Sensible Software published a game that will be remembered by Amiga and PC players for long time for its refined and fun design: the arcade strategy game Cannon Fodder. The game mood was well represented by its catchy reggae title song which, suprisingly for the time, featured lyrics:

War!
Never been so much fun!
War!
Never been so much fun!
War!
Never been so much fun!
War!
Never been so much fun!

Go to your brother
Kill him with your gun
Leave him dying in his uniform
Dying in the sun

Its irreverent words suggests a common, insidious and unconfortable question. Have you ever wondered why destroying and killing is so much fun that's featured in almost any entertainment form?

You, as book, movie or game fan, should try to find your own answer - we are all part of this perverse audience. I'll share my thoughts in the meanwhile - and I'd like to proceed by elimination.

The first thing I've ruled out is the role of realism. Killing is engaging even if it's acted by adults playing laser tag or paintball or by kids playing cops and robbers. Even in less immersive versions, from the interactive board games like chess and Risk (best know in Italy with its 1968s variant RisiKo!) to the passive movies or books, you can feel the thrill of annihilating your enemy and the torturing afraid of being killed.

The second thing I'd like to leave out is the cathartic effect of violence in entertainment. Don't get me wrong - In my opinion it plays a key role but I'm leaving that out because it's a controversial topic that needs way too much subjectivity in order to be dealt with. Regardless of the author intentions, the catharsis happens in the viewer, according to its culture, mind and mood. And we're all different people.

The third thing to rule out is the role of the attacker and the attacked. Even if they are good guys shooting at the bad guys, cruel masterminds putting its plan in motion, slaves or heroes fighting in the arena or a vigilante making its own law, killing is still fun to play and watch.

But what about violence as way to create and quickly solve an imbalance of rights?

Imagine the scene of a man walking near a bear. The bear may attack the man for food for his right to live. The man may react and defend himself (or run) in order to keep his right to live. Based on the its empathy, the viewer may take the part of one of the two fighters.

And, paraphrasing the inspiring series Danganrompa (2010), that's the perfect time for a killing.

It's the perfect time to create an imbalance and spectacularize its resolution before the viewer eyes. Give the man a shotgun and a broken leg to the bear. Or bloody claws to the bear and a broken leg to the man. Or give a shotgun to both of them!

The slave will slay even his fellow prisoners for his right to be free and the viewer will even empathize with the murderous bad guy, since he's acting for his right to realize their aspirations.

So, in my humble opinion, a reason why killing is fun is because it's the most immediate and understandable implementation of a debate about rights. Justice and injustice, common sense and reason, philosophy and religion, even intelligence and ignorance. Everything is solved in a quick and elegant dance of bullets and blades and the judgement - right or wrong - is indisputable.

And since solving any debate peacefully always needs hours - even years - of boring and precise words, just killing it forever pulling a trigger is humanity's wet dream.

(Since killing is still not legal - or morally unaccepted - internet helped people to get creative. Today's bullets for killing ideas are short, harsh and not necessarily true sentences - but let's keep the trolling topic for another time.)

Plot!

Bring a friend, plug one or two gamepads and get ready for a constructive debate! In this split screen arena shooter game all you have to do is configure our dream arena, join the game, find the appropriate weapon and shot your arguments in your friend's face! It features a lot of discussion modes, so try them all and be constructive!

On the main menu use UP/DOWN for selecting an option and LEFT/RIGHT for changing it. A gray box will show a tip about the selected option. Once you're OK, press the A BUTTON. In the arena use UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT for moving, the A BUTTON for firing and hold down the B BUTTON for strafing (i.e. locking your aim and move). On the main menu you can change the control scheme from direction to rotation - in rotation mode use LEFT/RIGHT for rotating and UP/DOWN for moving forward and backward. Use the A BUTTON for firing. Good luck and may the best wins!

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Install / Add to home View game sources ...or play it online below!