Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Campanella 3
Aug 29, 2025
Join Liz Ryerson, a multifaceted musician and writer, Adam Conover, the comedic mastermind behind Adam Ruins Everything, and Steve Gillham, a seasoned games critic, as they dive into the universe of Campanella 3. They dissect its rail-shooter mechanics, debate franchise identity, and analyze the nuances of difficulty and player strategies. The trio also explores the game's rhythmic design and hidden microgames, all while teasing intriguing narratives within the UFO 50 collection. Expect insights and laughs in this engaging conversation!
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Episode notes
How Campanella 3 Plays
- Steve Gillham explains Campanella 3 as a rail shooter mixing background enemies with on-plane threats and four waves per stage.
- He highlights unique mechanics like shooting into depth and an orthogonal plane that create a two-plate juggling sensation.
Directional Firing Inverts Strafe
- The game's fire-while-moving mechanic inverts typical strafing: direction locks to movement direction at shot start.
- Adam Conover says this creates a novel muscle-memory challenge unlike most shooters.
Pseudo‑3D Tricks Have Deep Roots
- Many pseudo-3D tricks in Campanella 3 trace back to early games like Star Raiders and Wing Commander.
- Adam Conover and Andy Nealon note the technique's long history dating to 1980-era sprite math.