sonic2001.jpg“Wikipedia User: Ulillilla. Brief History:

During 1988 until about 2003, I was heavily involved with video games, one of the categories I contribute to Wikipedia on.

I first play games normally, but when done, I accomplish self-made challenges (like getting tossed up at 2400 mph in Super Monkey Ball 2), find bugs, and various other things that can keep me at a single game for even over 1000 hours (combined total).

Coincidentally, however, I end up studying game mechanics to very fine details, right down to the mathematical formulas and algorithms.”

Ulillillia is an internet gem. A young man with Aspergers and a knack for disarmingly simple and beautiful prose, his website is a treasure trove of precious insights into his intriguing mind.

In his posts he details his perspective on life, fear and videogames – a better remit for a website you’d struggle to find. You should read it now.

Today I found (6 months late) that Ulillillia has posted some Youtube videos of some of the ways he explores/ messes with videogame worlds after he’s completed the main game.

Most worryingly (or ‘the best’ according to Ste Curran) is one in which he drowns Sonic the Hedgehog’s sidekick Tails in five different ways.

“Drowning Tails is my top favorite thing to do in Sonic,” he writes. “It has kept me at the game for more than twice as long as every other reason combined, including debug.”

Beyond that piece of dark videogame performance art is a detailed breakdown of five secrets (a.k.a. bugs) he’s uncovered in the second level of obscure (and terrible) PlayStation platformer, Bubsy 3D (see below).

I love the way he approaches and dissects the game with such care and attention (he claims in the Youtube write up that he played the level for 500 cumulative hours). It’s so different but also perfectly logical, methodical and childlike. He would be the very best of the testers.