the thrill of combat is the latest project in messhof’s ongoing effort to reinvent the art gallery as a new arcade. what we’ve lost a great deal of with the closing of the arcades is the presence of games designed to be played with unique controls or in a unique context. the majority of contemporary games are designed to fit as many home computers as possible – developers have to eat! – but what’s being lost is the opportunity to design the experience in which the game is embedded: to design not just the game but how the game is experienced.

thrill of combat was installed in mocca toronto, where it was played with a steering wheel and joystick. one player steered the helicopter while a second player collected organs from “donors” using a laser. you can download the game to play on your own computer at the cost of five us dollars. at home, the WASD keys are used to steer the helicopter and the mouse to aim the laser, meaning the game can be played by a single player without much trouble. (that some tasks only require one or the other player’s attention helps, too.)

you can also give the helicopter a spin in party boat, the thrill of combat’s play-online kid brother. but you ought to buy thrill and help messhof eat.