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[Piano]

x0

at x1 I have my current life, which I'm using, and then one in reserve.

 

[william_557]

i think x0 is much better because it gives you 1 more chance then x1 being the last life

 

[Death Penalty]

Since I always heard them called "extra lives", I go with x0. If it's x1, it suggests to me that I have one "extra life" left.

 

[MasterCheeze]

The game's not over until you have no lives to lose. x0

 

[rpmurphy]

x0 because I'm a computer.

 

[Regiruler]

For games that give you a high life count (e.g. mario where you can easily get upwards of 30 in many titles) it really doesn't matter IMO.

For something lower like Mega Man then x0 for sure.

 

[CouchMaster]

x0 because you're using the last life you got to play the game.

 

[HueyFreeman]

Haha what a wonderfully specific thread. And framed so seriously. Just awesome stuff.

 

[BurnOutBrighter]

The indicator has always meant "lives remaining".

x0 means you have zero lives remaining and are on your last life.

A lot of arcade games actually put a sprite of your character next to the indicator - one for each life. So if the guy you were controlling died, you knew had x more on the screen that could jump into the action.

 

[serversurfer]

i think x0 is much better because it gives you 1 more chance then x1 being the last life

This post goes to 11.

 

[Eusis]

Ha, it's funny how nowadays you normally don't see a Game Over screen in a Mario game.

x0 is better.

That's because we got better, or so I'd assume for most of us. Try going back to SMB3 or World and see how many lives you rack up if you're using the save states Nintendo platforms offer.

This admittedly is an advantage we DIDN'T have back then, but it also makes a good reference point given that this is exactly what's going on with most modern Mario titles outside of the Galaxy games.

EDIT: And x0. No ambiguity, it's like how many of an item you have left, etc.

 

[WonderCheese]

x0 no ambiguity

Exactly. x0.

 

[Cheska]

Always x0. x1 gives me false hope

 

[GoodCoffeeJoey]

x0. x1 looks like I've another life in reserve.

 

[Chettlar]

x0

I prefer the "lives" meter to show how many extra lives I have.

That's only if I have numbers of course. If you've got physical hearts and things, then I like those to be representative of exactly what's going on, including the life I'm currently on.

 

[themagicalkitsune]

x0

edit: wait I was confused. x0!

But 0! = 1...

Spoiler

hueh

x0, as there's no confusion if I'm on my last life or not.

 

[BPoole]

x0.

x1 can be interpreted in two different ways

 

[blamite]

x0

It's showing how many extra lives you have, the one you're currently using shouldn't be counted.

 

[J3ffro]

x0!

 

[SkyOdin]

I can't even think of any x1 games off of the top of my head. The x0 scheme is an entrenched convention in many of the platformers and arcade-style games I have played. It just works, since the x0 leaves no doubt that you are on your least life.

 

[NotDreamcast]

x0

I mean, it's not like you can have -1 lives.

 

[wondermega]

X0
Because it isn't confusing
Also it looks like a sideways screaming face which signifies that death is a mere heartbeat away

 

[PetriP-TNT]

How is zero any clearer? No confusion? It's the same exact thing when you are at x1 unless you start with zero lives

 

[soxinthebox]

x0 makes more sense in my head since there's no retries remaining

 

[old]

0. No ambiguity if then about whether I have another life.

 

[MormaPope]

x1 because its more hype. You got one chance left, one life, one opportunity. x0 feels like a handout even though its the same thing. Plus 0 means nothing, so after that what would be the next number be? -1? x1 to 0 makes more sense than x0 to (?).

 

[kinoki]

To the people who reason for x1 I'll say: like most of you know we can still be alive and have no life.

 

[Mariolee]

Originally was x1, since that's what I feel like I'm used to, but the reasoning in this thread has won me over. x0 it is.

But I'm such a fantastic gamer that I've never had to notice the difference.

 

[jtenma]

Lol. So much fail in this thread.

Thw original meaning of lives at 1 was "x1". This was because it was your character "1" times (or x) "1".

1 (or you) x 1 = 1

2 x 1 = 2

And so on..

Take a guess why the "x" is there. It isnt just there because it wants to look cool...

Spoiler

Ps. I am being sarcastic, but it is still true

.

 

[Deified Data]

x0.

The number denotes extra lives. If you have 0 it means you can only die one more time.

 

[Kriken]

x1 for me, it lets me know that's my last life, once the 1 is gone, game over. Also, makes x'Y' actually mean the # of lives you have left as opposed to x'Y+1'

 

[Shun]

Neither because I'll never be in a situation where I'm down to my last life unless it's a shmup.

I prefer x1 anyway.

 

[Zeyphersan]

It depends on if it's a number being displayed (x0, x1, x2) or physical objects you can count (Smash Bros stock battles, for example). If it's just numbers, x0. If objects are lined up, I should die when the last one disappears (x1, in other words)

 

[hokagespit]

x0 should be game over screen
x1 is when im about to launch that last life into x0

 

[Uncle Rupee]

0.

The lives counter shows lives in reserve, so if it says 1 it means you have 1 left in reserve.

 

[Adry9]

X1 for me.

 

[Shojx]

I think I prefer x1.

If a cat has x9 lives, once it dies nine times the counter will reach x0.
At that point, the cat doesn't get an extra tenth life, it's dead.

 

[bidguy]

i always thought x1 means 1x1.

so 1x0 would be your last life so x1 for your last life wont make much sense

 

[notBald]

I've played plenty of SMW but never noticed the life counter stopping at x1. But then, it's hard to run out of life in that game.

I'll go with x0. No ambiguity.

 

[nded]

I guess I prefer x0. There's really only one way to interpret that.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

x0 because I have none left, and as the person above me said there's no way to misinterpret "Zero Lives Left"

 

[Sami+]

x0. I hate being unsure.

 

[SkullHydra]

X0

In my head they're items so the number represents how many you have remaining to use.

Exactly this. That counter tells me how many extra lives I have left. My current life is my actual character, so having 0 left makes sense to me.

I think I prefer x1.

If a cat has x9 lives, once it dies nine times the counter will reach x0.
At that point, the cat doesn't get an extra tenth life, it's dead.

I see it as the cat is currently using one life, so it has x8 extra lives.

 

[Ezalc]

x0 since you got none left.

This,

 

[MikeDip]

The indicator has always meant "lives remaining".

x0 means you have zero lives remaining and are on your last life.

A lot of arcade games actually put a sprite of your character next to the indicator - one for each life. So if the guy you were controlling died, you knew had x more on the screen that could jump into the action.

This is exactly how I feel.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

It's a token, for me, so I always accepted x0 as making more sense.

You play, you die, you give up a token to continue playing.

 

[FallingSputnik]

x1 for me.

 

[Grayman]

Having 0 lives left always bugged me lol, as a kid I always said "If I have no lives, how am I alive right now?".

x1 for me.

i looked at the current life as being "in play" as well. Does super mario bros die on zero? i always thought it was three strikes not four.

 

[Earthpainting]

I guess it depends on whether they are seen as your "amount of lives" or your "amount of extra lives". I think I would prefer x1, but I see I'm in the minority on this. I suppose it doesn't matter much. I can play games from the assumption that x1 is my last one, and get pleasantly surprised in the case I get one more.

 

[soxinthebox]

If a cat has x9 lives

Let's be honest, no one has said that ever.