Posted by Tim
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:34:00 GMT
Competition entries for the latest Casual Gameplay Competition are coming thick and fast, and as is the norm with these sort of contests there are bound to be several standouts among all the submissions. (Sprout was Derek’s favorite from the last one.)
The “Replay” theme was imaginatively applied to at least one entry so far (Super Earth Defense Game, not unlike Historica), and if the rest of the submissions are anything like it then we’re in for a treat.
Posted in Browser Games, Casual, Competitions | 5 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Fri, 13 Jul 2007 03:47:00 GMT
I’ve seen this top 100 list posted in a number of places and everyone seems quite positive about it. Why is no one mentioning that half the links have affiliate referral codes in them? The more I think about it, the more I am horrified by it. What we have here is an indie gaming news site run by a Reflexive employee, hosted by a Pop Cap studio, running a list called “The Top 100 Indie Games” that is little more than a portal front page. What the goddamn hell?! Can someone explain this? Russ, c’mon now!
Jesus, Big Kahuna Reef at #25. A fucking match 3 with shitty graphics that even Mike Hommel declares to be “dull.” Sigh. Sometimes I wonder if I’m living in an alternate universe where bad, boring games are considered good. Seriously, someone who likes this game tell me what interests them about it. Tell me what is compelling about clicking clam shells to make them match up. The graphics are terrible. Anywhere else but in the independent gaming community, and this game would be laughed at. Quantum physics is easier to understand than why Big Kahuna Reef deserves to be the twenty-fifth top indie game of all time.
There are some good games in there, and I don’t want to devalue them. Unfortunately, they are already being devalued just by existing on that list with Big Kahuna Reef. And that goalkeeper simulator. That’s right, a text-based goalkeeper simulator made the list. And honestly, a text-based goalkeeper simulator could be fun, but I happen to know for a fact that this one is terrible.
I’ve heard some people say that they wished Cave Story on there. I don’t. That would be like saying you wished your best friend was on a list of the “top one hundred greatest people” but at #25 was that guy who killed Jon Benet Ramsey.
I don’t hate casual games. I hate the mentality that surrounds casual games. And I don’t want people to think that this is what independent games are about. I can’t believe people think this is alright. It’s like someone farted at the dinner table and no one wants to admit that it smells. Over at the Indiegamer forums I just know that the conversation is going like this: “Honey, this chicken is delicious!”
WELL YOU KNOW WHAT IT SMELLS TERRIBLE IN HERE AND IF THINGS KEEP UP THIS WAY NO ONE IS GOING TO WANT TO EVER HAVE DINNER WITH US.
Russ, I implore you… please take out the affiliate links and change the name from the “Top 100 Indie Games” to “100 Indie Games that Game Tunnel Recommends.” In the end, opinions are opinions. But at least that way it’s semi-honest.
EDIT: Guert from our forums started up a thread about a week and a half ago before GT’s Top 100 list about introducing people to indie games. In case you want some alternatives. And I really hope you do!
Posted in Community, Casual | 95 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:07:00 GMT
Gamasutra reports that Pop Cap has bought casual developer Retro64, turning it into one of its satellite studios. In other words, Retro64 has been assimilated into the core and the buzzing of the hive mind just got a little stronger…
Retro64 is a development studio / casual portal that recently developed the casual game Venice, which was published by Pop Cap, and also hosts the Indiegamer forums as well as Game Tunnel.
What we have here is definitely a “casual bloc” forming… a “Gem Curtain” behind which millions of creative minds will die under colorful, gem-toed boots of match 3 oppression. Indie gaming cold war for the win!
(Source: Indygamer)
Posted in Community, Casual, Developers | Tags PopCap | 15 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:56:00 GMT
QWERTY Warriors 2 is what would happen if you gave Mavis Beacon an assault rifle. There are some problems with it. Like sometimes I’ll be trying to target one word but it will target another. The presentation could be a lot more interesting, too, with more variety in the enemies, weapons, and landscapes. Oh well, I guess that’s just more stuff they can add to “QWERTY Warriors 3: Revenge of Dvorak.”
Check out the screenshot, where I’m totally blowing the hell up out of the word “sin.”
(Source: Game|Life)
Posted in Browser Games, Casual | 6 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:30:00 GMT
(Link)
“Popcap games’ lawyer replied my mail and the one from my lawywers’ office. In essence, they don’t give a shit. I think they knew what they were doing from the start and they are bad businessmen. You know that to think of a game and to actually make it takes a lot of energy and money. Ripping off someonelse’s idea is bad; they don’t belong in the game business.” -Roy Ozaki, President, Mitchell Corporation (
Link)
(Source: Indygamer)
Posted in Community, Casual, Developers | Tags PopCap | 34 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Sun, 24 Jun 2007 19:14:00 GMT
I really dig the artwork in Miestas, and the music (Nat King Cole?), but it’s incredibly easy and short. It kind of works to the game’s advantage, though. It’s the gaming equivalent of sipping on some hot cocoa and flipping through a comic book.
(Source: Sensible Erection [NSFWish])
Posted in Browser Games, Adventure, Casual | 10 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:44:00 GMT
The fourth of Ikiki’s games that I’m trying. Gonbutoman (direct download) confused the hell out of me when I started playing, mainly because I thought it was going to be a lot like Pro Wrestling for the Nintendo. Instead, it’s more like that Japanese flash game Nanaca Crash.
This one’s pretty fun – certainly a lot better than Bokusin. 2 and a half Ikiki’s out of 5! POW!
How to Play: Press Spacebar to start running back toward the ropes, then slam it as many times to build up your power. When you get near your opponent, hit and hold down the button to wallop him. It’s a game of timing and button-mashing. My best score is 64. Which is pretty damn good, I think!
Posted in Casual, Windows, Action / Arcade, Freeware, Doujin | Tags Ikiki | 8 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 11 Jun 2007 18:20:00 GMT
The Crossing is another beautiful flash game from Ferry “Orisinal” Halim. Though many of the Orisinal games ramp up too slowly in difficulty for me, this one got it spot on. Gorgeous presentation and incredibly moving atmosphere.
This game is like a drop of dew falling on a baby bunny’s nose, waking him. And as the bunny shakes his nose, the dew disappears, and there’s a miracle to take its place.
Posted in Browser Games, Casual | Tags Orisinal | 10 comments
Posted by Albert Lai
Sun, 10 Jun 2007 09:07:00 GMT
From the land of casual games, I introduce Red
White Yellow, a game that follows the best traditions of the "match
6 blocks that are adjacent to each other" genre. If this was some kind of magazine devoted to all things geek instead
of TIGSource we’d be running:
| Expired |
Tired |
Wired |
| Match-3 |
Tower Defense |
Match N adjacent blocks |
Remember, you heard it here first!
Anyway,
Red White Yellow is a fairly relaxing casual game that I could really see on
the cellphone and/or calculator—though it would have to be rebranded "Black
White Stippled" on the calculator—because of the quick, casual way it works.
The gameplay is fairly simple, but for those who don’t want to sit through
a tutorial—The game allows you to clear only one color at a time. Each time
you clear a color, there’s a short pause before the "clear color" switches. If you manage
to keep clearing colors, the combo counter begins to go up. Fun for those casual
fans, and has that clean art style that always reminds me of Chiclets.
Are Chiclets even around anymore? Oh, TIGSource reader base, when did we grow
up?
(Source: Tim’s Blog)
Posted in Browser Games, Puzzle, Casual, Freeware | 5 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:21:00 GMT
They’ve innovated the tower defense genre considerably in this one by giving you opponents that learn to avoid your towers. Am I being sarcastic? Honestly, even I don’t know any more. Also, CAEK.
(Also, remember that you can click an ant to have all nearby towers target it.)
Posted in Browser Games, Casual, Strategy | 9 comments
