Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 10 Jul 2006 12:13:00 GMT
Cortex Command is what I would call a “hidden gem.” Or at least a potential one, since it’s not finished yet. BUT, the creators have recently committed themselves to working fulltime on it, so things are lookin’ up!
Think Liero meets Soldat meets some other stuff. There’s a basic demo of the game available (see the devlog) that lets you play two players splitscreen. Movement is fairly rough, but it’s impressive (and quite fun) to see the characters walk, crawl, and blow up using ragdoll-style physics. Support the development of this game!
Graphics are by the inimitable Niklas Jansson (aka Prometheus), of whom I am a huge fan.
Posted in Platformers, Multiplayer, Highly Recommended, Windows, Freeware, Previews | Tags DataRealms | 9 comments
Posted by Tim
Sun, 09 Jul 2006 21:33:00 GMT
Old news to some, but since it’s not on TIGSource yet (and we can never get enough of KC, can’t we) let’s talk a bit about Val & Rick. (direct download)
As translated by the2bears, Mr. Cho says: “Val & Rick was a sample game for people who want to create their own shmup, and I released it on the forum for shmup developers.” Makes you wonder what other goodies he has posted on this mysterious forum.
Back to the game. Val & Rick is probably the precursor to Gunroar, featuring similar controls but in a different environment. Only 2D sprites and backgrounds are used in what seems like a tribute to Xevious and Star Soldier.
It could be a prototype although the game is pretty much complete and bug free. No information page was ever made for it either. Press the Z key to shoot and hold down the X key to fix the direction of your aim.
A power-up icon in the shape of a tiny ship named Rick will appear if you collect enough blue orbs from defeated enemies, which is indicated at the bottom left of the screen. This will cause your ship to go into hyperdrive, that is until all energy is spent or your spacecraft takes damage from enemy bullets. Each successful hyperdrive attempt increases the counter by another hundred.
The X key can also be used to drop bombs on grounded objects. Tap the P key to pause. The closer your ship is to the top of the screen, the faster it scrolls.
For another excellent Star Soldier tribute, visit Studio SiestA’s Soldier Force page. This one is going to cost you, but it doesn’t disappoint. (just ask dess!)
(Image from the2bears)
Posted in Shoot-em-ups, Windows, Freeware | no comments
Posted by Tim
Sat, 08 Jul 2006 14:22:00 GMT
Honestly, if you’re visiting TIGSource expecting quality games featuring the best in 3D graphics or a new Kenta Cho release week in week out then you’re in for a bit of a disappointment. (solely because Mr. ABA released fifty-one shmups last year)
We can only guarantee you the best in indie games, and hopefully that’s good enough to keep you coming back. So let’s begin our discussion about The Shivah, a new AGS adventure game from Dave Gilbert. The story is about a rabbi who had received a large sum of money from a former member of his congregation, and being extremely suspicious the man decides to investigate the origins of his good fortune.
A few things are done differently in this murder mystery, for example there are no puzzles requiring the use of your inventory and practically no items to collect. Progression is usually achieved by extracting clues from conversations with other characters.
Won the June 2006 MAGS contest, so that must count for something. Congratulations, Dave. (make more soon!)
Posted in Adventure, Windows, Freeware | 2 comments
Posted by Tim
Fri, 07 Jul 2006 12:41:00 GMT
We all yearn for a sequel to seiklus. Fortunately the Virtanen siblings made one close enough to the real thing for a Finnish game competition. Painajainen tells the story of a boy trapped in his own dream, although the game itself contains platforming elements from both autofish’s famous effort and velella.
Finding and getting butterflies to follow your character grants you special powers, with subtle hints on each ability provided on the same screen. Press enter to access the map and a progress chart. A few bugs exist but can easily be solved by pressing the E key for a quick return to the starting point, while the save game area is located just next to it.
I was quite surprised to learn that it didn’t win first place in the contest. Must be rigged. Anyway, enjoy.
Posted in Platformers, Windows, Freeware | 7 comments
Posted by Tim
Fri, 07 Jul 2006 04:19:00 GMT
Jaywalker: Take Back the Streets is the sequel to dessgeega’s original release, featuring updated graphics and a new soundtrack to accompany your bloodthirsty quest for revenge.
Gameplay rewards the suicidal. Jump in front of a car to make it swerve, hopefully causing it to crash into another object for major points. Chain car crashes to score a multiplier bonus. Hummers and vehicles with spoilers will not attempt to avoid a collision with the protagonist.
Post your high scores under comments. Winner gets a loving hug from the developer. (maybe, if you bathe regularly)
Posted in Windows, Action / Arcade, Freeware | 5 comments
Posted by Tim
Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:05:00 GMT
DigiPen students have produced a number of memorable games in recent times to demonstrate their l33tness, and this year none is more impressive than Base Invaders.
The objective in this Seventh Sigma effort is to repel enemy waves (little creatures called Invaders) by building walls and placing all sorts of elaborate traps around your tower. There’s a proper tutorial to get you going in no time, plus each level introduces a new weapon or two instead of offering the entire selection immediately from the start and confusing players to no end.
You can pick up the little creatures and throw them to inflict damage, much like Dungeon Keeper or Black and White. The game includes a challenge mode and the comprehensive Invaderpedia, providing some information on every enemy type that you will encounter.
You’re required to fill up a form to access the download page, but feel free to enter any information to get this freebie.
Posted in Windows, Strategy, Freeware | 2 comments
Posted by Tim
Sun, 25 Jun 2006 11:48:00 GMT
In terms of difficulty, I love my shooters rock hard. Shoot the Bullet is practically way off the charts in that sense. No demo for Zun’s effort yet, so you guys have to settle with Touhoukokuhuugi. Fancy Japanese names don’t hide the fact that it requires impossible bullet dodging and photography skills just to get past the first few levels.
Comparing both, the similarities are striking. Take pictures by holding the Z key when your camera is ready, indicated by a percentage shown above the crosshair. Use the X key to make your character move slower, or press both buttons to charge your weapon faster. Only photos with bosses are considered valid. Still early in production, the game is very playable even without any background music or sound effects.
The download link can be found here. Click on Project 04 to grab the 5MB file.
Posted in Shoot-em-ups, Windows, Freeware, Doujin | 14 comments
Posted by Tim
Sun, 25 Jun 2006 01:54:00 GMT
Beautiful World features a boss fight right in front of Big Ben, so it definitely scored a few bonus points in my book. This particular effort from Project Boueigun includes the usual array of power-ups, collectibles end level boss encounters.
Controls are at it’s most basic. Hold down the left shift key to shoot and press the Z key to launch a bomb. Scroll down slightly past the screenshots to get the latest version.
It’s going to be a crazy week for shooters, yes indeed.
Posted in Shoot-em-ups, Windows, Freeware | no comments
Posted by Tim
Sat, 24 Jun 2006 22:33:00 GMT
Any shooter featuring a big red guy as the final boss deserves a mention on TIGSource.
Mogura 2 is an excellent freeware shmup by Krobon Station, featuring two characters with different abilities and weapons. Both gets a standard shield which can be activated using the X key. Hold the Z key to shoot, and tap the C key to initiate a special attack. Press the left control key to change the way your weapon operates.
A tutorial can be accessed from the main menu by selecting the third option. The second offers a difficulty setting. After picking a character, you can choose to either start from the first level or continue from the last stage attempted.
Installation can be a bit of a hassle but the effort is worth it. Rename the largest executable and cca file to the same name, then repeat for the smallest file. For example mogura2.exe, mogura2.cca, config.exe and config.cca. Click here to download the game.
Posted in Shoot-em-ups, Windows, Freeware, Doujin | 4 comments
Posted by Tim
Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:30:00 GMT
Literally translated as “Do your best, Ms. Natsuki!”, Gambare Natsuki-San is an excellent puzzle platformer which borrows a few elements from an obscure PSX game called Umihara Kawase Shun. The rope has been replaced with a metal gadget, able to extend and grab on to walls and ceilings.
Press the Z key to activate it, and use the directional keys to move around while holding down the same button. Jump using the X key, and tap the C key to bring up the pause window. Selecting the third option from the main menu will take you to the tutorial, complete with demonstration regarding controls and advanced techniques.
The objective of the game is to collect all food items, while avoiding water and contact with spikes. Very addictive and highly recommended. Click here to download.
Posted in Platformers, Puzzle, Windows, Freeware | 8 comments
