Posted by ARelativelyHotGirl
Sun, 13 Aug 2006 21:56:00 GMT

From the Potential department… best described as forcing Marble Madness, Mario Kart and Doom to mate – the gameplay in Plasma Spheres 3D is actually a bit of odd fun. The ol’ indie concept of mashing seemingly incompatible styles of games together is amusing to observe here.
I’d love to see this with smoother controls (with a bit of ease/lerp on ‘em), some stylish graphics, real sound effects and some catchy tunes!
Posted in Multiplayer, Windows, Action / Arcade | 2 comments
Posted by Shabadage
Sun, 13 Aug 2006 11:01:00 GMT
Well, considering it’s my first post here at the good olde TIGSource; I figured I’d share one of my favorite freeware games with you guys. The game in question is called X Operations. It’s an FPS made by two Japanese fellows; and while the the graphics will not blow you away, the gameplay is solid, and it’s a hell of alot of fun. It’s available in two flavors; single player and multiplayer.
Single player Xops takes its cues from Timesplitters. You’re given the choice of 17 levels, and each of these levels has multiple layouts with their own separate goals. You’ll be protecting VIP’s from zombies, breaking up gang wars, and even assassinating/protecting Bill Gates and Saddam Hussein. The great thing about these missions is this; you’ll spend at most 5 minutes per mission. Making the single player version great for a quick shooting fix. The only downside is that the mission descriptions are in Japanese, so it may take a bit of trial and error before you “get” the objective.
Multiplayer Xops is a whole other ball game. While it’s your standard “Kill the other team” affair, the game randomizes teams each round, making it harder for one “Clan” to rule the field. The same levels from the single player version make re-appearances here and, with the exception of one or two levels (Duel comes to mind), they play just as well, if not better than the single player versions. The only problems you may run into is the relative lack of native english speakers, as the game is Japanese in origin, and that there is a slight lag before you actually shoot, meaning you need to lead your target.
All in all, if you’re a fan of the FPS genre; you owe it to yourself to at least try Xops. It may not win any awards for innovation or graphics; but its damn fun.
QUICK TIP: You have to run the Config4Xops before you can play the game. This goes for both versions (single and multi) and is included in the zip.
Posted in FPS, Multiplayer, Windows, Freeware
Posted by dessgeega
Sat, 29 Jul 2006 03:26:00 GMT

black cat’s pengo-inspired push-push penguin just received an update – one which includes an online high score table.
it’s a very swell game which adds bubble bobble-ish collection elements and charming sprites from army of trolls to sega’s original pushing penguin game. and it has cooperative two-player play, too-often lacking in contemporary games. if that doesn’t win your heart, i will sweeten the deal: both of the players are penguins.
Posted in Remakes, Multiplayer, Highly Recommended, Freeware | 3 comments
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 Derek Yu
Thu, 06 Jul 2006 09:44:00 GMT
Small Arms is another up-and-coming XBLA game, by the fine folks who brought you Fuzzee Fever. Yeah, no, I haven’t played Fuzzee Fever either. That’s got to be one of the worst names for a game, ever. It’s just so… gamey. And not in the good way, like “Contra” or “Donkey Kong.”
Anyway, it looks to be kind of a cross between Metal Slug and Super Smash Bros., which is a pretty good idea. A dozen or so characters, a dozen or so levels, and probably a dozen or so weapons… I could have some fun with a game like this.

Interviews:
Evil Avatar
XBoxLiveArcade.com
K1lla’s Xbox Domain (?!)
Gameplay Footage
YouTube
Posted in Platformers, Multiplayer, XBox Live Arcade / XNA, Previews, Interviews | Tags Gastronaut | 2 comments
Posted by Mr. Hollow
Sun, 28 May 2006 15:02:00 GMT
Gibbage is the effort of one man (who learned to code while creating the game) that has been getting some pretty cool press. After playing through the demo levels, it’s easy to see why.
The basic gameplay is much like Stick Soldiers, but that’s where the comparison ends. The goal of Gibbage is to collect power cubes to recharge your base, while reducing the available power of your opponent’s base. The game can be played against the CPU or with friends (At the same PC.)
Gameplay sizzles with great visuals, awesome music and slick effects that more than make up for the simplistic style.
The only drawback is the game’s frantic pace which is probably alright if you are eight years old and hopped up on soda and french fries, but which left me wishing there was a speed slider somewhere in the options.
(Source: Gamasutra.com)
Posted in Platformers, Multiplayer, Windows | 3 comments