Posted by Derek Yu
Thu, 08 May 2008 16:40:00 GMT
Joyous day! Everyday Shooter has finally made its way to the PC, via Steam. I’ll be honest, I had only gotten a taste of this game before, on the IGF show floor in 2007. It was fun then, but I gotta say, it really deserves to be played in one’s own room, with headphones on. Challenging and beautiful – one of few games where graphics, sound, and gameplay are completely harmonious with one another.
Try it! It’s definitely worth the $8.99 you’ll be paying for it (discounted from $9.99 for this week).
Posted in Highly Recommended, Shoot-em-ups, Windows | Tags JonathanMak | 50 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Wed, 07 May 2008 16:14:00 GMT
Droid Assault is a new action game from Puppygames. Just as Titan Attacks was a “Puppified” version of Space Invaders, and Ultratron a Puppified Robotron, Droid Assault is Paradroid given the Puppy treatment.
In Paradroid, players controlled an “Influence Device,” an otherwise weak droid with a very special ability – it could control and command droids after beating them in a logic-based circuit game. Droid Assault eschews this mini-game and lets you “transfer” to a droid so long as you have enough transfer points (obtained per 1000 score points). Also, once a droid has been transferred, it joins your team and can be controlled at any time (or when your current droid is blown up).
Longtime Paradroid fans may find this a bit off-putting, since the circuit mini-game was a big part of Paradroid (and allowed skilled players to take over even the mighty level 999 droid with a lowly Influence Device). However, Droid Assault is clearly built for speed and action, and as such it’s a highly enjoyable game with frantic action. The graphics and music are also ace, as we should come to expect from Caspian Prince and his team.
If I had any complaint, its that it’s occasionally difficult to discern blocks, pits, walls, and floors. Other than that, I’d highly recommend this very affordable ($10) little game. (And give Freedroid a try if you’d like to play the original!)
Posted in Remakes, Macintosh, Highly Recommended, Linux, Windows, Action / Arcade | Tags Puppygames | 30 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 05 May 2008 14:43:00 GMT
In Missile Matador you have to trick homing missiles into hitting each other… without hitting you. If you fall off the bottom of the screen, you also lose! It’s a fun concept, and it’s unnerving to see all those missiles trained at you in the brief breathing period before each level starts!
Missile Matador II extends the concept by adding timed missiles and a way to make your own levels (by editing text files). The rules of the game have also changed slightly – in order to win, you must reach a goal somewhere on the screen.
As an aside, “Missile Matador” is an awesome name. It sounds like something the VGNG would have come up with.
(Source: Auntie Pixelante)
Posted in Platformers, Windows, Doujin | Tags AkimasaShimobayashi | 8 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Fri, 02 May 2008 06:45:00 GMT
Yeah, torture motherfucka what?
From the mad minds behind Barkley, Shut up and Jam: Gaiden comes an all-new adventure – The Sewer Goblet: The Wu-Tang Clan and the Wu-Tang Baby! As the story goes, The Wizard stole the Wu-Tang Baby and fled into the sewers. You must send one of the Wu-Tang Clan into the dungeon and bring the baby back! Along the way you’ll tangle with Teknodwarfs, Baby Seals, and other unsavory characters.
The Sewer Goblet gets a lot of credit as the first rap-themed roguelike game, but doesn’t do too much to innovate the genre in general. Equip weapons, learn spells, manage your hunger (in TSG, every action costs hunger points), eat Wu-Tang snacks with randomized effects, etc. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing – it’s a solid dungeon crawl that’s easy to get into and somehow it never quite gets tiring bringing “da ruckus” as the Wu Tang Clan. Each member has his own special abilities that will aid you on your quest.
Now, all someone has to do is make a gory Bone Thugs-n-Harmony RPG set in an alternate reality Cleveland and I’ll be set!
(Source: Tim, via the IndieGames.com blog)
Posted in Unique / Bizarre, Roguelikes, Windows, Freeware | Tags TalesOfGamesStudios | 10 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Thu, 01 May 2008 00:38:00 GMT
A late entry for our VGNG Compo, Fantastic Blood Boy is a frantic action game from none other than the lovely Gustav Kilman! In the game you play the titular Blood Boy, who is as fantastic as he sounds. Your goal is to keep the clot crystals away from the Sock Puppets who are hopping around trying to get after it. To do this, simply touch the crystal and it will fly away – but when the crystal is flying, it won’t generate the various crazy weapons you need to destroy the Sock Puppets (and create up to two more crystals!).
It’s a simple, yet novel, system, that’s complemented by manic gameplay and a poppin’ visual style. Plus, Gustav has finally finished a game, which means that I can finally die and rest in peace. Thank you, Gustav! This is great!
Posted in Platformers, Highly Recommended, Windows, Freeware | Tags GustavKilman | 17 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:28:00 GMT
Image by Vanemuine, via the TaleWorlds forums.
The latest version of the awesome cavalry/siege sim Mount and Blade has been released, offering a slew of improvements, including new character models and animations, new towns and cities, new quests (with rehauled dialogue and descriptions), better AI, and more video options. The developers are claiming that v0.950 contains most of the features they want to add for v1.0, which will be published by Paradox Interactive later this year.
For a more complete list of changes (which is being compiled by players), click here. For more gorgeous screenshots, click here!
As before, you can still buy and play the game now for $25, which will also grant you access to the $39 full version when it comes out.
(Source: Kieron Gillen, via Rock, Paper, Shotgun)
Posted in Windows, Sim, Strategy | Tags Taleworlds | 11 comments
Posted by Jordan Magnuson
Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:46:00 GMT
One of my all time favorite “Click” games. You play the White Wizard, residing in a medieval fantasy fortress where you create and unleash hordes of minions onto a 2D battlefield with one goal in mind: defeat the warlord across the way. If you ever played Three-Sixty Pacific’s Armor Alley, you’ll find that the premise is similar, but this game might just be better than its classic counterpart.
The mechanics are fairly simple: use the keyboard to move blocks of resources around to form combinations which produce troops, then unleash those troops to the battlefield where they fight automatically as best they can. The game blends strategy, tactics, and dexterity in a really interesting way.
On the strategic level you will have to decide which Warlord to play (each has their strengths and weaknesses), and what your general plan of unit production is going to be: a cheap mix of foot soldiers and archers, with an occasional battering ram thrown in? Or perhaps you will rely on more advanced technology and an air based assault? Or how about trying to infect your opponent’s troops with the Black Plague?
On the tactics level you’ve got to respond to the situation at hand, both in terms of the resources you have in front of you, and the current state of the battlefield.
Finally, on the dexterity level… well, the game is played in freakin’ realtime, and you better get good at moving those blocks of resources around!
Siege has a couple of flaws, like its tiny 320×200 resolution and some imbalances that I’ll let you discover, but these small detriments are small next to the fun of madly mixing resources and watching your miniature troops fight it out to the death in front of you, with your arch-nemesis pounding away on the keyboard beside you.
The game supports human vs. computer and human vs. human play. I don’t have to tell you which is better.
Download Siege for free from WinSite (1.35 MB).
P.S. You may need to run the game in Windows 95 compatibility mode; and remember to copy cncs32.dll to your system32 directory if the game doesn’t work.
Posted in Multiplayer, Highly Recommended, Windows, Strategy, Action / Arcade, Freeware | Tags FallenAngelIndustries | 24 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:28:00 GMT
Oh, man, this game is fun! Trials 2 Second Edition is a physics-based motorbike game that’s reminiscent of the classic Elasto Mania. The series began with two Flash games, Trial Bike (and variants) and Trials 2. Trials 2 SE, however, is a downloadable commercial title with really nice 3d graphics and many more options (although the 2d gameplay remains more or less unchanged).
The goal of each track is to make your way from one end to the other. In between, you’ll be jumping gaps, popping wheelies, doing loop-de-loops… and probably smashing your poor rider into every surface along the way. Have you ever fallen face-first into a tire fire? I’ll bet even Travis Pastrana hasn’t.
Thankfully, this is another game where losing can be as entertaining as winning (hurray for 3d ragdoll physics!). Also, checkpoints are placed liberally, and restarting is as easy as hitting a button. Trials 2 Second Edition is surprisingly frustration free.
The full version of the game is $19.90 USD, and gives you 40 tracks, 3 game modes, 25 achievements, and the ability to maintain a profile and compete with other players for online ranking. One of the coolest features of T2SE is that, when comparing scores, you can click an icon next to a player’s name to either watch a replay of their best run (complete with key presses), or to race with their “ghost.” You can also create and join teams and compete as or within a group. (Which reminds me, team “TigerSauce” is looking for members! The password is herebeowls.)
So yeah, damn fun game. Video after the jump!
Read more...
Posted in Highly Recommended, Videos, Windows, Sim, Physics, Action / Arcade | Tags Redlynx | 24 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:12:00 GMT
...comes a whole new experience that is guaranteed to change the face of electronic entertainment forever. During a private unveiling of the game in San Francisco this past weekend, reknowned movie critic Roger Ebert purportedly took his hands off the keyboard after just 10 seconds of play and said+, quietly and to no one in particular:
I’ve heard many arguments for why games are art. This is best one. I am convinced. My hat is off to you, Romeopie.
He then proceeded to cry real tears of joy which, he claimed, “had not touched my cheeks in over 75 years. Since the Great War.” It is not understood exactly which war to which Mr. Ebert was referring, or how he could have cried before he was born, in 1942. However, those in attendance were compelled to believe that he was being genuine with his emotions.
+ This is completely false.
Posted in Shoot-em-ups, Community, Windows, Freeware, IGF / GDC | Tags RomeopieSoftware | 28 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:31:00 GMT
POWDER’s been around for quite a while, but I noticed it just hit version 1.0 this year, so I took it for a spin (it’s currently at version 1.04)! The developer, Jeff Lait, created it so he could have a roguelike to play on his Gameboy Advance, and primitive versions of the game were only available for that platform. Now, however, you can also play the game on Windows, Macintosh, Linux, DS, and even PSP!
POWDER is a graphical roguelike, and it’s much smaller in scope than most games in the genre (which typically try to throw the proverbial or literal kitchen sink in there). The game also includes a mouse-driven interface and a tutorial that walks you through the basics, so I’d recommend it readily to beginners… and to veterans of the genre, too! If you’re looking for some lighter fare (or something to play on the go). It’s quite fun.
But be warned… there’s no diagonal movement!
(Source: Slashie, via Rogue Temple)
Posted in Mobile / Handheld, Macintosh, Highly Recommended, Roguelikes, Linux, Windows, Freeware | Tags JeffLait | 22 comments
