Posted by Tim
Mon, 14 Aug 2006 06:53:00 GMT
The latest Shmup-Dev competition results are out, but with very little to cheer for as most participants either dropped out of the contest or were disqualified.
Still, there are seven playable entries though many are not particularly striking either. Plus the innumerable delays had caused a loss of interest when the actual winners were announced.
I was also expecting to read different views for best graphics, sound and most unique category but we’re left with vanilla reviews which is slightly disappointing.
Could the uninspiring prizes be the reason for a lack of success this time around? Or the contest frequency itself? We can only wonder.
A round of applause goes out for of all the contestants. Finishing a game can be a rather daunting task and they deserve credit for the attempt.
Posted in Competitions, Shoot-em-ups, Freeware | 7 comments
Posted by Tim
Mon, 14 Aug 2006 06:52:00 GMT
The latest release from Mr. Warning Forever, RAY-HOUND is an action game which requires no shooting from the player’s part. Trapped in a room with enemies consisting of turrets, you can retaliate by clicking on the left mouse button to muster a shield and send their shots back at them. The other method is to move your ship towards the lasers rapidly to initiate a boost and repel the beams of destruction.
In the options menu, it is possible to adjust and increase the chances of boosting with quick mouse movements by lowering the figure. Press F11 or use the ALT and enter key combination to play in full screen mode.
A timer is always counting down, but you can increase it by destroying all enemies to complete the level. The gameplay system is pretty offbeat, since it can be rather hard to direct shots unless the player is adept at slinging projectiles.
(Source: the2bears)
Posted in Freeware, Shoot-em-ups, Windows, Doujin | 2 comments
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 Action / Arcade, Multiplayer, Windows | 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, Freeware, Windows
Posted by Derek Yu
Sun, 13 Aug 2006 01:23:00 GMT
Despite having the most ridiculous name since Destiny Sword Buster Golden Dragon Myth XXL (no, that’s not a real game), Dragon X Omega 2 is a really, really competent hack of Final Fantasy. We don’t cover hacks too often on TIGSource (actually ever), but DXO2 is a total conversion that’s worth checking out. As far as I can tell, every part of the game is completely new, from the graphics to the music. It’s such that you’ll forget that you’re playing an FF hack every now and then.
The gameplay is the usual NES RPG faire, with plot points pushing you linearly to the game’s conclusion. Unlike FF, you control a single character in this game, which is kind of unfortunate. It does add to the overall feeling of desolation, though.
Find a Final Fantasy ROM, a NES emulator, and an IPS patcher to play!
(Source: Romhacking.net)
Posted in Mods / Hacks, RPG | 1 comment
Posted by ARelativelyHotGirl
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:20:00 GMT
From the olde news department: Charlie “Flayra” Cleveland, creator of the excellent Half Life mod Natural Selection (which kicks the crap out of the spazzy Tremulous, imo) has unleashed his latest masterpiece…
Zen of Sudoku! Uh, say wha?
Yes folks, its a game so revolutionary that you’re urged to “consider telling your parents or grandparents about it”. The idea is to make money off of Zen to help keep Charles afloat while he and the team put together Natural Selection: Source, which will be released commercially on Steam.
In an older post on Charlie’s blog, he speculates that “Instead of either making immersive shooters for a hard-core audience or puzzle games for a casual audience, we can make medium-technology games that are easy to pick up and play yet have a long-term appeal and artistic messages.”
I long for the day when this type of market becomes popular. Until then, expect heaps more puzzle clones. (I’ve often wondered why we can’t release one skinnable version of each type of puzzle game and be done with them once and for all)
Posted in Windows, Puzzle | 5 comments
Posted by Tim
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:51:00 GMT
I had thought long and hard (probably a minute) about posting a screenshot from Organic Units but nude portraits and caricatures have made their way to several renowned web sites, so why not. TIGSource didn’t get to where it is now by playing it safe.
cactus of Illegal Communication fame is currently working on a new project to be released next week as a Game Boy competition entry (we sure have a lot of competitions lately). Here’s the description:
“You are hired as a tester for a mysterious company, who wants you to try out some weird machinery made out of flesh. But the tests are not exactly safe, you have to put lives on the line (one of them being your own), and soon you realize that the machinery is not what’s being tested, but yourself.”
Expect to have your brain turned to mush in a few day’s time.
Posted in Previews, Competitions | 2 comments
Posted by Tim
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:16:00 GMT
JIG’s flashy game competition. Are you guys excited about playing flash games all day long? So many competitions to write about…
But let’s begin with the Retro Remakes Competition, a contest consisting of entrants mostly in their 30s (and serious enough to code until the end). I mean, look at the list of entries. I’ll attempt to play every single entry but there’s no possible way for me to write about all of them. No, sir. 150 games! Madness, these old fogies.
Perhaps I’ll talk about one, since I’m in the mood to mention some shmups today. Just a sampler of the flood of games to come. A remake featuring Vic Viper, yes…
Well, there’s no demo yet so we just have to be content with gawking at the limited screenshots. Looking pretty faithful, I must say. And if you’re thinking that it’s just another Gradius remake, note that it’s done by the guys from Ovine by Design – master of remakes. I suppose we can expect reasonable quality from them. Plus that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Posted in Previews, Competitions, Shoot-em-ups, Windows, Remakes | no comments
Posted by Tim
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:55:00 GMT
Thanks to the lovely dess for this particular recommendation. Xananeko is a flash-based RPG by Yoshio Toshi (or was it Yoshi Toshii), where you get to beat up monsters and collect gold. Move the cat around by using the arrow keys, and initiate an attack by bumping against any of the creatures. Collect items from slain enemies and buy power-ups like automatic health restore from the shop, simply by pressing the up arrow key.
The HP you’ve lost can be renewed by taking a nap at the inn, though not without a financial cost. This action also saves the game, which can be loaded from the main menu if the game ends abruptly.
The sequel can be found here.
Posted in Browser Games, RPG, Doujin | 3 comments
Posted by Tim
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:27:00 GMT
Last two, I promise. Carious Weltling can be described as a Sabotage (or Paratrooper) clone with a new skin (literally). Playable through any web browser, the objective in this Flash effort is basically to stay alive by shooting at the miscellaneous predators which are after you with your own blood. Use the mouse to play, left click to launch a blood blast and move around using the A and D keys. Hold the same button for two seconds for a special attack.
The sequel can be played through the web browser or downloaded for extra features not found online. Click here for the entire list of Diverge Creations’ creations.
On to slightly serious matters. TIGSource is looking for writers to fill a few positions, so if you have the nuts to take a crack at the job, do write in. You don’t just get free games sometimes, you get free games all the time actually. Information on the sidebar to the right.
Posted in Windows, Browser Games, Action / Arcade, Freeware | 1 comment
