Hyper Princess Pitch

By: Derek Yu

On: December 1st, 2011

Hyper Princess Pitch, the latest game from Daniel Remar (Hero Core, Iji), is a top-down arena shoot ’em up. A remake of Beaucomm Interactive’s Operation Carnage (DOS, 1996), Pitch seems like it plays more like the faster-paced Smash TV (Arcade, 1990), with lots of enemies streaming in quickly from the walls and sides of the screen. It’s quite short, having only 4 stages, and an average player shouldn’t have too much trouble completing it on the medium difficulty settings. However, the highest difficulty setting is no joke, as the bullets are much more prodigious and the bosses are given an extra attack pattern after they would normally die. You also only start with one extra life.

The scoring system is quite simple: playing at higher difficulty settings grants you a bigger score multiplier. By completing a level you not only get an extra life, but you also get bonuses for each room that you beat without taking damage. It’s worth noting that enemies do drop pickups randomly in this game, making luck a factor in scoring.

Pitch is set in the same world as Garden Gnome Carnage, and as such, it’s very light-hearted. The main character, the princess, fights an assortment of Christmas-themed baddies, from elves to ornaments. As for her arsenal, she has piledriver special attacks (see screenshot), uses black cats as options, and holsters two versatile secondary weapons: an ice shot that destroys yellow bullets and a bouncy rainbow shot.

Fans of Remar know he puts out fun games – this one is no exception. Happy Holidays!

TIGdb: Entry for Hyper Princess Pitch

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Hero Core Trailer

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: April 10th, 2010

Hero Core is the next game from Iji creator Daniel Remar, due out May 1st. Sequel to his retro-inspired action/adventure Hero, it features an open map, a bunch of secrets, multiple difficulties and modes (that even change the layout of the game), an alternate “retro” language setting, and “up to two colors simultaneously!” Well, right on!

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: DESTROY CRUISER TETRON ONCE MORE

Iji

By: Derek Yu

On: September 2nd, 2008

Daniel Remar’s Iji is undoubtedly his most ambitious game. It’s also his best by far. No small feat from the guy who brought us Castle of Elite!

In the game you play the titular heroine – a human-turned-cyborg equipped with alien nanotechnology. Waking in a space station in the midst of an alien invasion, she must use her new-found powers to save what’s left of mankind. Somewhere else in the station is her brother, Dan, who guides her via the speaker system.

Iji is broken up into a number of very large sectors, most of which have multiple paths. Depending on what weapons and upgrades you have, you can brute force your way through each sector, or take a more pacifist approach by sneaking around and cracking systems (via a simple minigame). Or anything in between! These choices have the potential to alter the game’s narrative and affect new outcomes.

Combat is visceral and feels good, especially with the game’s excellent soundtrack pumped up. Once again, you have a variety of attacks at your disposal – you can, of course, take on enemies head-on, blasting them with your Nanogun or kicking them to death (if your Strength stat is high enough). Alternately, you can crack an opponent’s defense systems and sabotage their weapons, or perhaps defeat them in other, even less direct ways.

Overall, I’m just really impressed with how much there is to do in this game, and how much choice the player has in each situation. It’s a testament to Daniel’s strength as a designer that very little of it feels forced. And considering that there are also four different difficulty levels and a wealth of unlockable bonus features (some hidden in remote areas of the game), you can bet that you’ll be (happily) spending some quality time with this one. It’s destined to be a classic of some sort.

TIGdb: Entry for Iji

Iji Trailer

By: Derek Yu

On: August 10th, 2008

Daniel Remar, who is well-known for Castle of Elite, Hero, and Garden Gnome Carnage, has just released a trailer for Iji, his latest project. Iji is a platformer that’s reminiscent of Out of This World and Flashback. The game is slated for a September 1st release and will be freeware.

Great video! I especially like the part where the Iji “sabotages” her opponent’s gun. Makes me wonder what else she can do with her hacking skills!

(Source: Tim, via the IndieGames.com blog)

TIGdb: Entry for Daniel Remar