Posts from ‘Features’ Category
Ye Olde TIGSource (Part 5)
By: ithamore
On: November 30th, 2007
March 2005 was quite a prolific month for TIGSource, so it is being split into a sub-trilogy for YOT.
Within this first segment of March, there are a couple of posts on Dan! Da! Dan!: OMEGA’s awesome, short-but-sweet, puzzle-block shmup. OMEGA is probably better known as the creator of Every Extend, which was the precursor to Every Extend Extra for the PSP. DDD, however, is my favorite OMEGA game (the more recent Ino_vation comes in as a close second and EE is a solid third).
Also of note is Omega Syndrome: a once commercially available indie RPG inspired by Roswell and old sci-fi B-movies that was abandoned a few months ago. The full version of the game and the last version of the website (the sorry-it’s-quits version) are no longer online. However, an older demo can be downloaded from here, and the Internet Archive still has several iterations of the website preserved for you viewing pleasure and to allow you to see screenshots how good the game once was.
The servers for the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine tend to get a little wonky nearly every time I begin to work on YOT, so don’t be surprised if you get any “timed out” or “busy server” messages from any of their links I had to use for games and developers who have disappeared in the last year or two. As a side note, it’s disappointing to see how some developers give up, because they don’t want to put more effort into improving their games, or, as in David Moffatt’s case with Omega Syndrome, they have become overwhelmed by a seemingly endless project.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
2005 IGF Winners Announced!
The first day of the Independent Games Festival has come and gone, and the winners have been announced! Alien Hominid and Gish dominated the Open Category, with Wik taking home three awards for Web/Downloadable. Having played all of these games, I have to say that they’re quite deserving of their success, each possessing the kind of style and imagination that makes indie gaming so good. It’s also cool to see N receive the Audience Choice.
Also: apparently Edmund McMillen (the artist/designer of Gish) proposed to his girlfriend when he went up to accept the Seumas McNally. And she said yes! What a beautifully nerdy tale to tell the kids in a few years.
Open Category:
Innovation in Audio – Steer Madness (Veggie Games)
Innovation in Visual Art – Alien Hominid (The Behemoth)
Innovation in Technical Excellence – Alien Hominid (The Behemoth)
Innovation in Game Design – Gish (Chronic Logic)
Audience Choice Award – Alien Hominid (The Behemoth)
Seumas McNally Award – Gish (Chronic Logic)
Cartoon Network Project Goldmaster Award – Protothea (Digital Builders)
Web/Download:
Innovation in Audio – Global Defense Network (Evertt.com)
Innovation in Visual Art – Wik and the Fable of Souls (Reflexive Ent.)
Innovation in Technical Excellence – RocketBowl (Large Animal Games)
Innovation in Game Design – Wik and the Fable of Souls (Reflexive Ent.)
Audience Choice Award – N (Metanet Software)
Seumas McNally Award – Wik and the Fable of Souls (Reflexive Ent.)
Also be sure to check out GameTunnel’s first day report of IGF and GDC. Where the hell are the pictures? (Okay, to be fair, the problem’s a faulty USB card-reader.)
(Sources: Gamasutra, Slashdot Games)
posted by Derek Yu
Shaggy
Artichoke Games has just released their family-friendly furry funfest Shaggy Pals. Here’s what they say:
In this mind-bending logic game you control one of the furry friends and your task it to set your pals free by destroying the bars that block them. You move across the board full of obstacles that can be dangerous or helpful, depending on how you use them. And don’t forget to collect all gems and coins!
It’s a logic puzzler aimed at wholesome entertainment along the lines of Dweep or Fitznik. There’s a 3mb [demo] which you might want to try out. Leave your thoughts below for all eternity.
posted by Cas
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Hapland Hints
We’re getting a decent number of referrals from people looking for hints on Hapland, so I thought I’d oblige them! Highlight the black text to reveal the hint.
1. Help, I don’t know where to start!
Hint: You need some manpower first. Try following the little yellow arrow.
2. How do I get the guy out of his house?
Hint: Take notice of the symbol next to his window. Then, just give him some direction and a way to cross without dying.
3. What do I do about the landmine?
Hint: Fling a rock on it. Think “catapult”.
4. The grenades just blow everything up.
Hint: Batter’s up, then!
5. How do I free the guy from the prison cell?
Hint: He needs a keycard!
6. Can I launch the guy with the cannon without killing him?
Hint: Yes you can. Timing’s the key to saving his life.
7. How do I get past the dog with the lawn mower thing?
Hint: Flatten him!
posted by Derek Yu
Gamasutra – GDC article about “casual” games
Gamasutra has an interesting article about web and downloadable games. Lots of nice statistics and projections about how “casual” games are going to explode in popularity.
Note – registration required to read the article.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Feature: 1-ups for Sale
Charles Forman, our newest contributor (“Hi, Charles!”), has written an article about a Korean business model for games that revolves around paying for in-game “items”. In the article, he highlights the strengths of the system and why it works in a place like Korea. Could something like this work in the U.S.? This is a must-read for indie game developers!
Speaking of which, I’ve finally organized all the features into a single page. My intent is to have the kind of feature material on TIGSource that you can’t get anywhere else. With Chuck’s article, it seems like we’re off to a good start!
posted by Derek Yu
Is it pinball? Is it space invaders? Is it breakout?
…no! It’s Invasion 2 from Wildsnake. And yes indeed, it really can’t make up its mind whether it’s pinball, space invaders, or breakout, as all three games seem to have been rolled into one game.
Andy from Wildsnake has kindly donated me a copy for review, so I expect I’ll get my in-depth thoughts up about it in the nearish future.
…and if you’re still waiting for the ‘Troid review, it’s because the developer has been tweaking it to my liking before I write about it. How about that for service eh? The game is already vastly improved…
posted by Cas
Win a copy of Derelict!
Says Mark Fasset of Laughing Dragon Games:
Yes – I’m giving a copy of Derelict away for free to the person who can name my new dragon friend. There’s about three days of the contest left, and I haven’t yet seen anything that gets me really excited.
You can see the details here.
Surf on down, register at his forum, fetch Ye Olde Booke of Draggon Naymes from the dungeons, and win win win!
I played Derelict a while back and keep meaning to buy myself a copy. It’s a nice take on a Gauntlet-style game, with plenty of shooting. Which is always good.
posted by Cas
Introducing…
Hi. My name is Charles Forman. I am a game developer and media artist. I started following the demo scene when I was young, and have lately progressed to more media art type work: http://www.setpixel.com/ However, since I had exposure to an Apple IIe and an Atari 2600 for inspiration, my love was making games.
I live in Seoul, Korea and previous to that, I lived in Tokyo, Japan. I’ve found that accurate accounts of many game related issues here are not made available outside of the respective countries due to the language barrier. It is quite amazing considering the ground-breaking things that have been happening specifically in Korea. I hope that my different perspective and knowledge on things allows me to shed some light on otherwise unexposed areas.
Even though I am a native English speaker, living in Japan/Korea takes its toll on English speaking/writing abilities. So please bear with me.
You can expect longer form essays talking about everything from market trends, to development issues, to business models. My first article is on a very interesting business model originating in Korea. It should be posted very soon.
posted by Charles Forman
Nintendo DS homebrews: wide open
Some enterprising hackers have managed to build a “PassMe” device that gets around the DS’s encryption to run homebrew ROMs off a GBA flash cart. I’m sure this will have tons of unethical uses too (read: piracy), but it does make developing indie/homebrew DS games a reality. Given the DS’s bevy of quirky features (dual screen, touch screen, mic, wireless, single cart multiplayer), this could make for some very interesting games.
You can find videos of the device in action here, in handy torrent form.
One homebrew title is available: a Tetris clone (scroll down). It’s a neat trick, but here’s hoping for more ambitious projects in the future.
posted by Zack
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Deaddy Bear
www.DeaddyBear.com has announced their new game TANKS 3D: REIGN OF STEEL v.1.0. The game is a 3D tank game, with lots of explosions and violence (according to the web site.) It appears that there is a multiplayer mode and a single player campaign.
Windows only.
(Source: Game Tunnel)
posted by Aaron H.
New Reflexive Arcade Game
Reflexive Arcade has announced Airstrike II: Gulf Thunder, the third in a series. The 3D graphics look well done, and the demo as a nice size, weighing in at just over 16 megs.
Windows only.
(Source: Game Tunnel)
posted by Aaron H.
Game Tunnel News
Game Tunnel has three new interviews up in their on-going coverage of the IGF
The first is an interview with James Gagnon, a developer from Alter Ego Studios, creators of the game, Revolved.
Next up is an interview with the entire Chronic Logic development team about their title, Gish.
Finally, the most recent interview is with Reflexive Arcade developer, Simon Hallam, who was the producer and lead programmer for Wik & the Fable of Souls.
posted by Aaron H.
DDD Pool now available; updated?
DDD, or 3″D” pool (Not my words) is now in full release. It’s not clear when the game was originally made available; The official press release title reads, “DDD Pool Gets an Overhaul: Full Release Now Available.”
The graphics look beautiful, and if the game plays as good as it looks, this may be one of the better pool simulations out there. A playable 60 minute demo can be found on the developer’s web site, Paprikari.com.
Windows only.
(Source: gamedev.net)
posted by Aaron H.
Game Xtazy: Future Pool Review
David Laprad has another review up, this time for Cornutopia’s Future Pool:
…Future Pool is easy to play, fun and addictive. My son and I have spent many pleasant hours competing against each other. You don’t need a lot of time to get into the game, though. Give Future Pool five minutes, and there’s a good chance it’ll earn a permanent place on your desktop.
posted by Derek Yu
Privateer Remake
Some intrepid fans have remade Wing Commander: Privateer, a space trading simulation from back in the day. I can’t say much about it, since I never played the original, but the graphics are nice and it sounds promising. The game is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX.
(Source: Slashdot Games)
posted by Derek Yu
Popcap Developer Program
Most likely timed to coincide with the GDC, popcap has announced that they have open-sourced their programming framework.
From the site:
The purpose of the PopCap Developer Program is to contribute to the indie game community by allowing free access to the programming Framework we’ve successfully based our own games on. There are a few reasons we want to do this.
First, we hope that by reducing technical barriers we help developers to focus more on actual game design instead of compatibility bugs and multimedia programming issues. This will hopefully allow people to make better games, which helps the entire indie/casual game market (including PopCap).
Second, when we publish a game from a third party it makes things a lot easier if we’re already using the same technology base. PopCap has already published or co-developed a few games from external groups, such as Insaniquarium and Rocket Mania, and we hope to work with other talented game developers in the future.
And third, we just feel it’s the right thing to do, to “give something back” to the community if we can.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Monday, March 07, 2005
Omega Syndrome Update
Australian Game Developers, has released an update to their shareware role playing game, “The Omega Syndrome.” This brings the game to version 2.0 and includes some amazing additions like, locked doors! But seriously, there are some new skills and various features that surely add some depth to the gameplay. This is one of the few shareware RPG titles out there, and looks like it has some decent graphics. The game hasn’t had a lot of press, but you can find a review of version 1.92 on the Duck and Cover web site. Keep in mind that the game has had a large number of updates and additions (AusDev News) since this review was released.
(Source: rpgcodex.com)
[Note: the last version of Omega Syndrome was 3.24, but now that the developer has discontinued support for the game and cancelled its website, it is difficult to find a demo more recent than a 2.x version. A demo of the 2.2x version can be downloaded from here.]
posted by Aaron H.
You’re retro
Day Zero (Mind the pop-ups) has a nice little collection of truly retro remakes. The games are so retro, you will think you are back at the Laundromat waiting for your clothes to dry. You can check out Blitz_Pacman, Blitz_Pong, Blitz_SpaceInvaders and Blitz_SuperBreakout, all completely free.
posted by Aaron H.
Egoboo – 3D Dungeon Crawler
Egoboo is a 3d dungeon crawler that seems to take it’s inspiration from console games. Imagine a 3d version of Rogue.
Although this site has been defunct for quite some time, the game itself is still quite cool. It would be great if some enterprising team of developers took this code and made something new and cool with it. There appears to be a spinoff project: Zippy-egoboo.
[Note: the site is no longer “defunct”, and it has recieved many updates in 2007.]
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Glest
Glest is not yet done, but is beginning to look pretty amazing. I’ll simply quote from their home page:
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game.
Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
The game is available in Linux and Windows versions. [Info on the Linux version is available] here.
(Source: HappyPenguin.org)
posted by Aaron H.
A Look at the Independent Games Festival
GameDailyBiz has a good preview [(which is rightfully no longer available)] of the upcoming Independent Games Festival, including a nice interview with some of the indies. I’ve got a big problem with this, however:
The games created by the indie developers are made with small teams and even smaller budgets, but can still be every bit as innovative as what the big boys produce.
More like, “every bit and then like a few billion bits more”. Do you know what having lots of money to spend on a game means? It means the “big boys” get to make “Spongebob Squarepants XXX-treme Karnal Kombat: Part Deux”, and sell it for fifty bucks to the consumer hordes. Gimme those same fifty bucks and I’ll show you innovation in three different ways. Beeeeeotch!
(Source: Slashdot Games,)
posted by Derek Yu
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Heavy Weapon.
The wonderful people at PopCap Games have a lovely new shoot ‘em to play. You can download a free demo from here. It’s a kind of mega-suped up remake of the old classic Moon Patrol. It’s strangely relaxing to play as all the controls are via the mouse, so you can sip some tea while you build up your “super laser”.
posted by DanDanger
Darwinia!
As Marc mentioned earlier this week, Darwinia has arrived! TIGSource reader Teeth got an early pre-order and posted a mini-review of the game in the comments:
It is good, as I expected from the demo. I’m still getting to grips with it but opening up new areas and getting stuff done is really good fun. …There’s good progression, the graphics continue to impress, and there are sometimes a truly staggering number of things going on. The sound is sublime.
Anyone else who’s got the game want to comment?
Help stamp out piracy! As we all know, people who pirate indie games are the lowest scum of the Earth and should be rounded up and stabbed with cattle prods in their netherbits. Introversion’s Chris has posted on the Darwinia forums, asking anyone who finds a pirated copy to e-mail them about it immediately. SO DO IT.
Interested in modding Darwinia? TheNextGame, a Darwinia fansite, has posted “The Ultimate Darwinia Modding Guide” to help those in need. But remember, you need to have beaten the game to unlock the game editor.
More Darwinia news to come, I’m sure. Stay tuned!
posted by Derek Yu
More IGF coverage
Game Tunnel has the next interview online from their on-going coverage of the IGF. This interview is with a member of Black Hammer Game (No, that’s not a typo, it really is just “Black Hammer Game”), the creators of Supremacy: Four Paths to Power.
(Welcome to Phincus, nice to have you on board.)
posted by Aaron H.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Not quite a mission from god
Hello.
Hello, hello, hello.
Ah, so good to have that out of the way. Though I’ve been into more mainstream gaming for a long time[,] I’m relatively new to the whole indie scene. Recently[,] however[,] I’ve become increasingly irritated by the cookie cutter sequels and GTA clones that I’m expected to pay for and find entertaining (am I really supposed to be excited about the latest WWII FPS game? Seriously? Go away EA, go away!). Onwards!
http://www.hoogerbrugge.com/ is a site billing itself as ‘interactive neurotica’. An apt description. It’s a series of animations, music and sounds that can be clicked on or off. Not particularly complex, but then neither is a remote control and that holds peoples interest for hours. Rather than bungle a description I suggest you just visit the site. Updates are generally far apart but that’s due in part to…
http://www.hoteloscartangoecholima.com/splash.html, or simply ‘Hotel’. I love adventure games but am too cheap to buy them[,] so this fills the void nicely. More an interactive story than a game[,] since there’s no inventory, but there is clicking. Horray for the clicking! Make sure you play the chapters in order[,] or things will never make sense, and we do want things to make sense[:] oh[,] yes we do.
Oy vey, with the weirdness.
posted by Phincus
Why solitaire roxxor!
In a piece titled “Solitaire RULES Half Life DROOLS“, the people at Sun and Games make a reasonable argument for why Solitaire is a better game than Half Life. (That’s sure to be a controversy free statement.)
It should be noted at this point that Sun and Games is a shareware game publishing site. The article is obviously intended to attract attention to the other shareware titles on the site, but the points are thought provoking for anyone who has ever wondered why there are so many clones in the great pantheon of shareware titles. Load Runner, solitaire, Tetris, Breakout, all games that have been made and re-made, and they just keep bringing in money. Even one of the coolest IGF finalists is essentially a remake of Lode Runner (N).
Actually, to be honest, Half Life is just another, glitzier, remake of Doom… A shareware title. We’ve just come full circle and where does that leave us? The point is; It’s extremely hard to come up with original ideas that aren’t a variation on a common theme, even if you have millions of dollars to blow in trying. As many have said before, that’s where indie games pop in to save the day. Indies don’t have millions of dollars to get ulcers over, and so they seem to be a little more willing to try some unusual variations on the tried and true modes of gameplay. So go play some games, and while you’re at it, support the people who take chances.
posted by Aaron H.
Jay is – gaming blog and flash game collection
Jay Bibby is a graduate student in game design who has an impressive collection of links to indie flash games. Currently he’s talking about his trip to San Francisco for the GDC. Great blog to bookmark for your collection. There’s some impressive news and stuff there as well.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Gamasutra: IGF Student Showcase Finalists Preview
Gamasutra has a great feature on the indies of the indies, the Student Showcase Finalists. For the most part, they seem pretty interesting, but one of the games in particular caught my eye: Soccer Ref, by the students at Hong Kong Polytechnic University:
Soccer Ref is a game that is exactly what it says it is. Instead of a game where you play soccer, this is a game where you take that marvelously maligned position of referee. As a referee you try to work your way up the career ladder without, gulp, getting killed. You do this by calling plays, just as any referee would do. However, just as in real life, you will quickly find that both spectators and players will take exception to the calls that you make. Since this is soccer that we are talking about, you may find it necessary to temper your calls a little bit to avoid ending up six feet under (or you can choose to defend yourself with weapons).
Now that sounds fun! If you can, check out the website, too. Sadly, there’s not much on there except game info and a neat flash game, but I found it to be nice-looking. I just don’t trust games that have bad websites.
Also: I just noticed that the Soccer Ref page is hosted by some guy who fought Bruce Lee in “Game of Death II”. Heee-eey now!
posted by Derek Yu
GameTunnel Interviews
Game Tunnel has another interview online as part of their on-going coverage of the IGF. This interview is with the developer of Global Defense Network. Game Tunnel covers a lot of the questions that have been circulating in indie developer circles, and asks (Among other things) what defines indie games, and where they will go from here. My favorite quote (Completely out of context) from the interview:
It’s really too early to say much about it, but odds are good that it will have at least one Monkey.
posted by Aaron H.
Bytten Reviews Games
Bytten.com has a new review up for the game Grav-O-Tron made by Onion Factory. Onion Factory’s tag line is “Producing games so fresh they’ll make you cry”, though apparently Bytten found the game eye watering for entirely different reasons.
This is the first game for Onion Factory, and they have two more planned according to their web site. Grav-O-Tron is windows only.
posted by Aaron H.
Retro Remakes: Classic Gaming for the Next Generation
Retro Remakes is a great site to find games in a subgenre of “indie games”. Remakes are fan-made games that try to recapture the feel of an existing commercial game, or one that is no longer available. Not only are there tons of indie games here, there is an annual remakes competition where you can submit your own games.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Ari Feldman: Designing Arcade Computer Game Graphics
GameMaker creator Mark Overmars has gotten permission to distribute this fine book: Designing Arcade Computer Game Graphics, by Ari Feldman. If you are an aspiring game developer, you will find this book to be a great resource.
From the site:
Graphics play a central role in the computer gaming experience, and arcade-style games are no exception. Designing Arcade Computer Game Graphics emphasizes the development of quality graphics for 2D arcade-style computer games, both online and offline, including such topics as game design and documentation, animation, proper color usage, and fonts.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Friday, March 04, 2005
Lode Runner Lives!
Indie publisher, Alawar Entertainment has announced an upcoming game starring Snowy the Bear, the titular hero of a number of games from game developer Aliasworlds Entertainment. The new game will be called “Snowy: Treasure Hunter”, and has been billed as “A remake of Gold Sprinter” (which was also published by Alawar.) Gold Sprinter is in turn a remake of the classic game, Lode Runner. At the time of this writing, there is no indication of when specifically the game will be released nor for what platform(s).
(Source: Game Tunnel)
posted by Aaron H.
More IGF coverage
Game Tunnel has two new features up in their ongoing coverage of the IGF.
The first is a preview of Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion, a 3D MMO mech combat game with demos available for Windows and Mac OSX.
The second is an interview with the creators of the game N[,] Metanet Software. They (the Metanet developers) have some interesting things to say about what makes indie games indie. N is freely available and includes Windows, Mac, and Linux versions.
posted by Aaron H.
Garage Games Releases Torque 2D
Garage Games has released Torque 2D, a robust 2D game engine based on their Torque Game Engine. (For those in the dark, the Torque Game Engine was the same engine used to create the commercial game Tribes.) For $100 you can get [the Torque Game Builder – INDIE License], which gives you full publishing rights for any games that you make using T2D!
Honestly, this sounds like a pretty sweet deal for indie developers. Check out the site for more details on the engine.
posted by Derek Yu
D-Day
Today is the official release date for Darwinia. My pre-order hasn’t yet arrived, but for those of you lucky enough to already have it, why not post a comment and tell us what you think of it so far?
posted by Marc Silver
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Slay from Sean O’Connor
This simple game is suddenly eating up all of my free time. I have so many games, from PC to Playstation to XBOX, and I’m hunched over my laptop clicking on little men to take over other little hexagons. This game scores high marks for gameplay. The graphics are so-so but they suit the game perfectly. In all honesty, you’ll launch this game and go “ugh” about the graphics, and wonder why anyone would give this game more than a few seconds try. However, after you play through the three tutorial levels and discover just how deep it is – it becomes very addictive.
From the site:
Slay is a simple to learn game of strategy and cunning set in medieval times. The island is divided up between the six players, and you must try to capture your enemies’ land and link up your own territories to create larger and stronger ones. You begin capturing land by attacking with your peasants. Once your territories become richer you can combine peasants to make stronger and stronger people (Spearmen, Knights and then Barons) who can kill weaker enemy troops, or knock down their castles. Just be careful that you don’t create too many expensive men or the territory will go bankrupt!
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Doujin Daily News – defunct but still cool…
Doujin Daily News is (was?) a site dedicated to “Doujin” or amateur created games overseas. Usually these consist of fan-made japanese games such as street-fighter style or shootemups. What is distinct about most of them is that they are usually very high quality, while being terribly hard to find (without a great web-translator). While this site seems to have stopped updating, there are still an astounding collection of great shmups, fighters, puzzle games and other things that defy description. I especially like the games Zangyura and Atulado. Prepare to be amazed and awed by the quality of these games.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Darwinia Approacheth
Lots of activity on the Darwinia website, as the game is released in a day or so! AllAboutGames is running a week-long feature about the game, that includes an interview with Introversion, the creators of the game. They’re also holding a contest and giving away five free copies of the game! All you have to do is answer a question: “What was Introversion’s first published game?” Well, duh. (Unless it’s a trick question, or something.)
Also on the Darwinia website, check out all the weird stuff that Introversion put up in the “Extras” section – from advertisements to strange, existential discussions by characters from the game.
posted by Derek Yu
Dan! Da! Dan!
Cas already mentioned Dan! Da! Dan!, but the game is good enough that I thought it could use a little more explanation. I wouldn’t want anyone to pass it by just because the page is in Japanese!
For one thing, it’s a shmup, but it’s more of a puzzle shmup. Each level is made out of different colored blocks. If you shoot a block of a certain color, it destroys all the blocks of that color that are touching the one you shot. Shooting a block with a big round gem in it will destroy all the blocks of that color on the screen. You’re timed, so the way to keep going is to keep collecting time bonuses (contained in the “?” blocks).
“Z” is shoot. If you hold down “Z” for a little while and release it, you fire a red circle that slows down bullets and can help you hit blocks on your sides. When the gauge around your ship fills up, you go into hyper mode. When that happens, you can press “X” to release the gauge and turn any enemy bullets on the screen into blue triangles for points. You also get a limited spread shot. Yellow triangles help refill your hyper gauge.
Anyway, it’s a really interesting concept, and I still haven’t completely figured it out yet! Every time I play I seem to learn something new and get a little better.
posted by Derek Yu
gotoAndPlay() – flash games
Ok, I must be on a flash kick today. However, if you are interested in creating your own games, you are probably considering using Flash as a possible platform. gotoAndPlay() is a great site to check out for inspiration and take a look at some cool indie flash games. There’s also something called “Smartfox” which is a gaming server you might find useful for your own projects.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Music games … and another new guy
Hi, my name’s Zack. I’m pretty (meaning totally) new to the indie game scene, so expect fewer links and perhaps more questions.
I wanted my first post to catalog existing indie music/rhythm games (think Parappa the Rapper, etc), but what I have found, after much searching, is just a handful of Dance Dance Revolution styled games for the PC, plus another DDR game for Dreamcast.
There’s gotta be a lot more to music games than just DDR, though. What am I missing?
posted by Zack
Adventure Quest – flash based adventure
Adventure Quest claims to be a ” free lunch break sized RPG that you can play daily using your web browser”. I’ve been playing this game for over a year now, and I have to say that while mindlessly repetitive, it also is extremely addicting. Beyond just mindless hacking and slashing, the developers are creating multiple classes like Mage and Rogue for you to customize your skills, story-driven quests to help boost your stats, and all kinds of hidden and quirky features like pets which make this game rise above your standard indie-fare.
Mind you, all you do in this game is fight monsters, collect experience, buy bigger weapons and spells, and go fight more monsters. If this is boring to you then you may want to pass this by. However, this game excels at what it claims to be – something you pick up for 10-30 mins at a time during lunch or odd times – and have a bit of diversionary fun. You can also fork over a small bit of money to become a “Guardian” which means you get choice weapons and armor, as well as priority in logging on to the server.
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Yet Another Intro!
Hello, I’m yet another contributor to suck away all your time with these great links we all seem to be finding. I’m pretty good at finding obscure, indie game related things, so I look forward to posting cool stuff and making tigsource that eensie bit better!
I currently work at a gaming site myself – 1UP.com which is a social network / gaming news site where I do website design and other front-end stuff. It’s cool to be part of something that seems to be growing leaps and bounds every day. Till later!
posted by Andrew Wooldridge
Hominid Interview
Game Tunnel has a new interview up as part of their on-going coverage of the IGF. This one is with the developers of Alien Hominid, a slick, flash-gone-console title. The developers have some interesting things to say about indie development and their stated budget of 1.3 million (Which has caused some controversy in the indie development community as to what, really, defines indie game development.) Some choice quotes from the interview:
…We decided it was best to put a number which accurately reflected the amount due to all the people who worked on the game as well as the out of pocket expenses.
…As for our definition of “indie”, that’s simple too…indie means no one else had faith in your product so you went out and made the product anyway.
Check out the original flash game that started it all, and then browse over to the official web site.
Oh yeah, and go enter the The Sexiest Indie Gamer of All Time! contest; How could you not want to be judged by some of the coolest people in indie gaming?
… Edit: Oops, Cas previously commented on the Alien Hominid interview …
posted by Aaron H.
Wonderland Secret Worlds
Midnight synergy released Wonderland Secret Worlds. Here’s what they have to say about it:
The unique mix of puzzle solving and arcade/action is back in Wonderland Secret Worlds. A magical storm has blown into Wonderland and swept away the little Stinkers. It is up to you to rescue them. Control Wonderland’s four heroes – Stinky, Loof, Qookie, and Peegue – through over a hundred new levels in the diverse worlds of Wonderland. With exciting new features and the same compelling gameplay of previous games, Wonderland Secret Worlds re-introduces you to a world of adventure, mystery, and fun!
If you’re a fan of Wonderland you’ll probably lap it up. More details here.
posted by Cas
The Sexiest Indie Gamer Contest: Even More Sexy
TIGSource welcomes the newest Sexiest Indie Gamer Contest sponsor, Panic. Any Mac fan should recognize the name, since they put out some of the most popular software on that platform! I actually had the pleasure of hanging out with those guys a couple years ago, and all I can say is, damn, can they party. Thanks for donating the super-cool Adventure t-shirts!
Some of the judges revealed. Nick Tipping from Moonpod. Jane Pinckard from Game Girl Advance. John Romero from… wait a second, John f***ing Romero?! Things just got a little more interesting! Check out the site for the details.
There’s still two weeks left in the contest, but get those submissions in! Be creative, be funny, be sexy! You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity, ladies and germs. Overcome that inherent geeky shyness and have some fun!
posted by Derek Yu
Peasant’s Quest
In the classic tradition of King’s Quest and other popular adventure games, comes Peasant’s Quest, an all flash game made by the folks from homestarrunner.com. The game is a hilarious spoof on early adventure games, and will be funny even if you’ve never heard of Strong Bad, though you can familiarize yourself on the homestarrunner site before playing.
posted by Aaron H.
More crazy Japanese weirdness!
Dan! Da! Dan! from Omega. Page renders peculiarly due to its Japanese origins :) Uses an LZH archive so make sure you’ve got a decompressor that can handle it like WinRAR.
Thanks to whisperstorm from indiegamer for the heads up.
posted by Cas
Gametunnel interviews Alien Hominid developers
Title says it all. I liked this little soundbite:
DP: Nobody can muddle your junk. It’s all your own vision. Bake your own cake.
Check it out for another great read.
posted by Cas
Last Man On Mars
I always wet myself when a Robotron game comes along, and Last Man on Mars [(which is nolonger available)] from Dejobaan Games has made me change my underpants twice and I’ve only just gazed at the screenies.
They’re looking for feedback on their concept test demo (24mb) so don’t be thinking it’s anything like a complete game. But I’m sure they’ll appreciate your feedback using their forums.
Downloading it now…
(30 mins passes)
OMFG – my pants are soaked and I think my brain has dribbled out of my ears. This one is HOT.
posted by Cas
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Odd Man In
Ben Garvey sends word that the next round of Odd Man In is beginning, and as of this writing, he’s still waiting for at least a dozen or so people to sign up.
Odd Man In is an interesting multiplayer online game that’s “part Reservoir Dogs and part Survivor”. First, all the players join the game and take on the persona of a Mr. Color (like Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, etc.). Then the game starts. During each round, each player gets a chance to take one shot. You get shot an even number of times, you die. Odd, and you live to see the next round!
The game’s getting pretty big now, so hurry up and join before you’re stuck as Mr. Burnt Umber!
posted by Derek Yu
[All images are copied from the websites of their respective games when possible.]
TIGER Sauce Interview: 2d Boy
By: Derek Yu
On: November 26th, 2007
2d Boy are actually two men – Ron Carmel and Kyle Gabler. Together, they’re living the indie dream. You may recognize Kyle as the developer behind the Experimental Gameplay Project and Tower of Goo, the unique physics game that has you building structures out of little goo balls. World of Goo, the company’s first title, takes the basic idea behind Tower of Goo, and expands it into a living, breathing world.
Steve Cook got a chance to throw the dynamic duo a few questions about IGF (in which World of Goo is a competitor), the indie life, and how their goo balls are doing1.
Read the full interview here.
1They’re doing pretty goo… d. Good. Get it? I know, I’m sorry.
The B-Game Competition is Over!
By: Derek Yu
On: October 16th, 2007
And the winner is… (dun dun dun) Cottage of Doom, by haowan! This zombie survival game interpreted the theme well on a number of levels, from the theme, to the presentation, to the game mechanics. To top it off, it’s an incredibly fun game. Congratulations, man!
It was a close competition, with the top four games all within a few votes of each other. The next three games were Gunlimb (Radnom), Mondo Medicals (cactus), and Space Barnacle (Golds).
To quote haowan:
Truer words have nary been spoken. For our first competition, it was a rollicking success. All 29 games had something unique about it that was worth playing to see. If you haven’t tried them out, please do!
We’ll definitely have more in the future!
And be sure to check out the Random Gnome’s 3-part write-up on the competition, as well as TIGSource and Indygamer editor Terry’s picks from awhile ago! Thanks, guys!
Ye Olde TIGSource (Part 4)
By: ithamore
On: September 16th, 2007
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1090/1346512105_0131648d82_m.jpg” width=“159” height=“124” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right alt=“Hello World” />In addition to the first of many Kenta Cho posts and some Cave Story and Darwinia loving, you’ll also find in our forth installment of YOT that we also gained several wonderful editors who, after properly introducing themselves, brought a nice dash of variety (including some much needed Linux and Mac seasoning) to the independent gaming community.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Gamasutra: Now for Everyone
Apparently, Gamasutra has now opened its news section to non-subscribers. Gamasutra, the younger and very sexy sister of both GDC and Game Developer Magazine, is a great source of information for game industry news, and they give a lot of exposure to indies as well. I’m really glad they got rid of what was one of the most annoying aspects of their site.
(Source: Joystiq)
posted by Derek Yu
Torus Trooper v0.22
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1097/1347416116_ba6ffb8c53.jpg” width=“320” height=“240” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right alt=“Torus Trooper” />After a much-needed weekend vacation, I’m back, now with special polymers that swick away sweat while I play games and type. I was happy to see that TIGSource has become a real life breathing, living entity in my absence! Great job, guys!
Torus Trooper, Kenta Cho’s blazing-fast abstract 3D shmup, has gotten a lot faster since the last version I played (0.1)! Along with fixing a bunch of bugs, TT now has color switching between levels and a neat instant replay feature. Ch-ch-check it out.
(Source: Insert Credit)
posted by Derek Yu
Turbo Sliders Updated.
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1155/1347416120_ee81edee5f_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“Turbo Sliders” />Turbo Sliders, available from Jolly Good Games, has been updated and is now at version 1.0.3. Turbo Sliders is a top down racing game for up to 20 players. According to the official web site, the demo offers unlimited play time, but only allows you to access three levels. The full version includes 20 levels, the ability to create and play custom levels, and access to more game servers.
Available for Linux and Windows, and includes English, Finnish, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French language support.
(Source: happypenguin.org)
posted by Aaron H.
Arydox Update
Pixel5 Studio has released an update (v1.2) to their shoot ’em up Arydox. According to the developer, this update includes, hardware acceleration via OpenGL, new particle effects and backgrounds, and the ability to change the control keys among other things.
My first experience with the game comes from the new version demo on Linux. The game has beautifully rendered graphics, and some amazing particle effects like smoke coming off of your ship when you take damage. You can control the ship with your mouse or keyboard, though the keyboard controls lack the fine resolution of the mouse.
On the down side, the game adjusted my screen resolution, but then failed to accurately grab my display so I was stuck playing in a window even with full screen set, though to be honest this didn’t adversely affect my view of the game or it’s playability. I was also frustrated by the fact that my power-ups wore off. I would get mega cool cannons, only to lose them just before facing a particularly huge armada of enemies.
Arydox is very hard. On the easiest setting I was still only able to get to the first set of bosses after six or ten tries. Overall, it seems like a better than average shmup, though it may not fare so well in the current selection of shmups.
The game is available for Linux and Windows. (Source: indiegamer.com and pixel5studio.hu)
posted by Aaron H.
Just another reason we love indie games…
So I mention there’s a review of ‘Troid in the pipe… and what do you know, the author – Matt Verran – PM’ed me on YakYak where I hang out in the programming section, all a-worried about what he can quickly slip into the game to make it better!
Can you see Valve dropping me a line? I didn’t think so!
Anway the upshot of it is, I’ve told Matt what I think’s wrong with it so far and we’ll see what he comes up with before I go posting up any more thoughts on it.
And that’s what’s so great about indie game devs.
Has anyone played Robot Ron?
posted by Cas
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Galactic Gladiator
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1343/1347388494_2cde8b25f2_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right alt=“Galactic Gladiator” />I’ve just spent the better part of two hours playing Galactic Gladiator, a free (yes, free) top down tactical shooter. The game looks fairly well polished with a smooth engine, decent graphics and fun gameplay. This has potential…
Based on the high scores, I’m going to need a lot of practice before I’m even half decent.
posted by Marc Silver
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Escaping from rooms?
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1096/1346516125_b7060715fa_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“179” alt=“MOTAS” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left />I’ve just spent a lazy Saturday afternoon playing games where you have to escape from rooms. Now there’s a genre that I would never have thought possible. It’s quite amazing how many games of this type are available on the web, some of them are just fantastic fun to play. Some even have an online chat room incase you get stuck, what a fantastic idea! Anyhoo, here are a few links to some of the better ones I found 1 2 3.
I warn you now, these games are very addictive and very very hard, so don’t blame me if you go mental :)
posted by DanDanger
Java 4K Games
Being a long time Java programmer I’m always amazed to see people doing silly things with the platform. And behold, some loonies have created a bunch of games that are only 4kb each. That’s right, 4,096 lovingly crafted bytes and frankly I can’t figure out how some of them do it. If you’ve got yourself a Java Virtual Machine installed surf on over and try a few. After all, they only take a second to download!
And if you haven’t got a JVM, then go and get one.
posted by Cas
Another Introduction
Hey all, I’m also going to be posting a few tidbits around these parts. We can start right away with saying how much fun I had playing Hapland. A few minutes of fun but a reminder of the kinds of things Flash does so well. I just realised it’s already been blogged about a few days ago on a different URL but there’s no harm in bringing it back to the top again eh?
Uh… as for background history on me… well, I write the odd game now and again, and even less frequently actually sell them. I’m pretty much into hardcore shooters so if it involves shooting, I’ll be posting about it.
Expect a review of ‘Troid from Hermit Games shortly. I’m trying a new approach to reviewing: I buy the games meself, which should hopefully give me a really good sense of value-for-money. Stay tuned, kids!
posted by Cas
Zzed
First, a hello to Dan and Cas, nice to be working with you both.
…
NevoSoft.com has announced the release of their new action puzzle game, Zzed. The demo has some very nice graphics, high quality sound, and a well illustrated story.
Cut sequences move the story along, but the core gameplay is similar to Bust A Move or Puzzle Bobble. The use of physics is the most interesting addition, and along with some nifty power-ups and Asteroids style ship movement, the genre gets a shiny new feel. Fans of the genre should have fun with the new features, and newcomers will get to find out first hand why the style is so popular.
From the website: Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP Pentium II, 500 MHz, 64 Mb RAM and 16Mb 3D video card required.
(Source: indiegamer.com)
posted by Aaron H.
Hello all.
Hello, my name is Dan and I’m a new contributor to TIGSource.
I’ve worked in the games industry for many years and have only recently gotten involved with indie game developement as an alternative career. I’m very excited that Derek let me contribute to TIGSource, and I hope that I will be able to bring some lovin’ to the indie games community :)
posted by DanDanger
Friday, February 25, 2005
Funky Sausage Pixel People
nonoche.com has some great shockwave games, including one with nice pixel art by the people at electriconland.com (Look for links on the Nonoche web page titled Level1, Level2, Level3 and Level4.) I’m not sure what the characters are supposed to be, and I don’t understand the language that the instructions are written in, but “Funky sausage pixel people” seems to fit well. Both sites have interesting things to explore.
Because it’s a little obscure; The instructions to get into the game from the electriconland.com page:
1. After loading the game level, click in “Klik Hier Om Te Beginen”;
2. Next, click in “Speel Zonder in Te Loggen”;
3. Next, select you character;
4. Next, press “Volgende” to start.
5. Shift for shooting, space for jumping and arrows for movement.
posted by Aaron H.
Java Jigsaw!
JiX has some really nice looking screenshots, and the feature list makes it sound like a Jig Saw puzzlers dream. There is a playable online version, and a downloadable demo. The installer is windows only, and the requirements at the time of this writing are listed as Pentium II with 64Mb ram.
(Source: GameDev.net)
posted by Aaron H.
Derek Says: “See You on Monday!”
Even the most faithful indie gaming fan needs a break every now and then. I’m heading north for the weekend and leaving the site in the hands of the other more-than-capable TIG’ers. When I come back, more indie gaming news and some special surprises regarding “The Sexiest Indie Gamer of All Time Contest!” See you when I see you!
posted by Derek Yu
Bytten 2.0
Bytten has relaunched as version 2.0, after undergoing some changes such as voice deepening and hair in places there was no hair before.
Founded at the start of 2003 by Mark Sheeky and Andrew Williams, Bytten (pron. bitten) has reviewed one game each week since launch and highlighted many low budget games that would previously have been overlooked by mainstream gamers. The website uses a unique review queue system benefits new game development talent, and the two year archive of past reviews represents a historical record of independent games since 2003. A new issue is published each Friday.
posted by Derek Yu
GoFast
When you see the video of GoFast in action (and trust me, you need to see the video to fully appreciate the concept) you will laugh, because, and I’m being honest and not cruel, it looks absolutely ridiculous: a bunch of geeky CompSci guys in an empty computer lab, smacking keyboards and running around and yelling things like “Mine. MINE! YES!” That aside, it’s an interesting and unique way of getting gamers to move around a little, and ya know, it really does look fun. Probably not the best way of getting girls, but definitely a great way to have some fun with your friends when you’re staying up late in the CompSci lab working on a project!
posted by Derek Yu
Jets’n’Guns patch released
Rake In Grass have recently released patch 1.02 for Jets’n’Guns; grab the patch here. If you haven’t yet tried this out and you’re looking for a shoot-em-up fragfest, then give it a whirl. As reported previously, it scored a 10 at Game Tunnel.
posted by Marc Silver
Darwinia Manual
Those fortunate enough to have gotten hold of their copy of PC Gamer may have noticed that the PDF version of the Darwinia Manual is available on the CD provided with the magazine. Introversion have made a copy of the manual available here for your viewing pleasure…
posted by Marc Silver
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Monkeys and MacOS, oh my!
Apparently the monkeys Derek encountered earlier in the week have moved on to gold…
Angry Angry Monkeys is HippoFlippo‘s first game. The graphics are great, and the sound is of nice quality. There were some graphical glitches in the demo on my machine and the gameplay was not amazing, but at $9.95, it may be good for the younger set. Here’s hoping Hippo Flippo goes on to do more games with graphics and sound of this quality (And maybe a little more engaging gameplay.)
In Mac news:
Feeding Frenzy by Sprout Games and <http://diogames.com/OrbitalTrader.html>Orbital Trader by Dio Games have both been released for OSX. Cosmo Bots has been released for both OSX and OS9.
posted by Aaron H.
Spectre VR fans rejoice!
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1320/1347416146_51d57c239f_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“Virtual Combat” />Actually, I’m not really a Spectre VR fan, but I imagine I might if I was….
Virtua Combat is a new demo available from Brilliant Bytes Software, and is reminiscent of Spectre VR or Stellar 7.
They also have some other games available, including Chibi Fighter, which has some nice looking chibi (surprise) style screenshots.
posted by Aaron H.
The NEW Last Half of Darkness
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1196/1346516117_85c1173250_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“164” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“Last Half of Darkness-Shadows of the Servants” />The Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants is the latest creation of William R. Fisher (Who also made the original “The Last Half of Darkness”.) The trailer is an avi and weighs in at around 27Mb but is nicely produced (Though the audio was over compressed) and has a very cinematic feel. If the game is as creepy as the trailer, horror adventure junkies should be able to get a good fix.
Screen shots, demo, video, and playable web mini game are all available on the site. Windows Only, Pentium III required (According to the site.)
posted by Aaron H.
Gate88 gets an update
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1271/1350426311_ffaac2b15c_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right alt=“Gate 88” />For those not familiar, Gate88 is a strategy game by Queasy Games. With cool retro graphics, a unique sound-track, and some unusual gameplay, Gate88 is well worth checking out just for the experience. (The screenshots don’t do the game justice; it really must be played.)
The game has an unusual interface, so following the tutorial and reading the manual are worth the time. Once you understand the controls, it’s surprisingly easy to play without getting stuck in which menu does what, or where the shortcut keys are.
They have Windows, Linux and Mac-OSX versions, so go get your multi-os freak on.
posted by Aaron H.
Hapland
Hapland is a really unique flash game. It’s more of an interactive puzzle world, with lots of neat things in it. The goal is to light two torches and open a portal, but it’s easier said than done. I’m at the part where one of my little guys gets run over by a dog with a giant pizza cutter. Any hints?
posted by Derek Yu
DIY Games Does it Themselves
First of all, welcome Aaron H., the first of hopefully many new recruits to TIGSource! Like all new TIG’ers, Aaron has been through rigorous training that only the greatest of men and women can survive without permanent psychological damage! Congrats!
Back to the news: after a long gout of inactivity, DIY Games has come out of its cave and has been putting out indie news like there was no tomorrow. Here’s the cliffs:
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1047/1347388414_79cf93f472_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“Anime Bowling Babes” />Glimmer Games releases two games, Anime Bowling Babes and Kick Shot Pool. Only one of the games has anime babes in it, unfortunately.
DivoGames releases AirStrike II: Gulf Thunder, a 3d shooter with a modern twist. The developers claim that the game has a full “120% pure ACTION”, which lowers their credibility some because only 82% action is theoretically possible, and that’s including some impurities.
Troy Goodfellow, DIY Games’s resident pornstar, reviewed Outpost Kaloki, the standout indie strategy game from Ninjabee. And he really liked it!
DIY Games is conducting a survey of all indie developers. Send an e-mail to [email protected] and prove you’re a developer if you want in.
InQuest Gamer Magazine #119 apparently has some info about Star Chamber, the wild and woolly online collectible card game by Nayantara. DIY Game’s own Greg Micek also wrote a two-page article espousing the virtues of indie gaming.
Game Trust, a “provider of infrastructure solutions for game developers”, is holding a contest called the “Casual Game Evolution Challenge”. They’re looking for Shockwave game concepts, and the winner will win a modified Vespa to ride around in. In addition 5 finalists will get Game Plan licenses, which let them pimp their game out to lots of people.
posted by Derek Yu
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Flash gaming gets tactics
Battalion, a massively multi-player strategy game by Urbansquall Corporation, is currently in beta, but according to a press release from Video Game Marketing Service, will be going gold at the end of February or beginning of March.
You can currently register for a free account and, according to the press release, most of the game will remain free indefinitely though there will be “Premium” accounts.
I tried the tutorial level, and other than having a little lag in movement, it appears to have a very nice interface and attractive graphics. It appears to be all flash, so should run on just about any platform with flash support. It worked fine in Firefox under Linux.
posted by Aaron H.
We have a volunteer!
Hello, my name is Aaron, and I’m an indie gamer…
It started when I was young. I got hooked like most indie gamers; A friend turned me on to shareware games, and I have been downloading into the wee hours of the night since. It’s hard, but step by step, I’m learning how to find the good stuff.
…
Hello to everyone, and thanks to Derek for letting me be a part of TIGSource. I hope I can continue the fine tradition.
posted by Aaron H.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
TrayGames is Here
TrayGames wants me to tell you that they’re here! A new indie game company who’s interest lies in creating simple and fun multiplayer games, and cultivating a lively community for online players. Sounds good, and they’re site is pretty slick, too – I always expect good things from nice-looking websites. They’d like to meet as many people as possible at GDC, so if you’re interested, look for ’em! (Also check out the TrayGames blog.)
posted by Derek Yu
The GoodFather
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1072/1347416110_385212dd71_m.jpg” width=“175” height=“218” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“The Goodfather” />Jason Baxter let me know that his company, Dr. MOZ, has a new product available. It’s not exactly a game, but it’s close enough. In any case, the idea is really fun, and hey, it’s educational! The GoodFather is interactive software that teaches new or potential fathers how to take care of a baby – everything from taking care of the baby to naming it. It parodies The Godfather, which is pretty funny, if you think about it.
It costs $34.95 for the full version, which is steeper than your average indie game. However, the product seems to be really high quality from what I’ve seen. And come on, if you’re a new dad who’s not willing to shell out 35 bucks to learn how to take care of your kid, then please get a vasectomy right now. Seriously.
posted by Derek Yu
Game Xtazy: Boxy Goxy Review
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1289/1347388418_9f719a7d84_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“boxygoxy” />A new review by David Laprad, this time of the shareware arcade game Boxy Goxy. In Boxy Goxy, you catch blocks as they fall. Every time you miss, a gray block gets stacked on your catcher-thingy – if it gets too tall and you touch the electric field floating above you, you lose! All in all, it seems like a pretty nifty idea. It could maybe use some Japanese schoolgirls in it, though.
posted by Derek Yu
ZUBAAAAAAAN!
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1396/1346516131_e42d331e5f_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“137” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“Nanaca Crash” />The Japanese never seem to think that their are enough unique twists in a game (or schoolgirls) – we could stand to learn a thing or two from them (well, not really about the schoolgirls, but maybe). Take this flash game, Nanaca Crash!!, for instance. I feel like if most of us had designed a game where you are a girl on a bicycle and the goal is to smack a boy as far as you could, we’d stop right there and give ourselves a pat on the back for being so creative. We wouldn’t even think about adding a bunch of different people on the road, each one doing something special to help or hinder our goal. Or what about two different kinds of aerial teleports so that we could keep smashing the poor guy in midair? We all think we’re so dang creative, but the point is, there’s no limit! Keep pushing it!
My best was 2559.09 meters, but I was hardly trying!
posted by Derek Yu
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Game Tunnel’s Indie Wrap-Up: January
Game Tunnel gives its monthly wrap-up of 14 indie titles. There were several Silver Awards handed out, but only one Gold – can you guess what it was? In other news, monkeys just stole my underwear and they won’t give it back.
posted by Derek Yu
Saturday, February 19, 2005
TIGSource: We’re Looking for Volunteers!
It’s hard to maintain this site myself, and anyway, my intention was always to make it a true community site rather than “Derek’s Wankfest 3000”. More contributors means more viewpoints, more coverage, and more games. There are game genres I like better than others, so I give them more press, give them them better lip service. In a perfect world, however, this site should be displaying all kinds of different games and opinions in equal numbers.
If you’d like to contribute to the site, send me an e-mail. I’m looking for good, honest gamers who have above average writing skills. In other words, I’d rather do the site myself than have to fix other people’s typos! In your e-mail, please tell me a little about yourself and what you’d like to do for the site.
Specifically, I’m looking for contributors in these areas:
1. General News Contributors – Can never have enough.
2. A Mac Indie Game Specialist – We are in dire need of one!
3. Interviewers/Features Editors – I’d like to expand the exclusive content.
Thanks!
posted by Derek Yu
Irrational Games Goes Indie
Damn, how’d I miss this one? Irrational Games, the creators of the critical hit commercial game, Freedom Force, are self-publishing the sequel, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. The decision to go indie, thankfully, was their own.
Given the size and dedication of our fanbase, we knew that the last thing we wanted to do was a make a follow up to Freedom Force that tried to expand the market to casual gamers. To do so would have meant alienating our core fan base, something we refused to do. Freedom Force is always going to be a PC game for people who love strategy, RPG and heroes. It’s not going to be for everybody. You know the old saw… “Try to please everybody, you end up only pleasing the marketing department.”
Word. Here’s the article (IGN).
(Source: Indie Gamer forums)
posted by Derek Yu
Laser Dolphin
I think the title screen pretty much speaks for itself. (Link)
posted by Derek Yu
Gink in Trouble
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1146/1347388498_53038be9d9_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“Gink in Trouble” />Generation Star’s latest game, Gink in Trouble, is a shareware coffeebreak game that’s all about falling through a long vertical shaft filled with platforms. Kinda like Down!!, but different. The object of the game is to keep dropping to avoid the crushing spikes above you, but not so fast that you fall off the bottom of the screen and drown. Along the way you can collect power-ups to give you special abilities, and the platforms are made out of various substances that either hinder or help you.
It’s a well-made and addictive little game, but it’s lacking that extra oomph to make it a winner. The whole time I was playing, I kept thinking about things that could have been added or improved upon – more of a story, more power-ups, maybe some enemies to squash, etc. Even a change of expression on Gink’s face every now and then would have made a big difference, I think.
It’s worth a test drive if you like this type of game. But be careful, Gink has this annoying habit of hovering a little bit after he goes off the edge of a platform. I died many times because of it, when I feel like I should have dropped down just fast enough to escape death.
posted by Derek Yu
Friday, February 18, 2005
Darwinia Cometh!
Hallelujah! According to the official site, Darwinia’s gone gold and it’ll be released in 3 weeks! Not to mention it’s gotten a 90% “MUST BUY” review from PC Gamer UK. So get ready to kick the wife, kids, and dog out of the house so that you can immerse yourself in the sweet neon glow. Blip blip!
posted by Derek Yu
Press Coverage for IGF Finalists
Lots of indie post mortems from Gamasutra [that require loginning it to view]:
Nayantara’s Star Chamber
Chronic Logic’s Gish
Reflexive’s Wik & The Fable Of Souls
Gamedev.net interviews:
Ultrafish
Max Gaming Technologies
Jeff Evertt
Slitherine Strategies
Chronic Logic
(Source: IGF)
posted by Derek Yu
GameXtazy Reviews Jungle Heart
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/1346512145_b549d52aa6_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“Jungle Heart” />GameXtazy throws out its review of Jungle Heart, a hybrid platformer and side-scrolling shooter that stars Joy, a flying elephant, who is fighting to save his homeland from, among other things, dragons. Oh, and he can change into a “battle mammoth” whenever he collects 10 coconuts. Yep.
The game’s premise and graphics makes me think of the scene in Dumbo where Dumbo gets drunk and he sees the pink elephants, and I love that scene. Still, the demo couldn’t hold my interest. My biggest problem was that the movement was really choppy while you’re flying around. For a shmup fan, poor play control is almost a sin, you know. I couldn’t pretend that it was okay.
posted by Derek Yu
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
The Behemoth: Our Second Contest Sponsor!
All right, our prize package for “The Sexiest Indie Gamer of All Time” contest officially kicks your ass out the door and back. The Behemoth was kind enough to donate not ONLY a free copy of Alien Hominid for the Gamecube or PS2, but ALSO a set of their great urban vinyl AH figurines. This is on top of the free copy of Starscape and the limited-edition mousepad that Moonpod is donating.
The contest is reopening with an all new page, so check it out! New rules: it’s going to end on March 16th, and the submissions will be pared down to 12 finalists, who will have their submissions featured on the site. But please read the whole page before you enter, because there are some other changes as well!
Now I’m actually jealous because I’m not eligible for the prize… and I know I’m sexier than any of you!
posted by Derek Yu
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
PIXEL Interview? Maybe?
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1319/1346516145_1278e58737_m.jpg” width=“120” height=“160” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left alt=“pixel” />Thanks for those of you who responded when I asked whether or not you wanted a Doukutsu guide on the site! You guys said you’d rather have an interview with PIXEL, or perhaps a guide that was made in collaboration with him. Well, I’m not going to give out too many details right now, but I’m in the process of trying to get an interview together. I don’t speak Japanese, so please thank Shih Tzu of the Doukutsu translation team for helping out!
My intent is to make it kind of an interview and guide to the game both. It seems like there’s a lot more to the world of Doukutsu and its characters than what you see in the game, and I’d like to hear about that. I’ll probably also put together an illustrated guide on getting the timer and going to Hell (since I haven’t done it myself yet) and try and integrate that somehow. And of course we’ll ask him about the creation of the game itself.
Anyway, don’t get your hopes up too high just yet, but IF this happens, what would you like to ask PIXEL? Fire away! If you don’t speak up, then you won’t get heard.
posted by Derek Yu
To Hell and Back Again
More Doukutsu news… so we all know about the secret Hell level, right? It’s supposed to be a beastly (but fair) run, at the end of which you meet the Red Demon that’s hinted at during the credits. You can also pick up a timer somewhere in the game that will time you through hell, so a lot of fans across coasts have been competing for the fastest run.
Not surprisingly, the Japanese have us beat like red-headed stepchildren. This site hosts this video (7 megs) which pretty much proves it. It’s a full run through Hell in under 3 minutes, without the use of auto-fire or any kind of cheapness. Wow. Don’t watch it if you don’t want Hell spoiled for you. If you want to know how to get the timer and go to Hell, refer to my earlier post.
(Source: Insert Credit forums)
posted by Derek Yu
Doukutsu for Mac
All you Mac-heads should know that Doukutsu Monotagari, the stellar freeware platform game by PIXEL, has been ported to OSX by a Japanese fan named nakiwo. I know that a lot of you Mac-users survive off of indie games, so I hope this helps!
posted by Derek Yu
Source Code A-Go-Go
For those aspiring game developers out there, Positech is releasing the full source for its space-based shooter Asteroid Miner:
This is very old code, and we don’t supply documentation or support for it, it’s purely there for the people who are interested in it, in the hopes that they can learn something from it (even if its just how not to code Very Happy) If you find it useful or use bits of it to make entirely new games, post here and let me know.
Also, Geardome just released a new freeware puzzle game called Puzzle Star, with the full source code as a separate download. It’s a very simple game, so taking a peek at the source may be just what a programming newb needs to get going.
(Source: Gamedev.net)
posted by Derek Yu
[All images are from the games’ websites unless otherwise noted.]
The Making of Guxt
By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)
On: August 24th, 2007
Pixel recently posted a little “making of ”http://homepage2.nifty.com/rochet/storage/guxt_1020_wz.zip" title=“Direct link to Guxt” >Guxt" feature on his website, which Shih Tzu was kind enough to translate to English for all us gaijin. Thanks, Shih Tzu — you rock!
The feature, er, features screen grabs of the game in development, with notes describing what was being worked on at each point. It’s a pretty cool window into the acclaimed game designer’s creative process and an interesting read for folks wondering what it’s like to make a game. (Man, I would love to see an afterword for Cave Story as well, or maybe a postmortem or two!)
View the translated Making of Guxt online here.
Download the zip (with bonus screen grabs!) here.
Thanks again, Shih Tzu! Excellent work, as always.
Ye Olde TIGSource (Part 3)
By: ithamore
On: August 19th, 2007
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1027/1171645734_9fe74020a0_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“193” alt=“Bob on bed censored” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />We now learn Flaming Pear fell upon such bad luck that not only did he have to abandon TIGSource; even the $40 refund he would receive by canceling service with his domain host would help out. Lucky for us, Puppygames donated the necessary funds and Derek took the controls. Then TIGSource began to shape into the site we know and love.
Of note for this installment: Cave Story gets its first appearances on TIGSource, PomPom is interviewed, we learn of Derek’s ex-girlfriend’s inappropriate relationship with Snood (might this ex be the Video Games we read about several posts ago), PopCap is mentioned thrice with no ill word typed, and the announcement of the Sexiest Indie Gamer of All Time Contest (which helped to bolster the self esteem of indie gamers while inadvertently gaining the website some additional search engine hits from “special” keywords).
Monday, February 14, 2005
Happy Valentine’s Day!
For those of you with special Valentines, good luck and may you get lucky. For those of you free of the burden, now’s the time for an extra helping of self-lovin’. Remember, you are all beautiful people. So here’s a little indie gaming treat on this romantic holiday.
posted by Derek Yu
Sunday, February 13, 2005
The First Contest Sponsor!
And it’s none other than (drumroll, please)…
That’s right, Moonpod, creators of the hit indie game Starscape, are sponsoring our contest “The Sexiest Indie Gamer of All Time”, and donating not only a copy of Starscape for the winner, but also a limited-edition mousepad featuring the lovable Mr. Robot.
The contest page has been updated with the appropriate info, and I’ve tried to reformat it to make it more clear. I knew that it would take some big names to get some of you to take the contest seriously (well, don’t take it TOO seriously, it’s all in the name of fun), so here you go! There will be more sponsors to come! Keep the submissions coming in!
And many thanks to Moonpod!
posted by Derek Yu
Doukutsu Monogatari Madness
According to my calculations, Doukutsu Monogatari (“Cave Story”) web searches are accounting for almost a third of our referrals. So, I was thinking that I’d actually give all you Cave Story fans what you wanted, and maybe put up a guide to the game on the site, with screenshots and such. If you’re interested, post in the comments!
posted by Derek Yu
The Power of Personality
Thomas Warfield, the creator of Pretty Good Solitaire, has an interesting, well-written blog that I just discovered. The post that caught my attention today was titled “The Power of Personality”, where Thomas discusses how a developer’s personality can show through in a game and really go a long way to making a game fun, or even just different. Specifically, he mentions Snood, a game that’s received the coveted status of mainstream popularity as well as the jealous eyes of other indie developers who see it as nothing more than an ugly Puzzle Bobble clone.
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1127/1116264474_feedb8afb7_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“188” alt=“snood” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left />I think Thomas makes some very good points. However, in the case of Snood, I feel that he missed something key – namely, that so-called “hardcore” gamers have a much more discerning eye for graphics and originality and we definitely take it out on our games. As a fan of Puzzle Bobble, I dismissed Snood almost immediately as an ugly clone when it first came out (I probably ticked off a quick review of the game in my head and gave it like 1 floppy disk out of 5 or something). But for my girlfriend at the time, who’s not nearly as much of a gaming nerd as myself, those things didn’t matter. She was looking for a quick, SIMPLE, game to play, and that’s exactly what Snood provided. That fact that it had ugly graphics and redundant gameplay was moot.
A few months later, I walked in on her while she was in bed with Snood, so we broke up.
posted by Derek Yu
Saturday, February 12, 2005
TIGSource Interviews PomPom
Our stable of indie interviews grows as I shoot the proverbial shit with Michael Michael, head graphics and sound guy at PomPom Games. This interview is, dare I say it, about a million times more interesting than the last one we had – you know, the one with that idiot that made Eternal Daughter. Anyway, click here if you want to find out about PomPom’s next game and where you can buy the best drugs in the UK (just kidding about that last part).
posted by Derek Yu
Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion on Linspire
Garage Games has announced that Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion will be released exclusively on Linspire, a Linux-based operating system, with Windows, Mac, and other Linux distros to follow soon.
I’m kind of confused as to how Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion differs from Dark Horizons: Lore, as there doesn’t seem to be much info about the game anywhere. Is it a new game, or more of an expansion? Dur?
posted by Derek Yu
IGF Audience Awards: Vote Now!
In past years, the GDC attendees have voted at the conference for the Audience Award winners. This year, in collaboration with the IGF, GameSpot is offering our audience the opportunity to vote as well. Check out the 10 finalists in both the Web/Downloadable and Open categories, and cast your votes today!
This is going to be a tough election.
posted by Derek Yu
Moonpod’s January Dev Diary
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1179/1115214913_294b46f5a8_m.jpg” width=“128” height=“128” alt=“miniGuardian” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left />Moonpod‘s development diaries are becoming increasingly good reads for me, revealing all kinds of behind-the-scenes happenings and lots of nifty screenshots. Their current project, Mr. Robot, is an isometric action/adventure game in the same vein as old Speccy classics like Knightlore and Head Over Heels. This month’s dev diary reveals a bunch of the enemies from the game and talks extensively about lighting and texturing. It’s looking great.
posted by Derek Yu
Friday, February 11, 2005
Dragon Spires 2
Dragon Spires 2 is the Java-based 2D multiplayer online RPG that puts lead in your pencil. A very non-traditional medieval RPG, DS2 currently has a very small, but active, group of members (including myself) that has been around since the very first iterations of the game. The current version is in alpha, but there’s still plenty to see and do, and the game’s creators encourage users to build their own mods for the game and help develop it further.
posted by Derek Yu
Valentine’s Pack for Magic Ball II
Alawar is releasing a Valentine’s Pack for Magic Ball II. The pack costs $14.95 and you must own the registered version of Magic Ball II to play it. Time to git yo’ indie game freak on, on Valentine’s Day.
The add-on includes 100 never-before-seen levels of 3D brick-busting action, six new animated characters and visual surprises that celebrate the beloved holiday of sweethearts the world over.
posted by Derek Yu
Blockland
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1288/1113803645_db6b82d552_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Blockland” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left />I don’t think I can describe this ANY better than the fine folks at Insert Credit can, so here you go:
If saucy polygons don’t tempt you, Blockland is “a non-competitive multiplayer game where you build with interconnecting bricks” – basically, a free online multiplayer ‘Lego’-style construction kit. It’s still an early Beta right now, but the first screenshots look quite promising. You might find some people from the forum working on spectacular projects if you log in.
posted by Derek Yu
Info on Darwinia Modding
The Next Game, a Darwinia fan site, has some interesting info on its front page about modding Darwinia. There is an editor, apparently, but you can’t unlock it until you beat the game. Check out the site for the complete story.
posted by Derek Yu
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Who is the Sexiest Indie Gamer of All Time?
CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL CONTEST PAGE HERE!
posted by Derek Yu
Hunted to Extinction II
I just discovered this (very free) game today. It’s called Hunted to Extinction II, and it’s an online RPG/battle game that you can play in your browser. Using a party of four characters, you challenge other users to Final Fantasy-style battles and then gain experience and gold based on the outcome. From there you can upgrade to different jobs and buy weapons and armor. The game is mainly text-based, but the characters are displayed using graphics from various SNES-era Final Fantasy games.
It’s quite fun and easy to play. My username is “bossquibble”, so if you see me, feel free to challenge me to a duel (I’ll probably lose)!
posted by Derek Yu
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Bring Your Resume to Seattle…
… for the Seattle Video Game Industry Job Conference and Resume Workshop this Saturday, February 12th. Lots of companies are hiring, including some indies like PopCap and Zango.
This event is designed for students and professionals looking to get into the industry as well as existing industry insiders looking for new opportunities. For artists, programmers, designers, business professionals, musicians and writers.
(Source: GameDev.net)
posted by Derek Yu
GameDev.net Interviews Max Gaming
GameDev.net just interviewed Adrian Wright and Logan Foster of Max Gaming Technologies, and it’s a good, long read. These charming gents are the masterminds behind the multiplayer online Mech game Dark Horizons Lore. Lore happens to be one of the finalists in this year’s Independent Games Festival. (Shoot, that was a lot of links in one paragraph.)
(Source: Garage Games)
posted by Derek Yu
Gamasutra: 2004’s Most Creative Games
Creativity seems to be a big issue in the game industry these days. Gamasutra recently posed a question to its readers: “What was the most creative game of 2004 and why?” Of course, a lot of people mentioned indie titles, including Alien Hominid, Gish, and Outpost Kaloki. Click here for the full skinny.
(I was also pleasantly surprised to see some neat pixel art from the designer drububu featured in the article.)
posted by Derek Yu
Burger King = Classic Games?
That’s right. For a limited time, if you can choke down a Kid’s Meal you can get a free handheld with a classic Activision game on it! The games available are Kaboom!, Grand Prix, Tennis and Barnstorming.
(Source: Joystiq)
posted by Derek Yu
PC Shmup Database
Roger Post’s PC Shmup Database has a huge collection of links to PC shmups, mainly of the indie and Japanese variety. If you’re in the mood for a good shmup (and honestly, who isn’t?), it seems like the place to go! Thanks, Roger!
posted by Derek Yu
Spellcaster Review
David Laprad sends word that he’s got a review of Superluminal’s Spellcaster up on Game Xtazy. Spellcaster is a word-finding game that’s similar to PopCap’s Bookworm, but with a dash of Harry Potter. Anyway, I’ve played the demo myself, and it seems like David’s review is pretty spot on.
posted by Derek Yu
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Darwinia Demo v1.1!
Alright, the new Darwinia demo is finally out! This demo adds a more detailed tutorial and also fixes some registry problems and other stuff.
My take? It’s much better. Not perfect by any sense of the word, but much better. There’s actually a narrative this time, which immediately draws you in. You have… purpose (cue angels singing).
In fact, I actually finished this version of the demo and the highest praise I have to give the game is that when it was all over, I didn’t want to leave. I just kind of roamed around and watched my Darwinians for a while and admired the landscape. That’s impressive as hell.
So yeah, I think it’ll be worth the fifty some dollars (29.99 GBP) I’ll be paying for it. It’s expensive for an “indie game”, I know, but dammit, when is an indie game just a good game? When it’s Darwinia, of course.
[v1.1 can still be downloaded from 3D Gamers.]
posted by Derek Yu
Creativity on the Decline in Industry?
Well, no sh… excuse me. A couple of interesting articles from the “legit” gaming press. The first is a Gamespy report on a speech Tim Schafer – the founder of Double Fine – gave at this year’s DICE Summit. It’s on taking risks in the game industry, and here’s a choice quote from that:
He noted that, when publishers looked at a game, “Creative” almost became a stigma. “Wow, that’s really … creative,” people would say. He joked that when his team heard those fateful words they started packing up their bags.
What disturbed him the most was this actual quote from an executive at a large publisher: “This is really great. This is creative. It’s too bad people aren’t going for creative stuff right now.”
The other article is from IGN, titled “The Fight for Original Games”:
But depending on who you speak with, the videogame industry is either reaching the most impressive convergence of its entire 30-plus year old existence, or it’s falling into a never-ending death spiral of sequel-heavy, rehashed, franchise dominated blocks of stinking cheese.
Well dang, that’s just sad, really. Just remember, as a consumer, you have the power to decide what games get made and what games don’t. Next time you have 50 bucks burning a hole in your pocket, think about picking up an innovative little underdog (or maybe even two or three) over the next installment of some big-namer licensed crap. Oi!
posted by Derek Yu
ShortHike
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1103/1116264244_3b3e3fbbc2_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“185” alt=“ShortHike” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left />ShortHike is Kai Backman’s rather interesting experiment in indie gaming. Rather than making people plunk down money once for a game that may or may not be supported a year from now, Kai is allowing people to buy a yearly membership into what he calls a “guild”. That is, a dedicated community around his game, and the assurance that, as long as you stay a member, he will stick around and provide top notch support for many years to come. That includes bug-fixing, updates, upgrades, and new content. Certainly a lot more than just a game and some patches.
What’s the game, you ask? Well, it’s a space settlement simulation, which means that most of you probably just went “YAWN”. But for the minority group that’s into these types of technical simulations, this could be a dream come true. The community does seem to be quite active, and with this guild business it sounds as though you’ll have the developer’s support for quite a long time.
If you want Kai’s full spiel on why you should join, go here. Otherwise, the game’s homepage is right here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot on the actual game at the moment, but maybe that’s not important if you know it’s a space settlement simulation. The renders seem nice.
posted by Derek Yu
Monday, February 07, 2005
Sea Wolves
Continuing with the naval theme, Alawar Entertainment has released Sea Wolves, which looks like it’s an action/arcade-style shooter on the open seas. You’re a pirate, I think. I don’t know, I wanted to try it, but I had some problems with the demo’s installation. Damn.
(Source: DIY Games)
posted by Derek Yu
Lost Admiral Returns
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1227/1115214891_52bc621b1b_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Lost Admiral Returns” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left />Fogstone Games has released Lost Admiral Returns, an update to the 1991 classic, Lost Admiral (which I never played). It looks like a solid turn-based strategy game for naval war buffs. The game is going for $19.95, but you can download a 30-day demo for free from their site.
(Source: DIY Games)
posted by Derek Yu
X-Box Live Arcade
X-Box Live Arcade seems like a very good thing for indie developers, and I hope it starts a trend. The basic idea is that you get to pay for and download classic and indie titles through X-Box Live. Sounds good in theory, and they’ve already signed with well-known indie developers like PopCap and PomPom. Has anyone had any personal experience with it?
posted by Derek Yu
Weird Worlds Site Up
Hey, I just noticed that Digital Eel’s got a page up for Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space, the sequel to its successful space-faring game Strange Adventures in Infinite Space. There’s not much up yet, but there’s a little information on the game, at least:
The universe is expanding in both size and depth. Whereas the tag line for SAIS was “Explore the galaxy…in 20 minutes or less!”, the Weird Worlds motto might be “Explore the galaxy…in 20 minutes or more!” Weird Worlds is larger, prettier, more detailed, more deadly and even stranger than its predecessor!
Sounds good to me!
posted by Derek
Doukutsu Guide
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1277/1159110195_f9ae610b43_t.jpg” width=“80” height=“80” alt=“Cave” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=left />Doukutsu Monogatari is full of secrets. Along with all the different weapons and stuff, there’s also a secret “Hell” level that’s supposed to be hard as dickens. Well, if you’re having trouble finding out how to find all these secrets (or maybe just having problems completing the game), check out this fairly comprehensive text guide, written by ReroRero. It should do you good.
posted by Derek Yu
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Beer Dude 2
[You can play it online here.]
posted by Derek Yu
Doom: The Roguelike
Well, this is a few weeks old, but… hell, I wasn’t around a few weeks ago! You read that right, it’s Doom: The Roguelike. Apparently, the author, Kornel Kisielewicz, abandoned the game two years ago, but recently has had a change of heart about it. Version 0.9.6. was released on January 16th.
Despite what you may think, it’s actually a very good Roguelike, and refreshing, too. Whereas other Roguelikes try to emphasize the number of things you have to do to survive (e.g. “Wow, I have to scrape mold off of my +2 Runed Codpiece or else my god will smite me!”), in Doom: The Roguelike, you just have to worry about keeping your weapon reloaded. Try blasting the radioactive barrels in a room full of bad guys – I daresay it’s almost more fun than in the real Doom, since you get to use your imagination.
posted by Derek Yu
Super Monster Painter Extreme
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1062/1116264670_4d94f936e9.jpg” width=“320” height=“240” alt=“Super Monster Painter Extreme” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />Ah, another free game from good ol’ Johan Peitz!
Free Lunch Design has released <a href-http://www.freelunchdesign.com/games.php>Super Monster Painter Extreme – a fun little highscore-driven reflex game. The object is to keep monsters from filling the screen by squirting them with two sets of colored paint tubes. Yellow monsters are killed with yellow paint and so on, but it gets harder when you have to mix different colored paint to kill some monsters! Like all Free Lunch games, it’s a tight package – the graphics, sound, and control are all very solid.
posted by Derek Yu
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Still Waiting on Darwinia Demo Update
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1285/1113803667_9c5286ace5_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Darwinia” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />After Introversion released its demo for Darwinia a week or so ago, a lot of people were left very confused, me included. Let me just put it bluntly: the in-game tutorial for the demo is absolute crap. Any time you need help, you’re supposed to press ‘h’ – and then a bald guy comes on the screen to tell you what’s going on. This would be all fine and good, except that he has the annoying habit of leaving out some very important information, like what “officers” are and how to make them. Or what your goals are. Or even who the hell he’s supposed to be. The end result is that you’re left slamming the ‘h’ key repeatedly and getting frustrated because he keeps droning on about the same few things.
Not good. Darwinia, as beautiful as it is, and as much potential as I see in it as a great game, is not immediately intuitive. It involves understanding not only the basic controls for navigating the abstract 3D landscape, but also the “Task Manager”, a program which ostensibly allows you to create and control your units using “gestures”. I could see these controls being very easy to use after you’ve already learned them, but for someone just starting out, it’s less an exploration of the game’s interface and more of an exercise in frustration. (Keep in mind that at the time of release, there was no text reference accompanying the demo, either.)
Thankfully, Introversion has responded to players’ cries for help, and have said that a new demo is on the way, with a better tutorial. What bothers me, however, is this line (in that same announcement): “We have to admit to being slightly suprised by this, but we’ve obviously misjudged the amount of help that games players need.” It’s a little snooty-sounding, and it echoes similar statements that I’ve read on the Darwinia message boards by beta testers, telling confused players that the demo is ACTUALLY very easy to understand and that, basically, we shouldn’t be having the problems we are with it.
Well, screw that. The fact of the matter is that many players are confused, and if many players are confused, then the game is confusing. I refuse to feel like I’M an idiot (even though it’s very possible I am one) just because I can’t figure out how to get my Darwinians to ride the mine carts.
I guess I’m making a big fuss about this because I think that Darwinia has all the hallmarks of a great indie game: creative gameplay and innovative design. It would be a damn shame if it didn’t get the sales it deserved because of an esoteric demo and some righteous indignation. So yeah, Introversion, hurry up with the new demo. In the meantime, y’all try out the current demo with Introversion’s new tutorial. It’s fun.
posted by Derek Yu
Friday, February 04, 2005
Pardon Our Dust
Barring any unforseen problems, TIGS should get a little facelift this weekend. Then maybe we can get this beast rolling again, hey?
posted by Derek Yu
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Doukutsu Monogatari
Doukutsu Monogatari (“The Cave Story”) – by Japanese freeware developer PIXEL – is one of the finest freeware games I’ve ever played. This non-linear platformer boasts a great storyline, memorable characters, and great gameplay. The graphical style is clean and crisp and very cute. The sound effects and music are all retro and very fitting (no really, it sounds like he used an 8-bit chipset to produce them).
It’s been an “in Japanese”-only release for quite a while now, but just recently an English patch was released by the rom-hacking group AGTP (many thanks to them for that!). So if you want to try an 8+ hour non-linear platformer with lots of items and upgradeable weapons, plenty of secrets, 3 different endings (no joke!), and more killer bunnies than you can shake a carrot at, then give Doukutsu a try NOW. I pity the fool that doesn’t.
Get the game here, and then get the English patch here.
(Source: Insert Credit)
posted by Derek Yu
Do Not Adjust Your Monitor
Greetings, citizens! Due to unfortunate circumstances, Flaming Pear has been forced to relinquish control of the site to me, Derek Yu. Do not be alarmed. Even though I’m not half as sexy as Flaming Pear, I will do my best to continue the fine tradition that F.P. started, bringing you the best indie game news, ’round the clock.
If you wish to contribute to TIGSource, that’s great! I’m all for making this a community effort. The easiest way is to write in with news. If you want to be a front page poster, however, please send me an e-mail with some sample writing and your reason for wanting to help out. I want writers that are dedicated and can type like adults!
My e-mail address is: yu.derek[at]gmail.com (Please put something sensible in the subject of your e-mail)
Let’s wish F.P. well in his real life adventures, and hope that he comes back real soon! Signing off, your new best friend, Captain Sausage… I mean, Derek Yu.
posted by Derek Yu
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
TIGSource will continue!
Just a quick note to say that, thanks to a generous gift from puppygames.net TIGSource will be continuing! So check back soon!
posted by Flaming Pear
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Hope for TIGSource
Ladies (are there any?) and gentlemen of the indie gaming world, do not give up hope: there may be life in TIGSource yet.
Due to the comments and flux of emails I have received pleading for the continuation of this site, I have wracked my brains for a solution to the downfall. Several people have contacted me about taking over the reigns of TIGSource, and make no mistake: I do not want to see this site die.
However, I am currently in need of any money I can get, and, unaware of quite how popular TIGSource had become, and how many people would cry out for its continuation, I was planning on shutting the site down and collecting my $40.00 hosting refund. I really do need money, and yes, even $40.00 will help me.
So here’s the deal: if you are truly behind this site, and would like to see it grow and thrive, I am asking that you support that end by donating that $40.00 to me by February 4th, the last day that I can collect my hosting refund. You can donate by clicking on the button below. All donations are fully refundable. I will keep track of the income, and will post an update three or four times a day regarding the $40.00 mark (you can also get the info in real time here).
If the $40.00 mark is received, I will pass the site on to Derek Yu, who is one of the people who volunteered to maintain it, and allow him to make any decisions regarding potential input from the others who also volunteered (and I’m grateful to all of you). I have the utmost faith in Derek, and think he’s is a great man for the job. It is possible that I will also be able to make posts every once in a while, but not with any kind of frequency, due to the circumstances that I’ve already noted.
Again, thank you all, and long live independent gaming!
Amount received: $40.00 (updated 3-4 times per day)
Amount needed: $40.00 (by February 4th, 2005)
Posted by Flaming Pear
[All images are from the games’ websites unless otherwise note. The original comments can be found here.]
A Guide to Independent Games: Parts 1 and 2
By: Derek Yu
On: August 8th, 2007
I ranted and raved about Game Tunnel’s Top 100 Indie Games, but it was a Top 27 Indie [Art] Games list that put me over the edge and finally convinced me to put together the first parts of this guide right here. Basically, those two lists took the two sides of independent gaming that make me gag – money-lovin’ casual gaming and pseudo- intellectual “arthouse” gaming – and presented them as if they were, in fact, what it’s all about.
Well, you know what – the gaming-for-love-of-gaming “elitists” need their own list, too. ;)
Anyway, Part One is an introduction I penned that’s essentially a love poem to independent gaming and analogies, but I hope gets the point across successfully.
Part Two is a compilation of good independent games (not ranked) that was pared down from a list that TIGForums members put together. The main goal was twofold: to list great games and also to show the diversity and strength of independent developers. It runs the gamut, from text-based IF games to tech-pushing affairs like Penumbra: Overture; from hardcore shoot ‘em ups like Warning Forever to fun, well-made casual games like Outpost Kaloki and Aveyond… and beyond. I think you’d be hard-pressed not to find at least a handful of games you really, really liked in this list.
Parts 3 and 4… well, I have plans for them, but it could go a lot of ways, depending on what people think of the first two parts. One idea was to have Part 3 be an introduction to making your own game, and have Part 4 be a collection of short writings from various people in the community about indie games, with the general theme being the future. Let me know your thoughts!
And I hope you enjoy the article! If you do, spread it around a bit! If you don’t, feel free to let us know why. Open discourse is the only way to go.
Ye Olde TIGSource (Part 2)
By: ithamore
On: July 27th, 2007
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1168/923239490_51a5391890.jpg” width=“299” height=“221” alt=“Moose n TIGSource” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />During the second half of January 2005, things were looking good for TIGSource. It was even less demo centric. However, dun, dun, duuun, the specter of despair loomed its head over Flaming Pear as its minions wrought his life in such a way that he must abandon his TIGSource dreams.
Is all hope lost? Has our hero burned out? Shall the nascent TIGSource be trudged upon by the march of time? Find out in the next installment of Ye Olde TIGSource.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Important Message
The long and the short of it:
Due to unforeseen circumstances I will no longer be able to update this website. As I say, this was unforeseen, and regrettable. Thanks to everyone who appreciated and supported TIGSource.
If anyone would like to host my interviews with Metanet and Blackeye before they disappear into the cybermist, please feel free to do so.
If anyone would like to take this site over from me, please email [email protected] within the next couple of days.
Life is mad.
posted by Flaming Pear
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Daily Click GOTW: Splinter Source
One of the more promising GOTW’s I’ve tried recently, Splinter Source is a Splinter Cell fan game done platform style in 2D. Strikes me as a bit of a cross between Blackeye’s never finished Trigger Happy 2 and the wonderful old classic Framed.
There are a bunch of cool touches, and basically the game does a nice job of making you feel like the sneaky agent you’re supposed to be. Whatch out, it’s toughy though. Also note that there is currently only one level, and the game runs in a supremely tiny window. My hope is that some updates/sequels will fix these issues.
As always with the DC the game is free, and weighs in at just 1.7 MB. Check it out here.
posted by Flaming Pear
Friday, January 28, 2005
TIGSource interviews Blackeye
Continuing on in our quest to understand freeware game developers TIGSource interviews Blackeye Software (a.k.a Derek Yu), creators of Eternal Daughter, and many other cult classics of the freeware gaming world (check Quibble Race). So make yourself comfortable and take a look at part 2 of What Makes Them Tick? Getting Inside the Heads of Freeware Game Developers. The interview is available here.
(Part 1, an interview with Metanet Software, creators of N, is available here.)
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Hippo looks at Ouroboros
From Game Hippo:
“Fantastic Snake Byte clone with an Egyptian theme.”
Rates 9/10. Download it here.
posted by Flaming Pear
Blackeye interview on the way
I just interviewed Derek Yu of Blackeye Software (of Eternal Daughter fame) today, so check back tomorrow or the next day for a look inside this popular freeware developer’s troubled (er, brilliant) mind: What Makes Them Tick? Part II.
posted by Flaming Pear
Bytten reviews Soda Pipes
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1236/776925568_62d08ab003_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Soda Pipes” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Bytten:
“Hopefully, you’ve now read the Plummit review and worked out that Soda Pipes is another Pipes clone. Fortunately the sense of deja vu started to pass pretty quickly once I started playing Soda Pipes, as developer Athletic Design has managed to include enough variation to stand it apart from other Pipes games.” More…
The game gets an identical score to Plummet across the board! 77% overall.
posted by Flaming Pear
My Take on Betty’s Beer Bar
Who wouldn’t want to be a sexy beer tender and serve out drinks to Santa Clause, aliens, and giant teddy bears? Well… at least for an hour… or two… or… you know, maybe this is my life’s calling.
After months of putting it off I knew I finally had to try this game, and frankly, it’s an addictive little sucker. Repetition could be an issue down the road (essentially a click fest of go here, then go here, then go here), but I think it’s highly unlikely that anyone who tries it will play for less than 45 minutes… oh, except that the demo doesn’t really give you much to work with: I was just barely into the swing of my (er, I mean, Betty’s) career when I was told to go buy the full game if I wanted to keep playing, forcing me to contact Mystery Studio for a full version. I guess that’s what they want though…
So yeah, I’m rambling here, but the point is that unless you’re a teatotaller you’ll probably want to check out this 3.5 MB download… make that especially if you’re a teatotaller.
posted by Flaming Pear
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Ada Bubble Bomb updated to 2.5
A few additions to the bubble bursting puzzle game. Check the new version out here.
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Hippo looks at Cirque de Zale
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1275/776925550_5fa3099d4d_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“150” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right alt=“Cirque de Zale” />From Game Hippo:
“This game is an evident homage to the style of Monkey Island – and I mean the best ones, the first two episodes. The main character looks a lot like Guybrush, so much that I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a retouched sprite! Nothing ripped, however, don’t worry: the graphics remind me a lot of the VGA version of the first Monkey, colorful and adorably retro. Music is all original, the tunes are somewhat repetitive, but never invasive – a discrete accompaniment…
“The game… deserves to be played in any case. It feels like the author had a lot of fun making it, and the same fun is transmitted to the player. You probably won’t leave it until you reach the end – pity that it could happen the same day you downloaded the file.”
The Staff Rating is 7/10, and the game weighs 3.2 MB. Download it here.
(Image Source: Game Hippo)
posted by Flaming Pear
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Help wanted!
Needless to say, running a site like this takes quite a bit of work. On top of that, I think it’d be great to get a few different opinions and personalities going around here.
SO… if you have any interest in contributing to TIGSource, please contact me. People wanting to look for and post indie-related news (like, most of the normal posts) are especially welcome, but if you’d like to write reviews or whatever, that’d be great too.
Anyone? Email [email protected].
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Tunnel reviews Jets’n’Guns
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1112/776925580_a26aaa8f72_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Jets n Guns” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Game Tunnel:
“I personally think that this is an excellent game. The music and graphics are great, and so is the game play. If you’re a grown-up and longing for a game where you can mow people down for no other reason than that they are space pirates – get Jets’n’Guns now. Arcade games sure won’t get much better than this!” More…
J’n’G is the 14th game (out of 185 reviewed) to receive a perfect score of 10/10 from Game Tunnel. Others in this prestigious category include Mutant Storm, Gish, and Starscape, so you’ll probably want to check this out.
posted by Flaming Pear
Bytten reviews I of the Enemy
From Bytten:
“IOTE is a real-time combat strategy game in much the style of Warcraft or Command and Conquer. Unlike these, however, more focus is placed on controlling units and military tactics than the endless construction that often results. Instead, IOTE uses a temporal gate to periodically supply the player with reinforcements and supplies, so instead of building an impenetrable fortress you spend your time hunting down the enemy.” More…
Final analysis is 93%, and a gold star. Compare to a mean 7/10 score in Game Tunnel’s December Roundup.
posted by Flaming Pear
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Alawar releases Sea Wolves
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/776842784_6d64044f79_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Sea Wolves” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Alawar’s press release:
“…a 3D action game in which you explore the ocean in search of enemies, treasure and uncharted territory. Featuring simple controls, intense combat and the latest visual effects, Sea Wolves is designed to appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers.”
More info and demo here.
Hm… I like ships. In fact, I’ve always had a weakness for games involving ships, so I guess I’ll have to check it out. But if one more game comes out claiming to appeal to “both casual and hardcore gamers, and your grandmother, and your pet monkey, and your punk rocker friend,” I may just blow my top.
posted by Flaming Pear
My Take on Lux
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1080/776842768_e40b7ec9cc_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“160” alt=“Lux: Japan Sengoku Jidai” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />All I have to say is thank you, thank you, thank you Sillysoft! I’ve been waiting and waiting for a good PC Risk game. To date I’ve been running Mac Risk on an Emulator for lack of a better alternative.
Well, I hate to say it, but I think ten years of Mac Risk loyalty have just gone down the drain, thanks to Sillysoft sending me a full version of their game Lux this morning.
What else do you want me to say? The game is freakin’ beautiful, it can be played super fast, you can see the whole world without scrolling (stupid Hasbro game), there are maps galore (I love the idea of fighting for the UK), lots of computer personalities that range from easy to impressively hard, and full network support (along with a large community of dedicated players). Oh, and the game runs on Windows, MacOS, and Linux! Oh, and a large part of the game is open source!
Download this game, fool!
posted by Flaming Pear
DIY’s Independent Adventuring – December 2004
From DIY Games:
“A great year in independent adventure gaming was capped by a sleepy month. There have been only a handful of new games, but their overall quality was quite high. Nearly all the titles deserve your attention, and even though none was truly memorable, they would keep you entertained for quite a while.” More…
If you’re into adventure games you should definitely make DIY Games’ monthly indie adventuring column a routine read.
posted by Flaming Pear
DIY Games reviews Wik and the Fable of Souls
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/776842752_025d4345fd_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Wik” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From DIY Games:
“To say this game impressed me is an understatement; it cut through the thick haze of indifference and disappointment caused by the commercial games I’m so used to playing. Here was a game which didn’t require an update to my graphics card, yet still looked lovely. A game that didn’t demand a degree in computing just to get to grips with the controls; Wik is simplicity personified, one button to jump another for the tongue (of which more in a minute). This game was a breath of fresh air.” More…
DIY gives Wik 4.5/5 stars.
Download the 14 MB demo here [from Reflex].
My Take:
The game didn’t quite overwhelm me with amazement as much as it did Andrew Marsh, but I have to say that it’s a neat offering. It is indeed elegant, and it does indeed look nice. While it wasn’t able to hold me for more than about 45 minutes, most people seem to be liking this game, and it’s a finalist at IGF, so I’d check it out if I were you.
posted by Flaming Pear
Monday, January 24, 2005
Daily Click GOTW #119
This week’s GOTW, DC Ninja, is an old school fighter tribute with nice graphics, fairly bad controls, and a horrible plethora of bugs. All in all not bad for a three week effort, but it needs to be cleaned up. Don’t download if you’re not prepared for aggravation.
posted by Flaming Pear
Cellblock Squadrons released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1221/809684646_bdb5c386a0_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Cellblock Squadrons” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From the press release:
“<a href=http://www.superfurious.com/cellblock-squadrons/>Cellblock Squadrons takes the player out of the bogus, “I’m going to save the world” attitude and slaps them into a prisoner’s cell. As a convicted anti-government rebel you are forced to repay your debt to society by flying fighter missions against an invading alien force. With each successful mission you are one step closer to freedom. Enjoy all the action you would expect from a space combat game with a fun and witty storyline brought to you in your cell by e-mail each ‘week’ of play."
This is the first release by Australian-based Super Furious Software. Check it out here.
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Tunnel previews Heavy Weapon
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1002/776842810_15b8e99721_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Heavy Weapon” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />The behemoth of indie game developers seems to be testing new waters with their upcoming game, due out next month.
From Game Tunnel:
“With so much success in the past in working with the casual gamers, it is no real surprise that PopCap might want to continue to grow with that market while also testing new waters, and their up-coming game Heavy Weapon definitely fits the bill as stepping outside of what they have been doing to see what else they can do.” More…
posted by Flaming Pear
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Indiepath.Asteroids released
From Indiepath:
“Indiepath.Asteroids is a work of art, using 3D accelerated GFX to bring the original look and feel of the Atari classics to your screen. A great deal of care has been taken to make this remake as near to the originals as you can get. Asteroids now features improved gameplay, on-line high score tables and original arcade ambient sounds.”
posted by Flaming Pear
Indiepath releases Hightailed
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1270/776842732_82e705b7bc_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Hightailed” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Indiepath:
“Hightailed is a strategy game not unlike the game of chess where the aim is to force your opponent into a position where they cannot move or “Hightail it out of there.” You win by either blocking your opponent or avoiding capture yourself for a specified number of rounds. To advance levels you must play as each opposing side, if you win then you may move on. There is also an integrated level editor so if you need a new challenge then you can make your own levels. There’s ‘easy’ difficulty level for children and ‘normal’ for adult players."
Check out the game here.
posted by Flaming Pear
Pretty Good MahJongg 2.1
Pretty Good MahJongg version 2.1 is now available. It can be downloaded here. Additions include new tile-matching layouts, a screensaver, and the ability to create your own layouts.
posted by Flaming Pear
Lack of updates explained
If you’re wondering why there haven’t been any updates for the last couple of days, it’s because my host decided to switch servers on me, and I wasn’t able to edit the site for a time. Anyway, now the move’s over, and the new server is supposed to be significantly faster (Dual Xeon Dell 1600sc with 2 gigs of Ram, if that means anything to you).
posted by Flaming Pear
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Cornutopia’s next project
Mark Sheeky, manager of Cornutopia ([makers of] Radioactive [, which was] recently reviewed [at TIGSource]), has just sent word of his newest project. This is exclusive TIGSource material:
“I thought I’d drop you a note about the game that I currently have in development. Currently entitled Space Pool, the game is a futuristic sport that pits player against player in a Pool hall of the future. Space Pool will be a unique and exciting game, not another Pool game and not anything like the Pool games that already exist. The game is scheduled for release in February.”
posted by Flaming Pear
Friday, January 21, 2005
Darwinia Demo Released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/795533662_53a57bb848_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Darwinia” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Introversion Software:
“Nearly three years after taking the underground gaming scene by storm with Uplink, Introversion Software is poised to release its follow-up title, Darwinia. Combining fast paced action with strategic battle planning, the game features a novel and intuitive control mechanism, a graphical style ripped from 80’s retro classics, and a story concerning a tribe of video game sprites trapped in a modern 3d game world.”
Download the demo here or here, or check out the spiffy video (41 MB).
My Take:
I need to play around with this more (the in-game tutorial is not super fast-going, or super helpfull), but this game looks very strange, and very promising. From another UK developer… go figure.
posted by Flaming Pear
The Daily Click Christmas Competition Results
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1316/794639519_c3db35717a_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“179” alt=“Super Santa Snowland” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />For those of you not up on the latest “click” news, TDC, with the aid of Clickteam, sponsored a Christmas game making competition a while back, the results of which have just been posted. The goal of the competition was to make a game that married Christmas with Mario (I’m questioning my word choice here).
Well, I took the winner (Super Santa Snowland) for a spin, and unless you’re really dying to get that Christmas feeling back I’d stay away: there’s something strangely unresponsive about the controls, and Mario is just too old.
Check out the full competition results here (if you’re tempted, like me, to try out the last place entry based on the description don’t bother: it’s not as horrible as it sounds — at least, not in the wonderful sense).
posted by Flaming Pear
Coin World v1.7 Released
From Indie Gamer:
“We’ve just released a major update to the original Colin the Coin game – Coin World.
Version 1.7 has a number of changes to it but the major difference is that the countries (sets of levels) can now be played in any order. This was the most requested change by players."
Information, screenshots and the demo can be found at http://www.addictive247.co.uk/coinworld.htm.
posted by Flaming Pear
Puppytron Win32 released
For those of you scared of Java, Puppygames has released a downloadable version of Puppytron. At 3.8 MB it’s worth the download. But don’t forget to play while online, or you won’t be getting into the high scores. How long can you hold out against swarms of evil killer robots?
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Tunnel reviews Bugged Out Rally
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1272/794639503_cc83386a53_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Bugged Out Rally” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Game Tunnel:
“This is a game where you are supposed to race against other bugs using mines and rockets to scare your enemies away. Couldn’t you just use a fly swatter? Is this game really going to go somewhere, or will it just be the target for a lot of puns?” More…
They give the game a 6/10, mostly because of graphics issues (bad graphics + graphics problems). If you want to try the demo, you can find it here.
My Take:
This game is trying to be Re-Volt, but without too much success. Re-Volt was a good/great game, this is not. Poorer AI, worse graphics, worse physics, far less intense… just try the Re-Volt demo already, and leave the bugs alone (bugs without legs? For crying out loud…).
posted by Flaming Pear
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Game Hippo looks at Fantom Subdivision A
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1181/809557638_f933adbb0b_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Fantom Subdivision” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Game Hippo:
“Fantom Subdivision A is a fun-yet-difficult on-rails shooter that takes place hundreds of years in the future. In case you aren’t familiar with the term, on-rails means that you can’t maneuver yourself (think of an arcade lightgun shooter). You are moved along, and as you go you must shoot down anything that moves.”
Cost: free
Get it at: The Game Creators
My Take:
The game is fairly fun (probably just because I haven’t played an on-rail for a while), but repetitive, and outrageously hard. Worth a look? If you like arcade shooters, or if you’re just looking for a challenge.
posted by Flaming Pear
Mark Currie talks Trash
From DIY Games:
“Inhuman Games’ Mark Currie has been making independent and mainstream games for more than 15 years, and a significant portion of that time has been spent creating Trash.” More…
Interesting read, and (OMG) a release date for Trash?
posted by Flaming Pear
Mr. Robot developer diary
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1286/794303251_7d7eaa3ff9_m.jpg” width=“200” height=“200” alt=“Mr. Robot” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From DIY Games:
“The guys at Moonpod Games, developers of the award winning Starscape, have been kind enough to submit another edition of their ongoing series of developer diaries for their upcoming isometric adventure puzzler Mr. Robot. This months diary is full of new information concerning the game’s development, and, as always, includes a number of screenshots from different areas of the game.” More…
(Image Source: Xenopi)
posted by Flaming Pear
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
New Blackeye Miscellany
I was over checking out Derek’s webpage today, and low and behold there’s actually some new content. Go to the Miscellany section and click on “Stalkers”… the article gives a good look into what it’s like being a super celebrity freeware game designer. Not an easy life.
posted by Flaming Pear
Zzed Released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1067/794303231_8b365e5142_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Zzed” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From NevoSoft:
“A new game from NevoSoft! Control the spacecraft and help Zzed to clean star roads from garbage in this thrilling action puzzler. Shoot meteoroids to make sets of three, but don’t let them reach your spacecraft!” More…
Well… that tells us a lot. The graphics do look pretty nice, though. You know, I think I’m gonna try it.
posted by Flaming Pear
[All images are from the websites of their respective games unless otherwise noted.]
If you want to view any of the old comments for any particular post, head over here.
Ye Olde TIGSource
By: ithamore
On: July 22nd, 2007
In the beginning, TIGSource was the Flaming Pear and the Flaming Pear was TIGSource. Then the Flaming Pear said, “Ginger Monkey Go Home!” Thus he began his lone, opinionated contribution to independent gaming.
A little over a year’s worth of older TIGSource posts were all but lost to the “cybermist.” Luckily, most of it had been preserved at the Internet Archive, and we’re now restoring them to their rightful place.
In the extended, only the first part of January 2005 is included. However, during that time, Flaming Pear had already stepped on some toes, soured any potential relationship TIGSource might have been able to have enjoyed with Indie Gamer, and covered many demos and a freeware titles.
So, if you’re ready to get nostalgic or if you’re a neophyte wanting to do a little catching up, follow the rather lengthy extended. Also, those who are interested in reading the original comments can find them in the Wayback Machine’s archive.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Alawar Releases Joe’s Farm
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1242/794639487_2357b7f16c_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Joe’s Farm” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Indie Gamer:
“Slip on your overalls and get ready to sling hay! Alawar Entertainment has released Joe’s Farm, a 3D puzzle game in which you help a farmer complete his chores before time runs out. In Joe’s Farm, you guide a pig who must push barrels of water, bails of hay and crates to their destinations using the fewest number of moves.” More…
This is a Sokoban game. I’m not going to try it. I’ll admit it looks cute though.
posted by Flaming Pear
Star Chamber Expansion Released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1240/794639451_0cd479510d_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Star Chamber” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From DIY Games:
“Nayantara Studios has sent word that the latest expansion to their award winning online collectible card game, Star Chamber, has been released. The new expansion, entitled Star Chamber: Rebellions, adds over 100 new cards to the game, introduces a number of new gameplay mechanics, and much more, all of which are available for free for all registered users of the original Star Chamber. But according to Paul Dennen, Star Chamber’s designer, not all of the fun has been reserved for registered users.” More…
posted by Flaming Pear
Go behind the scenes of Second Sight
From GameSpot:
“Second Sight gives players control of a character endowed with incredible psychic abilities. The game offers multiple approaches to completing levels either via stealth, dramatic gunplay, psychic powers or a combination of all three. The ability to psychically influence characters and remotely manipulate objects and individuals provides for a totally fresh gameplay dynamic.” More…
And the cool part?
“Founded in 1999, Free Radical Design Ltd is a wholly independent videogames developer based in Nottingham, UK.”
Here’s the deal: the first ten people to comment on this post will receive completely free copies of the Second Sight Making Of DVD. Post your email, and your favorite indie game. That’s it. First ten comments win. Courtesy of Codemasters.
posted by Flaming Pear
My Take on Revolved
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1230/794639441_5b02c0fb79_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Revolved” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />Another game that everyone’s been talking about lately: Revolved won Puzzle Game of the Year over at Game Tunnel, and is a finalist for IGF 2005. Deserving? After playing for about twenty minutes I’m going to say, probably. What makes this puzzle game work is its fast pace, and level of “do-ability.” Together these qualities make for a very addicting little game; I won’t lie: it was hard to pull myself away.
What do I mean by “do-ability?” Well, simply that Revolved makes you feel good, because it gives you puzzles that you can solve—and quickly. Too many puzzle games present problems that are too difficult, or require too much brain power, which turns everything into slow going (see my take on BlueBug’s Add ’em Up, for example); Revolved knows how to maintain a fast pace, while still keeping your brain engaged.
In conclusion, Revolved is probably the best puzzle game of its type that I’ve played since Ambrosia’s Chiral, released over ten years ago. Give the game a try: I think you’ll like it.
Download the game here (6 MB).
Check out Game Tunnel’s [review] here.
(Image Source: Game Tunnel)
posted by Flaming Pear
Monday, January 17, 2005
Caleb’s Drunken Adventure released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1028/794639349_a775182715_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“150” alt=“Calebs Drunken Adventure” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Crying Flower:
“You are Caleb a young guy who can’t stop partying. The story begins at your house during a house party. You wake up the next day to see your house trashed and your GF, Stephanie, a bit tiffed. Anyways as you go through the game you just solve the puzzles around and outside your house. Along the way there’s quite a bit of humor. Anyways without further explanations start the game and wander wildly.”
This game is free. Download it from Crying Flower (if you can afford the time, get the speechpack version: the voice-overs are great).
My Take:
This game is crass, hilarious, and simply awful! I love it! The graphics are reminiscent of games circa 1987, which will probably turn a lot of people off—but for me they add to the game’s vibe. If you liked the Space Quest series or the Leisure Suit Larry games you’ll get a kick out of this wonderfully crappy point and click adventure game. For the record, though (and I’m saying this very strongly) most people will not like this game. And it is crass.
posted by Flaming Pear
WhiteBlobs releases King of the Ball
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1409/794303605_73a6408d91_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“King of the Ball” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From WhiteBlobs:
“Break everything with the ball and go through the levels. Steer your paddle to become the king of the ball. Start with the easy levels and as you compleate each one the difficulty will increase but you’ll also have access to new powerup objects to pickup and use. A big surprise awaits you at the last levels. Your goal is to destroy all the bricks with the ball and to collect all the bonus objects to get points and make your way in the world wide highscores list.” More…
My Take:
Not a bad Breakout game. But unless you’re going to be as brilliant as BreakQuest, we really don’t need any more Breakout games. Am I wrong? I also experienced some lag issues.
Oh, and could we use a spell checker Blobs? Never mind, “This game has one of the best gameplay for this gendre” is too amusing to take down.
posted by Flaming Pear
Bytten reviews Smart Lines
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/794303599_d26e884de3_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Smart Lines” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Bytten:
“Smart lines is a simple strategy game that is wonderfully implemented. You can play against the computer if you want, but this game is essentially two player. Players take turns to drop a ball on a 4×4 grid, balls can be stacked. The aim is to make a line of four in any dimension or diagonal.” More…
Final analysis? Holy crap: the game gets a score of 96%! Well gee, I guess I’ve got to go check it out now. If anyone tries it, post a comment and let us know if you think it deserves the 96%.
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Tunnel reviews Rocketbowl
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1215/794303569_050a6eb57b_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“RocketBowl” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Game Tunnel:
“Rocket Bowl is not just another bowling game. The premise is simple: at the 1958 World’s Fair, the public is being introduced to “rocket bowling,†which is straight up bowling… except you play it on a miniature-golf style course with rocket-controlled bowling balls. The 1950’s art design and music are fantastic!” More…
The game gets 8/10 as a final score. Check out the 12 MB demo here.
posted by Flaming Pear
Gamextazy reviews Big Kahuna Reef
From Gamextazy:
“Will Big K appeal to everyone? For all of its gameplay innovation and technical savvy, it’s still a matching game. Yet it’s colorful enough to stand out from the other fish in the sea and pulls off enough new tricks that it should entertain even the most jaded players. If you grow green around the gills when you think of playing another matching game, toss down a Dramamine and give Big K a shot. Chances are, it’ll be a long time before you come up for air.” More…
posted by Flaming Pear
Fill out a game survey, and help indie developers!
Want to help independent game developers make better games? Here’s your chance. Go fill out this survey created by Lord Riff Raff of pyrosoftware.net.
Do it, it’s fun.
posted by Flaming Pear
Nuclear Games releases Machine Hell
From DIY Games:
“Nuclear games has joined the ever increasing ranks of shmup developers with the release of their first game, Machine Hell. Featuring 15 levels of top down shooting mayhem, Machine Hell may have some trouble setting itself apart from the pack due to a lack of any really innovative features, but it does have plenty of on-screen action, large explosions, and a variety of enemy units that could make it worth checking out for fans of the genre. An 8 meg demo should help you decide whether or not it’s worth the $19.99 price tag.”
Hurray. Another. Shooter.
posted by Flaming Pear
Gaming For a Better World takes off
From DIY Games:
“Xenopi Studios has announced the first recipient of their new charity program called the Good Samaritan Games Initiative (GSG). In light of the tsunami disaster Xenopi have decided to make Northwest Medical Teams their first GSG recipient, which means that all proceeds from the GSG Initiative for the months of January, February, and March will go to Northwest Medical Teams. During the next three months Xenopi will be donating 10-50% of the net profits from each and every game sold from the Xenopi website directly the charity.”
What a great idea… I hope the initiative takes off.
posted by Flaming Pear
Cosmos Gaming gives Shareware GOTY Awards
From Cosmos Gaming:
“Welcome to the 2004 Shareware Games Awards, which we hope to establish as an annual event. These are the best shareware games from last year, and are ones you’ll want to pay the money for.” More…
Overall winner? BreakQuest. I told you it was a good game! (The fact that it gets GOTY, though, probably reflects the limited number of shareware games that Cosmos has reviewed.)
posted by Flaming Pear
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Daily Click GOTW
It’s Saturday, and The Daily Click has another Game of the Week: Farmer Joe Vs. The Alien Invasion. The game is a fast-paced little platform shooter with a nice theme. As a shooter, of course, there are limited objectives; yes, as in, “shoot everything that moves.” Only this time you’re a farmer with a tractor and a pistle. As it’s free, and only 1.3 MB, I think it’s worth a look. But don’t get your hopes set on saving the farm: it will burn, sooner or later.
posted by Flaming Pear
December Monthly Round-Up at Game Tunnel
Mike Hommel (Hamumu), Seth Robinson (Robinson Technologies), Mike Kasprzak (Sykhronics), and Russell Carroll (Game Tunnel) take a look at December’s indie game releases. Top picks? Big Kahuna Reef, Paradoxion, Super Dudester, Revolved, and Iggle Pop all receive Gold Awards; no Editor’s Choices this month, though. Check out the full feature here.
posted by Flaming Pear
Tech TV looks at indie gaming
According to David Laprad:
“<a href=http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/index.html>Screen Savers did a short segment on independent games last night on G4 Tech TV. One of the hosts, Kevin Pereira, seemed very enthusiastic about underdog releases. The other, Kevin Rose, was critical of
games in general and downright snobbish toward independent PC games. This more or less reflected the polarized attitude the gaming public at large seems to have toward shareware and independent games.They showed cool footage of Reflexive’s Wik & The Fable of Souls in action. Pereira talked about how good the game was, while Rose said it looked terrible.
(I imagine most people reading this will side with Pereira!) They then showcased a website called Orisinal.com, which contains a collection of Flash
games. Finally, Pereira plugged Game Tunnel, saying it’s a good source of information on indie games with great reviews. It was nice to see independent games given the spotlight for a few moments on a relatively popular media source."
Indeed. Thanks David, for the info.
posted by Flaming Pear
Friday, January 14, 2005
TIGSource interviews Metanet
In the first part of our quest to understand freeware game developers TIGSource has interviewed Metanet Software, creators of the hugely popular freeware game N. So make yourself comfortable and take a look at part 1 of What Makes Them Tick? Getting Inside the Heads of Freeware Game Developers. The interview is available here.
edit:
Thanks to Joystiq for the plug.
posted by Flaming Pear
Big Kahuna Reef improved
From the Reflexive newsletter:
“We added a screensaver! It’s awesome! We also improved a few things and now it’s better than ever! If you haven’t tried this fantastic puzzle/adventure game, or already bought it, download the new version and play the latest gaming craze!”
posted by Flaming Pear
PathQuest 1 update
From the Stormcloud newsletter:
“Work on PathQuest 1 continues, and the game is now about 90% complete. I’m just about ready to move to Beta Testing on it, and it looks good. Good story with surprised and twists, good atmosphere and a number of totally different paths through the game that make it a whole different tale with each path you take. It’s a concentrated effort to veer away from all the traditional “graphic adventure game” shortcomings. Release estimate: I’m figuring a late January release isn’t too out of the question. Probably the last few days of the month or so…"
posted by Flaming Pear
Thursday, January 13, 2005
My take on Red Space Trucker
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1226/794303559_2ec3df9498_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Red Space Trucker” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />The game sounds pretty exciting, I must say:
“A terrifying look into the future of manned space travel… Fast, deadly, pant-wetting action… with nipple-twisting special effects and sounds!” More…
But in all truth, it can be summed up by 25% of the in-game help text: “Shoot anything that moves.”
Think Puppytron on steroids sort of: basically lots of circular manuevering with the arrow keys while firing away with your mouse button. Probably not worth 15 bucks, or a 23 MB download for that matter. Stick with Puppytron, or, if you want some real hard-core shooting (and the mouse control), check out Mutant Storm: now there’s a game worth $20.00.
posted by Flaming Pear
Gamextazy reviews Fatman Adventures
From Gamextazy:
“Even if you’ve never played Lode Runner, you need Fatman Adventures in your life. It strikes a perfect balance of simplicity, addictiveness and beauty. Moreover, it’s a casual PC game everyone in your family can enjoy. The little guy can’t gather all those gems alone, so give him a hand!” More…
posted by Flaming Pear
My take on Outpost Kaloki
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1224/810076354_ed738048ef_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Outpost Kaloki” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />It’s not every day you see an independent game this polished and funky, much less a “tycoon” type management sim. In Outpost Kaloki you control a space station, and attempt to meet specific goals set by each scenario, such as building an observatory, a dating parlor, or four lemonade stands. Yes, you heard that right. The game is, as I’ve already noted, quite funky, and very creative. The graphics are pro-quality 3D cartoon renders, and the sound is first rate: fitting music and position-aware effects.
There’s not much to slam with this one: it’s a good offering (it did, after all, garner Game Tunnel’s Sim of the Year award). Ironically for a management game, my complaints would tend to be aimed at a potential lack of depth and sophistication: the game is almost too easy to play, and I fear for repetition-syndrome down the road. My guess is that most people, though, will see this as a refreshing addition to the management sim genre. I’d recommend trying the game out (8.5 MB for an hour of play).
P.S. The company name and logo are great: you’ve got to want to support them.
posted by Flaming Pear
Supernova: Galactic Wars released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1285/810076422_a7eded7518_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Supernova” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Winterwolves:
“How is the game played? Easy, you can move your ships on the battlefield like a chess game, and when 2 ships move in the same spot the arcade fun starts! You’ll be able to fight against the other ship in realtime, using arrow keys to move and 1,2,3 or Z,X,C keys to shoot!”
My take:
Haven’t played it too much, but so far it’s hard to see where the real strategy comes in, and the “arcade fun” portion of the game seems a little weak. The game is available for both Mac and Windows, though, which is nice.
posted by Flaming Pear
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
GarageDeveloper Int. bombed
From a GDI press release [for Jets n Guns]:
“FuQuay-Varina, NC, USA Wednesday, January 12, 2005 — GarageDeveloper International (http://www.garagedeveloperinternational.com/)
has reported that it’s retail store and offices were heavily bombed by 1940’s World War 2 styled war planes and futuristic enemy aircraft.” More…
posted by Flaming Pear
DIY posts Trash update
DIY Games has posted some info on Inhuman Games’ “post apocalyptic” RTS, currently in beta.
posted by Flaming Pear
Alvin’s World to get MMORPG treatment
From DIY Games:
“Orson Scott Card, author of the Tales of Alvin Maker series and eGenesis Games (creators of A Tale In The Desert) have announced that they’re working together on bringing an MMORPG based on Card’s series of books to life. The initial plans include things that are happening in Alvin’s world, but which will never show up in the books along with four different magic systems, plus the technology track, offering players many ways to develop their characters. Card will be involved in the planning of the game, and promises on his web site that ‘The goal, however, is to let the players freely develop characters and take part in a wonderful, magical world.’” More…
Well… MMOG’s certainly seem to be the news of the day.
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Tunnel reviews Radioactive
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1245/810076432_0e89c83b1d_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Radioactive” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Game Tunnel:
“Radioactive by Cornutopia Software recreates the experience of the famous scene from the movie “War Games”. In fact, this is the sequel to their previous title, Thermonuclear Domination. From the moment it asks you if you want to play a game to the wireframe graphics, you become immersed in the War Games mindset while destroying the world through nuclear superiority." More…
The game gets a rating of 7/10, with its strongest points being value and concept, according to Game Tunnel. I’m interested to try this one out: if you give it a whirl post a comment about what you think.
posted by Flaming Pear
Dawn of Fantasy continues to look impressive
“There’s a lot happening over at Reverie Entertainment. As work continues on their RPG/RTS title Dawn of Fantasy they release new, and ever more impressive, screenshots on a regular basis, keep active in the official forums, and are promising a major update in the coming weeks with plenty of new information on the game. In the mean time we’ll have to be content with some new screenshots. Sure, graphics aren’t everything, but they don’t hurt.”
posted by Flaming Pear
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
BreakQuest 1.1.0 released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1021/816802492_9c6b05b26b_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“BreakQuest in Game” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />Go to Indie Gamer for all the info on what’s been changed since version 1.0.
My take:
BreakQuest is the best Breakout/Arkanoid game you will ever play. Period. I thought the title screen was cool, until I saw the first level, which I thought was cool until I saw the second level, and so on. The amount of diversity in this game reaches a level I thought unattainable by any arkanoid game. On top of that the graphics are amazing, and the physics programming is first-rate: I love games with cool physics. Oh, and did I mention the weapons? Seeker missiles, the “old school gun,” and other goodies are plentiful. After all the Brickles playing I did as a kid, I never thought I would be tempted to buy a game like it… until today. I’m not kidding—give the game a try already (9.5 MB).
posted by Flaming Pear
X-Kings free browser-based MMOG released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1036/819206040_4b732f1ee8_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“88” alt=“X Kings” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From the Game Tunnel forums:
“<a href=http://www.x-kings.com/>X-Kings has ended its beta testing and has started its first official game. X-Kings is a free, browser-based massively multiplayer online game available at http://www.x-kings.com
“X-Kings started beta testing in September 2004 and has undergone a massive evolution in terms of gameplay, features and user interface since then, culminating in the end of the beta testing period and the beginning of the first official ‘Age’ on the 9th of January 2004.”
A massively multiplayer online game implementing commercial-grade software architecture available for free? What is the world coming to?
posted by Flaming Pear
Monday, January 10, 2005
My take on Xeno Assault II
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1234/819206078_ee2b1ad054_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Xeno Assult II” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />As I was sitting around with nothing to do this evening I thought I’d give Jagged Blade’s latest release a try, seeing as how Neil was so nice about asking for a review, even braving my recent rath towards Deep Wars and Arydox. Well, it just so happens that Xeno Assault II is in the not-so-bad category of space invaders clones I’ve tried over the years. I’m against clones in general, but there is definitely a fine line between a good clone and a bad clone, and Xeno Assault II has more of the good than the bad about it. The action is fast, the explosions are huge, and there are these nifty things called “beam lasers” that shake the screen up pretty good. What am I mad about? The sound could be more intense, the demo hardly let me get anywhere, and the game’s not as good as Space Junkies—now there’s an awesome space invaders clone.
edit:
P.S. If anyone can actually find a copy of Space Junkies on the internet, make sure to post a comment.
P.P.S. While I’m at it, if anyone can find a copy of Rush5, post about that too, or email me.
posted by Flaming Pear
TIGSource: good or bad, news or not?
People are practically up in arms at the Indie Gamer forums over the appearance of my little site here. Freedom of speech, tabloids, ethics, paparazzi, “real” news, and whether I need a journalism 101 class are just some of the topics being discussed with regards to TIGSource! Read it all (the “real” discussion starts happening about half way through).
I maintain that my #1 responsibility is to bring interesting indie-related news to my readers, and that my opinion is a big part of that. But what do you, as the actual readers say? Am I succeeding, or not? Do you like being told if a game sucks or rocks, or would you rather spend the time downloading it to see for yourself? Do you like getting the inside scoop on alphas and betas? Am I getting you the news you want, the way you want it, or should something be changed? Let me know how you feel by commenting on this post.
posted by Flaming Pear
BlueBug releases Add ’em Up
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1198/819206092_4204f58c3c_m.jpg” width=“200” height=“171” alt=“Add ’em Up” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />BlueBug Games released Add ‘em Up today, a number puzzler with a $15 downloadable version and free online play. Those familiar with games like Arcade Lines (a small gem, by the way) will find the look and feel comfortably similar to such titles. The game was slow going for me (perhaps I’m just a bit daft), but if you’re interested in puzzle games or have been dying for a chance to marry your Math skills to your gaming, you should at least check out the online version.
posted by Flaming Pear
Deep Wars “flop” clarified
Some people at the Indie Gamer forums are having a cow over my use of the word “flop” to describe Deep Wars: Soul of the Machine. “Flop” simply means to fail. In the case in point I meant this in terms of what the game offered play-wise, not in terms of monetary sales figures, in case anyone (i.e. Ricardo C) was confused ;).
posted by Flaming Pear
Matrix Games lowers prices
From Matrix Games:
“Matrix Games is pleased to announce the new prices for its full current line of games for 2005, effective January 10th, 2005. Throughout most of the Matrix Games line, these new prices reflect a savings for customers.”
Gates Of Troy, Tin Soldiers: Alexander The Great affected, among other titles.
posted by Flaming Pear
World of Pirates MMORPG released
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1041/819206110_700c641918_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“World of Pirates” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From DIY Games:
“It’s not everyday that independent developers release a MMORPG, which is just one reason why the release of World of Pirates is significant. And while it’s not the only pirate theme MMORPG out there, it’s the only one that doesn’t center it’s gameplay around puzzles and various mini-games.”
posted by Flaming Pear
Puppytron #2
Some lag problems fixed, as well as new difficulty progression. Shaping up to be a fun little applet game. Try it.
posted by Flaming Pear
Pretty Good MahJongg gets new tiles and layouts
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/819206130_326d608ba2_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“173” alt=“Pretty Good MahJong” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />If you’re into MahJongg check out these updates from the makers of independent gaming’s most popular solitaire game.
From the Goodsol newsletter:
“The Flags of the World Tile Set, the Flowers Tile Set, and the Traffic Signs Tile Set for Pretty Good MahJongg have been improved for version 2. You can download the new improved tilesets here.
“Nine new tile matching layouts are available for Pretty Good MahJongg here. These layouts are in addition to the 160 tile matching layouts available in version 2.0 of Pretty Good MahJongg here.”
posted by Flaming Pear
SolSuite ships solitaire update
SolSuite 2005’s version 5.0 arrives: check it out here.
posted by Flaming Pear
glHorizon website gets a facelift
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1139/819206134_ccf3ac70e0_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“glHorizon” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />The creators of the high-tech indie flight simulation glHorizon have recently revamped their webpage, giving it a stylish and simple look. A couple minor graphical issues with Firefox though.
[The most current version can be downloaded from here.]
(Image Source: DemoNews)
posted by Flaming Pear
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Gamextazy reviews 3 games
Just before new years Gamextazy posted 3 new reviews of the following respective games.
“Takes the jump-and-shoot mechanics of side-scrolling platform games and stirs in an assortment of puzzle game elements to produce a tasty mixture of the two genres.” More…
“BAGE isn’t the best arcade game ever, although it might be the cheapest good arcade game for the PC.” More…
“One release every fan of puzzle games should try” More…
Nice reviews from David Laprad, but where are the dates?!?
edit: dates for all the reviews can be found here.
edit: see comments.
posted by Flaming Pear
Deep Wars re-release flops
Thanks to a tip from Rob Sadedin I discovered that Deep Wars: Soul of the Machine, a rework of the original Deep Wars, was just released a few days ago by startup indie company No Substance Software. Unfortunately, all he gets for tipping me off is a bad review: did he not read my semi-rant on Arydox? I won’t repeat that rant here, but suffice it to say that this game brings us nothing new. On top of that, graphics and sound are poor (except the music for the intro sequence, which rocks). If you want more old style arcade shooters because you’ve played all 59 of the newest hottest ones and you have nowhere to turn, then go right ahead and download it.
posted by Flaming Pear
Links open new windows, or not?
Teq, at the Indie Gamer forums has pointed out that “It might be a little helpful if you have all external site links open in a new window, otherwise the instance they click on the news feed for say the bytten diamond hunter review you have effectively lost them.” However, Mark points out that "The one thing every web user understands is the “Back” button. It’s an integral part of browsing the web. Follow a link, go back. Explore a search engine result, go back. Even my father can do this…"
I’ve decided to do whatever my readers want… what kind of linking do you prefer? To pop new windows or not? Please comment on this post to let me know what you think.
posted by Flaming Pear
Arydox is nothing new
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1350/819247948_789bee23ef_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Project Golden Hawk” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Pixel5 Studio:
“Missing a quality vertical scrolling shoot ’em up since the old days? Are you a SHMUP freak and can not find any game of your favorite genre? Just want to shoot hordes of alien spaceships rampaging on your screen and survive the fights against huge bosses?”
The answer to all of these is no. No we are not missing quality vertical scrolling shoot’em up games! Hasn’t anyone figured that out already? Pixel5’s new offering, Arydox: Project Golden Hawk is fine from a technical standpoint (the graphics and sound are good, if not outstanding), but the gameplay is nothing new, and weaker than many games of this genre. If you simply can’t get enough, go download the 11 MB demo.
posted by Flaming Pear
DIY Games reviews Tin Soldiers: Alex the Great
From DIY Games:
“Troy Goodfellow is back with another review, this time it’s for Koios Works’ historical strategy title Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great. Looking past the obvious attempted movie tie-in, how is the game itself? As our local strategy game expert Troy has spent a lot of time with the title and has a thing or two to say about it.” More…
They finish up by giving it 3.5 stars… can’t say I’m tempted to pull out 39 big ones for it.
posted by Flaming Pear
Zap proves promising
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1348/819247964_510f6a18ac_m.jpg” width=“120” height=“150” alt=“Zap” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />If you’re looking for “a 2D vector graphics multiplayer team action strategy game that plays like a cross between Robotron and Tribes with the graphical blend of Asteroids and Pac-Man” look no longer: Zap is here. The developers who brought us Tribes (since turned indie—Garage Games) have just released what looks to be a very promising multiplayer “zap fest.” I’ve been playing the game for the last hour, and the time has slipped right away. Reminds me of the good old Super Maze Wars days (any Mac addicts out there?). The demo is only 500 KB, and if you purchase the game soon you can use the “zap2004” coupon to get $5.00 off (the game normally costs $20.00), and yes, it’s Mac and Linux friendly. But beware: this is an online-only multiplayer game; if you’re on dialup, look somewhere else for fun.
posted by Flaming Pear
Testing MonsterTech Arena
If you want to be a human guinea pig go here.
From the Game Tunnel forums:
“In MonsterTech Arena, your goal is to create one or more highly customizable robotic Gladiators for competition in the Arena. Take direct control of your vehicle to engage the computer or another person (via LAN) in one-on-one bouts, or choose from a variety of sub-games (such as Capture the Flag or Invader) to compete in. You are rewarded after each competition with extra credits for upgrading your vehicle. More credits are awarded for winning, and less for losing…”
The graphics look weak… gameplay is supposed to make up for them.
posted by Flaming Pear
Bombstrike: arcade shoot’em up on steroids
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1373/819247970_fcf9537885_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Bombstrike” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />If you want intense shoot’em up action (did I say intense?) look no further: Tomcat Interactive has sprung their virgin release, Bombstrike: “The ultimate 3D helicopter action game.” The graphics are gorgeous, the bass is headache-inducing, and the action is fast and furious. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then check out the demo now (16 MB).
posted by Flaming Pear
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Glips Entertainment reworking old titles
From Glips Entertainment:
“Finishing up some games(tba)
MonsterTron 2k3 Special Edition being prepared
Friendly Combatant? being redone”
Note: if you’re looking for their games, go to the “Store” section of their site.
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Tunnel reviews Crusaders of Space
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/819247980_8152063658_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“crusaders-of-space-screenshot5” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From Game Tunnel:
“It’s time for another Space Invaders remake! Alawar distributes this game, code and artwork mostly created by a single author – Daniil Mirkin. Space Invaders, for those among you who are not walking on crutches yet, is a simple game where your space ship is at the bottom of the screen, firing up into a slowly moving swarm of enemies. Your ship can only fly to the left and right, while some of the enemies can move all about the screen. It’s simple arcade classic, and there’s nothing wrong with attempting a remake.”More…
I’ve had enough space invaders, thank you, and I’m not too keen on trying a game that rates 2.5 stars.
posted by Flaming Pear
Game Tunnel reviews On the Oche
What the heck is an Oche? If you want to find out, read Game Tunnel’s review of Series One Software’s latest offering: a darts game that gets a score of 7/10. My take? A little hard to get the hang of, but surprisingly addictive.
posted by Flaming Pear
Mystery Studio turns fulltime
Okay, so this is a few days old, but heck, any time an indie goes fulltime they deserve a headline.
From Indie Gamer:
“Guys, I want to wish you a happy new year, and I’m also very happy to announce that today was my last day at my day job :)” More…
That’s Gabriel Gambetta living the dream… Just so you know Gabriel, we’ll be looking to Mystery Studio for great things from now on.
posted by Flaming Pear
Flipull Advantage not bad
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1021/819247984_2d6da5014f_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“180” alt=“Flipull” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />The Daily Click comes through with a surprisingly polished and wonderful old-school remake. For those of you not familiar with the original Flipull, the game involves shooting blocks of various colors at the right targets in order to break down a central block structure: hit a green with a green, it disappears, and the block behind or below it (depending on which angle you shoot it from) pops out as the next block to shoot. A wonderful little puzzler if you like that type of thing, and this remake is 1st-rate — and free. Congratulations to Johns Program, who submitted it.
Size: 4MB
Get it from: acoders
posted by Flaming Pear
Odd Man In
From Indie Gamer:
“I wrote a game for my website called Odd Man In and it’s a multiplayer, web based game of guns and game theory. Each round you pick someone to shoot and anyone shot an even number (excluding zero) of times is out. Last man standing wins. Last game had 29 people and it was a blast.
“The next game starts Monday, January 10th so get in there soon!
“Head here to register and check out the official http://www.bengarvey.com/oddmanin”
I’ve never tried one of these “web-based” games, so if you join, let me know what you think. Sounds a bit like a cross between Survivor and Mafia to me (which makes me wonder whether I should even be mentioning it here). Note: if you’re really out of it, this is not a “computer game” in the traditional sense.
posted by Flaming Pear
Friday, January 07, 2005
Supernova: Galactic Wars sees first beta
Jack Norton has released the first beta version of his shoot’em up. He says, quote, “Everyone is releasing shoot’em up, why can’t I ?!” which I guess is meant to be taken rhetorically. Anyway, check it out at Indie Gamer.
posted by Flaming Pear
Bytten reviews Diamond Hunter
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/819248000_5e0845c4b6_m.jpg” width=“240” height=“240” alt=“Diamond Hunter” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />Bytten celebrates its 100th review today, and awards a silver star to Freestone Group’s Diamond Hunter.
From Bytten:
“Anyone expecting an adventure game here will be a little disappointed as Diamond Hunter should really be considered a puzzle game with action elements. If you’ve ever played Boulderdash or Repton you’ll know roughly what to expect, as this game follows a similar pattern, with a small dose of Sokoban.” More…
Congrat’s Bytten for all the hard work.
posted by Flaming Pear
New Titan Assault alpha
Goldbolt Software has uploaded a new alpha of Titan Assault, an “overhead realtime strategy/action based game.” I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, but people seem to be liking it. If you try it out, have the decency to give C_Coder a little feedback over at the Indie Gamer forums.
posted by Flaming Pear
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Anyone for complex?
If you’re up for political simulations, try the [demo] of Democracy, a game being developed by the respectable folks at Positech. It’s one of those “starts with you as President (or Prime-Minister) of a fictional country” games, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.
posted by Flaming Pear
Puppytron
PuppyGames has released another “almost done” java applet game called Puppytron. Pretty mindless, but it’s got a great old-school feel; check out Puppy Invaders if you haven’t already (I preffer it to this new release).
posted by Flaming Pear
Indie “biz” blogs
I don’t know how many of you are interested in the business side of things, but George has started a post over on Indie Gamer dedicated to unearthing indie blogs. My gosh, GBGames: don’t hurt yourself.
posted by Flaming Pear
Ginger Monkey Go Home!
<img src=“http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1080/819276172_d0974bdc6b_m.jpg” width=“226” height=“100” alt=“Ginger Monkey” hspace=10 vspace=10 align=right />From the Game Tunnel forums:
“To celebrate the new year in style Ginger Monkey has launched his brand new independent games website with his first indie game: Mr Marrow and the Temple of Egg. You can download the game free from the website which also contains articles, features and artwork. Have a look and let Ginger Monkey know what you think. http://www.ginger-monkey.com/”
All I can say is Ginger Monkey is not ready for prime time. The site’s okay (if you can handle orange on black), but the game is a 16MB mega-flop. I lasted about a minute and a half. If you want, see if you can do better, but unless you’ve got a DSL connection and some time to waste, don’t bother. (Okay, so I’m being harsh; the game is honestly a good first try.)
posted by Flaming Pear
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