Time Donkey

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: September 2nd, 2009

Time Donkey, the latest game from Flashbang Studios (and the 9th on Blurst!), has been released. In the game you play as a donkey working at a fast food joint who discovers a portal and becomes “trapped in the very fabric of time itself, doomed to relive the same 30 seconds again and again.”

It mostly plays like your standard 3D platformer — running, jumping, collecting tacos — but the trick here is that you can press R to jump back in time and try again, while “ghosts” of your previous tries play out. You can then interact with them, allowing you to reach new areas and such. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get a handle on the controls and start planning your moves, it’s quite fun. (And pretty darn hilarious!)

The music is, of course, by the indefatigable Danny B.

Play Time Donkey here, on Blurst!

Touch KO Released

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: August 14th, 2009

Adam and Matt from Flashbang Studios, The Brothers Mechtley, have released a side project they’ve been working on since January: Touch KO, an iPhone boxing sim that quite reminds me of Fight Night, with its hilarious ragdoll knockouts and everything. From the video it looks to be polished and fun—if I had an iPhone, I’d be playing it right now! You can find the App Store link here.

In semi-related news, Matt has announced he’s leaving the world of indie games to pursue a career in super science, going for his PhD in Astrophysics at ASU. Next thing you know he’ll have his own island fortress and army of spider robots and all that. (That’s what scientists do, right?)

Matt: You have been a consummate gentleman, and you will be missed! Best of luck to you, sir.

Crane Wars

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: June 16th, 2009

Crane Wars, the eighth and latest web game from Phoenix-based Flashbang Studios, is now playable on Blurst, continuing their proud lineage of fun, funky, free, and (often) physics-based games. Crane Wars is a game of dueling construction sites, and the classic battle of Union vs. Scab. Using the crane, stack your buildings high before funding runs out, but beware of sabotage (or should I say scabotage, ho ho). As with other Flashbang games, it starts with this simple, clever mechanic, but quickly turns to madness, with burning rubble covering the ground, trucks flying through the air, and so on.

This post took hours to write cuz I couldn’t stop playing it. You too may play it right here.

Oh yeah! Excellent music by the similarly excellent Alec Holowka. It quite reminds me of Rare’s games on the N64… must be the tuba?

Blush Prototype

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: January 27th, 2009

Flashbang has begun production on another one of their world-famous eight-week games. This one looks to be a bit less silly than their previous entries, but no less excellent.

Be sure to check The Blurst Blog for frequent behind-the-scenes updates. (I’m talking so behind-the-scenes, they even reveal their wallpaper color picking process.) Also, check out this excellent interview with The Flashbang Hivemind up on Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

Minotaur China Shop (Out Now!)

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: December 11th, 2008

From the creators of such wonders as Jetpack Brontosaurus and Off-Road Velociraptor Safari comes a game so objectively awesome it would make even King Minos proud. Minotaur China Shop is Flashbang‘s latest opus, chronicling the day-to-day struggles of Ben Ruiz The Minotaur, fresh out of the Labyrinth, pursuing his lifelong dream of selling fine china. But it’s so much more than that. It’s also a commentary on such sensitive topics as mental illness, discrimination, and capitalism, to name but a few.

In the game you, The Minotaur, must navigate your new shop, delivering various items to a stream of fantastical (but paying!) customers. However, being a big, clumsy minotaur, this is easier said than done. You will often find yourself knocking over and breaking your own precious inventory. Break enough and you will enter MINOTAUR RAGE, a “crippling psychological condition.” Fortunately, your insurance covers any damage done while enraged.

The game lasts five business days, with a chance to upgrade stats and abilities in between. A high score is tallied at the end. As with all titles available through Blurst, Minotaur China Shop is free to play. (And hilarious.) Check it out!

NOTE: You will need to download the Unity plugin to play. But it’s quick and painless, so just do it.

TIGdb: Entry for Minotaur China Shop

Minotaur China Shop

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: September 25th, 2008

Suddenly, a transmission from Flashbang’s hidden underground base…

TIGSOURCE
YOUR NEW ORDERS FOLLOW:
POST ABOUT PROJECT MCS-A, CODENAME ‘MINOTAUR CHINA SHOP’
BUT DO NOT REVEAL ITS SINISTER PURPOSE
YOUR COMPENSATION SHALL BE LEFT IN THE AGREED LOCATION
FLASHBANG OUT

Jetpack Brontosaurus: Coming Soon

By: Derek Yu

On: March 27th, 2008

Some alpha footage of the game in question. Click here for the HD version!

Jetpack Brontosaurus is planning on jetpacking its way into your hearts at the end of April.

Off-Road Velociraptor Safari!

By: Derek Yu

On: January 29th, 2008

Sweet Raptorchrist, it’s here… and it’s even more incredible than you imagined.

(Thanks, Dan!)