|
Mike Hommel: 9
John Bardinelli: 8
William Usher: 9
Russ Carroll: 10
|
# 2
|
ZSX3: Ninjastarmageddon!
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| 8.5 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 8
I ran into a serious lock-up/crash when getting killed which really dampened
my enthusiasm for this game. Prior to that, I would say this could be the
most playable and fun (while still being somewhat involved) space trader
game out there. It's certainly the only one where your character hangs his
arm out the window of his ship, and the only one I've seen that lets you buy
a capital ship and dock your normal ship inside it! Come to think of it,
it's the only one I can recall that has a sense of humor at all...
Brian Clair: 9
I don’t know that I’ve ever played a game as zany as Ninjastarmageddon. Set in a cartoonish sci-fi realm that mixes pirates, flying galleons and cars, lasers, zombies and pterodactyls, this game is truly unique. Players will start off by choosing one of three vehicles that are determined by the difficulty level you choose. You create your own character and co-pilot who you can outfit with a variety of deadly weapons (shot out the passenger side window, of course). From there you can fly missions, trade, become a bounty hunter or a pirate, or any combination you like. As you complete missions and explore the galaxy, you’ll open up new areas; and as you make money, you’ll be able to upgrade to better space cars (you can even buy mothership galleons) and buy better equipment. There’s really too much to go over in this space, but needless to say, I was very impressed by this release. If you’re looking for something really different, give the demo a try. This is what indie-gaming is all about.
William Usher: 9
An over-the-top story matched up with equally over-the-top (yet rocket-busting) gameplay makes Zombie Smashers X3: Ninjastarmageddon one of the best original games to hit the indie market. Old-school gamers might find similarities of ZSX3 to Zone Raiders or the original Quarantine, in which the game has a constant pace that’s always edging on the brink of total chaos. Whether it’s making delivers or blasting down foes, this game rocks hard in a very smooth way. The play controls took a little adjusting to, but the tutorial was a great help and after a while I found the flying/shooting mechanics to mirror the very likes of Battlefront II’s space segments, including the spins, rolls and quick loop-d-turns. There’s a lot to like about Zombie Smashers X3, from the nice weapon selection to the almost Fifth Element-style flying vehicles and space stations, this game was made to entertain and it does it oh so well.
Russ Carroll: 8
I'm not sure this is a sequel. At least not in the traditional sense, which is probably the point. The
game continues the same background story between Ninjas and Zombies, but transitions from a River
Ransom-esque fighting game to a Star Wars-esque space combat sim mixed with trading and ship customization
as players work their way up to their own fleet while navigating the universe and moving the RPG-esque
story along. The controls give a lot of dodging and dog-fighting abilities to players and no-one will
question the visuals (other than the frame rate), but the drastically different approach didn't click with
me like the other two installments of the trilogy did (I'm probably a victim of
my own expectations). The music is still fantastic and those looking for
something original and different will struggle to find something better than what is offered here.
As a side note, those
prone to motion sickness, like me, should be warned, as this game will definitely trigger it.
# 3
Ancient Empires Lux
($20.00)
by Sillysoft Games
| 7.8 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 7
Very much more of the same - the exact same game as
American History Lux,
just different (and harder) maps. It seems a little more polished in some
subtle ways, but the maps aren't as fun to me. They don't seem to offer
many chokepoints so they didn't let me play my typical "tank rush" method of
Risk play. This is probably actually a good thing, but I like to just roll
over enemies in games! Even on the easiest setting, I lost the second map
at least once before progressing. There is one new option in this game
which is nice - you can choose your starting point for a score bonus. The
score bonus is meaningless though, since each starting point has its own
high score table.
Brian Clair: 9
It’s been a long time since I’ve played a Lux game, but Ancient Empires doesn’t disappoint. The usual gameplay aspects are maintained in this version, though I found the difficulty to be pretty high (and I was playing on the easiest setting). That could just be my inexperience, however. The presentation here is extremely well done, with a polished interface, nice 2D graphics, and included historical notes for each period included. If you like this series, Ancient Empires is a definite pick-up. It would be nice to see some more advanced combat options in the series moving forward, however, instead of just generic troops.
William Usher: 7
Unlike a certain other turn-based space strategy game on this top-ten list, Ancient Empires Lux gets the formula right. Players are always fighting for dominance in this war-based game, which contains 15 ancient scenarios across the globe. Simple visuals and effects, easy-to-learn controls and an engaging soundtrack compliment the game’s overall appeal. And basically, anyone looking for a solid challenge will be sure to find one in Ancient Empires Lux. It’s not remarkably original, but it does get the job done when it comes to being marginally entertaining, and that’s what gives it an above average score.
Russ Carroll: 8
I've often complained that I struggle with Risk-like games due to my incredibly poor luck when it comes to
rolling the dice. The newest Lux game, however, changes the setting to ancient world empires, which is
enough for me to get past my whining and play deep into the game. Suddenly my focus shifted from my
frustration of my 17 army being eliminated by a 3 again to figuring out what strategy I needed to take the
hotly contested center pieces of land, which act as keystones to specific map areas. The multiple
difficulty settings along with varied maps and historical intrigue gives the game a lot of depth, and helped
make it the first Risk-like game that I've ever really enjoyed.
# 4
Dodge That Anvil!
($19.95)
by Rabidlab
| 7.3 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 6
It disturbs me how the bunny never faces away from you. He backpedals half
the time. Talented! This game is pretty fun, but it feels more like a
basic flash game than a full-fledged gaming experience. I got bored with it
very quickly, as each level is just more running and yanking. There's
really no variety, which is too bad, because it's cute and interesting to
begin with.
Brian Clair: 7
A game that would be perfect for kids, Dodge That Anvil puts you in the furry feet of a harvester rabbit. Put simply, your job is to visit the carrot fields and harvest the crops your farmers have planted. Of course, it wouldn’t be any fun if the gameplay were that easy, so you’ve got to dodge anvils that fall from the sky every few seconds. As you progress, you’ll find out why the sky is raining anvils and making your life so difficult. Dodge That Anvil features nice graphics with a cartoon style, and each level tends to feature a new play dynamic which keeps things interesting. There only major item I didn’t like about this title are the controls which feel too loose (due in part that your rabbit’s always moving and tends to move at odd angles).
William Usher: 8
Whoa, this game totally caught me off guard as one of the wackiest and most fun platformers in a long time. The 2D/3D compilation works well for the theme and the gameplay is simply outstanding. Fusing the sprites with the full 3D maps gave the game an almost nostalgic 2D platformer feel, but with originality that’s all its own. Various objectives keep the game fresh and the colorful visuals and spot-on sounds make the game an easily lovable title. The basic gameplay and fast-dropping anvils made this an intense little thrill-ride that deserves mad props. Interactive family-fun never seemed so dangerously entertaining, until now.
Russ Carroll: 8
Dodge
that Anvil! is an excellent isometric platform game. One of the marks of a good game, in my estimation,
is that it is enjoyed
and appreciated more the
more it's played. DTA certainly gets points there. The ability to challenge myself to find the entrances to
the secret levels, get the daisy to the right rabbit hole, and explore the landscape really captures the spirit of the classic Mario games. The shop items were compelling and I found it enjoyable to
discover
that my initial impression on which items were the most useful changed as I got further into the game. It's
among the best anvil-dodging games ever made, and may just be the best.
# 5
Armado
($19.95)
by Tricky Software
| 6.8 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 6
Weird. I'm not sure why there are 3 action buttons. The "charge" attack
can be done for free by tapping jump a bunch. Anyway, this is a very basic
game that just has you on a completely fixed path, timing your jumps. It's
almost exactly the same as the 3rd part of Jungle Hunt, where you have to
jump or duck the logs! So I guess you could say it's like Jungle Hunt, only
without the variety. Not really a winning proposition to be outdone by a
25-year old game. But it's not really so bad, hence the 6. It plays
decently as you mindlessly hop over and onto things.
John Bardinelli: 6
Beautiful visuals and music in Armado, the storybook opening really pulled
me in and it was a treat just absorbing the game's atmosphere. I have to
admit I was a bit disappointed when I started playing the game, though. At
its core, Armado is a very basic action arcade game on rails. You control
the forward and backward motion of the little armadillo guy as he runs up
a mountain. Collect gems, stomp enemies, and leap over chasms. That's
basically it. There's not much there to keep you interested for long,
though I suspect a younger crowd would really get into it. Despite its
bare-bones gameplay, it's a very well-made game.
William Usher: 8
Right off the bat Armado has amazing presentation qualities. This pseudo 3D-platformer gives gamers a visually grandiose atmosphere to direct Armado the Armadillo through, as he ventures to save his home. The reason this game is a pseudo 3D-platformer is because it’s realistically controlled like a 2D platformer. Much like Crystal Dynamic’s Pandemonium series, the action is fluent and straightforward while gamers basically focus on getting through the obstacles and race to get to the end of each challenging level. The only downside is that I found it rather difficult to jump on some of the moving bad guys. Still, it’s as fun to play as it is to watch and the challenge is something that hardcore gamers can easily enjoy as much as their casual gamer counterparts.
Russ Carroll: 7
One of the better looking Indie games that I've played, Armado is an on-rails platformer that initially
suffers from the controls and the need for precision, but ultimately is a fun diversion. The speed of the
game was a bit slow for my tastes, even when Armado curls up in a ball and goes rolling down the hill, doing
his best Sonic impression. Really the game is all about timing, and when you are hitting each jump and
attack at the right time it is a lot of fun to play. When you mis-time things the game turns into a bit of
a chore that is made better by the fantastic visuals, but hampered by the repetitive and un-inspired music.
# 6
Turtix
($15.95)
by In Images/Alawar
| 6.5 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 7
Compared to most of the platformers I've reviewed for the roundup, this is
very good. It has a nice control feel and pretty pictures, and isn't as
totally devoid of things to do as some have been (you don't just grab gems -
although you mostly just grab gems). It still gets really tedious
though, with ten extremely similar levels in a row before you reach a boss
and then enter a new area.
John Bardinelli: 5
TA very simple platformer with a GORGEOUS visual style. I can't tell you
how many times I just stopped and stuck my nose to the screen staring at
the marvelous detail. Unfortunately there's very, very little to the game
other than just jumping around. A few special abilities and interesting
items appear here and there, but they're quite far apart and there's a
whole lot of nothing in-between. Kids will eat it up, but more
sophisticated gamers will need something more.
William Usher: 7
The proverbial grand adventure of “find the crystal(s) that binds the universe together” is applied to Turtix. Gamers assume the role of a little green turtle who has to save the world in what might best be described as an even more casual version of
Kenny’s Adventure. This certainly doesn’t mean that Turtix is bad by a long shot. It just means that the Saturday morning cartoon-graphics and over-easy gameplay might appeal mostly to younger kids, or maybe parents who like guiding their younglings through kiddy platform games. Turtix is topped off with a suitably new-age soundtrack and scarce but well-recorded sound effects. An overall decent game, to say the least.
Russ Carroll: 7
I really want to like Turtix. The visuals on this side-scrolling platformer are wonderfully
charismatic.
The enemies are very well drawn as are the backdrops. Unfortunately, the game suffers a bit from complacent
design. The levels quickly become tiresome and feel repetitive and un-inspiring. You have to play more
than 20 levels before receiving the magic that lets you finally shoot at enemies to stun them instead of
having to jump on their head. I fear that most players will have quit long
before this point due to the lack of variety in the objectives of each
level. The controls are tight, the visuals fantastic, and there are
points that are really enjoyable, but the design of the game leaves
the game feeling as though it could have been much more than it is by
simply eliminating 2/3 of the levels.
# 7 (tie)
Starship Kingdom
($19.95)
by Ape Zone
| 6.3 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 7
I've often wondered about the idea of enhancing Risk gameplay by being able
to 'level up' your troops. Here it is. It's pretty good! The major
downside to this game is a byzantine interface where they possibly mixed up
the "Dos" and "Don'ts" columns in a user interface guide. This adds to the
learning curve and and also gets in the way once you do know the game.
Brian Clair: 7
This is a novel title that puts you smack dab in the middle of a struggle for a stellar empire. The old king has just died with no heirs, leaving a power vacuum that two major noble houses are fighting to fill. On the sidelines are a number of independent worlds who want no part of a new kingdom, though if there’s a risk of one side winning, they’ll tend to join the other (out of spite apparently). It took me awhile to figure out how to play Starship Kingdom. For an indie-game it’s got a fairly steep learning curve, but if you can read through the long in-game manual, I think you’ll find it’s worth the effort. Each player starts with control of a few worlds and the game is played in turns. You start by deploying new forces, then attacking, fortifying your planets (i.e., moving your forces around), and researching new techs if any are available. When you first start to play, it may seem like all you’re doing is throwing ships at other worlds and seeing who wins, but Starship Kingdom has more depth than that. Each of the three types of starships has different strengths and weaknesses; you’ll need to master them to win at higher difficulty levels. The only complaints I have with this title is that there really needs to be a tutorial to get new players started and that the interface could use some polish. I also ran into some crashing issues, but since the game saves constantly, it wasn’t as big a deal as in other releases. Starship Kingdom is certainly worth a look for strategy fans.
William Usher: 4
A game that starts with the classic Star Wars scrolling-text-into-the-horizon while ships fly in and start blasting each other to smithereens would seem like its darn cool. But after spending what seemed like eons trying to learn how to move ships around and attack, I felt like all the verve for playing had been sucked out of me. If you’re a super-keen strategy gamer who catches on real quick, this game probably wouldn’t be a bad venture for you to take. But the average casual gamer probably doesn’t want to devote one single hour to learn how to play a game that doesn’t quite pay off for its learning curve. Even the good graphics couldn’t save the boring space battles and confusing play mechanics.
Russ Carroll: 7
Sort of like Risk mixed with a few
different ship types and advancements. It makes for a very well
balanced strategy game, that, depending on the parameters you set can go on for hours and be very
challenging in a good way. The graphics are a little bland, but serviceable. A solid background soundtrack
would have helped tremendously in making the game feel more epic. It is deeper and a little more complex to
play than last month's Galcon, but lacks the simple charm of that game. A very worthy timewaster that got
buried this month just because there were so many other good games. I enjoyed the complexity, which was
just complex enough not to be confusing initially, while allowing for a lot deeper play to those who pursue
it.
# 7 (tie)
Total Extreme Wrestling 2007
($34.95)
by Grey Dog Software
| 6.3 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: n/a
Crash on startup with an ActiveX error.
John Bardinelli: 5
Phew. Hello, complexity! This game has more menus, stat screens and
numbers than I've ever seen. Aimed squarely at wrestling fanatics, anyone
who can't tell a suplex from a neckbreaker won't have much use for this
game. You can manage almost every aspect of your wrestlers down to what
kind of toothpaste to use. Well, it feels that way. The whole game from
the installation method to the design and artwork feels like it came from
1995. It's not supposed to look pretty, of course, but some spit and
polish never hurts. Once you dig your nails into the game you won't have
time to care, but it takes a lot of time and patience to climb the steep
learning curve.
William Usher: 8
I loved Adam Rylands EWR; it was easy-to-use, quick to load, simple in its themes and offered up endless hours of fun. Hence, simplicity is a virtue and it’s something Total Extreme Wrestling 2007 doesn’t do with flying colors. However, I love wrestling and my motto is that too much content is better than not having enough content. With that said, after spending hours just getting my promotion organized and characters optimized to my liking, I found that TEW2K7 is one of the best wrestling promotion simulators I’ve ever played. Smackdown vs Raw 2008 is going to have a lot to live up to if they hope to topple TEW in the promotional management department. The game is just huge and gives wrestling fans everything they could possibly want out of booking, including writing your own storylines. So for all those times people complain about the direction Smackdown is heading in, here’s your chance to actually write something worth watching. Added to this, players will tackle promoting and establishing a personality for their organization. The only downside is that the actual match descriptions are a bit brief. Still, it’s a great game with too much content for its own good.
Russ Carroll: 6
Total Extreme Wrestling is a hardcore wrestling management sim that will enthrall hard core wrestling fans
and leave casual fans begging for mercy as they attempt to figure out just what they need to do to play
the game. The game's sim engine is steeped in details and quite capable of doing just about anything you
can think of as you attempt to improve your wrestling league. Every detail, from scheduling the wrestlers,
to choosing how people will see the match (TV? PPV?), to creating an entertaining storyline about a tag team
splitting after a feud, is here. The big negative is that the games user interface will set players back
about 15 years and limit all but the most die-hard of wrestling fans from getting all the goodness out of
the game that was intended by the game's developers.
# 9
Windboxes
($12.95)
by Beach Bag Games
| 5.3 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 4
You take Tetris, a great game - absolute simplicity creating great depth and
utterly engaging action - and then, I don't know, how about say the player
has to ride a unicycle while playing on a Gameboy that they're juggling
along with 2 live piranhas? Suddenly the game isn't so fun. In fact, all
that extra stuff you're doing, besides being dangerous, completely distracts
you from the simple and addictive formula without adding anything to it. It's
confusing, awkward, and really just makes you ask "Why can't I just sit down
and play some Tetris?"
Brian Clair: 5
Windboxes is a Tetris clone, but unlike the standard fare, includes a story mode that features the occasional puzzle map. On these puzzle maps, you only get a limited number of tiles that you must fit together perfectly in order to proceed – they can be real brain teasers too. I found the gameplay design in Windboxes to be a bit strange, however. Unlike the traditional Tetris style where tiles fall from the top of the grid, here they simply float horizontally across the map. When a tile appears that you want to use, you grab it and it snaps into position. However, this ruins the challenge that made Tetris so frantic. Without the puzzle pieces falling at ever increasing speed, there’s no need to think fast. Instead Windboxes uses a timer that you need to keep filled by clearing lines from the grid; if the timer runs out, a row of pipes appears at the bottom of the level pushing all the tiles up. The other issue here is the control system. In an attempt to be unique, Windboxes only lets you place tiles using the pointer along the bottom of the screen. As the tiles move along their conveyor at the top, the tiles along the bottom glow showing you where the new tile will fit. This is good in that you can overcome weird situations you may create, but bad in that the challenge for the game comes from fighting the interface to play, not from any real Tetris-style dynamic.
William Usher: 6
Okay, so this looks like a Tetris clone, but it’s not just another Tetris clone. Every time I thought I was winning with ease, I started losing.
Every time I thought I mastered a stage, I thrown a curve ball. This is a good thing because Windboxes mixes up the Tetris formula by having gamers pull down moving pieces with a harpoon. Each stage offers different strategies and challenges required for players to complete, and I can’t say it wasn’t brain-teasingly addictive. Added to that, Windboxes has an incomparable soundtrack, which sounds as good as the content on-screen plays. At best, though, Windboxes is a nominal approach to being a truly unique puzzler. It’s slightly above par, but not quite magnificent.
Russ Carroll: 6
If you took Tetris and turned it into more of a thinking game and less of an action game you would have the
foundation for Windboxes. It plays a little like Lumines, which is to say it is slow and thoughtful. That
is both the positive and the negative for me. Thinking through careful piece placement is interesting and
the addition of power-ups purchased from the store is alright, but in the end I couldn't shake the feeling
that I was simply playing Tetris. Nice music though.
# 10
Warriors
($9.95)
by Enigma Games
| 4.5 |
| COMBINED SCORE |
Mike Hommel: 4
This is a good concept and a bad game. It's very boring and visually
unappealing. I love the idea of having a simple battle, with most of the
strategy being in selecting from a huge array of warriors beforehand.
Unfortunately, there are really only a few different warriors here, with
dozens of variations on their stats to muddle through. Conceptually, I can't
help but think of Gain Ground, which is obviously an extremely different
game, but it sure was fun. I think I'm going to think about it some more.
John Bardinelli: 4
A straight-up combat strategy game designed for mobile devices that,
honestly, shouldn't have left the portable platform. Choose a team of
classic fantasy fighters and face off against computer AI opponents. Cast
spells, heal party members, and wail on the enemy to become the victor.
It's perfect for short bursts of play when you just want to kill time.
Unfortunately it seems nothing was upgraded during the transition from
mobile phone to PC, resulting in a horrible interface, choppy animation,
and a three-second looping sound effect that poses as background music. If
I had the cell phone version in my hands, my review would likely be much
different. Unfortunately the gameplay doesn't stand up as well on the PC,
especially without any sort of presentation upgrade.
William Usher: 5
No,
this is not the popular Rockstar remake of the Walter Hill movie. Instead, it plays like a turn-based strategy game that requires a lot of team-cohesion. Players have several difficulties to choose from and numerous warriors, mages, paladins and other classically
clichéd archetypes to choose from. Once you put your team together it’s off to do battle...and battle again, and again, and again. This tournament style approach keeps players constantly fighting with no real point or purpose other than pride and gloating rights. This game also isn’t big on aesthetics and it didn’t have to be, but it was a little too simple in its design. The vast character options weren’t bad, but there was the terrible flaw of having a perfect team using a sorcerer, a cleric, a gladiator and an archer. A little bit more depth and some more options could have helped this game out.
Russ Carroll: 5
If you are going to do one thing, do it very well. Warriors does just one thing, battles. And it does them
ok. There is a good variety in characters to choose from, though I didn't find them to be all that
balanced, which forced selection to a few characters that had secondary attacks or abilities. The strategy
really is gang-up on and kill one player at a time. If you lose a fighter first the game is over, but
you'll have to sit through the rest of the battle anyway due to the fact that there is no in-game guit to get
you out of the battle. Fun for a good bit, but ultimately it didn't satisfy.
The
Illustrious Panel:
Mike Hommel -
Hamumu
Mike Hommel is known for his hilarious and bizarre games.
Though his site claims that all his games are just 'dumb fun' you'll
find that they are some of the more interesting games around, and will
eat hours away from your life without you realizing where they all
went.
Brian Clair- Total
Gaming.net
Brian Clair was the publisher/editor of the Adrenaline Vault website
for more than nine years before moving to Stardock Entertainment in
early 2005. He currently runs the games publishing division for
Stardock Entertainment and is always on the look-out for the next big
hit.
John Bardinelli -
bardinelli.com
As a freelance video game writer, John thinks he's done something
pretty clever by combining his two greatest addictions into a career.
Now, among other projects, he spends much of his time scoping out the
latest and greatest casual/indie games for Casual Gameplay.
William
Usher -
Starting off as a wannabe game designer with unreleased titles such as
Axio Pets, Pong Party Extreme and Zombie Killers EX 3D, Will decided
it was time to hang up his boots as a designer and instead focus on a
freelance writing career. In this field, he provides a critical eye to
the gaming community. Especially on games most people never heard of.
Russ Carroll - Game Tunnel
Game Tunnel's Editor-In-Chief, Russell founded the site in 2002 as the
first website dedicated to reviews of Independent
Video Games. In addition to running Game Tunnel he currently
works as the Director of Marketing for Reflexive Entertainment.
|
Scoring Scale: |
||||||||||
|
| Game of the Month | ||
 |
Mr. Robot |
|
| Award Winners This Month: | ||
 Average score of 9+ |
Average score of 8+ |
Average score of 7+ |
| Mr. Robot | ZSX3: Ninjastarmageddon! |
Ancient Empires Lux Dodge That Anvil! |
By: The Illustrious Panel
Posted: Saturday February 24, 2007
Action
Adventure
Arkanoid
Fighting
Platform
Puzzle/Casual
RPG
Shooter
Simulation
Sports
Strategy
