August 2004 Round-Up by Game Tunnel

July 2004 Indie Game Monthly Round-Up
(by The Illustrious Panel - TIP)

Scoring Scale:	1 - Just Unbelievably Bad 2 - Terrible 3 - Quite Poor 4 - Way Below Average 5 - Below Average	6 - Average 7 - Above Average 8 - Way Above Average 9 - Nearly Flawless 10 - Perfection
Special Awards:	Average score of 7 or above: (TIP Silver Award)
	Average score of 8 or above: (TIP Gold Award)
	Average score of 9 or above: (Editor's Choice Award)
Award Winners This Month:	Gates of Troy (Gold)
	Peepers (Silver)	Derelict (Silver)
	Word Play (Silver)	Deep Sea Adventures (Silver)
	Acky's XP Breakout (Silver)	'troid (Silver)
	Dead City (Silver)

Gates of Troy
(July 2)

by Slitherine Strategies

This is a strategy war game with the GUI done right. It's easy to learn and control - perhaps a little too much so as you always know if you're going to win a battle just based on numbers. The actual battles don't seem to require (or allow the use of) much strategy. Nonetheless, it improves upon the IGF award winner Spartan enough to warrant a serious look if you're into the genre.

This is a very polished and playable strategy game. The one thing that stands out in my mind as a downside is the way the combat is done - the movements of the little guys make them look more like ants with cognitive problems than actual squads of soldiers. But the strategy portion of the game is top-notch and should be very appealing to strategy fans, especially of the Civilization sort.

Eggblaster
(August 10)

by Outhouse Software

This is not a game you will come back to again and again. It's a Bomberman clone, but in a very slow-paced, sedate sort of way, since your opponents (in single player) are imprisoned in rock until you let them loose yourself, after which you can simply plant another bomb to blow them up. Not that it s too easy! The "die once and you start the whole game over" system isn't the most rewarding I've seen.

I had to double check to make sure this wasn't released in August of 1984 instead of 2004, not just because of the graphics, but because everything about it screams "Hello, I've come from your world of 20 years past!" The gameplay is a very un-challenging series of tedious levels that will leave you wondering whether or not the programmer in charge of making the game fun had the flu the week this game was in production. Move your chicken, lay an egg, watch it blow up, have fun! At least the $0.00 price tag is right, charging anything at all for this would have been nothing short of criminal.

Help Cheeky Chick lay exploding eggs to kill mushrooms. Extremely low resolution freeware bomber man clone. But hey, you can't beat the price!

Peepers
(August 9)

by Smart Melon

This game is well-crafted, and I like the acoustic guitar tunes, but it is the same sort of thing we see a lot of in the indie gaming arena: a logic puzzle that works in one specific way and has no new surprises further down the road. There's no question that that can be enjoyable, I like books of crossword puzzles myself, but for my own taste in computer games, I prefer a more varied experience. And yet I like Tetris... go figure.

Nicely done logic puzzler with a fresh theme. The tranquil guitar music fits very well. The frog really needs a satisfying sound while moving. I felt hopping should be a tad faster.

Peepers is essentially a slide the blocks puzzle game that's been made a thousand times in the past. What makes the game enjoyable is it's charming presentation, including some soothing music, slick graphics, and a easy to use interface. If you don't like block sliding puzzle games you're still not going to like Peepers, no matter how much polish it has, but if the genre interests you in any way you'll find a lot to love. There's a ton of levels, some interesting bonus areas, and a helpful hint system that removes the frustration of getting stuck for days on end. Call me shallow for giving a game a high score based almost entirely on some snazzy graphics and music, but if I had to choose between Peepers and most of the other games like it available online, Peepers would win out.

Zany Blocks
(August 8)

by Mischief Entertainment

A competent basic color-matching puzzle game with one glaring flaw: Mr. Fancypants! He will haunt my nightmares for weeks to come. Rawk! This is a game that can't pick a style - it's got overly earnest techno music, a scary monkey, high-tech text, and kindergarten shape blocks in muted pastel colors, all in a game with the bright and bouncy name "Zany Blocks". None of those things belong together!

Doom 3 might load faster, but hey, this is probably the only puzzle game that supports 1600X1200 you'll find. Despite very slow menu transitions (caused from vector pre-rendering?) I found this to be a very enjoyable puzzle game; mostly because as you play you find new strategies to create large bonus multipliers. The hand-crafted puzzle challenges were fun.

Car Thief 5
(July 19)

by Maxima Games

What seems like a really interesting and involved sim is marred by an insanely limited demo which doesn't really give you a feel for how the game works, and more importantly, an interface designed either by crack-smoking chimpanzees, or the guys who made Raging Tiger, I'm not sure which. The game has very simple gameplay with a lot of emergent strategies, but it's hard to find them behind the drag & drop confusion.

I've got a warm place in my heart for RPG style text games and this seems like a decent one. After looking at the oddly mismatched in-game photos I'm not sure cars were the only things 'lifted' here. Beware; this is really just a slightly newer version of Car Thief V4 rather than a completely new game.

After spending countless hours playing Car Thief 4 last year I was really excited to hear that version 5 was being released. Would the developers fix the sometimes chaotic status texts in the game, would they address the various sound issues associated with playing the game for 6 straight hours, and would they continue to throw the law out the window and use real car names and images? So far the answer is yes, they've fixed most of what was wrong with the previous version, including some game stopping bugs. Unfortunately in their effort to streamline the interface they've somehow managed to make some of the most basic aspects of the game (such as finding a car to jack) cumbersome. Some of the new design elements have been hard to come to grips with as a fan of the previous versions, but many of them have added a depth to the gameplay that is appreciated, even if it makes it much more difficult for new players to understand.

1985
(July 16)

by Arcade 80

Top down shooters are great, aren't they? I'm not one of those Ikaruga or Radiant Silvergun fans that foams at the mouth and forgets to blink at social gatherings, but I get a kick out of attacking wave after wave of baddies. If you look at the screenshots for 1985 as it goes through it's 150 meg download it appears as though it could be a fantastic shooter with some very smooth graphics and some nice features. That feeling of interest will be obliterated from your mind once you finish waiting for the game's various menus to load, or for the shockingly bad opening sequence to finally finish. Any interest you have left in the dark corner of your soul devoted to liking "diamonds in the rough" type games will be gone after playing the game for about 2 minutes, because I'm willing to bet that's about how long you'll last. Enemy shots don't have to actually hit you to kill you, and there's so many rounds flying your way they're nearly impossible to avoid. Where most shooters give you a few seconds of invulnerability to get your bearings, 1985 makes you vulnerable the second you regain control of the craft, so there will be lots (and I mean a LOT) of spawn kills. The fact that the game speed seems to be set as slow as humanly possible makes the difficulty even more frustrating. Save your money and stare at the screenshots for a while and think of what could have been.

Besides the slightly questionable cut scenes that appear to be poser models with a pencil filter on them this game has some excellent art. What ruins it is a triangle shaped ship should not have square collision detection! Luckily the game gets a lot easier when you discover you can 'wrap' your ship around the screen in any direction to escape bullets. Screen cross fades are great, but when they are THAT slow and plentiful the anger boils inside.

Derelict
(August 18)

by Laughing Dragon

At first I thought the pixel art level graphics were at odds with the signature Hamumu-Muppet style characters but after awhile it grows on you. Derelict is a deceptively large game that keeps throwing enough new stuff at you to keep it interesting. My only complaint is I really wanted a flamethrower or something stronger. This review is based on the full version.

In what I'm sure will be the dissenting voice I have to say that I excitedly downloaded Derelict and joyfully played for a little while until I was completely overcome by boredom. The description of Gauntlet meets Alien Syndrome is about right, but I couldn't stop wishing I was playing Alien Shooter. Besides have you played Gauntlet lately? It's pretty redundant. Same goes here though just a few cool weapons would have made the difference. Graphics are very nice though, with a nod to panelist MH.

In terms of screenshots vs. gameplay Derelict is the antithesis of 1985. Ok, they're two completely different games, but where 1985 offers some heart pounding screenshots, Derelict couldn't even get a rise out of a 19 year old hopped up on Cialis. It's just not a game that looks exciting when it's not in motion. Unlike 1985 and it's suicide inducing gameplay frustration, Derelict offers enough action and fun that you might as well skip the demo and buy the full version. Best described as Gauntlet in space, Derelict throws hordes of alien bad guys at you and never lets up, it's hardcore action at it's.. uhm... hardcorest. There could have been more variety in the powerups, and the time sensitive levels aren't as much fun for those of us who like to kill everything that walks, but it's a worthwhile purchase.

Word Play
(August)

by My Game Company

I do like word games! This one includes 4 game modes which are quite different from each other, and really present interesting and unique challenges. It also has nice jazz music and a really good looking visual theme. My only complaints are that it doesn't recognize some words I think it should ("zen" for one), and that in the puzzle mode, one puzzle is actually misspelled!

Solid word game with four well thought-out modes of play. While there is nothing startlingly new here it is done well and coupled with relaxing jazz music. Little touches like being able to start on your next word while the last one is scoring keep things moving. My only (minor) nitpick is I'd like to see valid words highlight and show the possible score as I'm making them.

Even though I'm not very good at word games I still enjoy them. I get a rush when I can spell a decent four letter word and save the day (see, I told you I'm no good at these games). Word Play has a good concept that works well within the boundaries of the genre, and some gameplay variants that are a lot of fun. The problems the game does have, such as falling blocks inevitably leading to large stacks one letter wide, are something most games in the genre deal with. While there's nothing wrong in following in the footsteps of other word games, it would have been nice to see the developers try more new ideas. If you've tried all the word games out there, give Word Play a spin and see what you think.

Brain Hotel
(August)

by PinHead Games

Painfully unfunny attempts at humor, incredibly slow-paced tedium getting from each location to the next, puzzles more illogical than I knew were possible, an extremely short game, and quirky technical issues (why does clicking on any open spot on the screen open their website? Repeatedly?) bring this product to new lows in adventure gaming. I was so sick of waiting for the characters to finish their boring dialogue by two screens into it, I almost quit right there. The voice acting is well done, it's too bad you have to sit through it when you want to move on. I hate to be so negative in a review, but I'm truly mad at this game for what it put me through.

A short, fun, freeware 'talky' flash adventure game. The voice acting is very good. A few technical glitches (half the time clicking opens up their home page?) and breaking the cardinal rule of "conversations you've already seen should be skip-able" didn't stop me from enjoying this well written story. The price is right.

Pinhead Productions has done it again. When I heard that the guys who brought us A Case Of The Crabs (hmmm) were working on another title so soon after their initial release I assumed it would be more of the same, not to say that would be a bad thing. With Brain Hotel the developers have gone a radically different direction in terms of graphics and story, and it's paid off. The fully voiced dialog is an absolute riot much of the time, many of the puzzles are great, and it has a cast of characters I look forward to spending more time with in the future. Another winner from Pinhead, but can their next title live up to it's bigger brothers?

Deep Sea Adventures
(August 8)

by Zaphire Soft

This is a well rounded arcade game that is easy to learn. Mapped progress, in-game store and unlockable mini-games add depth. Although clearly aimed at children the game play is a bit unforgiving, taking any damage requires you to completely restart the level.

This is a playable and semi-decent collect-the-items game. There was also something of a shortage of feedback - I was able to play the Shell Game one time, but not in previous attempts before that, and not again ever after, for no explained reason, it just wouldn't go. The biggest mark against it? It's kinda boring. The special levels that occur at intervals are a contrast to the boring gameplay in between - they're fun! That's not to say the main game is terrible, it's just a little dull.

At first I thought this would be a very shallow (!!!) side scrolling adventure, just like most of the rest out there. After playing a couple levels I still wasn't convinced. Then I got to the high speed action stages, and then another, and I figured there was more here than I had originally thought. The back-story is the absolute pits (this wise old fish is asking you to save the day, but he makes you buy powerups?), and the graphics are pretty sketchy from time to time, but it's a fun diversion that winds up offering a good dose of variety and lots of play time across a number of extremely fun levels.

Acky's XP Breakout
(June)

by Isotope 244 Graphics

The simple change of letting you create new balls from your �€˜ether�€™ to go multi-ball at will is a nice twist in this breakout-style game. The profile, high score system and level editor are nicely done. Pet peeve: PLEASE put an uninstall option in the application start-folder! I�€™m starting to notice a disturbing trend here people.

Right off the bat, I'm unhappy - "Enter your name and email to complete installation". Luckily it completed without doing so, but let it be known I find that pushy. Worse yet, it added itself to my quick launch bar without asking! GRR. But then I played it! Despite the generic name, this is a really great Breakout game with a lot more unique features than I expected. It's got a great feel, awesome tutorial, and tricky goals to shoot for. The only real downside (after installation) is the same with every such game: hitting the last few bricks gets boring and frustrating.

A serviceable breakout clone that tries to rise above the crowd, but is stuck squarely in the middle of an over populated pack. There's some decent new ideas at work here, including the trophy system, a couple fun powerups, and a resource system used for getting multi-ball combo's. Unfortunately most the powerups are your standard fare, the graphics are nothing special, and there's a strangely unsatisfying feeling when the bricks break. Well, at least the paddle and ball control are tight and predictable.

'troid
(July 31)

by Hermit Games

Astroids Minter-esque style. I like this game, snazzy effects and sounds make the abstract art style work. Two beefs though: A, Escape should ALWAYS take you 'back' from a non-main menu and B, I'm not sure if the 30 levels have enough variety, this review is based on the demo which is very short. Neat scoring system. Performance based power-ups of some kind would have been nice.

As the name implies 'troid is essentially an Asteroid clone, but it has less freedom of movement thanks to some bumper borders along the outside. The designers have shaken things up a bit by introducing a variety of enemies, while a number of them are frustrating to deal with the bosses are a lot of fun to fight against. The graphics have that high-tech-retro-Kraftwerk look that was made popular by Rez and is being exploited to the fullest in the upcoming Darwinia, but Hermit Games doesn't take it as far as you would expect. While the asteroids look nice as they change shapes, they still look pretty standard, the particle effects are a bit dull as well since they seem to come from 'Bobs Big Book of 3D Graphics Tricks.' Criticisms aside, 'troid is a fun game that's going to be worth it's modest price tag for most people.

This is a decent asteroids clone which proves that the inimitable Pom Pom style is actually quite imitable. It doesn't have the spark or flair of its Pom Pom equivalent, Mutant Storm, however. I don't really have any complaints about it (other than the demo being too short to really get a feel for it), but it doesn't grab me either. If later levels up the intensity much more as they probably do, it could be good fun! Definitely have to recommend a better demo for this game.

Cubes Invasion
(August)

by Sugar Games

I like this game because I get huge chain reactions accidentally which make me feel smart! Described as �€œreviving the legendary play spirit of Tetris�€? in the read me is a little odd but don�€™t worry, it�€™s not a Tetris clone so give it a shot - it grows on you.

Despite the great effort their website goes into to try to make this game sound like an exact clone of Tetris, it isn't. It's actually a rather original color-matching cube-dropping game! There's not a whole lot to this game. It has 3 somewhat different play modes, each similar in time-wasting capacity. It is well made and if you are looking for something for pure zone-out game play or to waste some time during downloads, this will serve admirably.

Dead City
(August)

byNiHiLiS

I don�€™t have a problem with the suicidal theme or even the necrophilia, but I do have a problem with having to go to every scene and talk with everyone again each time I make progress. It�€™s a bit monotonous. Graphics and ambience are very good in this freeware adventure game and despite its troubles might be worth a try if you�€™re ok with the adult subject matter.

I love's me some adventure gaming! While there's plenty of adventure games being released every month, most of them have adopted the comedy styling of the classic Sierra and LucasArts titles. Comedic adventures are fun and all, but this dark and depressing trip into the seedy corners of our society is refreshing. The graphics are solid, the music isn't too annoying, the puzzles are enjoyable, and the narrative isn't. Sure, reading the garbage that comes out of the protagonists mouth is like being cornered by a pack of school kids at your local Hot Topic, but I suppose that's just the type of guy he is.

A very short but good point & click adventure. The language is a little broken (English isn't the developer's first language), and a lot profane, and every aspect of the game is exceedingly dark - it's like digital teenage angst. But the puzzles are semi-logical, and the interface is a breeze. Puzzle-wise, the one major flaw was when new characters would arrive in areas for no apparent reason, making the effort I spent trying to actually come up wih a logical way to move forward a waste.

The Illustrious Panel for this month:

RC - Russell Carroll - Game Tunnel
Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Game Tunnel.
GM - Gregory Micek - DIYgames.com
After working with a number of gaming news services, Gregory came to the realization that indie games would one day save the world and deliver gamers everywhere from oblivion. When he's not preaching the greatness of independent games on the street corner, Gregory enjoys involving himself in guerrilla marketing campaigns to promote DIY Games and independent games in general.
MH- 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.
SR - Seth Robinson - Robinson Technologies
Seth has spent the last fourteen years making odd games, including designing and programming many independent titles such as the BBS hit Legend Of The Red Dragon, the multiplayer Flash based web game Funeral Quest, IGF finalists Teenage Lawnmower and Dungeon Scroll and the cult classic RPG Dink Smallwood.

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By: The Illustrious Panel
Posted: Monday September 20, 2004