Having just finished grading mid-term exams for a course I'm teaching, it occurred to me that we are now half-way through the gaming year. Since all the end of the year awards come out in December, December actually floats over into the next year as far as games are concerned, making May the mid year point for gaming.

With that in mind, Game Tunnel has put together a mid-year scorecard of the games that have come out so far, in addition to looking forward to things that we know are coming soon. This breakout works first through genres and then through general categories of gaming, such as graphics.

Genres:

Strategy & RTS: B-

So far, strategy games have done quite well in 2003. While there haven't been a large number of releases that fit into the strategy category, the few games that have been done were well done in one way or another.

We've seen some fantastically done 2D graphics in Fatal Wars and good game play in X-Hex.

In addition, the biggest and best surprise of 2003 may ultimately come from the strategy genre. Samurai was released in March and has been keeping gamers happy ever since. Though Samurai doesn't take graphics to a new height, the overall presentation and ease of picking up the game make it something everyone try. The key to any good strategy game, is to challenge the user to play better, without making it impossible for them to do so. Samurai makes good on both of those areas, maintaining a high level of challenge while not frustrating the user. Its nearly endless offerings of difficulty are a joy for everyone to play.

In amateur strategy efforts, Astral Tournament, a well-produced card come video game is well worth your time. I found myself glued to this one for about 2 days straight, playing deep into the night trying to find some way to make my way through the tournament. If card games are your type, you'll enjoy trying to put down the best combination of cards to build up your energy supply so that you are able to lay down a wicked card that will destroy your enemies. Astral Tournament is likely a contender for amateur game of the year, making the strategy category quite strong in producing candidates for game of the year this year.

In addition to these games, there are still a few that we have here that are just waiting to be reviewed, such as Train Tracking, Car Thief 4 and Dope Farmer. While perhaps a little more avant guarde, it is certainly possible that theses games will boost what we thought of strategy games released in the first half of the year.

OUTLOOK: A

If half of the planned games for 2003 in the Strategy & RTS category are released, it will be a banner year for independent strategy games. On the horizon are Amoeba from Yamisoft, in what will likely be another fantastic game from this group of sure fire developers, They Came From Hollywood, an imaginative thriller that places you in the director's chair of your own B-Movie, Trash, a graphically intense RTS in a distant future, and World Fables, another RTS, this one set in a fantasy world where you control fairy tale and nursery creatures such as ginger bread men and humpty dumpty. Also, a follow-up to last year's RPG Necrotech in Necrotech Warfare, taking the characters into RTS battle mode and Starshatter, a futuristic Space RTS are on tap for this summer.

Action: A

Several Action titles have shined brightly in 2003 and it is difficult to believe we will get such a group of high quality games from this genre in the second half of the year. Starting on January 5th with the release of Airstrike 3D, and continuing on with the releases of Ultra Assault and Mage Bros.. Each of the games brought its own feel into the genre. Airstrike 3D might be the best arcade action helicopter game to date independent or otherwise. It received a recent additional boost when 2-player co-operative play was added by means of a patch. (that is some patch!) Ultra Assault brought us another game filled with Small Rockets great experience and depth of knowledge about gaming. There are some truly original power-ups and good graphics that make it a great pick-up. Mage Bros. is from the every popular JJSoft studio. This, their second effort, is even better than Hopman. With the ability to play 2-player co-operative, and a lot of whimsical creatures, Mage Bros. will make you wonder why there haven't been more side-scrolling adventures of late.

Still on our plate, but not yet reviewed are the games Starscape, a shooter everyone seems to love. It hails from a new company that has good experience already in the industry. We also have Dark Archon. Another shooter that puts you in the cockpit of one of four race's starships. It is heavily based on playing together as a team to survive, but is from 2/3 perspective instead of first-person as is common in those types of games.

OUTLOOK: D

I'm basing the 'D' on a hope that there will indeed be something released in Action Independent games that I've missed, or that have not yet been announced. Per what I've seen, the only game I've seen of professional quality that is scheduled for release in the second half of the year is Alien Flux. This is a sad occurrence, as each of the last two years, the best game of the year has come out in November. (Star Tripper & Mutant Storm) However, the company that was responsible for those great efforts is sadly moving on out of the Indie gaming world. We can only help that their sizable talents will return, and for the sake of the action genre, Independent gaming could use some new talents coming in.

Sports: F

Sports has never been a great category for independents. With all of the high-profile athletes endorsing their own game, and a hefty price tag that goes along with getting professional rosters into games, independent sports games have had to focus on pure innovation to create their games.

OUTLOOK: C

3 on 3 showdown could certainly be interesting if perchance it is finished this year. It is a basketball game that takes players to the streets where they have to earn their own recognition and improve their player as they take on other players. It claims to sport an innovative engine that will allow player to create their own custom moves. The only negative is that no new news on the game has been made public in the last 6 months, but at least we know they started beta testing. Beyond that, there is hope that Alitius will release another little sporting gem like last year's Basegolf. Geoff Howland had mentioned at the GDC that he was considering doing an indoor soccer game as a follow-up to Basegolf, but it certainly wasn't something written at stone at the time. Baring either a release by Enigma Games of 3-on-3 Showdown, or Alitius of the possible indoor soccer game, I believe we are set for an F in sports this year. If either of the two happens, then a C is more likely the grade.

Arkanoid: C-

Arkanoid games are often where many new developers cut their teeth, and with good reason. Arkanoid is a great concept that often gets a little better with the different angles that people have taken on the game. DX-Ball 2 has long ago become the target for which all arkanoid developers strive, and recently, there have been many games created that are similar in quality to that classic game. So far this year we have seen Ball Attack, an interesting clone with some great power-ups. Another recently released game has been Ultranium 4, the 5th game in the ever popular Ultranium series. This one replaces your typical paddle with a ship. Though its graphics are still certainly out of date, the joy of getting a large combo has always kept players going.

OUTLOOK: C

There are bound to be some contenders that have not yet been made known. The only game currently known to be on the release sheet is Break Ball 2: Gold, a re-release of last years fantastic Arkanoid clone that added multiple paddle types to the usual fair along with a slew of options. BB2G improves on its predecessor by moving to a pseudo 3D engine with fantastic blending and reflection effects to go along with the already great game play. It also is purported to have smoothed out the game overall. In addition to that game, I'm sure we will see a few more clones by the end of the year, with new developers trying their best to push this genre of fun games even farther.

RPG: C

Feyna's Quest was released just before the end of 2002, too late to be included in the awards for that year, instead becoming the first RPG of 2003. Feyna was interesting, but hampered by severely dated graphics and some difficulties in determining how to proceed through some levels in the game. Still, this game brought many back to the Golden Age of the NES and offers an interesting challenge. While an ok RPG, certainly there is plenty of room for more titles and variation for the second half of the year.

OUTLOOK: F

I'd love to mention the titles that could possibly be finished this year, but more than any other category, RPG is one that leads to cancellation of projects. When the projects are not being canceled, they are being re-worked by a new group. The most constant thing about independent RPG games, is that their web pages will get complete facelifts 3-5 times before the game is even threatening to be released. For die-hards, I recommend keeping up with the ERA project, though it likely will be another 2 years before that game is ready for release.

Puzzle: A

Puzzle games are many and varied within the Independent Community. If there is one thing that the community does well, it is a puzzle game. Several notable titles have been released. First was Buboids, a puzzle game in three dimensions. The key concept of moving the puzzle around in all three dimensions is difficult for some to master, but certainly in a category all by itself. Goof Ball really fits into the emerging labyrinth category of puzzle games, but takes it a step farther by offering many different types of game play. The graphics also pushed the limit a bit further than have been seen before in the Puzzle Genre.

The number of games just waiting to be reviewed abounds, with titles Meeklits, Bomb Bomb, Neko Puzzle, Zero Count, Smiling Bubbles, Flower Power, and Briefcase. Many have already received glowing reviews elsewhere, so it may just be a matter of time before they have another great review to their credit.

OUTLOOK: B+

Even without having a list of puzzle games that are due to be released soon, it is easy to state that there will be a large number of them, and likely with ideas and concepts that haven't been put forth anywhere else. A couple of titles of special interest include the beautiful looking Congo Cube (by Monkeystone Games), and another great looking title that will be released within a few days, Downfall 2 (by Norbyte). As games in the puzzle category continue to put out better and better graphics, even action purists will find it hard to resist playing for hours when one of these great titles accidentally slips into their hands. Certainly with the way they look, they'll be slipping into people's hands far more often.

There are plenty more games to talk about. Wild Earth hasn't even been mentioned yet, and it is likely a game of the year candidate. Each studio is ramping up a series of great games, and November releases for the Christmas season are a large portion of the games released each year. With the improvements that have been made each year in the gaming industry, independent games have kept improving as well, meeting the demands of fans who are looking for something they cannot find elsewhere. We have not yet begun to feel the full impact that things like the Torque engine will have on the Indie industry, so look to 2003 to continue to provide games that push the imagination and provide a singular gaming challenge that can only be seen in Independent games.