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October
2005 Indie Game Monthly Round-Up
(by
The Illustrious Panel - TIP) |
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Snowy: Fish Frenzy
(September 26)
by Alawar
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Mike Hommel: 6
 This
is a case of a very well made game that just isn't very fun. There's so
little to do in this game, and what you do isn't even exciting. It's
sort of like playing Whack-a-mole, except that you have to crank the
hammer up for a couple seconds before each whack. That's tedious. It's
kind of fun just for the sake of slapping cats (not just a euphemism
anymore!), but the fun wears thin about 10 levels into the 80 offered.
Seth Robinson: 7
 This
game has a very simple underlying mechanic - you need to click enemies
before they run off-screen with your fish. This could have gotten old
very quickly but a number of variants are introduced as you progress to
keep things fresh, although, the base gameplay doesn't change much.
Beautiful art and silky smooth animation. Is there anything Snowy the
bear can't do?!
Mike Kasprzak: 7
 The
big white bear franchise is back. In this one, you protect Snowy's fish
piles from cats, by slapping them, or with items like pumps. Yeah, I
don't really have much more to say about that. It's a neat game.
Russ Carroll: 6
 Slap-Slap-Slappy!
Snowy is probably the closest thing Indie games has to Mario and seeing
Snowy in an isometric title was great! I was very enthused about playing
this game just to see the graphics and I was happy with what I saw. In
this game you slap cats as they try to steal your fish. Using the mouse
you move your hand and then left-click to slap them silly. There are a
bunch of power-ups and some interesting ideas here, but it was more of a
one-trick pony unfortunately. My kids didn't really get into it either
beyond the music and sound, both of which deserve a better game attached
to them. |
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Cute Knight (Kishi Kawaii)
(October 15)
by Hanako Games
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Mike Hommel: 8
I
hear this game is a clone of Princess Maker, but having never seen that
game, what it reminds me of is Monster Rancher. And it's fun! It's also
horrifically hard (or at least, I haven't really figured it out yet,
which is more likely). It's sad to sit there in the town square being
ignored by everyone and watching your dreams die. It's not a game you
solve in one go - I'm finding new things each time I try and mercilessly
get slaughtered by my own inability to shelve books.
Seth Robinson: 7
After
seeing six of the possible fifty endings of Hanako Game's latest anime
styled game I can say with some certainty that the mechanics behind this
unique dating sim/dungeon crawler hybrid are motivating enough to keep
you playing. There are a lot of interesting decisions; you sin by
killing a rat or selling your body which means no free bed at the
church. However, you can be absolved by cleaning pews - but this will
make you more homely which will hurt your social life of course. Gripes:
Looks a bit NES era, needs a way to click-skip the slowish "7 day
working" sequences at will. Cool randomly generated dungeons.
Mike Kasprzak: 8
Oh
wow. I was recommended an oddly named Japanese game a few months back
called Princess Maker. If you can put your testosterone aside and try a
girl themed RPG, you'd find out it's a really good game. Cute Knight is
clearly inspired by it. The way these games work is you need to
develop/train your girl/daughter for a few years, to ultimately
influence how they grow up. As an adventurer, a chef, a nun, a *cough*
exotic dancer. They're an interesting style of game with some good
replay. Oh, and the oldskool 3D RPG dungeon thang for the adventure
stuffs, nice. I like it.
Russ Carroll: 7
After
playing through three years of the game I became a dressmaker? What
about all those visits to the dungeon? Cute Knight is really an odd,
game, an RPG for women that probably spends too much time on the job
system and college aspects and not enough time in the dungeon for my
tastes (but then I'm a guy). It is definitely a different take on the
RPG genre (beauty pageants and cook-offs are definitely not normal for
an RPG), that has hundreds of hours of play time with many different
endings and special endings. However, the game play was a little tedious
for my tastes. |
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Super Cool Pool
(October 14)
by Amju Games
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Mike Hommel: 6
I
am awful at pool. That's just a fact. We all have our weaknesses. But so
does this game's interface. It's kinda sloppy. Yeah, that's it - it's
the game's fault! Anyway, besides my lack of skill, this game is pretty
much average. It doesn't feel quite as nice as other pool games we've
reviewed, but it offers a great variety of play modes, including a bunch
of really wacky trick shots I could barely scratch the surface of. As
far as the style goes. well, if you like those little candy hearts on
Valentine's Day, this game is 4 U.
Seth Robinson: 5
True
to Amju form, SCP is made up of brightly colored, unlit, low-poly
characters that are somehow cute and frightening simultaneously. Looking
at a screenshot you'd think this would be something completely crazy and
zany, but you'd be wrong. The actual gameplay is pretty much straight
pool and supports many rules yet seems to be missing free cue-ball
placement after a scratch? Wow, these are the absolutely weakest pool
ball sounds I've ever heard. Something about the cue and camera controls
just doesn't feel right. Thumbs down on unlock keys that "go stale".
Mike Kasprzak: 6
The
vibrant indie franchise is back, with a pool game. I was a little
worried about this one though. At first, I thought this was only going
to be a brightly colored a pool game. Thankfully, there's more to it. It
has your standard pool games in it, but also a trick shot mode, which is
like a Monkey Ball meets pool thang. You have your standard pool table
with obstacles, pickups, and a set of balls you need to sink. The menu
layout could use some work, as I nearly missed this. I also found it
easy to get stuck/lose in this mode. It's a shame though, that there's
not more wacky takes on games you can play with a pool table.
Russ Carroll: 7
It's
dangerous naming a game super cool, though with fun characters and a
soundtrack that immediately put my mind on vacation Amju did a pretty
decent job of pulling it off. Pool is a game that I enjoy even though
I'm terrible at it, and ASCP didn't fix the problem. In fact after first
getting frustrated that I had to go find a manual to figure out how to
play I then found myself losing every game. However, upon revisiting the
game I was really impressed with the different challenge modes and spent
hours playing them. While you will likely drop the queue ball into the
pocket a bit too much, this is an enjoyable game that provides a fun
relief from realistic pool sims with less realistic, but no less fun
play. |
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Tranceball
(October 4)
by Blue Galaxy Studio
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Mike Hommel: 3
It's
Super Monkey Ball, without a monkey! Or anything super! There is a ball,
though. Thrill as falling off the level once means you get to start it
over! Chill as you discover that running out of lives means you start
the entire game over. and do so with a strangely blank status bar! This
is a classic designer vs. player game. And in the end, the designer
always wins. But you can cut him off at the pass by not playing at all!
Seth Robinson: 5
Tranceball
is a gravity-ball-roller that harkens back to a time when art was done
by programmers and gamers were tough; after an intense sweat-dripping
failure on level ten they'd set their jaw and start from scratch. The
rough edges in this game had me wincing, but eventually and somewhat
begrudgingly, I had to give it some slight comeuppance for causing me to
reach deep within myself for new and colorful swear words. Really needs
some kind of zone unlock memory system. It's ugly and insanely difficult
but also fair. If you're looking for this kind of experience, it may be
just the thing.
Mike Kasprzak: 6
A
ball rolling game with trance music. The name couldn't be more accurate,
short of calling it "Ball Rolling Trance Music Game". It seems to have
been built with some 3D game maker, but appears to be a good showcase of
this maker, as it sports some decent physics. It's not quite boring, or
exciting either. It's the type of game you'd try, smile and nod, then do
something else.
Russ Carroll: 5
With
so many great ball rolling games out there the challenge to make a
better ball game is something most developers are not up to. This game
doesn't measure up to the better games out there, such as Marble Blast
Gold, with sub-par graphics and keyboard only control. (The lack of
mouse support here is really a big mistake in my book) For those who
persist there are some good ideas here with sequential pieces of each
board the provide a solid challenge and a good number of gameplay hours.
However, for me it was mostly frustrating game play as the arrow keys
controlling the ball kept me from really enjoying the game. |
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Thomas and
the Magical Words
(September 23)
by ViquaSoft Co.,Ltd.
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Mike Hommel: 9
I
always like word games! But this one is especially well done in every
way. It's a really amazing word game. The gameplay nitpick here is that
the nature of the game really limits you from going nuts with great
words, but you're on such a fun and interesting journey, that you don't
really mind. One other cool surprise - first word game I've ever seen
that includes a dictionary!
Seth Robinson: 8
Scrabble-style
gameplay is made fresh with interesting board designs, optional goals,
and a fun scoring system that really gets going once you start stacking
multipliers. This game makes use of a built-in dictionary so you can
find out the meanings of words you make. The dictionary also allows the
game to give interesting "clues" when playing the hangman mini-game. My
only gripe is the keyboard controls could be improved a bit to
accommodate keyboard-mouse hybrid players better. Judging by the hours
logged, this one is a winner!
Mike Kasprzak: 7
A
fantasy scrabble adventure. I really dig the art. You play by placing
words on a scrabble like grid, and connecting islands with them. Yet
another great variation of a word game. Production quality overall is
excellent. It's a well made little game.
Russ Carroll: 8
For
anyone who has a niece or nephew between the ages of 7-14 you should
definitely get them this game for them for Christmas. Trust me their
parents will love it. Thomas is definitely a game geared for younger
kids, but I had a lot of fun with it anyway. It's nice to play a
relaxing word game instead of a frantic one. The visuals and music are
all top notch, I definitely recommend it! |
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Atomixer
(October 14)
by Sharkbait Games Ltd
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Mike Hommel: 5
I
always rag on color-matching games, because really, what else is there
to do with them? But the reality is that when I try them out, I get
zoned out and hooked. Not for long, mind you, but for a little while,
they feel compelling because they are brain candy. Sadly, this is not
the case with Atomixer. The biggest problem is how awkward and annoying
it is to select the section of the board you want. Beyond that, it just
wasn't any fun for me. I never really like matching games, but I like
them even less when they refuse to even addict me for a couple of
minutes!
Seth Robinson: 4
It's
not that I don't like the tri-rotation piece movement in this casual
puzzler; it's that the implementation just isn't fun. Auto dropping
balls as you play and using that as a timer doesn't work well; it's more
fun and intuitive to rotate balls in a full field than empty. The total
lack of emphasis on combos or multipliers is also a deal breaker. I'm
still not sure if I got a bonus of any kind for larger chains. Levels
don't end so much as the next one just suddenly starts. It's not that
this is such a bad game; it's just that the bar on color-matchers is
extraordinarily high these days.
Mike Kasprzak: 6
Well,
it's a spinner match 3. You make matches as lines, instead of groups of
3+ sets or "flowers". Arcade mode is active, with pieces dropping from
the top, while puzzle mode is passive a fixed arrangement of pieces.
Pretty standard stuff, produced well.
Russ Carroll: 5
A
decent idea and all, and the visual presentation is certainly
alright...but the game seems to be missing any real hook. The sound is
quite annoying between music that is both repetitive and mind-numbing to
go along with voice overs that pushed me over the edge and made me turn
the sound off. If I hear 'Hurry Up' one more time I think I'll lose it.
When the game gets intense it also becomes nearly unplayable as the
screen flashes making it nearly impossible to tell the colors apart.
It's an ok puzzle game with a good foundation but some serious issues to
work out. |
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Kosumi
(October 17)
by Kosumi, Inc.
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Mike Hommel: 5
And here is turn-based strategy back to the overwhelming complexity that
we're all used to. This game makes things much more difficult than it
needs to. The orders you can give all have numbers, the factions all
have abbreviations, you need to look up tables to see statistics... it's
just as arcane as the real military, and equally efficient. In case I'm
unclear, this game is very confusing, and has you juggling an insane
amount of information (while wearing oven mitts and blindfolded, on a
unicycle). I like the idea of a play-by-email long-term war, but I'd
like a much smoother interface to control it with. And, though this is
just personal preference, a lot less stuff to think about while doing
it!
Seth Robinson: 5
Kosumi
is multiplayer turn-based map strategy war game with a Java client set
in medieval Japan. In my game, the speed was two turns a week and I got
email reminders if I forgot to play. I love the concept and theme - but
- tweaking is needed to make this game more approachable and run
smoother. It's ridiculously complicated (for the beginner, at least) and
it's a shame, because underneath it doesn't have to be. The rules of war
felt nebulous and foggy, better feedback and contextual information is
sorely needed. Felt very beta. Ninjas are cool.
Mike Kasprzak: 6
This
was a tough game to review. Biggest problem is this game takes months to
play, similar to an e-mail chess game. The other problem is the game is
hardcore, very detailed. It's actually quite an impressive little
technical feat, with it's client game executable and integration with
e-mail. The game works without e-mail, but part of the experience is
e-mail correspondence with other players, through e-mail aliases on the
game server. It was quite entertaining to see one of the players declare
war on Mike Hommel. It's a perfect example of a niche game. The problem
with our experience seems to be that 4 of us (Mike, Mike, Seth and
Russell) took on 6 others that appear to know what they're doing. The
game seems overwhelming, especially for a non hardcore tabletop strategy
gamer like myself. The mechanics seem simple enough, but it's the amount
of stuff I'd have to learn to play the game effectively that's the
problem. If it was just the 4 of us playing, with a shorter schedule
(the norm was twice a week), I'd expect it wouldn't have been as
depressing. Kosumi is a really interesting game, but needs work to mesh
with a broader audience.
Russ Carroll: 8
This
strategy game is certainly not for everyone. The strategy is certainly
deep and complicated to the point of being overwhelming for casual fans.
The interface could also use some simplification, but the game is solid.
Kosumi is built to be played in turns over the internet, with two turns
each week in our game. (Tuesday and Friday nights) I at first thought
the game would be something like Diplomacy with all of the turns taking
place at the same time, but that is the only trait this game shares with
that one. Armies, ninjas, mages, shogun, and a host of other characters
await you in the game if you have the time to figure out how to play it! |
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Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space
(October 15)
by Digital Eel
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Mike Hommel: 9
Not
an easy game. But a fun one! It's a real lunchbreak game, with playtimes
from 15 minutes to half an hour for an entire game. The style is really
nice. My only real complaint is that about 90% of the time, the only
good strategy for battle is to run away. I imagine that on a Large map,
you might eventually become strong enough to change that, but it's
frustrating to have the cool looking combat, but to have to choose not
to engage in it, if you want to survive (and then waste months
retreating.).
Seth Robinson: 9
Digital
Eel has taken
SAIS and reworked every single part of it to be prettier and more
intuitive. It's kind of a card game based in space but with cool
real-time fight scenes. There is something truly addictive about trying
to score a warp unit, weapons, allies, and exploring/beating the hell
out of everything. I've played it a ton and I'm still seeing new things,
for instance, there is a ship thief who can actually be captured if you
hold the correct item. Must play one more game.
Mike Kasprzak: 9
That
creepy Cthulhu alien thing has been mocking me for years. Now, after
enduring it's stare and backwards recordings, I understand what he's
been trying to tell me. This game is great. It's some sort of space
exploration, strategy, collection, trade, and battle game. It was my
time killer this month. It has a great pick up and play. A round could
be as short as a few minutes, or an hour, as long as you don't do
something silly like fly into a black hole without the anti-black hole
item. Heck, even that's fun. My only beef with the game, is ... well, I
want more! Oh, I just read something somewhere about mods. Please excuse
me.
Russ Carroll: 9
First
the flaws. Music, where is it? With all the great music we've heard in
the past from Digital Eel it seems a crime not to have it here. Second
flaw, the battles are just too difficult. It is frustrating to feel like
no matter what weapons you have or how many mercenaries you've hired you
are doomed to be destroyed if you take on anyone. However, if you are
looking for an amazing little game that lets you explore the galaxy and
have your own adventure in a matter of seconds with great graphics
(especially on the lasers, which you'll only see as they destroy you)
then you should definitely pick this one up! Playing longer games and
working in the battle simulator may help your fighting woes, but the
game is really about a wonderfully quick adventure that is different
every time. Great game! |
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Battle Carry
(October 12)
by A Few Screws Loose
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Mike Hommel: 4
Hmm.
what to say about this game that hasn't already been said about poking
yourself in the eye with a stick? Seriously though, it would be generous
to call this a beta version. It's more like an early alpha, or a tech
demo. Now, it's a tech demo of a good game, though. If the innumerable
rough edges were polished up, and I had broadband (or the game had
decent netcode), this game's vision of adorably stubby tanks blowing
each other away would be anywhere from good to amazing. But the way it
currently is, it should be played only by people paid to test it. I have
high hopes, but it's not there yet.
Seth Robinson: NA
I
can't really give this a fair review so I'm taking the easy way out and
going NA. I had problems finding the correct version to download (not
sure if I did), problems getting the unlock key to work (it involved
needing to put it inside of a zip, but it never worked for me), problems
joining a server (finally did), problems finding anyone to play (never
did). Well, I guess that is a review, in a way.
Mike Kasprzak: 6
Whoa,
a TCL/TK front end for a 3D shooter. I never expected to see that. The
first day I tried the game, there were no servers I could connect to.
There were servers there, just none of them were compatible with the
version of the game I had. A few days later though, a compatible server
did show up. The only down side, no players! Oh the horror! So, through
some skillful use of chat software, I managed to arrange a little battle
with Mike Homel. Ping/Lag was good for me (even on wireless), but nasty
according to the other Mike. So we drove around and flipped our little
tanks over for an hour or so, blowing each other up for good measure.
The highlight of the match was probably our visit from "the one"
himself, Neo. With Mike lagged all to heck, and with my significant ping
advantage over everyone, Neo didn't seem a fan of my team killing. I
wonder why?
Russ Carroll: 5
Battle
Carry has the makings of a good game, though I enjoyed the similar
Tanks 3D Reign
of Steel more. There isn't any single player mode and unfortunately
the online servers seem to all be deserted for the demo version. Add
that to the most difficult registration system I've dealt with this year
(I never managed to get my reviewer's copy running instead settling for
the demo) and you get a VERY frustrated player. In-game graphics are
good, effects are passable, but overall the game didn't really thrill
me. |
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Magic Match
(September 23)
by Codeminion
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Mike Hommel: 7
It's
another fine match-3. But wait a second, this one IS pretty fine!
Firstly, there is *singing*. The game sings to you. With handy
karaoke-able text. Secondly, there's Giggles the Imp (okay, that one's a
minus). Thirdly, though the gameplay is just your usual blah matching of
things, there are about 3 billion upgrade/trophy/goal thingies to shoot
for. I kept on playing - not because I like matching things, but because
I wanted more upgrades! It's also, though this is not really a plus or a
minus, a much more ruthless match-3 - this game will slather you in ice
blocks and wooden shields for days without letting up. Not so much that
it's hard, it just feels MEAN.
Seth Robinson: 8
Magic
Match is a beautifully produced match-three where you click and drag to
highlight matching tiles. All the extras are here, cut scenes, trophies,
persistent upgrades, clear sense of goals, and an interesting
multiplayer mode. One generous design decision was to always award a
"wild" tile on any five-or-larger matches - this is a clever dynamic
because you get tools to make more combos as opposed to only a score
bonus. This is the first time a game character has asked me "Is my
screeching voice so annoying I should stop talking?" excellent timing on
that, well done.
Mike Kasprzak: 6
I
dub thee, the match 3 with the squawking Ewok game. Yes, you get to
endure this frightening character whilst playing. But what's really
suspicious is the developer seemed aware that the character was
annoying, and gives you the option to shut him up after the first round.
I think there's a conspiracy here. Anyways, the game's a path drawing
match 3, so you draw/trace the mouse over the tiles you want to count in
your match. Replacement tiles are then pushed in from the sides along
your path. There's some magic themed stuff, like spells you can use
randomize the tiles or do a swap. It's alright.
Russ Carroll: 7
My
game is singing! One of the few games where I've heard actually voice
singing through songs to progress the story. Magic Match combines some
great thematic elements into what in the end is really just a match
three clone. Still it is a good one because of the elements even if the
music is pretty corny. However, Mouse Party was a real mistake to use in
the game. Why you would need two mice plugged into a single computer so
that you can play turns (not real-time or at the same time) is really
beyond me. |
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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.
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.
Mike Kasprzak - Sykhronics
Coming from a game console background, Mike's responsible for bringing
to the market such oddities as Secret Agent Barbie for Gameboy Advance,
The Emperor's New Groove for Gameboy Color, and several other top girl
branded games (not that he's bragging). In indie land, he seeks
redemption. Mike's best known for his "cute but not girly" hamster
blasting game, PuffBOMB.
Russ Carroll - Game Tunnel
Russell's first taste of action in the Independent Games industry came
doing visuals and some audio work on several independent games for
BCSoft games. While so doing he became aware of the need for a Game News
and Review website dedicated to Indie games and launched Game Tunnel in
2002 to fill the void. |
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By: The Illustrious Panel Posted: Wednesday November 23, 2005
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