Levels 7 and 8 have just been released for Goo Ball Madness - see gameplay footage below.
Goo Ball Madness is available for PC and Mac from FireHawk Software.
See also: PC INDIE GAME REVIEW - GOO BALL MADNESS
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Indie iOS Game Review - "Penny shoel" by Lump Apps
There is a reason why arcade-like games work well on phones. They are simple to learn but tricky to master, they are designed to be addictive and inspire the "one more score point" mentality, and possibly most importantly, they can be played in very short amounts of time.
This game "Penny Shoel" is a game in which you must roll or slide or flick a puck or coin into a number of slots which are each worth a number of points.
Along with accuracy strategy comes into play, as there is a bonus each time you get all of the slots. The pucks can be pushed back out from the slots so soft bs hard flicks are always an important factor in what your final score might be. Strategy and accuracy really come into play when there are many missed puck covering the alley-like board. At this point it becomes like a coin-pusher, trying to get coins into the slots by manipulating the overall group.
The games aesthetic is nice and the graphics quality is good enough to express this, with several unlockable skins/pucks.
The controls are simple and feel very good, mainly because of the drag you can feel on the puck. This takes a bit of getting used to but it makes the game not only more realistic, but also more fun.
The sound is good, in that you could forget it's there. The sounds of pucks colliding are not too loud to be distracting and are realistic enough to not sound out of place.
Graphics: 65%
Sound: 70%
Control : 80%
Longevity: 80%
Fun: 75%
Review by:
Joshua "Arro" Paul Merrick,
Thursday, 24 November 2011
PC Indie Game Review - Goo Ball Madness
IF you’ve ever played Marble Madness or any of the many games that it inspired, you’ll know what to expect with Goo Ball Madness. You control a marble... sorry, ball of good in this case, and must get to the exit, overcoming various obstacles, solving puzzles and generally avoiding falling into oblivion along the way. Oh, and you collect goo (of course!).
Goo Ball Madness is in the early stages of development (at time of writing this review) in that, although the game is complete and released, there are only a handful of levels for it. More are planned this year and then, depending on the popularity of the game, more levels will continue to be added. You pay a one-time price for the game and all new levels will be yours when they’re released. Since there are only a few levels so far it’s difficult to comment too much on how much variety there is (will be) in the level design, but the game engine certainly seems set up to deal with a large number of different obstacles and puzzle elements.
The graphics are fine though they lack a little flair; however they more than gets the job done and you can see what’s going on clearly. The music didn’t quite seem to suit the game, though it wasn’t bad and it could simply be my personal tastes. Crucially, the physics felt right throughout, and although the game often features long, narrow passages, the collision detection is actually quite forgiving.
Goo Ball Madness seems to be built upon a specific idea, which is to have big levels that take quite a while to complete. This makes it perhaps slightly less accessible to beginners, but more appealing for fans of this sort of game who like a challenge. Balancing this is the fact that the levels are built around the principle that if you fall off completely, it’s not game over – you just get put back on the map near when you fell off it. This avoids quite a bit of frustration. On the other hand, the huge size of some of the levels can be a bit disorienting.
It’s definitely got a lot of potential. At only $4.99 it would be decent value for money with 20 levels, which is the minimum planned – however if the number of levels ends up being significantly higher, then it could work out as being excellent value for money if you’re a fan of this genre. The full game currently consists of 6 levels, with 4 more planned before the end of 2011, and 10 or more planned for release in 2012.
Goo Ball Madness is available for PC and Mac from FireHawk Software.
See the post below for game trailers:
Half-Price LUME
Adventure game Lume is currently available with 50% off on Steam.
"Lume: An illuminating puzzle adventure!
With a set built entirely out of paper and cardboard, and sumptuously filmed, Lume is a game with a style unlike any other.
Power to your grandad’s house has failed. What’s more, he’s nowhere to be seen. Immerse yourself in Lume’s photoreal world, solve perplexing paper puzzles to help restore the power, and uncover a deeper mystery behind the blackout.
This game forms Part 1 of a larger, ongoing story."
"Lume: An illuminating puzzle adventure!
With a set built entirely out of paper and cardboard, and sumptuously filmed, Lume is a game with a style unlike any other.
Power to your grandad’s house has failed. What’s more, he’s nowhere to be seen. Immerse yourself in Lume’s photoreal world, solve perplexing paper puzzles to help restore the power, and uncover a deeper mystery behind the blackout.
This game forms Part 1 of a larger, ongoing story."
Trailer for Retro Hero
New trailer for Trytek's upcoming retro platformer, Retro Hero:
The game is going to be released on the Windows 7 Phone first, then Xbox and PC versions will be released.
Official Website
Trytek is a small indie game studio from the Netherlands. Trytek develops games for X-box, PC and Windows Mobile 7 / Mango. Android games will coming soon.
The game is going to be released on the Windows 7 Phone first, then Xbox and PC versions will be released.
Official Website
Trytek is a small indie game studio from the Netherlands. Trytek develops games for X-box, PC and Windows Mobile 7 / Mango. Android games will coming soon.
Battle Group - PC version planned of the hit iOS title
Merge Games Sign Deal with Bane Games for digital distribution of PC Battle Group
Merge Games have signed the hugely successful iOs title Battle Group for PC exclusive global distribution. Battle Group thrusts you into modern day naval combat and puts you into the role of fleet commander. Deploy your warships and hunt down the international pirate menace that threatens the vital trade routes of the world.
About Bane Games
Bane Games are a small but experienced team of independent developers based in Brisbane, Australia. With roots in the main stream games industry, the team has credits on titles including Destroy All HumansTM 2, FuryTM, Battlestar GalacticaTM, and the Need for SpeedTM series. Bane Games hopes to continue the successful production of high quality, fun titles for a variety of gaming platforms.
Alistair Doulin of Bane Games said "We are very excited to be working with Merge Games and we are happy to have 'Battle Group' join the growing range of quality titles from this innovative and professional publisher"
Bane Games Website: http://www.banegames.com/
About Merge Games
Merge Games opened for business in January 2010, and is rapidly establishing itself as an innovative and new breed of publisher of multi-platform games across PC, iPhone, iPad and Facebook Game genres. To date Merge Games have published PC Storm: Frontline Nations, PC Nuclear Dawn, PC Puzzler 2011 series , and forthcoming PC, iPad and iPhone Cooking School: Thai Kitchen.
Managing Director of Merge Games, Luke Keighran said “Merge Games’ look forward to a long term relationship with the talented team over at Bane Games”
www.mergegames.com
Battle Group Screenshots:
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Special Offer at Grey Alien Games
If you like Match-3 games, you'll find several with 70% off at Grey Alien Games, up until 30th November. Their games are for PC and Mac (though one or two titles are PC only).
Launch Date and New Trailer for Oozi: Earth Adventure - Episode 2 (Xbox)
Awesome Games Studio, an independent video game developer, is happy to announce that the second episode of Oozi: Earth Adventure is set to launch on 25th November, 2011 on Xbox Live Indie Games channel. A brand new Launch Trailer is revealed as well:
The video showcases new features including special abilities available to the gamer, new enemy types and various gameplay mechanisms. Oozi: Earth Adventure is an old school platformer with modern gameplay elements, HD visuals and beautiful, hand-drawn art. It focuses on three key special abilities - double jump, stomp and wall jump - that are used by player on his way through four unique worlds. The game includes high variety of enemies and gameplay mechanisms, and is aimed both at casual gamers and hardcore gamers. The second episode is priced at only 80 Microsoft Points. The two remaining episodes are scheduled for release within three months and will be sold at the same price.
Dungeon Overlord - Hardcore strategy MMO for PC and Mac
Dungeon Overlord, a hardcore strategy MMO for Macs and PCs, has just launched. In the game players begin with a tiny lair and a few goblins; but by raiding camps, pillaging enemy players, training minions and researching spells, overlords can expand their territory into an empire as well as try to crown themselves king.
GAME FEATURES
· Start Your Kingdom - Build your dungeon and attract an army capable of world domination
· Expand Your Empire - Construct new dungeons, raid the Overworld and pillage other players
· Interact with Others - Buy items from the player-driven market, form alliances, enslave your friends, attack and even conquer your enemies
· Crown Yourself King - Claim the Heart of the Mountain and tax your fellow players
· Unlock Rewards - Complete epic quests, research new technologies or craft your own equipment to obtain stronger minions, upgrades and rewards
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Descend to the Beat - a music game for iOS, PC and Mac
· PC / Mac
o 21 Unique themes (Pirates, African Plains, Zombies, 8-bit and more!)
o 35+ minutes of original music to listen and enjoy
o 300+ mind-bending puzzles (15 per theme)
o Challenge Mode - Players that have mastered Arcade mode can try their hand at Challenge Mode that throws at them more blocks and hard clear scenarios.
o Blocks fall and appear in-tune with the music
o Puzzles and block designs are all hand-designed to provide the players with an organic design feel instead of a mathematical algorithmic world.
· iPhone / iPad
o 7 Original Themes including Pirates, 8-bit, Tron-esque, and more!
o 8 Original new songs!
o 100+ mind-bending puzzles!
o Arcade Mode, Challenge Mode, and Puzzle Mode!
So get ready to experience the next best music-puzzle game to take this world by storm! Follow your ears as the music guides you to Descend the Beat on Mac, PC, iPhone, and iPad!
www.descendthebeat.com
iPhone Version:iPad Version:
Mac Version:
Monday, 21 November 2011
Steel Storm 2 alpha funding announced!
Steel Storm 2 is a new game from Kot-in-Action Creative Artel, who brought you the legendary Steel Storm: Burning Retribution arcade shooter.
Unlike the original game, Steel Storm 2 is an old-school FPS in the spirit of Doom® and Quake®. It's a spinoff in the original Steel Storm universe, with a rich story, yet not story driven gameplay. The game is being developed primarily by the founder of Kot-in-Action, Alexander "motorsep" Zubov. Steel Storm 2 will have a much simpler game logic code than the original game. The source code will be distributed with the game as a part of the modding SDK and will allow better modding capabilities.
In the game, you take on the role of Abigail Setareh, a former hovertank pilot who became a natural resource scout in pursuit of adventure. You will begin your journey in a remote corner of the Warbird galaxy, on an uninhabited planet (or so it seemed for a long time). In your journey you will discover many wonderful places, cool weapons, General Nabbatt and his robotic army of the separatist Union, and ancient aliens. Ferocious gun fights and key hunts are guaranteed.
Fast flowing single-player and co-op FPS combat in the best traditions of Doom® and Quake® ;
Rich background storyline;
Monsters and enemies with various skills;
Gibs!
Key hunt and environmental puzzles;
Big and scary bosses;
Modding SDK.
The game will utilize the mighty Darkplaces engine once again and will be available for Linux, Windows and Mac. The game will be following the alpha funding model and everyone who pre-orders the game will get access to the game's very first builds and will ultimately receive the final version without any extra charge. As the development progresses, the price will go up. The starting price is $5 and the final game will cost $20. Steel Storm 2 is a must have game for the fans of the original Steel Storm. Please support the game and help it rise to it's full potential.
TC Games Ltd announces first game - Velisia: A Traitor's Legacy
TC Games, comprising of graduates from the University of Salford, has been set up by Cheshire-based publisher Merge Games. . The company’s base of operations is situated at Manchester’s dynamic new Sharp Project, a technological hub exclusively set up exclusively for companies within the digital sector. TC Games Ltd first venture is Velisia: A Traitor's Legacy
Velisia: A Traitor’s Legacy, a strategy- RPG set in the peaceful world of Tarn. Tarn is plagued with the return of an ancient enemy and the noble knights of Velisia must pledge to fend off the onslaught and uphold order by any means necessary. Four recruits embark on their journey to drive back the destructive invaders by utilising their unique skills and strengths. Only a keen strategic mind can force the aggressors back to whence they came and raise the rookie squadron into the elite warriors Tarn needs:
- From Zero to Hero: Raise your Velisian Knights from green recruits to battle hardened veterans throughout the game!
- Master your Art: Specialise your knights in an area of your choice.
- Plan your strategy: The game’s Action Point System allows the player to employ anything from increased manoeuvrability to concentrated offensives!
Bring peace to a warring world: Experience a world like no other and immerse yourself in the blend of cultures and warring factions within the world of Tarn
http://www.mergegames.com/
Merge Games Sign Deal with Bane Games for digital distribution of PC Battle Group
Merge Games have signed the hugely successful iOs title Battle Group for PC exclusive global distribution. Battle Group thrusts you into modern day naval combat and puts you into the role of fleet commander. Deploy your warships and hunt down the international pirate menace that threatens the vital trade routes of the world.
About Bane Games
Bane Games are a small but experienced team of independent developers based in Brisbane, Australia. With roots in the main stream games industry, the team has credits on titles including Destroy All HumansTM 2, FuryTM, Battlestar GalacticaTM, and the Need for SpeedTM series. Bane Games hopes to continue the successful production of high quality, fun titles for a variety of gaming platforms.
Alistair Doulin of Bane Games said "We are very excited to be working with Merge Games and we are happy to have 'Battle Group' join the growing range of quality titles from this innovative and professional publisher"
Bane Games Website: http://www.banegames.com/
About Merge Games
Merge Games opened for business in January 2010, and is rapidly establishing itself as an innovative and new breed of publisher of multi-platform games across PC, iPhone, iPad and Facebook Game genres. To date Merge Games have published PC Storm: Frontline Nations, PC Nuclear Dawn, PC Puzzler 2011 series , and forthcoming PC, iPad and iPhone Cooking School: Thai Kitchen.
Managing Director of Merge Games, Luke Keighran said “Merge Games’ look forward to a long term relationship with the talented team over at Bane Games”
Dragon Island announced by ZigZaGame Inc.
Dragon Island borrows elements from old favorites like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Pokemon, blends them with brand new gameplay ideas to create a unique iPhone/iPad/iPod touch gaming experience.
Dragon Island essentially builds on the theme Pokemon introduced - catching cool monsters is awesome. In Dragon Island, the player's mission is to collect and build an army of monsters to fight with. Like Pokemon, most of the 200 monsters in Dragon Island belong to an evolve chain. In addition, some monsters in Dragon Island can be combined to create new monsters.
So What Makes This Game Different?
* No Healing: Yes, there are no healing spells in the game. Unlike most RPGs where party members are precious "friends", party members in Dragon Island are expendable units in the player's army. In fact, party members will die all the time, same way individual units in a war strategy game are expendable.
* Batting Order: To use a baseball analogy, a player must plan a batting order of monsters before leaving for adventure. Only 3 monsters can fight at one time, but once a monster dies it is replaced by the next monster in the batting order as planned by the player. Planning an effective batting order that matches the enemies you expect to meet is extremely important in Dragon Island.
* Strength In Numbers: The measure of an army's strength is its lasting power. Better monster armies will make it farther into a dungeon before having to run back to town. Towns completely heal monsters but also reset all battles. There are many way-points so you can pick up where you last found one.
* 200 Awesome Looking Monsters: Monster Collection games in the past aimed for cute looking monsters, as in Pokemon or Dragon Quest Monsters. Monsters in Dragon Island, hand drawn by a young Japanese Artist, are not cute by any means - vicious might be the word. As a monster collection RPG, we made sure the monsters in Dragon Island are awesome.
Dragon Island is currently about 80% complete, and heavily over budget. In order to raise enough funds to give this game some finishing touches, a KickStarter project with the same name has been launched.
KickStarter is a social funding platform where anybody can decide to fund a creative project of choice in return for a "reward" - right to name monsters, access to KickStarter exclusive monsters, etc. For more details and a video demo, please visit the following link.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/greyhoundgames/dragon-island-classic-rpg-meets-monster-collection
Nyu Media Announces the Next Wave of Localized Japanese Indie Titles
San Francisco, CA – November 18th, 2011 – Nyu Media, Ltd. is proud to announce its initial game line-up for the upcoming year. Nyu Media partners with Japanese indie developers to bring top indie video games to gamers around the world. From bullet-hell shoot ‘em ups to action and adventure games, this range of titles will suit a variety of gaming tastes.
“The high price of imports, limited distribution, and the language barrier have prevented gamers from fully enjoying many quality doujin games and supporting the developers by purchasing their products.” said Seon King, founder of Nyu Media. “We're very proud of our developer partners and the passion they have poured into these games and we're excited to support them and the indie community by making these games officially available to the global audience.”
Join vampires and deviants in their fight to survive annihilation in eXceed 2nd – Vampire REX by developer Tennen-sozai. Featuring the renowned dual-polarity gameplay system, you must fight through eight frenetic stages of bullet hell action. In the sequel, eXceed 3rd – Jade Penetration Black Package, battle your way through a tournament to become one of the seven Cardinal Lords who rule over the world of Pandemonium.
ASTRO PORT’s celebrated arcade-style side-scrolling shooter, SATAZIUS proves that a massive offensive is the best defense as you fight to escape a planet of space pirates. Featuring old school graphics, gigantic boss battles, and an arsenal of upgradeable weapons, SATAZIUS is a treasure chest of homages to the classics of the genre.
Guide heroine Miley Verisse in the anime-style adventure game Cherry Tree High Comedy Club, as she endeavors to recruit new members for her high school comedy club. Developer atelier773’s game features a host of quirky characters, catchy music, and is a must for fans of anime and manga. Laugh and the world laughs with you!
ETHER VAPOR Remaster is a cinematic 3D arcade shooter and visual treat from developer Edelweiss. Explosions, lasers, ships and backgrounds are breathtakingly rendered in up to 1600 x 1200 resolution. The dynamic camera uses vertical, horizontal and cinematic chase cam views to switch up the action and highlight the drama.
In the second title from Edelweiss, Fighting Fairy (working title), you must battle to save your enchanted forest from waves of monsters and human invaders as the toughest little sprite around. The game’s cute looks belie a richly featured beat ‘em up with awesome chaining combos and RPG-style leveling. That's right, don't mess with the fairy!
All titles will be released on leading digital distribution services for the PC, starting winter 2011. For media or additional inquiries, use the contact information below or look out for more details regarding this line-up as we keep you posted in the coming weeks.
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About Nyu Media, Ltd.
Nyu Media, Ltd. is a newly formed video games publisher that partners with Japanese developers to bring top indie video games to gamers around the world. By combining high quality localizations, broad distribution and accessible price points, Nyu Media enables global gamers to fully enjoy excellent indie titles as well as support the indie developers by purchasing their games. For more information, visit http://www.nyu-media.com.
Snap Trap - New iOS Game With Unique and Intuitive Touch Screen Controls
Honolulu, Hawaii - 8 Bit Grenade today is pleased to announce the release and immediate availability of Snap Trap 1.0, their new gaming title for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Snap Trap is one of the latest iOS games, that uses Apple's touch screen technology, in a unique and intuitive way.
You are a hungry mouse determined to collect every piece of cheese, but lying in your way is an assortment of deadly traps, including: mouse traps, booby traps, tripwire grenades, and dynamite! Your goal is to navigate around these traps and return home safely. One thing for sure, these are not your Ma and Pa's mouse traps!
Features:
* Unique and intuitive touch screen controls
* High-quality stylized artwork
* 30 challenging levels
* Avoid 6 deadly traps
* Strategize, plan your routes, or go kamikaze style
* Find the fastest route for higher scores
* Are you a Pipsqueak or are you Smooth Cheese? Get character ratings based on your overall score
* Earn up to 3 stars per level
* Something for everyone. Arcade, Action, Adventure, Strategy, and Puzzle genres
The game offers something for everyone: Arcade, action, adventure, strategy and puzzle genres all wrapped up into one! Explore 30 levels in three areas: the attic, kitchen, and basement. New traps are introduced in each area, as the gameplay progressively becomes more challenging. Take your time to strategize, plan your routes, or go kamikaze style! Find the fastest routes, for higher scores, in this stylized adventure game from 8 Bit Grenade.
Device Requirements:
* iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 3/4G iPod touch and iPad
* Requires iOS 4.0 or later
* 13.1 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Snap Trap 1.0 is $2.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.
Based out of Honolulu, Hawaii, 8 Bit Grenade was founded in 2011 by independent developer John Tommervik. 8 Bit Grenade's sole purpose is to research, explore and develop high quality games for mobile devices.
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