Ponged Blog - About Games: Action, Strategy, RPG, Puzzle, Sports & Shooter Games

This is the Only Level - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:34:00 +0000

What is it? – This is the Only Level is an ingeniously quirky platform game where you repeatedly guide a tiny blue elephant to the exit of a single level with constantly-changing gameplay.

Who made it? – The game was created by Armor Games developer John Cooney (jmtb02).

How does it play? – Things start simple enough. You’ll notice your elephant enter via a yellow pipe on the left, and he’ll need to make it to an identical pipe on the right. Spikes adorn certain parts of the walls and ceilings. There’s a big red button on one of the platforms, and some basic jumping is required to reach the exit.

Upon doing so, the elephant is once again ejected from the starting pipe. The level geometry is the same, but there something different about the gameplay…

This is the Only Level is a run-and-jump platformer on the surface, but at its core, the game’s logic and gameplay-based puzzles are what make it so compelling. It’s nearly impossible to go into any detail about the different variations without spoiling them, and what makes the game great is figuring out how many different and interesting ways there are to complete a basic objective. (Hint: Read the “round” descriptions.)

Presentation – If you’ve played Achievement Unlocked, you’ll immediately notice that everything from the little blue elephant, to look and feel of the level, are all identical. It’s not a sequel though, but really a different game altogether, though told within the same context. In short, the graphics and sound are minimalist, but highly effective. The music, by Kevin MacLeod is also excellent.

Positives – No games come to mind that make you puzzle-solve in quite the same way, which is what makes This is the Only Level so good. Knowing your (unchanging) objective, but having to figure out a bunch of different way to complete it proves to be an compelling (and often humorous) gameplay concept.

Negatives – If you’re not familiar with platform game conventions, some of the references may seem sort of esoteric. It also probably could have been a bit more difficult, but it still gets its point across and was enjoyable throughout, nonetheless.

Why you should play it – There’s an element of genius to This is the Only Level that most gamers should appreciate. Most impressively, it remains interesting from beginning to end. Despite the limited terrain, the scope of the gameplay makes it a title you need to play.

It-sa Free - Mario!: The Best Free Games Starring Mario

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:07:00 +0000

Hands down, Mario has to be one of the most recognizable and beloved video game characters of all time. In fact, few virtual heroes have been as impervious to the test of time. Mario has appeared in over 200 official titles since first jumping onto the scene in 1981 in a little game called Donkey Kong, and a huge number of gamers are already anticipating his next opus, Super Mario Galaxy 2, due out on the Wii sometime this holiday season.

In aid to Mario fans everywhere, I’ve scoured the Internet to round up a list of the best free Flash games featuring the mushroom-scarfing, baddie-stomping, princess-rescuing, Italian plumber. There’s plenty of coin-collecting, adventuring, and boss-battling to be had, including a few humorous parodies and mash-ups. Moustaches and stylish overalls are recommended.

Without further ado, “let-sa go!”

Classic Mario Gameplay

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe: An extremely faithful recreation of the original Super Mario Bros., minus the sound. (Press “D” to proceed through the menus.)

Mario Forever Flash: One of the most visually stunning Mario freebies out there, with exceptionally polished gameplay and a lengthy adventure.

Super Mario 63: A personal favorite of mine, this 2-D reimagining of Super Mario 64 is well-polished and has some truly inspired level designs.

Super Mario Sunshine 64: Mario is equipped with Fludd (his water-jetpack) and must once again collect the Shine Sprites and explore Peach’s castle.

Super Mario Flash: A great rendition of Super Mario World.

Super Mario World Flash: Crisp graphics and sound and nineteen well-designed stages make this tribute stand out.

Even More Mario

Paper Mario World: More like a traditional Mario title than any of the games in the Paper Mario series, it’s still graphically impressive and has some fun gameplay and action-based puzzles.

Old Mario Bros.: A great original Mario game with hand-drawn graphics (and slightly wonky controls.)

Infinite Mario Bros.: Randomly generated levels make this Mario adventure different each time you play.

Monolith’s Mario World 3: Another great adventure spanning 3 worlds, with 3 boss battles.

Mario Genre-Hopping

Super Mario Defense: Bowser’s attacking the castle with an evil army of cloned Marios and Luigis. Build up your defenses and thwart the advance of the little plumbers.

Pipe Panic: Pac-Man meets Mario. ‘Nuff said.

Mario Tetris 3: In Mother Russia, Mario plays YOU!

Mario Parodies and Mash-Ups

Super Gangster Bros.: Mario with shotguns.

Mario Combat: Punch and kick your way to Bowser’s castle and crack open a can of whoop-ass. Or, try the graphically enhanced remake, Mario Combat Deluxe.

Mario Remix: In addition to classic platforming, Mario can opt to take on some bosses from the Megaman series, or fly through space and blast stuff – Gradius-style!

Mario Remix – Boss Edition: This time, Mario must face off against a combination of 35 different new and classic bosses from a variety of retro games. Old-school and tough as nails – in a good way.

William and Sly - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:05:00 +0000

What is it? – William and Sly is a beautifully-presented platforming adventure game where you play a nimble fox who must help his master restore power to a series of teleportation runestones in the forest between his home and a remote storage shed.

Who made it? – The game was created by Lucas Paakh of Particlasm.com.

How does it play? – After a brief opening dialogue with Master William, it’s up to you (Sly) to explore the surrounding forest. Chief among your goals is to find and collect fireflies and use them to repower the runestones leading out to the storage area. Once runestones have been repowered, you can quickly teleport yourself between them for faster navigation. As you might suspect, a final boss battle awaits you in the shed, once all of the runes have been restored. The arrows-only control scheme is handled exquisitely, making the game very easy and enjoyable to pick up and play.

At its core, William and Sly is a game about collectibles. The 2-D world map is absolutely gigantic, and exploring every nook, cranny, and hidden cave takes quite some time. In addition to the main objective of restoring runestones, there are also numerous collectibles like hidden mushrooms, and keys which unlock hidden chests.

Sly will also have to avoid “darklings” which are forest-dwelling baddies that will deplete the supply of fireflies you’ve collected. Darklings can be dispelled using white magic, which surrounds Sly for a brief time after he teleports to a new area.

Presentation – William and Sly is one of the best looking Flash games out there. The characters are all superbly illustrated and animated, and the level design is both huge and filled with secret areas and collectibles. Ethereal music does a great job of setting the mood, and ambient weather and nature effects make the experience even more immersive.

Positives – All around, the game is a class-act. The main quest is of a reasonable length, ensuring that it can be enjoyed by casual and hardcore players, alike. Few Flash games provide such a vast world to explore, and you can tell that a lot of work went into the map design.

Negatives – Unlike typical platforming action games, there isn’t any true combat present in William and Sly. Progression depends wholly on item collection. It’s also possible to beeline through the main story, but players that rush through may miss a good chunk of the experience.

Why you should play it – William and Sly is a must-play for anyone who loves action-adventure games, though it’s so well-crafted and easy to get into that even those not normally inclined should probably check it out. When it comes to exploration-based adventuring and platforming excellence, there are few Flash games that come as close.

Shopping City - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:48:00 +0000

What is it? – Shopping City is an enhanced sequel to Shopping Street, in which you must build and upgrade a series of increasingly large open-air shopping malls in order to obtain a certain amount of profit within an allotted number of days.

Who made it? – The game was developed by flonga.com.

How does it play? – Each of the game’s 9 different stages presents you with street full of empty lots, and gives you some cash to begin building your sales empire. You'll need to accrue a certain amount of cash within a certain number of days.

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend checking out the original game (Shopping Street) and our review. Shopping City takes the core gameplay of its predecessor and improves it in a number of ways. Stores are still built and upgraded in the same way, but there are more stores this time around. This time around, you can also build police and fire stations. These won’t help your minute-to-minute profit, but they will stave off unfortunate incidents of thievery and fire that may save you money in the long run.

Presentation – The cartoony storescapes are vibrant and colorful, and it’s amusing to watch the pedestrians go about the business of making you rich. An isometric gameplay perspective is also used, in lieu of the straight 2D visuals of the previous game. This has a tangible impact on gameplay, because certain levels now have multiple streets and intersections. Pedestrians will still move towards the right side of the screen, but sometimes you’ll have to make a decision about which street is the best on which to build a new establishment.

Positives – Probably the most welcome and notable difference is the increase in difficulty. While it was relatively easy to blast through the first iteration without failing, you’ll need to put a lot more thought into all aspects of your store-building schemes if you want to win this time.

Negatives – Casual players may not be as welcoming of the increase in difficulty. I suppose it’s worth noting that before actually completing them, I managed to come up less than 1% short of my required cash flow for the first two levels. While I did welcome the spike in challenge, losing by such a minor fraction of required income was kind of a head scratcher, especially when considering how to adjust my tactics towards success.

Why you should play it – Shopping City is a very solid strategy game that does a great job of upping the ante over the original in both presentation and gameplay. Fans of the first game should definitely check it out, as should anyone who fancies themselves a sim-strategist.

Red Remover - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:51:00 +0000

What is it? – Red Remover is a great physics-based puzzle game where you’ll have to remove all of the red shapes from each level, while leaving the green ones on-screen.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Gaz of TheGameHomepage.

How does it play? – The game plays sort of like a reverse-engineered version of the Super Stacker series of games, with a dash of the Totem Destroyer series thrown in for good measure. Each level presents you with a configuration of shapes, and you need to remove pieces so that only the green shapes remain. Red shapes must be removed or pushed off-screen. Blue shapes are neutral and don’t need to be removed, though they can be manipulated or eliminated to help solve the puzzle.

There are 40 main levels in all, and five bonus levels. You can use as many clicks to complete a level as you’d like, but each level also has a “par” score. Making or besting par for all of the main levels will unlock the bonus levels. A few unlockables are available (including different face-styles for the shapes), and a level editor is also included.

Presentation – The game is visually simplistic, with a bright color palette and cheerful atmosphere. Many of the shapes have smiley faces which aren’t purely for cosmetic cuteness. Some levels have multiple different gravitational rules, and you can tell how gravity will affect a specific shape based on the direction of its face.

Positives – The gameplay is simple to grasp, and while completing all 40 levels shouldn’t be incredibly challenging for most gamers, you’re bound to be stumped briefly for a couple of stages. That said, completing all of the levels with a “par” score is bit tougher, requiring you to pre-plan each of your moves.

Negatives – Some may find that the difficulty is a bit lacking, especially when compared to similar games that involve physics and shape manipulation. It’s not a completely pedestrian experience, but I was able to complete the majority of the levels on my first attempt, often meeting the “par” score requirement.

Why you should play it – Red Remover is a well-constructed puzzle game with some clever (though relatively easy) puzzles. Completionists may find a bit more depth and challenge trying to collect all of the unlockables, and the level editor is a nice bonus. At the very least, it’s a good way to escape the daily grind for a while without breaking your brain.

Dragon Flame 2 - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:57:00 +0000

What is it? – In Dragon Flame 2, you take on the role of a giant red beast that must defend its nest from waves of would-be dragon slayers.

Who made it? – The game was produced by Morphee Studios.

How does it play? – The red-scaled protagonist of Dragon Flame 2 reminds me a lot of Smaug, the giant, treasure-hoarding red dragon from Tolkien’s, The Hobbit. Despite its massive size, your dragon controls rather gracefully, swooping and gliding after your mouse pointer.

Enemy units (including archers, mages, and knights) become more plentiful and powerful with each wave, and will relentlessly attempt to bring you down. Your basic spark attack is used by targeting with the mouse and left-clicking, and is good for dispatching weaker enemies. Killing foes adds to your “rage” meter, and when the meter is full enough, you can use other abilities like large fireballs, a spinning tail-strike, or the “flamethrower” breath-weapon which acts like its name implies.

After each wave, you can restore your dragon’s health or upgrade things like speed or power. Having to choose between replenishing health and upgrading abilities means that you’ll want to perform as well as possible on each level so that you can upgrade instead of heal.

Presentation – The backgrounds and your dragon are wonderfully detailed, and character animations are solid across the board. The sounds are also great, from the various fire effects to the yelps and screams of roasting enemies. Enemy units are much smaller than your dragon (understandably), and though enemies on horseback visually distinguished, many of the on-foot units look a bit generic and similar.

Positives – The game an arena-shooter, but puts players in control of a very powerful character and asks them to overcome masses of weaker enemies. As the waves progressed and the difficulty ramped up, I couldn’t help but understand my dragon’s desire to rid its home of the mosquito-like humans. You also get a cool ranking based on your performance at the end of each game, which is a nice bonus.

Negatives – Despite the upgrades, unit varieties, and great production values, the gradual progression is perhaps a bit too subtle between any two individual waves. This can lead to a sense of repetition, or a feeling like you’re not making much progress. It can also be tricky to simultaneously keep tabs on the action and the ever-fluctuating rage meter, and since many of your powers have a rage prerequisite, you might occasionally frustrate yourself trying to perform a special move that requires more rage than your current level.

Why you should play it – Dragon Flame 2 is a polished arena-shooter with progressive difficulty that lets you fly around and torch annoying humans with powerful attacks. Still not sold? The control scheme is also unique and interesting enough that long-time shooter fans should really give it a go.

A-Bot - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000

What is it? – A-Bot is a late-retro sci-fi shooter, where you control a robot on a deep-space defense platform trying to repel waves of Insectoids – an alien race of bug-like creatures bent on your destruction.

Who made it? – The game was created by developers MoRLOCK and Udjin.

How does it play? – The game is a lot like a blend of the classic arcade titles Space Invaders and Missile Command. Your mouse controls the A-Bot, a mechanized gun platform that will fire its equipped weapon in a spread determined by your cross-hairs. Enemies float in from the top of the screen in silhouette. Once they completely fade into view, they’ll start attacking (and can be attacked). Move the cross-hairs away from your ship, and the shot-spread widens – and vice-versa. Your turret also moves at a fairly slow pace, and choosing an appropriate shot-spread is important.

In addition to your primary turret, you also have to keep tabs on a suite of Plasma Cannons, Energy Silos, and Generators. Plasma Cannons can be toggled to fire automatically, or by manually pressing the spacebar. The silos store your available energy for attacks, and generators generate that energy, so you’ll want to try to protect them as best you can. Cash earned by killing the Insectoids can be used to repair structures and purchase upgrades between waves.

Presentation – A-Bot has a retro look that’s decidedly higher resolution than an old school game, but still visually very similar. And maybe it’s because of my old-school gaming inclinations, but the sound effects and computerized sounding voice work are terrific. The explosions could use a little visual punch-up, but it’s a minor quibble.

Positives – The shooting is solid, the cross-hair mechanics are interesting and fun, and there’s probably just enough stuff to repair and upgrade to keep you involved. It’ll likely keep you engaged for a while, and the shooting has a somewhat strategic feel to it, largely because of your bot’s slow movement speed and the aiming mechanic.

Negatives – Those predisposed to twitch-based shooters may find themselves a bit frustrated with the slower pace. Waves of enemies get progressively harder to defeat, but the lack of different environments may give some players a case of the “same-olds.”

Why you should play it – A-Bot is an adept shooter with some interesting twists that’s likely to appeal to your sense of nostalgia (if you’ve been playing games long enough). Though the term “modern-retro” is a complete oxymoron, it would certainly apply to A-Bot. Shooter fans will find a lot to like; besides, killing space-bugs is fun.

Swordless Ninja - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:45:00 +0000

What is it? – Swordless Ninja is an action-adventure game where you play a young ninja named Mabushi, whose girlfriend Miyuki has been stolen by the evil Gorbazaki, along with his trusty sword. It’s your job to dish out swordless revenge and rescue the maiden.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Berzerk Studio.

How does it play? – Swordless Ninja is a fast-paced, quirky platformer, presented in the same spirit as early Mario games. Your ultimate goal for each level is to make it to the exit portal, but along the way, you’ll collect coins, blueberries, and power-ups, and do battle with a bunch of strange creatures, including bees, frogs with boxing gloves, and Venus Fly-Traps.

Some enemies can be dispatched by jumping on their heads, and then hurled at other enemies to take them down. Bad-guys like jumping plants and spiky-backed dinosaur creatures will damage Mabushi if he jumps on them. However, a shuriken collectible allows you to chuck throwing stars and absorb an extra hit of damage (very similar to Mario’s Fire-Flower power-up).

Presentation – The visuals and sound effects are colorful and sharp, bordering on cloyingly cute. Mabushi is an instantly endearing protagonist (reminiscent of another Flash ninja named Bowja), and while the core story of rescuing a kidnapped girlfriend isn’t remotely original, playing as a ninja without his trusty sword makes the game feel fresh.

Positives – The game is quite fun, and there are quite a few levels to complete. Completionists will also rejoice at the number of optional collectibles there are, and it’s pretty difficult not to find the experience to be a charming one. The game is also a lot more challenging than it looks.

Negatives – The action is fast, though it felt as though the framerate suffered a bit. It seemed as though the camera (always focused on the ninja), wasn’t quite smooth enough, lending an occasional herky-jerky aspect to the action. This issue was really only annoying when I was trying to make a very precise jump (or series of them), or scramble over a ledge. On that note, Mabushi can be taken out by one hit from an enemy (or two, if he’s powered-up), which may frustrate more casual players.

Why you should play it – Swordless Ninja is a high-quality title with a lot of personality that’s quite fun to play, despite some very minor technical issues. There are certainly worse ways to kill some time, especially if you ever want your sword and girlfriend back.

HRmageddon - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:51:00 +0000

What is it? – HRmageddon chronicles the battles that ensue when employees from rival corporations Gray Solutions and Beige Dynamics are forced to engage in office warfare for job security after the companies merge.

Who made it? – The title was developed by Thup Games for AdultSwim.

How does it play? – Players begin by building a team of six office workers using a predetermined budget. Different worker-types include Managers, Receptionists, IT Guys, and Salesmen. Each type of worker has its own sets of abilities, movement rate, and defensive rating.

The way you choose to build your team will impact the options available to you on the “battlefield.” For example, Receptionists have a variety of special attacks and a ranged attack, but have a slower movement rate. Managers are the only workers with the power to heal other units, and IT Guys have a couple of “area of effect” attack types.

Power-ups can also be collected for extra bonuses, and attacking while in close proximity to a teammate or captured cubicle will net extra damage or defensive bonuses. Victory is achieved either by taking over the majority of office cubicles, or by “terminating” all members of the opposing team.

Presentation – The art style, animations, and sounds are all fantastic, and each of the many different office battlegrounds is filled with tiny details – from conference rooms, to water coolers, to individual office decorations. In fact, it’s rare to see two cubicles decorated in the same way, and the office layouts seem practical and lived-in.

Positives – Visually and aurally, the game is exceptionally polished, and the character animations (while minimal) are pretty funny. Under the polished exterior is a very solid and well-balanced strategy game that stands out as one of the better turn-based combat games out there.

Negatives – Though all of the different attacks and special moves are animated differently and there are a few ranged attacks available, much of the combat is a “toe-to-toe” affair. It would have been nice to have even more attacks and abilities available, but that’s not to say the gameplay isn’t very well balanced. It is.

Why you should play it – HRmageddon plays like many turn-based strategy games, but uses an interesting setting and some humorous twists, coupled with some excellent production values. There’s also a nice variety of levels, and the different workers and their abilities compliment each other nicely. Just don’t forget about our handy-dandy “boss button” if you decide to play at work, lest you unleash actual HRmageddon.

Blast Passage - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:01:00 +0000

What is it? – Mr. BomBear is a space bear trapped on the dark side of Planet X. In Blast Passage, you’ll have to navigate a series of oxygen-free levels packed with hostile creatures, and use bombs to blow a clear path to the sunny side of the world.

Who made it? – The game was developed by King.com.

How does it play? –You move your bear around using the arrow keys, press the spacebar to drop bombs (up to two at once), and the Enter key will use a collected potion – eliminating all on-screen enemies. Each level must be completed before your bear runs out of oxygen (read: health), but you can replenish your supply by picking up canisters scattered throughout the maps. The level progression is also somewhat non-linear, often allowing you to choose which level comes next.

Enemies are endlessly generated from “spawn towers” which can be destroyed with a couple of bomb blasts. Keys scattered across the level must be collected to unlock other sections of the level. There are even indestructible “Grim Reaper” enemies which can only be eliminated by using a potion.

You’ll do your attacking in “hit and run” style. Plant a bomb in the path of your enemies, and get the heck out of the way. Your bombs will also hurt you and destroy power-ups in the blast radius, so you’ll need to be careful not to shoot the food… I mean power-ups. Planted bombs can also be kicked, but it can be tough to do in the heat of battle.

Presentation – The action takes place from an isometric 2.5-D perspective, and sports sharp visuals. There is a wide variety of enemy-types, and they’re all attractive and easily distinguishable from one another, and it’s impressive how many on-screen enemies can be visible without any slowdown.

Positives – The game excels at blending two classic gameplay types into a compelling and fun hybrid. The game also provides a decent level of challenge, though nothing worth smashing a monitor over.

Negatives – If onscreen chaos isn’t your thing, you may be put off by how frantic some levels can get. I also occasionally ran into a minor issue when trying to place bombs while on the move, but the problem wasn’t consistent or overly frustrating.

Why you should play it – If you took the classic arcade games Gauntlet and Bomberman and threw them in a blender, you’d likely end up with a tall glass of Blast Passage. It effectively rips-off some classic gameplay mechanics and design, but fuses them to create a very original, fun, and frenzied experience that stands on its own.

Michael Jackson - A Bizarre Flash Games Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:24:00 +0000

Whatever your feelings about Michael Jackson and his untimely passing, there’s no denying that he was one of the greatest single entertainers the world has ever known. Instead of the normal daily game review, I figured an “Ode to the King of Pop via Flash Games” would be fitting. Despite the dearth of excellent Michael Jackson-based games, we found a handful that is interesting, funny, or shocking enough to warrant a playthrough.

Mild Disclaimer: All of the games listed below were created by various authors prior to Michael Jackson’s death (except for the Soundboard), and as such, there’s some controversial subject matter on display. If you’re easily offended, proceed with caution. If not, dive in for some interesting parodies and perspectives of the King of Pop from the Flash gaming community.

Jumpin Jacko: The first title is a retro action-platforming game in which you need to help Jackson avoid paparazzi and rescue the children in time for the performance of a lifetime.

Pimp My Face: Play as a plastic surgeon to the stars. Provide your clients with lip, cheek and eye surgery to make them grotesquely beautiful while avoiding ruptures. (Michael is the second client you’ll encounter.)

Celebrity Smackdown 3: Face off in fisticuffs against four different celebrities (including Michael) in this first-person fighting game.

go Michael go!: This one plays like Frogger. You’ll need to help Michael collect the incriminating photos and then rendezvous with his chimp Bubbles to complete each level.

Michael Jackson’s Dropping Babies: Based on another of Jackson’s tabloid exploits, try and drop the babies from the window into the padded wagon below before time runs out.

Michael Jackson Soundboard: This one isn’t much of a game, but instead is an interactive sandbox of actual sound-bites from the “Gloved One.”

Water Werks - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:38:00 +0000

What is it? – Water Werks is an ingenious physics-puzzler in which you’ll need to use a garden hose to help fuzzy little monsters roll their way to the exits of a large number of craftily-designed levels.

Who made it? – The game was born of the collaborative efforts of Longanimals and RobotJam.

How does it play? – The game is broken up into three sets of fifteen levels each – easy, medium, and hard. The “easy” batch of levels gradually introduces how the various platforms, conveyor belts, hammers, plungers, etc. interact with your stream of water and the creatures.

The stream of water for your hose can be adjusted on the fly from narrow to wide. The narrow stream is much more useful overall, but they both have their specific uses. Initially, you’ll be spraying platforms and plungers to guide the creatures towards a singular endpoint, but later you’ll be asked to get each fuzzy dude to the goal that matches him in color. The physics are great, and just spongy enough to make each attempt at a level a little unpredictable.

Rescuing a certain number of the dumb little cuddlies before the time expires for each level is your goal, and you’ll use the water from your hose to operate different parts of each stage’s mechanics to hasten their squeaky escape.

Presentation – The gameplay is supported by some appropriately upbeat sound effects and great music. Each critter that either escapes or plunges to a watery demise will emit a tiny cheer or yelp. The art is immediately identifiable as that of RobotJam, and the game is cheerful and visually interesting throughout.

Positives – The 45 different levels are all well designed, and the physics are squishy-fun. Some of the later levels require a decent helping of skill, and the good helping of challenges will keep completionists busy for a while. It all comes together to support a very fun gameplay experience.

Negatives – The music and sound, while of great variety and quality, cannot be turned off. If you’re in a sound-friendly environment, or have headphones, you won’t likely want to turn it off, but not having the option is a bit of an oversight in a game there’s little else to complain about.

Why you should play it – Water Werks is terrific fun. It’s a different take on a well-loved gameplay type and incorporates some tests for the wit and reflexes. If the gameplay hooks you like it did me, you’ll be hosing down platforms and flinging critters for a while.

Mini Train - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:29:00 +0000

What is it? – Mini Train is a tranquil physics-based puzzle game where you need to use shapes to bridge gaps and circumvent obstacles so that your tiny train can make it to safety.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Peter Kaspar Mmix.

How does it play? – Using the mouse to manipulate the various shapes you’re presented with for a given level, your job is to create a safe route for the miniature train. Gravity and physics are both your best friends and your worst enemies, and though things begin fairly easy, some of the later levels will likely test your coordination and basic engineering skills – especially the ones with a lot of shapes to contend with.

Truth be told, Mini Train is like a simplified version of the excellent game Cargo Bridge, combined with the physics and shape management of games like Super Stacker 2 or Jelly Towers.

Presentation – The game sports very cute and clean graphics, highlighted by vibrant colors. The in-game music is a quality ragtime-esque jingle, though listening to it in a constant loop may induce light cases of insanity.

Positives – Despite the ease of the earlier levels, there are certainly some difficult puzzles in the latter half of the game’s 24 levels. The levels aren’t timed, and there’s no high-score feature, and it’s somewhat refreshing to be able to think before you act.

Negatives – The slower pace may not appeal to everyone, though it suits the game well. I also found it rather frustrating that the shapes you position can upset the stationary train if they bump into each other. Due to the bouncy nature of the objects and the game’s physics, it’s a bit too easy to inadvertently send a shape careening around the screen. If a flying shape collides with the train, you’ll likely need to reset the level.

Why you should play it – Mini Train is a solid and fun puzzle game, even though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel in terms of gameplay or presentation. It’s also not the most difficult game in the world, though some levels will pose a challenge. If you’re a fan of physics-based puzzles, there are a lot worse ways to kill some of your afternoon.

How to Raise a Dragon - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:20:00 +0000

What is it? – How to Raise a Dragon is a unique retro-looking platforming adventure game of sorts where you’ll not only play the role of a dragon from the time it hatches until adulthood, and determine its ultimate fate.

Who made it? – The game was created by Gregory Weir, the talented developer behind other great adventure games like The Majesty of Colors and Bars of Black and White.

How does it play? – How to Raise a Dragon is a strange and unique beast. You begin the game as a small dragon hatchling, navigating your environment in search of food. The food you consume as a youngster will determine the color of your dragon, as well as predispose him to the type of dragon-breath he’ll be able to use later in life. The rest of the game consists of two more stages in the dragon’s life, plus a “special” level, which I won’t ruin for you here. The things your dragon eats and the actions it takes will all impact how the story progresses.

Presentation – The graphics are lovingly rendered in old-school 8-bit style, and Weir’s deft use of chunky pixels is charmingly effective. Storybook panels pop-up in a tutorial-like way to provide various information about dragon evolution, and the sound effects and minimal music are crisp and effective.

Positives – The challenge (and reward) of How to Raise a Dragon is not in getting to the end of the game, but rather how you get there. Each level has a relatively large number of choices and actions that will influence later decisions, including which ending you receive. Without knowing exactly how many possible endings there are, I can say that played through the game four times prior to writing this review; and each story played out differently, depending on various decisions I made.

Each time you complete the game, you replay any stage, tweaking your dragon’s attributes (which will need to be unlocked via prior playthoughs), and attempting different story-outcomes. Very cool stuff.

Negatives – If the whole “retro, 8-bit, pixilated” look really turns you off, you might have a tough time getting into this one. The game also doesn’t pack much of a traditional challenge (unless you’re trying to achieve a specific outcome).

Why you should play it – How to Raise a Dragon is worth playing through at least a couple of times to see at least a couple of different endings, but may keep you engaged for much longer. It’s simple to play, employs a unique concept, and is highly replayable. Now if you’ll excuse me, I hear the sound of an egg hatching.

Amateur Surgeon - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:43:00 +0000

What is it? – Amateur Surgeon (aka, Alan Probe: Amateur Surgeon) allows you to perform many crazy and often hilarious surgeries on a wild assortment of seedy characters. To add insult to injury (pun very much intended), you’re a pizza delivery boy, and not a doctor.

Who made it? – The game was developed by the evil geniuses at AdultSwim.

How does it play? – Anyone who’s ever played the board game called Operation will immediately understand the concept and gameplay, although folks who have played any of the Trauma Center games will have even more of a leg up.

Instead of a traditional suite of surgical implements, the pizza boy turned medicine man performs his duties using makeshift (and humorous) tools. A pizza cutter stands in for a scalpel, a stapler serves to replace stitches, and a cigarette lighter is used to cauterize wounds. Some tools have multiple uses, and you’ll need to follow specific procedures, depending on the medical problems you encounter.

You’ll need to save a variety of patients suffering from progressively more bizarre ailments, ranging from broken bones, to bullet wounds, to failing organs. In one of the stranger levels, you’ll need to remove a series of computer tracking chips from a repeat lawbreaker.

Presentation – With a cartoony visual style that’s like a twisted mash-up of South Park and Ren and Stimpy, Amateur Surgeon’s production values are excellent. If there’s a perfect middle-ground between funny, disgusting, and disturbing – without ever being stomach-churning – this game lives there.

Positives – Adult Swim produces some great Flash games, and Amateur Surgeon is no exception. The gameplay packs a lot of variety, serves up some pretty wicked challenges, and has a truly devious sense of humor. The mouse-driven controls are also very well implemented, and feel appropriately sensitive.

Negatives – Some of the patients are darn tough to cure. Not only are the levels timed, but you’ll also have to closely monitor your patient’s vital signs and make on-the-fly adjustments to prevent him from expiring. Casually-inclined gamers may be put off by a good deal of reflex-based gameplay.

Why you should play it – Amateur Surgeon is awesome, disgusting fun. The game is fairly easy to learn, but packs enough challenge and variety to keep the experience entertaining throughout. If you’re looking for a game with more personality than a schizophrenic, and aren’t turned off by cartoonish gore, you should definitely check this one out.

Star Beacons - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:21:00 +0000

What is it? – Star Beacons is a high quality shooter-puzzle game in which you play the role of the furry blue alien in a spacesuit resembling an old-school diving helmet who must collect oodles of star pieces to restore his planet’s shattered sun.

Who made it? – The game was created by developer Steel Panda, and is a companion piece to the excellent action-adventure game, Casual Space.

How does it play? – I’m not going to beat around the proverbial bush – Star Beacons is basically a very high-quality rehash of the ever-popular casual game, Peggle. If you’ve played Peggle, then you’ll already know how to play, more or less. (Peggle is sort of like a more skill-based version of Pachinko, where you launch projectiles into a sea of obstacles, collectibles and environmental hazards and attempt to knock out all of the star pieces.)

You’ll have a limited number of shots for each level, but you can earn more shots by landing a ball in a moving exit portal at the bottom of the screen, or by ricocheting off of a high number of obstacles during your previous attempt. As you progress through the game, you’ll be presented with even more obstacles, such as black holes and comets.

Presentation – From the colorful graphics, to the charming art and sound effects, Star Beacons is a very polished experience. If you’ve played Casual Space, you’ll immediately recognize that the plot and characters and art are all the same, but that the core gameplay is very different.

Positives – Each level is well designed and (as mentioned) the game is visually impressive. As with Peggle, there’s something quite addictive about watching your shot careen around the board, plinking and plunking into the different obstacles. Even with the inclusion of an arrow that helps you determine the path of your shot, the game’s excellent physics keep things from becoming too easy or predictable.

Negatives – While definitely a quality game, it’s far from original. If you’re not a fan of Peggle, there’s not a whole lot about the game that will likely appeal to you.

Why you should play it – Star Beacons is a fantastic knock-off that’s almost as good as the game on which it’s based. It’s relaxing and not very reflex-intensive, but still manages to be a fairly compelling experience. Check it out, and don’t be surprised if eats into your day more than you’d like.

Casual Space - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:32:00 +0000

What is it? – Casual Space is a game where you play the role of a fuzzy blue alien from the planet Capium. Aliens have invaded your planet, shattering the sun into tiny fragments which you’ll need to collect to save the day.

Who made it? – The game was created by developer Steel Panda, who also developed the “Peggle-like” companion game, Star Beacons.

How does it play? – In Casual Space, you’ll use your mouse to guide the space-suited blue hero. A powered charge can be used to shatter destructible parts of the environment or attack enemies. In each one of the dozens of levels, you’ll need to collect all of the star pieces and make your way to the exit portal before time expires. A few of the levels aren’t timed, but these are usually epic-scale boss battles that involve a bit more than star collection. Each collected star adds another second to the level timer. Gems can be collected for extra points, which can be used to purchase upgrades like increased charge or damage threshold.

Presentation – From the music and sound effects to the colorful eye-candy, the game drips pure quality. Enemies and obstacles are also designed well, and the particle effects make smashing through things very satisfying.

Positives – In addition to fantastic production values, there’s also a ton of game to be played. The level design is stellar from beginning to end, and there’s enough variety to keep players engaged. Don’t let the word “casual” in the game’s title fool you either. Some levels will truly test your reflexes, and patience.

Negatives – Casual Space has a bit of an identity crisis, in that the title, cutesy characters, story illustrations, and first few levels might make the game seem a bit easier than it actually is. The game actually quite tough in places, but the difficulty can swing wildly from level to level. While these easier levels usually serve as a “break” after a particularly hard stage, the overall pace and challenge fluctuates unevenly.

Why you should play it – Casual Space is an excellent and quite lengthy action adventure game that is more akin to something you’d pay to download from Xbox Live Arcade or Wii-Ware. The experience is fun, compelling, tricky and a “must play” for hardcore and casual gamers alike.

Sparks and Dust - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:16:00 +0000

What is it? – Sparks and Dust is an otherworldly action-platforming game with a unique control scheme where players explore strange landscapes and do battle with odd creatures.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Nathan McKenzie of IceCreamBreakfast.

How does it play? – Sporting fast and fluid action that transpires across an array of ethereal settings, Sparks and Dust seems at first like a fairly standard (albeit very pretty) platformer. Pressing the up arrow or spacebar once will cause the protagonist to jump. Holding “jump” will allow him to glide (and deflect projectiles), and jumping again will induce a double-jump. Pressing “jump” a third time unleashes a downward plunge-attack.

The gameplay is split between platform-puzzling and combat. There are a handful of different enemy-types, but given that you’re limited to a single primary attack, you’ll find that dispatching bad guys is a somewhat repetitive exercise.

The platforming elements are quite good though, and using your skills to collect coins and power-ups is a lot of fun. Coins are the chief collectables. Many of them are ready for the taking, but some will require you to smash through platforms to reveal them, or slam parts of the environment from on-high. Hidden treasure locations are indicated by different colored beams that project themselves skyward.

Presentation – The game has a cohesively impressive and ethereal look that’s sets it apart from most other games. Liberal use of glow effects and light diffusion do a good job at setting the mood and atmosphere. The in-game music is also suitably dreamlike, though I didn’t much care for it.

Positives – Strong production values and an interesting control scheme are the game’s best assets. Few games (if any) have successfully implemented a visual style that embodies dreamlike qualities.

Negatives – It could be argued that the complete lack of setup or any real plot or characterization isn’t necessary for a game so visually abstract. I’d have to disagree. Once the magic of the visuals wears off, you’ll be left wondering just what you’re supposed to be doing besides killing weirdoes and collecting coins – and why you’re doing any of it to begin with.

Why you should play it – Sparks and Dust is very much worth checking out, even if all you want is to see another great example of superior graphics in Flash gaming. There’s some fun gameplay to be enjoyed as well; however, you may have to find ways to motivate yourself to continue.

Use Boxmen - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:23:00 +0000

What is it? – Use Boxmen is a fantastic – albeit insanely difficult – combination of action-platforming and puzzle-solving where you play a Boxman with cloning powers on a quest for more boxes.

Who made it? – The game was created by Greg Sergeant.

How does it play? – The game consists of thirteen different levels that will push your puzzle-solving and platforming skills to the limit. You play as the teal “Boxman,” and your mission is to collect a floating box at the end of each level. Boxman can run, duck, and jump, and he can also create clones of himself which must be used to achieve his box-collecting ends.

Depending on the level, you’ll have a certain number of orange clones that you can create on the fly. Creating a clone is as easy as pressing the “Shift” button, but the clones will also continue whatever activity Boxman was doing when he created them. Create a clone while running, for example, and he’ll continue to run. Ducking clones will cause others to leapfrog over them, and stationary clones reverse the direction of other running clones.

Presentation – Presented in a delightful hand-drawn art style and superbly animated, Use Boxmen also has some great in-game music that does a great job setting the tone of the cartoon Box-World. Given the simplicity of the visuals, it’s certainly one of the more strikingly stylish Flash games out there.

Positives – As mentioned, the production values are fantastic across the board. While it may not be an asset for everyone, the hearkening back to old-school reflex-based gameplay that pretty much demands multiple attempts for success (especially in later levels), was very refreshing to me. I also enjoyed the gameplay so much that any frustration I felt just motivated me to persevere. One more round, indeed.

Negatives – The very cute sketch-based animation might lull you into a false sense of security about the game’s difficulty, which might make more casual players feel somewhat ambushed when the challenge ramps up. I can’t really think of much else to complain about.

Why you should play it – Use Boxmen is a high-quality piece of work that’s bound to keep you entertained for a while, even if you eventually succumb to one of the tougher levels. It’s got a lot of personality, and though its gameplay staples – cloning and platforming – have been done before, you’ll be hard-pressed not to appreciate their implementation here.

Dynamic Systems - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:32:00 +0000

What is it? – Dynamic Systems is a physics-based contraption-building game where you’ll need to do your best Rube Goldberg impersonation to get the steel ball into the cup.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Lorenzo Nuvoletta.

How does it play? – If you’re an avid Flash game player, you’ve probably encountered a number of games focused on machine building or getting a ball to a target destination – or both. (See Go Home Ball or Civiballs, for recent examples.) Dynamic Systems utilizes these tried and true gameplay mechanics to deliver a high-quality 30-level physics-based puzzle game.

Each level begins with a certain number of “fixed” machine pieces, and provides you with a number of other parts that you’ll need to place on your own. There are actually quite a few different types of fully-rotatable parts – like gears, bouncing platforms, and swinging hammers – each adding various dynamics to your machine. Once you’re satisfied, clicking the “Start” button will let you see how successful your contraption is at getting the silver ball into the bucket.

Presentation – The game sports an industrial look and feel which is a lot like the physics-based puzzler, Collider. The textures are well-detailed, but some might find them a bit drab. The in-game music is an interestingly composed piece of violin music with a bit of percussion, composed by Brian Sadler. It’s a bit short to be run endlessly in a loop, but is a high-quality effort.

Positives – The game doesn’t really do anything that hasn’t been done before, but the gameplay is quite solid and there’s a fair amount of it. In cases like this, originality isn’t nearly as important as solid execution, and the whole experience is polished and fun from beginning to end. As I mentioned before, I really dug the music too.

Negatives – Given the amount of control you have with regard to part rotation and placement, you may find yourself doing a lot of incremental adjustment to parts of your machine, especially during some of the more intricate levels. That said, the experience would probably be too easy without that level of control.

Why you should play it – Dynamic Systems is a solid, polished, and (more importantly) fun game that doesn’t reinvent machine-building or ball-physics games, but still manages to deliver a very gripping puzzler with some well-designed levels. It’s definitely worth some of your time.

Sift Heads 5 - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:31:00 +0000

What is it? – Sift Heads 5 is the latest shooter-adventure game chronicling the assassination-based escapades of Vinnie the freelance hitman.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Chriss Martin of Pyrozen.

How does it play? – Similar to the Hitstick series, you’ll point-and-click to navigate the various environments, talk to characters, and shoot them dead. Missions can be attempted in a somewhat non-linear fashion, though specific tasks will unlock new locations. Many missions are optional, and there are even a few collection-based objectives to tackle.

If you’re in a sniping position, your perspective becomes first-person for aiming and shooting; however, Vinnie can also enter “shooting mode” at any time by pressing the spacebar. Cash can be used to customize Vinnie’s appearance, or to purchase new weapons and ammunition. You can also save your game between missions.

Presentation – The grayscale art (with the occasional splash of red) is striking, and the quality animation is on par with previous games in the series – stylishly cool, with some cinematic moments to keep you engrossed in the story. The writing is average (though true to the series), and if you’re squeamish when it comes to stick figures getting shot in the head, it may not be the game for you.

Positives – The combination of shooting, adventuring, and collecting makes for a surprisingly compelling game. Non-linearity is also a rarity for Flash shooters, and while you’ll really just be choosing from a handful of missions at any given time, deciding what to do next is fun. As usual, the music kicks butt.

Negatives – I encountered a couple of show-stopping bugs during my first playthrough, and a money exploit. During “Risk of the Trade,” I was able to complete the mission, save the game, complete the mission again, save, etc., which basically resulted in an infinite cash loop. The mission “More Red than Grey” would not end once finished, and reloading my save game didn’t solve the problem. I had to restart from the beginning, but the bug didn’t resurface the next time I played.

Why you should play it – Despite some bugs, Sift Heads 5 is a cool and violent diversion through Chicago’s seedy underworld. It’s always refreshing to play a shooter that has more to it than whaling on the fire button. Sift Heads 5 deftly folds adventure elements into the mix, and provides a medium-sized challenge to virtual “sifters” everywhere.

Laserworx - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:41:00 +0000

What is it? – Laserworx is a clever, cranium-scrambling puzzle game where you need to redirect beams of light so that they highlight all of the nodes in each level.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Liszkay Games.

How does it play? – Each level contains a certain number of nodes that are activated when a beam from one of the given laser sources passes through them. A simple point, click, and drag control scheme allows you to easily reposition the laser sources. These “laser nodes” are connected in groups of two or more, meaning that you’ll often have to manipulate two (or more) laser nodes to achieve the desired effect.

Each level has a different playing field and node positioning, and some of them even include regular nodes and wall-sections that can be moved in the same way as the laser nodes. Some of the nodes will also begin in their highlighted state, which means that you’ll have to keep the lasers beams from coming in contact with them.

Presentation – It’s not very intricate visually, but given that some levels will have you moving around a ton of different nodes, the graphical simplicity is quite welcome. The spacey background music and sound effects are excellent though, and compliment the sci-fi look and feel.

Positives – One hundred deviously-designed levels will keep you puzzling for quite a while. Some of the puzzles are quite tricky, but the lack of a level timer allows you to think things through at your own pace.

Negatives – It’s not likely you’ll finish the game in one sitting, and some of the tougher puzzles may lead to frustration.

Why you should play it – Laserworx is one of the more robust and craftily-designed puzzle games to come around in a while. The puzzles are unique and rewarding to complete, and the experience still manages to be very accessible to a wide variety of player dispositions. I highly recommend giving it a shot, but you should be sure to bring your brain along for the ride.

Puzzle Core - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:50:00 +0000

What is it? – Puzzle Core is a frantic puzzle-matching game with an interesting twist – you’ll need to manage two screens worth of blocks at the same time.

Who made it? – The game was developed by James Strong.

How does it play? – Different colored blocks rise from the bottom of the screen, and your goal is to eliminate them by clicking groups of three or more that are adjacent and like-colored. When blocks reach the top of the leftmost screen, they’ll reappear at the bottom of the rightmost screen, where you can continue your block-busting efforts. Block positioning can also be manipulated in the rightmost screen by hovering over a group of two blocks and clicking.

Bomb tiles can also be clicked to eliminate adjacent blocks, regardless of color. As time goes by, more colors of blocks are added, further complicating your progress. The pace at which new blocks appear increases steadily until the stack reaches the top of the rightmost screen.

Presentation – The graphics are simple, clean, and colorful. The background color changes occasionally, but other than that, there really aren’t many bells and whistles to distract you from the core gameplay experience. The music frenetic and fitting, but may begin to feel like ear-abuse after a while.

Positives – Puzzle Core is a fairly interesting twist on a tried a true formula, and really succeeds in adding an extra level of tension via the dual screen that goes above and beyond many like offerings. The graphics are basic, but pleasant to look at, and it does a reasonably good job of compelling players to try and best their last score.

Negatives – Some folks may be disappointed by the pace at which the game’s difficulty accelerates. Around the seventh level or so, things start to get pretty hairy, and even though you may be able to keep the right screen clear until then, the subsequent ramp in difficulty is very steep. The game music did tend to grate on me after a while, and unfortunately, there’s no way to turn it off.

Why you should play it – Puzzle Core is entertaining, different, and quite challenging. It’s a great one to try if you consider yourself a puzzle game expert and you may even get hooked for a bit. The pace at which the game speed accelerates might be enough to aggravate, but I still highly recommend checking it out.

Stackle - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:27:00 +0000

What is it? – Stackle is a physics-based puzzle game in which your objective is to increase the height of a tower of blocks by reorganizing its compositional pieces.

Who made it? – The game was developed by Nate K. of NATEK Games.

How does it play? – If Tetris and Jenga hooked up after a late night of drinking, the resulting offspring would probably be something like Stackle. You begin with a large tower composed of blocks of various shapes and sizes. Using your mouse (and a steady hand), you need to remove blocks from the foundation and place them on top of the stack to increase the size of your tower.

A white line near the top of your tower indicates your new tower-height goal. Once your tower is taller than the height marker, the blocks below will become usable, once again. Using a block filled with stars will give you extra point multipliers, and blocks can also be rotated for a more ideal fit.

The game is over when too many blocks fall below the height objective indicator line, though having part of your tower collapse doesn’t necessarily guarantee failure. Fallen blocks can be picked up and reused, and you can even scroll to the left and right of your tower to view and select the fallen blocks.

Presentation – The game is visually minimalistic, with a clean look and interface complimented well by the brightly-colored blocks. The physics are also fairly well done, and thankfully aren’t too bouncy or unmanageable. The upbeat background music and sharp sound effects are also fitting, and can be toggled on or off.

Positives – The experience is easily accessible, due to the simple and recognizable gameplay mechanics; however, it still manages to feel like a fresh experience. It’s a game that can be enjoyed by casual players, but that also might satisfy high-score chasers.

Negatives – If you want to rotate a block before placing it, you’ll need to select it and then click the picture that represents how you’d like it arranged. Simply being able to rotate the blocks using the arrow keys would be nice.

Why you should play it – Stackle is a fun and interesting twist on otherwise familiar puzzle gameplay mechanics. Successfully adding another tier to an already precariously balanced tower is rewarding, and overall, it’s a fun way to put a temporary restraining order on boredom.

Little Wheel - Game of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ponged) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:37:00 +0000

What is it? – Little Wheel is an incredibly charming adventure game where you play a small robot attempting save the other inhabitants of a robotic city by restoring power to the city’s main generator.

Who made it? – The game was created by OneClickDog.com.

How does it play? – In gameplay typical to the point-and-click adventure genre, you’ll guide the metallic protagonist across the surreal cityscape by solving various environment-based puzzles. Interactive “hot-spots” are highlighted visually, and most of the puzzles are solved simply by figuring out in which order they need to be activated.

Presentation – The game opens with a great introductory cinematic, which does a terrific job of defining the look and feel of a strange and surreal robotic city, which permeates the entire game. The environments look fittingly intricate and mechanical, and some adept use of depth-of-field blurring effects and appropriate sound effects add positively to the proceedings without being distracting.

All of the animation (from the main character, to the machines, to the environmental ambiance) is superb. The music is a quite impressive jazz-lounge offering, and is a surprisingly good and effective choice. All of the presentational aspects come together flawlessly. If Pixar were to make a Flash game, I imagine it’d be something like this.

Positives – Little Wheel is a supremely entertaining experience, with quality dripping from every corner. The gameplay is highly accessible and focused, and you won’t find yourself wasting any time pixel-hunting for the one interactive area you missed. The story is engaging, the main character is compelling, and the artistic sensibilities at work are stunning.

Negatives – The game is very easy, almost to a fault. While the puzzles are conceptually clever, they probably won’t offer much of a challenge to somewhat-experienced adventure gamers. Interactive areas are always highlighted, and though this is better than pixel-hunting, the puzzles themselves aren’t typically very intricate. Most folks should get through the game in around 10 minutes or less. The ease of the puzzles ends up making the game feel shorter than many other adventures.

Why you should play it – Little Wheel is a great ride from beginning to end. Though the game isn’t difficult, it’s still a very cool and fun adventure with an engaging story. You’ll almost certainly have a good time, even though you’ll probably be left wanting more.