Apple Farm

Apple Farm is another well-made game from GamePure, the creators of Speed Cluster and Oshidama. It plays like a Breakout clone but with more freedom and better control over the ball. Use the mouse to move the bear side to side and the left button to jump. When the bird comes near, make sure you're there to bounce it upwards. The bird knocks fruit down from the treetops and its your job to catch them. Arms laden with delicious apples, slide over to the baskets and start filling them up.

The "apple meter" on the left side of the screen gradually fills as you collect apples. Once you've knocked down every piece of fruit from the tree you move on to the next level. If the bird touches the ground you lose a life, represented by the big hearts on the right side of the screen.

The only stumbling block to playing Apple Farm is the large amount of Japanese. It's easy to play without reading the language, but there are several instances you might feel lost. When the title screen appears, mouse over the buttons at the top from left to right to get an idea of how to play. Click on the rightmost button to start the game. If two options appear between levels or after you lose, choosing the top or the left one is your safest bet to continue playing. Any JIG Casual Gameplay readers who can offer translation help would be greatly appreciated!

Analysis: The games that have appeared on GamePure so far have shown a distinct design style that's sleek and attractive. Apple Farm features a brighter color palette and flatter objects without sacrificing much of that polished look. It also revolves around a very basic gameplay mechanic that's deceptively simple.

Despite borrowing most of its gameplay from Breakout, Apple Farm doesn't feel like a clone. An interesting dynamic is created when your attention is divided between grabbing apples and keeping the bird afloat. The fruit is a little less important, so don't be surprised if you dash halfway across the forest to save the bird. It's a light-hearted, cute and very entertaining game. Click.