Weekend Download
A handful of simple games to help you pass your weekend! Nothing that will entrance you for hours, just a couple of action arcade games and a platformer that's actually two platformers running at the same time. Nice, simple fun.
Ninja Rush (Windows, 2.8 MB, free) - The kind of action game you know you love to play, Ninja Rush is a steady stream of obstacles with just a few ways to avoid them: jumping, sliding, and ninja star throwing at...ing! The chunky pixel graphics are excellent, and the game, while pretty bare-bones, is a hoot to play. Until that UFO finally catches you for the tenth time... ANGER!
Blue Roller (Windows, 3.9 MB, free) - A simple arcade game that's too quirky-cute to ignore. Your goal is to stay alive as long as you can, bouncing over obstacles and avoiding enemy squares, ships, spikes, and other non-"S"-nouns along the way. The screen is constantly scrolling, so you need to keep up in order to stay in the game. Once you die, you get a score, then restart and try again, 'cause the music is too catchy and you just have to try playing it one more time.
Parallel Universe (Windows, 9.5 MB, free) - A simply-illustrated, moodily-scored, and thoughtfully narrated platform puzzle game that utilizes two screens at the same time. You control two bouncing balls at once, each in its own little universe. Move them through the level to collect hints that solve your "problems", then head out the "solution" door to make everything A-OK. Very basic gameplay, but the atmosphere set by the piano music and the stark visuals make it surprisingly compelling.
Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows Vista and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!
No comments?
I think Ninja Rush is pretty fun, but a bit too basic fare.
Ninja Rush rocks! The only way it could have been any better is if it had some music in the background. Other than that, the game is great. There are so many different enemies and traps, some working like puzzles (like that red/yellow wall), others even predicting how the player should react and counter-attacking.
The three UFOs that run around the screen on Area 2, anyone?
I found the other two games to be average. Blue Roller was way too easy, to the point where I just let the ball get crushed by the walls out of boredom, and Parallel Universe started out slow, but the game ended just as it was getting interesting. In fact, I think Parallel Universe has potential for a sequel, because it really feels like there is still a lot to explore around that concept.
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