November 2004 Archives

This is but one of many Orisinal games that would translate exceptionally well to the Nintendo DS.

As the days get shorter, so do the starry nights get longer with the winter solstice fast approaching. Capturing the essence of these calm and peaceful nights is Ferry Halim's beautiful Starry Night. The Flash game is a work of art, and of exemplary game design.

A floating, undulating bubble follows the mouse to your task of bouncing a bright yellow star up into the heavens to light the starry night sky. Touch every star, or miss one and lose a bit from the energy bar. Touch more than one star in a single bounce for a bonus score, and a bit of energy restored. Simple and elegant.

Play Starry Night

How I would love to play Starry Night, with my DS and its stylus, out under the stars on a crisp December night, gently bouncing the yellow star up into the night sky above. Bliss.

From Adrian Lafond comes this Flash shooter with a top-down perspective and unique design. Battle Bugs are little electrically charged mechanical bots that require juice to keep going. Control your bot by simply moving the mouse where you want it to walk, click the mouse where you want it to fire its weapon. Enemies will try to get close so they can suck your energy, shoot them before they do. Your battery gauge is in the lower right corner, and when that gets to zero, the game is over. Recharge with battery power-ups when available, as well as more powerful shell ammo. To change weapons, press the space bar.

The game, though a simple shooter, features some very nice animation and special effects. Adrian likes to design and animate bugs and bots, and the game showcases his creatures well. A very nice and simple Flash game that is well-designed and looks great.

Play Battle Bugs

Also, check out Adrian's other organisms, including the Insect Shop where you can build and edit your own bugs that animate with parameters you set.

I'm in love with a video game all over again. For the last few days I've been playing one of the greatest video games of all-time: Mario64. Only this time it's on yet another innovative new game console, the Nintendo DS. What I am finding is that I am rediscovering the game in the same manner in which it captured my imagination back in December, 1996.

From the opening screen's familiar "kaBling!" to the "whoooshing" of the star and its trail of magical particle effects zooming around the two screens, until finally breaking into the steel band sound of the familiar Mario64 theme, goosebumps is the only way to describe the sensation I get.

There are four (4) playable characters in the updated DS version: Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario. You start out playing as Yoshi, and then later find keys to unlock the others. Beginning in the courtyard of Princess Peach's castle, Yoshi (actually it's Mario, Luigi and Wario—Yoshi is asleep on the roof of the castle where he was at the end of Super Mario 64) comes flying out of the green warp pipe exactly as Mario did 8 years ago, that is, if playing the main adventure mode. There is also a multiplayer VS. mode for playing against others using the built-in wireless communications, and a Rec Room filled with charming little mini-games that are pure gaming goodness.

So far the touch screen of the DS has taken only a short time to get used to, and many aspects of Mario64 DS take advantage of it well. It seemed awkward at first to move Yoshi around with the stylus while pressing the buttons to control his actions. Fortunately, Nintendo offers several different control configurations that you can choose from depending on how you are handling the handheld. I like the dual-hand mode.

I am especially fond of the two-screen design and find it very easy to get used to. I am very excited about what the future has in store for this little console if this first outing from Nintendo is an indication of where its games are headed. Familiar and yet refreshing and new, Mario64 DS offers a bit of nostalgia packaged in a brand new offering that has rekindled my love affair with one of my favorite video games ever. Bravo.

For anyone who has ever had trouble finding a link to that great little Flash game, this new feature is for you.

I just finished implementing a Favorite Games List where you can select the games you like and have them appear in the sidebar above all the others, every time you visit. Simply drag and drop the game icons onto the spaces provided, click Save Favorites to save your changes, and voila! Favorites saved for every time you visit.

Of course, cookies must be enabled for this feature to work. And don't worry about the cookies, the only information I save are the favorites you choose, and the current stylesheet information. If you have any questions at all, leave a comment, but I am hoping I made it simple and usable for most anyone to jump right in with. Click.

Many thanks to Walter Zorn's excellent open source drag-n-drop DHTML library. I was able to extend it to do 'zactly what I wanted to do. =)

André Michelle said that by utilizing his GamePackage ActionScript tiling engine, he was able to create the gameplay of this Flash game for WM Team in just a few days. Now that is very impressive, even if I can't seem to keep the car on the road.

In Uniroyal Fun Cup, use the left and right arrow keys for steering as you race around the track, up arrow to accelerate, and down arrow to brake. Careful rounding the corners at top speed or you will surely end up way off course, and you cannot win that way. Just 3 laps around the track and the race is over. Try not to get lapped if you want to win.

The Flash game is highly polished and is even available to play in 5 languages. I especially like the attention to detail put into the simulated LCD dash displays. Register and sign in with the site if you want your times recorded on the high score list. Excellent work.

Play Uniroyal Fun Cup

I think I am finally going to go buy a gamepad and use JoyToKey to configure it to work with this game. My chances of winning a race can only improve.

Klas Kroon, via his Outside of Society website, resurfaces with another darling of a Flash game called RefleX. The objective in this game is to guide the moving ball throughout each level, collect all the gems, and then make it to the exit.

Click on the 'S' block to start, then click to toggle the orange 'mirrors' to affect the movement of the ball. Once all of the gems are collected, and all the objectives met, the 'E' block will light up to allow the ball to exit. Later levels present more challenging objectives, like avoiding the spikey thing pictured here. If the ball touches it, you must start the level over. To restart a level, click on the 'S' again.

RefleX features nice pixel graphics and solid game physics, while the gameplay is addictive and at times very challenging. Each level offers a puzzle to be solved, and the action-oriented nature of the game makes it a joy to play. Click.

Klas is also the author of Blockdude and various other game development resources, experiments and examples all available at his excellent OOS website. Click.

The Winter quarter at RIT doesn't begin until Monday, so this week I am enjoying a bit of holiday time playing games, and catching up on some much needed rest.

I have also been looking around the site for ways to improve usability and to provide better features. Yesterday I wrote some PHP code to keep track of unique online visitors. If anyone would like a copy of the code, just right click to save it.

If you have any ideas whatsoever about something you would like to see added or changed to the site, please do leave a comment. I still have a couple of GMail invites left for the first two worthy suggestions, should anyone want one.

Caray Snake is a variation on the classic arcade game Snake where your tail gets longer with each object eaten, and you must avoid running into your tail. What makes this Flash game different is you move the snake only one square at a time using the arrow keys. The object is to clear the board to move on to the next.

While the graphics of this game leave a lot to be desired, the gameplay works quite well. Not a fast-paced game, but rather a strategic game of calculation and planning. Created by Ray Lengele of Carayboo Design in Montréal, Québec.

Play Caray Snake

This simple and elegant Flash game looks like a work of art: minimal design paired with maximum gameplay. While not an original concept, Gridlock features classic sliding-block puzzle gameplay that will surely exercise your brain. Each level holds a blue block that you must slide through the opening. Slide any of the blocks necessary to achieve your goal. Progress is saved automatically.

Corwin Derkatch of Canada has been hosting this game for a couple of years now, and I continually see references to it popping up. A very well-executed game in the genre, and a very beautiful game to behold.

Play Gridlock

Is it any wonder that the simplest games to play are often the popular ones? 12many is a nice little Flash game from Tonypa that has been making the rounds on the Web, and for good reason: the rules of the game are simple and easy for anyone to understand.

For a very brief moment you will see a black square with a random number of stars to count. Just click the correct number to earn as many points. Bonus points are awarded for 5 correct answers in a row. You can make only 3 wrong guesses, though if you are within 1 there is no penalty. How high a score can you get?

Play 12many

One of the issues being discussed lately in the game development community is about how to make games that engage girl gamers. And while I cannot offer any insightful ideas on the subject, one thing I am sure of is that pitting the girls against the guys is a sure fire way to get everyone involved.

Parking: Battle of the Sexes is an excellent Flash game in the park-your-car genre that does just that. An advergame for the Zurich home and car insurance company in the UK, this well produced game has nicely polished graphics, an excellent implementation of soundtrack and effects, and a cute gimmick that keeps a running tally comparing the average scores of all the guys and all the girls that play the game.

There are three different parking scenarios of increasing difficulty, and you are given 60 seconds in which to complete parking your vehicle. Press the [Z] key on the keyboard to begin, then use the arrow keys for steering the wheel left and right, and for moving forward and back. Press [Z] again when finished.

It's a cute parking game with a unique twist that is sure to get people of both genders involved playing. And yes, the guys are better at parking cars. Is that surprising?

Play Parking Battle of the Sexes

The fall quarter at RIT is finally over, and not a day too soon. With all the great games just released it will be difficult as it is to find the time necessary to wallow in all the gaming goodness that is available now for every device imaginable. Not the least of which is the highly anticipated sequel to my favorite game of all-time: Metroid Prime.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes so far is everything that Prime was times 2. The worlds are expansive, the boss fights epic, and the particle effects sublime. Gorgeousness squared.

I had a heck of a time with the enormous Amorbis. The 3-headed creature of Dark Aether's Agon Wastes temple seemed impossible at first. But just as with any boss of exceptional design, finding the creature's vulnerable spot may prove elusive, but it's there. Then when you finally beat it, oh how sweet it is. Thank you Retro Studios for another fine Metroid experience (so far). The official Web site ain't bad either. Click.

Those talented NeoDelight boys from Germany strike again, and this time with a brand new Flash platformer. With Alex in Danger, you can run, jump and shoot badies to your heart's content. Use the arrow keys for movement, jumping and ducking, and press space to shoot.

Alex is a very pretty game, and its responsive controls give it the needed boost in the gameplay department. And while the physics could be tweaked just a tad for better realism and "feel", it's a minor complaint overall. A very nice game from Neodelight, but just be forewarned about the oftentimes annoying ads they have on their site. Click.

IGN DS has up today an article about Zoo Keeper DS, announcing that it will be released for the Nintendo DS within the official "launch window" for North America. What that means is the game will be available sometime in December.

If you are wondering why I may be interested in Zoo Keeper, besides the fact that I am waiting patiently for my preordered DS to arrive sometime in the next few days, answers to those questions may be found right here on this site. Zoo Keeper can be played right now, today, with Shockwave and a browser. Click.

What other Shockwave or Flash games would you like to see turn up on the Nintendo DS?

This Mr. Driller clone, created in Flash by Max K., is a decent version of the original game by Namco. Driller uses the arrow keys for movement, and the space bar for drilling. The object is to drill down through the blocks as far as you can without running out of air, or getting crushed. The level of difficulty determines how many rows of blocks you have to drill down through. Air capsules are randomly spaced throughout to provide replenishing your supply. The game makes a worthy addition to the classic games section.

Play Driller

Slot-car racing fun in this Shockwave game from Sweden. Build your own course then race against the computer, or against a friend using the same keyboard. Simply drag the track sections to the play field to construct a course. Once you have completed a valid course, you will get the checkered flag. Then just click the flag to begin a race. When playing alone, click the mouse on the race controller to accelerate, release to slow down. When playing against a friend, one player uses the [D] key, the other the [K] key on the keyboard.

The game physics and sound effects inject just enough realism to the game to make it a lot of fun, and the AI is brutally hard to beat at higher levels. Multiple levels of difficulty allow you to adjust the challenge to suit your skill level when playing alone against the computer AI. Bilbanan is hosted by Blip.se in Sweden. Click.

Update: Unfortunately, the original site, TV-4, has taken this game offline, but thanks to Brian the links above have been updated with a new host. =)

The Transport for London presents this cute Shockwave game on their government website Tube.tfl.gov.uk where you compete to race around a variety of tracks, picking up passengers along the way. There is also a train track constructor set that allows you to set up one of your own designs and race a friend—both using the same keyboard. Race too fast and your train will derail causing a delay. For anyone who has ever been fascinated with model trains, or with riding the London Undergound. Click.

Update: The game has been taken off the site and is no longer available.

Another game from SKT, this one introduces magnetic control over the environment in the form of a bunny with a electromagnet for a head. The premise of Magnet 2 is a bit odd, but the gameplay formula works brilliantly. Each level presents different objects and obstacles where you must maneuver the magnet to attract the objects into the goal. Press the space bar to activate the electromagnet and cause the objects to move toward you.

Each level introduces new types of objects and obstacles that keep the game interesting and challenging, and provides depth to the game. A password system allows you to pick up the game from the last level successfully completed. And the game allows you to retry each level as many times as necessary to solve its puzzle.

If you are just starting out, since most of the initial text is Japanese, simply click on "Main Mode" then click the bottom button of the next two buttons that appear. The top button will present some background information in Japanese and requires several more clicks to get the game started.

Like SKT's other games featuring hand-drawn graphics, Magnet 2 proves that realistic high-tech graphics are not required for creating games that are engaging and fun to play.

Play Magnet 2

Just one of several games created by Takahiro Miyazawa of SKT Products in Japan. Goki Dash is a Pac-Mac style Flash game where you control a cockroach that eats up green dots while avoiding the roach-eating gecko. The play field is larger than the game window, so there is a little more ground to cover than what meets the eye. To help you keep track of where the gecko is at all times, an icon will indicate the direction of the enemy when not on-screen, and the music volume increases as the gecko gets closer. Control is with the mouse, just click and hold the mouse button down to set the roach in motion. Drag the mouse in the direction you want the roach to move, and it follows.

The simple hand-drawn graphics are charming, and the intuitive mouse control mechanism makes the game a lot of fun to play. Several difficulty settings provide enough challenge for any level of game player.

Play Goki Dash

I also found Goki Dash Lite, a Shockwave version of the same game by SKT, featuring the same gameplay yet with improved graphics and additional power-ups.

Play Goki Dash Lite

Customize your quad and race against the clock in this Shockwave 3D four-wheeling game. Four Wheel Fury is produced by Blit Interactive, and offers four wheeling fun while racing around the track gathering as many points as possible. Keep your quad running smoothly by picking up fuel and repairs along the way. The control is with the arrow keys and reacts very tight to the touch. However, only the smart driver will finish the race within the time alotted and earn extended play. Nicely executed racing game without any excess.

Play Four Wheel Fury

Birdy is another cute little Flash game from Mach Parat. Move the mouse over the game window to take control of the little birdy. Eat, but don't be eaten or get carried away. Like the other No Clix games in the series, no mouse clicks are required to play. These games are simple and fun to play for a quick amusement and attitude adjustment break. Clix.

Included here with permission from the author.

This is just one of several cute little Flash games by the talented folks at Mach Parat in Cologne, Germany. UBoot is played in a browser by simply moving the mouse over the game window. No clicks are required. In fact, this is one of several games in their No Clix series. Simple and elegant with gameplay to boot. Clix.

Included here with permission from the author.

At first glance, you might think I'm a little wacky for suggesting this Flash game from Funyamora.com in Japan. Bubble is cute and sweet, almost sickeningly so, and offers very simple gameplay mechanics. You control a floating spirit by using the arrow keys to catch bubbles that rise up out of the ground and float into the sky. You might even be thinking that you could build such a game yourself, and you'd probably be right. There is nothing very complicated going on here.

What I think is so special about this game is the care that went into balancing the gameplay, thus providing 10 increasingly more difficult levels to clear. All you need to move on to the next level is to catch enough bubbles. How many you need to catch is determined by how many total bubbles there are for that level. The number of bubbles caught is tallied in the top left corner along with the total for that level. Once your score turns yellow, you have caught enough to advance. Catching more than you need will award you a bonus score. And if you catch all of the bubbles for a level, a special bonus fruit will appear for you to catch during the following level. The backgrounds and music change about every 3 levels, which adds to the overall balance of the game.

Again, this is not a very deep or complex game by any means, and you may even think I'm a little nuts for mentioning it. However, there is definitely some enjoyment to be found in this simple yet well-executed game that I just had to share.

Play Bubble

While it may be old news to some, to those who have not yet heard: take notice. Firefox 1.0 has been released today and it is by far the best browser currently available (read: WAY better than Internet Explorer). It is fast, standards compliant, compatible with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, and has many cool features such as pop-up blocking and online fraud protection, to name just a few. Oh, and it's FREE!

With Firefox it's easy to switch from Internet Explorer and other browsers. Firefox imports your existing bookmarks, passwords, cookies, and other data. Don't wait, get it now—you will be happy you did. Click.

Web pages never looked so good! =)

More Monkey Ball madness with mini Flash games from Sega. This time featuring three different games from Super Monkey Ball 2: Monkey Target, Monkey Baseball, and Monkey Bowling. Each game is a mini version of the console games available for the Nintendo Gamecube.

In Monkey Target, press the space bar to open your monkey ball wings and use the arrow keys to guide your monkey as he coasts through the air toward the target. Press the space bar once more when over the target to land. Monkey Baseball and Monkey Bowling are fairly self-explanatory, and all three games are good old Flash fun.

Play Super Monkey Ball 2 Mini

If you like this, then be sure to check out the original Super Monkey Ball mini game.

PelPet is a brand new game just released by On at Eyezmaze, and this one is just as delightful as the others.

The object of the game is to guide your yellow PelPet down the ladders to collect coins, pearls, gems, hammers and other power-ups along the way. Other colored PelPets are working their way up the structure to thwart your advancement. Coming into contact with any other PelPet will end your game.

PelPets move according to set rules that you may influence only by altering the structure of the ladder within their path. For example, you may add or remove wooden ladder rungs simply by clicking where you want to add or remove one. Metal rungs may only be removed if you have any hammers left.

Considering all the objects to collect and to avoid, there is a lot going on in this game. The rate of descent can even be altered with the up arrow symbols (rate slows) and the down arrow symbols (rate increases). There is an invincibility symbol that basically grants your PelPet one additional "life". And an eye symbol that projects your PelPet's path down several levels ahead of you to help you see where you're headed.

While the current release is still a development version (0.1d), the play was solid and stable. I imagine there is only gameplay balancing left to be done, if that. Just like Tontie, Grow, and Vanilla have done, PelPet is yet another excellent Eyezmaze game likely to steal many hours from gamers all over the world.

Play PelPet

Just released on Friday by award-winning design studio Preloaded in London, Shootin' Stars is a Flash "viral game" to promote their own talents. This sweet, entertaining game is filled with combos, skill shots and wonderful particle effects that explode when you shoot a star. Stars will shoot across the play field, simply press the corresponding key when the star is within its boundary to zap it. Default keys are Z, X and C, though you may change the keys to most any of your choosing.

Simple yet addictive gameplay is as easy as pressing the right key at the right moment. Combos and Skill Shots make the game interesting and provides a means by which higher scores may be reached. A timer adds an element of urgency to the mix. Excellent game design in a beautiful package. What a nice thing it is.

Play Shootin' Stars

This pair of Flash games, hosted on Nobelprize.org, teaches you about the physics of liquid crystals while playing.

Crystallite is an action puzzle game, similar to Tetris, where you position the falling blocks by rotating them before fitting them in their place. Use the right and left arrow keys to position the blocks, and the up and down arrows to rotate the blocks clockwise and counter-clockwise respectively. The first part of the game is about filling up the play field with successfully completed rows, while the second part of the game is more Tetris-like where completing a row removes it from play. Click.

Mainstream is an action arcade game similar to Frogger, except with a bit more fluid movement (excuse the pun). The object is to get your car across the play field of moving liquid crystals within the time limit. This game is easy at first, then gets difficult quickly. Click.

Both games are simple and straightforward in design, while the implementations are excellent with a well-produced educational slant.

The 1982 classic arcade game of Q*bert, re-created in Shockwave for online play over the Web. The object of the game is to move your Q*bert around the play field, hopping onto each square to turn it to the target color shown. While the default keys to use for movement are U, K, H, and M, the game does allow you to change them to suit your preference. Watch out for the various enemies that are out to stop you from completing your quest, though not everything that moves is bad. Catch the green balls to stop all enemies in their tracks for a moment giving you time to clear the board. The green hopping monsters that change the blocks back to their starting color can also be caught. This version, W*bert, was programmed and produced by Raul Silva and is hosted on Tripletsandus.com.

Play Q*bert

This Flash game is from Scenta, the same UK folks behind Reverse. Also created by Mobasher Iqbal, Nucleus features the same minimalist-type graphics, which are clean and simple, and adds atoms and valence electrons to create a sort of platform jumping game that is a lot of fun. Timing is everything as you try to maneuver the blue halo to the goal by jumping from electron to electron. To make a successful jump, click the mouse on any atom at the precise moment when two electrons are closest to each other. Later levels add motion to the atoms that require you to click while moving the mouse, which is not as easy as it sounds. I've made it to level 20, but I think the level may be sabotaged as I cannot make the final jump to the goal. Has anyone made it past level 20?

Play Nucleus

Madness. Not really a game, and yet I had a lot of fun playing with Just Letters, a Flash Communications Server application developed by FlashComGuru. The multiuser Flash application is reminiscent of those old Fisher Price Letters I used to play with eons ago.

Basically, there is a white board with lots of English alphabet letters on it that you drag around to form words, sort into colors, or what ever you like. Problem is, there are many others all doing the same thing—there were 74 others online when I was playing. Letters flying every which way, letters being taken from your words to form other words nearby. Madness. Mahem. Hilarious fun. Click.

Update: The developers have opened up more "Fridges" to play on. If you have trouble connecting to the one above, try Fridge 2, Fridge 3 or Fridge 4 (Fridge 4 has a max of 15 users).

NOTE: This is an anonymous, multi-user online environment, and therefore your experience, good or bad, heavily depends upon the nature of the other individuals playing at the same time. We offer no guarantee that your experience will be like ours was when we first reviewed this back in 2004. Proceed at your own risk.

Just as the dawn of a new day unfolds here in the U.S., so do I make this prayer: I pray to the creator of all things good and just that the American people may awaken today from the darkness that has veiled the truth about the current Administration, and together unite to defeat the worst President this country has ever endured. It is time to take back our country so that we may restore its honor, its dignity, and its integrity. With high hopes of ending this age of arrogance, greed, deceit, and hatred: let Peace reign free.