Somehow, due to some strange coincidences no doubt brought upon by NASA's Dawn spacecraft discovering a massive mountain on the asteroid Vesta, this edition of Weekend Download features three games that pretty much cover the spectrum of gaming preferences. Want action? Got it. Puzzles? Got it! An engrossing RPG? Got it. No dress-up games, though, for which you have our sincerest apologies...
Hanano Puzzle (Windows, 1.17MB, free) - This game is not kidding around. A block sliding puzzle that isn't like most puzzle games you've played, Hanano challenges you to move different colored pieces around each level in order to land them next to like-colored flowers to sprout more blossoms. Odd-sounding, yes, but insanely challenging, and one of those games you'll start playing and never be able to stop. (Note: By default, Hanano Puzzle is in Japanese. Click on the download link just below the screenshots, and when you first run the game, choose the English option at the top.)
Ascii Sector (Mac/Win/Linux, 3-6MB, free) - A complete space-trading simulation/role playing game presented with ASCII visuals. You start with a lowly spaceship, accepting missions and trading a few goods so you can earn enough money to upgrade it. Eventually, you can head out and fight other ships, trade fisticuffs with creatures on the ground, and explore a wide world of complex, old school gaming in all its glory. Even better, use the quest maker to script your own adventures!
Unepic (Windows, 59MB, demo) - Just a few months ago, we were teased with a beta demo of Unepic, a Castlevania-like sidescrolling action game. You play the role of Danial, a real-life dude who gets transported to a medieval castle during a friendly RPG session. Working his way deeper into the dungeons, he'll encounter over 100 weapons and 70 different spells used to deal with the denizens of the dark underworld. It's good-looking and intense game, featuring around 20 hours of gameplay from start to finish. The demo is nice and long and gives you plenty of time to evaluate before you take the plunge for the full version.
Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows 7 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!
Hanano Puzzle... wow! Been stuck on the first level for 15 minutes but loving the concept, these quirky little Japanese puzzlers are always good :)
i need a little help i think. i just downloaded ascii and the music for windows, but now its not letting me open any files.
Hanano Puzzle is awesome! I'm on my prescribed post level 20 break now. Fantastic design!
JIGuest: All you have to do is unzip them and run the game. Use 7zip 'cause it's awesome:
http://www.7-zip.org/
Hanano Puzzle is great!
Thanks for giving Unepic another mention. I got to help on the English translation -- which turned out to be a bigger job than I'd anticipated, as there's a LOT of text. I cleaned up most of the language, so it would probably fall somewhere in the "teen" category.
One good move on the author's part is that he gives several options for pricing. This way people can try the demo, then pay what they think it's worth (and what fits their budget).
What's the difference between this demo and the beta, besides the obvious bug/language fixes? Is it longer?
JIGuest: The demo for Unepic is about an hour of gameplay. The full version is longer and, honestly, better than the beta.
I highly, HIGHLY enjoyed the "Unepic" demo the first time it was shown on JiG, but was hesitant to purchase or recommend it due to the rough language.
Now that you say the English version has been reworked to a "teen" level, I'll have to try it again and see if I can endorse it to my friends. What great news!
If you liked Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (which put the "vania" in "metroidvania" style games), you should really try out Unepic!!
I had a feeling that Unepic was good enough to purchase without the demo and I have to say it's really really good.
The plot is great, as are the graphics and gameplay. Yes, the language is a little bit colourful and I'd say slightly above the teen market.
Very much well worth the money compared to the amount of stuff within.
Well done Francisco and team, a great effort.
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