Lume
State of Play's new puzzle adventure title Lume might be made out of cardboard cutouts but it is in no way a one-dimensional game.
When the lights mysteriously go out in the colorful paper and cardboard world of Lume, it is up to protagonist Lumi (if you find that name cute, you'll like the game, it's a pretty cute also) to solve a series of puzzles her mysteriously missing grandfather has left for her. Solving puzzles grants access to a series of locked rooms, essential items and other goodies that will help Lumi in her quest.
You control little Lumi as she explores her grandfather's house and backyard. You are stuck at the house for the entire game essentially even though you have knowledge of the town over yonder. The setting may be geographically limited to about five to six rooms sans the puzzle screens, but that's not a bad thing (especially if you like escape from the room games).
Published by Meghan Chiampa on 25th June 2011
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The Tiny Bang Story
Beautiful hand-drawn graphics, nicely balanced and creative puzzles and a great sound track, The Tiny Bang Story delivers on all fronts.
The Tiny Bang Story is a point-and-click adventure/puzzle game developed by Colibri Games. The game is designed for users of any age who have active imaginations and are fans of classic logic puzzles. The Tiny Bang Story takes place on an obliterated planet which shattered into jigsaw pieces after being hit by an asteroid.
In order to advance through each level you are required to solve a portion of the jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle contains small, but beautifully detailed animations such as shooting stars, waving tree branches and flowing water. The game feature the amazing hand-drawn graphics for which Colibri has become famous.
Published by Meghan Chiampa on 25th May 2011
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Castaway 2
Robinson Crusoe had it lucky. He was only stranded on a desert island once. Things are not so easy for the hero of RPG adventure game series Castaway.
The original Castaway was very popular apparently. I wouldn't know, I never played it, but if it's anything like it's sequel, the cunningly titled Castaway 2, then I can certainly see why.
An isometric action adventure RPG, Castaway 2 incorporates a colourful anime style and some pleasant stirring music (initially at least - the opportunity to turn it off after a couple of hours gameplay is a godsend) that makes it clear from the off that you're dealing with a polished, accomplished effort. The game looks and plays like a slightly watered down version of one of the Zelda games on GameBoy or DS, and that can only be a good thing.
Published by Andy Matthews on 24th May 2011
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ClubWorld
If the idea of running your own nightclub gets you excited, then Tapulous's latest iOS game might have you dancing around with joy.
Ever walk into a nightclub, it's blindingly colourful, full of guys in football jerseys and blonde girls with eyes the size of saucers and the DJ is playing Lady Gaga mixes over and over, and think how much better you could run the club yourself? Well there's a new game for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad just for you, courtesy of Tapulous, the company behind the hugely successful Tap Tap Revenge iPhone music game.
The firm's latest title, ClubWorld, is a free tycoon-style game in which you play a nightclub owner, hiring bartenders, DJs and door people and collecting money from your clientele to spend on decor, dance floors and drink menus for your club. Think Farmville crossed with The Sims but aimed at trendy young things rather than stay-at-home mothers.
Published by Meghan Chiampa on 8th May 2011
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Insectonator
If the only good bug is a dead one, then you will be doing one helluva lot of good work in this cheery insect massacring game.
Let's get one thing straight before we begin: I loathe creepy crawlies of any kind. I only use half of my garden shed, having surrendered the rest to an army of enormous spiders that have made it their home, in some sort of fragile peace treaty.
I was once held captive in a Spanish apartment for an hour by an angry cockroach who wouldn't stop clawing at the doors to get at me. Even when finally plucking up the courage to leave, it was via the back door. In short, bugs make my skin crawl. With this in mind, I should be the ideal person to get to grips with Insectonator - FlyAnvil's top-down shooter where house flies are the bad guys.
Published by Andy Matthews on 3rd May 2011
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Bela Kovacs and the Trail of Blood
Fans of noir adventures are in for a treat with this beautifully-realised point and click detective story by Extropia Games.
"You people know them well. The eyes gazing from the shadows. The claws scratching in the attic. The freaks under your bed, the spooks in your closet. Let me tell you a secret. They're all real."
With this darkly intriguing intro, plus music that sounds like Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti in an especially sinister mood, we are thrust into the world (the Old World) of Bela Kovacs. Kovacs is a sunglasses-wearing, beard-sporting, motorcycle-riding former detective from the mean streets of Budapest. He's carrying a head full of bad memories and trouble knows where to find him.
Published by Andy Jowett on 29th April 2011
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My Little Army
My Little Army takes the core game play of battle sims like Epic War and Warfare 1944 and dresses it up with cute cartoony graphics and a Disney-like fantasy setting. The end result is one of the funnest strategy games we've played in a long while.
My Little Army is a disarmingly cute side-scrolling strategy defence game from the creator of the popular Epic War series Rudy Sudarto. The aim is to lead one of three hero characters to victory in a quest to gain control of the ‘Myth Balls' - the concept of which I remain unclear about, no matter how many times I sit through the game's colourful comic-book introduction. But then I suppose the story doesn't matter so much when a game is this much fun.
Your chosen hero is permanently stationed on the left of a scrolling battle screen, acting as a command post from where you can dispatch a variety of units to do battle with a surge of oncoming enemies from the right.
Published by Andy Matthews on 23rd April 2011
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Upgrade Completer
Some jokes are worth telling twice, as parody-cum-vertical shooter Upgrade Completer proves.
Ah, Upgrade Complete. If ever a game was crying out for a sequel, that wasn’t it. But that’s exactly where we find ourselves with Upgrade Completer – Armor Games’s follow-up to the highly amusing and original, um, original.
For those of you that may have missed the first game, Upgrade Complete was a simplistic vertically scrolling shooter tacked on the end of a well-observed parody of the modern day gamer’s thirst for meaningless achievements, trophies and unlockable content. Players were forced to purchase and upgrade literally EVERYTHING in the game, including menu items, background music and even copyright smallprint. It was very amusing, clever stuff… but surely a sequel would stretch the joke a little thin?
Published by Andy Matthews on 15th April 2011
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Review: Nintendo 3Ds
Nintendo has done it again. After the huge success of the Wii, the company's new 3DS handheld looks set to be another game changer.
As I am sure you are all aware, Nintendo has recently launched a revolutionary new handheld games device, the 3DS. If you were not one of the hundreds of thousands who pre-ordered the highly anticipated gadget and you have yet to have a hands on experience with one, then you may be wondering how it differs from its predecessors and whether it is really worth the $249.99 (£220) price tag. Well here’s all you need to know...
Undoubtedly the most exciting thing about the 3DS is the glasses-free 3D technology that has been built into the device's upper screen (it has two screens, by the way). This is the first popularly available game system to feature this technology and you really need to experience it firsthand to appreciate it.
Published by Kat Cole on 7th April 2011
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Elephant Quest
A joyous Elephant-themed adventure game that brilliantly combines RPG, action and platformer game-play. You won't want to miss this game.
John Cooney, head of development at Armor Games, has done it again. The creator of brilliant Flash games such as Exit Path, Corporation Inc and Treadmillasaurus Rex has come up with another game that is set to become an instant classic. I would even go as far as saying that Elephant Quest is John's best game yet.
Elephant Quest is John's first foray into the role-playing style of game. You will probably know this genre for its over-reliance on Lord of the Rings-inspired fantasy settings and characters. But don't expect to be playing as an elf, dwarf or human in this game. John loves nothing more than reinventing game genres (as testified by what he has done to the platform genre with games like Achievement Unlocked) and has foregone the traditional fantasy setting, opting instead for a world of cute elephants, one of whom you play.
Published by Tasha on 22nd February 2011
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Game reviews
-
Lume
State of Play's new puzzle adventure title Lume might be made out of cardboard cutouts but it is in no way a one-dimensional game.
Read more -
The Tiny Bang Story
Beautiful hand-drawn graphics, nicely balanced and creative puzzles and a great sound track, The Tiny Bang Story delivers on all fronts.
Read more -
Castaway 2
Robinson Crusoe had it lucky. He was only stranded on a desert island once. Things are not so easy for the hero of RPG adventure game series Castaway.
Read more -
ClubWorld
If the idea of running your own nightclub gets you excited, then Tapulous's latest iOS game might have you dancing around with joy.
Read more -
Insectonator
If the only good bug is a dead one, then you will be doing one helluva lot of good work in this cheery insect massacring game.
Read more
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