Punch, Cry, Game.

Hello Worlds! Is an interesting game, to say the least. It's a mind-!@#$ and you're going to love it. You take on the role of, what appears to be, an octopus. I can't tell you exactly what you are because the sprite is so small it's almost a simple blip on your screen. That's less important that I make it sound, the reason your sprite is so small is because you're going to need all the screen space you can get.

Hello Worlds! Mechanics play like this: it's a typical platformer in most regards. You run, jump, collect coins, and solve puzzles. The puzzles are where the fun lies. Depending on the stage you are in, you will have anywhere from 2-4 split-screens; each with their own set of platforms set up for each of your identical characters. The trick is, any platform, wall, or spring board one character interacts with will have an effect on the others in their screen. So, basically, if one of your sprites are standing on a platform in one screen, the others will essentially be standing on it as well (in most cases, hovering in mid-air). If there is a wall blocking the movement of one, it blocks the way for all.
The mechanic is interesting and quite clever. Designed as a University of Washington computer science project, it's obvious the creator, richwsnider, was looking to put a delicious new spin of the genre. Adding to the games style, there are certain doors within each frame that allow different effects to the puzzle as you progress. Green doors will close out the frame in which the sprite exists, clearing any possible obstacles from the other character's way (and also taking with it any useful advantage the frame had inside). Blue doors will act just as a door should, leading your sprite into a different room with a new layout and more obstacles and solutions for you to master. Brown doors are your ultimate goal, as they clear the stage and allow you to move on.

Bonuses come in the form of stars that you earn by achieving any one of three simple tasks. Every stage will award you one star for completing it, but some will also offer you additional stars for collecting all coins as well as finishing the stage under a certain time limit. Collecting a certain amount of stars is necessary for progressing through the entire game, so it helps to back track in order to grab those missed stars along the way.
Graphics are very simple, and actually nothing to boast about, but this game certainly isn't about its looks. It's a challenge that takes its direction from your ability to pay attention to several things going on at once, and being able to put things in a proper order that won't always be obvious, but will surely be entertaining to achieve. The music consists of a single melody that loops over. It's very mellow with some gentle acoustic rhythm to remind you that the tone of the game isn't a fast paced race to the end. It's about taking your time to figure things out; no rush, no worry.

The game, like most flash-based, is very short, but I had an absolute blast playing it and recommend you check it out. Get the game at:
Kongregate
Newgrounds
Official Capstone Site

The conquest for the holy grail marches through the swamps of the imperial standard. Any gifted property that is broken down and forged anew must pander to the greater audience for fear of losing the bounty of a marketable name. We've seen this explored, time and time again. Every movie that has been adapted from a video game falls under this strict guideline. You must return more than you left with if you should be considered a success in this medium of shallow entertainment value. Though neither side is forgiving—for the fans that worship the name of the game are just as quick to take the head of those that do away with their beloved canon—many have come close. I for one enjoyed Mortal Kombat as a child. The first Resident Evil movie had a lot that I appreciated (namely not touching the characters from the games). Silent Hill captured many of the elements that make the games so dark and unnerving. None of these, however, managed to have me walking away from the experience feeling like I did when I originally played the games though. Like the memory of a special place once visited as a child. Growing up and feeling secure in a memory of peaceful moments, those wild adventures, or the tamed desire to call this place “home”. Returning to such a harbor rarely, if ever, sustains those emotional ties. As this place that once held your heart and soul is now just another spot in the world that changes on a daily basis. You must continue and carry the enduring burden in your heart as you know, so much as you have ever known, it just isn't the same.


Inspired by the events revolving around this story: http://bit.ly/adf4iH

What happens when Mario realizes the world around him isn't real? Let's find out.

It appears we won't be enjoying Playdead's beautifully rendered 2D platformer Limbo anytime soon. As Joystiq reports that Playdead assures them, it will not be coming to PC or PS3. The company has an exclusive deal to bring the game to Xbox Live Arcade, and that won't be changing anytime soon. So, if like me, you've been looking forward to playing this game, keep hoping.

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/playdead-limbo-not-coming-to-ps3-or-pc/

Castaway, by Likwid games, takes you away to a tropical island, where survival is found at the tip of your sword, and from the help of a few combat critters along the way. For those that have a fondness for the old school console RPGs of the SNES and Genesis days, this game rings true to the style that you loved so much as a kid (or possibly an adult).

The setting is simple. You wake up to find that you've washed ashore of a mysterious island. Attempting to get your bearings, you stumble upon a strange creature that takes a liking to you for no reason what-so-ever. This little weirdo becomes the first, and most unique, of your new pets. Pets, in the game, act much like they do in your typical MMO. They follow you around and act as allies in battle. Pets level at the same rate you do, and receive the exact same amount of experience per kill as well. While pets are generally weaker than the main character (due to being unable to equip weapons and armor), their help is essential to survival in this strange new land. While your first pet happens to be the only kind of his species in game, you will eventually find yourself with a variety of pets, as each species of enemy creature on the island has the potential to drop eggs for you. Upon acquiring an egg, you can place them in a hatchery that will require a certain amount of time for them to mature into fully combat-ready status. The type of creature you are trying to raise will determine the amount of time required for hatching. For example, the first enemy you encounter in the game will drop and egg that requires 20-minutes to hatch, while the Scorpions from a later area will require a full hour to hatch. Plenty of eggs from each creature will drop during your travels, which leads me to one of the biggest nuisances in the game, pet death. When a pet dies (any pet), it's permanent, and extremely frustrating. You will often find yourself grinding a new pet for a good hour just to get them close enough to your level to be of any use, only to have them die after a few hits during an ambush. While you are able to hatch up to four different eggs at one time, the fact that you must still raise your pets level before it can truly help you during battle will push you away from an overall enjoyable experience.
The camera view if from an isometric angle, and as such, the standard gaming mechanics apply. You attack by clicking once to choose your target, and a second time to initiate combat. Once in combat, you and your pet will surround the enemy and dole out attacks until victory is assured. At this time you have the option of using skills based in either straight forward attacks or elemental based magic. Typical skills use up no MP or other source of energy, rather are only limited to the amount of time it takes to recharge after a single use. Magic skills, while being noticeably more powerful, require the use of elemental shards as well as the limitation of a cool down time. Pets will automatically attack the same enemy you do, but they do have limited control in which you can assign them to wait in one spot and avoid combat altogether, or you can set them to attack a specific enemy on their own. If your life gets too low, you can either use a potion to raise it, or you can remain stationary and it will replenish slowly over time. Pets, on the other hand, require wild berries to replenish life. This is a bit of a draw back, but there are plenty of wild berry drops from creatures.
Graphics are very similar to the SNES era of gaming. Simple yet colorful, they bring a nostalgic joy to your experience that was a special highlight. The isometric view adds a nice touch to the style of the game, giving it a very Diablo like feel, however, the combat is much too slow to compliment this aspect of the game. A great touch is the fact that armor, shields, and weapon upgrades change the look of your avatar throughout the game. Something that may seem small overall, but has a definite effect on your sense of growing power. Music is very mellow and perfect for the setting of the island. Unfortunately, there is only a single tune that plays for all areas. Understandable given the small size of the game, but still disappointing none the less.

Overall, the game is definitely a plus in my book. Not without its flaw, of course, but still an enjoyable throwback with modern elements.

Get the game at:

Likwid Games
Armor Games
Newgrounds
Kongregate

Adult Swim has been moving into the realm of flash-based games for some time now. Some are of outstanding quality, others are total crap. Today's game really just blew my mind. Give up, Robot by MattMakesGames is bringing some much needed challenge to the platformer genre of flash games. To put it simply, this is an old school remote basher. I have spent so many moments cursing out my screen and slamming my fist on the table because of this title that, I'm pretty sure, I'll be suing Matt for the damages. The game takes place in some sort of twisted, disco ball of hate. You are a robot that is constantly being taunted by a programmed voice that only loves you when you fail, and fail you shall. The mechanics are simple enough. Move left or right, jump, and the use of a grappling hook keep you progressing forward through obstacle courses of pain and misery. The level designs begin easy and work more complex, twitch based elements further on. Timing is a must as you find yourself dodging walls of death, grappling and swinging from falling blocks, and being spun in a whirlwind to be shot towards your goal at distorting speeds. Precision will be the only thing keeping you alive as the paths become narrow, the blocks move faster, and the lights and flashes become more disorienting.

Speaking of lights and flashes, the graphics of the game consist mostly of multi-colored flashing bricks. As I mentioned before, the world you exist in seems to be made up of a disco ball gone mad. While they begin as just a colorful addition to the atmosphere, all the blinking and flashing will soon become distracting and, in some cases, dizzying. I'm fairly certain the point was for them to affect you and in turn make the game that much more challenging, but I would be lying if I said the whole time I didn't feel as if a seizure was just around the corner. I should note that if you do actually suffer from seizures, I wouldn't recommend playing this game. That being said, the graphics also take on the wonderful pixel-based quality that I enjoy so much. Adding all the more to the retro feel.

The game will certainly take you back to the days when you would take a knife from the kitchen and use it to stab your controller over and over and over again, in a vain attempt to exact revenge on the one thing that taunts you so. You'll also remember those more recent times when you slammed your head against a wall, shed tears mixed with blood, and took a fading moment to realize you were in an abusive relationship that needs to end, but will go on for quite some time. Take in the possibility that playing this game will lead to more anger and tears, suck it in, and get it here:

Adult Swim

And if you like this game, be sure to check out MattMakesGames.com for more awesome platformers, including the very entertaining "Jumper" games.

I'm trying out something new here. Half-Ass Reviews will be a collection of recent flash games that I enjoyed playing but didn't feel like creating a full write up for. I'm new to video editing, so you'll notice a lack of production value here, but I'm learning as I go. Oh, and here are the links for the games in this weeks feature.

Hue Shift
Sydney Shark
Cursed Treasure

The Humble Bundle, a collection of 5 of the most well received indie games ever, is an effort to raise money for two very respected charities, and give you all an excuse to finally get your hands on some quality work. World of Goo, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru HD, and Penumbra: Overture are all included in the bundle. The price? Whatever you feel like paying. That's right, for six more days you can pay whatever you want for these five wonderful games. Better still, when you pay for them, you can decide how the money is divided up. You can choose for the money to go straight to the developers, or straight to the charities, or a mix of both. The charities you'll be helping out are the highly popular ChildsPlay, which is well known among the gaming community, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. An organization out to protect your rights on the internet. To get your hands on the Humble Bundle, take a trip down to http://www.wolfire.com/humble, but hurry, the deal is only good for about six more days.

The fine folks down at Massively.com are putting together a group on Thursday nights at 9PM EDT. The grouping is an effort to expand on the success they've had with Nights of Eberron on Wednesdays in Dungeons & Dragons Online. If you have the core version of Guild Wars and the free time, drop in and join in the fun. For full contact details, read the full article HERE.

I typically don't post videos unless they have relevance to games in some way. The Mockingbird song by, Katy Towell, is a cautionary tale about never underestimating the bond between parent and child, despite the flaws our mothers and fathers may have. The story is exceptionally well written, told, and visualized in the animation style presented. It's also completely done in flash, which is why, I think, it fits on this site perfectly. You see, I don't just view flash as an accessible platform to indulge our old school gaming desires. It's a medium that allows the artist at hand to provide something that moves you in a way you didn't quite expect. So I hope you'll watch this wonderful short and feel something much like I did when I watched it myself.

If you enjoy this, then be sure to check out Katy's profile on Newgounds HERE as well as her official website, Childrin r Skary.

THIS JUST IN!

Jay Pavlina, creative genius behind the game, Super Mario Bros. Crossover, has just lost his mind. Apparently, the response to his hit sensation has been so overwhelming, Jay has broken down, sold all his possessions, moved into a one room apartment, and started his own dance studio. We have video proof.

When asked what brought on this sudden change of occupation, Jay simply remarked, "Yes, that is me dancing like an idiot. See, you all thought I was some genius game developer, but it turns out I’m just a crazy asshole. Have a good day and please remember to not take yourself or your life too seriously."

For more on this developing story, see the link. HERE.

While I've covered a "Mario Clone" recently with the game, Enough Plumbers, this recent addition into the market deserves special recognition for both being an awesome idea, and for being a rocket to notoriety for the author. Look anywhere on the internet and you'll see a review or commentary about this game. Jay Pavlina, creator of Exploding Rabbit, as well as the game in question, is overwhelmed by the response to a game that has only been on the internet a few days. That game? Super Mario Bros. Crossover, of course.

What's so special about another Mario game? I'm glad you asked, dear reader. Let's start with an obvious thing. This game, for all intents and purposes, is Super Mario Bros. The difference here is nothing short of brilliant. Jay has taken a cast of some pretty memorable characters from other classic NES games and put them in SMB as playable toons. Link, Mega Man, Simon Belmont, Samus, and even Bill R. from Contra, all make a staring appearance.

The game is more than just a sprite switch as you might expect. This is a hearty conversion between the mechanics of the original game with those of the characters crossing over. While not all of each character's original abilities could be brought into the world, the ones that were add plenty of excitement and new found appreciation for the classic NES platformer. Examples of each include:

Samus - Bringing her arm cannon as well as her ability to morph into a ball and plant bombs, she shines most when it comes to her exceptional jumping abilities. Acquiring mushroom and flower power-ups will extend the reach and power of her gun, along with granting her the look of her varia suit, as well as her suitless form from the original game.

Mega Man - Another King jumper, MM shares Samus' choice in weaponry with his trusted arm cannon. Adding to memorable actions, MM can also perform a familiar slide action that allows him access to tight squeezes, as well as a boost in speed. Power-ups will provide stronger attacks, allow him to charge up his famous Buster Shot, and grant him the cosmetic form of both his helmet and red suit.

Bill R. - Straight out of Contra, brings both his assault rifle and ability to shoot in eight different directions. Power-ups take him from a single shot up to the dreaded spread that will devastate anything in your path. I must say, out of all the characters available, Bill is easily the most destructive.

Simon Belmont - Already notorious for being the hardest to maneuver while jumping, Simon's jumps can't be controlled mid-air. He makes up for this by having a special double-jump ability, which not only gives you a slight of control while jumping, but also compensates during those moments when height is of importance. He also has a bonus ability to throw axes in a curved trajectory.

Link - He may be small, but don't let his size fool you. Link packs a lot of punch for a kid. Along with his sword, he has the unique ability to point it up or down while jumping. Great for smashing bricks and bouncing off enemies. Power-ups will eventually grant him the use of the magic sword, which will fire projectiles at enemies, making him one of only two characters to be both a melee as well as a distance fighter (the other being Mario himself). He also brings his boomerang to the party, helping him reach out of the way coins and keeping power-ups from getting away.

Mario - It should be noted that Mario is also a playable character. After all, it is his game; However, as someone pointed out in the comments section at newgrounds, "who the F*** is going to use Mario?"



The gameplay takes into account a lot of the little things that you would hope to see. Each character can jump to hit blocks, as well as land on enemies to kill them, keeping with the classic theme. In true crossover fashion, each character's weapons also can be used to smash blocks, trigger "?" blocks, and kill enemies as well. You can mix and match the styles of the game and the character to create something unique while never betraying the overall feel of the original. Even with that being said, some liberties were taken when Jay Pavlina put his hand to this project. The most notable being the new ability to back track a level. Something that was missing from the original SMB. When asked in a recent interview with GameXplain, Jay answered, "The only reason I did that is because I think it’s annoying in games when you can’t go backwards. I know it’s not like the original game, but I like it better this way. That is just a personal preference."

The other big change in the game is noticed during the underwater levels of SMB. Jay mentioned that he didn't have any swimming character models for stars of the game, so to compensate for this he took out the gravity of the levels. This allows each character to jump to incredible heights. There is also the addition of platforms in certain areas to allow access to coins during these same levels. Given the nature of these characters, it's certainly understandable why the changes were made, and in all honesty, they take away nothing from the fun you'll have playing this game.


Sound is a big highlight of this extraordinary game. Jay takes the themes of these beloved heroes and implements them flawlessly into each stage, further adding to the overall nostalgia that you'll experience while roaming through this familiar, yet altogether new experience. Check out the "final seconds" sounds for each character and just see what I mean.

It's really amazing how much Jay has accomplished with this simple idea. Too many people have tried to take SMB and copy, corrupt, and really just destroy what is considered the hallmark of console gaming. Jay, on the other hand, took a year of his life and used it to take something you only thought you knew, combine it with everything else you loved about the NES, and turned it into an internet sensation that is causing people to see things in a new light. A true artistic achievement, worthy of every bit of praise coming. When asked what was next for Jay and his newly formed studio, Exploding Rabbit, he had this to say:

"Actually, what I released is an unfinished version of the game, or sort of like a demo version. If everyone knew what I was really planning, I think they’d freak out even more. But I just released this version because I was going a bit insane from working on it for so long without anyone playing it, so it was sort of a necessity for me to let people play it and get some feedback. As long as I don’t get sued, you can expect more stuff like this from me. If I do get sued, you can still expect awesome stuff from me, but it will include my own original characters instead of already established characters.

I’ll be posting both my new and old movies to my website, exploding-rabbit.com, very soon. I have always wanted people to share my work with because the stuff I do is a lot of fun and very unique. I hope people consider subscribing to my blog or Twitter account to see some hilarious movies and other fun games very soon. I promise I will work extremely hard to make everything I do the same or better quality than “Super Mario Bros Crossover.”

And I could leave on that note, but I just want to say one more thing. To anyone that has a dream of something that you want: go for it. It doesn’t matter how many times you fail. It doesn’t matter how many people tell you you’re crazy. It doesn’t matter how many obstacles are in your way. All that matters is that you follow your heart and do what you truly love. If everyone did that, the world would be a very different place."

I look forward to seeing Jay's movies, as well as the games that this brilliant mind will produce next. I wish him nothing but further success in the years to come.

Jay was nice enough to direct me the interview with GameXplain, which is where I got the above quotes. You can find the full interview, HERE.

And, of course, don't forget to check out the game for yourself. Get it at:

Newgrounds

Block breaking games, delicious and chock-full of vitamins and stuff... Well, maybe not, but they are entertaining fair for killing time. Pixel Basher, developed by the relatively low key EmitterCritter, takes the style of pixel themed graphics, adds a dash of gravity and flair, and packages it up for your entertainment needs.

The game play is about what you would expect. You have a ball, a paddle, and blocks that need bashing. The first thing you might notice is the paddle's odd shape. Instead of the usual flat rectangle, you have what appears to be more of a half circle barrier to knock the ball back with. This twist on the old design allows the paddle to have a spring effect that helps to build up the ball's momentum, leading to more powerful slams on contact with bricks. A gravity mechanic is added to give the ball weight. Meaning the ball no longer moves in perpetual motion, gaining infinitely more speed as it bounces off bricks and walls. Instead, the ball needs to build up momentum using the spring mechanic of the paddle and straight shots towards your target. Curving the balls direction can lead to disastrous effects, as the ball will lose most of its speed and come crashing back down sooner than expected. Letting the ball get caught at the top of a row of blocks will also lead to the ball losing movement and ending up stuck, causing it to explode, and penalizing you one of your limited number of retries. Your paddle isn't meant to simply keeping the ball in motion, as it is equipped with a cannon that can fire pellets at bricks to add a bit of support from your end. Gold earned during and after each round will provide you the currency to upgrade to different types of weapons for your paddle, as well as the strength of each weapon, and the amount of ammo you start the next round with.


The graphics, while being simple in terms of the gameplay at hand, are full of bright flashes, pixelated  destruction, and streaming trails to signify the balls movement. The best part about the art style though, is the pattern of the blocks in each level. The developer definitely wanted to pay homage to classic games; such as, Megaman, Space Invaders, Super Mario, and several others. Sound is limited to the typical ball breaking brick demographic, and of course small chimes to inform you of a power-up or coin grab. The music consists of two melodies, one during the stage select screen, and another during actual gameplay. While the techo-style music is catchy and not at all distracting, there's definitely a desire for a little more on that end.


The game is simply awesome on so many levels.If you love brick breaking games, you're going to love this short, but highly entertaining romp through the genre. Five thumbs up.

Get the game at:

Funflow

Newgrounds

As an added bonus to my last post, i'm adding this video that is relevant to the content. Writer and video hooligan Cody Johnston from Cracked.com shows us just how easily these games can get out of hand.

A Helpful Tutorial for a Game That Would Confuse Einstein -- powered by Cracked.com

There's no shortage of titles following this trend, but games with the “clone” mechanic certainly do put a fresh spin on a true classic genre in the video game world. If you don't know what I mean, then you probably haven't heard of the game that took it to the mainstream, Braid. The cloning mechanic has added a new flair to the traditional platformer by making puzzles intricately more challenging, with cause-and-effect at the center of your every move. Games like, Chronotron, and my personal favorite, The Company of Myself, have moved to give this new sub-genre a foot in the flash medium. Today's game tries to take that same enthusiasm and mix it with retro memorabilia in Klikscene's own, Enough Plumbers.

The basic premise is simple enough, you are a Super Mario clone that needs to clone himself in order to solve puzzles. What sets this entry different from the ones mentioned before is both in the sheer number of clones you will have (there can be a dozen at a time), to the nature of the clones themselves. In all the games I gave as examples before, your clones (or shadows, in most cases) mimic the actions you performed before you brought them into existence. Forcing you to plan ahead and think, not only in terms of what comes next, but also in terms of what will happen two or three spawns from now. In, Enough Plumbers, your clones spawn every time you pick up a coin, and follow your every moment in real time. This small but clever change to the way the style is usually executed makes all the difference in challenge and predictability. You no longer have the added advantage of knowing exactly where your shadow will end up, so you have to plan your movements carefully, as the slightest mistake could leave you and your clones stuck with no way out except for a cold reset.


The challenge might be new but the flavor is all Super Mario, when it comes to the sound, graphics, and general atmosphere. The presence of goombas, coins, bricks, turtles, buttons, and of course; power-ups, will leave you feeling right at home if you've been playing the games since the beginning of the series. The music, while being fairly original, gives the occasional nod to the beats we know and love (dig the funky version of the underground tunnel theme during the stage select screen.).


The game feels good. It would be easy to look down on it because it is another in a growing list that follow the latest trend. It would be even easier to dismiss this as just another “Super Mario clone,” however, everything fits together just right, and the presentation of the classic meeting the fashionable brings this game to the top of my list. I highly recommend it.

Get the game at:

Not Doppler

Gamesfree

The guys down at Berzerk Studio get a lot of sass for trying to make a little money off their games, but if there's one thing good flash developers need, it's finance to keep things going. Berzerk has an impressive lineup, including games like Hero Arms and the Mechanical Commando series, but their most recent work takes a new spin on the idea of "fan service" and places it in the realm of payback and irony. Homerun in Berzerk Land takes the mechanics of games such as, Toss the Turtle, and puts its own spin on it by making it a tribute to the idea of taking a bat, electric guitar, and yes; even a sword, to the backside of anyone that has left you a retarded comment before.

The game isn't subtle about the message it's trying to get across. As the geek waits for you to set up the distance and power of your hit, he mouths off in a very "na-na" fashion, using phrases that were actually pulled from the comments section from some of the games that Berzerk Studio has submitted in the past.



There's no shortage of blood either, as you dole out punishment to your target; be it from a series of bee stings, rockets fired from a wandering mech, punches from a towering berzerker, or just from the hard ground waiting for him when his journey comes to an end. The game runs smoothly on the highest graphical quality, and the controls are easy to pick up right from the start. Upgrades as well as level ups from xp and cash gained after each serve help to raise the distance and pain you'll be dishing out as the game goes on.

All in all, it's an enjoyable experience, however, the game's charm and appeal don't last long. The entire thing becomes repetitive after a short amount of time. Nothing really changes as far as the structure of the game goes. You are given the option of using several different characters to take on the role of batter, and even unlock a few more as you gain distance, but other than that, the game lacks the depth and lasting enjoyment that Berzerk Studio's other titles have. In the end, it's a game worth trying, if only for the fun of knocking around a virtual representation of your most hated trolls, but you won't be sticking around for long.

Find the game at:

PlayHub
Newgrounds

2DArray, the developing geniuses that brought us the compelling and challenging platformer, The Company of Myself,  are at it once again with a mix of existential drama and astroidvania game play in Viricide.

Viricide puts you in the helm of an "antiviral unit" set inside of an artificial intelligence based computer. Your job is to take aim inside of a small grid like square where anomalies of varying shapes and sizes will fly by your screen, forcing you to dodge them while firing your cannons in any and all directions, destroying said anomalies and collecting chips in the process to fund upgrades for future levels.

The game mechanics are very smooth, using either the wasd or arrow keys to move your ship while using your mouse to both aim and fire your cannons at enemy units. The gameplay changes quickly from three main elements of the dodge and shoot dynamic. At first you will feel as though you are merely trying to shoot passing blocks as fast as you can to grab that extra income, but it isn't long before you are playing hard on the dodge aspect as the levels produce more and more enemies on screen at one single time. Small square blocks make for your average target while the intro of circles that move in a wave like pattern will definitely force you to hone in on your stick and move skills. Once you are introduced to squares that take up what feels like half the screen at any given time, you will truly learn the meaning of the phrase, "a tight squeeze". Cluster blocks that attack as a bunch stuck together, then exploding into a spray of shrapnel that will test your speed in aiming and shooting become part of the family of destruction you face in your travels down the malfunctioning systems of your partner A.I. It won't be long until you are greeted by the tiny circles that move fast, follow you closely in dog fight fashion, and are more than willing to attack in groups. Upgrades are small, nothing fancy, and quite expensive to purchase in the early stages; however you will need them to stem the tide of rushing geometrical doom in your favor.

To say the game is very similar to other games of its type is an accurate way of assessing the basics of it, but this is 2DArray we are talking about! They know how to make a simple game feel like the story of your life being flattened out and displayed on your screen in an orgy of retrotastic game play, coupled with subtle emotional quandaries, and wrapped in what would otherwise be considered simple story telling. From the moment you finish the first mission you are greeted by an A.I. program that can be considered no less than compelling character development, brought into being by what I would happily call some of the best voice acting i've heard in a game. Top notch work on 2D's part. The game has heart, and I mean that literally (if you make it to the last level you'll see what I mean.).

The fan response has been overwhelming, as 2DArray points out in a recent blog post on their site here.

The game has all the things 2DArray is known for: retro-style game play, brilliant storytelling, and even though the graphics in this particular game are meant to be simple; they have a vibrant charm that holds true to the dynamic of the setting. I recommend you try it, and wish 2DArray only the best and hope for more from them in the future.

Find the game at:
Armor Games
Kongragate

If you are reading this then you have obviously taken a wrong turn somewhere on the net, but since you are already here, let me introduce you to Punch, Cry, Game. My goal here at PCG is to pretend that I can do something as good as those professional gaming news websites, only better. I try to distract you, the viewer, from this by focusing on areas of gaming that are usually left to side notes because they don't warrant the same kind of attention that big budge titles get. Flash games, professional indie games, free to play MMO games, these are the heart of what my coverage will be from here on out. So if you enjoy self-absorbed ranting, half-ass reviews, and various tidbits of news in between, then you will most certainly enjoy Punch, Cry, Game.