Review - Treasure Stack

Treasure Stack is a new entree into the falling-block puzzle genre – with a twist. Developed by the team at Pixelakes, Treasure Stack brings the formula of stacking matching blocks, adds in platformer elements, and requires strategic rearrangement for success. This indie game offers fast-paced mechanics and challenges the player’s ability to plan ahead and think on the fly. While games like Dr. Mario and Tetris do come to mind, Wario Woods back in 1991 on the SNES is the closest comparison that I can offer.


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Alwa’s Awakening – game review

Release Date: February 2, 2017
Developer/Publisher: Eldin Pixels
Platforms: Steam
MSRP: $9.99

The land of Alwa has come under control by an evil being named Vicor and his guardians named The Protectors. He sought mystical power and enslaved the people of Alwa. Desperate to take back their land, a heroine is summoned from a different – a normal, every-day girl named Zoe wakes up to find herself dressed as a mage and is called upon to save the world.

Alwa’s Awakening is an NES-inspired action/adventure side-scroller that brings back the nostalgia of the 80’s. The game features many old-school elements and tells an enjoyable story.

Gameplay

While catering to the ever-present retro indie scene, Alwa’s Awakening has that classic metroidvania feel with only a little bit of modernization. The game takes the middle road in both difficulty and in pacing. Rather than feeling like a grand adventure or more commonly like a drawn out game due to limitations, Alwa’s awakening is a good fit for someone who craves the old-school genre without the punishment. There are many respawn points that the player can activate which makes dungeons and simply navigating the map friendlier. Warp points between major locations also favor quick story progression rather than forced backtracking that the genre is famous for. Another thing worth noting is that any sort of item collection or opening of doors is automatically saved which means that should a gameover happen, there won’t be a need to go back and get that key or powerup all over again (Which will probably be very speed-runner friendly).

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PSIBO - Game Review

Release Date: October 6, 2016
Developer/Publisher: Toxijuice/Nami Tentou 
Platforms: Wii U, Steam (Pending Greenlight)
MSRP: $4.99

A recipe for chaos: Add 1-part Pong, 2-parts Breakout, and a helping of Space Invaders for good measure.

Following behind Nami Tentou’s title Ping 1.5+ comes another arcade-inspired android game ported to Wii U.  In PSIBO (I’m assuming it’s rhymes with psycho), you’re met with gameplay that combines parts of the 3 games above to create a challenging, chaotic and retro-feeling title.

Gameplay

PSIBO features two game modes. Endless mode is the essence of its arcade ancestry with the goal of achieving a high score. The game also features 36 original levels ported directly from the android version. In both cases, gameplay and controls are the same.

You control a blue paddle that can launch and bounce balls (much like in Breakout) and the goal is to break all of the hexagons at the top. Opposing you is an AI controlled enemy paddle that tries to block your shot back at you (ala Pong). If you miss the ball bounced back at you, it’s returned to your supply, however an alien also spawns and begins firing lasers at you. Taking hits lowers your health (cue Space Invaders) and reaching 0 health ends the game. If you can follow that, good. If not, check out the image below.

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Prototype Review: Human: Fall Flat (PC)

In development is a physics driven 3D puzzle game called Human: Fall Flat. The game is a work-in-progress by developer No Break Games – a small independent developer team out of Lithuania. I was provided a demo of the 0.3.0 prototype build for the purpose of this review. Since it’s simply an alpha build, I’ll keep this review brief.


Human: Fall Flat is a 3D physics simulator where you control a blobby, hard-hat wearing human with no super powers whatsoever as he tries to escape his recurring dream of falling by solving puzzles. Bob is his name, and using (or misusing) tools is his game.

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Game Reivew: Pixel Slime U

Release Date: August 27, 2015
Developer/Publisher: RCMADIAX
Platforms: Wii U
MSRP: $2.99
Players: Single Player

The fourth game produced by Nintendo indie developer RCMADIAX comes in the form of Pixel Slime U – an auto-scrolling platformer that challenges the player to make it through 40 levels with as few deaths as possible.

GamePlay

The goal of the game is to get the green Slime character across small levels while avoiding spikes and pitfalls in order to reach the goal.  Pixel Slime U tries to be make things simple and addicting by having the character move on its own and reducing controls to just 1 button (starting to sound like their previous title: Don’t Crash). The command button will cause the slime to either jump to the next platform or invert to the other side depending on what the level calls for.

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Game Review: ZaciSa’s Last Stand (Wii U)

Release Date: July 3rd, 2014
Developer/Publisher: ZeNfA Productions
Platforms: Wii U
MSRP: $3.99
Players: Single player with option for up to 4 player assistance

The first game created from ZeNfA Productions, ZaciSa’s Last Stand is a simple Tower Defense game set in space featuring 12 maps and 4 different game modes. Since launch, game has seen a handful of much needed updates creating a more appealing game play. The goal of the game is to survive as long as possible defending your bases with bots from an onslaught of aliens.

READ THE FULL REVIEW @ THE GEEK GENERATION

Game Review - Roving Rogue (Wii U)

Release Date: July 2, 2015
Developer/Publisher: Padone Games
Platforms: Wii U
MSRP: $7.99
Players: 1-4 Player Local Co-Op

Developed by Padaone Games, an indie developer out of Spain, Roving Rogue is a retro-inspired platformer with a twist – it begins immediately after the protagonist has defeated the “final boss”.  The game attempts to pay homage to “the golden age” of video games with sprite graphics, a heavy focus on platforming, and simple controls. Roving Rogue is also very self-aware and occasionally breaks the forth wall.

Worth mentioning is that the prototype of this game won first prize at iDÉAME U 2013 -“a contest where the best game would be released to the Wii U”.

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Game Review - Don't Crash (Wii U)

Release Date: July 9, 2015
Developer/Publisher: RCMADIAX
Platforms: Wii U
MSRP: $1.49
Players: Single Player

Don’t Crash is the next entry to indie developer RCMADIAX’s list of Wii U titles. Much like other titles in the family,Don’t Crash is a is an incredibly tiny game with simple controls and to be frank, not much to do. The is simply a remaster of a simple and already existing mobile title.

Read the Full Review @ The Geek Generation

Paper Monsters Recut – game review

Release Date: October 16, 2014
Developer/Publisher: Mobot Studios/Crescent Moon Games
Platforms: Wii U, Steam, Amazon Fire TV
MSRP: $7.99
Players: Single Player Only

Paper Monsters Recut is an adorable platformer that loosely combines the pace and feel of Little Big Planet with some inspiration from the Donkey Kong Country series and Yoshi’s Island games. Originally a mobile device game, Mobot Studios “recut” (pun intended I’m sure) and upscaled the game for Wii U. The game opens as Paperland is overrun by evil monsters and it’s up to the hero character to transverse Paperland and defeat monsters and bosses along the way.

Read The Full Review At The Geek Generation

The Letter - Wii U Indie Game Review

Release Date: July 10, 2014
Developer/Publisher: TreeFall Studios/Eli Brewer
Platforms: Wii U
MSRP: $1.99
Players: Single Player Only

The Letter preys upon the human response to suspense, darkness, and the unknown. Spoiler alert – there’s nothing there. Like literally, nothing there. Nothing. Nothing at all. Trust me, I looked. Nothing.

Story

Taking generous inspiration from the  psychological horror genre of games (think Slender),  and mixing in a story, The Letter takes a great idea… and doesn’t do very much at all. Story-wise, you take control of Michael Kennedy – the son of Taylor James Kennedy – who finds a letter from his father who is on the verge of death. He informs him of shady happenings at the construction site where Michael works. Despite his father’s plea that he stay away from his job site, Michael proceeds anyway finding more clues suggesting his father was murdered.

Gameplay

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Ping 1.5 + – game review

Release Date: October 16, 2014
Publisher/Developer: Nami Tentou Mushi
Platforms: Nintendo Wii U, Desura, Steam (Pending Greenlight)
MSRP: $4.99
Players: Single Player only

From the moment you turn the game on, it can be plainly seen that Ping 1.5 + takes heavy inspiration from classic arcade games, particularly Pong. It is a puzzle game and the object is to get a cube-shaped “ball” (like in Pong) through a maze-like level by bouncing it off of walls and reaching the goal.

Ping 1.5 + is the first game developed and published by the independent developer Nami Tentou Mushi – a three person design team lead by Christopher Arnold and headquartered in Oregon. Ping 1.5 + is a sequel to the android game Ping (see my review here) and is the aftermath of a failed Kickstarter campaign for what would have been Ping 2.

Read More at The Geek Generation

Review: Ping

Ping is a game that quite literally goes hand in hand with its inspiration - the famous Atari hit Pong. The first game created by independent developer Christopher Arnold, the game was released on May 22, 2013 on Google Play for Android devices running 2.0 or higher (literally every modern android device) and has seen multiple updates. The game may also have a future on the iOS market. You can download it here as a free app.

"Inspired by the arcade Atari classic, Pong, comes a new puzzle game called Ping! Aim your way through 56 fantastic levels while jamming out to an all original soundtrack created by Link the Fire. You will come across breaking blocks, moving blocks, and even some pain-in-the-butt invisible blocks! So prepare to be frustrated like the good ol' days where you would get stuck on a level and toss your game console out the window." - Game Description

Overview

Ping is a puzzle game that has players send a "Pong-ball" through an obstacle field to reach the goal - which is an orange (or multiple in some levels). Why an orange as a goal? Cause they're good for you!...or something like that. The game utilizes very simple graphics that perfectly mimic the square shapes from Pong and other Atari classics. Using the touch screen, the player can control both the angle and speed of the ball and send it towards the goal. The catch, however, is that there is a limit to how many times the ball can bounce off walls and other bricks.

Each level has its own limit and if the goal is reach after that number is exceeded, the level is failed and can be replayed. There are currently 56 levels in total separated into worlds of 8 levels each. The menu screen allows the player to return to previous levels and to see their best scores (completions with the least amount of ricochets). The game is also currently being continuously being updated with potential plans for more levels and a possible level editor being included in the future. There is also a sequel in the works which would add a 3rd gameplay element.

Review

Gameplay: The game is a great game for killing time and for those who enjoy games requiring careful planning and timing. The simplicity of the game is what give it  its charms.

I found the touchscreen controls to be very responsive and easily got the hang of aiming and controlling the speed of each swipe. Each level can quickly be paused and restarted letting you quickly find the best way to get through the level.  The difficulty increases steadily via level complexity, moving blocks, and by lowering the amount of bounces allowed in each level which keeps the game challenging.

I also enjoy that the game does not automatically end after exceeding the number of bounces. It can be helpful (and is always amusing) to watch the ball continue bouncing across the stage to see how it behaves and where it should be adjusted for the next try. In many cases though, it helps to have luck on your side as well.

Graphics: The 8-bit graphics squares very much mimic those seen in the original Pong. The round oranges are a modern contrast.

Music: The game has a subtle background music has a calming effect rather than being distracting. The fanfare played at the completion of each has a very Atari feel about it. The soundtrack can be downloaded via the app for free or at your own price.

Ads: The free version does have ads that display in the center of the screen at the beginnings of each level, but they disappear as soon as gameplay begins which doesn't really cause any issues. There is also an ad-free version for $1.00 for those who wish to directly support the app without seeing ads.

Issues: I found a couple of small negatives about this app. One is that at the end of the 8th level in each world, you aren't taken to the next world. Instead you need to backtrack to the menu and move to the next world from there. I have a feeling that we can expect to see this issue fixed in later updates. Also, some of the level commentary tries to force a bit of humor into the game which I feel can be distracting. Some of the brighter brick colors can also be a bit of an eye-sore at times when playing for a while. The sound effects heard every time the ball bounces also sound eerily similar to sound effects found in some Pokémon games. Other than that though, this game is very much worth your time.

Overall, I give this game a solid 7/10

You really can't go wrong with a free game of this magnitude simply because you get what you (don't) pay for. If you decide to play the game, visit the game's Facebook page as well as the developer's Facebook page to show your support and keep an eye out for Ping 2!