Posted on 19 August 2010
Filed under: Video Games, Columns
It may not be Halloween yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t spend some time haunting and hunting amongst the monsters and the freaks. This week, we’ll find out why sandworms are the new zombies (and why zombies aren’t quite played out yet), we’ll try to survive on desert islands (without the aid of any soccer ball companions), we’ll turn slack-jawed yokels into canned food, and we’ll delve into gaming madness with the Panopea generosa (i.e., the King Clam, one of the strangest game protagonists we’ve ever encountered). All for free, and all at your desk. You’re welcome.
Continue reading Games on the Go: Zombies, Aliens and Monsters… Oh My!
Games on the Go: Zombies, Aliens and Monsters… Oh My! originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 15 August 2010
Filed under: Video Games, Web
Our favorite online games are the simple ones with a high-replay value (e.g., ‘Canabalt‘). It doesn’t hurt if they’re free, either. The latest title to drag down our productivity is a 2-D side-scroller called ‘Solipskier’ that asks gamers to guide a stick-figure skier down the slopes — while drawing those said slopes. Like we said, it isn’t a complex game, with the simple objective to navigate your skier through green gates while doing tricks and not falling to your death. That gameplay alone would get boring (Ed. Note: Um, remember ‘SkiFree‘?), so ‘Solipskier’ also asks you to draw the game’s landscape by clicking and dragging your mouse across the screen. If you stop, the ground will disappear and the stick-figure skier will tumble to his death.
We’re still learning the physics behind drawing a smooth slope, so we won’t share our shamefully low high score yet. But we can say we’ll be staying late after work tonight to improve it. [From: Indie Games and Solipskier, via: Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
‘Solipskier’ Is a 2-D Timewaster That Combines Skiing and Drawing originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 06 July 2010
Filed under: Video Games
You have never played a game like ‘Everybody Edits.’ You’ve never seen anything quite as chaotic or cruel posing as a “casual” flash game. The basic premise is simple: you control a tiny smiley face avatar, and you must guide it through the level to the end. That’s where the simplicity ends. Levels are designed by users, and a designer can choose to leave a level “open.” Doing so enables the user to actually alter the layout as he or she wishes — whether by changing the goal, or by messing with the other players (up to 49), who are sure to be driven mad by the seemingly impossible task of “beating” each map.
Levels consist of differently colored blocks, arrows that toss you in whatever direction they point, and keyhole blocks, which disappear and reappear as players pass over keys of the corresponding color. Particularly mean-spirited level designers will place these disappearing block directly over a sea of arrows that will swiftly, and callously, send you right back to the beginning. Despite feeling like the game’s developers are mocking us somewhere, and being driven to fits of rage by particularly evil level builders, we can’t help ourselves from coming back for more. We’d like to think it’s because of the simple and addictive game play, but we’re beginning to think we just hate ourselves. [From: Everybody Edits, via: Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
‘Everybody Edits’ Is the Most Chaotic and Cruel Game Ever originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 25 June 2010
Filed under: Video Games
The rules of physics define the world in which we live. Every movement we make, be it clumsy or balletic, is defined by these mathematical rules. However, since the inception of video games, developers have been synthesizing and transforming these rules, creating alternate physical realms. Game developers must constantly warp established laws of nature to suit their whims, from the languorous lilt of ‘Pong’ to Mario’s uncanny vertical leaps. While we may marvel at the physical reactions of virtual avatars in games like ‘Grand Theft Auto IV,’ some games’ raison d’être is alternate physical reality, itself. Today, we’ll round up games that make physics the star of the show.
Continue reading Games on the Go: Let’s Get Physical
Games on the Go: Let’s Get Physical originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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