http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/games/popular/month/2d/casual/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss ]]> This Month's Most Popular Games Tagged '2d, casual' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/games/popular/month/2d/casual/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss ]]> en-us Metal Slug Special Mission, takes shooter enthusiasts to all new heights. With unparalleled game play and special features. This game is in chinese so you have to click the middle button on the start screen. On the instructions screen, click the button in the bottom right hand corner. This is one of the best flash games ever made. The gameplay is unreal!

]]> 22 Jun 2007 12:41:51 Shoot an exciting and colorful game of pool alone or online in this cross country cue ball hitting adventure! It's all there: 8-Ball, 9-ball, UK 8-Ball, Snooker, 3-Ball and 14.1. Whatever your preference, rack 'em up and experience the most incredibly fun pool game around! Sink a few balls or try to run the table - it's up to you.

Reign over opponents worldwide with online multiplayer and gloat with your own personalized trophy case to show off your victories!

Developer: GarageGames
Publisher: Oberon Media
Release Date: October 2006

]]> 31 Oct 2006 06:33:05 Enter a world of beautiful graphics, hypnotic music, and addictive gameplay.

Harmonic Convergence blends these elements together into an unforgettable
experience that will have you losing track of time trying to outdo your last
top score, and get one skin further.

Harmonic Convergence features sixteen skins from some of the most talented
artists and musicians in the industry. Each skin transports you to a new and
unique little world. Bear witness to an ancient rite in "Ritual". Get your
mouth watering for some delicious watermelon on a hot summer day in
"Fruit Salad". Fly through space and watch the wonders of the universe unfold
before your eyes in "Asteroid". These, and many more await!

]]> 19 Nov 2006 11:59:39 A third person space adventure with extensive multiplayer modes. Tons of customization with numerous gameplay types, ships, weapons, and items as well as detailed stat tracking. There is also an incomplete single player adventure with increasingly difficult AI and customizable ship upgrades.

]]> 20 Nov 2006 10:17:11 A futuristic adventure game that borrows graphical elements from Blade Runner (in fact, the title character's name is "Blade Hunter"). You must find out what is killing--by horrible, spontaneous mutation--inhabitants of the city, before it's too late. An oriental cult, drugs, and street informants are among the places you find clues.

]]> 25 Nov 2006 06:52:59 You can explore a totally new and unknown world you have never been to, put on beautiful clothes and gorgeous accessories, and even attract other users in the process. You may begin the journey to explore the world of unknown alone, but you may come out on the other end with numerous new friends through hunting and chatting. If you're tired of hunting and competition, how about playing minigames with a friend for a change?

You'll become a brave adventurer protecting the Maple World, and if you're exhausted from all the intense battles and competition, you may one day build your own house at a quiet rural village, enjoying the life of a recluse who welcomes visitors.

At Maple Island, you will learn from the NPC's simple hunting skills and basic control of the game to help you ease into the game. Then, you'll board the ship that heads to Victoria Island, and that's where your journey REALLY begins.

From Lith Harbor that welcomes you from a long journey from Maple Island, you'll run into such fascinating towns as Henesys - the village of bowmen with comfy mushroom-shaped houses gathered together; Ellinia - the village of magicians with mysterious spells embedded between tall trees; Perion - the village of warriors with the fighting spirit typical of the Indians living in highlands; and Kerning City - the village of thieves that reminds you of the back alleys of dark cities.

You'll be playing the game at Victoria Island where all these diverse and unique towns and fields coexist.

Here, you are going to be just a regular gamer hunting down monsters and protecting yourself in the process. You'll be given 4 paths to choose from, 4 that will define your life in MapleStory: Warrior, Bowman, Thief, and Magician. Through leveling up and meeting some requirements, you'll be able to make job advancements and nurture your character in your own, unique way.

]]> 26 Nov 2006 07:31:06 Within a Deep Forest is a freeware 2D platform game for Windows, featuring challenging gameplay, beautiful music, an evil doctor, infinite cuteness, and a deep forest.

]]> 26 Nov 2006 02:38:21

]]> 28 Nov 2006 02:28:18 The third game in Quest for Glory series is set in the Africa-like world of Tarna, where you travel with your new liontaur friends you have met in the second game. Shortly after your arrival, you learn about the conflict between the liontaurs and the neighbor Simbani village, populated by the leopardmen. It is now time for our hero to become a skillful diplomat and to prevent an upcoming war between the two nations.

The gameplay system of "Wages of War" is the same as in the two previous games. The game plays like an adventure, with puzzles to solve and characters to talk to, with the additional of RPG elements: combat (action-based) and character development. You can play as either a fighter, a thief, a mage, or a paladin, and raise your skills directly after battles or by performing various actions. Graphics and interface underwent a major change. This is the first 256-color Quest for Glory game, and the first one to utilize the new, icon-based interface.

(from the Moby Games QFG3 page)

]]> 05 Dec 2006 11:32:14 The Knytt was abducted by an alien! Traveling through space, the UFO flies into a meteor and crashes on a nearby planet. Luckily, the Knytt and the alien survive, but the UFO is a wreck. How can the Knytt possibly find it's way back home again?

]]> 06 Dec 2006 12:42:22 Moonbase Commander is a turn-based strategy game where players compete to spread a web-like base across a lunar battlefield while annihilating their opponents. Players can select from four factions each of which has a unique look for it's units and a specifically voiced adviser (although all four have identical capabilities) and compete alone or in teams against other humans (locally or via the net) or the assorted Bots that are included. Competition takes place on a variety of terrain, sometimes barren and empty sometimes green and full of rivers.

Once a battle is started, players take turns using a limited supply of energy to launch weapons against their enemies or launch new buildings to expand their base. Both are done with a simple aim and force interface similar to Worms or most early golf games so it takes some skill to land a building exactly where you want it. Because buildings are connected to your main hub with a web of power lines, careful planning is required to avoid leaving important nodes unprotected. There are 18 different weapons and buildings each with an energy cost based on how powerful and useful it is. Ultimately, you must destroy an enemy's main hub unit to eliminate him from the battle.

Moonbase Commander has a minutes to learn, lifetime to master quality. There's never enough energy to do everything you want to and your opposition is always breathing down your neck. Should you risk a tricky shot to place an expensive shield generator by your hub or just settle for launching waves of cheap cluster bombs at those enemy anti-air batteries in hopes of overwhelming them. Maybe you should just bide your time and send up a few more observation balloons. The possibilities are surprisingly limitless in this simple yet complex game.

(from the Moby Games Moonbase Commander site)

]]> 09 Dec 2006 08:55:01 Playing with fire and murder in the eyes.
Keep squeezing that trigger and never let go.
If it moves, shoot it.
If it doesn't move, shoot it anyway just to be sure.

]]> 09 Dec 2006 09:14:23 Need we describe the best of all shmups?

]]> 09 Dec 2006 09:25:39 A furious block-dropping game that pits you against your opponent on the same playing field. Defend your blocks, attack your enemy's blocks. Make use of special blocks to turn the tables. Play against calculating AI or against another player

Developer: Blade Edge Software

]]> 15 Dec 2006 02:02:43 Take over the galaxy, fighting for space against as many as 4 players, human and computer. Place your planets to take over your opponent's systems to win in one of 4 main modes of gameplay. Watch out also for hidden special systems, which can both hinder and facilitate your path to utter conquest

Developer: Blade Edge Software

]]> 15 Dec 2006 02:53:03 VectorBlast is a single player arcade style space shooting game which borrows entertaining concepts from a number of memorable classics. Although the game is of RETRO nature, the playability, audio and visuals are more modern by design.

-Features-

Single Player game
Gamepad support including Xbox360 controller
Six stages with giant boss encounters
Skill Reward system (unlockables)
Unique scoring and multiplier system
Online Leaderboard system
PC and MAC compatible
Vectorblast is powered by Garage Games Torque Game Builder.

]]> 25 Dec 2006 12:29:07 Stuck in Space is a fast paced, 2D, role playing strategy game based in space. In the middle of combat your ship was destroyed, leaving you with only an escape pod and your life, just. You crash down on a planet where you meet a friend also involved in the fight, They provide you with food and shelter, from their damaged ship. From the two damaged ships, you cobble together a working one, your the captain and your friend is the first mate. Your mission is to gradually gain supporters and allys and eventually take over the entire galaxy.

]]> 27 Dec 2006 09:11:31 An adventure; an epic! Frostwinds is a massive multiplayer online roleplaying game with players from all over the world. Make new friends, join a party, travel as pack, and unite to take down mythological creatures of legendary strength! Featuring dozens of monsters, hundreds of items, and endless quests for hidden treasure and glory, Frostwinds players will always find an adventure waiting for them in this vibrant community. Join Frostwinds today, and let the adventuring begin!

]]> 30 Dec 2006 03:50:18 Magma Duel is a 2-player game whereas your objective is to destroy the opposing player, whether by knocking him into the boiling magma below, or by making use of the 9 nifty powerups available randomly floating around the level. Each round the level is generated by the computer based on modifiable (see Options) values. A new feel each time!

Magma Duel was inspired by a wonderful game released for DOS in 1996, Marshmallow Duel (http://www.marshmallowduel.com). Hours of fun spent with friends on this game lead to the creation you see here today, with all sorts of changes and improvements (largely graphical!).

]]> 08 Jan 2007 02:00:42 Glace is a fast-paced 2D side scrolling adventure game. It plays just like the old Mario and Sonic games. The action is fun, the sound and graphics are great and the storyline is funny and well done. Glace is a great game for all ages. Also it's completely free.

]]> 09 Jan 2007 06:13:51 Welcome to Wonderful Woodland, squirrel! Maybe there aren't any nutts left so you can gather them for winter, but your neighbour sure has lots of them. You never really liked him, did you? Take his nutts and add them to your stash!

Nuttz is a game for two players, based on Capture The Flag. Each player controls one of insanely-quick squirrels and tries to run over to his opponents base (middle hollows), steal the nut, and stash it in his own base. You can only carry one nut at a time. If you stomp the enemy mario-like, he will be immobilized for 1 second, and will lose the nut he was carrying. From time to time, like in every normal forest, on middle-top platform spawns magical FreezeGem, which will immobilize your opponent for 5 seconds, he will not lose the nut however. You can use bottom and top hollows for quick transfers between levels. First player to get 10 nuts wins. You see amount of nuts in player1 and player2 bases in top left and top right corners respectively.

Blah Blah. Game is still in development (one reason why it's insanely fast is no framerate independency ;)). Want to add 1 or 2 more features, and then eventually totally rewrite code cause it's fugly. Nevertheless, it plays nice on my comp, and that's all that matters, right?

]]> 17 Jan 2007 04:45:54 Perform various mining operations using explosive drills along with some of the best indie music available today!

Featuring full songs from ANEMO, RiPPED, Jake Niemi and United By Sound!

]]> 19 Jan 2007 05:29:16 As Yoshi, transport the younger versions of classic mario characters across dangerous landscapes to save Baby Luigi and the other babies from evil. Use Yoshi's amazing abilities such as, eating your enemies, throwing eggs, hovering in the air, and stomping the ground.

You can even use the babies to your advantage! Use Mario to make special blocks visible. Peach to use her umbrella to ride on the winds, Donkey Kong to swing on vines, and more!

]]> 25 Jan 2007 03:43:45 Trouble In CloudLand is a 2D game that features star-shooting mayhem and powerup collecting goodness. Conquer three unique worlds populated by troops of loveable but devious foes. Simple controls put you right in the action, while allowing for multiple play styles. Evolving gameplay will challenge even the most experienced of players. Trouble In CloudLand was developed over four months by Joshua and Jony. It was programmed using Python and Pygame in Eclipse.

]]> 29 Jan 2007 02:15:01 Name: Battle Zone
Size 2MB
Genre: Top Down Shooter
Made with: Game Maker 6.1 (http://www.gamemaker.nl)
Price: Free

Currently Features:
~2 working missions
~3 Weapons
~Some Simple AI
~Original Music and Graphics
~Working lighting Engine (by Shadow Yoshi)

Press F1 in game for more info, only Campaign currently works.

]]> 31 Jan 2007 01:33:22 Sega's main mascot is back and ready to race once again in Sonic Rush for the Nintendo DS! Fly through eight new worlds, and fight new bosses to save the world from Dr. Eggman (Robotnik) and recover the Chaos Emeralds. Utilize new powers such as the dash, and new characters like Blaze the Cat, and get a better view of every level with the dual screen functionality. You can even race your friends wirelessly with a single card.

]]> 02 Feb 2007 12:33:49 This is a version of Shisen-Sho an ancient tile matching game, remade from the Atari ST version I used to play for hours.

Take Two v1.00 released! Added the normal mode, finally. Fifteen levels of grid from 4x4 to 24x8, with time limits and score based play. Help doesn't have a time penalty here, you have a limited supply of "help tokens" that you can use, one is replaced after each level, to a maximum of three. Also added more information screens, and many little tweaks under the hood.

There is a new tile-set based on Simpsons' characters in this release, very kindly provided by Stompy... thanks mate!

]]> 05 Feb 2007 03:43:53 Author: Smila

The Game: Guide Geordie on his quest to get inebriated

Features: 200 rooms of arcade adventure action, retro styled sprites, alcohol, the colour "orange".

Does not feature: Giraffes, crown green bowling, crayons, guns.

]]> 06 Feb 2007 06:38:37 Kastle Kumquat has always been a long standing favourite of mine from the Amiga days and for the 2006 Retro Remakes competition i helped develop this remake with my skilled partner (the code guru) Edgar M Vigdal. The gfx are by me, the sounds are by me (including the grunts and oofs) and we got some very nice music made for us by the talented "infamous". The tough part is all by Edgar though, without him these games wouldn't happen.

Collect fruits, find keys, press switches and open doors to make your way through the kastle. Dodge the twizzly boxes of doom, jump the lava and watch out for the traps. The remake did ok in the competition but the game turned out as great as i hoped. Its a joy to play, in fact only yesterday i played it through once again.

We are now working on a version which includes the room editor for a collaborative project. A whole new set of user made rooms with some new twists and traps. Hopefully that'll be underway soon.

]]> 06 Feb 2007 12:27:11 You desperately want the new hot gadget and you're ready to do whatever it takes to get it. However, you share the same thought with over a thousand other people!

Shopper Rush is a 2D game in where you control a single character in a sea of AI players. Some levels will throw over 1200 AI players at you at the same time and your job is to get from one side of the shopping mall to the other, and be one of the 30 first customers in order to get your long-awaited gadget.

You also have a couple of tricks in order to get there before everyone else does. You can bump into people so they'll fall, you can push tables and other objects in their way, sprint past them or even spin around and make everyone around you fall. Great if you're stuck somewhere!

The basic game mechanics are based on group behavior and flow dynamics. For example; If 100 people are rushing to the stairs, chances are that it will clog up and you're probably better of taking the slightly longer route around it.

The game is a 5 week project at the University Of Skövde and deadline for the game is February the 16:th. It is also participating in the Swedish Game Awards.

]]> 08 Feb 2007 04:55:54 Breaking news from SNBC~!
Around 2am this morning, Don Cavalier, the billionaire and the founder of the worldâ€ââ€

]]> 08 Feb 2007 10:58:15 The game objective is to defend the 3 houses located in the lower part of the screen. When these houses are destroyed you lose the game.
"Jelys" will try to destroy your houses, for preventing this you will use a small rock that you'll need to push around. If the Jelys touch you, you'll be momentarily paralyzed, and if they destroy a house you will be able to rebuild it. To achieve this, just walk over the house and the character will get to work on it.
The game, in this first version consists of 10 levels. In the last one you will have to face a Giant Megajely.
It's a game I made to learn basic concepts of game development.

Controls ofr play : space key and up downd left right pad

]]> 10 Feb 2007 06:02:11 GunBound is a turn-based multiplayer game, where the players control tanks and try to eliminate each other by aiming and shooting at each other. It is similar in its gameplay to Worms and Scorched Earth. However, GunBound is completely online, and has no single-player game mode.

]]> 16 Feb 2007 06:41:35 Amongst the elite circle of Extreme Mining Superstars, one man reigns supreme...Joseppe Theodore Blocco. Now trapped by an earthquake deep within the ruins of the dangerous Luxicore, Joe will have to escape using only his special Extreme Miner Heating and Cooling gloves.

]]> 23 Feb 2007 12:14:34 On a small, uncharted island a mysterious organization is breeding Bio-Enhanced Animal-Cyborgs at the bidding of the brilliant, albeit evil, Dr. Randolph Montague Krenwinkle. In a small cage down in the deepest level sits Nim, a rebellious test monkey who has acquired a secret and powerful ability. An experimental treatment has given Nim enhanced psychic powers that allow him to take control of any human simply by jumping on their backs! Now is his one chance to escape. Use Nim’s ability to take control of scientists, soldiers and A-Bots! Blast and sneak your way through the Krenwinkle facility in a desperate attempt for freedom! Revel in the ironic justice of using your enemies against each other! Experience innovative action gameplay on your phone and with a monkey!

]]> 23 Feb 2007 12:23:01 Cars is an immersive, yet casual mission-driven adventure game inspired by the fun characters and settings from the Disney/Pixar feature film. Play the game as hot shot racecar Lighting McQueen, and complete a variety of missions across a range of difficulty levels. The ultimate goal is to race in the Piston Cup. Missions include bringing cars to Mater’s junkyard, racing through a check point challenge, giving ol’ Bessie a tug, and other fun activities. As you progress through the game, Lightning McQueen gains new abilities and special driving moves, which he learns by successfully completing the missions assigned to him by his friends from Radiator Springs.

]]> 23 Feb 2007 12:56:25 Join Mumble on his epic quest across Antarctica in Warner Bros' Happy Feet! Inspired by the dancing and adventure elements of the film, Happy Feet combines classic platformer gameplay filled with jumping, sliding and Rhythm-Action dance sequences to create a unique, quick and fresh game. With Mumbles’ natural agility and an uncanny ability to dance up a storm, Mumble will need to cross perilous icy landscapes and use his slick belly sliding moves to slip and slide across each level, shooting across glacial landscapes and launching into the air like a torpedo! Dance your heart out against many crazy boss encounters including hungry Leopard Seals and Skua's, prying zoo goers or even try to dance your way into Gloria's heart! Happy Feet for mobile has it all!

]]> 23 Feb 2007 01:03:57 Midnight Mansion is a retro platformer based on games like Montezuma's Revenge, Prince of Persia, and Dark Castle. You play Jack Malone, an adventure hunter, who explores several huge mansions in search of gold at the end. You can't kill anything; you simply avoid the bad guys, while you search for keys that allow you to open doors that lead to new areas. Mansions are filled with traps, puzzles, and secrets.

]]> 03 Mar 2007 12:28:38 Help an allergic pig save a city from snot-eating monsters using a clever combination of brains and boogers.

While keeping out of sight, you must lure your enemies through each single-screen level with your delicious nasal discharges. Objects scattered around town provide your pig with different ways of solving each puzzle. Control is simple and intuitive, requiring only a two-button mouse.

]]> 13 Mar 2007 12:32:37 This is small prototype version of the game, free for all.
The game is fully playable. but there is small amount of enemies.
You have a turret, you must survive as long ass possible..
There is 3 things that you must worry about - energy, shield, health.
Fire canon with LMB, fire rockets with RMB.
Tips:
- holding LMB increases damage of the canon shot
- holding cursor over enemy for 0.5 sec - locks target for rocket
- press LMB on bonus to pick up it

]]> 28 Mar 2007 01:57:25 Simple action in a fast scroll game. Many levels and a history. Choose beetween 3 characters and go to the mission. Just play with mouse, good for casual gamers.

]]> 04 Apr 2007 06:41:32 RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is the second game in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series. The basic gameplay is: you build a theme park with rides and shops and scenery. There are many scenarios to play each with the own goals and challenges to complete.

There is also a editor, where you can design your own scenarios. This game adds a few things to the first game, the obvious: new scenarios, slightly improved graphics, more rides, shops and scenery. But other than these there wasn't much this game has to offer that the first one didn't. Even so it is a very good game, with a lot of replayability.

]]> 15 Apr 2007 11:10:22 Two prehistoric buddies. One feels there must be more in life than just hunting dinos, while the other enjoys every tasty bit of it. Thats when a woman comes in. Meet Ugo, Dawson and friends in a 2D action platform game packed with a humorous storyline.

CaveDays is a platform game where players can be on Ugo and Dawson's feet trying to survive in the cave age.

30 areas packed with challenges, puzzles and a fun storyline where we can see that the cave days life was not that different from ours.

Features
Explore 30 levels filled with dangerous dinosaurs, dive into the pre-historic ocean, savage trough the wild jungle, climb mountains and avoid burning lava balls that emerge from lava reefs.

In CaveDays you will be able to jump, swim, swing your clave, bite dinos, get bitten by them, hang on wines, get swallowed by carnivorous plants, get pushed by geysers, fly through wind tunnels, carry big dinos, eat delicious and not so delicious fruits.

]]> 04 May 2007 11:27:12 Rocketboy is back in the fight against Prof. Evil! This time he has to collect diamonds while avoiding creatures and lasers.

The unique OneThumb game hero is back. After the first RocketBoy adventures, you now play a more puzzle variation, collecting diamonds, avoiding the many traps and creatures. The game is again playable with only a single key, but it requires alot more skill and practice then the previous game.

]]> 12 May 2007 06:04:36 Slider Kids is yet another great game in the OneThumb lineup from OrangePixel.

Race downhill and jump to avoid the obstacles, while in the air trick yourself some extra score and unlock new characters to controll.

The simple OneThumb gameplay combined with an increasing challenge makes Slider Kids another addictive game.

]]> 12 May 2007 06:34:43 Create your own galaxy in this management title. Define planet properties in an attempt to create the most suitable habitats, and watch as the various inhabitants colonize the planet, make war on each other and battle for dominance.

]]> 13 May 2007 09:48:26 This is an alternative implementation of a client that uses Tibia protocol. Tibia is a MMORPG developed by a company called Cipsoft; this client contains no Cipsoft code, and is in active development

]]> 22 May 2007 08:34:26 Let me get this out of the way: I consider myself at times a pretty "hard-core" video gamer. I mean, I'm not adverse to hacking and slashing Orcs in fantasy role-playing games, such as World of Warcraft. I can shoot down enemy aliens in Halo 2 and drop nukes on unsuspecting enemies in Supreme Commander. I'm tough, and I'm proud of it. So when my trusty Gamezebo editor asked me to review a "bird watching" game, you can imagine my initial reaction...

OK, so call me what you will, but after playing Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island, I'm not only sold on the concept, but completely hooked.

At the start of the game you find out your grandfather -- a famous bird photographer and naturalist who went missing six months ago -- left you a shoebox with your name on it. Inside you find a map of the U.S., his beloved camera and a half-empty field journal that alludes to a mystery (and uses your real name in the cryptic passage, since you typed it in when you started playing!). And so you decide to visit his old friends and colleagues, beginning in Pennsylvania, to find clues leading to his disappearance as well as learn the craft of nature photography in the process.

In fact, you're asked to snap photos of birds for magazine covers and your field journal, and receive advice along the way. For example, you'll get more points for your photos if they're close-up, unobstructed and centered shots, and if the bird is orientated well, such as looking at the camera or caught in the act of singing, eating, flying or preening.

Game-play works as follows. After you get your mission, such as take five photos of a Blue Jay in-flight or three photos with quality of at least 3 stars, you're presented with a landscape such as a forest, parks or shoreline (while you're on a moving boat). You can move the mouse side-to-side to see even more of the environment. Your mouse cursor is now a magnifier, so as you move it around to see subjects to photograph, you will see a larger view of the bird when your mouse is placed over top of it. Take the photo by pressing the left-mouse button. If you've earned the zoom lens you can use your mouse's middle-scroll wheel to zoom in closer; other tools you can unlock for completing missions include an infrared scope, bird seed (to get them to eat), bird identifier (which tells you what kind of bird it is), a "Flight Stimulator" plane (to make birds fly), camera auto-winder, and more.

Bonus points are awarded at the end of the level for finding other species (such as a Baltimore Oriole or red-winged blackbird) within a predetermined amount of time (and only if you have film left).

Developed in collaboration with experts at Cornell University, this game features authentic-looking birds and animations, and realistic birdsongs. You can unlock additional birdsongs as a reward for taking good photos.

The big payoff is seeing your photos at the end of each level. You must choose between two side-by-side photos and once you do, the points are revealed for both so it's almost like a mini-game to choose the best one (and see if the game agrees!). You can see your best work as a cover of a magazine and in your field journal (which you can view at any time from the main menu) or with the click of a mouse you can email a photo to a friend right from within the game.

As you travel throughout the U.S. to photograph new birds, you will receive clues and other information that will eventually unravel this grand mystery.

A wonderful addition to Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island is an unlockable Bird Creator mode. With this clever in-game tool, you can create any bird you like. You begin with a basic shape -- such as an owl, gull, loon or hummingbird - then begin to tweak the wingspan, body size, beak length, eye style, field marks and color, and so on. Then you can name your bird (mine was called the Toronto Tailfeather), add other info if you like, and then upload to the Net for other gamers to download and photograph. I also downloaded close to 200 other custom-made birds to photograph in various locations.

As fun and unique this game is, there are a few faults. For one, it's far too easy to unlock the Bird Creator mode, which only took about 30 minutes or so. It would be a better dangling carrot if it took longer to achieve this bonus. Secondly, the feedback doesn't always match your performance; in one instance, a magazine editor told me "An excellent collection of new photographs!" yet I failed the mission and had to start it over again.

Even with these minor shortcomings, Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island may be the most refreshingly fun casual game of 2007. Seriously, yes, a bird photography game. But before you turn your beak up in disbelief, download this iWin game and give it a spin.

Written by: Marc Saltzman/Gamezebo

]]> 24 May 2007 05:48:53 The Strategist is a turn-based strategy game were you control regions and Command Centers. Each turn you are given a limited number of actions that you use to defeat your opponents. The actions include attacking, building upgrades and special actions such as "Propaganda" and "Blitz".

In the main campaign you take the role as the "Union's" youngest Strategists. During one of your practise sessions the military base is attacked by gas missiles that brainwash your soldiers and turn them against you! Also, your friend "Strategist Ricks" is captured! During the campaign you attempt to find out who is leading the attack and where they have taken Ricks.

]]> 30 May 2007 04:46:03 La Ranisima is an open source "Space Invaders" alike game totally written in DHTML (JavaScript, CSS and HTML) that uses keyboard.
This cross-platform and cross-browser game was tested under BeOS, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Windows and others.

]]> 06 Jun 2007 08:44:44