All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'Pocket, indie' on The Great Games Experiment All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'Pocket, indie' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'Pocket, indie' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Immortal Defense Immortal Defense is a fresh take on the tower defense genre. In the course of your adventure, you'll face twenty-six different enemy types, including challenging bosses. You'll come to know the use of eleven different "Points", each with its own personality and style of defense. You'll go through one hundred stages of challenging gameplay--including secret stages for the most advanced path defenders.

You'll experience an interesting combination of procedural and pixel-art, an original soundtrack, and you'll explore a story about love, duty, and the consequences of immortality. With six to ten hours of gameplay, this game won't be something you play and then forget about.

What would you be willing to defend for all eternity?
]]> 02 Jun 2007 11:53:55 Cave Story - Doukutsu Monogatari Cave Story is a freeware sidescrolling action/adventure/platformer title with leanings towards Wonderboy and recent sidescrolling Castlevania titles. You control a little amnesiac who runs around helping out these rabbit-ish creatures called Mimigas while trying to find your way out of the giant cave inside the floating island which makes up the game's setting.

This is a free game made by one man:

Pixel said,
It's been five years since I first thought to myself, "Hey, why not try making a game?" I developed Cave Story at my own pace, taking my time, and while doing so I released a few other smaller games as well.
]]> 26 Nov 2006 01:38:13 Cortex Command Mine precious gold from the deformable terrain in order to buy better weapons, digging tools, and deployable defenses. Use these assets to defend your disembodied brain and bankrupt your opponent!

Old-school 2D sidescroller pixel graphics coupled with an extremely detailed physics simulation makes for a mix of nostalgia and surprising gameplay.
]]> 12 Nov 2006 03:44:39 Echoes Echoes is sort of a blend between Asteroids and Geometry Wars. Like in the classic Asteroids you control a space ship floating around somewhere in space, trying to stay alive while asteroids are flung around. But unlike Asteroids, Echoes has some extras.

Instead of just small and large asteroids, there are four asteroid sizes (ranging from mini to enourmous) comets, meteor storms, asteroid belts, planets (with moons), black holes and the sun. There are also both energy and weapon power-ups.


Echoes is created by Binary Zoo, creators of mono, Duo and DUOtris.
]]> 05 Mar 2007 06:00:05 Head over Heels Control the two characters Head and Heels in this isometric arcade adventure/puzzle game.
]]> 09 Dec 2006 07:02:02 Blocksum Blocksum is a very new typed action puzzle game. For everyone who can add numbers to 20.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 07:04:52 Quakeworld Team Fortress Team Fortress (TF or QWTF/Quakeworld TF for this specific version) was a popular multiplayer modification for id Software's "Quake". It featured teams of players choosing from 9 different classes in matches of capture the flag, VIP escort, territorial control, and many other missions.

Team Fortress 1.0 was released July 25th, 1996 for the original Quake, and the first release for QuakeWorld (v2.0) came on December 22, 1996 taking advantage of the enhanced multiplayer functionality of the new client.

It was sufficiently successful that the developers formed TeamFortress Software to then develop "Team Fortress 2" as a commercial mod for Quake II. TF would instead be rewritten for the Half-Life engine.

Over ten years later, TF still enjoys a small community of active players, and several variations on the original TF formula have helped keep peoples interest, including CustomTF, which introduced the ability to configure your own custom class by trading frags scored as cash to purchase abilities.

[adapted and extended from Wikipedia]
]]> 05 Jun 2007 11:12:49 Mecapumble
]]> 05 Sep 2007 03:05:36 Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball DDS: Pro Basketball puts you in the role of general manager or head coach (or both) of a professional or developmental league basketball team. You sign, trade and draft players, set playing rotations and manage other day-to-day operations of your team as you guide them to a championship. Games can be simulated or coached/watched in an animated 2D format.
]]> 08 Mar 2007 10:28:22 PixelShips Retro [from official page]
After six years, a new PixelShips game emerges! Except... shouldn't this have come first? ;)

PixelShips Retro is an all-new game, taking on the look and feel of classic, 80's style games. The graphics, the sound, the music, the simple controls, the very high framerate, all indicative of those old-school games.

Of course, if there weren't significant improvements over the original PixelShips game, this one wouldn't be shareware! Besides the 13 original music tracks, numerous sound effects and more weapons than before, the game is far more balanced, lending itself to greatly simplified statistics and easier to understand concepts.

But perhaps the biggest change of all is that the screen no longer scrolls on its own! The screen moves as you move to provide you with a good view of what's ahead of you. (Leaving your backside more vulnerable of course!) You decide where and when to go!

Drones come in a much wider variety now and have their own unique array of 12 weapons, such as the Ring Pulse which slowly tracks you and the Trail Pulse which leaves a damaging trail behind for you to accidentally dash through!

The 9 different environments can actually threaten you this time around too. For instance, Space Arenas have force fields to block your progress and Class R Planets have erupting volcanos and oceans of lava. The background is no longer just an obstacle but a hazard too!
]]> 11 Mar 2007 10:28:55 Aquaria Lonely, restless Naija has spent her entire life wrestling with questions about her identity. We join her as she takes her first steps away from the comfort of home and into new, potentially dangerous waters. Through exploration and magical combat, Naija will unearth the history of Aquaria and connect with beings lost in the depths of time. On the search to discover the fate of her people, her destiny and that of Aquaria's will be forever altered.
]]> 12 Feb 2007 05:49:13 Streets of rage remake It's a Homage to the whole Sega Megadrive/Genesis saga.

To remake the game the original sprites have been ripped adding new moves, new enemies and characters have been added respecting the game style.

The stages, some new and some completely redesigned, have new effects, more colors and scroll layers than their originals.

Regarding music, several musicians have helped remixing and improving the original soundtracks.

The game keeps a similar gameplay and was done from scratch, having devoted programming to emulate every one of the main characteristics in the original game.


Current version :
8 characters
43 locations having multi-path splits
52 enemy types keeping all of their moves
37 different remixes
Options and modes not present in the original
]]> 09 Feb 2007 01:12:59 Within a Deep Forest 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 Mr. Robot Asimov is a lowly service mechanoid aboard the interstellar colony ship Eidolon. Carrying hundreds of frozen human colonists to a new world. When the Eidolon's computer brain malfunctions, it falls to Asimov to undertake a perilous journey through the bowels of the massive ship to save his robot friends and the precious human cargo. Solve puzzles. Overcome obstacles. Hack hostile networks. Evade crazed robots. Save the mission.
]]> 14 Nov 2006 04:37:13 Merry Gear Solid merry gear solid: secret santa is a top down stealth action game in the vein of hideo kojima's metal gear solid series.

it's grid-based as it was entered in the daily click grid-based x-mas game competition. it won 1st place.

use distractions and tools you find around the level to distract and get past any guards that are you in your way.

the game is relatively short, taking around 10-20 minutes to complete. the story is related to the metal gear solid series' plot so if you haven't played those games, you might be kind of lost.
]]> 11 Feb 2007 06:06:28 Monkey on Your Back 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 King of Dragon Pass King of Dragon Pass is the saga of the colonization of a magical land in Glorantha (RuneQuest/Hero Wars). Your ragged clan have been driven from their homeland and have settled in the land of Dragon Pass. Your decisions will shape their future, determining whether they are remembered as a great clan, or dissappear in the winds of time.
]]> 24 Feb 2007 04:53:20 Siege of Avalon : Open Source Siege of Avalon takes place in the fictional land of Eurale. Within Eurale are seven kingdoms: Nisos, Aratoy, Oriam, Fornax, Elythria, Cathea, and Taberland. The seven kingdoms united into an uneasy alliance and built a citadel as a meeting place, which was named Avalon.

Within the land is a civilization of nomads known as the Sha'ahoul. Their religion values very highly the earth and nature and therefore they are against farming, the building of permanent structures, and similar practices which they feel destroys the earth. After discovering the existence of Eurale, they declared war on the seven kingdoms to eradicate their way of life.

Many refugees of the destruction caused by the Sha'ahoul took shelter in Avalon. The seven kingdoms sent military support to defend Avalon and the refugees. To the people of Eurale, Avalon is seen as the last hope at stopping the Sha'ahoul. The Sha'ahoul and their leader, Mithras, chose to overtake the citadel by setting up a siege around it.

The game begins with an entry in the hero's journal. The siege has been going on for several years. His brother, Corvus, serves as part of the military in Avalon. When their father dies, the hero feels that it is his obligation to inform Corvus of the sad news, so he becomes part of the crew of a ship sailing from Elythria to Avalon to deliver supplies. The Sha'ahoul manage to sink all of the ships except the one the hero is on. The ship reaches Avalon, but has lost most of its supplies. It is not possible to make a return voyage to Elythria and so the hero decides to stay at Avalon, inform Corvus of their father's death, and help out Avalon in whatever manner he can. The player gains control at this point and begins by speaking to Corvus and informing him about his father's death.
]]> 06 Mar 2007 06:51:38 Blockland The game where you build stuff.

An open-ended, non-competitive, multi-player construction game. You build online with bricks.
]]> 09 Oct 2006 01:38:19 VoiD.net

- What is it?

VoiD.net is a 2D platformer that tries to take advantage of current technology for revisiting and expanding the platformer genre. It's being developed with Blitzmax.

- What is it... not?


  • It's not retro or a remake. No "classic" control or feel.
  • It's not all about jumping down on enemies and collecting coins or rings. No random items floating around. It tries to make the player feel inside a (somewhat) coherent world.
  • The objective of the game is not get to the end of the level to find out the princess is in another castle. As the story develops, the player will have to adapt to each plot-driven situation.
  • There's no destined all-good hero trying to save the world. You control a group of characters that have their personalities, lives, and motivations.

Note: I love oldies like Mario Bros and Sonic! - It's not that they're not great games, but this game isn't aiming at that!

- Features?

At this point you'll have figured out VoiD.net has a big adventure component, and this heavily influences the gameplay. It has some RPG aspects (character levelling, skills / "magic") and even tactical wargame or fighting games ones.
Let's say I try to mix what I liked most of each (2D) genre into a platformer. This is the result:


  • High-res 32bit, hardware accelerated graphics (supporting OpenGL & DirectX currently; probly DX support will be discontinued).
  • VoiD Engine scripting language for developing customizable campaigns.
  • Deep immersion in the sci-fi world of Void through ingame narrative, playable cutscenes, "alive" game maps and npcs...
  • Up to 5 selectable characters at the same time in the player party.
  • Fast paced control system, designed for heavy action scenes.
  • Vehicles, some controlable by the player.
  • Levelling system for characters. Character classes & subclasses, skills (including some kind of magic), buyable equipment, award system a la Tactics Ogre...
  • Fluid character animation, thanks to VoiD Engine 2D Skeletal Animation System.
  • Ambient, weather and cinematic effects (graphic effects via shaders, when available).
  • Lots of developer love :)

- Personal note

I've been into development (on my own) for more than 2 years, and I know I still have long ways to go. The game has evolved a lot since its first form and has become somewhat complex.
This may sound crazy for just one dev, but I have my reasons. It's a very personal project, because I see it as my "ultimate freeware game" before starting to think more... commercial.

If you have any comment, ... well, just leave it, or mail me or whatever you want!

Void does not forgive.
]]> 11 Feb 2007 12:38:40 Introspect Introspect is a game that takes place in a surreal world. You take control of Gabriel Enasni, and journey through the world of his past, armed with only a paint brush and the ability to paint the world around you to save you from insanity!
]]> 13 Mar 2007 02:49:44 Unreal World A rogue-like RPG with proper graphics, that puts the player in the shoes of a man in Finland during the iron age. There are several beginning scenarios, ranging from being simply lost in wilderness, to a failed hunting trip where your father was killed by a bear, to fleeing from eastern Njerpez-slavers.

The game is non-linear, and doesn't have a plot, but relies mostly on player-driven freeform exploration and everyday survival. The player can manufacture virtually all items required for survival: Clothing from fur gained from hunting, food from fishing, hunting or agriculture, and shelter by the means of a temporary spruce twig cover, or an entire timber cabin if the player chooses to build it. If the player wishes, you can even go to villages and start courting the girls, and get married.

There are four courses in the game, where one is free roaming, and the other three offer advice, and required items for pursuing anything from hunting, to long term survival and exploration and advanced adventuring.

The game is surprisingly easy to play, once you get used to the controls. The only downfall is the graphics, but considering that it's a roguelike, they are pretty impressive. One of the game's definite merits is the atmosphere, and how enjoyable the daily survival can be. All the features included are difficult to pursue with a single character, so making more after finishing with one is almost a must, if you wish to explore all the gaming options.

The game is shareware, and the instructions for ordering the full version are available on the author's website:
http://www.jmp.fi/~smaarane/urw.html

The trial has a time limit of 10 game days, and some restrictions, but plays almost like the full version.

One version registeration is 11 USD, but since the game is in constant development, 42 USD gets the registration to all future versions of the game.
]]> 25 Mar 2007 11:04:13 True Combat: Elite What Is TrueCombat:Elite?
TC:E is a modern world total conversion modification of the free, popular, stand-alone first-person shooter Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. That is, TC:E is an entirely free game, made by gamers, for gamers.

TC:E is currently being developed by GrooveSix Studios and TeamTerminator. While TeamTerminator is known for the famous Q3 based TrueCombat series, GrooveSix Studios was initiated by retired TeamTerminator co-founder Coroner to develop a Return to Castle Wolfenstein modification that is not released. Thus, as very experienced Q3-based content creators, we hope to be able to serve the gaming community with a quality offering.
Now, the most important question: "What can you expect from TC:E?" TC:E is a tactical-team shooter, set up in a modern-world environment. TC:E puts you into the role of elite mercenary soldier in the conflicts of two internationally operating forces.


SpecOps vs. Terrors
The Global Intervention Force (GIF626) is a special force formed of the top of the world experts joining from US Delta force, UK SAS, German KSK and GSG9, to mention a few. An international mercenary organization known as "The Unit" is their opponent. It is reported that some of these dudes are were once with the above forces, but the lure of money is strong. You say "Yet another terror counter-terrorism shooter. Why the hell should I go for it?". We say "Cause you don't have to spend a cent and it features:"

  • Texture Tone Mapping
  • HDR Lighting
  • Realistic scaling
  • Free climb
  • Free Aim
  • High quality sounds (44khz)
  • rich, deluxe graphics, based on high-resolution digital-camera shots
  • Letterbox & widescreen modes - TrueVision
  • Dynamic Eye Adaption - DynEA
  • Cross Platform Gaming (Win, OS X, Linux)
  • tactical-teamplay oriented, modern-world combat simulation
  • realistic weapon behavior simulation
  • iron sight aiming system, no crosshair
  • sophisticated ballistic simulation including multiple-layer object penetration
  • professional mode: 1-life, short-timed, objective driven scenarios in realistic environments
  • bodycount mode: team deathmatch style, gametype to relax?
  • Reinforced OBJ, as Capture the Flag in stock maps
  • balanced, team specific set of real-world weapons (Grenades, Pistols, SMG's, Assault-, Shotgun- and Sniper-Rifles)
  • lag compensation, client-side bullet prediction, punkbuster support
  • immersive and lethal, fast-paced action"


    • You will need to download and install Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory to install and play this game. But it's all free, so it's all good!
    ]]>     27 Feb 2007 08:35:25     Jets 'N' Guns Jets 'N' Guns is a space-shooter that truly distinguishes itself because of it's amazing gameplay, graphics and music. This action-filled game includes lots of graphical humor in various environments such as space, sea, jungle and lava. The ability to fully customize your spaceship is also very interesting. Additionally, it features an excellent rock soundtrack by Machinae Supremacy.
    ]]>     10 Mar 2007 01:11:51     Chalk Chalk is an arcade style scrolling shooter with a different kind of control scheme. Instead of shooting, you only have a piece of chalk with which you can draw. The way you defeat the enemies is different depending on the type. Some require all of the green dots to be connected, and others need to have their bullets connected back to them. There are bosses at the end of each level that will take a bit more thinking to destroy. The game is controlled entirely with the mouse, but the keyboard can be used as well.
    ]]>     30 May 2007 06:39:39     Gesundheit! 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     Stranded II Stranded - once more!

    In Stranded II you face up with the struggle for survival again. However there is much more to discover and to explore compared to Stranded I. Gather food, tinker your own tools and weapons, go hunting, construct buildings and vehicles, tame wild animals and ride them or find lengendary treasures!
    ]]>     05 Jul 2007 12:33:01     Thread Space: Hyperbol www.hyperbol.com
    TS: Hyperbol is a game viewed Top-Down over a flat playing-field as you take control of a Ship that you customize in order to destroy your opponents. Game Types include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Spawn Capture, Attack/Defend Objectives, and more to be added later with a Map editor.
    Your ship functions more like a Battleship, as it is stationary most of the time, a Turret that you can move occasionally across the map into strategically key positions, or simply to dodge incoming fire. The farther you move, the long you have to wait to move again. Or, you can customize your ship to recharge it's fuel rapidly if you wish to use a more active flighty Ship.
    There are 6 Weapon modules that will produce the weapons you use. Your factory can hold up to 6 Mods total, so if you want more of 1 type, you have to forgo access to another. Having more then 1 will make production of that type faster, and allow you to hold more in your max stock. Each Mod will produce several different projectiles, for example the basic 'Ballistics' mod will give you access to Energy Bolts, Missiles, and Shrapnel Bombs. Also, once you have build a total of 6 Mods, you have the option to Upgrade 1 of them into a lv. 2 Super version. All the weapons made by this super Mod are either upgraded, or totally new versions of the weapon. As the above example, the Bolts do extra damage, the Missiles become MIRV Packs, and the Shrapnel Bombs become Shrapnel Wedges, which fires all it's shards in a cone instead of in all directions.
    ]]>     08 Jun 2007 09:11:09     Sword of Jade Sword of Jade is a full-length RPG which took over six years to complete. It's a story of those who choose not to give up on their dreams, and those who do, and the epic struggle for the world that the two groups engage in.
    ]]>     28 Jan 2007 03:11:25     Gemsweeper Embark on a thrilling puzzle expedition to restore an ancient Mayan temple city. Learn how to play with the convenient tutorial, then choose between the relaxing Quest Mode and the exciting Arcade Mode. Starting as an inexperienced expedition rookie, you set out to become a world-known treasure hunter.

    Gemsweeper offers never-ending fun for players of all ages. Solve over 200 unique puzzles on your way to gold, gems and treasure hunting glory!


    Gemsweeper features:
  • Over 200 unique puzzles
  • 30 treasure hunter ranks
  • Challenging Arcade and soothing Quest mode
  • Easy to grasp tutorial
  • Hours of mind-bending fun for all ages
    • ]]>     08 May 2007 05:36:27     Imogen IMOGEN is an animated adventure game in sixteen sections; Each section contains a number of puzzles based on a particular theme. It is not possible to be killed off although the number of times you can change character has been limited. The number of permitted changes is given at the top-right of the screen.
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 10:55:47     Super Shove IT! 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     Critter Crunch
    ]]>     03 Aug 2007 10:17:49     Jet Set Willy : The Trash Of The Universe Don't you just hate it when the aliens use your mansion as a dumping ground? Talk about unfair, especially since Maria, your housekeeper left after the last big party you threw and you've got to clean up the mess yourself.

    Willys not going to take it lying down, thats for sure. Oh no. He's going to collect that pile of rubbish up and give it straight back to the intergalactic travellers that deposited it in the first place.

    If only the mansion wasn't so big...and if only the aliens had actually left and weren't throwing a party of their own.

    Maybe its time to get a new housekeeper after all...
    ]]>     11 Feb 2007 07:46:10     Snapshot Adventures: Secret of bird island 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     Hamster Jam HamsterJam is a Windows remake of a Commodore Vic20 game called Rockman, originally created by a company called Mastertronic in 1985.

    The idea of the game is to collect all the rings from each room while avoiding monsters, skulls and the deadly boulders. Upon completing a room you can leave by any exits available to you to move on to the next.

    Sniffles the HamsterYou play Sniffles in the HamsterJam remake, and the monsters are mice intent on stopping you from getting to their precious treasure. The original maps and rooms are still there, along with the unique boulder gameplay, but now with bright, colourful cartoon graphics to bring it into the modern age.
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 11:16:56     Graffiti Kingdom Take the role of Pixel, a prince who discovers a wand that lets him draw 'Graffiti Creatures', the characters you can take control of in the Graffiti Kingdom.
    There are many interesting worlds, monsters, and characters in the game.
    The voice acting is immaculate, and provides a very polished feel to the game.
    Draw your own 3D monsters, customize their attacks, movement style, and voice; then play as them.
    ]]>     11 Mar 2007 08:47:48     SMABU: Earth Wars On a distant planet populated by Robots and Monkeys there is a new phenomenon known simply as S.M.A.B.U. - The ultimate combination of reality TV and maximum carnage!
    ]]>     23 Feb 2007 12:41:00     Total College Basketball Total College Basketball offers sports management fans a fresh look at college hoops with its accurate simulation engine, in-depth recruiting, engaging interface and excellent balance of statistical detail and complete game immersion. You take on the role of a division one college basketball coach - you recruit the players, choose offensive and defensive philosophies to teach them and coach your way to the championship.
    ]]>     08 Mar 2007 10:49:55     Total Pro Golf Take on the role of a golfer and work your way up the ladder to the professional tour earning sponsorships and racking up trophies. Compete against AI opponents in very fast paced rounds allowing you to complete entire seasons of tournaments in short periods of time. There are special events to play in like singles and team match play and a free course design tool is available to quickly and easily create (or recreate) courses for use in the game.
    ]]>     08 Mar 2007 11:03:42     The Continuum The Continuum combines classic turn-based wargaming, collectibility and RPG character development into one multi-player adventure that will change the way you game. Characters, abilities and equipment combine with in-game artifacts, epic battlefields, and changing scenarios to provide an experience that is at once familiar and all-new.

    Players will have a huge impact on the ultimate design, features, and direction that the game takes as the beta rolls out. Pre-registration for the beta is open at the official website for The Continuum.
    ]]>     17 May 2007 01:28:46     Fedora Spade Hello there, gumshoe. Fedora Spade's the name. I'm a dick. What? No, not figuratively. The lady across the street might argue otherwise, but I digress. Anyway, I'm a detective, a homicide detective to be exact. I didn't grow up wanting to be a detective, mind you. I hated the cops & robbers game... the other kids always forced me to play the bad guy and gave me a good ass-kicking whenever I was caught. Not a very pleasant childhood memory, yeah? But that's beside the point. I wanted to be an astronaut. I just thought that it'd be neat to explore space, see? But it never happened, as you can probably tell. Math and physics... I can't say that they're my favorite subjects. Plus, watching the challenger explode into a big firework is pretty traumatizing.

    So why did I become a homicide detective, you ask? Well, apparently it's the only job that's available for me here. Crime's rampant here in Lawless City, and dead bodies continue to crowd the streets. They need people to combat crime, expendable people; preferably people that aren't too bright in the head. People with a diploma in sociology, or psychology, or some other I-just-want-to-graduate-quickly major. People from third-rate universities who can't seem to find a decent job. People like me. It's dangerous work, but it sure beats flipping burgers. Or is it? I don't know... it's too late for regret now.

    Anyway, gumshoe, I've had my fill of bourbon tonight, and I'm in the mood to talk. Why don't you sit tight and lend me a pair of listening ears, eh?
    ]]>     17 Jun 2007 09:37:15     NecroSPACE 2
    ]]>     26 Jul 2007 12:15:44     Teaminator: Brew Isles
    ]]>     14 Aug 2007 03:36:36     Warning Forever Warning Forever is a special shoot 'em up. Instead of flying around, dealing with hoards of enemies, and the occasional boss, it's just you, and the boss. And every time you beat the boss, it comes back, meaner than the time before.
    ]]>     04 Dec 2006 11:33:56     Armadillo Run Armadillo Run is a physics-based puzzle game. You have to build structures with the purpose of getting an armadillo to a certain point in space. There is a selection of building materials, each with different properties, which can be combined to form almost anything. The realistic physics simulation gives you the freedom to solve each level in many different ways.
    ]]>     09 Dec 2006 02:13:47     The Last Stand In The Last Stand, your objective is to protect a barricade against the oncoming hordes. Manage your time during the daylight to search for weapons, survivors and repair.
    ]]>     05 Jul 2007 05:34:55     Eternal Daughter Eternal Daughter is an excellent platformer from Blackeye Software.

    The game casts you as Mia, a young girl born into slavery under the evil Dungaga race.

    You start inside your own house which won't belong to you much longer. After an interlude you set out into the game world to try to find out who you are. Gradually you will gather new actions which will allow you to reach new places.

    The game is not too easy despite the nice looks. The boss fights usually need a few tries. The game story unfolds nicely and carries you forwards to new areas and new abilities.

    You don't have to find everything but you're usually rewarded well if you do try to explore thoroughly. Some of the hidden extras need quite a bit of persistance. You'll find you do quite a lot to gain just that one extra heart.

    A nice gimmick: There's a hidden room showing both developers in their study.
    ]]>     16 Feb 2007 03:38:07     Knytt 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     Scorched Planets An epic space battle consumes a future galaxy as its eccentric inhabitants fight for domination. Your mission is to join the conflict and hurl everything you have at the enemy. Choose between races such as evil Dragons and the United Hamster Federation and take command of their inter-planetary super cannon. Select your projectile, aim, fire and watch your foes panic as the chaos ensues. Use weapons such as the Earthworm Bomb and the Kitchen Sink to outsmart and disgrace your opponents. Your task will not be easy; Space is a dangerous place indeed. Asteroids, comets, and multiple gravity fields will hinder your attacks, or even turn them against you. With every successful strike you earn money to increase your bizarre arsenal and move one step closer to complete domination. Hone your mastery in single player then humiliate your friends in multiplayer in this comic, space-themed artillery game. Let the destruction begin!

    Download at http://www.scorchedplanets.com
    ]]>     09 Mar 2007 10:09:23