Hermitgames releases Fren-ze. A demo is available for download.

Cryptic Sea's Blast Miner will be released on the 14th of September, which is less than two weeks away.

Gnome's Lair reports on a new PSP homebrew game entitled Visiting Day. There's a playable beta version online as well.

Matt Thorson of Jumper fame is currently working on a new game.

Information on Trouble Witches, the new shooter from Studio Siesta has been posted on their web site.

The Retro Remakes Competition is about to end and JIG's Game Design Competition was just over. Click here for an outdated competition update. (entries in green from this list are completed remakes)

Notable mentions are Submachine Zero and Gateway.

Good time to catch up with some of the best indie games released over the past few months.

There's a new demo for the latest platformer from Team GrisGris. [Dread Lock review]

Click here for information on how to download from the Vector site.

Bernie is really close to finishing his latest platformer, entitled Darkside Adventures. Expect a release in the next few days. [Skyhammer, Cedric and the Revolution, A Game with a Kitty review]

[Discuss]

Nanoscape is a decent shooter which has you piloting a ship and seeking escape from an underground cavern by destroying all enemies in each catacomb. Options in the shape of dark triangles can be collected for increased firepower. A number is shown next to each enemy to indicate their current health. Pretty fun.

Name: Nanoscape
Developer: Yarhalla
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Mind's Eye is an adventure game by ProgZmax, one of the best sprite designers in the AGS scene. His body of work includes portraits in Duty and Beyond, plus new sprites for Dave Gilbert's The Shivah Deluxe.

Interface problems mar this solid effort. There's no proper menu for the title screen, and the load option can only be brought up by using the F5 function key. The setting of the story is rather dark, but fans of Yahtzee's 1213 series will feel right at home. You assume the role of Noah, a sick amnesiac seeking escape from an asylum.

There's one or two arcade sequences which shouldn't trouble most players. Rather short in length, unfortunately.

Name: Mind's Eye
Developer: Shane Stevens
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

Kairuga is a short shooter demo by Kairos, featuring the iconic gameplay system from Treasure's Ikaruga. You can switch the polarity of your ship by pressing the X key to absorb enemy bullets with the same color and charge your special weapon. The emphasis is on scoring where destroying three enemies of the same color in a row will earn you one chain, and bonus points are awarded for getting a high number of chains.

The only drawback to an otherwise brilliant shmup is it's length, with only one level on showcase.

Name: Kairuga
Developer: Kairos
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

WarMachine Overload is a freeware shmup developed by DHC, featuring nicely drawn 2D sprites and backgrounds.

Collect blue power-ups to charge your beam weapon and activate it by pressing the X key. Use the left shift key to enable the slow motion mode. Option positions can be configured from the main menu and selected in-game using the C key.

Name: WarMachine Overload
Developer: DHC
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

The trend of making escape the room games using Flash, featuring cheap scares and reusing the same old story is killing adventure productions with original ideas rather quickly. The new game from RPGCreations has interesting characters, beautiful backgrounds and a chilling atmosphere thanks to an excellent soundtrack. In Missing, you play the role of an ex-cop in search of his missing wife and child with only a handful of clues as leads.

Most players will struggle with the controls at first but persistence is rewarded with one of the best stories this year. It's important to note that save games are only allowed in your room and nowhere else. This is only because the music doesn't work properly when a previous game is restored, especially when the save was created in other places besides your initial starting point.

Moving your character around can be rather confusing, though a little experimentation will solve that problem in a matter of minutes. A short animation preceeds several room transitions, but this is understandable as it creates a sense of immersion for the players. Including an option to skip these parts will only dilute the experience.

Tension builds up rather quickly after the protagonist settles into bed for the first night. There's a mystery to solve and a few twists in the story that will keep you playing right till the end. At least one easter egg can be found, hinting at a story that may not be as linear as it seems.

A real pleasure to play. Full marks for one of the best games of it's kind.

Name: Missing
Developer: RPGCreations
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 3MB

It's just a character drawn in pixels, moving 3D crates on a 2D plane. But still, The 3-D Adventures of Crate Boy is a pretty good puzzler which doesn't take long to solve. Stack blocks to reach the exit, usually located on a higher ground.

Press the space key to pick up or drop a crate, and use the left shift key for a quick restart. You've reach the end once a secret code is revealed.

Name: The 3-D Adventures of Crate Boy
Developer: Tokyoma
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

Nobuyuki Forces 3 is an excellent rail shooter by SKT Software, developer of several other flash games made available from the same site. A mix of gameplay elements from both Virtua Cop and the Time Crisis series, you're cast as a female super agent on a mission to take down a powerful political leader and put a stop to his nefarious plans.

Use the mouse to aim and left click to shoot with the space key held down. To hide behind walls, just let go of the space key. Left click again when you're behind a wall to reload your gun. Several power-ups can be collected which allows for more bullets in your chamber, restores health or even increases it's maximum limit.

Titles can be earned depending your play style, plus enemies can be shot repeatedly for a points bonus. A boss awaits at the end of each stage as well. To begin playing, just click on either the first or second link on the web site.

Name: Nobuyuki Forces 3
Developer: SKT
Category: Action
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB

Jex Hell Fire is another decent shooter by Ham Corossam which features extremely detailed 2D sprites. There's not much to the gameplay besides a simple shot button, but you do get to replenish your shields by collecting bonus items.

Press the F2 function key to view in full screen. There are three boss fights in the easy and medium difficulty, with a set time limit of four minutes. Choosing the Struggle Jaguar difficulty increases the allocated time to allow for additional boss encounters.

Click here to download.

Name: Jex Hell Fire
Developer: Ham Corossam
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

The aptly titled Quaint Room is a Flash escape game by MOFU2, also the developer of Swan's Room. This production is rather short in length, but puzzles are much easier compared to it's predecessor.

As usual, the music is great and credits are pretty fun to watch. A walkthrough is available from the forums.

Name: Quaint Room
Developer: MOFUYA
Category: Adventure
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB

Swan's Room is another Flash escape game by MOFU2, featuring decent music and room design but rather difficult puzzles. Players familiar with Takagi's efforts would be right at home with this one.

There's a tricky timed sequence near the end but nothing too worrisome with a walkthrough in hand, available from the forums.

Name: Swan's Room
Developer: MOFUYA
Category: Adventure
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB

Mobai Room is the latest Flash escape game by MOFU2, developer of two other efforts with similar gameplay. Originally a mobile version, it's screen size had been reduced for the intended platform but still playable using any internet browser. There are also less items and objects, with very little to get excited about.

As usual, the walkthrough is available from the forums.

Name: Mobai Room
Developer: MOFUYA
Category: Adventure
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB

Extermination Disco Nation is a sample project by Kyle Gabler, developer of Super Tummy Bubble and Tower of Goo. Not much of a game but it does demonstrate the use of a dance pad very well. Controls are mapped to the QWEASD keys while pressing 3 skips the instructions.

Step on all of the animated characters to complete each level. The 1 and 3 keys can be used to rotate the area.

Name: Extermination Disco Nation
Developer: Kyle Gabler
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

+Cebo is a new shooter by Alice from Japan, and as described by postman this is how Rez would probably look like if it was ever turned into a true shmup. A shield can be activated to negate enemy bullets, though it requires a recharge after a certain number of uses. Hold the Z key to shoot and press the X key to protect yourself momentarily.

Conversations can be skipped by pressing the V key. To play in full screen, change the first option in the configuration menu located just above the resolution select field. The trial version can be a little tricky to download, just find the word 35MB on the web site and click on it. Look for a pCEBO.zip file under the pCEBO folder, which contains the game after unzipping the demo package.

I've recorded a gameplay video and uploaded it to YouTube. Had originally planned to complete the stage without any damage but I got pretty lazy towards the end.

Name: Cebo
Developer: Alice from Japan
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: 35MB

Creative Crafting is another Experimental Gameplay Project that explores the notion of a smithing module for MMORPGs. The idea is to make tools of destruction by striking hot coals with your hammer when they magically appear on each weapon.

Equipments made are then traded for gold, and once you are financially sound an apprentice can be hired to create items previously crafted. Just click on the portrait next to each weapon to save you from the tedious work.

Not much of a game here though I'm quite certain that this is probably more fun than slaying dragons or orcs online.

Name: Creative Crafting
Developer: Cellulaer
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Blue Wish Resurrection is the latest shmup from upcoming developer x.x, although this build only showcases one stage. Pre-rendered sprites are larger than his previous efforts, and the game is playable in full screen. To activate this option, first set up your PC to display Japanese text and edit the screen.txt file using MS Word or a similar application. Change the first value from 1 to 0 and save the file.

Name: Blue Wish Resurrection
Developer: x.x
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Overdrive is a shooter made by Jordan Browne using Game Maker, which can be quite difficult to play partly due to it's restrictive controls. Your ship can only move in four directions, and a key press is required for each shot.

But the game does has it's own charms, for example the introduction of boss battles every five stages or so and multiple enemy types which are different in each level. The unlockable menu can be activated by holding the left shift key and pressing Z at any time, although it is quite beatable without any cheats whatsoever.

Name: Overdrive
Developer: Jordan Browne
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Shoot the Core database updated with fifteen new entries.

x.x releases a new shmup entitled Blue Wish Resurrection. [Eden's Edge, Blue Wish, Green Wind review]

A 70MB demo for The Exchange Student is now available.

Game pages for Airdoo and The Cleaner added to darthlupi's web site. [Airdoo review]

Some new games added to Alawar's list of projects in development.

GameTunnel's August Round-Up is now available.

The voice pack for King's Quest III remake is out.

Cassette 50 updated with one new addition.

A demo for the first episode of Space Renegades is now available from the United Minds Games web site.

Raidien Phaec is the title of Hermitgames' next project. They just need to finish it after releasing Fren-ze.

HackIT released, an IGF competition entry from last year. Download link can be found here.

Missing is an excellent adventure game that uses an interface made popular by ICOM classics, such as Shadowgate or the Deja Vu series. In it, you play the role of an ex-cop in search of his missing wife and child with only a handful of clues as leads. Controls will take a bit of getting used to, and save games are only allowed in your room.

The music is great, and sound effects are well placed in most places for added atmosphere, especially when things start to get rather hairy after the first night. This is pure gold for adventure fans.

It's heartwarming to know that Missing is an indie game production which was originally inspired by another.

Name: Missing
Developer: RPGCreations
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 3MB

Alphasix is a 2D overhead game made in Game Maker, which combines elements from different genres. It's at heart an overhead fighting game, similar to the Street Fighter series: you choose one of five characters and battle in one vs. one battles until you defeat all the others.

But instead of martial arts, you use guns, knives, grenades, mines, and danmaku (bullet curtain) attacks -- inspired by the Japanese genre of the same name. These are special bullet patterns composed of hundreds of bullets which you or your opponent must move around and avoid being hit by.

There are eight difficulty levels, thirty stages, and forty-five danmaku attacks. The controls are a bit complex and the game make take a few hours to get the hang of (a tutorial mode was provided to help ease the learning curve).

The gameplay video can be watched here.

Name: Alphasix
Developer: RPGCreations
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 20MB

Warning: Contains strong language.

Normally I don't approve of swearing but the first episode of The Arsecast is pretty good.

Have a look at the site. It's just a plain white background and normal text in black! Now this is the kind of template I approve wholeheartedly. I'll post all the indie podcast links on the planet in the forums soon. [Retro Remakes Competition Update, Poyo, Pushover, Armadillo Run, Lyle in Cube Sector review]

Update: added our first poll. Vote for your best indie podcast! (requires registration, but think of the advantage. You get to choose the username you want!)

I've uploaded a gameplay footage of MaWaRu Maid-san wo Nemigi to YouTube, a Comiket 70 release which parodies the WarioWare series.

What follows in the video is an appearance from King of the Cosmos, the highness himself (from Katamari Damacy and I Love Katamari). Then some mini games featuring characters from the Touhou series (Touhou Soccer, Mega Mari, etc.)

The first boss fight is actually a very nice clone of Spartan X (known in the States as Kung Fu Master), more faithful than Babarageo's Great Kung Fu. Unfortunately it's only one level long. The cutscene in the last area introduces a character who is barely dressed, and a short tribute to Akuma from Street Fighter.

Some notable appearances include an Afterburner clone and Lethal Application.

A short review was posted back in January, and a demo is available from the official web site. Just click on the red button with the word 'C69' to download the trial version.

Another Comiket 70 release, RefRain Prism Memories is a rather poor effort when compared to shmups from other developers. Granted it's only a demo with only one difficult boss fight, though that's no excuse for RebRank to showcase mesmerizing bullet patterns and little of anything else.

Bullets fired by the player doesn't seem to cause damage, and the collision detection itself requires plenty of work. Certain enemy projectiles can destroy your ship just by grazing any part of it, while others will only have an effect if it touches the hit point.

Name: RefRain Prism Memories
Developer: RebRank
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: not available yet, but there's a gameplay video.

First, some screenshots for buloght's latest project, The Family Treasure 2.

[buloght's past projects: Knightsquire, The Family Treasure, Sven Gordan Paranormal Parody, A Knight's Pursuit review]

Heartland Deluxe is currently in production, originally an OROW competition entry. [other OROW competition entries: Heartland, The Heist, Gunshot in Room 37, The Loathsome Man, Hallway of Adventures review]

The Herculean Effort Productions web site has been finally updated with a new entry. The gang will work with Dave Gilbert of The Shivah fame to produce episodic Bestowers of Eternity adventures. The Apprentice III is still in early design stages. [The Shivah review]

Babarageo gets a big update, in the form of an english web site! All the instructions can now be understood. [Babarageo STG Banner, Great Kung Fu, Death Vader review]

Not really. Just a halloween mod that Oddbob had been planning to develop. Grid Wars is not only a swell game, but it can be easily modified too.

Mark Incitti of Grid Wars fame was recently interviewed by Eurogamer.

He is also currently putting the finishing touches on a 360 shooter entitled Polarity. Expect it to be released next month. [Geometry Wars clones]

Al Emmo will be released at the end of August.

More games added to Cassette 50. Now featuring nineteen of the worst games ever.

The Retro Remakes competition will end on 31st of August. You bet I will be there trying out all 150 entries (assuming they all finish developing their games) and reviewing the best ones.

The 3rd Shmup-Dev Competition will begin on 1st of Sept, and ends on Jan 1st 2007. Remember to sign up for this one, 'cause the 1st prize winner will net a cool $250! (among other prizes, of course)

The theme is... ooh, you nearly caught me there. :)

I've created a forum due to requests, but if no one uses it then I will probably take it offline.

From the author of Mahjongg Solitaire comes DHTML Sudoku. Not Sudoku Deluxe, nor Sudoku Special Edition. This is probably the most accessible Sudoku version available, plus it's free. The fact that you're able to read this post means that you're already equipped to play it. No downloads, long waits or messy interfaces. No Flash version upgrades or Java installations.

I'm not a fan of Sudoku but simplicity, I can appreciate. Click on a square, type in a number and attempt to fill all the blanks correctly. Then click on verify to find out if you're correct. You can even print it! Wonderful creation, especially considering that all puzzles are randomly generated and not drawn from a database.

Name: DHTML Sudoku
Developer: Thomas Weibel
Category: Puzzle
Type: Browser
Size: Less than 1MB

Hallway of Adventures is an AGS game originally developed by Mordalles for the fourth One Room One Week competition, acting as a prelude for the upcoming Chronicles of the Red Knight. You find yourself playing the role of a jester in this one, attempting to solve the mysteries of the library in order to retrieve the Books of Good and Evil.

The puzzles can be rather perplexing, which may lead to a number of players searching for hints in the AGS forum.

Name: Hallway of Adventures
Developer: Mordalles
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

The Idolmaster Minigame Collection, also known as AiMasu Champ, is a decent WarioWare clone with a raunchy twist. Play games ranging from strip poker but using Janken rules (rock paper scissors), a vertical shooter stage, classic handheld level, a simplified version of Mr. Driller, Minesweeper, Mahjong and many more. A complete list can be found on the site.

There's a trial version playable through your browser, but unfortunately carries a limitation of three minigames. One requires the player to arrange cards with pictures of girls in their swimwear, in the order of the largest cup to the smallest starting with the left position.

Name: The Idolmaster Minigame Collection
Developer: SYGNAS
Category: Action
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB

Chiebura is the latest release by Nepia World, developer of the Snake variant named Mimizu Panzer among other projects. The story begins with a girl who jumps into a local bath with her cat to save her grandfather from drowning. The water will attempt to suck you in as well if your feet touches it, but fortunately you can use the feline to grab hold of magical dots and swing around them.

Shooting is never steady but can be roughly controlled with a bit of practice. An unconventional but surprisingly playable game.

Name: Chieri
Developer: Nepia World
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: not available yet, but there's a gameplay video.

Fren-ze will be released on the 20th of August. Click here for more screenshots.

The new football season is about to start, so Addictive 247 Games is getting in the game with a new development blog for their latest production called Addictive Football. [Cave Jumper review]

Grappa Pixel Tea releases a new 30sec video of Soft Landing in action for download.

Buster's latest post has been translated by Shih Tzu. Thanks again!

Swarm Racer updated to version 2.0, which was originally a Ludum Dare entry by lexaloffle. Click here for a complete list of all notable entries from the previous Ludum Dare competition. [Swarm Racer review]

Nekodamari is a Comiket 70 release from Ichigo-Citron, developer of several other shooters such as Melon Squash, Feather Raid and Kapra W: The Road to Al-De-Baran. A departure from their previous releases, this is basically a Buster Bros clone with a smooth frame rate, levitation and magical portals that can be used to transport your character to higher ground.

A pretty good update which includes a two player mode as well.

Name: Nekodamari
Developer: Ichigo-Citron
Category: Action
Type: no demo yet

Kapra W: The Road to Al-De-Baran is another shooter from Ichigo-Citron, creator of Melon Squash and Feather Raid. Your character can level up to withstand more hits and cast stronger spells by gaining experience points for each stage completed.

Hold the Z key to shoot and press the X key to cast a spell. Tap the left shift key to activate your special attack, which requires a recharge after each use.

Name: Kapra W: The Road to Al-De-Baran
Developer: Ichigo-Citron
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: 15MB

D-Bug is a new top-down shooter by DiezelPower Studios, which plays much like Crimsonland but with better 3D graphics. You assume the role of a soldier stranded on an alien planet, with survival as your only objective.

The option to use a dual analog controller is strangely absent, although the keyboard and mouse combination works perfectly well. Perks are now known as modifiers, with over twenty skills to choose from. Press space to pause the game and make your selection.

Unlike other demos, the trial period is not limited to one hour. There are two other playable modes on offer besides campaign. A nice diversion while the wait for Dogtag continues.

Name: D-Bug
Developer: DiezelPower Studios
Category: Action
Type: Demo
Size: 20MB

Solomon's Key Remake has the same gameplay found in Tecmo's 1986 release, except with updated graphics and a better frame rate. The inclusion of level codes is a welcomed addition, allowing progress to be saved periodically. Some bloke had conveniently included all the information you ever need to know about it in a Wikipedia entry.

This particular effort may not appeal to younger gamers but owners of the original NES port will be delighted with this find. Simply click on the U.K. flag to change the language to English. Press the Z key to create or destroy blocks and use the X key to jump. Collect the key in each level to open the exit. Sounds simple, but as you will discover rather quickly it's not acknowledged as one of the most difficult platformer without proper credentials.

Name: Solomon's Key Remake
Developer: Zikitrake
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

With a title like that, anyone would have expected some games to play. Not this one, no sir.

Just a compilation of design documents from participating developers, unfortunately. Still in the early stages.

Probably the best looking presentation is MegaMonster Melee. Comes with a Flash animation to demonstrate the game that they plan to make.

Another screenshot but no game or demo... [Guardian of Paradise translated]

The new game entitled BUSTER is complete but not released yet, due to distribution disputes. [thanks to Shih Tzu for this info!]

Puzznic is Retrodev's remake of Taito's classic arcade puzzler with a few new elements not found in the original. The gameplay involves pushing blocks with the same symbols to touch each other in order to make them disappear. Remove all blocks within the time limit to proceed to the next level.

Left click to move a block to the left, likewise for the opposite direction. None of that casual match three action here, later stages require plenty of brainpower to solve.

Name: Puzznic
Developer: RetroDev Games
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Link-Em Bamboo is another puzzler by RetroDev Games, which is a bit like Pipe Dreams but with all the pieces occupying the screen right from the start.

Your task is to link parts of bamboo shoots by rotating them, ensuring that no open end exists to feed the panda and increase your time limit. Bonus points are awarded for longer links spanning several tiles.

Name: Link-Em Bamboo
Developer: RetroDev Games
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Takase's web site has moved. Latest news about Dot Fighters can be found at his blog, while the ArmJoe download is available from this page. [Thanks to Khris!]

Don't forget to update your bookmarks. [Takase's blog, ArmJoe download and Dot Fighters video preview at T-Lab]

For the humour in the tutorial alone, it's got to be Frets on Fire. Now you finally get to live your dream of a rock star, have groupies and unprotected orgy fests. But first you must take a lesson from the begrudgingly Juergen, your instructor and the local guitar god extraordinaire.

Learn how to hold the keyboard in the coolest way, and you won't need to spend a few months' worth of allowance on a special controller. Song selection is rather limited, and the game itself is still undergoing revision but this is one title that is already showing plenty of promise. If you're no good with the strings, there's at least one or two good laughs to be had from the experience.

Placed first in the Assembly '06 competition. (Scroll down for the results, under the Competitions tab) For more instructions, click here.

Name: Frets on Fire
Developer: Unreal Voodoo
Type: Freeware
Size: 30MB



Comments

Six: Sweet! Now I can pretend to be Nullsleep!
MD: This videogame is f*cking great :D, awesome, awesome.
finefin: juergen is right. i SUCK in this game! but i can't stop trying... :D

I've uploaded the Siter Skain's Alltynex gameplay video on YouTube. This video shows footage from the first boss until the end of the game. [Kamui review]

As mentioned on the web site, the Comiket 70 release is a prototype and does not reflect gameplay from the final version (no date yet).

A 70MB demo for The Silver Lining (the unofficial King's Quest IX) has been released. (I'd recommend the AusGamer's mirror, it's blazing fast)

Adventure Europe puts up the first Broken Sword 4 in-game footage for download (50MB). UK Release date: 15th September 2006.

The full title is Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death. It will be a point-and-click adventure, unlike the third in the series. Click here to watch the same trailer on YouTube.

The Runaway sequel will be released on September 2006, which means next month.

Mordalles of Duty and Beyond fame is currently working on Chronicles of the Red Knight and a secret project with graphics resembling those found in Future Wars. [Duty and Beyond review, walkthrough]

Eyezmaze's GROW nano updated to version 0.1.

Free Lunch Design of Icy Tower fame is currently working on three new games. One of them is entitled Hodja and the Sleeping Eggplant.

Quite a number of heroes and their ships from classic arcade shmups make their appearances in Absorb. You're cast as the enemy, attempting to acquire the projectiles that they shoot out and return the favor in kind. Hold the F key to activate your shields while absorbing bullets and several other harmful objects. Press the D key to launch them back at your adversaries.

Both buttons act as the cancel and confirm buttons as well. The keyboard controls work fine but a joypad is recommended.

Name: Absorb
Developer: Absorb Development Team
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 30MB

The latest release from Hizoka.T.Ohkubo, RAY-HOUND is an action game which requires no shooting from the player's part. Trapped in a room with enemies consisting of turrets, you can retaliate by clicking on the left mouse button to muster a shield and send their shots back at them. The other method is to move your ship towards the lasers rapidly to initiate a boost and repel the beams of destruction.

In the options menu, it is possible to adjust and increase the chances of boosting with quick mouse movements by lowering the figure. Press F11 or use the ALT and enter key combination to play in full screen mode.

A timer is always counting down, but you can increase it by destroying all enemies to complete the level. The gameplay system is pretty offbeat, since it can be rather hard to direct shots unless the player is adept at slinging projectiles.

Name: RAY-HOUND
Developer: Hizoka.T.Ohkubo
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

Zangyura is a decent Castlevania clone by Murasame, an acclaimed SHMUP developer from Japan. The demo only features one level but does include the obligatory end level boss.

For fans of Konami's platformer series.

Name: Zangyura
Developer: Platine Dispositif
Category: Platform
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Let's give a warm welcome to the new guitar hero in town. Aptly titled Frets on Fire, it will either help you get laid or have you breaking a few keyboards out of frustration in no time.

No expensive controllers required for this game. The main menu shows you how to hold the keyboard properly in order to rock the stage. A handy tutorial provides simple steps to follow, assuming that you can keep a straight face while playing catch up. Hold a button with your finger, then press the enter key to pick a note.

One to keep an eye on, especially if the developers include good music from unsigned bands.

Name: Frets on Fire
Developer: Unreal Voodoo
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 30MB

Mark Incitti was recently requested by Bizarre Creations (developer of Geometry Wars) to remove the Grid Wars download link. Here is the quote from Mark's web site:

"We're beginning to feel the effects of the Geometry Wars clones on our sales via Microsoft now and are beginning a process to begin to more robustly protect our copyright and intellectual property."

"Therefore, I'd like to ask you in an amicable fashion to stop infringing our IP and pull the game 'Grid Wars' from the internet for download."

"I hope you understand and are able to do this without us having to take further steps."

So, where to get your GridWars fix? Here are fifteen recommendations.
(Scroll down for all the reviews)

1. Grid Wars
2. XWars
3. Echoes
4. Rainbow Wars
5. Veck
6. Bullet Candy (demo)
7. Neon Wars (demo)
8. RetroBlast
9. HGEWars
10. Grid Assault
11. Mu-cade
12. Base 2
13. Mono
14. Mutant Storm (demo)
15. Vector Infector


Reviews



Grid Wars

Probably the most popular Geometry Wars clone, partly due to the fact that it's free and playable on at least two platforms. The dual analog controls work well, but players without a joypad can play using a combination of mouse and keyboard. No levels, but the difficulty increases slowly with the addition of new types of enemies. A black hole appears from time to time, which you can use to your advantage since it sucks everything into it. Blow it up, and the amount of points you earned depends on how many objects were drawn into the dark matter. This particular technique called black hole harvesting is a heated discussion among many fans of Mark Incitti's shooter.

Most power-ups upgrade your shots or gives you a temporary shield, while bombs can be used to clear the entire screen. The game has gone through many revisions and what we have is the final version, plus it's unlikely to be updated since the author has moved on to other projects.

Name: Grid Wars
Developer: Mark Incitti
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC, Mac
Size: 3.3MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 8/10
Rating: 9
Direct download link: http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/grid/GridWars54.zip
Download page: http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/grid/wars.htm

Return to top





XWars

XWars is a decent attempt to fill the hole left vacant by the forced withdrawal of Grid Wars. There are no configurable options yet, though gameplay is practically the same bar some minor sprite changes. Dual analog controllers are also supported in the latest version.

Your ship can be moved around using the W, A, S and D keys. The mouse can be used to aim at other vector shapes. Indicators shown at the top of the screen provides information on the next upgrade or multiplier increase at a glance. A worthy substitute, especially with a little more work. Made using the HGE engine.

Name: XWars
Developer: Ehud
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 0.6MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 8/10
Rating: 7
Download page:
http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=417391
Mirror: http://files.filefront.com/Xwarsrar/;6691038;;/fileinfo.html

Return to top





Echoes

Echoes is an arena shooter by Binary Zoo which consists of ten levels, with a different enemy type introduced on every new stage. Each have their unique strengths, weaknesses and require various strategies to deal with effectively.

The player loses energy when collision with an adversary could not be avoided. Remaining energy is shown as a counter on the top right of the screen, also indicated by the colored ring surrounding your ship. There are only three different power-ups to collect. One increases firepower, the other restores health while the third is a sort of bomb.

Zoots awards are handed out whenever a certain task is completed, with current achievements available to peruse via the trial accomplishment screen. To get a perfect score, all ten objectives must be attempted at the highest difficulty.

Name: Echoes
Developer: Binary Zoo
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 10.8MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 8/10
Rating: 9
Direct download link:
http://www.binaryzoo.com/games/echoes/echoes.zip

Return to top





Rainbow Wars

A side project from Volition designer Luke Schneider, part of the team responsible for the development of the Descent series. The background is practically empty, but destroying enemy ships will cause glowing particles to appear on screen. Bombs only appear as a power-up item, and is activated on the spot when collected. A power-up item will appear for every five thousand points earned which includes a black hole that only sucks in enemy ships.

Your ship is equipped with three layers of shield, and you lose one whenever an enemy ship touches yours. Destroying each wave of enemies will increase the level number by one, also replenishing your shields automatically. Losing all your shields ends the game, but you can continue from the last level attempted by selecting it at the main menu. Note that the easy difficulty will only allow access to the first ten waves.

Your ship also has the ability to warp and charge it's shot. Tap the left shoulder button on your gamepad to teleport, and hold the right shoulder button to prepare for a special attack. It's interesting to note that Rainbow Wars is an effort made with Game Maker in only thirty hours.

Name: Rainbow Wars
Developer: Luke Schneider
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 2.2MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 6/10
Rating: 8
Download page: http://www.volition-inc.com/Staff/LukeSchnieder
(click on design ideas to download)

Return to top





Veck

(Watch the gameplay video on YouTube!)

Veck was originally a competition entry for the Retro Remakes vector competition, which it won by garnering more than half of the votes submitted even though there were nine other entries. The level number increases for each minute that your ship remains intact, up to fifteen. Then the game loops back to the first wave but your score remains.

Weapon upgrade is automatic as well, bestowing the ability to shoot more bullets whenever the minute counter changes. No lives or shields, instead health is measured by energy which increments slowly but depletes if a collision with another object occurs.

Has the distinction of most bullets fired by your ship among all the games mentioned. The soundtrack is great as well, generating plenty of adrenaline rush as it reaches a crescendo. Full screen can only be enabled using a command line parameter, stated in a text file that comes with the zip package. For users with no gamepad, the mouse is not part of the control option although directional firing is still possible by mapping four other keys in addition to the standard movement.

Name: Veck
Developer: smayds
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 1.6MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 7/10
Rating: 9
Direct download link: http://dl.smayds.com/VeckSE.zip

Return to top





Bullet Candy

Bullet Candy is more like Robotron: 2084 than Geometry Wars, although the inclusion of dual analog controls make it a worthwhile inclusion into this list. You control a ship stuck in space much like the others, but enemies are able to shoot at you in many different ways. Lives can be earned either by collecting red power-ups or scoring 100,000 points.

Power-ups include lasers, triple shots and temporary invincibility. Bullet Candy includes a survival mode and an Asteroid Belt game, plus some secrets as well. Only fifty levels in the normal mode although most are designed to offer different challenges. For players without the luxury of a gamepad, the standard mouse and keyboard control combination can be used.

Name: Bullet Candy
Developer: Charlies Games
Type: Demo
Platform: PC, Mac
Size: 8.2MB
Online High Score: Yes
Geometry Wars-like scale: 3/10
Rating: 8
Download page: http://www.charliesgames.co.uk/

Return to top





Neon Wars

Developed by Reflected Games and BlitWise Productions, Neon Wars is another arena shooter that will only run properly if you have OpenGL 1.2 or above installed.

Your ship can only be moved around using the mouse, plus the primary weapon is fired automatically at the nearest enemy. Nevertheless, the one level included has no time restrictions and replayable at any time even though several power-ups have been disabled.

Name: Neon Wars
Developer: BlitWise Productions
Type: Demo
Platform: PC
Size: 2.9MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 7/10
Rating: 8
Download page: http://www.blitwise.com/neonwars.html

Return to top





RetroBlast

RetroBlast uses vector shapes for objects and enemies, much like Geometry Wars but that's where the similarities end. Only mouse control is available, and players used to a dual analog gamepad will be disappointed with this effort. To shoot at an enemy, your ship must first be rotated to face it by using the left or right mouse button to turn. Bombs can be used to clear the screen.

The full version features a hundred levels but only the first eighteen can be accessed in the demo.

Name: RetroBlast
Developer: JGOware
Type: Demo
Platform: PC
Size: 2.8MB
Online High Score: Yes
Geometry Wars-like scale: 5/10
Rating: 5
Download page: http://jgoware.com/retroblast.htm

Return to top





HGEWars

HGEWars is a work in progress by Yuriy O'Donnell, and there is still plenty of development to be done although it's been around longer than any of the other Geometry Wars clones. The rating should not be taken seriously since scores are not based on the final version. Some fiddling with the ini file is required for the gamepad to work.

Weapon upgrade is automatic. The gameplay is quite faithful to the original but it may be months before the final version is released.

Name: HGEWars
Developer: Yuriy O'Donnell
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 0.3MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 7/10
Rating: 3
Download page: http://yurka.org/gamedev/

Return to top





Grid Assault

Grid Assault plays more like Geometry Wars than any of the other attempts stated in this article. The author informs that it's development was halted to avoid any implications that may arise from creating an exact copy of Bizzare Creations' Xbox 360 hit on another platform.

Enemies will only appear for the first six minutes. Dual analog controls are available in addition to the mouse and keyboard combination. Weapon upgrade is automatic for every ten thousand points earned, and you can use bombs to destroy all objects on screen. Most of the objects from the original can be found in this effort.

Name: Grid Assault
Developer: Wiebo
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 5.3MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 9/10
Rating: 7
Download page: Blitz for the masses

Return to top





Mu-cade

Using vector shapes for shmups is practically a Kenta Cho hallmark, but the celebrated Japanese developer had been toying around with dual analog controls since Gunroar. A combination of both Robotron: 2084 and Snake, your objective is to stay on the rectangular platform and knock other enemies off it by shooting at them repeatedly.

For each enemy pushed off the platform, the tail of your ship grows longer and the score multiplier increases. A longer tail does complicate matters a little as it gets harder to stay on the platform. If the tail of your ship is over the edge, the weight will drag the rest of the ship with it as well.

Fortunately players only need to worry about the front portion of the ship. The tail itself can be blown apart in exchange for a short burst of additional firepower. You will lose the multiplier in the process though.

It gets increasingly harder to stay on the platform as time passes, but an extra life is awarded for every 200,000 points earned.

Name: Mu-cade
Developer: Kenta Cho
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 6.02MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 2/10
Rating: 7
Download page: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/mcd_e.html

Return to top





Base 2

Base 2 is a game that plays more like Every Extend than anything else. The player controls a bit with the mouse, using the left button to activate the shield. Coming in contact with enemy ships when your shield is up will cause them to explode.

Some enemies are too large to eliminate in this manner, so your only option is to maneuver around them carefully. The green bar at the top of the screen indicates the amount of energy you currently have, and will depreciate whenever your bit touches an enemy ship with the shields down. Some energy is lost regardless of shield status when collision with large enemies could not be avoided.

Pressing the right mouse button activates the freeze bomb, which freezes all enemies on-screen momentarily. Extra lives can be earned by destroying enemies of the same color in a row, using a process called linking. Multipliers are awarded for long links.

The screen tilt can be rather helpful or distracting to players, depending on their preferences. A higher score would have been awarded if the toggle option was available from the main menu.

Name: Base 2
Developer: SimSimGames
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 6.02MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 2/10
Rating: 5
Download page: http://www.simsimgames.co.uk/

Return to top





Mono

Mono is a shooter from Binary Zoo that uses Robotron 2084-style controls, where the aim of the game is to change the color of the entire screen from black to white or white to black. Enemies will leave a splash of color on the playing field when destroyed, and the behavior of a hostile unit will change depending on the patch of color that they traverse on.

Power-ups can be collected replenish energy, shields, or radically alter your ship's firepower, although they only lasts ten seconds. Playing this game can be disorienting after a while because of the bright colors used.

Name: Mono
Developer: Binary Zoo
Type: Freeware
Platform: PC
Size: 5.5MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 3/10
Rating: 5
Download page: http://www.binaryzoo.com/games/mono/

Return to top





Mutant Storm

Mutant Storm is an arena shooter developed by PomPom Games, in which you control a ship equipped with directional firing much like Geometry Wars. Instead of vector shapes, most of the objects in the game are represented in 3D.

It's quite unfortunate that your progress is only saved every ten levels, leaving most users replaying the same stages just to arrive at a save point.

Name: Mutant Storm
Developer: PomPom Games
Type: Demo
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
Size: 4.3MB
Online High Score: Yes
Geometry Wars-like scale: 6/10
Rating: 7
Download page: http://www.pompomgames.com/mutantstorm.htm

Return to top





Vector Infector

Vector Infector is another release by Oddbob that resembles Geometry Wars, featuring fifty rooms filled with geometric shapes bent on your ship's destruction.

There are some notable differences when comparing this version with the console hit. For example, the only way to power up your weapon's attack strength is by collecting gems that vanquished enemies leave behind. The game also has a wrap around playing field, where sprites that go over the edge of the screen will appear on the other side.

Two control options are made available to the player. Pressing the Z key will cause your ship to fire in the direction it is currently facing. Shots can also be directed by using W, A, S and D keys. Looks very promising even if it's still in early development stages.

Name: Vector Infector
Developer: Oddbob
Type: Demo
Platform: PC
Size: 15.0MB
Online High Score: No
Geometry Wars-like scale: 7/10
Rating: 5
Direct download link: http://www.merseyremakes.co.uk/previews/testbuild8thJan.exe

Return to top



Some notables which uses dual analog or features vector shapes that did not make the list (for various reasons), but very playable nonetheless:

Circle Hunter by Swooshysoft [review]
Bubble Thing by Queasy Games [review]

All games copyrighted by their respective development studios.

Feather Raid is an excellent shooter featuring a power-up system much like the one employed by Konami's Gradius series. There are no lives but your character is able to take several hits, indicated by the HP gauge shown at the bottom of the screen. Your HP can be increased by completing levels and gaining experience points.

Hold down the Z key to shoot and press the X key to activate a power-up. Tap the left shift to launch the cyclone attack, although it requires a recharge after each use.

Refer to the FAQ on the left sidebar for instructions on navigating the Vector site.

Name: Feather Raid
Developer: Ichigo-Citron
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Neko-Kaitei Iseki Taisen is a rather dated Flash effort by Yoshio Ishii, featuring the use of only two colors to great effect. Essentially an exploration game, your objective is to guide a cat as it embarks on a quest to retrieve hidden treasures in an underground cave, deep beneath the sea.

Left click to bring up a map and a treasure loot indicator. Look out for false cave walls.

Name: Neko-Kaitei Iseki Taisen
Developer: Yoshio Ishii
Category: Adventure
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB

Karack Spirit is a platformer by Evilish that showcases an interesting idea. Your task in the game is to direct a ball into the blue basket by drawing lines to influence it's bounce.

There are a few items scattered around each area which can be used to achieve your objective. Spinning objects found at the start of each level can be activated to provide hints just by bouncing the ball off them.

Name: Karack Spirit
Developer: Evilish
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

Talismania is a production by former team members of Sprout Games, now housed under PopCap. Known for their Frenzy series, this latest effort is pretty much Pipe Dreams with plenty of gloss. The gameplay system has been tweaked slightly, allowing for different strategies with the introduction of six-sided tiles. Your objective is basically to turn these tiles into coins, by connection one talisman to the other.

The distance between both talismans will determine the amount of gold earned. Magical tiles are introduced at a steady pace, but unfortunately no help screen is provided to summarize them for the players. Some fuss were made about the locked Hero Mode, though much of the fun lies in the campaign itself.

Name: Talismania
Developer: PopCap Games
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Death Worm is an action game by JTR in which you assume the role of a large creature with an appetite to match it's size. Hold the up arrow key to accelerate, and use the left and right arrow keys to change directions.

Vehicles can be launch into the air when approached at the right angle. Consume food to increase health. A similar effort by Unc1354m can be found at the Experimental Gameplay web site.

Name: Death Worm
Developer: JTR
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

BIB2 -The 2nd Syndrome- is a decent shooter with emphasis on boss fights, but don't panic if you happen to hear effects from your current Windows theme during object collisions. A nifty text file in the game directory links to default sounds, plus it's rather easy to mute the entire thing through the options menu.

Activate the shield by holding down the X key, and press the C key to shoot. New weapons can be unlocked by beating all stages for each difficulty.

Click on the first link to access the download page. Refer to the FAQ on the left sidebar for instructions on navigating the Vector site.

Name: BIB2 -The 2nd Syndrome-
Developer: LogicSoft
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Carious Weltling 2 is a unique Sabotage clone by Diverge Creations, in which you assume the role of a hatchling with only survival as it's main objective. Protect yourself from the predators by shooting out blood blast using the left mouse button, and replenish your blood supply by eating grubs and other miscellaneous goodies.

Use the mouse to aim and hold the left mouse button for a special attack. Use the A and D keys to move around. Great stuff.

Name: Carious Weltling 2
Developer: Diverge Creations
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Carious Weltling has the same controls as it's sequel, but only playable on a flash-enabled browser. The objective is simple, use the left mouse button to shoot blood blasts at predators with the solitary objective of staying alive. Use the A and D keys to move your protagonist around, and hold the left mouse button for a blood geyser attack.

Watch out for the green cactuses. Contact with these creatures will cause the instant loss of a life. Eat grubs and meat to increase your blood supply level. The cursor can be changed by using the Page Up and Down keys.

Name: Carious Weltling
Developer: Edmund McMillen
Category: Action
Type: Flash
Size: 2MB

Viviparous Dumpling is another excellent creation from the minds of both Edmund Mcmillen and Caulder Bradford. Guide the fetus around parasites using the mouse, while trying to gobble up sperms and white pills which heal the main character. The damage you've taken from colliding with toxoplasms are indicated by the green dots. The game ends immediately if you accumulate more than three of these.

Press the enter key to pause the game. Simple but rather addictive, owing much to Ed's quirky sprite designs.

Name: Viviparous Dumpling
Developer: Diverge Creations
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Warning: Contain scenes of violence, blood and gore.

Clubby the Seal is another flash effort by Diverge Creations, packed with plenty of cartoon killing which might offend a few people. Your protagonist is armed with a club on a mission of revenge, bashing in the heads of poor eskimos and skinning them to sell their hides on the black market.

Press the A key to attack, and use the S or up arrow key to jump. Skins can be bartered for special items such as extra lives or protective masks. Fishes can be collected to restore health, as indicated at the bottom left of the screen. There's the occasional boss fights as well.

Name: Clubby the Seal
Developer: Diverge Creations
Category: Action
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB

Ben Jordan Case 1 Deluxe released. Includes voice acting.

Illegal Communication updated. [Illegal Communication review]

The Forgotten Element development blog can be found here.

The Shivah Deluxe will be released next week. [The Shivah review]

A new AGS adventure game entitled Tapir's Quest will be released next week.

Missing 1goodgame? Here's a site which reviews fifty of the crappiest games ever.

The Retro Remakes Competition began on June 1st and ends on Aug 31st. Some competition entries are near completion, and I will highlight a few that caught my eye.

From Ovine by Design is a Nemesis remake, a shmup by originally developed by Konami. Progress: 30 percent complete. [screenshot]

Kryten's Chronos remake is nearly done. Expect this shooter to drop soon.

X-Out (Prototype) is working on a Xain D' Sleena remake. Progress: nearly done.

Pug Fugly (Super Blazing Vortex) is 70 percent done with The Pyramid remake. [Project Microlife, Ambush in Sector 9, Revenge of the Robot Cat from Mars review]

KNPMASTER (Cave Jumper) is working on a Shufflepuck Bar 3 remake. Progress: 30 percent complete.

danjo is 80 percent done with the Ladybug remake.

The H.E.R.O. remake by smila is half done.

Endurion is 80 percent done with the Kronos Rift remake.

The Alley Cat remake by rocko is half done.

Saving the best for last: The Ghostbusters remake is done.

Click here for a complete list of competition entries. Expect to play all the above games at the end of this month.

I know I missed a few good ones, will probably do a part two when Blogger is working properly. Cheers.

Warning: Contains strong language.

Hyper Wars: The Mega Firestorm is a vertical shooter by CK which uses only two colors throughout the entire game. There are plenty of power-ups to choose from and several bosses to defeat at the end of each level. The demo only showcases four stages, but expect more in the near future as development continues.

Name: Hyper Wars: The Mega Firestorm
Developer: CK
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 3MB

IrK is a freeware shmup by Akatuki Twilight, featuring a unique weapon system not unlike the one found in Einhander. Destroying certain enemy ships will cause them to drop their weapons for you to collect. Press the V key to use these weapons as bombs. Hold the C key to make your character move slower. Both weapons can be fired by using either the Z or X key. Tap the space key to pause the game.

Right after selecting the start option from the main menu, you're requested to choose a difficulty level, then arm the protagonist with additional weapons. Boss fights can be rather lengthy, plus good bullet dodging skills is a must for any progress past the first three stages. A decent STG for veteran danmaku fans, but beginners should approach with caution.

Click on IrK ver0.2 to begin downloading the 16MB trial version. The rest of the files are patches or BGMs, which are not required to play the game.

Name: IrK
Developer: Akatuki Twilight
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 20MB

Colorblind Fix 3 is an excellent platformer by King Bowser, combining action and puzzle elements from the Mario series, Metanet Software's N, and Helix Games' Jumper to name a few.

Of course, having so many influences does not necessarily mean that the end product will be any good. Fortunately in this case, everything works well to draw you in and keep you addicted to it for a long time. Featuring a hundred levels, it's quite surprising that every stage still manages to offer a different challenge, whether it requires quick thinking or extraordinary reflexes.

The objective in each stage is to collect all keys and reach the exit. One minor drawback is that the game tends to run pretty slow on older machines. The help screen does not work at all, and your progress is only saved after every tenth level. Instruction on activating the debug mode can be found in the forum, solving at least one of the issues mentioned here.

Name: Colorblind Fix 3
Developer: King Bowser
Category: Platform
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

X-It Again is an excellent remake of Psygnosis's puzzler for the Amiga, faithful in nearly every aspect. Profiles are used to save progress instead of passwords, although to play in full screen the setting.ini file has to be edited. Change the Fullscreen value from 0 to 1 in order to maximize the window.

Much like Sokoban, most of the gameplay involves pushing blocks around to fill holes and getting your character to the exit tile. Instructions can be found inside the Documents folder, with some rather useful hints provided. All tiles are described in detail, for example glue tiles can be walked over but blocks get stuck when they are pushed onto them. At least one level contains red herrings as well.

Name: X-It Again
Developer: Puzzlehouse
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 20MB

Home Base is an excellent puzzler by BBaller which is still in production but shows plenty of promise even at this early stage. Your objective is to guide four blocks of different color to their home bases which are represented by pulsating colored tiles.

The trouble is that all blocks move simultaneously for every key press, so careful planning is required to complete each level with the least number of moves. Only twenty stages are included in this early beta.

Name: Home Base
Developer: BBaller
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

The title says it all. Buster's latest work now available in English. Just apply the translation patch and you're ready to go. [AGTP link, Guardian of Paradise review]

Shih Tzu says: There's one crash bug right now when you check a pedestal in the desert ruins. It'll be fixed at some point, so for now just don't do that, or fix it yourself with the instructions here.

From Dekovir Entertainment comes Chameleon Gems, a match three game sporting a 3D engine and several new surprises. Power-ups can be bought from shops, which include exotic items like different skins for your creature. These are not just cosmetic changes, they provide special abilities as well.

Certain gems are stacked on top of each other, and can only be removed by destroying the stones underneath first. May not exactly be your cup of tea but just the right thing for Zuma fans in search of more matching action.

Name: Chameleon Gems
Developer: Dekovir Entertainment
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

The original Solomon's Key by Tecmo was fondly remembered for it's difficulty, but in Abracadabra the platforming elements feels more like a chore. Most of the items and monsters from the arcade classic do make their appearances in this game, though not without a few cosmetic changes. Levels are designed to be less challenging unfortunately.

Name: Abracadabra
Designer: Phelios
Category: Platformer
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

As a few of us may remember, Pushover was an excellent puzzler published by Ocean about fifteen years ago. The remake by IshiSoft features the same objective as well, to topple all dominoes found in each level. The difficult part was figuring out how to arrange certain pieces in order to successfully cause a chain reaction and finally ending up with the trigger piece being pushed.

For this reason, the protagonist can pick up and place domino pieces in key areas. Some dominoes may have special characteristics, although most are explained during the first few tutorial stages. Press the Z key to grab tiles or push a domino by using the left or right directional key with the action button. Fullscreen can be enabled under options. Later levels are rather challenging, but don't let that discourage you from downloading this fabulous remake.

Name: Pushover
Developer: IshiSoft
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 20MB

Noiz2 may sound like the prequel to Kenta Cho's Noiz2sa, but besides the abstract shapes there is practically nothing similar between the both of them. The game requires Java installed to run, but no button presses are required for shooting. Position your ship in front of an enemy to fire at it.

Green stars can be collected for points. This particular effort has been largely ignored because of the application requirements.

Name: Noiz2
Developer: Kenta Cho
Category: Shooter
Type: Flash
Size: 1MB