In xWUNG, you play by moving the mouse to swing a ball. The ball's attached to a wire, and both of them kill enemies on contact. Be careful of the debris as it's deadly. There are bosses that appear with regular intervals. Make large combos to get good scores. [source: the2bears]

Online high score table

Name: xWUNG
Developer: cactus
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Details about Nigoro's upcoming release (pictured above) posted. [rough translation]

Eyezmaze's Tontie gets a new unlimited mode.

Minion's Phoenix remake updated.

Cave Story gets an XBox port.

A new issue of GameShark's The Indies posted.

The review archives was recently updated, though half of the new addition consists of crummy games as usual.

From Andrew's site:

"If you are working in flash and have a desire to learn things like gravity, 3-d rotation etc. you'll find a goldmine of information here."

If your name is Jeff, look away now:

Space Giraffe (Electorubbish)

'Space Giraffe is NOT Tempest!' screams the instructions in Jeff's 360 music visualizer, Minter's latest interactive audiovisual orgy. Okay, but Space Giraffe does take nearly all its cues from Atari's classic coin-op (which Minter has reworked before).

As in Tempest, you're an abstract creature on the edge of an electric grid floating in space, relentlessly basting the geometric creatures that shimmy up its lanes. Giraffe enhances that letting you jump over enemies, steer your shots, and ram baddies off the playfield, but user-friendliness has been thrown out in the name of psychedelic presentation.

You'll frequently die because you couldn't pick out the pulsing assassin from the wrapped playfield floating over the throbbing LSD nightmare that is the background, which makes this game uniquely aggravating.

With incredibly poor visibility (apparently by design) and a thumping electronic soundtrack peppered with sophomoric sound effects, Space Giraffe offers a generous 100 levels of damn-near-unplayable technoslop.

- Dan Amrich (Senior editor, Official Xbox Magazine)

+ Unlike anything you've ever seen (except Tempest).

- Too visually noisy to figure out what going on.
- Actually made us angry when we played it.

? Is this a failed game or a failed art experiment?

The Verdict 2.0 - BROKEN
Just really bad. Lacks a single redeeming quality, or it's busted to varying degrees in its own design, quality or basic functionality. No gamer of any stripe should bother.

For a more favorable review, click here. New screenshots and gameplay videos can be found over at the Llamasoft Blog. [thanks to Caff of Retro Remakes]

Lazrael (Poyo, Boss Arena) is working on a new platformer. [pictured above, gameplay video]

Mind Control's (Oasis) Arrrrr now has a playable demo with no time limit. [direct download link]

The final TOJam games have been posted. Highlights include XIQ, Noodle and Emergency Response Team. Two by Two and Super Defender Robo are playable right in your browser.

New screenshot added to Honeyblaster's web site.

8 Kingdoms was recently updated to version 1.1.0.

There's a couple of freeware game recommendations (with screenshots) posted in the Distractionware forums.

Here's an experiment carried out by Andy Brice to examine the five star award phenomenon that most software companies are misusing to promote their products. [thanks to Oddbob of Retro Remakes]

New screenshots from Kairos' upcoming vertical shooter Varia have been posted on his 64 Digits user page. [Kairuga]

Two new screenshots from Nepia World's upcoming Comiket release (pictured below) posted. [source: Danmaku Gata, Mimizu Panzer]

The Desolate Room is one of those releases where the introductory sequence makes little sense, and still screenshots doesn't portray the game in motion too favorably. The author has also included a tiring fetch quest during the first fifteen minutes of the player's adventure, but things do look up after the team encounters it's first boss battle.

A game in progress is saved automatically whenever the player leaves and exits a battle or the console. Each of your party members has to charge up before allowed to access their individual skills and attacks. Left click to shoot enemies in the console or make menu selections. Double click on a skill or attack in the upgrade screen shown after a battle to increase it's level and efficiency.

Name: The Desolate Room
Developer: Scottgames
Category: RPG
Type: Freeware
Size: 60MB
Direct download link: Click here

Punishment 2 - The Punishing is a sequel to the similarly titled platformer by Messhof, made in response to the encouragement and praises offered by the community for it's predecessor. The author has decided to reward his loyal fans with a new game that is an improvement in certain areas while introducing extremely difficult challenges and a needless gameplay element to appal rather than appeal anyone who attempts to scale the tower all the way to the top.

All switches are turned off when the player enters a new level, meaning that previous floors have to be attempted again if further progress is to be made. Playing this game for prolonged periods may burn after images onto your retina as well, so be warned. Nine levels only.

Name: Punishment 2 - The Punishing
Developer: Messhof
Category: Platform
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: Click here

Remakes

Hurrican updated to version 1.0.0.4. A level editor has been included with this release.

The Wizball remake is nearly done.

Shooters

danmakugata.com is now up and running.

More screenshots added to Soldner-X's web site.

Entries for the IntroComp 2007 competition are now available for download. This annual contest involves the submission of unfinished interactive fiction works with winners chosen by the public, based on their interest in playing a completed build of each game.

Stranded II is a 3D adventure game by Unreal Software, chronicling the adventures of a man who lost his ship in a storm and must learn how to survive on a deserted island using a variety of objects acquired from the land.

Press the X key to bring up the character sheet, use the C key to view your current inventory, and tap the V key to access your diary. The Y key can be used to rest and recuperate. Insects, animals, plants and other items do respawn, but only at the start of each day.

Expect to do a lot of building, foraging and hunting in this game to get anywhere. Hints can be found in this forum thread, including a map of the first island which includes important locations marked for the convenience of other players.

Name: Stranded II
Developer: Unreal Software
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB
Download page: Click here

Links:
Retro Remakes Thread
DevlSoft

As the title hints, Generic Slash: Dismal Depths is a simple action-RPG with a battle system much like the one found in Square's Mana series. Hack at enemies to make them yield riches, then grab it to barter for more HP when standing on tiles with a yellow swirling symbol.

Name: Generic Slash: Dismal Depths
Developer: Alex May
Category: RPG
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB
Direct download link: Click here

Timetravel Bloboid is a platformer with a rewind time feature that is pretty much the fad these days. Use the cursor keys to move your character, jump or activate switches. Hold the space key to turn back the clock, though this action will drain your energy at an alarming rate. Collect vials of green liquid to restore your energy meter.

The exit is only accessible once all coins in each level has been acquired. A level editor is included.

Name: Timetravel Bloboid
Developer: Axel
Category: Platform
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

One More Time is a new platformer by Chris Nimmo developed in roughly six hours for The Daily Click's Time competition.

Essentially a single-screen platformer which involves the act of coin collecting, your character starts out at a different location after each pass of the level. Subsequent runs are made much more difficult as you're required not to overlap any of the attempts you've made.

Name: One More Time
Developer: Chris Nimmo
Category: Platform
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB
Direct download link: Click here

More screenshots added to Honeyblaster's web site. The development team has confirmed that the game will be released next weekend.

Krobon Station's web site has been updated with the release information for Super Mogura Tennis (October 2007) and Mogura 3 (2008). [Mogura 2 review]

Caravel Games' development team is currently working on a new project.

3Punge results announced.

GamePure has released Very Bear Brother, an average BreakOut clone.

A playable demo for Raptor 2 is now available.

Xander has pointed out a tool with the purpose of Vista users in getting GM games to run on their machines. [thanks!]

Winners of the Dream-Build-Play contest announced. [download links]

Jph's Black Bullet Hell is a game with a simple control scheme and minimal use of colors. Hold the left control key to shoot and press the left shift key to aim. Collect glowing white orbs to increase your shot range and ship's health.

Acquire 512 orbs to win the game, or use the escape key to quit.

Name: Black Bullet Hell
Developer: Jph
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

DNA is an arena shooter with some resemblance to Jenova Chen's flOw. Shoot at enemies to generate planktons, which can be collected and used to barter for a variety of upgrades.

Use the left and right cursor key to turn, and hold the up arrow key to move forward. Press the enter key to select an upgrade, or tap the F4 function key to switch between full screen and windowed mode.

Name: DNA
Developer: Jan Willem Nijman
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB
Download page: Click here

ad2 is a minimalistic 3D arena shooter with RPG elements, though the game is too short with very little depth to sustain interest of players after completing a mission for the first time.

The map shows available paths and enemy encounters for a player to gather invasion points, which can then be used to evolve the ship in several ways. Hold the Z key to shoot, and press the X key to launch a bomb.

Name: ad2
Developer: KMC
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: Click here

R-Theta 2 is a game based in polar coordinates. Every point in the game is assigned a radius and theta value, denoting the distance of the point from the centre, as well as the angle it makes with the x-axis.

The player is in control of a triangular shooter, built into a constantly rotating radar-scope which must be protected from collision with other enemies. Use the up and down arrow keys to decrease or increase the ship's radius from the centre. Hold the X key for rapid fire, tap the Z key to shoot and use the C key to launch a destructive missile.

Name: R-Theta 2
Developer: Theta Games
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

In an attempt to provide an alternative to what may be considered a typical game review, I am providing an artist's perspective on Nifflas' upcoming release Knytt Stories. Here's a snippet from the article:

Kaipuu is a new platformer by Virtanen which is heavily inspired by Seiklus and an extension to their earlier release entitled Painajainen. Power-ups can be collected for new abilities such as double jumps and pushing blocks, though instructions are still in a foreign language and will only be translated by Erkka once his schedule allows for it.

Placed first in the recent Suomipelit game development competition. To save a game, simply press the down arrow key when standing right in front of the stone located at the starting point. Load your saved progress by choosing the second option from the main menu. Use the enter key to access a world map.

Name: Kaipuu
Developer: Virtanen Games
Category: Platform
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB
Previous works: Painajainen
Direct download link: Click here

Ishi's Doctor Who Platformer and Johnny Platform's Biscuit Romp (for Nintendo DS, pictured) are now available for download. [source: Retro Remakes]

Jonathan Mak has compiled a list of previews of Everyday Shooter and posted it in the Queasy Games forums.

Blackwell Unbound is now available for pre-order.

On his BBS, Pixel hints that development work for the new RPG has begun.

Variant Interactive (Cave Story PSP port) seems to have disappeared from the face of the Earth.

Danmaku Gata will be relocated to a new URL due to contents from the old site being deleted by their hosting provider with little notice. The administrators have indicated that a new web site will be created before Comiket 72 (August 17th). [post translated]

There Are People In The Blocks is an action game which involves clicking on blocks rapidly to save the people who are trapped inside them before time runs out. Clicking on blocks with smiling faces will incur a time penalty. Sixty stages in total.

Name: There Are People In The Blocks
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: Click here

Dungeon Maker is a role playing game creation engine inspired by maze exploration games like Bloodwych, Dungeon Master and Eye of the Beholder. The original idea behind it's development was to remake these games in 3D while maintaining the classic gameplay they offered. An editor will be included in the final version when it is released.

There are a few maps already implemented including the classic Dungeon Master game.

Name: Dungeon Maker
Developer: Wishbone
Category: RPG
Type: Freeware
Size: 80MB