I Moved Blogs (And It Caused A Lot Of Trouble)

I moved this blog from Typepad to Wordpress to Blogger, due to both HTML and financial constraints. As a result, I've run into some trouble (namely with the search function). The search function cannot search imported content, so I had to reupload everything (and I'm going to have to dig through my photo archives to find the appropriate images).

Images will be fixed and uploaded soon! For now, Dreaming Sarah is the only complete review (I hope you enjoy it!)

Dreaming Sarah (Review)

Dreaming Sarah is an adventure platformer with puzzle elements, set in a whimsical but often eerie set of dreamscapes. You play as Sarah, a young girl in a coma, with the hope of finding your way out of the dream and waking up.

There are a handful or two of other characters to meet in your journey, from fantasy beings to humans. Sometimes these characters will require help, such as finding something that has been lost, or other times they will help you, gifting you strange and sometimes baffling items.

While the movement is rather stiff (there is no inertia), platforming is easy and enjoyable enough. There is only one hectic platforming moment (and this is only due to a time constraint), and Sarah controlled fluidly enough to get through it without a hitch.

All of the puzzles are easy enough to figure out, but not to the point of ridiculousness. It was entertaining to take notes here and there, and to eventually put all the pieces together. The puzzles and platforming definitely take a backseat to the exploration, but I was more than happy to traverse through this world, whether I was running through it for the first time, or backtracking for a final achievement.

It was fun to jump and float with Sarah’s umbrella, and to wear magical seeing glasses that revealed hidden platforms (among other, sometimes terrifying, things). The only complaint I have with items is that many of them are currently useless (it is, however, early access), and that my compass didn’t work (despite that I saw it works quite clearly on Youtube).

The art style is beautiful to say the least, with the environments conveying a sense of both wonder and loneliness. Sarah’s animations are lovely, with a clear distinction between her walking, standing, running, finding a wall, sitting, swimming, et cetera. The same goes for the few NPCs you'll stumble across. To perfectly fit this world, a completely atmospheric soundtrack plays in the background, with only one area, so far, void of sound.

I can’t really judge this game properly yet, as it is still unfinished, but I can definitely recommend it. It captivated me for three hours, and I only stopped because, after being stuck for some time, I realised I’d probably reached the end of the game as it currently exists*. If the second half of the game is as decent as the first, then it will be my absolute pleasure to play again.

*I got to the road with the skeletal ducks, and then the grandfather clock with some unhelpful balloons. Has anyone made it further?

Super Mario: A History of Nintendo

Go check out my other blog for a review of Jeff Ryan's "Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America".

Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! (Review)

If you aren't familiar with Adventure Time, go check out the cartoon first before even thinking of playing this game. There are so many little references that the game will be far more enjoyable with that knowledge behind you.

"Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!" was released for the Nintendo DS back into 2012, and has since been re-released on the 3DS. Once again, the Ice King is up to no good: this time, he's taken your garbage! As Jake points out, this isn't a huge problem, but for Finn it all boils down to the principle of things. Off you set on a platforming action adventure with the shared fists of Finn the human and Jake the dog.

The starting minutes come across as a little mundane unless you're a die-hard Adventure Time fan. There is nothing to appreciate but the show's references, characters, and locations, and what first appears to be lackluster gameplay. By the time you're facing the first dungeon, however, you'll realise that there is more than first meets the eye.

Considering that most other mediums don't translate well into interactive experiences, "Adventure Time: HIK!WYSOG?!" has surprisingly solid mechanics. There is a good responsiveness when you are dealing or taking hits, and slicing, ducking, rolling, and jumping are all smooth and fluid to initiate. You'll always have a pretty clear idea of what to do or where to go next, so gameplay doesn't take a backseat despite that it is story-driven.

You start off in the boy's tree fort before finding yourself in a top-down over-world, limited at first with other areas clearly visible but currently unreachable, separated by water, cliff, or stone walls. Progression to these blocked off areas is handled through the learning of new skills based on Jake's Stretchy Powers. The in-game motivation to forge on ahead or revisit old places comes across as completely natural and unforced, and you won't mind your time in the over-world with a clear quest ahead.

Dungeons, caves, and stairways between areas are all side-scrolling, platforming levels. Most of the enemies are easily bypassed, however there is always the incentive to fight for new items (I finished this game and then-some, and never once got a banana, which is a supposed rare drop). Food mean health, with the interesting feature of mixing condiments with main meals, which can have some very interesting benefits, from max-health benefits to powered attacks. Other items include an assortment of power-ups, many of them game-changing, such as the Crystal Eye, which grants temporary invincibility, or the legendary Enchiridion, which I won't spoil.

Also scattered throughout the world are special chests that handle the leveling up mechanic. You earn one star at a time, which gives you the choice of gaining more hearts, attack power, or speed at a time, and each is maxed out after five stars.

Dungeons are the perfect balance of grind, exploration, and reward, with minimal back-tracking. While the platforming all comes across as very similar, they do throw in some nice, if still simple, challenges, such as the wind that will hurtle you off a platform. There is also a nice variety to most of the boss battles. While one is extremely repetitive, and another is a more than a bit of a joke, it is nice to find a game that makes you implement strategy in order to win. Victory will depend on you hanging back and studying what the boss does before you charge in slicing and dicing (or, to be honest, you could probably just spam health items, but that is no fun).

The art style is extremely pleasing, from the conversion of known characters to pixel-art, as well as the variety of enemy sprites, the environments, and backdrops. There is a clear visual segregation between objects and the background, so you won't be attempting to jump on non-existent platforms, which is usually a common flaw.

Compliments can also be given to the soundtrack, which was always appropriate and pleasant to listen to (you can listen to it here on Soundcloud - a special mention to the Grassland Overworld theme, which was particularly charming).

This is a common trade-in, so a pre-purchased copy can be picked up for around $20-$30, which is worth the hours of gameplay you'll invest (especially if you want to beat it the second time on a harder mode, which I will be comitting myself to!) Mathematical!

Risk Of Rain (Review)

Risk Of Rain is by Hopoo Games, LLC, which is a team of two students involved in computer science and mechanical engineering, plus one more guy for the music. Hearing about a small team like this always changes my opinion slightly and makes me want to give out gold stars by the handful, but I'll still try to be as unbiased as possible.  

When I first heard about this, I was more than a little intrigued and pleasantly surprised, as there are so few multiplayer rogue-likes out there. I linked it to Pete on Facebook, and shortly afterwards it was being purchased and played.  

While classified as a retro platforming adventure, it breaks this guise by featuring randomised environments and other unique elements. It opens with a simplistic scene of a space train bearing lots of strange cargo, and an obvious villain who swarms it with monsters before sending it crashing onto an unknown planet. You are the only survivor, and as the screen loads in, you are told to find the teleporter.

It won’t take you long to notice that all that weird and wonderful cargo has plunged onto this alien planet along with you, and is obtainable for only a small fee. Some appear in the form of a chest and are randomly generated upon your purchase, while some items are openly presented and give you the option to choose one item out of three. Almost every item you find is crucial to your survival. Whether it is healing mushrooms, or explosive shots, you’ll need all the help you can get against the masses of monsters that start appearing all around you.

This game will never be classified as casual or easy-going. “Drizzle”, the easy equivalent, holds quite a challenge even with a team of two. Interestingly, item and enemy spawn rates seem to be unaffected by the number of players. If you aren’t playing as a team, I imagine the race for the next upgrade would be quite competitive, but fortunately they fixed this in early stages so greedy players can’t pick up after a certain point.

To add to the challenge, each level is on a timer, and things increase in difficulty the longer you take. This means if you are struggling, things are only ever going to get worse. It is best to backtrack as little as possible, but often the items can be worth the journey. Raising your level and money by defeating the constantly spawning enemies in areas close by a currently unaffordable item is recommended.

New items and characters are earned through achievements. At the outset you are given access to a wide availability of items, but only one character type out of ten, regardless of the amount of players. This means two (to four) identical characters on the screen at any one moment, differentiated by only a coloured number. I consider this a minor flaw as you do adapt to identifying yourself by that little number.

Different characters have their own unique set of abilities, but I can’t comment on that as we barely got close to earning another type in our first five play throughs. The default character has three attacks and a roll ability, which also works as a kind of dodge. With the exception of the first basic attack, all the other abilities have a cool-down period. Precious seconds tick down before you can blast an enemy back or dodge again. 

To aid you in your battle are also drones, sparsely scattered throughout the level, just as invaluable as your upgrades. They can temporarily die in battle, but are revivable for a large sum of money. Healing drones can turn the events of the battle quite considerably, and battle drones also have their role to play.

You’ll be hugely relieved the first time you finally come across that teleporter, possibly after more than a few failed runs. Triggering it will cause even more monsters to spawn around you, not to mention the dreaded boss fight, as well as a timer for the power-up of the teleporter (90 seconds). A new message appears on-screen: “Stay alive!”

The screen becomes absolutely congested with enemies of all kinds in those final moments, but fortunately, after the counter has stopped, enemies stop spawning. It is impossible to teleport before all enemies have been destroyed. A counter appears detailing how many enemies are left, as well as a handy arrow pointing you in the right direction.

Once you take out the boss and all the littlies, you head back to the teleporter and start the second level, which plays out identically to the first but in a new environment, once again trying to make it to yet another teleporter. However, here you are armed with all your upgrades, drones, and experience from the previous level. And on it goes.

Things get rough as a result of a few bad design decisions. Players can separate, and if Player 1 is high on a cliff while Player 2 has dropped down, the screen will linger between them, with both players off-screen and represented by only a small bubble, with no hint of the surrounding dangers. I can only imagine how chaotic things get with three or four. It is also possible to disappear behind the status bars.

On a brighter note, the music is pretty phenomenal, and deserves a hearty mention, as does the pixel-art which, despite being simplistic, is clean and easy to read, and paints the perfect picture of an alien world. Combine the graphics with the atmospheric soundtrack and they beautifully convey the desolation of the bizarre planet that you have suddenly been forced to briefly inhabit.

Even though you’ll die again and again, this game will constantly have you back for more. Each time you play you’ll learn a new trick or two, form a new strategy, and just want to have another crack at it, knowing you’ll do better. The team at Hopoo knew this was going to be the way gamers approached this, and stated, “We intend on making the game playable by anyone, but only master-able by a few.”

We had a lot of fun with this, but I am not sure if it is worth the original asking price. This is still worth a look-in if you’re into sci-fi adventures or rogue-likes, so if you don’t instantly checkout with this in your cart, be sure to add it to the wish-list and nab it when sale time comes!