Game review: “Toki Tori”
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
No, this isn’t a game about verbose politicians. Rather, Toki Tori is a platform puzzler with oodles of character. It is available on PC (via Steam), Wii, and iPhone/iPod Touch, and is made by Dutch game developer Two Tribes. A previous incarnation of the character appeared in a game of the same name in 2001 on GameBoy Color.
Game review: “Bad Rats: the Rats’ Revenge”
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
“Bad Rats: the Rats’ Revenge” is a physics-based puzzle game by indie developer Invent4. Before I describe the game, a quick word of warning. It contains a lot of cartoon violence (think “Itchy & Scratchy” from the Simpsons), and it most certainly pushes the political correctness envelope!
That said, if you still want to find out about the game, then read on…
Are games too hard?
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
A story appeared on Slashdot today about the complexity of games, asking “Do Gamers Want Simpler Games?“. Despite a vocal minority, and the arguments from industry critics, the findings suggest that simpler games may be better. I’ve been a moderately hardcore gamer for most of my life, and I’ve got to say that I agree wholeheartedly with the findings.
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Review: “8 Ball Quick Fire Pool”
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
![[game screenshot]](http://www.avid-insight.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/8-ball-quick-fire-pool.jpg)
Don’t let the name fool you — “8 Ball Quick Fire Pool” game isn’t actually 8 ball rules. Rather, it’s a fun single-player game. The rules are somewhat similar to straight pool (or 14.1 continuous), in that you are allowed to hit and pot any ball you like, and you score points each time you do so. However, it is also a race against the clock, so speed is encouraged.
There are lots of things I like about this game. First and foremost is the fact that it’s very well polished. There are no rough edges or unnecessary extra features in it. It is all about potting as many racks of pool balls as possible in quick succession. The polish is certainly enhanced a lot by excellent top-down graphics.
Virtual culture training for soldiers
Posted by Peter | Filed under Education, Games, Virtual Worlds
Thanks to a link from ACM TechNews, I’ve been reading that folks at the University of Texas have been doing some research into the use of virtual worlds for training soldiers (click for the article). The focus of the training is dealing with cultural situations. I’m not a particularly well-travelled person myself, but I can imagine that even the slightest differences in cultural interpretation of verbal and non-verbal cues can become major issues in a conflict scenario.
Review: “Crush the Castle”
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
It’s been a while since I reviewed some games, so here goes with another great one I found recently. “Crush the Castle” is yet another physics-oriented game (you know I love ‘em!). It seems to be a single programmer job (+ 1 artist), and the concept is absolutely great. Unfortunately, it is not an original concept… it is borrowed (with permission apparently) from “Castle Clout“. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it, so here’s my thoughts…
Splitter
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
“Splitter” is a fascinatingly original casual web-game. The objective is simply to get the little yellow dude to the level exit, but you cannot control him directly. Rather, you need to modify the level in various ways, causing it to dynamically respond, achieving your goal, or foiling your plans.
It’s hard to describe exactly how the gameplay works. Imagine it like other physics sandbox games like “Magic Pen“, but instead of creating stuff to achieve your goal, you are actually splitting it with a knife (hence the name) in very precise ways.
The graphics are simple but pleasant, and the audio is reasonable. The interface works nicely, with a wonderfully simple control scheme… just click and drag where you want to cut, and that’s it. The physics responds nicely in various ways, and makes for a very enjoyable playing experience. Limits on the number of cuts you can make in a given level provide a good challenge.
It’s too late at night for me to go into much further analysis… I suggest you just play this game for yourself… it’s well worth it! 
Chronotron
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
There have been a few of time-travel related games in recent years, but here’s a nice casual Flash game that uses the concept: it is a platformer called Chronotron. You play as white and red robot, with a damaged time machine (which looks suspiciously like Doctor Who’s Tardis!). In each level, the objective is to find a time circuit, and get back to your time machine. Easy… right?
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Totem Destroyer
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
This is a wonderfully addictive Flash game: Totem Destroyer. Like all good games, it’s simple to learn, but more difficult to master. The premise is that there is a tower of blocks, with an idol at the top. You have to destroy a certain number of blocks, bringing the idol down near ground level, without letting it actually touch the ground.
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Ragdoll Cannon: Remake
Posted by Peter | Filed under Games
Ragdoll-simulation-based games seem pretty popular just now, and here’s a remake of a not-very-old game… “Ragdoll Cannon“. Simple but engaging concept: you have to get a ragdoll to touch a target, by blasting ragdolls out of a cannon. Parts of the environment move and respond to impacts with appropriate physics, and it can be good fun for a quick diversion.
The interface is very straightforward: you fire the cannon in a particular direction by clicking the mouse somewhere in the level, and the further away from the cannon you click, the more powerful the shot. The graphics are simple but nice, and the audio in general is pretty decent. Unfortunately, it’s a bit short, with only 25 levels. Great fun though, and definitely worth a try.
