Protoganda: Strings – Reviewed by REZ
December 4, 2007 at 4:8 | In Reviews | 6 CommentsTags: bull hell, cactus, protoganda, shooter, strings
I love playing Cactus’ arcade games. Not just because I know it’ll be fun and addictive like any other good arcade game, but because I never know what to expect. Cactus’ style shifts a bit, and can only be defined in randomness. Take Insect Invade 2 for example, a game where you play as a gun toting, naked mad man fighting monsterous bug creatures. Thankfully, this game is nothing like that, in fact, you could consider it another shift in style. The central idea of Protoganda: Strings is pretty simple, but the execution of that idea is complex and in-depth (for a GM game at least). From graphics to gameplay, Protoganda has an ‘in your face’ attitude you won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Before I start, I want you guys to get familiar with the term ‘bullet hell.’ I’ll be saying it a lot in this review, so go google it or something. The gameplay is what really holds Protoganda altogether for me. The general side-scrolling shooter formula stays pretty much the same, but it sways just enough from the basic shooter to make for a compelling bullet hell game. Its mostly the tiny differences that make up for the minorly generic cliches. Both you and your enemy have weak spots that must be hit to cause damage, a much welcomed change to the traditional side scrolling game. You might’ve notice I said “your enemy.” Thats exactly what it sounds like. One on one battles. Battles with large Metal Gearish things constantly shooting, all lined up for you to take them on. The game itself is like a massive Boss Rush feature with plenty of opitions, you can fight them in order or randomize a bit.
Either way, you’ll be playing for hours non-stop if you’re good. This game is all about time, not lives. You could go through some pretty nasty take downs and still keep playing. For a bullet hell game, its more fun than it is dishearting. Which makes it an original experience. In all honesty, I don’t think this game would’ve worked with more enemies on screen. Another FAIRLY original (and I say fairy because its not 100% original and its not 100% over used) aspect about this game, is that you can choose between two modes, “absorb” and “shield.” Shield makes the game play like a normal side scroller, forcing you to dodge what you can while pushing bullets away (a la Neo, Maxtrix Reloaded) with a Z+X bullet deflect command. The Z+X bullet deflect is quite useful but takes time to master. Making it a helpful feature without taking away from the game’s challege. The Absorb mode allows you to switch between colors, so that if you’re confronted by a blue bullet with the color blue selected, you won’t be damaged. This is a good mode if you’re a fast, bug eyed junkie who’s quick on his feet. All in all, the gameplay is sheer shoot’em up fun with a few new things added into the mix. Plus, its got more replay value then any other GM game out there.
The graphics are breathe-taking, and some what awe-inspiring considering the fact that they were made in GM. Imagine the shapes from the famous rail shooter, Rez and the glowing whimsy of Geometry Wars. Then add the designs of a Metal Gear, and you get Protoganda’s graphical style. Another thing I loved about this game was the enemies’ Russian names. Obviously poking fun at everyone’s favorite flavor of Communist propaganda (get it? get it? the title could be a blend of the words propaganda and prototype, how creative!).
In conclusion, this game has the perfect balance of fun, challege, eye popping graphics, and techno music.
http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=335557
The Curse of Kaumaha – Reviewed by Fabio
December 3, 2007 at 3:11 | In Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: curse of kaumaha, game fortress, kaumaha
The Curse of Kaumaha has been a long-time GM favorite of mine and many others. The game itself just blurts out perfection and professionalism. The game takes place on an island somewhere in the Pacific ocean, overtaken by a curse. Your objective is to free spirits to break the curse of Kaumaha. Curse of Kaumaha took the platformer and put a few twists on it, along with some classic platforming elements.
The gameplay itself is a unique twist compared to most platformers. Instead of getting right into it, you must jump into torches that shoot out embers that will destroy your enemies and free their souls. There is action, but it’s set at a mellow pace. Now, the gameplay is not for everyone, might I add. Most, like myself, will become indulged in the game, playing for long periods of time, while others will quit after the tutorial. The thing is, I actually took the time to finish the entire game; something I rarely do with GM games. The gameplay works generally like this: Go through each level, and free enough spirits to move on. However, there is much more than that. There is a golden mask hidden in every level in which you can collect. It’s little extras like this that make you want to play more. The game can be challenging, though. This can throw some players off, but it’s what makes the game worthwhile.
The graphics are simply amazing; they look professional, pleasing to the eye, and everything meshes together wonderfully. The variety is amazing, with colorful, eye-catching level design to menacing enemies. There are few GM games that can stack up to Curse of Kaumaha’s beautiful artistry. Nothing is overdone, and every level you feel you’ve seen something new.
The game is also packed with extra features including mini-games, options, unlockables, trophies, and more. Few GM games will have you coming back after the first run-through, but Curse of Kaumaha is an exception. Every GM game should take after Curse of Kaumaha with options like these. The score is also great. It all fits the game well, but it can become repetitive after a while. Each sound and song goes together with the entire theme. Nothing feels out of place.
The cons of the game? Well, as I stated above, it can be repetitive or too hard for some. There are SOME MINOR bugs, although you will rarely catch one. And that’s about it. The game itself screams perfection. A true GM masterpiece.
The Curse of Kaumaha
Size: 5.3 MB
By: Game Fortress
Completed Game
5 out of 5.
The Demon Within – Reviewed by Juju
November 27, 2007 at 27:9 | In Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: gmc, KingDiz, Knight, The Demon Within
KingDiz is an experienced user of Game Maker; his talents really show through in his updated game – The Demon Within. Based upon earlier incarnations of the “Knight Man” series he created, this game brings a hefty lump of style and fun game play together to give a satisfying romp. Forget this game if you’re on Vista – version 1.01c is non-compatible.
Presentation throughout this extensive game is of the highest standard. A good game has a decent manual that details everything that the game will ask you to do, possibly whetting your appetite for features further into the game. The manual in this case hands all the information you need and teases you with Demonic Powers, in a very pretty and professional package. A tutorial is also included in-game for the lazy. After reading the well-developed opening story, unfortunately presented as just text, the main menu hits you and lays bare the intention of the author – the suspend your disbelief. Furthermore, the HUD, often neglected by game creators, is elegantly obvious to use. Everything is easy to read, rarely getting the way of the action on-screen.
Boy, is there action. Every screen has several enemies, the majority of which take a certain tactic to remove. Some just require a good bashing with your sword, others need you to hang back and nail them with your magic ball. Some swamp you, some charge, some blatantly camp. Every room has a challenge. However, as the game progresses, it becomes abundantly clear that the AI isn’t going to vary a great deal. Does the AI in Pacman change? No – This is partially what makes The Demon Within so addictive! There is permanently an abundance of enemies to blast away, hacking them into pieces (which, by the way, fly across the floor spurting blood) and frying them with your awesome powers. The game never hesitates to challenge you, but ends up with you firmly on top with a grin on your face. Fantastic.
As you’re wandering through this magical and intriguing land, you notice the sheer amount of environmental detail and graphical mastery KingDiz can produce. Boxes exist to smash, bushes to slice up, bits and bobs to break all over the place. In this respect it reminds me of The Elder Scrolls, surely never a bad thing. The graphics work seamlessly throughout, with nothing looking out of place, all maintaining the simple, clear 16-bit era style graphics. I’ve loved retro games because they go back to basics, working on what makes the game fun and a joy to play, The Demon Within is no exception. What is a disappointment, however, is the limited range of animations. Cendah, your little avatar in the gigantic world, has some lovely animation. Your enemies don’t – They simply run towards you and poke you with their swords or what have you. Another limitation is the 4 directions each sprite exhibits. Spriting is hard work but making that extra effort is important for the final effect.
How the game looks is one thing but how it sounds is arguably just as important. The soundtrack doesn’t let you down, with stylish opening tune and largely individual tracks for each area and each chapter. The fact that the music is MIDI is annoying, but the game is already rather large and sacrifices have to be made. I would point out that removing the 1.2 megabyte manual, as lovely as it is, from the game package might be a prudent move to either reduce download size or to add higher quality music. Sounds are very good but not as frequent as I’d like, with noises for attacking, taking damage and so on but not walking – I’d love to hear the crunch of the snow beneath my feet, or the ominous echo as I creep through a dungeon. This would add extra atmosphere to add to the constant surprises and changes in game dynamic as the game progresses.
Some annoying factors include the resolution change and the presence of the standard dialog box. There is no excuse for the latter and the former can be adjusted easily with a box in the corner of the screen that switches between 800×600 full screen and standard windowed mode. The number of checkpoints is surprisingly low, I’d prefer them to be more frequent, but I do understand that a game that has permanent rooms is tricky to create save files for.
Despite a chunky 6.5 megabyte file size, this game is a worthwhile download. The presentation as a whole is magnificent, every room dripping with detail, and the game play is on par with even modern 3D slack-and-hack adventures. The music and sound is of a very high standard, but can be improved further with a few tweaks. Unfortunately, a few minor problems mar the experience that stop The Demon Within achieving top marks.
9/10
Knight Man III: The Demon Within can be found at http://www.kingdiz.se/km3full.zip
Come along to the topic and tell KingDiz what you think: http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=332898
Forest Planet – Reviewed by Jabberwock
November 27, 2007 at 27:12 | In Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: bears, forest planet, shaneheres, strategy
http://www.thepoppenkast.com/file.php?game=FOREST%20PLANET
For the most part, real time strategy games in GM are not much to get excited over. FOREST PLANET, by ShaneHeres, is an exception. It’s quirky, polished, and fun, if not that complicated.
The concept of the game is essentially this: in the future, humans have taken all the bears off of Earth and put them on a forested planet. You control a tribe of bears (the type is up to you, though I suggest the Pandas) that is at war with other bears for no real reason. And you like it. However, there is a problem: the planet is somehow not orbiting the sun, and is slowly flying further and further into space. Thus, you must keep your bears warm while warring with other bears.
In terms of mechanics, it’s a rather atypical game; it’s missing most of the aspects of ordinary strategy gameplay. All in all, it rather resembles the GM classic Medieval Clash, except that its view is overhead instead of from the side, and there are some nuances that are different. The basic concept, however, is the same – gather resources with “workers”, who simply leave your little cave until they run into the nearest tree, and then come back, then attack the enemy cave – or defend your own – with assorted units. To win the game, you must deplete the health of the enemy’s home cave completely. It’s more strategic than it sounds, especially because of the addition of new elements, like Heroes (super-powerful bears), waypoints, and the aforementioned necessity of keeping your units warm by building fires.
The sound is nice – a lot of bear grunts and such stuff. It’s rather humourous at times, and is a nice touch, but expendable. The graphics are fantastic; they have a cartoony, yet well-developed and detailed style. They’ve also got a touch of humour to them. On top of all this, they’re well-animated, and there are a lot of subtle touches – the way the trees sway in the wind and become transparent when you move your mouse over them, for example. All in all, it’s a very aesthetically appealing game.
Conclusion: FOREST PLANET is a game with more depth and strategy to it than is first evident, and even though its replay value isn’t stellar, it should keep you occupied for a while – not only is the gameplay enjoyable and challenging, but there are multiple AI types, and you can customize your bears. How cool is that?
REZ: Havoc’s End – Reviewed by Obel Isk
November 24, 2007 at 24:7 | In Reviews | 1 CommentTags: adventure, clay, havoc, havocs end, REZ
In a world of easy game creation, lack of creativity rules all. But one game dares to be different…
Alright, enough of that. I’ll just get this out of the way right now: REZ: Havoc’s End feels lifeless at times. The enemies are essentially the same but with different sprites, and you only have one simple shooting attack. Not to mention the lack of animation. *phew* Since that’s out of my system, I’ll start reviewing what is quite possibly among the best GM games in existence.
By the way, Havoc’s main character, REZ, is also a pseudonym of the game’s creator. To avoid any confusion, I will be calling the creator Clay and the character REZ.
The gameplay is the same as the first REZ game, but with a little added to it. Usually, you have to collect a certain amount of coins in the area before you can move on. There are also some more objectives, such as collecting rubies or decimating a horde of goblins. My only real complaint is the difficulty at certain points. You aren’t given many save points, and some of the bosses are difficult to tackle (especially Loch, who has you by your balls). It can be tedious, but a great experience nevertheless.
Clay has always had an interesting spriting style. They are shaped a bit oddly, but his shading style is instantly recognizable. And this masterpiece is no different. However, the character design is a little awkward. REZ looks fatter than usual, Loch looks like the Penguin, and the fairies have almost triangular figures. Also, as mentioned earlier, there is no animation, but that is forgivable. Clay’s graphics, though flawed, have always been among the greatest in GM.
Now onto music. Like its predecessor (REZ and the Forgotten), this game steals borrows its score from various movies and sites. The selection is great, and fitting for RHE’s atmosphere. If you aren’t too fond of the fact that the music isn’t original, don’t fret. I have this strange notion that it may be different in future installments.
And now for Havoc’s story. It’s set in a colonial America during a series of witch hunts. The conservatives witch hunters are heavily interested in killing off a race of two-souled mages known as the Hoods. REZ and his uncle Nod…er…Nor are training one day, but the night before, REZ had a strange vision of himself burning down a village (sound familiar, RATF players?). After training, he sets off to find the wich hunter who killed his parents. Meanwhile, an odd merchant named Loch has arrived. The story has something of a plot twist later on.
Overall, this is one of my favorite GM games. Not because I’m biased and know the creator, but because it has the atmosphere absent in many games. Havoc is lacking in a few areas, but it was made by an 8th grader. If he’s not a prodigy now, give Clay two more years and he will be.
DOWNLOAD RHE AT TNET/REZ
Yum Yum – Reviewed by Fabio
November 16, 2007 at 16:10 | In Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: arcade, derby, red, yum yum
Few games in the GM world can go past the plain platformer or top-down shooter and make itself stand out from the crowd. Yum Yum by Derby does just that. What is the point of Yum Yum? You play as the last White Yum Yum. Other creatures want Yum Yum dead. You must simply survive in the world as a Yum Yum. Yum Yum is a top-down shooting game with a bit more to it. The entire game screams ambiance similar to games like LocoRoco for the PSP. The graphics, music, and gameplay flows smoothly together.
Arcade play at it’s finest.
The graphics are simple shades of red with some other colors, with no outline. Everything fits together and nothing clashes. The sound is great too, with an almost constant change of tracks, all of which fit with the entire feel of the game. The idea of Yum Yum is launching your head at enemies to destroy them. It seems simple, but the new enemies and bosses keep it all fresh. The arcade style of the game keeps you coming back for more. The default control scheme may be hard to handle, but you can change it to a much simpler setting.
The well-presented menu.
It is a short game, though. But a good short. A short like, you want more, you want another taste. That’s what keeps you coming back to play. It’s definitely challenging at first, but once you get the hang of everything the game gets a lot more fun. Online arcade play is another great feature. You can chat and more.
It’s also a small game; there isn’t much in it. The simple game itself, but not much more. But, there isn’t too little to dislike it. It almost seems like there isn’t enough for it’s own good. The originality of the game is unmatched, and it’s all presented well. Although there isn’t much in the game, there was obviously a lot of work put into it, not too much, and not too little. One great experience that meshes together wonderfully.
Yum Yum
Size: 7.0 MB
By: Derby
Completed Game
4.5 out of 5.
MINUBEAT – Reviewed by Foslock
November 12, 2007 at 12:8 | In Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: cactus, minigame, minubeat, shooter
MINUBEAT, by cactus
I would call this a minigame. I usually hate minigames, but this one has given me some hope in that category. The thing that stuck out differently about this game compared to most of the other GM made games that I’ve played in the past is the smoothness and innovativeness of MINUBEAT. The game combines the classic scrolling space shooter with Dance Dance Revolution. The funny this is, you only have a minute to play the game.
Yes, I know these sound like impossible styles to combine, but MINUBEAT does it incredibly. The main point of this game is to press the buttons “Z, X, and/or C” on the beat to the music in the background. The game shows very little documentation but all it takes it a few tries to figure out how to play. You can use the arrow keys to gently move around. “Z” fires three laser bursts on every eighth note (two times a beat) in the direction you’re moving. “X” fires four fast homing mines that attack to the nearest enemy and explode (on a beat) when all of the mines are touching something. “C” as far as I can tell destroys all of the enemy’s projectiles seen on the screen.
The thing that dragged me into this game wasn’t the short and simple game play, it was the aspect of having to push the keys to a rhythm of a strangely addictive beat playing in the background. Think of a huge machine pounding metal and a grate blowing smoke into the air.
For all of those who don’t like reading a lot of words, here is just a little synopsis of the good and bad parts of MINUBEAT, in my opinion:
The Good:
-Smooth, matching graphics
-Great sound effects and background sound
-Easy controls
-Not to complicated for a minigame
The Bad:
-Too short
-Lack of enemy differential.
-Having to start over at the beginning when dead is tedious
-Lack of story and depth (not really necessary for a minigame)
Basically, I want cactus to make this into a full length game and add more features, maybe add a story and levels. It’s such a good idea for a full length game I think it gets wasted in just a minigame.
DDDEVASTATIONNN – Reviewed by Fabio
November 10, 2007 at 10:10 | In Previews, Reviews | 1 CommentTags: contra, DDDEVASTATIONNN, metal slug, radnom games
Classic games. You have to love them. Whether it be Castlevania, Metal Slug, Streetfighter, or even Super Mario. Radnom Games is producing a classic with a bit of a spin; DDDEVASTATIONNN. DDDEVASTATIONNN takes on similarities to Contra, another classic. You play as a silhouetted character whose identity is unknown. Your objective? Fight your way through levels riddeled with enemies. Sounds like the regular formula, right? Wrong. DDDEVASTATION is unique to many ways that people fail to realize. The graphics are a simple, solid color with simple shapes and different colors. It all flows together in a way that is ascetically pleasing to the eye. Different colors represent different things. For example, red represents an enemy. The way you progress through each level in comparison to other platforming shooters is much different as well. All in all the experience itself is somewhat refreshing amidst the dozens of other platforming shooters coming out these days.
Fight enemies on the edge of a cliff.
Something you may not enjoy about the experience is the controls. They take some getting used to, and although they are acceptable, there is some room for improvement. But then again, almost everything in the game is different from the conventional shooter.
Another great feature is the unique boss battles. Each boss has ‘parts’ in which you must destroy. For example, one boss might have an arm, head, and legs. Each part has it’s own health value and you must take out each piece to destroy the entire thing. It’s unique quirks like this that make DDDEVASTATIONNN a refreshing experience.
The varying environments in the game add to the experience. The game puts on this feel of always having a living, breathing atmosphere that you yourself are a part of; something many platforming shooters lack. Enemies vary throughout the levels, each with different attributes.
Stunning environments grace the eye.
Something that may turn people away from DDDEVASTATIONNN is its difficulty. I won’t lie, DDDEVASTATIONNN can be VERY hard at times. But, it’s this very aspect that makes the game worth coming back to. Most games people can run through in less then half an hour, but DDDEVASTATIONNN will keep you coming back for more every time. You’ll actually see yourself starting to improve as you play more.
And it’s not just the difficulty that’ll make you wanting more, it’s the simple want for more of the great atmosphere and just a plain want for more of the DDDEVASTATIONNN universe. This game is a mix of classic and new, and it all comes together very well. A challenging game that will keep you entertained for a time to come, DDDEVASTATIONNN is definitely something to keep an eye out for. I highly suggest it both as one of my favorites and a must-play in the GM world.
A swarm of enemies closes around you.
DDDEVASTATIONNN
Size: 8.6 MB
By: Radnom
(http://www.radnomgames.com/)
W.I.P.
4.5 out of 5.
SOUTH – Reviewed by REZ
November 10, 2007 at 10:7 | In Previews, Reviews | 2 CommentsTags: machete, SOUTH, wingboy, zombie
Let me tell you about a WIP thats still not getting the respect it deserves. A game called ‘SOUTH’ by wingboy.
Its hard to review ’SOUTH’ without reminding the readers constantly how intoxicatingly good it is, but as I walk you through this zombie ridden game, I’ll try not to. For you see, ‘SOUTH’ has a little something for everyone. Provided that “everyone” is above the age of 12 and is prepared to see some zombie breasts. Yes, you heard me right. Are you begining to see why this game is so intoxicating?
Before we touch on the major stuff like gameplay, I think its important to mention what everybody sees at first glance, graphics. The graphics of ‘SOUTH’ are well, graphic. The character sprites are very large and detailed, making every encounter with a new kind of zombine both thrilling and fun. The environment sprites compliment the rest of the graphics quite nicely. Pretty much everything has some degree of detail, including the massive/sometimes moderate amounts of blood. Animations, although fluid, sometimes seem a bit wonky. Especially certain zombie walking animations. However, its nothing bad enough to hurt the overall game experience. Not much can be said about the sound effects and music, they’re fitting and they get the job done.
Above: secret areas like this one make exploring levels quite satisfying.
The plot is pretty vague. From what I played in the previous demo, there’s only one cutscene at the begining of the game that attempts to explain what is happening. I’m not even going to try to make sense of the plot, I’ll just tell you what I know. Zombies are running wild in a southern town called ‘Normal’ and as local trench coat wearing-machete wielding badass, its your job to clean up the streets. But you can’t do it alone, so you fuse your hand with a mutant demon that can basically turn you into a laser shooting X-Men character. Alright, I suppose it sounds much cooler without all the pop culture references I added in there, but you get the gist of it.
Above: The game’s main character showing off his trademark ‘electric buzzsaw’ attack
Now here’s the fun part. The gamplay of ‘SOUTH’ is mostly hack ‘n’ slash but you can mix it up by using ranged fireball attacks via your demon hand. You’ll be doing a lot of plowing through weaker, less intelligent zombies but you’ll occasionally run into a fairy clever zombie. In fact, the most dangerous enemies in the game rely on cheap tricks. Although these clever zombie thrills add to the fun, they can get pretty tiresome. For instance, there is one type of zombie that will randomly break through a window and start clobbering you. Seems like a good idea, and its actually pretty fun to fend him off. The problem is, this trick happens too much and you never have enough time to jump back and protect yourself. So get used to the fact that you’ll lose some health no matter what.
Above: These guys will freak you at first when they rip off their faces and charge you but like the window zombie, its a fun yet annoying trick.
All in all, ‘SOUTH’ has a great mesh of graphics, sound effects, and gameplay. The game’s shortcomings in enemy design wouldn’t matter with more zombie types, its all just a matter of lowing repetition.
I realize its not fair to judge WIP, but honestly, I can’t wait any longer to express my liking of this game.
4 out of 5.
The Black Clock – Reviewed by REZ
November 8, 2007 at 8:2 | In Reviews | 1 CommentTags: Black, Clock, Max, Max Robertson, Robertson
Few games made with Game Maker attempt to set a mood, even fewer create a mood that makes the game itself worth playing. One of these unsung few, is The Black Clock by Max Robertson.
From the start of the game, you are thrown into a dark, somewhat depressing world. Obviously inspired by ‘The Ring’ and other grim tales, the game takes on a black and white setting inside a film reel where you play as a boy trapped in the reel itself. The overall story isn’t all that clear, as it is releaved through tid bits of flashing text and outbursts of random silhouettes and outlines of mansion residents. From what I was able to acquire, it has something to do with a mansion being torn down or rebuilt. Which ever is creepier.
The graphics are without a doubt, the most striking feature of the game. Robertson hand drew all of the in game graphics with the exception of a few player sprites. Rather than adding a photo shop effect or pixeling film grain, he gets the point across with almost Tim Burton style ink drawings. The sounds, although very real sounding, compliment the whacky drawings very nicely. The screams of little girls and house wives haunt to this day. If anything, the sounds themselves are the most frightening part of this game.
Another odd thing about this game, although its a horror game with no goal whatsoever, there seems to be very little violence involved. So hats off to you, Robertson, for making me jump a little out of my seat without the ol’ head in a box trick. Innovation at its finest indeed.
I won’t spoil anymore for you. The Black Clock is more of an experiment than a game (which probably explains why it was so short). I reccomend playing it if you’re a fan of exploration games.
GMC TOPIC LINK TO “THE BLACK CLOCK”
This game earns itself a solid 3 out of 5.
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