You've Got to Save the World!: Redo the End, 2013

Redo the End is an apocalyptic action platformer from Disco Fish. It's the sequel to Undo the End. Basically, you have to save the world from an almost certain doom by traveling back in time and killing an individual. You are given various devices that send you back in time for brief intervals. The concept is a lot of fun. Don't let this intimidate you: Redo the End is an easy game that is very generous to the player. There are no lives; if you die, you are transported back to the spot right before you expired.

platform utilized: browser
genre: action, platform
where to find: You can play the game right here.

Like a Stone: 400 Years, 2013

400 Years is a short, tranquil game about a stone idol who must forge ahead, in time, to fulfill his destiny. It's a platformer (if you can call it that, given that there is no jumping), and the art is beautiful. You'll interact with worshipping natives, trees, water, and experience the frequent changing of seasons. You see, in order to achieve certain tasks, you must have patience and wait, sometimes a very long time. You are given the ability to wait, and watch the passage of time rapidly unfold. It's a fun feature. From the mind of Scriptwelder.

platform utilized: browser
genre: platform
where to find: Play 400 Years on Newgrounds, Kongregate, or Armor Games.

Polar Dream: Alone in the Light, 2012

Alone in the Light is a mystical, dreamlike experience that will have you lost in thought. In an arctic setting, we see the spectacle of the aurora borealis. We are told that the light has separated into crystal-like tonal shards, "three shards for each note, seven notes in all." Each shard gives off a distinctive melodic tone. You are looking for these shards in the arctic winds of the North. You are a polar bear.

Your goal is simple: explore the vast arctic landscape, looking for the separated shards of the aurora. The experience is so coherent, I guarantee you'll lose track of time as you play through this simple platformer. The music is simplistic, and the art is absolutely gorgeous. According to the lead designer of the title, Chelsea Howe, "Alone in the Light is dedicated to Kim 'NeoGeen' Koskamp [the project's artist], whose commitment, effort and attitude inspired us to see this through to the end."

A couple of things that really stood out to me: the sounds and music were incredibly executed. Everything is so crisp and tasteful. Every sound utilized seems imperative. The music is sparse but affective. Something else that stood out to me, obviously, was the unique artwork of the game. The polar bear, in particular, epitomizes the efforts of Koskamp, with its elegant features galloping across the snowy terrain, playfully groping the earth underneath him, in an unforgettably graceful motion. Lastly, one of my favorite features of the game is the deep, "black ink" colored water in which you find yourself swimming through. As you descend, the water darkens, making it near impossible to see. The effect is unlike anything I've seen before.

This is a game worth your time.

platform utilized: browser
genre: platform
where to find: You can find Alone in the Light at its own dedicated site, right here.

Obedience: Loved, 2012

Loved is essentially made up of platformer gameplay, interspersed with black screen-white font inquiries. the gameplay feel is dire, and the environment with which you must traverse is bleak, like a sort of hell, emptied of all color. As for the black screen moments, they are grave. The tone of the game is perfected with these little breaks of dialogue; everything is determined, somber, unwilling to turn. The very presentation of these black screens almost invite rebellion. The game opens with just such a screen, asking,

"Are you a man, or a woman?"

There is something incredibly rewarding about defying the wishes of an evil god; he tells you to turn left, you turn right; he tells you to not to do that, but you do it anyway. In your defiance you possess more power than him.

But this is because this god had no power to begin with.

The idea of an evil or merely crafty god (or at the very least, a narrator) interacting with the player, determining gameplay, is sort of interesting. In this case, the gameplay is not necessarily determined. It can be if you allow it. However, you are given the option of disobeying the commands of whomever is at the helm of existence. And this ability is scintillating. It makes the gameplay of Loved sort of a counter-gameplay. And the results are quite interesting.

Though Loved is short, it is fascinating. Its aesthetically pleasing environment will have me thinking back to it, fondly, and often. And of course the dialogue is intriguing. Because of these things, I will return to Loved again. Play this one and please feel free to let me know what you think!

Loved is the product of Alexander Ocias.


platform utilized: browser
genre: platform
where to find: Play, and feel Loved, here.

Art and Atmosphere: Blackwood Prologue, 2012

To get right into things, Blackwood Prologue is a short idea created by one, Blake Mann, student of SAIT Polytechnic, in Calgary Alberta. The game is a platformer, if you can call it that, because there really isn't much jumping around. According to Blake, this is but a prologue to a bigger and more complete title which apparently is in the works.

Blackwood Prologue is apparently intended to be more focused on "art and atmosphere" than on its gameplay. This certainly translates well. Prologue is gentle and very easy on the eyes, with graphics that are both gorgeous and lush, and at times choicely minimal. Its characters are simplistic, drawn as mere stick figures rather than fully detailed human beings. This minimalism works to draw you into the world.

As a story, I am unwilling to say that it is put together. There is a lot of potential, and its creator knows this. But strings are left untied, and rather than find a way to prettily lace together a bow of glowing qualities, a messy shamble is left. Granted the shamble is pretty, but it lacks its finishing touches, its conclusion, its coherency.

Check out Blackwood Prologue. it will only take you a few minutes. And though it is lacking in some elements, what has been done is beautiful.

platform utilized: browser
genre: platform
where to find: Right here.

Only a Jet-Pack: Only Dust, 2012

I know I've been playing a lot of browser games lately, but don't be concerned! I am working on some big write-ups of some classic games. More to come on that later.

Only Dust is an immersive yet simple little platformer about a group of explorers who are unwittingly trapped in some sort of cave. You (the protagonist) must ascend and reach the surface to get help. All you have is your trusty jet-pack, which, unfortunately, needs fuel. Fortunately though, there are plants throughout the caves that have an oil that can be quickly extracted to use for fuel.

The man responsible for this title is kato9, also know as Matthew DiVito. and actually this is not the first game of his that I have played. I was thoroughly impressed by some of the elements of Zero2, his Ludum Dare entry prior to Only Dust. I ended up not writing about it mostly because I didn't feel there was much to say. But it was enjoyable, and getting back to what I was trying to say, DiVito has a flare for style, and his games are anything but drab and uninteresting. Only Dust is quite stylish. I also really like the music.

platform utilized: browser
genre: platform
where to find: You can play it here.

EGA Inferiority: Crystal Caves, 1991

Initially I had planned to divide this piece into three sections, dealing with each of the episodes of Crystal Caves, respectively. Instead, I decided to write more generally about the title as a whole.

In Crystal Caves, you are Mylo Steamwitz, a space trader looking to make a quick buck by digging for crystals in various alien-infested, dangerous rock mines. With these crystals, Mylo hopes to begin his own animal farm (no, not of the Orwellian persuasion - of Twibbles).

Mylo's mining adventure takes place in an underground area referred to as the 'Main Level,' housing sixteen independent caves from which he must excavate the crystals. Each cave is distinct from the rest.

Do you know what's great about old platform titles like Crystal Caves? they're just so simple. And simplicity can be fun.

Each two-dimensional level is a structured labyrinth of linear puzzles. Like a mathematical equation, there is an order of operations one must follow to reach the correct answer. However, Crystal Caves showcases only the simplest math.

Its gameplay is difficult at times. with only three health points allotted, and without the option of replenishing, you're lucky to get through a level unscathed the first time around.

To the modern gamer, Crystal Caves is incomparable to the games of today. Granted, it ought only be judged with other 2D platform games. However, with a shortage of such titles in the modern realm, looking into the past might be more telling (the last 2D platform title I could think of - technically speaking - was Donkey Country and the games that followed in the series).

Consider this: the same year Crystal Caves was released, Sid Meier's Civilization, Neverwinter Nights (the first ever graphical MMORPG), Sierra's Police Quest III as well as Space Quest IV:Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers were released. Also that year, Nintendo released its Super Nintendo Entertainment System, along with Super Mario World and F-Zero, Final Fantasy II (in actuality, the fourth game in the series) was released in America, and in Japan, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was released.

Just looking at the slew of new technology at work in 1991 makes you wonder why you're still playing Crystal Caves. Its plot, gameplay, structure, and many of its technical features (such as its music, which is non-existent, and sound, which can be likened to listening to the squelchings of a monosynth) pale in comparison to every one of the aforementioned titles.

Crystal Caves is fun for awhile. In its own right, it possesses attractive elements that will probably keep some gamers coming back, however, not all gamers.

platform utilized: DOS
genre: platform, side-scrolling
where to find: Download here. Or if you're a mac user, email me and let me know you want a working copy of the game.

Unpretentious Elegance: Knytt, 2006

Knytt is a platform, side-scroller created by a swedish game developer named Nicklas Nygren (known better by his handle, Nifflas). It has all the elements you'd expect from freeware: a short storyline, modest graphics, simple gameplay. But what it lacks in length and complexity, it makes up in character and style.

The plot of Knytt is simple. While out for a stroll, the Knytt is abducted by an alien. The spacecraft ascends into the cosmos, and while traversing, is hit by a meteoroid. The ship crash lands onto another planet, scattering its components across the terrain. It is Knytt's job to retrieve these parts so he and the alien may escape.

The spectrum of movement employed in Knytt is limited to just a few simple maneuvers, however, they are in perfect balance with their dictating physics system.

Knytt jumps, climbs, and descends his way through the strange world. Each one of these maneuvers is necessary to utilize in order to accomplish the goals of the game. In a way, this makes Knytt an interesting observation (and perhaps study) in simplicity, being a condition of profundity. What I mean by this is that Knytt, through a return to gameplay simplicity (like in the games of vintage), manages to strip itself down to its bare essentials: run, jump, climb, fall. Because of this technical simplification, a new world can be observed. Knytt is not concerned with gathering a weapon with which to kill creatures, nor is he concerned with collecting artifacts or establishing mercantile relations. Knytt just sort of scampers up and down rock faces and grassy knolls. His movement is light and an aesthetic delight to observe.

As for the music, it can only be described as fitting. Subtle ambient quips interject tastefully throughout gameplay. Soft pads and delicate percussive hits act as a background for the world of Knytt. This is a delight for me. I am always excited to see music being used as another layer to gameplay rather than detracting from it.

The environment of Knytt is vibrant and lush, with every color emerging from its designation. It's a bouquet of minimalism, showcasing what any good game designer can do with less lines and less explosions.

This guy Nifflas is the real deal. He's just a little, semi-independent swedish game designer, but he has already impressed me with his work. Oh, did I mention he writes all of the music for his games?

Knytt's gameplay is rather short (which is certainly a result of its being freeware) and does lack some depth to its gameplay. But as I've said, what it lacks in depth seems to be made up in simplicity, which in turn elicits a new and valuable plane of gameplay experience. In a time of MMORPGs and first-person shooters, Knytt is just a drop in the ocean. However, that is part of the game's appeal. It's quaint. It's unpretentious. It's subtle and beautifully elegant. The gameplay is focused on more than merely accomplishing the task of finding the missing parts to reassemble the alien ship. It instead seems concerned with the journey itself.

platform utilized: pc
genre: platform, side-scrolling
where to find: Luckily, Knytt is freeware. That means you don't have to pay any money. Visit Nifflas' site or download right here.