Empire Eden is the sort of 2D side-scrolling adventure one would expect to see in the early 90s, right up there with Golden Axe and Altered Beast. Thing is, it hasn't been made yet. They need help to do it and they've reached out to Kickstarter to make it happen.
I'll be honest: I wasn't completely sold as I took my first look at the game and read the text on their Kickstarter page. But watching the video changed my mind. It's got a really unique style (almost Western) and the story is really interesting. I'm excited to see where they go with it.
But unless others help out, they won't be going with it at all. They're asking for a measly $19,000. Surely there are enough old-skool action/platform fans out there to help get this game made, no?
Francisco Téllez de Meneses, the guy behind the indie sleeper hit Unepic, has announced that the game is coming to Wii U. One thing he forgot to mention was exactly when :)
I have to admit, Unepic is the first Wii U game that has me excited about the system. That being said, I can get the game on PC so I'll likely go that route. Too bad for Nintendo that this isn't a Wii U exclusive. They really need more games like this on there.
Pick up a copy of Unepic on Desura for under $10 if a D&D-themed droidvania RPG platformer tickles your fancy.
Spud's Quest is a game that would look and sound right at home on the SNES. It's got snazzy 16-bit graphics and jazzy 16-bit effects, plus platforming and puzzle goodness galore. It's a 2D game for Windows developed by indie game designer Chris Davis.
Chris has been working on and off for close to 10 years on this game. The reason it's taking so long to finish? He has to maintain a full-time job while he works on his game in his off-hours. I've tried doing this and I found it impossible to finish one job then go directly with full energy to another. It's a common theme with indie game crowdsourcing on Kickstarter and IndieGoGo.
So, if the funding on Kickstarter is successful (when, rather, as he's only asking for £5000), he'll be able to take some time off from his full-time job to focus entirely on Spud's Quest. It's such a small amount of money to request and it looks like a great game. I hope my readers will join me in backing this project.
Super Mario Galaxy is a fantastic platformer. This game is truly one of the greats. It's as good as Super Mario 64 (Mario's previous magnum opus) and is, in fact, better in many ways. Honestly, it's a perfect 10 out of 10. You have to play it.
I always imagine someone asking me: If you had to show someone who doesn't understand videogames why people put hours in front of the TV, or they think it's unhealthy and try their hardest to keep their kids away from them, which games would you share with them to help them understand the appeal and value of games?
Super Mario Galaxy is one of those games that I would use. In fact, it may be the only game; The only game that's required to communicate (or re-communicate) to skeptics/new children/old-school gamers/casual gamers/console haters about what it truly means to play a fun game. It's so chock full of happy, colours, charm, replayability, depth, pickupability, suspense, reward, and quality that at almost every level, it's a complete masterpiece.
Put simply: if you've got a Wii, you have to play Super Mario Galaxy. Play it right through to the end. Get every star. It's one of those timeless classics that will be remembered by gamers forever.
I missed this game when it was new in 2007. Too busy playing other games. But that's okay, because it recently was re-released as a Nintendo Selects title, meaning you can get it brand new for $20. That's what I did. Never been happier.
Platform: PC, Mac
Release date: 2011
Developer: Lazy Brain Games
Genre: Action Platformer
Cost: Free!
This game has been sitting on my desktop for over a year now. I can't believe it took me that long to play this game, but it's true. Damn you, indie bundles! I've got a back-log the length of your arm.
Still, I'm over-the-moon that I finally took some time tonight to sit down and give Infernal Edge a whirl. It's an indie action shooter that comes very close to the Contra games of yore. Honestly, it's got this old-school 2D 8-bit sprite artwork mixed in with 16-bit Super Nintendo-esque rotation and scaling. It looks like it would be right at home in the late 80s to early 90s.
It's dead simple to play and pretty easy in difficulty. It's also incredibly short. A person can easily beat it on their first playthrough in just under 10 minutes. But, it's free. Whattaya want?
