One of the great things about going to shows is the chance to play some games from Independent developers.
When I was in Sheffield I found a couple that got me interested from fun Pac Man/ bomberman mash up clones like Chompy Chomp Chomp to challenging hardcore platformers like thelettervsixtim.es
Recently I have been pointed in the direction of a few more games and I thought some of the guys on here might be interested in them. I'm not much for writing reviews, but if you like some simple, fun, diversionary games with a retro theme you might consider a couple of the following to try out. Most are PC based, but there are one or two that are for modern consoles, and one that is for a classic system.
First up is 8bit Killer. This is a smooth FPS shooter styled straight out of the Nintendo book of NES pixel art. It plays a lot like Doom, but with a clean, colourful simple look. Power ups are available with classics like rifles and shotguns to be had. Great Fun.
If FPS is not your thing, or you prefer platformers there are plenty out there that you may like. One that I've enjoyed and has particularly attractive theme is You Have to win the Game.
This is one tough cookie of a platformer, be prepared for some hair tearing, moments! It is superb fun though and it has some brilliant visuals. It evokes the 80's platforming experience very well indeed, even going so far as to frame the screen with a monitor bezel to complete the feeling.
If you like your gaming retro, this is definitely worthy of your time.
Finally, this is a game I picked up In Manchester at the Play expo. Encyclopaedia Galactica I do enjoy playing new games, especially on old platforms and this is one for your Speccy. The basic idea is that you are a researcher looking to collect information about new species for the Encyclopaedia for which you get paid. First you choose a star system, then a planet, and then the adventure begins. You fly your ship through asteroid storms to begin exploring the planets. Above and below ground, under the sea, everywhere until you find a species. Some are dangerous and require sedation, others are harmless. Once you disembark, you can collect species and store them in you rship. Collect 3 of a kind, and sequence their DNA in a fun mini game and you get paid. Simple. However, resources are limited, fuel and equipment. The environment that you have to explore is huge. It is all to easy to end up blasting around burning up valuable fuel without anyway to buy more.
I've only played it a couple of times so far, but it has great potential. If you fancy playing something new, with a great game mechanic, you could do a lot worse than this.
When I was in Sheffield I found a couple that got me interested from fun Pac Man/ bomberman mash up clones like Chompy Chomp Chomp to challenging hardcore platformers like thelettervsixtim.es
Recently I have been pointed in the direction of a few more games and I thought some of the guys on here might be interested in them. I'm not much for writing reviews, but if you like some simple, fun, diversionary games with a retro theme you might consider a couple of the following to try out. Most are PC based, but there are one or two that are for modern consoles, and one that is for a classic system.
First up is 8bit Killer. This is a smooth FPS shooter styled straight out of the Nintendo book of NES pixel art. It plays a lot like Doom, but with a clean, colourful simple look. Power ups are available with classics like rifles and shotguns to be had. Great Fun.
If FPS is not your thing, or you prefer platformers there are plenty out there that you may like. One that I've enjoyed and has particularly attractive theme is You Have to win the Game.
This is one tough cookie of a platformer, be prepared for some hair tearing, moments! It is superb fun though and it has some brilliant visuals. It evokes the 80's platforming experience very well indeed, even going so far as to frame the screen with a monitor bezel to complete the feeling.
If you like your gaming retro, this is definitely worthy of your time.
Finally, this is a game I picked up In Manchester at the Play expo. Encyclopaedia Galactica I do enjoy playing new games, especially on old platforms and this is one for your Speccy. The basic idea is that you are a researcher looking to collect information about new species for the Encyclopaedia for which you get paid. First you choose a star system, then a planet, and then the adventure begins. You fly your ship through asteroid storms to begin exploring the planets. Above and below ground, under the sea, everywhere until you find a species. Some are dangerous and require sedation, others are harmless. Once you disembark, you can collect species and store them in you rship. Collect 3 of a kind, and sequence their DNA in a fun mini game and you get paid. Simple. However, resources are limited, fuel and equipment. The environment that you have to explore is huge. It is all to easy to end up blasting around burning up valuable fuel without anyway to buy more.
I've only played it a couple of times so far, but it has great potential. If you fancy playing something new, with a great game mechanic, you could do a lot worse than this.
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