Not so much a review as its too odd reviewing your own games, just a quick message about my new game

Well the latest game went up 2 weeks ago, its called Synapsis and its a voyage into the mind of David Carter, a completely odd adventure game that I’ve been trying to make for about 3 years. The production started about June time 2007 but the idea had been floating round my head in various forms for ages, the only problem was that it was June before I’d got good enough at programming to be able to make it. The actual game is pretty straightforward as I really didn’t want to do anything too illogical although the settings and the atmosphere of the game is really “David Lynch”. I’ve half got the sequel worked on but I need a break, this game completely did my head in during the last month of development.

The game was half designed by Jason Jackson, who was at work experience were I used to work, his 2 rooms were the church and the cell, I thought he did a pretty amazing job.
Its been reviewed on a couple of the big casual games sites like Jayisgames and has gone down really well. I’ve also had endless people email me in the last week for help as they are stuck, if you are one of them there’s a really nice synapsis walkthrough on mousebreaker.

Now that its finished I’m taking a well earned rest from stupid projects and am going to sit back with a beer and watch football for at least 3 days before starting on the sequel.

Anyway enough of me waffling on about, if you want to loose 15 minutes of your life go and play Synapsis.

When I think back to the ‘classic’ arcade games I think of Pac man, Space Invaders, Galaxian and Missile Command. I always felt Missile Command was very much a product of its time. Firing into the sky so the resulting explosions would detonate the incoming nuclear missiles. Living in the West Midlands if a city ever use to get destroyed I use to pretend it was Coventry, because whoever rebuilt that place deserved to be hit full in the chops by a nuclear missile. Failing that I use to pretend it was Milton Keynes but then again any missile aimed at Milton Keynes would get stuck going around one of their many flipping roundabouts. (Now before I got any hate mail simply replace the chosen city with which ever relevant dump is closest to you!) In fact was I the only one who noticed John Connor playing Missile Command in Terminator 2? Just think if you play that game enough you too could be fighting Terminators in a near future leading the free world against…. Oops looks like I am going off on a tangent again. Back to the review!

I mention Missile Command because at some level Boomshine is a reinvention of that sort of game and I would say it is very much a product of its time as well. Gone are monochrome colours and digital cities and instead they are replaced by a free form, free flowing selections of colour simply floating across the screen. The music carries you along and instead of firing desperately into the sky trying to avoid Armageddon (yes I thought the film was crap too!) you simply hit a colour with a click of a mouse and watch it expand. Then if any other colour hits it, it expands as well. However the resulting expansion only stays for a short amount of time unless hit by another colour. I suppose it’s a bit like that Sony Bravia advert where they shoot paint up a block of flats. (Again see Coventry for reference)

But there is a purpose to this game (apart from supplying me cheap shots at certain Midland conurbations). There are a number of colour balls on the screen and you only get one chance at starting a colourful chain reaction. You have to remove a number of balls in one go and believe me when I say it is a lot more difficult that it sounds. I was able to move through the levels with comparative easy until I had to get 45 out of 50 balls and I hit a brick wall. However you won’t have realised the amount of time you have just spent getting to that point, and then that right, you realise the game has you.

This really is the epitome of the casual game, and a kind of reworking of an old classic (although I don’t think that was the author’s intention). A common game mechanic but a very different gaming experience. Very highly recommended.

Casual games come in many forms and one of the more common themes involve the changing a trajectory and then firing something at something else. It is that format that has kept Team 17 (of Worms’s fame) in business for years, so it was with some interest that I decided to take a closer look at Raftwars.

First impressions? Well a story line! It’s almost of Hollywood epic proportions. A classic rags to riches story of a young child finding buried treasure and then fighting for it. (Well it did help that I watched Goonies last night). Who needs script writers? Golden Globes? bah! Ok maybe I did get a little carried away there. The graphics are bright and crisp. Imagine a number of little baby Cartman’s (Southpark) sitting on a raft, and then they fire a number of weapons at a selection of devilish little characters.

I have to say that I found the Savages were my favorite characters, it brings back memories of fighting cannibals in the deepest darkest (and for PC sake non-descript) jungle, but that was of course back in my “twenties stage”.

Well the controls are very simple, you move the mouse left and right and this alters a red dotted line which indicates the power. Then you move the mouse up and down to alter the trajectory and when you are happy with the shot, click the mouse button and your character will take the shot.

If your shot hits the target then you are rewarded with an angry looking character who then tries to take a pot shot back at you. However more than likely, you will miss and just incase you aren’t sure that you missed, a little high pitched voice taunts you with the words missed!

You can upgrade your raft and also you get a choice of a couple of weapons. It won’t be long before you hitting some quite hilarious trick shots and then you are rewarded with some extra points if you knock off your opponents beating the par of the level.

There are some very funny characters and a funny twisty storyline where…… wait I can’t spoil that for you. You will have to complete the game to find out. I was quite disappointed to see my score of around 18,000 didn’t even make the leader board, so if you can’t beat that then shame you and no doubt you will be back playing again.

A really fun game that will have you hooked in seconds. Enjoy!