Peggle
by PopCap games

Peggle is a multi-platform casual game that allows players to drop a ball from the top of the screen, watching it travel down the screen, hitting coloured objects. Doesn't sound like much fun, but wait till you've tried it. Peggle is done by PopCap Games, which also did Plants vs Zombies.

The objective of the game is to hit all the orange coloured balls, or in Peggle lingo, 'pegs'. In the entire screen, there are laid before your very eyes a pool of blue and orange pegs. Players control the starting shot of the ball, and after the initial shot is made, the ball will travel down the screen, its movement and direction dependent on gravity and collisions with the pegs. The pegs are not placed randomly, but is based on the background picture. The placement tends to follow how the picture looks like. At the very bottom of the screen is a little container bucket that glides to the extreme left and right edges, and if the ball drops into the bucket, the player will be rewarded a free ball. There is also one purple peg, which will increase the player's score with each consecutive green/orange peg hit.

In addition to the basic core gameplay mentioned above, there is also some variations to it. Players can choose if he wants to play in 'campaign' mode, or 'free play', or try out for the 'challenges'. In campaign mode, the players start off with level 1-11, and end with a level that approximates 10-5. There are 5 stages per level, and each level differs in difficulty. In each level, players control a 'character', which has different super powers. These superpowers are attained by hitting a green coloured peg. There are 2 green pegs in each level. In 'Free play', players are free to choose any level and any character they want. In 'Challenges', players are given the same set of levels to choose from, but this time, they are given challenges, such as starting the game with only half the allocated balls, attaining a certain score, etc.

Art is definitely good, I like how the whole game is very colourful, which helps to grab your attention. It is very bright, almost neon-ish. Everything is done up in a cartoonish manner, which is directed toward the casual gaming audience. Whenever the player completes a level, A bright orangey colourful 'EXTREME FEVER' pops up, which I like a lot. Helps to make you feel happy. What I also like is the little nuances in the game that one may miss. For instance, while the game is loading up, the text that traditionally shows what is being loaded says something to the extent of 'preparing tea', 'tucking in kids to bed', etc. Together with sound design, it has a very carnival-ish feel to it.

Sound is good, there is a neat sound feature in which enhances the gameplay. When the ball first launches off from the player, the sound with each collision increases from low pitch to a very high pitch. So the more balls you hit, the higher the pitch of the sound. This helps to enhance the gameplay because the sound foreshadows the next ball being hit, i.e. the player knows the next sound the game will play when the ball hits another peg.

I first got exposed to this game when I was interning at a games company and this level designer started playing it on the big screen. Everyone started laughing at him because it looked sissy. A week after, the whole team started playing it religiously and that level designer whined of how they made fun of him last week. One of the initial comments 'everyone' made was that the game didn't allow for much interaction. The only thing the player does in the game is to release the first shot, and watch the ball go down the screen, much like pachinko or pinball. However, I realised that this is very important because the game relied a lot on luck, which then makes the game addictive. Players won't be able to know which orange peg will ultimately get hit. The same scenario happened with my mother, who plays this game every night religiously for the past few months, especially after I got Peggle Nights, its sequel, for her. She, too, initially complained when I showed her the game that it lacked user interaction.

Rating: 9.5/10

http://www.keepbusy.net/play.php?id=the-torture-game-3

Sadistically dismembering a 3D guy might be a good stress reliever at times *evil grinz*. Otherwise it might just be entertaining for those who like horror and macabre theme.

The man is hung via his wrists with ropes. Weapons are provided such as razor, gun, rope, chainsaw, spikes or even stretch him out by using the hand tool. U can also brush paint on him which is a form of humiliation.

After he is all butchered up and there are body parts lying on the floor, the screen can be restarted by clicking on the 'reset' key.

What i like about this game is the ability to control the weapons by using the keyboard such as up and down keys to length on shorten the rope. It feels somewhat like a paint or photoshop application except the outcome is unexpected and you get a different result everytime =)

The physics of the game makes it engaging in the way the body bounces, sways and even wiggles from the pain of the tension from the rope.

It is deviates from other mainstream conventional games that are child friendly.

Yet i feel it addresses the issue of violence in most games that people indulge in. The game isolates and focuses on the violent element like those in shooting and combat games.

It is a unique game, and in the end u can have a screenshot of your very own torture masterpiece.

Developer: Nintendo

Platform: Nintendo DS

Release: 2005

I was thrilled when Mario Kart DS was released back in 2005. After experiencing multiplayer kart racing goodness on the N64 years ago, I was expecting the same experience but on a portable level. The same experience was not ported but in its place is a much better Mario Kart experience.

Mario Kart DS is a 3D go-kart racing game. Like most other racing games, the objective is simple. You earn trophies after winning first place in races. The game has two main types of play, single player and multiplayer. Each type of play is further categorized into a few modes of play. The standard Grand Prix, Time Trial, VS, Battle and a Mission mode can be found in the single player mode. Most of these modes involve standard kart racing with the exception of Battle and Mission modes. In the Battle mode, each racer is expected to take out their opponents using the various weapon powerups in the levels. The racer’s health denoted by balloons can be inflated through blowing into the mic of the DS. Having more balloons inflated means you have a better chance stay in the game longer but the weapon powerups you get will be inferior to another racer who risked his stay in the game by having less balloons inflated. The Battle mode involved a little strategy and it comes into play more obviously when played in teams. The Mission mode on the other hand is there to hone your racing skills as the objectives often forced you to apply certain techniques. The Grand Prix mode is where the main bulk of the game is at and it offers 32 tracks in 4 different vehicle class races. Half of the tracks are brand new while the other 16 are tracks from previous Mario Kart games.

Mario Kart DS is easy to pick up but not quite that straight forward to master. The karts are accelerated by holding on to the A button while the B acts as a brake. It is not recommended to use the brake button in the game for it will slow down the vehicles too much and to circumvent that you can use the L and R trigger buttons to do a drift around corners. Pressing the left and right rapidly while drifting will charge up the nitro boost and will give you a temporary boost of speed. With enough practice, it is possible to get constant speed boost even on a straight path.

Powerups are found throughout the tracks in the form of boxes. The powerup you get is generated based on you current position in the race so the last racer will have the highest chance to get the best powerup. The powerups come in both offensive and defensive forms and some are of both forms. Powerups can be stored in inventory and therefore can be part of your strategy to win the races.

The 32 tracks offer a lengthy gameplay and they are mostly well designed and fun to race in. Most of them are based on levels in Mario’s platform games and create this familiar atmosphere to the game. The levels are laid with obstacles ranging from enemies found in Mario’s other games to oncoming traffic from the opposite direction.

Replayability of this game is extremely high. There are plenty of modes and tracks to try out in the game. Add to that are the 12 characters, 4 which have to be unlocked, each with different vehicles. The characters and their vehicles have different specifications and all of them controls differently from each other. There are also unlockable vehicles for each character which requires you to replay the tracks to get good placings for all races with the individual characters. The multiplayer portion of the game adds on further to the already highly replayable game. It is always fun to race and battle other players whether through local wireless play or online. The online portion has connection issues at times and sometimes will take a long time before the game finds other players.

As this is a portable game, it will not be the prettiest Mario Kart game. The graphics of Mario Kart DS looks as good as the N64 version with bright colourful characters and tracks. Furthermore, it runs at a solid 60 frames per second which is crucial for racing games.

Mario Kart DS is an excellent kart racing game and with its high replayability, can be even described as value for money.

Rating: 9/10

Weiwen

I am a casual game player. I realised the reviews I've been doing on are mostly on casual games, hahaha. But okay lah.. they're simple games that doesn't need too much brain juice - games that you play when you need to unwind!

So this time... another casual game! This one's pretty fun! (Every game is pretty fun)

Objective??

 Alright the objective is very simple:

1) Twist each piece until you get connected linkways to 2 same talismans.

They can either be of Gold, Silver or Bronze talismans.

2) The main thing is to get both these talismans connected.

3) The longest linkway will attain the highest points!

4) Gold talisman links will get you gold coins,

Silver talisman links will get you silver coins

& Bronze talisman links will get you bronze coins

5) Of course, gold coins weigh the heaviest and will get you most points for that.

6) You must also fulfill the weight requirement before you advance to the next level

(on the left)

7) Also, you need to do this within a maximum number of moves

(indicated on the bottom right)

Here are some print screens





This is when they are linked! They will immediately be removed from the board.


Why is this game good??
In my opinion... this game is fun because:
1) Graphics are cute.They have a theme and the aesthetics are harmoniously pleasing.
2) Hooked.This game is hypnotic!I kept playing on and on.I'm at level 3-4 by the way!
3) Music: The theme music is also entrancing.Suits the graphics and concept of the game.
4) Again, simplicity rules here.It's a simple game with a clear objective of what to do.No brainer!
5) No time limit:I love this part about games especially.Lets you take your own sweet time in figuring it out.
6) Strategic game:You need to plan your route on this one.Tricky but achievable.
7) Interesting game features:As you level up, more cool features are added on.This makes the game even more compelling.
8) Game mechanics and level design:Both these factors are designed suitably well for each level-up.You find the advancement in every next level accelerated very nicely and gradually.

All in all, I think this game is fun!!!
Click HERE to play :D

Critter Lite is a demo version or Critter Crunch game for IPhones or Ipods. Players control Biggs who is the adorable orange creature at the bottom of the screen.

Simply slide or drag Bigg left/right to the desired position under the columns of critters and slide upwards to activate his tongue which with capture the critter into his mouth. Release the critters at the desired location again by using the same controls to move him left and right and slide upwards to release the critter.

The point of the game is to clear all the critters within the time given of gain enough points to level up by bursting the critters. The critters have to be fed into each other meaning there are 3 distinctive sizes of critters i.e. large medium and small. Only small critters can be fed to medium critters and medium critters to large ones.

It is an entertaining and easy to play casual game with cute sound effects as well. There is also a puzzle mode where the number of moves is limited and you are supposed to clear all the critters in the screen. It also reminds me of the arcade game, 'Puzzle Bobble' whereby bursting color coordinated critters will gain you more points.

The game is also esthetically pleasing with colorful backgrounds which varies in every level.

Ok ok, for alllllll you people who like tattoos but don't want to get one, this game's for you. In this game, you play an accomplished tattoo artist (In Tattoo Artist I, you were just a lowly apprentice) and have a whole bunch of clientele to ink.

Gameplay

The aim of the game is to try to do the most accurate tattoo within the shortest time possible. The customer's satisfaction depends on how long you take, how much pain they're in and the accuracy of the tattoo.

Let's get started! You choose a client, and then read a description of the tattoo that they'd like to get. Each client has a different pain tolerance level. Just like how an actual tattooist pauses every few seconds to allow the client to cope with the pain, you need to pause between each stroke so that their pain meter doesn't shoot up. Some can handle pain better than others, so you don't need that many intervals between each buzz.

Ok lah, my skillzZz are not that refined yet, as you can see from the shaky lines. See that panel at the top of the screen? The nerve meter causes your cursor to shudder randomly just like how your arm would shake when you are tensed up for a long time. The pain meter allows you to gauge how long you can go with one stroke before the client is in too much pain. The customer satisfaction allows you to monitor how awesomely awesome your tattoo is, and the time allows you to keep track of how long you've taken. The progress bar on the right of the screen is also a useful way to see how far along your tattoo's coming. So first, we gotta do the outline of the tattoo....

Thank goodness the computer auto-corrects and neatens your lines once you've completed! I'd never make it a tattoo artist. Now it's time for some colour...

All done! :D

Now if you go back to the main screen and take a look at the same guy, you'd notice that it shows that he's identified as a returning customer and has another design for you to do.

Pros

A surprisingly accurate depiction of the process of getting a tattoo! Very well styled. This game allows you to live vicariously as a badass tattooist. 'Nuff said.

Cons

Although it looks like an adult version of a colouring book, this game is actually rather difficult. It's hard to keep within the lines, and the random shudders makes turns all your neat lines into fuzzy caterpillars. Also, it sort of becomes rather monotonous after awhile because you're essentially doing the same thing over and over again, just with different designs.

All in all, it was a fun game, but it didn't keep me hooked for too long.

Play.

Digital: A Love Story

Website: http://www.scoutshonour.com/digital/
Developer: Christine Love
Platform: Windows / Mac / Linux

Digital: A Love Story is an interactive story set in a fictional operating system of the DOS-era. It's instantly nostalgic for anyone who has used one of those old Apple systems or Windows 3.1. There's even the familiar sound of a dial-up modem when you need to use the internet.

The game is very heavily story-driven. That means reading chunks and chunks of text which would be a chore if the dialogue wasn't so well written. The messages on the BBS discuss technology, games, hacks, all within the context of the fictional world. There's even Star Trek fanboy banter and trolls annoying everyone with their presence, something that is all too familiar in the real world. There's a button to "reply" for every message but you'll only get a response for a few of them. You don't actually type a reply and the only way to figure out what you replied is from the response itself. It's a refreshing storytelling approach to have the player fill in the blanks as the narrative feels less literal and rigid.

That said, the narrative is a still a line from the beginning to the end. The player is expected to reply to certain messages or visit this and that BBS to advance the plot. Much like adventure games, there is a certain order to play the game and being stuck could be a very frustrating experience. In that case, why not tell the story through writing or a short film? Afterall, those are mediums that have already mastered the narrative while games are still tackling the problem of melding gameplay and narrative.

That's because the story works in the setting of a game. The player is immersed in the experience of using a piece of dated technology which is limited in many ways. Each time you access a different BBS, you have to repeat the same routine of dialing a 7-digit number and listening to the familiar drawl of the modem. It's not the intention of the game to frustrate or annoy the player. Rather, it transports them to an older time where there is little instant gratification. There's the allure of an underground culture where people create hacks to overcome limitations in software and to get out of paying for stuff. As you learn new dialer hacks and BBSs, it feels like opening up new places in your world, the same feeling you get from exploring a massive world in a game like Oblivion. It's a world where information isn't as accessible as it is now and the internet is a magical place of equal parts knowledge and mystery.

The narrative melds with gameplay, not as a story to dress up the gameplay. Rather, the gameplay is a narrative device used to tell the story more effectively. When the connection between the characters breaks down, it's interesting to see them trying to re-establish the connection by moving to a new BBS. The game shows people bonding over vast distances, the existence of a community in a virtual setting that is just as real as any in real life. There is perhaps an underlying commentary on our heavy reliance on technology. What if the internet breaks down? How much do we stand to lose from that?

Digital: A Love Story isn't for everyone but it's worth playing just to listen to that modem dial-up sound! It's not as tough to get into as a novel, if that's not your thing. And if books are your thing, it's a great read and a fantastic example of a story-driven approach to games that works well.

--Benjamin