IGM Issue 14 by Indie Game Mag

Issue 14: January/February 2011

Check out all the Best Indie Games of 2010 inside this issue:

Chu's Dynasty

ZP2KX

Super Meat Boy

Comic Jumper

Minecraft

Indie Game Magazine Issue 14 - Jan-Feb 2011

Staff Editor-in-Chief Mike Gnade Art & Magazine Design Mike Gnade Michael Heald Zak Gebelein

Writers/Contributors David Bruggink Joshua Wirtanen Stew Shearer Mark Obeirne Tavia Lewis Castagnozzi Scott Nichols Peter Rambo Mike Gnade

Special Thanks BitMob.com FullyIllustrated.com

+ Table of Contents Front End

Staff/Credits pg 2 Table of Contents pg 3 Creative Players Opinion pg 4 Statis Preview pg 5 SRRN Games Interview pg 6

Cover Story

Game of the Year Awards

Feature

Indie Winter Uprising

Cover Story: Check out the Best Games of 2010 and see who wins Game of the Year

pg 8

pg 14

Reviews

Chu's Dynasty pg 14 Aphelion episode 2 pg 15 Asteroids Do Concern Me pg 15 Epic Dungeon pg 16 Ubergridder pg 16 ZP2KX pg 17 Soulcaster 2 pg 17 Comic Jumper Pg 18 Super Meat Boy Pg 22

Back End

Dream Machine Interview

pg 20

About our Reviews We rate all of our games based on their graphics, gameplay, sound, and lasting appeal. Each category is given a score on a scale of 1-10 (10 being perfect and 1 being horrendous). The average of these scores is tallied to give each game a percentage score and grade (A thru F). Games are more than the sum of their parts, so we do adjust our average scores based on our final assessment of the game, its appeal, creativity, uniqueness, and overall value. A: 90-100% B: 80-89% C: 70-79%

D: 60-69% F: 0-59%

Opinion Ad + Why Are Creative Players Treated Like Criminals?

There was a time when major video games lacked huge budgets, and programming errors would show up from time to time. Once a game released, there was no way to go back and fix it, making these errors permanent. Clever gamers would often find glitches they could exploit in order to get past difficult parts of a game. A great example was the original Mega Man for NES. There was a bug that allowed you to fire Elecman’s thunder beam, then hit the select button rapidly, pausing and unpausing the game. Every time the game unpaused, the thunder beam would deal additional damage. That way, you could beat difficult bosses with just a few wellaimed hits. This was part of the charm of those old games. They rewarded gamers for creative thinking. We used to come to a difficult obstacle and say, “I know I’m not supposed to be able to do this, but I’m going to try it anyway.” Now that online gaming has taken off, and every console comes with internet connectivity, minor errors in any game can usually be patched away. Glitches that can be used to the advantage of the gamer, or exploits (‘sploits for short), are frowned on by game developers. I used to play a certain MMO (which shall remain unnamed) where the ‘sploiters were basically criminalized. I had some friends who exploited a certain raid boss (who shall also remain unnamed.) Somehow the game moderators found out, and the entire raid group was banned from the server for two weeks. It seems silly to me to punish gamers for playing games creatively. Especially in a major budget game that has the resources to fix 4

exploits if the developers are not happy with the decisions players make. Of course there are major budget games that encourage creative gameplay – Little Big Planet comes to mind – but this is not the norm. Sure, there are sandbox games, but that’s not exactly what I have in mind either, since sandboxes only let you do certain things that the developers have allowed you to do. What I am talking about is outsidethe-box gameplay. Recently, the developers of the indie smash hit, Super Meat Boy (reviewed on page 22 of this issue) had realized they made a huge mistake. The ‘devmode’ used to build most of the game was accidentally left completely intact when the PC version was released. This was good news for the modding community, since people had figured out how to use the tools and were already building their own custom levels for Super Meat Boy before Team Meat realized their mistake. But instead of patching away this ‘devmode’ and punishing those who were using it, they embraced it. On December 11, there was an official blog post on the Super Meat Boy website that explained what had happened. Team Meat even explained how to access the tools and posted links to some tutorial videos. Sure, Team Meat has a level editor on the way, and the ‘devtools’ are basically a rough version of that, but it’s still pretty neat that they are willing to embrace a completely unintentional facet of their game. In this instance, creative gameplay is encouraged, and it’s bringing the Super Meat Boy fans together in a way that a “fixed” game would have been unable to.

Another indie game, The Dream Machine, uses a different approach to encourage creative gameplay. I had a chat with the creators of The Dream Machine (which you can find on page 20 of this issue) and game designer Anders Gustafsson offered some interesting philosophies on game development. He explained that while The Dream Machine was being beta tested, he discovered people were making strange choices that he didn’t expect them to. His reaction to this was to craft responses to these unusual choices, so that creative gamers would be rewarded for attempting things that seemed to make no sense. Anders summed it up perfectly: “I view the player as a collaborator – almost a cowriter – of the game.” Perhaps this explains the popularity of Minecraft. There is no limit to what you can do in Minecraft; one player has even built a working computer inside the game. Another is working on a scale model of the Starship Enterprise. In Minecraft, every player is “almost a cowriter of the game.” This is one of the reasons we love indie games so much. As creative gamers, we want to be rewarded for thinking creatively. Sure, it’s a blast to shoot zombies or aliens or Nazis over and over again, but the game experiences we value the most are the ones where we get to think on our own. Thank you, indie games, for letting us use our brains on our own terms, and for not making us feel like criminals for doing so. - Joshua Wirtanen

guides Preview

Stasis - www.stasisgame.com - PC Though point-and-click adventure games have recently had a revival, it sometimes feels like new entries to the genre don’t venture far from the usual themes: pirates, teenage detectives, and of course, sad clowns. Okay, so I’m kidding, but it’s not often that a genuinely intriguing concept for an indie point-and-click adventure shows up on the radar. Fans looking for something new will be intrigued by Stasis (http:// www.stasisgame.com/), Chris Bischoff’s upcoming sci-fi horror adventure that takes more of its cues from 2001:A Space Odyssey, Event Horizon, and Danny Boyle’s Sunshine than from Guybrush Threepwood. In Stasis, the player will control Captain Maracheck, a solitary salvager of deep-space detritus, abandoned satellites, and mining craft. On his ship, the Hawking, he scans unused frequencies for anything of interest until he stumbles onto something big. Maracheck’s colossal find looms like a behemoth in the darkness of space, reminiscent of the discovery of the huge craft in Ridley Scott’s Alien.

Small touches, such as a chess table, a tiny greenhouse, and a basketball court provide a very human aspect to Maracheck and his lonely state of existence. Scenes from the enormous ghost ship - which is actually a former research station for scientists with little regard for conventional ethics - hint at the layers of horror beneath the protagonist’s isolation. Streaks of blood line a large entrance hallway, framed by flickering signs with slogans like “research and development ... for the children” and “always remember ... science saves lives!” The billboards, filled with creepy optimism, contrast with the obvious fact that something has gone horribly wrong here. Asked about where exactly Stasis lands between adventure, horror, and science fiction, Bischoff says “it’s quite difficult to nail down...Does survival-sci-fi-drama count as a genre?” In any event, Stasis promises to make fans of both Dead Space and Sanitarium salivate. Bischoff

admits to being a fan of classic titles like The Dig and the Fallout series, and says that Stasis has explorationdriven adventure at its heart. It will also feature puzzles, and Bischoff says he’s done his best to avoid the kind of pixel hunting that makes most adventure gamers want to tear their hair out. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Bischoff has developed Stasis entirely on his own using Visionaire Studio. Despite the fact that Visionaire Studio does not support 3D environments, he has managed to create CG scenes that are animated, dynamic, and masterfully lit. Bischoff plans to release a free playable chapter of Stasis before publishing a commercial version. I, for one, can’t wait to play it (with the lights off, of course). - David Bruggink

For an indie title, Stasis’ visuals are breathtaking. The player views Maracheck’s surroundings from an isometric perspective, which is perfectly suited to show the epic machinery of the futuristic spacecraft as well as the enveloping blackness of space itself. Designer Chris Bischoff works mainly as a professional CG artist, and his talents for modeling jaw-dropping space technology as well as finer details are clearly on display. Maracheck’s living quarters on the Hawking have the look of a worn bachelor pad of a guy who’s been on his own in space for a little too long (his sole companion is the ship’s emotionless computer). 5

+ Interview

Tyler Carbone of SRRN Games talks to us about Ash Indie Game Magazine was lucky enough this issue to have a chat with Tyler Carbone, cofounder of SRRN Games, about their recent iOS RPG, Ash. We discuss the origins of their company, the development of Ash and their hopes for their future in the gaming industry.

Indie Game Magazine: First off we just want to thank you for speaking with us. Just to get the ball rolling could we ask you to tell us how SRRN games initially formed? Tyler Carbone: Absolutely. I started the company with my business partner Aujang Abadi. We met at the Dartmouth School of Business at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2008. I wanted to start a tech company and he wanted to get into the video game industry. He was talking to some people about a paper he had written on the video game industry. I read it and really liked it and what he was interested in doing, which was essentially making games as art. It’s our motto and what we really are hoping to do is build games like Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, or Bioshock. Games that ask interesting questions and really make creative use of interactive media do things that other forms of entertainment can’t So we kind of hit it off in the vision area and in the spring of 2009 we decided to build Ash. It took some time. We went through a couple of fits and starts with various groups of developers as we figured all of that out, but the company basically started with the intention of “Alright, let’s build a game and see how it goes.” That game was Ash, and we’re 6

moving forward from there. IGM: Looking at Ash, would you say it’s fitting with that original vision you had of creating games as works of art? Is it a step toward that? How do you feel overall about how it turned out? TC: It is a step in that direction. As a start up we weren’t able to hire a team of a hundred to build a game for the PlayStation 3 or anything like that. We needed to start on a platform where, given the resources we had, we could make a difference. As such, what we did with Ash was focus very strongly on the narrative of the game; on creating a game with a consistent experience where the story really drove the game. To a large extent people have been really happy with that. We’ve gotten some great feedback and reviews and have been very pleased. There are some things we could have done better. There was some feedback about the control scheme being too complicated and about the difficulty of the game, we’ve since released several updates to try and improve on that. But the core thing we focused on when designing the game was the storyline and we’re pretty proud of that. We have a long way to go; one day we’d like to build games for more serious consoles,

but as a stepping stone we’re very pleased with it. IGM: When you say “more serious consoles,” do you look at iOS and see it as a less serious platform? TC: One of the things we really had in mind when building Ash is how different it is to build for a mobile platform. You have to build a game that’s playable in bite-size chunks. You have to work with a smaller screen. All of this is really important to making a good experience on a mobile device but it also means you are somewhat restricted in what you can do and keep it fun. It’s also just a platform that, as you say, is less mainstream and is more oriented toward casual games. That said, some people have done amazing things with non-casual games on the iPhone, and I do think it’s becoming something to be taken seriously as a gaming platform. But currently I think in a lot of ways it’s still marketed toward building mini-games. What we would like to do is be building games with a lot more depth to the gameplay itself. At least at the moment, the mobile market isn’t looking for that.

Interview

IGM: You mentioned that coming out of Ash there were things you felt you could have done better. Is there anything in particular that comes to mind when you consider the things you wish had worked a bit more smoothly? TC: People were very divided on the control scheme. We initially started with a purely touch based control scheme; some people loved it and some said “The game’s awful; you need a D-pad.” So we fixed that. We also received some comments that the game should have had a world map. But I think the biggest thing and the one we’ll have to fix in Ash 2 are the visuals. We feel the art was perfect for the 16-bit style we were going for. That said, the artistic depth available on the iPhone has changed a lot in the last few years and I think when we release Ash 2, the visuals getting a makeover is going to be a big focus. Because even if we’re happy with the overall experience, if the game isn’t packaged right all of that get’s lost because it doesn’t match up to the other applications out there. IGM: You said you aiming for a 16-bit kind of style. Were there any games from that era that had a particular influence on you? TC: I think there are a lot of games overall. I personally really liked Secret of Mana and Earthbound. In terms of style those were big inspirations. One of the things we really pulled from Earthbound was this idea of wacky

humor that often breaks the fourth wall. We tried to keep Ash lighthearted even though it’s telling a pretty serious story. Aujang who wrote the script was really inspired by all the Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior games which were really at the core of the 16-bit era of RPGS. IGM: We would have to agree with a lot of the reviews that the thing we loved the most was definitely the narrative. We’re curious as to how you approached writing the story of Ash? TC: What really pushed us toward building a classic style RPG was that Aujang had already written the outlines for Ash around twelve years ago. This is something he had been playing with before he even had an idea that he’d be working in the gaming industry. We just kind of got together and said, “Here are the elements that really work in an RPG, here the ones that wouldn’t play well.” I actually have to give all the credit for the writing to Aujang who was able to convert that outline into a script. The process was basically: Aujang had an idea, we hashed out the plot based on that, and he turned it into a script. IGM: The soundtrack was also very well done. Would you have any comments on the process of writing the game’s music?

games of the 16-bit era. And so we got in touch our composer Nathan Winder. He produced around the middle of 2009 that was very traditional. As we wrote the rest of the script and were seeing how it fit with the game, we felt the story might be better fitted with a more complicated soundtrack. One of the things about the old RPGs was that they needed to be told in the context of the 16-bit art and music that those consoles could produce. We’ve tried to maintain that spirit while also keeping it up to date. So in the summer of 2010 we went back to Nathan and asked him to tweak the tracks a bit and that’s how we wound up with the much more stylized piano tracks we have today. All the credit goes to Nathan who really did an incredible job. We’re looking forward to working with him on Ash 2. IGM: When can we expect Ash 2? TC: We’ve started development. We’re working on it as we speak and we’re looking at May 2011 as a reasonable goal. IGM: We want to thank you again for taking the time to speak with us. TC: Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed the game and it’s been a pleasure. - Interviewed by Stew Shearer

TC: The soundtrack went through two distinct phases. We initially intended it to stay very much in the style of the

+ Feature

Game of the Year 2010

2010 has been a fantastic year for Indie Games, in fact the line between indie and mainstream games has blurred substantially. Indie Games are growing in budget, scope and production. Indie Games are leaking into the mainstream and have had some great commercial success (the Humble Indie Bundle and Minecraft to name a few). This year, IGM polled over 750 readers to decide which indie games were the best of 2010.

Best PSN Game - Shank

With 17% of the Vote, Shank just edged out PixelJunk Shooter (16%) for PSN game of the year. PSN was one of the closest matches this year, but Shankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over-the-top action, excellent art, and violent story won over gamers.

Editors Pick - Limbo

Sometimes, less is more. There is certainly beauty in Limbo's simplicity. The visual style adds to the dramatic atmosphere. Clarity is key when everything around could kill. This is realised in Limbo: you can see the dangers... and they are terrifying despite details being left partially to the imagination. - Mark Obeirne

Trial Game of the YearOn 2010

Plants Vs. Zombies fans beat out Minecraft by securing 39% of the vote. Don’t let the colorful graphics fool you. Popcap has stated that PvZ is their most popular game ever and contribute the success to the game appealing to the hardcore gamer.

Editors Pick - Minecraft Minecraft has been a huge indie success story this year and IGM would be remiss if it didn’t honor its imagination and creativity. With 29% of the vote, best computer game and best music/sound of the year, Minecraft is truly an indie gem. Did we mention it isn’t even finished yet? - Mike Gnade

+ Feature "If you thought that the XBox Live Indie Games service was just filled with massage apps, clones, and garbage, think again! We are fighting back against mediocrity and lameness in the best way we know how â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by releasing amazing games! Mark your calendars, because December is going to be the best month of gaming the service has ever seen." Welcome to the Uprising! In December, a group of indie developers worked together to bring attention to the quality of games that the Xbox's Indie Game channel offers. IGM takes an indepth look and reviews the high quality indie games in the Uprising.

www.indiegames-uprising.com

Chu's Dynasty - www.chusdynasty.com - Xbox Live

Chu's Dynasty is an indie game through and through. From the curiosity and friendship that built it to the creative stylistic decisions present in the final product. Each character is based on a member or co-creator Camille Chu's family and painstakingly well rounded as not only a representation of that person, but also a player in the game. Unlike many indie games, a lot of work was put into making sure this was more than a game. Chu's Dynasty features character story modes (one for each of the four players), multiplayer for up to four players in a free-for-all, multiplayer for 14 traditional one-on-one versus,

and training. Training, unfortunately, isn't very interactive and I couldn't get as invested as I wanted to with the characters. The creators describe the gameplay as a combination of Street Fighter and Super Smash Brothers, and they're mostly right. There are individualized combos and moves that each character can use along with multi-level fight areas and weapons to pick up or drop throughout the match. The change from games with a single perspective and games where each character is just like the next but in a different costume is one of Chu's strongest points. The game is beautiful but there is so much going on its hard to follow where

you are, what you're doing, and how you do it again. The disconnect is exacerbated by the perspective of the game. All of the levels the characters are able to move up and down on in each stage diversifies the field of play but also forces perspective to be pushed further back to fit the whole stage on screen. You're left with tiny angry things hopping around beautifully painted scenery. On the bright and indie side, though, TribeToy encourages feedback for ways they can improve this game through updates. So, while it may not be all the shiny packaging and hopeful idealism sold it to be, it still might be later. - Tavia Lewis

Reviews

Aphelion Ep 2 - lunatic-studios.com - Xbox Live With the first episode of Aphelion, developer Lunatic Studios wowed gamers with its rich sci-fi RPG story and production values previously unseen from an Xbox indie game. Aphelion Episode 2 had a lot to live up to. And for the most part, it succeeds spectacularly.

confusing as to where exactly players need to go and what they should do there. A character early on gave me a quest, and when I met them again later I was told they were still offering a reward. But without any quest submenu, I had forgotten what was originally asked of me.

Picking up immediately where the first game left off, Aphelion Episode 2 throws players right into the action. Players who passed on the first game will get a brief overview of major plot points, but will likely find themselves lost amid the myriad of characters and factions in Aphelion’s detailed world. And it is a much larger world this time around. Players will find themselves in more diverse locations, ranging from a swamp to a metropolis and a frozen military base. Side quests are also more abundant in Aphelion 2, rewarding players who venture off to explore all that the game has to offer. In fact, there is so much that it can sometimes get

Not much has changed in the battle system for Aphelion Episode 2, which was a fairly traditional turn-based system to begin with. In addition to options like attack, special attack, and using items, there is a meter that builds through combat allowing devastating attacks when full. This meter carries from battle to battle, so players must strategize when to use it or they may find some battles particularly challenging. Unfortunately, playing Aphelion Episode 2 isn’t a perfect experience. The first game was polished to the point of gleaming, but this sequel comes with

a number of bugs and glitches. These range from exploits causing characters to continue fighting after dying in battle, to one rare glitch that removed the HUD from the battle screen and forced me to reset my Xbox 360. The developers have stated that they are working on fixes to these bugs, and by the time this review is printed that update may even be in effect, but as of the writing of this review glitches are a serious problem for Aphelion Episode 2. Aside from these glitches and an odd difficulty spike from a late game side quest, Aphelion Episode 2 is still a great RPG. Gamers who played the first Aphelion will more than get their money’s worth with the sequel’s 6-10 hours of gameplay. With an engaging story and a well developed sci-fi world to explore, Aphelion Episode 2 is sure to please RPG fans. - Scott Nichols

Asteroids Do Concern Me - evilrobotlogic.com - Xbox Live Asteroids Do Concern Me is an updated take on the classic flash “helicopter” game. Players guide their space ship through an asteroid field using a single button. Pressing A causes the ship to ascend, with the ship falling downward upon releasing the button. And while the control scheme might be simple enough to learn, mastering the ship’s momentum is anything but. In addition to dodging asteroids, there is the secondary goal of collecting glowing spheres that float by. These spheres increase the ship’s speed,

making it more difficult to dodge asteroids while also helping the score count up faster, adding a nice element of risk and reward. Up to four players can also play together in a local hot seat mode, challenging each other to see who can fly the furthest without crashing. The presentation is quite nice in Asteroids Do Concern Me, with four different graphical styles to play in, with each accompanied by its own soundtrack. In addition to the standard asteroid dodging there is Retro mode, using a color palette of varying shades of green,

Double Rainbow mode, offering bright colors for a children’s coloring book effect, and Notebook mode, turning the ship and asteroids into pencil sketches. Of course, the visual changes do not effect how that game actually plays, but dodging a Pegasus in Double Rainbow mode at least gives the game some more personality. Asteroids Do Concern Me is simple and addictive. It is also a clone of a free browser game. For those who are in the habit of paying for what is usually free, Asteroids Do Concern Me should satisfy a quick gaming itch. Otherwise, just type “helicopter game” into Google. - Scott Nichols 15

+ Reviews

Epic Dungeon- www.eyehook.com - Xbox Live This real-time dungeon ascender is simple on its surface, but deceptively addicting. An adventurer of your choosing wakes up with a pounding hangover, crappy gear and a useful ability. Epic Dungeon wears its influences on its sleeve. The mechanics are all Diablo; you're either killing, looting or selling. Endless slaughter, though, can easily get boring -- especially if there's

no risk. The game adds risk by making death permanent, an idea that comes from the Rougelike of your choosing. As you explore the 50 floors between you and the exit, you pick up experience and better equipment. But no matter how powerful you become, you never feel safe. The dungeon's denizens aren't much of a threat individually, but they come at you in packs.

When you're surrounded on all sides, it's easy to panic, but I only ever died because I stopped paying attention. If you keep potions on hand, use ice to get some breathing room and fell some foes with poison or frenzy, you'll be ok. And if you're not, the next adventurer might come across your grave and put that nice sword of yours to work. - Peter Rambo

Ubergridder - www.badgerpunch.com - Xbox Live Ubergridder follows the Pac Man formula, putting players in control of Robert the robot as he attempts to repair his damaged space ship. Instead of chomping on dots, the Wall-E looka-like must travel along grids that make up the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure. Once Robert has rolled along all sides of a grid square, that square is activated, with the overall goal of completing all squares in the grid to clear each level. And just as Pac Man has his ghosts 16

to avoid, Robert must dodge aliens patrolling the grid. Each of the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ten levels presents a different grid layout, adding some much needed variety to the game. Robert also has the ability to drop cans of monster food to temporarily stun the alien invaders. But in the end, the core mechanic of outlining grid squares wears thin rather quickly. I commend developer Badgerpunch for attempting

to experiment with a classic game formula. And with excellent production values in graphics and music, I look forward to seeing future releases from the indie studio. However, Ubergridder does not quite capture the addictive quality of its inspiration, already collecting digital dust on my hard drive a month after release. - Scott Nichols

Reviews

ZP2KX: Zombies and Pterodactyls - www.ska-studios.com - Xbox Live ZP2KX: Zombies and Pterodactyls comes from the mind of James Silva, creator of The Dishwasher on Xbox Live Arcade and the ever popular I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1. ZP2KX is actually the sequel to one of the first Xbox indie games to hit the marketplace, ZP2K9, and manages to build on its predecessor in every possible way. The gameplay takes the best elements of competitive multiplayer shooters and puts it on a 2D plane. Up to 10 players can fight it out online in deathmatch, team deathmatch, king of the hill, capture the flag, and a unique mode called zombie hunt. From those standard modes there ten maps to play on and over a dozen mutators that change the map’s weapon loadout. The mutators especially add a lot of gameplay variety with options like

firestorm, which equips players with flamethrowers and other fiery weaponry, or science, giving players more unique weaponry like shrink rays. There’s even a weapon known as the “AK-47 That Fires Cats” unleashing a torrent of fluffy felines at opponents. Add in the fact that every player has a jet pack as well as the ability to run straight up walls, making for some unique vertical battle tactics, and you might start thinking that calling ZP2KX over-the-top is an understatement. In addition to the intense multiplayer action, there’s also a healthy dose of character customization. As you play, your character will gain levels and unlock new clothing and skills to equip. Skills can give players boosts like extra jet pack fuel, radar invisibility, spawning each match with a katana, or any number of gameplay tweaks. And

though some skills may at first seem more useful than others, I have been constantly and pleasantly surprised to see players using skills online in unexpected ways that keeps the game fairly balanced. If there is a flaw in ZP2KX, it’s the game’s reliance on online multiplayer. Solo players can fight bots offline, but they mostly act as fodder rather than a real challenge. Bots also show up in online play to fill out a map when there are less than ten players, though thanks to an active online community bots aren’t as noticeable here. ZP2KX is an exceptionally well polished and intensely fun, making for a multiplayer experience on the 360 that shouldn’t be missed. - Scott Nichols

Soul Caster 2 - www.soulcastergame.com - Xbox Live The first Soulcaster took tower defense on the road. You were a mostly defenseless wizard given control of three souls, an archer, a knight and a bomber, which you could place and recall at will. You were forced to think on your feet, shuffling the souls around the map in an effort to survive each level. The game demanded patience and though, but was very rewarding.

recognizable monsters and equip your allies with the weapons the lost in the interim. The story, which was skeletal in the first game, seems to be building to something epic, but it flounders into a cliffhanger. Or, at least I think it is a cliffhanger; it ends so abruptly that I didn't realize I was supposed to be paying attention. I just wanted to buy the final upgrade for my archer.

If you played the first, you can expect a similar experience in the second. You meet the same souls in much the same manner, go through familiar levels, fight

But, with a good game, more of the same isn't always bad. And there are a few new things to experience. A new monster mimics your actions, limiting

your movement in a way terrain and other monsters can't. A few of the levels feel like honest-to-god puzzles, and there secret weapons to unlock by spending lots of money in the shops. There just aren't enough shiny new things in Soulcaster 2 for me to fall in love over. I really like the concept, and the art and music continue to pull many of my nostalgic heartstrings, but I can't help feeling like I've already done this. - Peter Rambo 17

+ Reviews

Comic Jumper - www.twistedpixelgames.com - Xbox Live Comic Jumper is Twisted Pixel’s 3rd Game and follows the exploits of Captain Smiley as he tries to earn cash in other comics to re-launch his cancelled book. The comic jumping premise allows the game to portray several different art-styles. Captain Smiley and his sidekick Star - the talking star on his chest - transform as they jump into comics that range from 60s throwbacks to Manga. The post-modern, self-aware story may not be for everyone. Twisted Pixel not only made the game, but they also star in it. Captain Smiley and Star are acutely aware that they are in a comic book inside a video game made by the guys at Twisted Pixel. Personally, I found the story to be a little too over the top for my tastes, but there’s no denying that the script is witty, funny, and excellently voice acted.

Smiley and Star’s constant bickering is hilarious and there’s a great cast of supporting characters and villains. Favorites include the ego maniac juicehead Brad and evil mini-golf fanatic, the Puttmaster. What makes all of these characters even more enjoyable is the excellent voice acting that goes along with them all. From the Conan-inspired character’s Arnold impersonation to the gruff sarcasm of Star, Comic Jumper has top-notch voice talent which helps deliver the clever script’s punch lines. The great sound and music doesn’t end with the voice acting either. Sound Effects vary depending on the comic and help depict the era and theme of the book. The game also features some memorable original songs and has a great soundtrack. Audiophiles aren’t the only ones who will enjoy Comic Jumper. The character design and animation is excellent. What makes this downloadable title

even more impressive is the variety of enemies, costumes, locales and art styles. Discovering new comics, different art styles and Captain Smiley costumes is definitely rewarding. Unfortunately, Comic Jumper’s high production values and clever dialogue can’t save it from its tedious gameplay. Comic Jumper is primarily a shooter but features a mish-mash of gameplay. The bulk of the gameplay is a 2D shooter where you control Captain Smiley with the left stick and aim with the right stick. This core gameplay is very challenging and punishing. There’s absolutely no health pickups in Comic Jumper so be prepared to die a lot. The requirement to play sections of levels over and over again, only to die and realize that you didn’t reach a checkpoint can be very frustrating. This frustration and repetition eliminates a lot of the fun from the 2D shooter sections of the game.

Reviews

Twisted Pixel attempts to mix in some other game types to keep things fresh with mixed results. The 2D shooter sections that make up the bulk of the game are broken up with 2D beatemup, 3D shooting, and Quick Time Event sequences. The 2D Beatemup is just filler. There’s no depth to it at all since you only have two moves: attack and shove. Despite the crappy fighting sections, I found the Quick Time Event and 3D On-Rails shooting to be highlights. Tons of great games have QTE elements and Comic Jumper uses them well to break up the action and show off some great sequences. I actually wish there were more QTE sequences since they are few and far between. The 3D Shooting sequences are the most fun; they are reminiscent of Space Harrier and Panzer Dragoon. The 3D shooting gameplay features a great variety of scenarios with Smiley running and gunning, flying in space and driving a golf cart through a huge mini-golf course.

It’s not often that the gameplay interferes with the enjoyment of a game, but that’s the case with Comic Jumper. Players will find themselves suffering through frustrating and repetitive shooter mechanics to progress the story, unlock the next comic, and hear more humorous dialogue. The gameplay isn’t all bad and Twisted Pixel does its best to offer variety and breaks in the action. It is a shame that the gameplay itself is a low point. Even with the tedious gameplay, players will find themselves sticking with Comic Jumper. There’s no denying that there’s some fun to be had with this game; it just won’t be the gameplay that you’re smiling at. Comic Jumper is not for everyone. Its story and humor are an acquired taste – that sometimes can be obnoxious and offensive. If you’re looking for great gameplay though, try Twisted Pixel’s Splosion Man or the Maw. - Mike Gnade

REVIEW Gameplay: Graphics: Sound/Music: Lasting Appeal:

5 8 9 6

Score: 70%

Grade

C-

+ Interview

Dream Machine Interview with Cockroach Inc.

The Dream Machine is a very ambitious project by Cockroach Inc. It’s a unique approach to making a point-and-click game, since instead of computer graphics or hand drawn art, the team has been building physical settings and characters out of materials like cardboard and clay. It’s a stop-motion video game, and it looks incredible. As they were preparing Chapter 2 for release, the guys at Cockroach Inc. graciously took some time out of their insanely busy day to answer some questions for IGM. Erik Zaring is the Producer of the Dream Machine, and Anders Gustafsson is the Game Designer. IGM: What was your favorite video game as a child? Erik: I was introduced to the NES 8-bit back in 1987. I really enjoyed Legend of Zelda and have been a fan of those games ever since. Other great moments from my childhood include Amiga classics such as Speedball II and Silkworm. Anders: Growing up I had a Commodore 64 and later an Amiga 500. I was very fond of Law of the West, Loom, the Space Questseries, Monkey Island, Henry’s House, Impossible Mission, Summer/Winter Games, Another World, Syndicate, Lemmings, Pinball Dreams and Shadow of the Beast. IGM: Which indie game is currently your favorite? Erik: "The Journey Down", a very nice point and click adventure made by Theodore Waern. And the utterly gorgeous Kosmo Spin on my iPhone. Anders: I’m replaying older games right now, like Tron 2.0 and Gothic 2. It’s been a while since I got excited about a new release. I just bought Amnesia and Super Meat Boy though, but I haven’t had the chance to try them out much yet. They look great! IGM: What are some of the influences behind The Dream Machine?

Erik: The creative spark for me was when I first saw Samorost by Amanita Design. A year later or so I played the advergame Get the Glass and that kind of opened my eyes when it comes to creating a game with graphics made out of physical materials. My esteemed colleague had previously made the Gateway games and I kind of liked those as well. I also enjoy the works of classical painters/sculptors like Otto Dix, Egon Schiele, Milles and Rodin. That sums it up pretty much. Anders: As for story and mood, I think the Apartment-trilogy by Roman Polansky was very influential, particularly The Tennant. There are also a lot of eastern European influences, like Jan Svankmajer and Yuriy Norshteyn. We also own a debt of gratitude to the precursors in the small, exclusive sub-genre of hand-built adventure games. Off the top of my head I can only recall The Neverhood, Blackout and The Dark Eye, but there’s probably other ones. IGM: Everything you see in The Dream Machine is actually physically made by hand. What made you decide to go with such an unusual approach to making a game? Erik: My background in stop-motion animation didn’t leave me with much of a choice really. I can’t make cool computer stuff like Anders can. Back in 2008 I wanted

to make a game together with Anders. I started harassing him, trying to convince him that it was a really good idea to make a stop-mo looking point-and-click. He was reluctant at first, but I won him over by showing him some tests I whipped up at home at my kitchen table. On the strength of those early tests and a synopsis we got some grant money and could start building the game. Anders: As a visual expression, it’s very pleasing to see. It has all these little quirky imperfections that you get when you do stuff by hand. We consciously leave fingerprints in the wet paint because we don’t want to hide the fact that the game is built by hand. If they look closely, the players can probably tell that the floorboards are made of old ice cream sticks, but that ‘s ok. It doesn’t cheapen the experience. The main reason behind the decision is that we’re both huge stop-motion fans. But we also strongly felt we had to differentiate our game from the computer game standard fare. When I see screen shots of Call of Halo or Medal of Duty, I can’t tell which game is which. They’re getting more and more faceless and interchangeable. We wanted to go in the opposite direction. IGM: This project must be incredibly timeconsuming. Do you ever feel like giving up? What sorts of things keep you motivated to keep it going?

Interview Erik: We’ve had our ups and downs, but we always get back on track somehow. We’re like Siamese twins. If one half is having a bad day, you can rely on the other half to perform some basic development that day... Anders: It’s a labor of love for both Erik and me, and those projects have a tendency to take over your life, if you let them. I’ve never felt this challenged or personally invested in a project before. I’ve had two years to immerse myself completely in this skewed, perverted universe, and I know I’ll miss it once the game is done. Maybe I’m procrastinating, I don’t know. The game also gives a lot back. Players who’ve played the first chapter really seem to enjoy it and are very vocal about egging us on, which we really appreciate. IGM: Chapter 1 was in beta testing for quite some time. What sort of feedback has that given you, and how much has this feedback improved the game? Anders: The testing is one aspect of production that started out pretty simply and then grew into something else entirely. When we invited people to try the beta, we simply wanted to know if the game held up technically. Was it playable on a multitude of computers? Would the server cope with the loading pressure? But on a whim I added statistical callbacks, so I could see how many players completed any given puzzle, and then I added callbacks to see how many players tried to combine objects in a way I hadn’t considered. Watching that data changed my game design philosophy quite a bit, because it was pretty clear that people where doing a shit load of things I hadn’t thought of. So I started adding all these random interaction conditions. And as I tested the game out, I noticed that the players responded really strongly if these nonsensical interactions (“use phone with refrigerator”, for example) actually prompted a proper, relevant response from the game. Adventure games have always been bad at giving negative feedback to the player. An interaction can either succeed and progress the game, or it fails and prompts some boring stock dialogue: “That doesn’t seem to work.”

But the player is left none the wiser. He just failed and doesn’t know why, which is sloppy game design. Before realizing this, I regarded game design as a one-way monologue from me to the player. Nowadays I regard the process as more organic and dialogue-driven, where I view the player as a collaborator – almost a co-writer – of the game. IGM: The Dream Machine has a very interesting cast of characters with fairly rich personalities. Are any of these characters based on people you know in real life? Erik: When I first read the story line I immediately thought that Anders had based the main characters Victor and Alicia on me and my – at the time – pregnant girlfriend. But that was a just coincidence Anders later told me. Anders: I wouldn’t say coincidence necessarily; I’ve always thought Erik and Victor shared similarities. But I think we mainly wanted to create a story that we could actually relate to, and since we’re both 30+ a story about establishing a family felt like nice place to begin. Stories in games are often just a flimsy pretext to string a slew of levels together. You know the type: “The Orcs have invaded Tiara, and as a genetically enhanced space marine, it’s up to you to stop them!” The second I hear narration like that, I just tune out and wish for a better world. IGM: Without giving away any spoilers, what can players expect from future chapters? Erik: A journey into yet unexplored territories of the human psyche. Anders: I guess it isn’t too much of a spoiler to say that the game has a lot to do with dreams (hence the name). IGM: Do you have any words of advice for aspiring indie game makers? Erik: Find your inspiration in various media (i.e. not only in games), be honest to yourself and keep your integrity.

Anders: If it’s your first game, start very small.

IGM: Last question. Your company, Cockroach Inc., was also behind the games Gateway and Gateway II. I’m sure you are probably tired of answering this by now, but I have to ask: do you have any plans to make Gateway III? Erik: That’s Anders’ baby. I’m up for it. How about you, Anders? Actually, The Dream Machine started off as a prototype for Gateway III. But as we made progress we realized that The Dream Machine was a stand alone adventure with less and less in common with the Gateway universe. If we make Gateway III I’ll probably have to learn how to handle vector graphics and some simple 3D in order to be of any use. Anders: The Dream Machine did start out as Gateway III, but the more I worked on it the more I realized that it wasn’t Gateway at all. I was really struggling to cram The Dream Machine’s story into the Gateway universe and it clearly wasn’t a happy marriage at all. The story required much more realized environments, with proper characters. The vague, minimalist style of the Gateway games simply didn’t work. Once I realized that it was its own game, I felt enormously liberated and the ideas started to coalesce into a whole much more effortlessly. Gateway III will happen one day, I’m sure. It crops up in the back of my head every once in a while and whispers secrets to me. Well, I am very excited to play Gateway III someday, but after playing through the first chapter of the Dream Machine, I can see why this game would take precedence. It’s a beautiful piece of art that should be enjoyed by everyone who loves indie games, and I look forward to future chapters. Thank you for your time, guys, and I wish you the best on this ambitious project. The Dream Machine can be experienced at www.thedreammachine.se. Chapter 1 is free, but subsequent chapters must be purchased. If you pre-order the whole series, you get access to Chapter 2, and further chapters will be available as soon as they are released. - Joshua Wirtanen

Interview + Reviews

Super Meat Boy - www.supermeatboy.com - Xbox Live - PC Super Meat Boy it a tribute to the games of the 80s and 90s. For those that don’t know, Super Meat Boy is a platforming game where you control a cube of meat while he attempts to save his girlfriend from the evil Dr. Fetus. The game gave me a smile before I even played the first level when the opening cinematic perfectly emulated the opening to the original Street Fighter II arcade machine. It is no coincidence that Super Meat Boy shares the same initials as Super Mario Bros. – Super Meat Boy is a challenging platformer that celebrates all the classic retro gaming of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. Let’s get the few criticisms of SMB out of the way. Super Meat Boy is not for everyone. It’s difficulty will scare away a lot of casual and less skilled players…but screw those no0bs! While the difficulty can be frustrating, the game’s short levels and tight controls mean that death is always your fault and that success is only minutes away. It helps that the game records all of 22

your attempts and replays them all as a reward when you finally complete the level….love that. Some of the boss levels can be particularly frustrating. So what else is there to complain about? The crude cinematics make you aware that the game was made by only 2 people and the humor and characters aren’t for everyone (Dr. Fetus can’t sit well with the Right Wing). Some of the story sequences simplistic art style and lack of polish detract from the overall package. Despite these few complaints, the gameplay is spot-on and incredibly fun. In fact the only complaint anyone can really make about the gameplay is that it is challenging. The slightest mistake results in Meat Boy’s bloody death and restarting the level. Super Meat Boy is outright hard, but it always stays fair. Meat Boy’s controls are exceptional and simplistic. The game could be played with an old Nintendo Gamepad. Players move Meat Boy with the D-pad or Left Joystick, hold a button for run,

and press a button to jump; that’s all there is to it. The tight controls keep the fault with the player and reduce frustrations. SMB’s platforming gameplay is the deepest around. The game sports over 300 levels, free DLC chapters are on the way, and there’s a ton of unlockable indie characters with their own unique abilities and nuances. On your first playthrough you’ll be focused on just beating the level, but beating the level quickly unlocks the “dark world” version of that level. The Dark World is basically a much more difficult version of all the main levels in the game. There are also warp zones to find and bandages to acquire along with boss stages that serve as finales of each world. These additional challenges, unlockable content, and secrets mean that you’ll be playing Super Meat Boy months from now. The content in this game is immense and far exceeds the XBLA standard.

Reviews

Super Meat Boy is a challenging platformer that emulates and pays homage to the challenging games of yesteryear while maintaining the “indie spirit” The graphics in Super Meat Boy are not the most technically impressive around, but they are a substantial upgrade from the game’s humble beginnings in Flash. More importantly, the pixel-art graphics fit the game well and reference the retro games that inspired SMB in the first place. I especially appreciated the warp zones where the graphics change to emulate the green hues of the original Gameboy or become pixelated to remind us of the old 8-bit generation. The pixel art is great and there’s a lot of attention to detail to admire. As Meat Boy runs around a level, he leaves a splash of blood on any level tiles he touches and if he meets his demise to a spinning saw blade, the blade will stay bloodied for the remainder of the level. The only real complaint about the graphics are the cutscenes mentioned earlier.

local) multiplayer, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun passing around the controller with your friends – old school style. The game is tough and unforgiving, but it’s also fun and rewarding. The old NES classics of the 80s and 90s were a lot more challenging and simpler than games like Gears of War. Super Meat Boy pays homage to their legacy while still carving out its own place among them. Super Meat Boy is an indie masterpiece. - Mike Gnade

REVIEW The sound and music of SMB continue to take players down memory lane. Chip tunes accompany Meat Boy on his retro adventure. The sound effects (unless you’re in a warp zone) are more modern. I particularly love the patter of Meat Boy’s feet running along a bloody tile. The roar of “Suuuper Meat Boy” and the accompanying title screen theme is memorable. The game does an excellent job mimicking and approximating tunes from Zelda, Street Fighter, Mega Man and other classics while still introducing its own memorable tunes. Super Meat Boy is the best indie platformer and one of the best values on Xbox Live. The game may lack online (and

Gameplay: Graphics: Sound/Music: Lasting Appeal:

10 9 9 10

Score: 94%

Grade

A 23

Indie Game Magazine www.indiegamemag.com 24