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September 13, 2010
 Castle Ninja was an interesting game. It’s a simple enough concept that’s challenging as well as fun and entertaining, and we all know how much I value such a potent mixture.
The entire point of this nifty little game is to gather jewels. You do so by pushing little blocks around the map in order to block the attacks of stationary cannons.
You basically move these blocks into their line of fire, thus enabling you to safely gather up the shinnies we all covet so completely. The catch for this game is that the blocks can’t be pulled. This means that if you get your block stuck in a useless position, (say, up against a wall, in a corner, or on the side of the cannon instead of in front of it) you won’t be able to get the jewel in front of one of your cannons. So, in a sense, this is more a puzzle game than anything else. You can oftentimes only successfully complete the puzzle one way and if you fail you have to use one of your precious lives in order to start -and try- again.
 A couple of other things that work against you in this game are the speed in which you move, as well as bodies of water. The water works just as you might expect. You can’t push your blocks over them. In addition, you are unable to swim in this game. The speed you move with can also be considered a bit of a nuisance.
At times you can move so quickly that you may accidentally push your block too far. This can cost you lives as well as time. I ended up abandoning my joystick altogether for this game and playing with the directional pad instead.
Overall, I liked Ninja Castle. It was easy, fun, and with simple design accented with great sound effects it proved to be a good bang for my buck.
Game: Castle Ninja | Developer: Hobbit125
September 12, 2010
Mastermind: WC
 YOUR EVIL CONTROL PANEL MHAHAHAHAHAHA I’m going to guess, if you are reading this blog, that you, as a child/adolescent/young adult, dreamt of taking over the world. This game will allow you to live that dream my friend. You get to play an Evil Genius (if you have played the PC game Evil Genius, btw, then this game will seem eerily familiar).
Gameplay
Gameplay is pretty complicated actually, but luckily there is a helpful, if sardonic, introduction. The lifeblood of your missions are minions. Minions are, well, guys that you hire who you can assign to do all sorts of different things. Their chief use is defending your base. Yeah, you’re going to make some enemies during your tenure, so be prepared.
Beyond that though, is where it gets interesting. You send them on different missions to steal science, money and wreak mayhem. This is how you slowly take over the world. However, each mission that you complete means that your notoriety increases. This means that more people are going to come knocking at your door aching for your demise.
Technical
 Okay behind that window is your base. It is EVIL. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. This is one of those games that feels bigger than the flash genre. It could be because it literally is about taking over the world. It could also be because the game is extraordinarily complex. Yes, it is based off of a pre-existing game. However, this game will take you a weekend to beat.
What really makes it marvellous is the irony between the global havoc that you create, and the local battles you must fight to stay alive. You have to be quick on your feet to defend your base.
The pacing is great as well. You aren’t 100% guaranteed any mission success. This means that you have to be on the top of your game from Day 1 to the day you pull the trigger/push the button and take over the world.
Final Verdict
Awesome game. Won’t so much tax your physical prowess, but you do have to keep track of timing. Also, fulfill your fantasies of taking over the world.
Game: Mastermind | Developer: TheSwain
September 11, 2010
 The King's Way Gate, in all its glory and splendor. Yesterday we explored the new free-to-play option that was recently added to The Lord of the Rings Online. There is an almost endless amount of stuff for new players to do, but what about long-time veterans? Well, the answer is Enedwaith, a brand new landmass chock full of content designed for players at or near level cap. The folks at Turbine boast that this landmass contains more quests than any other area in the game with the exception of Moria. And they’re probably right. There is a lot to do there.
 If spending weeks in the claustrophobic depths of Moria wasn't enough for you, there is even more dwarven architecture to explore. When you first enter Enedwaith, it will seem merely like a continuation of Eregion, the area that it borders. But once you wander a little deeper, there is a lot of new stuff to see. As you get beyond the edges of Eregion, you will start to notice the sheer color of the place. The greens and grays are very bright and vivid, something players will be grateful for after spending the past 15 levels between Moria and Mirkwood, two of the darkest regions in the game. However, once night falls, the ghouls come out. Enedwaith is home to some pretty scary stuff during the dark hours. There are the shadow-wolves, a much scarier version of the wolves you’ll see during the day; the Druggavar, or demonic goats; and the Cuthraul, Ancient Evil fell spirits.
 Did I mention the hobbits? While Enedwaith contains a great deal of human architecture (we are getting closer to Rohan, after all), all three of the other major races of Middle-Earth are represented to some extent. The area just outside Fordirith is riddled with elven ruins. Way up near the edges of the Misty Mountains you will find Zudrugund, a Dwarven library. And don’t forget the hobbits. The Gloomglens are home to some of the Stoors, the hobbits that didn’t end up in the Shire. (Before you object to this seemingly blatant disregard for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books, Read the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring. It actually mentions the Stoors, and tells us “many of them long dwelt between Tharbad and the borders of Dunland before they moved north again.” And where is this land, between Tharbad and Dunland? Enedwaith, of course. See, Turbine isn’t just making stuff up here.) For a hobbit enthusiast like myself, meeting the Stoors was quite an exciting experience. They had me picking marigolds and fetching boar-droppings for their gardens, as well as killing the majestic white stags that roam the Gloomglens and trying to make peace with a hostile neighboring tribe.
 I wonder what they're cooking... Probably either hobbit, dwarf, elf, or man. Now, before you go rushing head-first into the dangers of Enedwaith, I must offer this warning: this is end-game content. All of these quests are designed for players at or near level-cap. I wouldn’t recommend visiting this area until you are at least level 63. Yes, I know. That means in order to enjoy Enedwaith, you’ll have to purchase the Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood expansions. But it’s worth it. I can’t imagine stepping into Middle-Earth and not wanting to explore every little nook and cranny of it.
Final verdict: I really can’t think of anything bad to say about this new landmass besides the fact that we had to wait so darn long to get it. But Enedwaith was worth the wait. Now I’m off to go collect some more boar poo for my new friends the Stoors. See you in Middle-Earth!
 These bull-head idols are creeping me out a little bit. (A note on screenshots: I kept every screenshot at full resolution. To see a larger version, which I highly recommend, click on a picture then click on it again once it opens in its own page. Also, LotRO is a very social game and there are players all over the place. I chose to photograph mainly just landscape shots to show off the beauty of the game world of Middle-Earth. Expect to run across fellow players frequently on your own journey. To see Turbine’s official screenshots, click here.)
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Game: The Lord of the Rings Online | Developer: Turbine
September 10, 2010
 The Shire, once home to Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, has been a favorite area for many players. Now it can be experienced for free. Turbine has made a very controversial decision. They have taken one of their most beloved MMORPGs and have offered pieces of it to players for free. That’s right, The Lord of the Rings Online now has a free-to-play option.
What? Is it really free to play? Well, technically yes and no. While it is absolutely free to download, install, and begin playing the game, players who don’t pay a subscription will find themselves seriously limited. Free players are only able to create one character per account, have a gold cap of 2 Gold, and are only able to do the quests in the Shire, Bree-Land, and Ered Luin (that place where the dwarves in The Hobbit started their adventure.) These limits can be removed by paying real money for Turbine Points, and spending these points on things in the game. Once players make their first purchase, their account status will be permanently upgraded to “Premium,” causing the gold limit to increase to 5 and the maximum character slots to increase to 3. Both Free players and Premium members have limits on mail and chat (an effort to stave off spamming), and paid subscribers have priority login.
(Note: all players, whether paid or free, have a level cap of 50 until they purchase the Mines of Moria expansion, which will increase the cap to 60, and the Siege of Mirkwood expansion, which will increase it to 65.)
 Explore iconic locations from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, such as Elrond's Last Homely House. These Turbine Points can also be earned by playing the game. Deeds (the LotRO version of achievements) and certain quests will reward players with small amounts of this currency. So, in theory, players could be able to purchase everything they’d want just by playing the game enough. However, the folks at Turbine claim it’s highly unlikely that anyone actually would. It is quite likely that you’ll be able to advance your character to level 25 or so without paying a cent.
Of course, this new payment option means that there will be a “Turbine Store” added to the game (as a panel that can be enabled or disabled, not as an in-game location. Whew!) where players can spend real money on in-game items. Some of the items in the store are pretty neat: cosmetic outfits, extra storage space, the ability to ride mounts at very low levels, and consumable potions. But there are some items that are causing long-time players to groan about: reputation mounts that don’t require the buyer to have earned reputation with that particular faction, tomes that permanently raise various stats, and permanent increases to “Virtue” stats.
 Middle-Earth is a rich and detailed world in which elven ruins abound. But it’s not all doom and gloom for long term players; there are good things for them as well. Many of the classes in the game got some real work done to fix some of the problems people have been complaining about for a while (Captains especially). Many of the major instances in the game were completely revamped and now can be scaled up to level cap. (Yes, you can now run some of the level 50 dungeons at level 65, and still be challenged.) And there is an entire new area added to the game, Enedwaith, which I will talk more about tomorrow.
The bottom line: players now have more options. If you are the sort of person who likes to explore, and look at every little detail along the way, it might make more sense to play for free and buy content as you outgrow the content you own. If you want to blast right up to level cap to score the best gear and run the best raids, you’d be better off paying a subscription fee. But with free-to-play, you can log on as often or as little as you’d like without feeling like you are wasting your money.
Come back tomorrow to read about Enedwaith!
(A note on screenshots: I kept every screenshot at full resolution. To see a larger version, which I highly recommend, click on a picture then click on it again once it opens in its own page. Also, LotRO is a very social game and there are players all over the place. I chose to photograph mainly just landscape shots to show off the beauty of the game world of Middle-Earth. Expect to run across fellow players frequently on your own journey. To see Turbine’s official screenshots, click here.)
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Game: The Lord of the Rungs Online | Developer: Turbine
September 9, 2010
Now, I decided to play extreme gardening because I was unbelievably frustrated. I planted a few plants a little while ago but I live in Nevada and Mother Nature decided to punch me in the face with 100+ degree weather. That, added to my already disturbingly accurate ability to kill anything I touch, and I was ready to work off some of this anger with a game or two.
Now, the game is called “extreme gardening” for a reason. The opponent in the game is some awkwardly growing trees. You job isn’t just to mow them down though. You have to judge the amount of stuff to cut and how much to leave based on memory and a steady hand.
The game opens up to what I can only describe as eyebrow raising music. I’m not 100% sure but I’m pretty sure the sounds you hear when you first begin to play the game is commonly referred to a “beat boxing.” It is made by a person’s mouth.
Anyway, you are quickly set up with the first set of hedges. At the beginning of each round you are given a picture and told to “make this.” Then you run your mouse over a cluttered version in an effort to match the picture you were just given.
Now, maybe I just suck (which is entirely possible) but this game is a lot harder than you would think. You’re given a handful of seconds to do it, you’re tested on your memory and accuracy, and you have to do it while listening to the beat boxing music the entire time (which I secretly found myself jamming to, but if you tell anyone I will deny, deny, deny).
All and all I have to say that this game was surprisingly…addictive. Yes, addictive, and isn’t that what we all secretly want? A game that is so enthralling it literally makes us forget that such a thing as real life exists? Well, I don’t know about you guys, but that’s what I want and this game more than did the trick.
It’s simple, fun, and a little frustrating, as well as engaging and silly. This is a perfect combination for some good, relaxing fun and I would recommend it to anyone who has the ability to retain information for more than twenty seconds at a time. Sadly, I don’t qualify.
Game: Extreme Gardening | Developer: Slordig
September 8, 2010
 Bonus: This game makes its own drilling noises Remember when digging holes was awesome? I know my imagination was always filled with scenes of man-made caves and awesome things like that. Well, now it’s time to live that fantasy. In Motherload, you pilot a drill around while searching for metals and such.
Gameplay
WASD moves you around. But that’s just the beginning. See, you drill down into the dirt and move around while looking for things that will make you money. However, you can’t stay down there forever. You have to conserve enough fuel to make it back up to the surface, where you sell your wares for more money.
Like any good flash game, there is an upgrade system based on the money you make. This allows you to carry more fuel, drill more efficiently and carry more stuff. Trust me, you have no idea what you are in for. This game is HUGE. You have to be careful not to fall down into caverns, get burnt up or run out of fuel. You will dig deeper than you ever thought possible.
 Pro Tip: Leather gloves and a hard hat enhance the drilling experience. Unfortunately, this is what makes it a little tedious. Yes, you do do the same thing over and over, which, by its nature gets old. But, there is an element of puzzle solving that keeps you digging deeper and deeper. Also, the desire for money does. Less cynically, I feel like this strikes deep at our human desires to do more, greater things. I supposed digging deep holes satisfies that urge.
Technical
This is a pretty old game. I remember when I first played ‘Motherload’, I thought it looked awesome. Now? Not so much. It is definitely something from before vector images. However, don’t let that get you down. Gameplay is what makes this game great.
On top of this, the controls take a bit of getting used to. You have to rocket your drill (honestly rocket drill sounds like a pretty sweet game too), which can be frustrating. Also, it is surprisingly easy to get stuck. This is one of those games that forces you to think ahead.
Final Verdict
Drill baby drill. I won’t go on a rant down here about a drilling machine like this is a 100% impossibility. That’s not why we’re here. We’re here to play video games. And this is a fun video game. You get to drill for hours. Remember, keep a close eye on your fuel gauge and always have an exit plan.
Game: Motherload | Developer: Xgen Studios
September 7, 2010
Stop the Woodcutter is a tower defense game. This means that you set up different kinds of turrets (things that attack enemies when they are in range) to protect a set space. If your turrets fail to eliminate all threats before they hit the end of the line then whatever it is you are attempting to defend will take damage. Ultimately, too much damage to whatever you defend will lead to you losing the game altogether.
I’ve only played a few of this particular type of game in the past and I’ve never really enjoyed them. there is a certain amount of helplessness involved when you’re on one. The problem is that once you start the wave of enemies, if your plan doesn’t work you’re stuck with that slow death. It’s a sort of torturous learning process that makes me cringe. Still, that’s not exactly the case with this one and that’s one of the reasons I ended up liking this game in the end.
If you’re midway through a wave and realize you’ve missed something you can be comfortable knowing that your entire game hasn’t gone down the toilet. With Stop the Woodcutter you have a rather considerable chance to live through your mistakes.
The controls for Stop The Woodcutter were a little difficult to get the hang of. The instructions weren’t very clear but after a while I got the hang of it. The visuals are simple and easy to follow. Even though I don’t usually like this kind of game I had a good time playing it. It was beautiful and the theme of the game itself was relaxing. With Stop The Woodcutter you are basically teamed up with a bunch of cuddly (and dangerous) woodland creatures to save the forest by beating on a number of different kinds of woodsmen. Now, how cool is that?
Game: Stop The Woodcutter | Developer: Nitama Naishin
September 5, 2010
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten off my editor’s throne and actually done a review. But it’s also been a while since I’ve found a game that I really felt I needed to make a personal commentary on. Our reviewers here do a great job with everything they do, but I’ve been feeling the itch to get back into writing myself. So, when I found myself playing through Mafia II the other day and commenting on various things to my roommate, I realized that if I was going to get back into writing myself I had to do it now. And there’s no better game out at the moment to have helped me with my creative urges than Mafia II.
Before I really get into things though, it needs to be said that this game is rated M for mature, and for good reason. Prolific violence, foul language, and nudity mean that this game is NOT for children. So please, be sensible, read the label, and don’t let your kids play games they shouldn’t be playing at a young age.
The game is set in 1940’s America, following the character Vito Scolleta (you), from his early days as a young boy in Italy, through his childhood life in America, up to his days as a soldier during World War II (where the cinematics end and the gameplay begins) and through his Mafioso days after he comes home.
Visually, the game is absolutely stunning. Sure, there are some that have been a tad better, but you’d be hard pressed to find any physical errors with the way the world looks. It captures a look and feel of the 40’s better than anything else I’ve seen from the time. The “Beaver Cleaver” suburbs, the downtown business districts, the dirty slums and even the heavily industrial dock section all received equal love and care to their visual appearance. And the characters themselves are magnificent. There are parts of the game that are gritty and dark, while others sparkle with a chrome-like sheen.
 Things can get pretty brutal in the industrial sector.
The gameplay is equally spectacular. The whole game is driven by a story that has various climaxes and down times, and works well to depict the underworld lifestyle of Vito and his mafioso friends. If you’re not putting the squeeze on someone for not paying their dues, you might be driving like a madman to evade police, boxing some fool who thinks he could take you, or lounging around the strip club and watching the story move seamlessly into the next chapter. The game also has it’s fair amount of open-endedness. You’re free to do as you please, the same as in most games like this. Your criminal activities might range from shaking down businesses for cash, stealing cars and sending them to the crusher for money, or running around trying to find the numerous collectable items (wanted posters and playboy bunny photos) hidden out in the world. Or, of course, any other creative ideas you might have for yourself.
 But sometimes you just need to make an example out of someone.
But no matter what you decide to do with your time, if you’re into a very solid story backed up by excellent gameplay and quality graphics (and are old enough to buy the game with it’s M rating), then you really can’t go wrong with Mafia II. So far, this game looks like it could be a very strong contender for the Game of the Year award I’ve been mulling over for the site.
Game: Mafia II | Developer: 2k Czech
September 4, 2010
 Baby Maker Extreme isn’t a game about making babies exactly. You might expect it to be, based on the game intro but mostly it’s a game about flinging babies through the hospital after they’re born. I know, that sounds awful, doesn’t it? Mainly because it is. In this game you start out kind of like the mother and end up being the baby itself. The game opens with you doing some special breathing in order to give your baby “power.” Once you’ve done plenty of breathing you will find yourself mashing a button. I don’t mean that figuratively. You are literally mashing a button.
After that your baby gets flung out of your female body and goes flying through the air. Here is where the real game begins. You are little more than a ball flying through the air. You have a certain amount of “boost” that gets you along the way .  You gather points simply by running into other things and can force yourself to land on whatever you want thanks to these boasts and dives you get as well. The game is won or lost when your baby ball can no longer move. I want to say bounce but it doesn’t actually bounce. If you hit the ground you just fail.
The game seems to rely heavily on humor to get you through it. It’s a game were the things you have to hit, or your “targets” are given names like “They Call him Tripod” when you hit individuals with crutches or “Doc Block” when you run into doctors.
The different rooms where you can fly through are colored with various shades. Depending on what room you’re in you have different targets to hit. It’s really very simple after you’ve done a little memorization. The game requires a little bit of forethought but other than that you can do pretty much anything you like and manage to get a decent amount of distance.  It’s pretty much like the long jump. Your goal is to get as far as you can without being made to stop.
I’d recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a few laughs. I’m not sure if I would call it “challenging” but it was alright. It won’t hold your attention for a long time but it isn’t a waste of money either. I had a few laughs while playing it, enjoyed the soundtrack, and made a point to memorize the rooms just for the entertainment value.
Game: Baby Maker Extreme | Developer: Stegersaurus Games
September 3, 2010
 Land sharks? Oh great. And I thought the underwater sharks were bad enough. Time Decay is, well, interesting… In this space shooter, you take control of a UFO from Saturn. Apparently, zombie animals are being created for war, and your mission is to destroy them. Bunnies, sheep, bats, and land sharks (“air sharks” would probably have been a better term for them, since they fly) are among the zombified creatures you’ll be up against. And if you can rescue the friendly animals inside of these man-made monstrosities, that’s a bonus. To help you, there is a time decay drive on your ship. This handy gadget will slow down time so you can dodge bullets with ease. But be careful. Some animals aren’t able to move very well in real time, but Time Slow makes them go absolutely wild.
There are two bars you’ll have to keep your eyes on. The health bar (which is pretty self-explanatory) and the time decay bar, which drains when you are in Time Slow. When your health drops below a certain point, Time Slow is activated automatically, which will keep you alive a little longer when things get especially crazy. Both of these bars recharge with time, so if you get close to running out, jut find a place to hide and wait for your bars to refill.
The controls are very simple. WASD are your directional buttons; aim and shoot with the mouse. Hit the spacebar to toggle time slow on and off. It can’t get much easier than that. That makes Time Decay a great game to just hop right into without having to spend a bunch of time learning how everything works. And if these controls are still too difficult to figure out, there are sentences scattered through each levels that will explain everything. Oh yeah, and they’ll also brag about how much better Saturn is than pretty much every other planet. (Apparently, this zombie madness would never have happened on Saturn. They have laws against this sort of thing.)
One of the greatest things about this game is the music. It has a phenomenal ambient electronic soundtrack, which is made even cooler when you flip on your time decay drive and the music slows down too.
Time Decay is a very entertaining and fairly challenging space shooter with an A+ soundtrack. So get out there and fry some zombie sheep. You’ll be glad you did.
 Of course, this would never happen on Saturn. Game: Time Decay | Developer: TacticalZeppelin
September 2, 2010
Max Damage is a great little game that might remind you quite a bit of your curious and mischievous childhood. All you have to do is complete various levels with a set amount of ammunition.
Your mission each time is to cause as much damage and chaos as possible based on the obstacles in front of you. You must use the terrain around your character in order to get rebounds and to knock random items into each other.
 Destroy as much as you can You have a counter in the bottom right hand corner of the screen which tells you how much damage you need to cause each level. Once you reach or go over that amount you proceed onto the next level of destruction.
The controls for this game are very simple. All you have to do is use your mouse to move the cursor and draw the arrow in or out for power. It does not take long at all to get the hang of, and once you have played for a couple of levels you will soon be flying through.
There are problems with this game despite its innocent appearance. The music will do your head in because it sounds like some weird European rave as opposed to background music for a game.
 Tackle challenging levels Furthermore there are 49 levels to this game and there isn’t an auto save option. Some of the early levels can even be quite tricky so the later ones are really, really tough.
The graphics are pretty simple and mean the game should appeal to everyone. They also mean that the game isn’t confined to a set audience or age. The game appears child like, but allows adults to have a bit of fun and can also keep the kids occupied for an extended period of time.
All in all Max Damage is a decent little shooting based game. It is playing on a format that has appeared in many other web based games before it and to be honest the game does this format pretty well.
Game: Max Damage http://www.addictinggames.com/maxdamage.html | Developer: Addicting Games http://www.addictinggames.com/index.html
September 1, 2010
 Glowing trails behind Tekeshi's eyes, somewhat realistic rope physics, and vintage pixel-art backgrounds add to the intrigue of Final Ninja. Final Ninja is an action Flash game in which you take control of Takeshi, the Final Ninja.
When the story begins, Takeshi has been in hiding for ten years after he has forsaken his life as a Ninja. His old master, Akuma, has been hunting him down this entire time, and has finally found him. Takeshi realizes it’s time to put the suit back on and get himself some sweet ninja action while ending Akuma’s reign of Ninja Master terror.
 The classic wall hop has been a staple of action games since the early days. Final Ninja looks and feels like a vintage game from the Sega Genesis era. While this may be a complaint for some people, I personally love it. I see it as a throwback to the era in which I first started gaming. Games were simply fun back then. Paper-thin plots and awkward graphics didn’t matter so much as the carefully crafted gameplay.
Controlling Takeshi is pretty simple. It follows the WASD button scheme (you can also use the arrow keys) and mouse click will cause the protagonist to toss throwing stars. Holding down the left mouse button will fire a grappling hook and rope. Like in the Prince of Persia games, you can cling to walls and launch yourself in the other direction, making scaling steep surfaces a breeze. The only real complaint I have with this setup is that using the mouse to fire the grappling hook feels a bit more awkward at times than it should.
This was a game in which I found myself impressed by some of the smaller details. One of the first things I tested for was to see how the rope works. When you hit the edge of a cliff, the rope acts exactly as it should, partially wrapping around the obstruction and causing the circumference of Takeshi’s trajectory to decrease. While this is a minor detail, it made me happy to see that the developers didn’t take an easier route by not fine-tuning these rope physics.
Another thing that impressed me was the glowing trail that always lingers behind Takeshi’s eyes. This is completely unnecessary, but it looks really cool.
While Final Ninja may not be a breakthrough in gaming, or even incredibly unique, it fills a niche that has unfortunately been left empty for over a decade. If you loved the Sega Genesis, you will thoroughly enjoy this fun little ninja game.
 Electricity is dangerous. Even the Final Ninja has respect for its power. Game: Final Ninja | Developer: Nitrome
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