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Multiplayer Game Reviews
November 24, 2010
 Besides the obvious fact that I completely hate the title there’s really no reason for this game choice. I was drinking a glass of milk when I noticed it and thought to myself “Yeah, I would like a cookie.” Thus the magic that is me playing U Want Cookie? was created.
Now, U Want Cookie? is only a dollar on the Marketplace. Still, I wasn’t willing to put up some of my hard earned cash on it without a trial run. Sometimes I do, this wasn’t one of those times and I can’t really say I’ve revisited the decision. U Want Cookie? has a lot of good points. I asked my husband if the graphics were “8-bit” and he responded with a clever “Maybe not even that.” I hope that gives you an idea of the charmingly simple visuals for U Want Cookie? are. Not in a bad way, I thought it was nice.
The music in this game was pretty sweet too. It really fit in with the art style of the game, something simple but nice. Another nice thing about the game was the fact that it was pretty much self explanatory. You get cookies. You stay away from mines. It really wasn’t hard to understand.
Unfortunately that’s where the fun stopped. Now, maybe this game won’t be as frustrating to other players as it was for me but for whatever reason I just couldn’t seem to get it down. I kept being pushed into mines and being reminded of the fact that my hand-eye coordination is pitiable. I ended up with a huge headache and none of the warm fuzzies I usually have after playing a game.
In addition (as is my new usual motif) I have to say something to all of our light/color sensitive gamers. I’m not really sure what it was about this game but my eyes were really strained by it as well. Maybe it’s because of the black and white blocks, maybe it was the crying because it took me forever to get past level three. Whatever it was, be careful when you play it.
All in all, I think this was a good enough game. It might have been a little too difficult for my level of gaming experience but it was still worth giving a try. If you like top down games this will make you happy. Well, that and if you just really, really like the virtual cookie.
Game: U Want Cookie?| Developer: AxB
November 10, 2010
 It's a good day for falling bombs on the Ice Cream Planet. Robot Wants Ice Cream is the follow-up to the popular series that includes these instant classics: Robot Wants Kitty, Robot Wants Puppy, and Robot Wants Fishy. (Click on the titles to read the review for each game.) You don’t need to have played any of the other games in the series in order to enjoy the final chapter, but I don’t know why you would want to skip the others. Seriously. They are fantastic. (If you absolutely must skip one, make it Robot Wants Fishy.)
Robot Wants Ice Cream begins when Robot decides that, well, he wants ice cream. And as we have learned from the previous episodes, Robot always gets what he wants. So he jettisons Kitty into space so he and Puppy won’t have to share their dessert, then heads for the Ice Cream Planet. Now, the Ice Cream Planet sounds like a wonderful place, full of cotton candy clouds, peppermint lamp posts and probably the occasional unicorn. But it isn’t. Not at all. It is a dangerous, God-forsaken planet that has been overrun with evil robots.
 A series of bosses stands between Robot and his ice cream. The game follows the same pattern as its predecessors. Quaint 8-bit graphics, a phenomenal soundtrack, Metroid-inspired gameplay, and a lighthearted storyline. But it adds some new twists. Gone are the days when one hit will kill Robot instantly. Now he has health, represented by three hearts (similar to the Zelda games.) Also, in order to use his more power-consuming abilities, he must collect batteries, which can be recharged by collecting the atomic bits dropped by defeated foes. And the puppy from Robot Wants Puppy will follow Robot around just like Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog games.
I don’t want to give anything away here, but there is a pretty great surprise toward the end of the game. Seriously. I won’t tell you what it is; I’ll just say it’s an ironic stroke of brilliance that provides at least some measure of closure for the series.
Robot Wants Ice Cream is Robot’s final adventure, (though I hope they seriously reconsider making some more) and it’s everything it should be. Try it out. I think you’ll enjoy it thoroughly.
 There's always a spider boss, isn't there? Game: Robot Wants Ice Cream | Developer: Hamumu
November 7, 2010
 Stating the obvious is great. Robot wanted a kitty and he got one. Then robot wanted a puppy and he got one of those as well. Now, guess what? Robot Wants Fishy. And anyone who has played the previous games in this series knows that whenever robot wants something, he always finds that thing in a place that is full of deadly monsters. Don’t be surprised that the fishy is no exception.
Robot Wants Fishy adds a few noteworthy things to the series. First of all, he gets a couple new weapons: bombs and spears. Secondly, there are new powerups called Chronox Shards, which will each take a little bit off of the timer that keeps track of how long it takes you to finish the game. (You can score an achievement for getting through it quickly enough.) Thirdly, while this game reuses some of the songs from the previous games, there are some new tunes on the soundtrack as well. That makes us 8-bit music fans very pleased. Lastly and probably most importantly, Robot gets a new realm to explore: underwater. (I suppose it makes sense, since the object of his affection is a fish this time.) Robot gets some rust-proof armor so he can venture underwater without any problems. And he swims rather well for a big hunk of metal.
 This boss is called Dungeon S Crab. Hey, that's witty! To be quite honest, I didn’t enjoy this installment in the series as much as Robot Wants Kitty or Robot Wants Puppy. (I gave both of those games pretty high marks in previous reviews.) The level design in Robot Wants Fishy just doesn’t hold a candle to the brilliance of the past two games. It seems like most of the challenge of this game is trying to land some frustratingly difficult jumps, or trying to navigate around some awfully-placed aliens. And the maze this time around seemed excruciatingly exhausting. Yeah, doing a lot of traveling from one place to another is a staple of the series, but never before has Robot had to go so far out of his way so many times.
Robot Wants Fishy is a decent 8-bit, Metroid-inspired adventure, but in my opinion it doesn’t hold up to the previous games in the series. Try it if you absolutely must get through every game in the series. Otherwise, you’ll be better off just playing its predecessors.
 Who would have thought Robot could swim so well? Game: Robot Wants Fishy | Developer: Hamumu
November 2, 2010
 Cat Fight! As you may remember, I once pledged my undying love for a game called Robot Wants Kitty. (You can read all about it here.) Well, there is a sequel. And, oh yeah, it’s everything it should be and more.
Kitty is old news. Robot is moving onto new things. Now he wants a puppy. Helping Robot get what he wants is basically the entire premise of Robot Wants Puppy.
When you first start the game, you’ll probably notice that Robot still has his jump skill (earned in the previous game) but he’s lost his laser. But he’s not completely unarmed. He has a kitty (also earned in the previous game.) Most of the skills in Robot Wants Puppy involve various ways to put this feline to use. You will toss it at aliens to kill them. Kitty’s tail can be used as a propeller, allowing you to glide and eventually fly. (Think Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog games.) You can even use kitty to help you crawl across ceilings like some sort of part-robot-part-cat-part-insect.
 Damn you, red Calamari boss and your Level 3 Security Access card! Once again, Robot must navigate through a complex maze to get to his prize. But this time there are access cards that unlock doors, and each card grants higher security access (like in Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid.) Finding the puppy will take a security card with level 9 access.
A brand new feature to the series is the achievements (which you can view via an option in the start menu.) You earn these by doing things like slaying bosses, winning the game, killing a certain number of aliens, etc. The ones you haven’t earned yet show question marks, so you will have to experiment in order to figure all of them out.
This game seemed a bit more difficult than its predecessor. I think on average I died once per 5 seconds of gameplay. Yeah, there are some very tricky parts. (I’m looking at you, haphazardly placed beams of electricity.)
Robot Wants Puppy is definitely a worthy installment in this wonderful series. Using the kitty from the first game to grant Robot unique skills was a stroke of brilliance. I guess all I have left to say is, “More Robot games, please!”
 Aw, who wouldn't want that puppy? Game: Robot Wants Puppy | Developer: Hamumu
October 29, 2010
 Sushi Cat wobbles about while consuming mass quantities of sushi. I don’t know who comes up with this stuff. Really.
Sushi Cat the Honeymoon is a direct sequel to Sushi Cat (which I have reviewed earlier. Here’s the link.) It’s not really Sushi Cat 2, which is forthcoming, so I guess it would be Sushi Cat 1.5 or something like that.
Anyway, Sushi Cat the Honeymoon takes place shortly after the original game. Spoiler altert: if you haven’t finished the first installment, this next piece of information may come as a real shocker. Sushi Cat marries his true love. (Yeah, that attractive feline he discovered sitting in a shop window at the very beginning of the original.) So now the two frisky kitties are embarking on their honeymoon, and Sushi Cat will do whatever it takes to make sure this will be a dream vacation instead of a disaster. Of course he runs into many obstacles, and of course he knows the solution to every problem is to eat sushi and become even more obese.
This sort-of-gross-yet-sort-of-cute Flash game plays exactly like its predecessor. Drop Sushi Cat into a level and watch him bounce and slosh around consuming sushi. You must fill his stomach to the full line in order to progress to the next level. And there are more videos to keep us updated on this enthralling and romantic storyline.
The powerups are about the only things that have changed in this game. Gone is my favorite, the Dragon Cannon, to be replaced by a ball of yarn that allows you to lead Sushi Cat into hard to reach places, and an object that somehow causes a volcano to become active and send Sushi Cat floating back up into the air. The yarn is sort of cool, but the other is just plain annoying. It’s pretty likely that Sushi Cat will go back up the exact same path he just came down, which obviously won’t result in more sushi. But at least the Fat Cat bonuses are still around, which were always entertaining.
Sushi Cat the Honeymoon is a game for exactly one type of person: those who played the original Sushi Cat and wished it were longer. Well, your wish has been granted, and it’s pretty much exactly what you’d think it would be.
 Fat cat bonus! Game: Sushi Cat the Honeymoon | Developer: Armor Games
October 27, 2010
 Ludicrous speed? Yes, please! Robot Wants Kitty is a throwback to a bygone era, when gaming was all about gameplay and not about all this “good graphics” nonsense. Yes, back in the 1980s, 8-bit graphics and 8-bit music were all you needed to be happy. Back then, it took some real creativity to make a game that was worth playing, but the payoff was huge. That was the era that brought us Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Metal Gear, after all. Often it was the simplicity of the whole thing that made it work so well.
Anyway, let me stop reminiscing about days long gone so I can tell you about Robot Wants Kitty. This game is great. It’s an 8-bit adventure that puts you in control a robot in search of a cat. You must battle a slew of aliens to get to this feline, though. “Why go through the trouble?” you may ask. Well, because Robot wants Kitty, and the spoiled little cuss gets what he wants.
 Oh dear. Soooooo many aliens! The entire game is made of one rather large level. Very much like the Metroid games, you need to collect a series of powerups in order to let you pass certain obstacles. In fact, when you begin the game, you can’t even jump. So your options are pretty limited. Eventually you’ll not only be able to jump but also perform double jumps, rocket across pits, and shoot lasers. Yes, lasers. Those aliens aren’t so scary once you pick up a laser gun, now are they?
The 8-bit graphics and music are just the icing on this tantalizing piece of gaming cake. Or pie. Whichever you prefer. The retro feel compliments the gameplay style perfectly. You’ll feel like a little kid again, and your hands will long for the feel of a gray, rectangular, NES controller.
OK. So if you’re still reading this, then I can assume robots, aliens, lasers, and 8-bit nostalgia weren’t quite enough to entice you to immediately rush off to go try this amazing piece of gaming goodness. Well then. What sort of person are you? Seriously. Go play this game. Now. I don’t even care if you don’t finish reading this review. I understand. Robot Wants Kitty beckons, ever so sweetly, and you must heed its call.
 Here comes the slime boss. Game: Robot Wants Kitty | Developer: Hamumu
October 20, 2010
 Okay, I wasn’t going to do this. I really, really hate games with zombies in them. I mean, you guys don’t understand. I have nightmares about zombies. I don’t even let my Sims be zombies because it freaks me out so much, but this game has been ranked very high on the Xbox network for a long time so I decided to get over my totally justified fear and actually give it a try. A short try. Which, as it turns out, was all it really needed.
I had a family member once tell me that playing video games was like a straight shot of espresso or a Redbull after a jog. Just pure, liquid energy flowing through your veins like lightning. Now, as a casual gamer I’ve never been prone to games that give this kind of supersonic rush, but I’ve got to say that I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!! is all about that adrenaline.
First off I just have to say that this isn’t a game that you can lay back and play. It’s powered almost completely by an insanely awesome song that I’m ninety-nine percent sure was composed just to make you enjoy the game. It’s kind of old rock (which again, isn’t my style. I’m more an adult alternative girl) but it’s funny, heart pumping, and appropriate.
The game is fairly simple. All you have to do in it is kill zombies. I know, isn’t that fun? But I’m serious. You kill zombies with the help of power ups…which you get from killing zombies. It’s an old concept but it seems to work just fine here. It’s also prudent to mention the fact that the game only lasts for so long but still retains its replayability. I think “addictive” is the term I want to go with. Yeah, if it’s anything, it’s addictive.
Now, the game was good messy fun but I do have some warnings. First of all, the game requires use of both of the little joysticks on your controller. Apparently, this was an old style that has since been phased out. It’s not terrible but it will probably take a little getting used to for people like…well, me. In addition, if you have any trouble with lights or color patterns (I know, people with epilepsy should just quit trying to be gamers…but damnit, they’re cool) this one may not be for you. I gave it a try and since it was so short I didn’t have too much by way of problems, but you should consider your own tolerances.
Other than that, this was a game made of great, messy fun. For a dollar you can have a good time and get covered in zombie guts….*shudder*
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Game: I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!! | Developer: Jamezila
October 16, 2010
 Bloop is before all else, a super cute game. The instructions are simple, clear, and a breeze to follow while the gameplay itself is very basic. The music in the game is playful but unassuming. It works without being a distraction.
Now, I realize that there is no one to blame for this next lapse in judgment but myself. That being said, my first round of Bloop I decided to play without reading the instructions. I figured that it looked like a children’s game so what could be so difficult? I was quickly shown who is boss of this game and sadly, if you don’t know what’s going on, it won’t be you.
In Bloop your objective is to destroy your opponents boulder by lining up three little balls -which you shoot from your mouth – so they explode where you want them to. After so many explosions the boulder is destroyed and you can run in the cave it was blocking, thus winning the game.
Of course, there are catches. First off, while you’re trying to destroy his base your opponent is trying to destroy yours. You can slow him down by shooting your balls at his face (which stuns him for a few seconds), running into him, blocking his line of vision -and thus shot-, or you can go caveman style and spit a rock at him. A rock, which, if used properly can also pop the colored balls he has lined up on your butler.
 The game does have a major flaw, though. No matter how quick and efficient you are with your balls, your opponent can easily force you into a draw. Once you break your friends boulder you’re forced to enter his cave to win. If your friend is a bit of a jerk he could simply stand in front of the cave, halting your progress. Tricky!
In the end this is a great game to play with friends of all ages. It’s easy, fun, and light-hearted enough that it won’t shatter any friendships…though I make no guarantees on that last bit. It’s really annoying when they stand in front of the cave like that.
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Game: Bloop | Developer: Justin Kwok
October 15, 2010
 Yes, folks, it is a sushi frenzy in the game of Sushi Cat. Sushi Cat is a hard game to put into a category. It’s sort of a puzzler, but not really. It has some classic elements (like simplicity in gameplay, plot, and visuals) but I wouldn’t call it retro. Not at all. It’s certainly not an RPG or adventure game. I guess Sushi Cat is just its own kind of niche game that doesn’t adhere to any genre.
The protagonist of Sushi Cat is, well, Sushi Cat. He is a cat in love. He saw a pretty little lady cat sitting in a window one day, and now he is head-over-heels with affection for her. In order to be with her, he needs to overcome a series of obstacles. However, being a cat of limited resources (and limited problem-solving skills), his solution is always the same: stuff himself full of sushi to become fatter. It is up to you, the gamer, to help him in his quest for obesity (and true love, of course).
Sushi Cat is a gelatinous gob of blubber and fur that moves like a water balloon or one of those stress balls. You must drop him into each level and watch him squish and wobble around, consuming sushi. There is an X-ray view of Sushi Cat’s stomach on the left hand side of the screen that will show you how full he is. You only have a limited amount of drops, so you must carefully plan which locations will net the largest amount of sushi per drop. There are also powerups like point multipliers and extra cats (each cat represents one drop). My favorite of all is the Dragon Cannon, which will allow you to fire Sushi Cat in whichever direction you choose, usually resulting in gathering sushi that would otherwise be difficult (or impossible) to reach without it. Scoring a large amount of sushi in a single drop will make this creature grow larger, giving you the Heavy Cat, Fat Cat, or Super Fat Cat bonus. It will also cause him to move slower and have much more trouble squeezing between things, which will sometimes allow you to get an extra piece of sushi or two before the turn is over.
This simple yet bizarre little game manages to take a pretty disgusting concept and make it kind of cute. It also provides simple and addictive gameplay, and a light-hearted storyline that will keep you rooting for this fat little animal until the end. However, Sushi Cat is very short, with only 15 levels and 4 videos that advance the plot. It’s strangely fun for maybe twenty minutes before it’s over. But perhaps that is a good thing. There’s a pretty good chance the novelty of this little adventure would wear off shortly after that and become a bit dull.
Bottom line: Sushi Cat is what it is. Play it until it’s over and then play something else. You’ll probably have more fun than you’d expect.
 Bounce, wiggle, and roll your way to morbid obesity. Game: Sushi Cat | Developer: Armor Games
September 26, 2010
 You can't see the ladder in the left window, but that doesn't mean it's not there. Hello Worlds! is a Flash puzzle-platformer with a very original concept. You take control of one of a number of different avatars (select among a turtle, crab, ghost, magician, and others) and you must get your chosen character to the exit. But there is a catch: there are multiple panels in each level, and any objects found in any of the panels are actually in every panel, even though they’re only visible in one panel. What? Yeah, that sounds a bit complicated. (Viewing the screenshots should hopefully make this explanation make a bit more sense.) If you have trouble figuring out where things are in relation to one another, there is a failsafe. Hit the C button at any time to watch the panels merge, showing you all the obstacles on one screen.
Was that a little better? Well, it gets even more complex than that. There are green doors in some views, which will cause the panel to disappear along with any obstacles that are only in that panel. And there are grey doors with a yellow mark on them that cause an additional panel to appear. In order to get to the end of each level, you must figure out which of these doors will make the level easier and which will make it more difficult. But Hello Worlds! is a very forgiving game. If you screw up too badly, you can use the V button to rewind your actions.
Besides getting through each level, there are additional objectives. There are little yellow dots (yeah, they’re pretty much Pac-Pellets) to collect and a time limit to try to beat. Each objective grants you a star. Similar to the 3d Super Mario games, there is a world map, and collecting stars will unlock later levels.
One of the best things about this game is the music. There are a few songs that play during the levels, and every one is top-notch. I actually want to get the soundtrack to this game for my iPod, because I love it that much.
Hello Worlds! is unlike any other game I’ve played. It takes a unique concept, adds some very challenging puzzles and flawless gameplay, then sprinkles on an exceptional soundtrack and quaint hand-drawn artwork. This is a game I would highly recommend to just about anyone who loves video games.
 Things get more complex when there are four (or more) views at a time. Use the green doors to simplify things a bit. Game: Hello Worlds! | Developer: Rich W Snider
September 24, 2010
 This looks less than welcoming. In Exit Path, you must help a poor little stick figure who has found himself a competitor in a game of life and death. You begin in an arena filled with spectators, cheering for your demise as you navigate through a series of deadly traps. If you can escape from this arena, you are allowed to go free again. However, freedom looks a lot like the inside of the arena. To be safe, you must escape the entire city, which is rigged with even deadlier traps than the ones you’ve just escaped from.
Throughout the entire story, there is a timer counting, which will let you know how long you’ve taken. When you die, there is a rewind animation that leaves a trail showing what you just did (in reverse, of course). However, the timer keeps ticking even during the rewind, so you’ll want to keep deaths to a minimum in order to keep your time low.
 So many traps; so many horrible deaths to die... The story mode (or Uniplayer mode) is really cool, but the Multiplayer mode is where this game really shines. You are pitted against up to four other players in a quick race through a series of traps. (I strongly suggest playing the Uniplayer mode first, since many of the traps appear in both Uniplayer and Multiplayer.) You can gain experience points by completing races, allowing you to level up. Between races, there is a leaderboard where your current level is displayed to your fellow players, as is the number of races you’ve won. Also displayed is the amount of kudos you’ve gained. Kudos are an arbitrary currency given out by other players for whatever reason. They don’t really do anything for you except make you look well-loved. Or feel good about yourself. But there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?
The visual style in this game is mostly clean and simple, though there are areas with some real gritty details (like the graffiti plastered over the signs.) It gives the game a futuristic, almost science fiction vibe, and I love that. And since the backgrounds are mostly black, white, and gray; the colorful characters stand out very well, making it a lot easier to locate your tiny little avatar on the screen. You can change the colors of your avatar, and through the course of the game you can earn bonuses (like hats, swords, guitars, etc.) to show off a little personality.
Exit Path is a great Multiplayer racer, with a very solid Uniplayer experience built in. The quest to continue gaining levels and racking up wins and kudos will keep you playing this one for quite some time.
 Multiplayer mode is where the real fun is at.
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Game: Exit Path | Developer: Armor Games
September 21, 2010
Sidewalk Sally didn’t come with a description but it only took me a few minutes to get the gist of the game. It’s one of those trigger response games, something I don’t usually mind. Basically the entire game is about mashing one button as quickly as you can while responding to obstacles in your way by pressing another. Usually these games are about a mixture of speed and jump accuracy. They’re great for testing your hand-eye coordination and a lot of people enjoy racing their friends.
Unfortunately the only way for these games to be fun is for them to be highly accurate. Having buttons and action delays in something like this could easily ruin the experience. I believe that’s where Sidewalk Sally went wrong.
In this game you play as a girl out for a rollerblade session. She starts off with a rapid tap of one button and then you are presented with two jump choices. One is a little hop that is highly ineffective, even with the most miniscule obstacles. Basically you’re given a useless jump option right out of the gate but you won’t know that immediately. Instead you’ll grow more and more aggravated until you’re at the point of not even trying anymore.
Maybe you’ll quit the game altogether. Maybe you’ll try the other jump. So, if you’re the kind of person to give it another chance you’ll switch to the other button. Now you jump properly but you’re met with a different though no less frustrating problem of having the timing of the proper jump (the one that will get you over things like dropped keys and cracks in the sidewalk) completely shot. The only people I would recommend this game to would be people who like to see 2D girls fall. Oh, and ones who like to repeat the same level fifty times and get nowhere.
Game: Sidewalk Sally | Developer: DualOpAmp29
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 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 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
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