Playstation 2 Collection Update 02-01-2013

Grandpa's Colorful Quest

Platforming! "Geriatric Gymnastics!"® Umm... colors! 

Platform: PC (coming soon to MAC)

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Stefan Wiklund

Location: Sweden, Gothenburg

Website:  http://www.grandpagame.com

Reg Price: 4.99 USD

    A midst a slew of the very popular and ever "gimmicky" platformers of which one can't shake nary a stick on the internets with out smacking one or two. You will inevitably discover a good one every so often. Grandpa's Colorful Quest is one such game. Yes it does indeed come with a gimmick of it's own, however; said "gimmick" (this is the last time I will use that word) does a wonderful job of pulling you into the game slowly. The level design merits some sort of an award somewhere. The way it starts you off on a level surface before slowly but surely increasing it's difficulty. Before you know it you'll be phasing platforms and blocks in and out of existence and hardly thinking twice about it.

Okay... I am clearly getting ahead of myself here. Let me explain how the game works.

There are three, that's right three jump buttons. Each button represents a corresponding colored block / platform.

One jump button for example will "turn on" all red blocks. When this happens, both the green and blue blocks will switch to an "off" state and vice-versa etc... so on and so forth.

There are of course many other more familiar platforming elements to the game as well. This is important as some familiarity (I think) is needed when introducing a whole new gameplay dynamic.

But this! This is no ordinary game in any respect. No sir! According to the lone developers official website, this game was created over the course of over 3 years in his spare time. A lot can happen in three years, and it did. In his own words:

• Got my first job as an audiologist

• Moved from Stockholm to Gothenburg

• Got a new job (where I had to wear a suit and smile creepy in order to sell implants)

• Got hooked on snus (a highly addictive Swedish tobacco product)

• Got a new job again (no suit and implants, still smiling though)

• Got off snus

• Was on the receiving end of a sub machine gun drive by

• Got hooked on snus again

• Got a new apartment with less bullet holes

• Got married and lived happily ever after

All in all for a direct download retail price of 4.99 USD, 5.07 CA, 3.19 UK or 33.33 FEK you really can't go wrong with this game. So to you Mr. Stefan Wiklund (creator of the game) I say thank you for reminding me why I love platformers, but don't take my word for it! Try it out for yourself: www.grandpagame.com

          ...And don't forget to watch my hi-larious "Let's Play" of this silly bastard embedded below!

          Yep, we're done here. --LUke OUt!

Potatoman Seeks the Troof

Platform: PC / Mac
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Pixeljam
Release Date: Dec. 18 2012
Website: pixeljam.com/potatoman
Regular Price: $3.00 USD

     The troof hurts! It stings like a jumping cactus in July. Potatoman Seeks the Troof will not only find new and interesting ways to murder you, but it will do so in such a way that you can be sure to never make the same mistake twice. This is not the easiest game I've reviewed as I have yet to make it past what I think I can call "Level 2." Though admittedly not quite as frustrating as say... Super Meat Boy or I Wanna be The Guy, it certainly will feel that way at times and I would group this into the same sub-genre of shall we say "balls-to-the-wall difficult platformers." Yep, that's what I'm calling it. 

     The overall flow of the game is smooth indeed and the story unfolds as you play your way through. The graphics take me back to my 

youth when I would spend my time sitting in the basement with my Atari 2600. To that end the controls are a bit stiff, but I wouldn't want it any other way. If it's Atari graphics your after then by all means emulate the feel as well I say!

     Next I want to introduce you to the launch trailer. There is no game play at all, which I would normally consider to be a bad thing. That being said, this trailer is so damn funny I honestly don't give a damn. Behold!

...if you're still confused I suggest watching it again and again and possibly one more time. I love the... I guess I'll call it "Grapes of Wrath Speak?" 

I have no idea...

However, if it is indeed game play you're looking for... you can find it below.

All in all I would say this game is well worth the measly 3.00 dollar price tag that comes with it. It's not always easy and it can certainly be frustrating at times. These truths being self evident, it is always a lot of fun. Okay, we're done here.

--LUke OUt!

Mark of the Ninja

Platform: Xbox 360, Windows
Genre: Stealth / Action / Platformer
Developer: KLEI Entertainment

Have you ever looked up to the heavens cursing various gods for the lack of 2D stealth / platforming games available? Neither have I, but someone must have because Mark of the Ninja is now available on Steam. The first time I saw the trailer for this thing I really thought it looked like the kind of game that may have been started with the best of intentions; however, the finished product had most likely spiraled down into a ridiculously convoluted mass of terrible controls and boring level progression. Was I right? Oh man... I was worse than right. I was wrong. This game is fantastic! I admit the controls can be a bit counter intuitive at times, but it's nothing to get your sexy panties in a twist over. Behold!

The overall story is not going to get you emotionally invested in these character's lives.

It seems to keep you around just long enough so you'll pay attention to it.

Before you enter each level, you are given the option to purchase new upgrades and select a load out that best suits your play style.

As you start sneaking around and silently murdering your enemies you begin to get that stealthy feeling you probably first felt while playing Metal Gear. Yeah, it's here and it feels awesome!

Towards the end you will begin to feel a real sense of accomplishment as you take down your enemies and "stealthy" your way past those who wish to cause you harm. While this game doesn't really bring anything new to the table in terms of game play or level design, it has taken what works and made it work better. We're done here.

LUke OUt!

Defense Grid: The Awakening

Platform: Windows, OSX, XBLA
Genre: Tower Defense
Developer: Hidden Path Entertainment

Inexplicably torn from the mighty quagmire of Tower Defense games we uncover a shining gem. Defense Grid: The Awakening. If you thought a game falling into the genre of TD could not hold a decent story, then you are wrong sir or possibly madam. Defense Grid: The Awakening is not just an excellent TD game by any and all standards, but actually contains a well rounded story worth your time. Not that the game is all story or cut scene. In fact it has no cut scenes what so ever! The game is narrated by a computer program, which; coincidentally used to be a real person. If you believe this to be an original concept then you are sorely mistaken. Shame on you! SHAME! Enough of that. Listen, I'll be the first to admit that while I absolutely love and am addicted to these TD sorts of games. I absolutely suck balls at them. This is due to the fact that I can only spend so much time going over strategy in my head before I say "Screw it! I want 'splosions!" and such and such. Graph paper is your best friend say I.

Complete with a fairly healthy supply of affordable DLC.

Behold the mighty "cores!" The more cores you have the faster you generate credits used for purchasing / upgrading your towers. You do ofcourse also generate revenue off killing enemies.

Let's talk for a moment about the enemies. As with most tower defense games the enemies come with a great variety of characteristics; be it a large swarm of enemies with low max HP or perhaps a single large enemy with a massive amount of max HP. They may have shields or they may just be immune to fire.

You will find a wide variety of game field layouts. Some easy and some quite difficult. While others can just be bat-shit insane.

The weapons are quite typical of just about any TD style game. Seriously, go play any game falling into the TD category right now and you will discover you get weapons that basically fall into roughly four different categories.

• Short Range: Usually the cheapest of all towers and the easiest to utilize.
• DoT (Damage over Time): Burning, corroding, poisoning etc...
• Defense / Support: Towers that increase range, towers that slow the enemies down, and so on and so forth.
• Long Range: Usually with a slow rate of fire, but cause heavy damage, AoE (Area of Effect) damage or some sort of specialty such as strong vs. flying enemies or what have you.

So in closing "Defense Grid: The Awakening" is indeed one of the best TD games I have played. Which is really saying something as there are a whole butt-load of them out there and they are addictive as all hell. 

Okay I'm all done here. Thanks for reading and ummm... LUke OUt!