Well here’s a little success story that makes me happy. Fancy Pants Adventure was one of the best flash games of its kind, and it was created entirely by a single man. Brad Borne is both an excellent programmer and animator, which is a rare thing, so it’s no wonder he was snapped up by EA to work on some 2D projects. His quirky platformer is now available on Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network and I played it for a bit at the weekend…
After being hired by EA to make the excellent Mirrors Edge 2D, Borne seems to have been working hard on the console version of Fancy Pants Adventure. This time, with the full help of EA behind him the game has been able to expand substantially, with a whole host of new features such as 4-player co-op, melee weapons, and fully customisable characters with collectible items. It still has the same charm and style the original flashn games has, but seeing it on a proper HD tv and controlling with a 360 gamepad is undoubtedly the best way to experience it.
I hope this sells lots because its brilliant. In the vein of Super Mario Bros Wii, having 4 friends running around semi-competing to complete each level is pure chaotic fun. Check out the trailer below.
Dome Keeper is an excellent little spin on the tower defense game, in which you play the role of a jetpacking miner defending his base from swarms of aliens, whilst searching for a hidden relic buried somewhere beneath him. And now, with this huge free update, you can play it with friends.
I want to talk about Cloudpunk, a game where you get to be a flying-car delivery driver in a futuristic cyberpunk city. Its world is an incredible achievement of environmental design, and while the gameplay itself may be basic, the city of Nivalis is a thing of beauty to behold. Nivalis is built out of hundreds of hand-modelled cuboid buildings; there’s nothing procedural about it. Apparently it took 3 years for the devs to design the city, and it really shows.
I do love me some quality pixel art, and it doesn’t get much better than this. Cast n Chill is a cozy side-scrolling fishing game by small indie dev team Wombat Brawler, with absolutely gorgeous visuals. It’s simple to play, and you you can dip in and out of it at your leisure, making it a fine addition to our collection of coffee break games.
Format: PS3
Release date: 2010
Heavy Rain is more like an interactive movie than a game, and it is mostly excellent. It’s a game about choices and living with the consequences. I played it through twice myself, just to see how different decisions affect the story and its ultimate conclusion, but to say that my first try was emotional would be the understatement of the century. This game almost broke me. I’ll tell you how soon, but first I want to recount the story of one of my friend’s choices… Like I said, watching Heavy Rain is just like watching a movie, but watching your friend play Heavy Rain gives you an amusing bit of insight into their psychology. The results can be hilarious.
Format: PS1 & PC
Release date: 1997
I’m not sure what to tell you about FF7. Simply put, it’s one of my all-time favourite games, and the hordes of fans it has makes me feel like a bit of a cliché to even include it in this feature. But I have to. It changed my life, I think. Before this, I had not played a game with such a deep and engaging story, an epic tale about a host of very likable characters, all unique and fleshed out with interesting back stories. It’s just wonderful.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a depressing game. It’s epic and majestic, but undoubtedly bleak. Luckily, it also has some hilarious moments timed with comedic perfection, which somehow never feel out of place. It’s a credit to the writers, and the performances of the voice actors. These are my favourite funny moments of Expedition 33.
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