INDIE ARCADE

game dev stuff

indiearcade — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:18:12 +0000

I have relocated a lot of my old gamedev stuff to gamedev.indiearcade.info for now since life has taken me in a different direction since graduation. I am on the road right now and right as I’m about to commit to going the bizdev path, a whole bunch of gameplay scripter positions start opening up which I’ve been waiting for since graduation a year ago. Never say die!

I also have a new devblog up at pokepeek.wordpress.com

At this point I’m not sure who’s still reading this besides my XBL buddies

Not dead, but the site is going on hiatus

indiearcade — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:33:01 +0000

Yup, especially if you noticed there’s been a 4 month blackout lol. I had originally planned to change this site into something much better and radically different to this but I am facing a big move + looking to get back into the game industry, if that basically doesn’t work out then I will proceed with my plans for this site as before. For now if you’ve RSS’d this, don’t expect any new content updates. However if anything happens I will be announcing a new domain and this will be the first place to read about it

DLC reviews added, contributors wanted!

indiearcade — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 04:10:59 +0000

I finally figured out the hook to launch this site with lol. Downloadable content is going to be a bigger factor in time to come (especially with PS3 and Wii both jumping on the bandwagon “soon”) and I’ve already been burned a few times already to know that these need to be reviewed too just like anything else. Even 100 pts isn’t worth throwing away. Which leads me to…

Here’s what I am looking for in contributors -

A Wii and PS3 reviewer - I don’t actually own any of these systems yet, only a 360. From my knowledge there isn’t much in the way of indie content on these platforms yet. Wii mostly prefers older titles on the Virtual Console while PS3 dumps older or incomplete games/”prototypes” in it’s store. I’m sure both of these will change in the future and need some people to enlighten me and the readers. Currently there is a heavy XBox Live Arcade focus but that’s only because MS are the first ones in this space. I hope this changes soon.

Downloadable Content reviews – These can pretty much be done by anyone. I’m looking for one paragraph at the most, reasons to buy or not. Screenshots not required. Depending on whether I get a stream of regulars on this or if it’s a bunch of anonymous people who post once, I’ll have to set up the accounts accordingly. Send reviews to fathamburger@gmail.com I’m also not looking to take credit for stuff I don’t do if I can avoid it, so send at most 3 pieces just so I can get an idea for your style/fairness.

Lastly – a new banner. Anything is better than the current one and I’m no graphic artist lol

Assault Heroes

indiearcade — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 22:26:47 +0000

Assault Heroes

In a nutshell, why play Smash TV when you can play this? This is the first thing that came to mind when I played this. Smash TV is a classic and all, but I can’t help but think how many people would rather jump into an old game that they know, when for an extra 400 pts they can play the newer improved version. Assault Heroes is not a game you play for the storyline, you play it because you are blowing up all and sundry because uhh.. who cares, it’s fun and it has great co-op play.

The game is mostly played in vehicle mode and has 3 weapons. Flamethrower, Missiles, Machine Gun. Each is upgradable twice and each has a specific use. You can also get a homing missile upgrade, but you won’t be running around as a walking cannon of death i.e. R-Type japanese shooter style. Rather you’ll be switching between weapons as each are defined for a specific purpose. Personally I find this sort of gameplay more interesting. Flamethrower is for infantry and swarming weak targets, the machine gun is a general purpose rapid fire weapon, weak but ideal for long range and light vehicle targets and the missiles are for armored targets. The only weak spot in the game, if you can call it that is that the missiles are supposed to be slow but they aren’t *that* slow and you can get through 90% of the game only using this weapon even though it’s not as safe or efficient as switching out.

This game also believes in the big boss fights which Smash TV lacks and you can see an example above. One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is that when your vehicle gets blown up, you’re not dead yet. You get to run around as a human and can still throw grenades and nukes. Your basic firepower has reduced damage and range and you can die in one hit unlike being in vehicle. However there are shots that reduce you to no health instantly in vehicle form too so the result is, being a human vs a vehicle is actually not that much of an advantage and you can get out of the vehicle at any time and to pick up a powerup or fight. It’s your choice. There are also bonus levels that literally drop you into a Smash TV style dungeon and you’ll be fighting it out with only one death allowed before you get portalled out. These areas act more as bonus levels than a core part of the game experience but nonetheless it’s nice to see homage paid to it’s inspiration.

Overall this is a great game which the demo makes seem more boring than it actually is. It may feel a little slow paced initially because you can never outpace the rate the screen automatically scrolls but as time goes on, you’ll not care. Things get more than hectic enough where you’ll wish it was slower. The game is a bit on the easy side but there are enough levels to make the experience feel meaty, yet not overwhelming where you won’t want to play it again. It’s the perfect game to come back to again and again and master all the levels (including the bonus ones) thanks to the level select on the menu (which I wish more games had). This is probably the second game you should show a traditional “core gamer” after Small Arms.

Lost Planet – Map Pack 1 DLC Review

indiearcade — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:18:10 +0000

Well this is Lost Planet’s first DLC and it’s a little expensive for what you get. You get two new maps and the novelty about them is that they are not covered in snow and get to show off the graphics engine a little more than the core game themes allow, especially the map with the broken bridges and islands. However if you’re saying WTF 400 pts only for 2 maps? you’d be right. I definitely feel 4 would have been better value, maybe even 6. The gameplay isn’t fundamentally different enough on either of these maps that you’d be missing out if you didn’t buy this pack. Radar Station is probably the biggest laugh as you spawn on these tiny ledges with rocket launchers and sometimes you can have an enemy spawn on the ledge next to you so it becomes a race to blow each other up first. I like how each of Lost Planet’s maps have a different feel and almost different gametype associated with each one but ultimately this one’s for hardcore fans only. If you play Lost Planet casually or spend more time in Gears or R6 then it’s worth skipping this one.

Test Drive Unlimited – Hardcore Mode DLC review

indiearcade — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:11:39 +0000

This one’s pretty hit or miss. Some people love it and some people hate it and arguably you get far more benefit from this if you own a MS Wireless Racing Wheel since that’s what it was designed around. The reaction on the forums is pretty mixed, some people swear it is far more realistic even on a pad but in my experience they basically killed the turn rate, decreased friction and gravity even more. If you originally had issues wtih the game physics then this mode makes it worse, not better. The price is only 160 pts so it’s not too expensive to try. The bottom line is, if you dislike the game’s physics – skip it. If you like the game’s physics, already drive around with no driving aids on even in Class A’s and are looking for a bigger challenge pick this up.

Test Drive Unlimited – Racer’s Guild 2 DLC review

indiearcade — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:00:55 +0000

This is the second pack in the Racer’s Guild series and like the first one is more than passable. In fact moreso. Most people will buy this to get the Ferrari F40 (I would have preferred the Testa Rossa ) and they will feel cheated because the F40 is untunable which is a crime. There’s nothing else really notable, yet another RUF and this time an unremarkable one. All the rest of the cars are similarly unremarkable, there is a 71 Corvette Stingray convertible if you are a classic collector but you can skip this one. The Merc Benz CLK GTR is probably the best in this pack, it’s not got the best stats but it is highly driftable in hardcore mode. More of a novelty car than anything though.

Where is the Bugatti Veyron already?

Test Drive Unlimited – Racer’s Guild DLC review

indiearcade — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:57:20 +0000

Well I’d say the biggest reason to get this one is for the Mclaren F1 GT if you’re a Mclaren fan. However the Mclaren’s are only the best cars stock. They don’t tune up nearly as well as the cliched Saleen S7′s and the Enzo. The Alfa Brera and the Edonis are also not anywhere near best of breed in Class A so your mileage may vary depending on how much of a supercar collector you are. There is a Viper SRT-10 coupe in here for Viper fans but the best car in here is the RUF RT-12 which is the new best of class B. Personally I only intended to own one RUF and for my class B collection I went with the more exotic Ford GT’s, Jaguar XJ220′s and Lambos. This pack comes down to a matter of taste.

Test Drive Unlimited – Pure Power 2 DLC review

indiearcade — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:52:58 +0000

This pack is definitely worth the points. The Lambo Countach is the fastest class D car in a straight line with average handling, the Noble M400 is the best handling car in the game (this will make Tantalus a lot easier in the endgame), the Corvette C6 is the best braking class C car and possibly in the game, and the RUF RGT is the best overall class D car (if you have this one, class D challenges becomes a joke). With several best of breed cars in this pack, it’s easy to justify the purchase. All the cars mentioned are a small edge over the existing cars the game shipped with, they do not provide an overwhelming edge but an advantage nonetheless that is a bargain for the price.

Outpost Kaloki X – Challenge of the Gods DLC review

indiearcade — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:34:14 +0000

For 100 pts this is a little disappointing. It’s a one mission scenario about the same length as any free one i.e. survival and that’s the problem. The concept revolves around building your space station to the whims of the Olympus gods, only theres quite a few of them and they don’t exactly know what they want. It’s a similar premise to Love Story only not as developed. This one should have been developed into a full campaign as you barely see any interaction with the gods other than the beginning and at the end and it feels just like any 20-40 minute mission in the regular campaign. It’s only 100 pts, but that will subtract from say 400 pts you could have spent on a brand new game. Give this one a miss unless you are a die hard Kaloki fan or if you have 100 pts sitting around and have nothing better to spend it on.