Okay, at risk of getting my head blown off by the sheer amount of frantic gamer spooge flying from my screen from all the fan wankery over this, I'm going to provoke a Battle of the Indie Games!
In the Red Corner: Braid
Released recently on Xbox, Braid is a puzzle/platformer game that uses a time based mechanic similar to Prince of Persia. The game was created by Jonathan Blow, an indie game developer, who sunk 180k of his own money and three years of his life into the game. The plot revolves around a man named Tim, who wants to rescue a princess for vague, unexplained reasons. The game has been winning praise from reviewers around the world, including our own Yahtzee, who gave his typical somewhat backhanded style of approval. The game has been criticized for being too hard, and for having some rather unfair puzzles. Braid is available for $15 on Xbox Live.
In the Blue Corner: Cave Story
Also known as Dokutsu Monogatari in the original Japanese, Cave Story is a action/adventure platformer similar in style to Metroid or Castlevania. Like Braid, Cave Story was created over five years by a single developer, Daisuke Amaya, who goes by the name Studio Pixel. Cave Story has been fully translated into English by Aeon Genesis. Cave Story is made entirely in an 8-bit art style, which some seem to alternatively love or hate. Cave Story's, well, story, revolves around the initially unnamed protagonist, who wakes up in a cave with no backstory or exposition whatsoever. The game's story unfolds as it progresses, which involves rabbit-like creatures called Mimigas, an evil doctor with magical powers, and a stranded research team. Cave Story has likewise been praised by reviewers, not including our own Yahtzee (though he should look it up), though it too has sometimes been criticized for being too difficult, particularly the boss fights. Cave Story is available free from charge at http://www.miraigamer.net/cavestory/
Let the battle begin!
In the Red Corner: Braid
Released recently on Xbox, Braid is a puzzle/platformer game that uses a time based mechanic similar to Prince of Persia. The game was created by Jonathan Blow, an indie game developer, who sunk 180k of his own money and three years of his life into the game. The plot revolves around a man named Tim, who wants to rescue a princess for vague, unexplained reasons. The game has been winning praise from reviewers around the world, including our own Yahtzee, who gave his typical somewhat backhanded style of approval. The game has been criticized for being too hard, and for having some rather unfair puzzles. Braid is available for $15 on Xbox Live.
In the Blue Corner: Cave Story
Also known as Dokutsu Monogatari in the original Japanese, Cave Story is a action/adventure platformer similar in style to Metroid or Castlevania. Like Braid, Cave Story was created over five years by a single developer, Daisuke Amaya, who goes by the name Studio Pixel. Cave Story has been fully translated into English by Aeon Genesis. Cave Story is made entirely in an 8-bit art style, which some seem to alternatively love or hate. Cave Story's, well, story, revolves around the initially unnamed protagonist, who wakes up in a cave with no backstory or exposition whatsoever. The game's story unfolds as it progresses, which involves rabbit-like creatures called Mimigas, an evil doctor with magical powers, and a stranded research team. Cave Story has likewise been praised by reviewers, not including our own Yahtzee (though he should look it up), though it too has sometimes been criticized for being too difficult, particularly the boss fights. Cave Story is available free from charge at http://www.miraigamer.net/cavestory/
Let the battle begin!
