IG: Independent Games Volume 2
Score: 88% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Moondance Games Developer: Moondance Games Media: CD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: I thought trying to make it through just one game in a review was a tough assignment. With The Best Independent Games: Volume 2, there are 21 games with over 7 genres to try and present for you. These games represent independent and student endeavours to create fun and compelling games for all. Anyone who has kept up with me knows I support and embrace Indie gaming. There is some really great stuff on this disk, and there are one or two things that need quite a bit of spit and polish. Inside of the section on gameplay, I am going to give you my top five of the 21 games available to you. For the rest of the review, I am going to concentrate on the game delivery system. As far as graphics are concerned, the interface is clean and easy on the eyes. It is expertly done, as there isn't much need for advanced graphics in a 2D game interface. There is, unfortunately, a very annoying base track loop that will make you want to get out of the menu as soon as possible.
Gameplay: So without further delay, let's look at what I think is the best of The Best Independent Games: Volume 2. I am naming these as they appear down the menu list. Goat in the Grey Fedora, from Pinhead games, is a follow-up to their award-winning game, A Case of the Crabs. You follow detective Nick Bounty as you search for a lost family relic. This point and click adventure isn't as beautiful as Myst, but it was very entertaining. NERO from University of Texas at Austin: DMC, UTCS is as close to Skynet as we can play with right now. NERO stands for Neuro Evolving Robotic Operatives. As fun as the game itself is to get into, I look forward to the implications of what they are doing in gaming today. You teach your team through generations of evolving robots. Teach them to fight and obtain goals as you weed out those who just don't get it. This game is the IGF Student Showcase Winner for Middleware. Palette is a visual puzzle game where you drop and mix colors to place in their proper areas in stained glass creations. This was my favorite puzzle game in the collection. And, apparently I wasn't the only one as it took in an award for IGF Student Showcase Winner. Sharko from Sleazysoft is a simple yet extremely addictive game. You play a baby shark trying to make it in the world. The rules are simple. You can't eat anything bigger than you. Move up and down, back and forth in this scrolling game of Darwinian survival. Last, but by far not least, is MUDCRAFT from THE LLAMAPAD. This simple RTS uses basic elements to create a very challenging and addictive game. As people made of mud, you do your best against natural predators and the elements. The cool thing I want to mention is that as a mud person caught in the rain... you melt... duh. To repair them, you have a fellow mud person pour more dirt on them to repair them. I thought this was cool. Here are all 23 of the 21 games. Yea, I didn't get that one either. Maybe because one is played online only and the other is a download, they didn't count them. Anyway, on to the games: Acamar Campaign Bubble Chamber CamTANKera Classic PuffBOMB Complements Flatspace G-Spot Tornado Goat in the Grey Fedora Hot Potato Online Invadazoid Kishi Kawaii Kosumi Morning's Wrath MUDCRAFT NERO Ocular Ink Palette Pogo Sticker Puppy Love Sharko Stunt Bike Island Tube Twist Unipong Wrestling Encore
Difficulty: There are challenges for all ages on this disk. I was quite pleased with the levels of complexity I found in many of the games showcased here. You may let the thought of a disk full of independent games throw you off a bit, but the fact is these are some of the best indie and students projects I have ever come across. Once again, from the top of my soap box, with games becoming increasingly more expensive to make with the giant "wow" factor budgets, you are going to see more and more great stuff coming from the indie gaming community. People used to look at it as a sub-culture, but now its is more appropriately defined as a grass roots return to good, clean, and challenging game design.
Game Mechanics: There are just too many to go through individually here. There are many unique concepts that you are not going to see in mainstream gaming. That is what makes many of these games unique. I really liked this collection. There are many games that are just plain simple, challenging and addictive. I look forward to next year's compilation. It will probably take me that long to get through every single game to completion. But alas, that is my cross to bear. I highly recommend picking up this set. Twenty-one games for the price of one is nothing to sneeze at. They work on a wide range of computers, so you don't require the most up to date system. This game choice isn't going to keep you awake worrying about the price you paid. The puzzle games however may keep you up many nights.
-WUMPUSJAGGER, GameVortex Communications AKA Bryon Lloyd
Minimum System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, PIII (900Mhz), 128 MB, 700 MB Free, 8X CD or higher, DX Compatible Video Card with 32 MB RAM, DX Compatible Sound, DX 9 or Higher, Networking for online games.   Test System: Windows XP Pro, 3.2 GHz P4HT CPU, 2 GB Ram, 256 PCIE 16 ATI X300
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