Today’s games include a decent cartoon racer, a Japanese space shoot em up (Shmup) and an unusual marble like shooter. The latter game is actually multiplayer, but I think it’s worth exploring as it really does feel like you’re playing a single player game. I’ve not played it for a while so don’t know how the servers are, but it may be a good game to play with some of the giveawayoftheday steam group. There are around 40 members now. If we all downloaded it we could have an amazing game. :)
Super Tux Kart
One of the few Super Nintendo games that have really stood the test of time is Mario Kart, and the concept of guiding an armed cartoon character around a series of tracks never seems to lose its appeal. SuperTuxKart provides you with a blast from the past with a game that borrows more than a little of its ideas from the Nintendo classic.
Despite being a bit of a rip-off of Mario Kart (or because of it, depending on which way you look at it), this game is great fun to play. The courses are diverse, challenging and easy on the eye, and the characters are interesting too. There are lots of amusing power-ups to pick up and chuck at your opponents along the way, and the computer-controlled drivers are certainly not afraid to use them, so you need to be on your toes if you want to get anywhere in SuperTuxKart.
There are three different game modes to test you, namely: Time Trial, Quick Race and Grand Prix. Unfortunately, there's no equivalent of Mario Kart's Battle Mode, which is still my favorite part of the game. Also, as the game is still in development, there are a few glitches such as the fact that some of the levels take a long time to load.
Reference: http://supertuxkart.en.softonic.com/mac accessed Aug 25th 2009
SuperTuxKart is an arcade kart racing game featuring Tux and friends. It is a fun-racer game, focusing ease of play.
Super Tux Kart is a fun little racing software similar to the very popular Super Mario Kart 64 game. Players can choose between Grand Prix, Quick Race and Time Trial modes, and multiplayer modes for two, three or four participants. After deciding on a skill level, you can select from a choice of nine characters. Finally you choose one of 15 well designed tracks, and enjoy the ride. Soundtrack and background music isn’t bad either.
Version 0.5 offers 6 new and improved tracks, a new game mode (´Follow the Leader´), new Grand Prix, new menu, some new music, and translations into German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Swedish. The new tracks and game modes need to be unlocked: you have to fulfill a challenge in order to use them. If all challenges are done, a preview of the upcoming skidding support can be tested.
Information:
http://supertuxkart.sourceforge.net/Style_Guidelines
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Download
http://sourceforge.net/projects/supertuxkart/
or
http://www.demonews.com/download-4421.html
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Mac version:
http://supertuxkart.en.softonic.com/mac/download
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Linux version:
http://linux.about.com/b/2007/08/01/super-tux-kart-version-03-released.htm
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Cho Ren Sha 64K (<1Mb)
A vertically scrolling shoot 'em up from Japan, which uses an interesting power-up method.
This action shoot 'em up from Japan contains blistering speed, high octane explosions and enemy bosses which fill a quarter of the screen. What's not to love? lol
The story fits the bill of any game of this sort - fly for no reason while billions of unnamed enemies are trying to blow you up. Fortunately, the enemies are largely weak and often help you by dropping supplies when they die.
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The usual method of power-ups has been dispensed with here (a random box of goodies) and you're given the choice of three power ups, which rotate in a triangular pattern. These are shield, power and bombs.
You can either choose one power-up specifically, or fly into the center for a moment and receive all three plus bonus points. However, this may have the undesired effect of you accidentally nudging a power up you don't specifically need at that point, so attempt this with skill.
Its pace is blistering and the enemy waves are never monotonous. Frequently ships of larger size follow a few waves of smaller, easier ships to break up any monotony. Not all of them have to be destroyed - they fly away after a set time period, which reduces any "I just have to get this last one" frustration which sometimes happens in shooters.
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To summarize - it looks good. It plays well. It sounds nice. The power up system is innovative and brings an extra level of play to the repetitious shoot, explode, wait. In short, its a very solid game which you'd do well to check out.
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Images courtesy o The Katz forums:
http://www.katzforums.com/showthread.php?t=299450
Download
http://www.acid-play.com/download/cho-ren-sha-68k/
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I don’t usually include multiplayer games in this project; partly because of my reticence at playing online; (though I’m slowly overcoming that problem. I decided to include this in the project because it’s not like you’re actually competing against other human players (even though you are), it’s just feels like a very intelligent arcade space shooter.. The game has been around for a couple of years and is soon to have a commercial counterpart (to be released on Steam on the 17th Sept) called Mad balls Babo invasion.
Baboviolent 211.2Mb
BaboViolent 2 is a freeware game developed by the cool Canadian crew that makes up RndLabs. The game was released upon the world in October 2006 as a test of a network library. However, the fact that it was simply a test didn't deter the crowd that flocked to play it.
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BV2 is a top down shooter where you control a "Babo," a red or blue orb that rolls around the screen with one of six weapons attached to it. The intuitive keyboard + mouse interface helps you get into the thick of the action as quick as possible. It's as simple as joining one of the many active servers and hitting 'F'. You are immediately dropped into the action and start tossing grenades and molotov cocktails at anything that moves while firing to stay alive.
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The success of the game is due in large part to its very easy and immersive game play. However, game balance should also receive its due credit for the game's popularity. Damage settings, weapon ranges, firing rates, and med-kits have all been tweaked to provide wonderful balance. There is no killer combination that runs the show... anyone and everyone is a contender with whatever weapon they choose to master.
What really sets people above the rest in BV2 isn't the ability to kill but the ability to stay alive.
Game Features:
Battle in 13 maps suited for 2 to 32 players.
Try different game types like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch
and Capture the Flag.
Master all 6 weapons, grenades and more.
Easily find games with a convenient server list.
Featuring music from Lamb of God.
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More Images:
http://www.rndlabs.ca/bv2/screenshots.php
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Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjW4jAZjkAY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9BjVfcrU7Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIuQQe5xa4Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peIwliCgtGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP7640Nlpl4
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further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BaboViolent_2
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Download:
http://www.rndlabs.ca/main/
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p.s.
please excuse a couple of the images above. I neglected to put them through my image editor. I may reduce their size a little tomorrow. I need to take a break as it's getting late. :)
