8 Bit Horse

Dustforce

2012-01-29T18:02:00.020-05:00

2D GAME OVERVIEW
Taking a look at platformers in general, most of them are based on fairly odd premises, with mushroom-hopping plumbers rescuing princesses, anthropomorphized animals on missions to save fantasy worlds, and the occasional gravity-flipping sci-fi tale. But even amongst these, Dustforce stands out as being built upon a strange foundation, namely that of sweeping up dust and debris.
Read more »

Montezuma’s Revenge vs. Midnight Mansion HD

2012-01-17T19:44:00.033-05:00

2D GAME VERSUS FEATURE
In the early days of the industry, video games were comprised of a small number of core gameplay mechanics, and the introduction of a single new mechanic – even a small one – could mean the creation of an entirely new genre. For instance, the core mechanic behind Pong was to bounce a ball back and forth between two paddles. By changing the orientation of the gameplay and putting a row of bricks across the top of the screen, the game becomes Breakout. Allow the bricks to move back and forth and shoot at the player while the player shoots back, and the game becomes Space Invaders. This is a bit of an oversimplification, but it shows how a few relatively minor tweaks in the formula allowed for the creation of a number of distinct games, each falling into their own genre.
Read more »

VVVVVV

2012-01-01T11:43:00.018-05:00

2D GAME OVERVIEW
At the start of VVVVVV, Captain Viridian and his five V-named shipmates suddenly encounter some sort of interference that places the ship in peril. The crew heads for the teleporter to get away… but something goes wrong and everyone is sent to a different location. The player controls Viridian as he explores the world to find his crew and return them safely back aboard the vessel.

The player has very limited controls. He can move left and right, and he can flip gravity. There is no jumping on platforms, no climbing ladders, no shooting guns, no collecting upgrades, and no gaining new abilities; there is only movement and gravity. As simple as these mechanics may sound, the entire game is built around this limited control scheme, and each of its challenges centers on using them in various creative ways.
Read more »