N-Control's 360 Avenger

Major Features:
3 arms that allow the player to remote press the X, Y, and B buttons without changing grip or moving the thumbs off the sticks.
Bipod legs that keeps the underside of the controller raised from interference without requiring actually lifting the controller.
Smooth rubberized palmrests which reduce slipping.
“Planks” with dual configurations – one allows hairtrigger action, the other allows users to pull the triggers with their middle fingers. In either case, the users’ index fingers can rest on the bumpers full time, or can slide down and pull the planks if desired.

Evaluation:
3 arms: Using the buttons without lifting your thumb off the RStick is easily learned and very effective. In games like Section8: Predjudice, it allowed the user to steer around corners while reloading, changing grenade type or switching weapons. This small benefit gave a definite advantage on the battlefield. There were a number of times when the reviewer was able to definitively notice he couldn’t have otherwise made the escape, or kill. The B button is especially good, requiring a truly minimal roll of the right palm against the controller. Each arm can be gently bent and adjusted to the position desired. The X arm being the longest occasionally needs readjustment as it gradually bends outwards over the course of several dozen taps. A bigger stiffer X arm would be a good upgrade for the Avenger in a future model. Remotely pressing the buttons becomes so easy and effective that it leaves the reviewer wishing there was a remote A button arm as well, but I can’t imagine how it would be arranged.

The Bipod legs seemed at the start to be the least useful feature, but quickly became really appreciated. Lying back on the couch and propping the controller up on your belly is very comfortable. With the bipod lifting the controller up, there’s no interference from sweaters etc…
The rubberized texture is well done and shows as a high quality product. Although its not going to make or break your game, given the choice, the texture is nicer than the hard plastic of the 360 controller.
The planks were tried in both configurations. In the first mode, the trigger can be activated with your pinky fingers on a hair press. This was easy to set up. Relearning to fire with the third finger instead of the index finger never really felt natural and the reviewer gradually reverted to pulling on the planks with his index fingers. The hair trigger feature worked as advertised, but any increase in response was tempered by getting the index finger past the pivot for the plank which sits between the bumper and the top of the trigger. The secondary configuration where the planks are hooked up to the user’s middle finger (while keeping indexes on the bumpers) was a bit easier to learn since the loops act sort of like a “reminder”. Still this reviewer never quite got the hang of not using his index fingers to pull the gun triggers. In a future version of the Avenger, this reviewer would like to see a rocker that bridges the bumper and trigger, letting the user apply up or down pressure to activate either the bumper or the trigger without moving his finger, and giving up any analog action on the trigger pull.

Cons:

Kontrol Freek controller Mod installed on 360 Controller

Out of the box, the 360 Avenger is not compatible with Joystick Extenders, such as Kontrol Freeks. Fortunately there is a workaround called the Dime Trick, where you put a dime in the extender before attaching it to the controller, and this works without issue. Still, it would be nice if a future version of the Avenger supported extenders without workarounds.
The controller is purpose built to enhance FPS play. We tried a variety of non shooter action games and it didn’t feel as natural. It’s easy to pop the Avenger off the controller so no points were deducted here.

Is it a Cheat?
This reviewer does not consider the Avenger to be a cheat. There is no autofire or silicon doing any of the work for you. The player is still pressing the buttons for every action.

Conclusion:
Ways to fairly improve performance at MP shooters have a high value, it just makes you enjoy the play that much more. The Avenger is absolutely purpose built to do just that. The remote button press features already provide a noticeable improvement in play. The bipod and grip texture is just gravy. The plank configurations didn’t work for us, but they didn’t hinder play either: YMMV. On the other hand, we could imagine enough ways to improve the product that its not possible to give it a perfect score. After extended play, we definitely would not want to play without it.

REVIEW SCORE 4/5

UPDATE: N-Control has released the Avenger for PS3 in recent weeks.  While we see the success of the controller on the 360 controller, it remains to be seen how this design will adapt to the leaner Playstation controller.  If you’ve had a chance to try it, let us know what you think.

Related articles

• Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 “spider” controllers promise more precision in first-person shooters (gamesradar.com)
• N-Control Avenger dominates PlayStation 3 controllers (digitaltrends.com)
• N-Control’s Avenger for PS3 begins pre-sale, officially debuts November 8th (engadget.com)

ASUS - G74SX-A2 - Silent, Fast, Awesome

Recently, ASUS began breathing life back into the PC Gaming scene with the launch of the Republic of Gamers PC computing style brand.  ASUS has always been a strong component brand for PC Gamers and PC builders.  Coming off from successes in the netbook industry, they pressing forward in solidifying ASUS as a powerhouse maker of full systems as well as a component manufacturer.  To date, their top end Portable Gaming Rigs get high reviews in performance.  Their price range keeps them off of big box shelves like Best Buy and FutureShop but lower end versions of the systems do appear there.  After comparing their top end system to the budget versions,  I can’t help but feel that the lower end versions being the only accessible units at the larger retailers is actually hurting the brand and is counterproductive to the initiative as a whole.  That said, those gamers keen enough to do the research and find the top end , G74 series models will be well rewarded.  Not being a huge fan of current 3D tech and itching to try the SSD model, I grabbed the A2 for the review.

Equipped with a powerful quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM,  Nvidia GTX 560M GeForce graphics with 3GB of RAM, and two hard drives, one of which is a 160 GB SSD this is the stuff of dreams.  The trade off from the A1 model is a $200 higher price tag and the drive configuration of 160GB SSD and 750GB HDD vs. a single 1.5GB HDD in the A1.   Impressive as the Tech specs are, the real points go to style and design.  The wrist pad is rubberized and dust resistant, the keyboard face is backlit and finished with fingerprint resistant brushed aluminum with good spacing between the keys and a standalone numberpad.   The unique airflow design pulls air evenly from across the front and out a massive vent in the back.  The result is cool to the touch, near silent operation even when running the latest titles at max resolution.  The is especially true when running exclusively off of the SSD.   The Altec Lansing Speakers put out satisfactory sound but with this size of a rig, I expected better resonance and clarity.

Portability is a convenient feature but don’t expect it to be as light as your iPad or Netbook.  It’s a good thing it comes packaged with its own custom fit Targus backpack.  Buyers be sure to check that retailers aren’t stealing the pack and trying to resell it to you.  It comes in the factory sealed outer container.  The unit also comes with an ASUS ROG gaming mouse that is comparable with some Razer models.

Bottom line: this is a fantastic, ultra silent gaming rig that take on today’s best titles and provides great value at its current price tag.

ASUS – REPUBLIC OF GAMERS – G74SX-A2TECH SPECS

Related articles

• ASUS G74SX-A1 gaming laptop gets rated, loves a bit of Battleship (engadget.com)
• Asetek Keeps New ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) CG8490 Gaming Station Cool in the Heat of Battle (prweb.com)
• Asus’ Republic of Gamers G74Sx 18.4″ 3D laptop is for serious gamers (zdnet.com)

Celebrity voices behind some of today’s hottest video games including Eliza Dushku (Rubi Malone of
WET), Lance Henriksen (Shepard in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare) and Elias Toufexis (Assassin’s Creed)
will join gaming stars of The Electric Playground (Victor Lucas) and celebrated authors of iconic role
playing games (RPG) such as Dungeons & Dragons, Cybergeneration and Mage.

GX Celebrity Guests Include:
Syd Bolton (Curator – Personal Computer & Video Game Museum)
Brentalfloss (Youtube sensation And Video Game Musician)
Jarett Cale (Jeremy – Pure Pwnage)
Eliza Dushku (Rubi Malone – WET)
Ed Greenwood (Author / Creator – Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons)
Shaun Hatton (Correspondent – The Electric Playground)
Lance Henriksen (Shepherd – Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
Geoff Lapaire (Kyle – Pure Pwnage)
Jonathan Lavallee (Author – Cybergeneration)
Robin D. Laws (Author – Dungeons & Dragons, Heroquest)
Matt Levitan (Director of Marketing / Public Relations – Sony Computer Entertainment Canada)
Victor Lucas (Creator / Producer / Host – The Electric Playground)
Red Vs Blue (Stars of the Web-series Red Vs Blue)
Malcolm Sheppard (Author – White Wolf)
Tommy Tallarico (Music Composer – Video Games Live)
Elias Toufexis (Star Voice of Deus Ex: Revolution, Max Steel and Assassin’s Creed)
Pieter Van Hiel (Author – Sanguine Productions)

Key Features and Highlights of the GX – Gaming Expo:
• Canadian National Gaming Tournaments – witness the top players clash in the National Tournaments
for video games, role playing games, collectable card games, miniature games and more
• Autograph Sessions – meet and seek autographs from gaming professionals
• Q&A Sessions – ask the questions you have always wanted of to gaming experts
• Guest Speakers – participate in presentations by gaming industry members
• Workshops and Seminars – learn about working in the Gaming industry
• Canada’s largest Masquerade on Saturday, Aug.27th – dress up as your favourite gaming character
• 600 commercial exhibitors and retailers will offer everything from comics, graphic novels, trades, toys,
games, videos, DVDs, original artwork, posters and more
• Industry Preview Area – see the latest products and services and get a sneak peek at upcoming
projects

I’ve read a few articles about the many problems with the App Hub and Xbox Indie Games, but I can’t find too many about how great it is. So I thought I’d give it a try. Silver Dollar Games would like to share eight reasons why you should make an Xbox Indie Game. This article is purely based on our experiences making Xbox Indie Games from the first day Xbox Indie Games launched till now. Additionally we didn’t consult any other developers while making this article.
1. A Great Place to Start
If you haven’t made a video game before and you’re not sure where to start, Xbox Indie Games is the place to go. The XNA framework is very easy to use. Additionally any problems you encounter, chances are someone has come across it before and they’ll be able to help you. If you’re looking for general knowledge on XNA there are dozens of reference books you can purchase to assist you.
More importantly the Play Test and Peer Review process can be relatively quick if you like. If you follow the guidelines provided in the App Hub forums you can get your game released in two weeks from the first day you submit it. Further to that, if you want extensive feedback on your game you can use the Play Test forums to get feedback from other developers as long as you wish. Xbox Live Indie Games is for everyone and everyone is welcome. The community is very helpful and very excepting of new developers. Give it a try, I’m sure you’re discover the same thing.
2. Helps Dreams Come True
Believe it or not, Xbox Indie Games have made many people’s dreams come true or at least one step closer to it. Each year Microsoft is gracious enough to host a competition with plenty of prizes. The Dream Build Play contest is used to find the best Xbox Indie Games out there. The winners could be offered a chance to put their game on Xbox Live Arcade in addition to cash prizes. Our game Blazing Birds was a lucky winner one year and is now on Xbox Live Arcade. It’s hard to explain how exhilarating it is to have an Xbox Live Arcade game out on the market, but just entering the Dream Build Play contest is exciting in its self.
Xbox Indie Games has also helped many developers get their game on Steam. From what I’ve read in the App Hub forums it’s hard to get an indie game on Steam, but many developers have used their Xbox Indie Game as a sales pitch to Steam. Beat Hazard, Defy Gravity, Your Doodles Are Bugged, Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death IIV are all example of games on Xbox Indie Games that are now on Steam. It’s amazing to see exceptional games get twice the exposure, I believe partly thanks to the amazing opportunity Xbox Indie Games provides.
From time to time there’s talk on the App Hub forums about Xbox Indie Games being a failed venture. People have come up with countless reasons why. Lack of exposure, no achievements and no leader boards are some of the reasons mentioned. It’s not all bad. There are plenty of games that have seen incredible success. Fortress Craft for example is well on its way to making a million dollars. I’ve also read that James Silva bought a house off the sales he made from his game, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!. The Impossible Game is still selling great two years after its release. In fact, if you go to http://marketplace.xbox.com and sort Indie Games by Best Selling All-Time you’ll see a hundred games from all genres that have sold well. All of these games are fantastic in their own right. It’s not impossible to make a buck on indie games. We’re not very good at it ourselves, but many others have been and continue to be each day.
3. Fans and Blogger Support
One of the best things about Xbox Indie Games is the endless support from bloggers and critics. There are many websites out there dedicated to showing the world all the great Xbox Indie Games. I won’t name them, but a simple Google search will turn up hundreds of sites. The passion people have for Xbox Indie Games is extraordinary. It’s not just bloggers and critics though. Thousands of fans take the time to write us developers. I myself have received dozens of e-mails about our games and I know, from looking at their websites, that other developers like Digital DNA and Stegersaurus Games have received much acclaim as well.
I assure you, if you make an Xbox Indie Game you’ll find someone out there that’ll enjoy it. I can’t think of too many things more rewarding than having someone finish your game and tell you how much they loved it. That’s reason enough to make an Xbox Indie Game.
The support goes beyond blogs, reviews and fans though. Have you heard about the Indie Games Winter Uprising from 2010? How about the Indie Games Summer Uprising? Well… people like Dave Voyles and Kris Steele are just a few of the many people working overtime to make promotions like the Uprisings happen. Everyone I know and spoken to do all this work for free. No one’s getting money from promoting Indie Games. I’m guessing they’re all helping out because they believe Xbox Indie Games something special.
4. Making Friends on Twitter
Twitter is bustling with talkative developers, all sharing ideas and concepts. All you have to do is look around the App Hub forums and get a few peoples Twitter accounts. Most developers I’ve come across have been very helpful on twitter. Sharing links to articles, reviews and promotions. Good news travels fast on Twitter, but especially within the Xbox Indie Games community. Part of being indie means doing things without corporate backing. That includes promoting your product. With many App Hub developers cheering on your game via Twitter, it tends to create a new form of marketing. It’s the ultimate word of mouth. It’s really exciting to see the buzz circulating on Twitter when a new game is released.
5. Seeing Your Game on Xbox
There are plenty of places to find flash games on the net and many iPhone/iPad games out there. But there’s something special about telling people you have a game on Xbox. Some developers have talked in the App Hub forums about how the Indie Games section is hard to find on the Xbox Dashboard. Well we made a fun little video to help people find Indie Games easier. The video features games other than our own because we wanted to help promote other developers on Xbox Indie Games.

Even with Xbox Indie Game’s seemingly hidden status, it’s still great to tell your friends you have a game on the Xbox, whether they can find it or not. I feel the fact that anyone has the capability to distribute a game on the Xbox is a huge accomplishment for Microsoft.
6. Creative Freedom
So you don’t have a team of programmers and artists? You don’t have huge budget for development and marketing? You have to make the coffee yourself? So what’s so great about being “Indie”?
The answer is “freedom”. Because an indie game developer has less overhead and comparatively low development costs, they can assume greater risk. This allows the indie developer to create a project that has the potential to completely tank in the marketplace and still remain is business. A few thousand dollars in labour and assets is nothing compared to the tens of millions of dollars many AAA games demand.
To make the most out of being “indie” you need to explore your unique advantages. Making extremely low budget versions of XBLA or AAA games is fine but you’d be neglecting the most important opportunity the indie developer has.
It means creating concepts that players have never been exposed to. It means introducing new ideas to the gaming community and watching the reaction whether it be good or bad. It means thinking “I have no idea if this will work” and doing it anyway because it’s unproven.
7. Why So Serious?
Xbox Indie Games is a great place to get goofy and have fun. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of serious games on the service, but if you’re looking to make something you wouldn’t normally see on Play Station Network or Xbox Live Arcade it’s the place to be. There are dozens of developers on the App Hub trying out new things all the time. If you don’t take Xbox Indie Games with too much reverence you’ll be able to have a lot of fun making games. We at Silver Dollar love games that make us laugh. For example, our latest game ‘Xbox On The Go’ is a joke about unpractical applications for the Xbox.

Another example of goofiness in indie games is the really cool song in I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!, which I read was sung by the programmer himself. Also Baby Maker Extreme is a hilarious physics game that will have you laughing. There are plenty of other examples of fun and experimental ideas people have tried, just look through the catalogue and you’ll see what I mean. If you have a goofy game idea, Xbox Indie Game is a great place to try it out.
8. Jim Perry and the Other MVPs
Jim Perry, Mach X Games is his App Hub name, is a MVP for the App Hub and a huge supporter of Xbox Indie Games. He’s been an App Hub member since the beginning, when it was called Community Games, and knows the system inside and out. He has over twelve thousand posts on the forums, most of which are helping others in need. I’ve read a few posts in the App Hub forums about the lack of support Xbox Indie developers get from Microsoft. From my experiences, Jim Perry and the other MVPs really have filled that gap. Jim Perry has been on the front lines of every problem, listening to every complaint and he’s done everything within his power to make things right.
In my opinion they’re two kinds of problems new developers can have when working on The App Hub. The first problem is figuring out how the whole process works. What content can you have in a game? What are the rules of the Peer Review process? How to summit a game to Play Test? The second problem is technical, which encompasses every question you could possibly have about XNA. Both of these questions Jim Perry has helped out with hundreds of times. His well rounded knowledge makes him one of the most valuable people involved in XNA and Xbox Indie Games.
I should mention that all the MVPs on The App Hub are extraordinarily helpful, but I wanted to highlight Jim Perry because I feel his efforts go far beyond the call of duty. I’ve seen activity from him almost every day for the last three years and all he’s tried to do is help make Xbox Indie Games a special place for everyone. I didn’t consult Jim or any of the other MVPs when I wrote this and this comes purely from our experiences.

Related articles

• Xbox Live Indie Games Struggle For Profitability (games.slashdot.org)
• FortressCraft Breaks the $1 Million Barrier on Xbox Live Indie Games [Xbla] (kotaku.com)
• These Eight Xbox Indie Games Will Rise This Summer [Video] (kotaku.com)
• Toronto Indie Game Tuesday: Ponycorns, Pixels & Grids (dorkshelf.com)

On April 28th, Toronto Gamers, Boris Pan (aka: Brainfire)  and Julie Ford are hosting  ”Games for Hope” at The Garrison in downtown Toronto.

“Games for Hope” is a video gaming fund raising event dedicated to contributing videogaming equipment and games for children to enjoy who might otherwise not be able to.   This year, they are raising funds for The Darling Home for Kids.

The inspiration for this event comes from a charity known as Child’s Play.   Brainfire states that he has quite a lot of admiration for Child’s Play.

As a life-long gamer, when I was thinking of ways to make a difference in my community, I looked at Child’s Play and got inspired to do something that would benefit kids while creating a evening of entertainment and fun.

“The event is all about video games.   Sony Canada has been so generous in lending us 8 kiosks with a variety of games including a couple of consoles dedicated to the Playstation Move.   We’re also going to be showcasing the just-released Mortal Kombat game on the Playstation 3 with a tournament and prizes to the winners.” – Boris Pan

Eclectic Groove DJ’s, Kris and gl.itch will be spinning throughout the evening and the Brainfire wants us to know that there will be other goodies and surprises they are keeping to ourselves.

I guess we will just have to head down to check it out for ourselves.  It sounds like a great evening out for gamers in the Toronto community, definitely head down for some fun and support a great cause.

If you can’t make it but would like to donate, you can click here to Support the Darling Home for Kids.

About the Darling Home for Kids:
The Darling Home provides pediatric hospice care and respite services to families within communities in Ontario who have children with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. They provide a comfortable home-like environment where professionally trained staff give supportand care for kids who have diseases that leave them dependent on technology to live.

Related articles

• “Mortal Kombat Hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Today…Fatality” and related posts (dreamstation.cc)

1. Announce your intent to release a game.
2. Finish the game.
3. Upload the game.
4. Post, spam and generally inundate all forms of social media that your game exists in hopes that it will stand out, if for but a few short weeks. (or days…or hours….)
5. Wait for sales revenue to accumulate.  (While waiting, entertain yourself by reading the user reviews.)

http://2dboy.com/2011/02/08/ipad-launch/

World of Goo developer, 2D Boy, decided to take control of this final step by providing a response to the user reviews and a publicly viewable design analysis.

2D Boy delivers an interesting read about their experience with releasing an established title in the AppStore. Often reserved for industry publications and conference presentations, design analysis and project postmortems are seldom made available at the consumer level.   World of Goo has met with considerable success on the PC as well as a downloadable Wii title.  (You can check out World of Goo (PC), in our store.) After a failed attempt to launch the game on the iPhone last year, the game did successfully launch on the iPad via the AppStore.  As we have discussed many times here at DDGW, the AppStore is a wildly different environment for selling games that requires a different approach to developing, launching, and marketing your game.

As for a review of the game, I believe their own design analysis says it all.  That said, I gave it 5 stars in the appstore and 4.5/5 here at DDGW.  It is truly original, captivating and addictive.  What more could you ask for in a casual game?

Apple is not providing a live video feed.  Many eager fans are losing connections to the user streamed video and live blogs, if you are having trouble with any of the following live blogs, have no fear, we will be providing updates at DDGameWorld.com, feel free to bookmark us now.  (press CTRL D).

Live Blogs: (Update: gizmodo is down, your best bet is MobileCrunch or MacWorld)

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/live-from-apples-iPad-2-event/
http://live.gizmodo.com/
http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/03/02/apples-iPad-2-event-live-update/
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/01/live-blog-apple-iPad-2-event/

Live UPDATES*:

09:52 PST: Almost Ready to go, everyone is seated.  Pixar’s John Lasseter has been spotted.

09:55PST: I think Apple thinks everyone is a Beatles fan.  Make it stop!

09:58 PST: 2 minutes!

10:00PST: Please silence your phones, (those watching live video from cell phones may lose your connections now.)

10:03PST: Steve Jobs is on stage!

Apple sold over 15 million iPads in 2010, generating over 9.5 billion in revenues for the company.

90% Market Share

65,000 unique ipad apps are available.

100 unique Android tablet apps.  (DDGameWorld translates the facts: Apple iPad: WIN, Android Tablet: DNF)

New genre in computing is born: “POST-PC Device”

So far, they’ve dropped “revolutionary”, “magic”, and “game changer”

And here it comes… the iPad 2!!! …

• Dual Core Processors, Up to 2x faster CPU (a5)
• Front and Rear Cameras
• Gyroscope
• 1/3thinner (13.4mm -> 8mm), thinner than the iPhone 4
• 1.5lbs-> 1.3 lbs
• Comes in white (ships white on day one, audience laughs)
• 10 hour battery life
• Price point remains at $799USD with 5 of 6 models priced less (see pic below)
• March 11 in the US, March 25 in many others

• HDMI mirrored output
• Up to 1080 P
• Works with all apps
• Supports rotation
• No setup or config
• 

Polyeurethane ($39) and Leather ($69) will ship in multiple colours and feature a magnetic holder that wakes and sleeps the ipad when used.  The cover folds back to create a stand for the pad.

And that folks is the iPad2, Scott Forstall takes the stage to talk tech and performance and the upgrades expected in 4.3 to benefit iPad 1 & 2.

iOS4.3 with improved javascript, Safari, and Facetime between all apple OS devices ships March 11 (FREE).

Steve Jobs returns to the stage.  Audience approves: New iMovie for iPAD and , wait for it, GARAGE BAND for iPad!!!

Garageband is getting alot of “facetime”, it is fully featured and jam packed with instruments.  Touch and pressure sensitive control allows users to create music on any instrument.

Steve Jobs; “A lot of folks in this tablet market are rushing in, looking at this as the next PC. hardware and software are done by different companies, talking about speeds just as they would with PCs. Every bone in our body says this is not the right approach”

Jobs thanks the build team, family and friends and that’s a wrap folks. There is a whole new world of possibilities for iOS gaming and we are left, after this launch, pretty excited. Being in Canada, it’s going to be an excruciating long wait until 26Mar11 or however long it takes to get our hand on one.

Available on the PlayStation Network as a digital download, About a Blob is a campy 2-D monster-movie-inspired puzzle platformer that will no doubt strike a chord with the inherent glutinous characteristics that are woven into the fabric of our being. The need we humans feel to constantly consume, gain and grow (sometimes intellectually, but most of the time physically), is the distinct idiosyncrasy in which Tales from Space: About a Blob is built upon.

About a Blob shares a similar feature to that of games like Katamari Damacy, where the objective is to make your way through the levels and consume as many objects as possible to grow bigger and stronger, while battling, or in most cases absorbing your enemies.  Simple enough. But fear not the game has more depth than what appears on the surface.

You start off the game as a tiny gelatinous jellylike blob from outer space who has crash-landed on Earth, only to be captured by the quintessential parabolic mirror-wearing Mad Scientist. Holding you hostage in his villainous lab where he plans to run experiments on you – which may or may not involve beakers and pool balls – your objective is to squish and squeeze your gooey self out of captivity and begin your quest to gain freedom by consuming and absorbing everything in your path.

The game features zero dialogue, other than the occasional cutesy Lego-style grunts and generic grumbles, but this doesn’t belittle the plot of the game or detract the player from becoming invested in the story and connected to the gummy bear-like protagonist.

I can’t describe how immensely gratifying it is to watch your blog grow and expand to immense proportions as he continuously absorbs objects of increasing proportions. Don’t be surprised if a Tamagotchi-esque bond occurs between you and your blob as you progress through the game.

As I mentioned above, this game isn’t just a free-for-all buffet-style eat ‘em up. There’s more to it than just scarfing down objects and satisfying your voracious blobby appetite. As the game progresses you’ll be faced with challenging physics-based puzzles that require players to strategically navigate their way through the levels by avoiding blob-frying laser beams, activating gates, triggering weight sensing plates by barfing up consumed objects, and gaining enough mass to reach the required goal for each level – without which you cannot proceed. And that’s all before you obtain your special abilities to become electrically charged and magnetized, all of which add another layer of difficulty and “strategery“ to the puzzles.

The game mechanics used in About a Blob are by no means breakthrough or original. But DrinkBox has managed to execute them with artistic discretion and an engaging playfulness that makes it somehow feel innovative, fresh, and immensely addictive.

What really makes About a Blob so enjoyable is the wit and personality that oozes from every aspect of the game. The developers have managed to add generous servings of their own charm and personality throughout the game. These little “Easter eggs”, if you will, are mostly in the form of funny gags and background signs and billboards, like a bottle of glue labelled “Glue (not mayo)”. No doubt, one of the devs holds on to an interesting story from his/her past, which I’m sure we can guess what the result was.

Adding to this, the game features a fantastic retro art style and science fiction inspired score that sets the perfect tone for the games environments and scenarios.

About a Blob provides gamers with 17 levels ranging from quick and easy to challenging and difficult. What‘s not difficult however, are the boss battles. Having said that, I beat this game playing the local co-op campaign and not the single player campaign – which may explain why…maybe? But it was with my girlfriend, so it might as well have been single player. I found almost every boss battle to be incredibly easy and predictable, with only the final boss presenting any real level of difficulty and marginal palm sweat.

Overall, About a Blob is incredibly enjoyable, be it single player campaign or local co-op. It’s crafted with passion and care, and DrinkBox made sure they took the necessary time to make every aspect of this game chalked full of wit, charm and amusement. Sony made the right choice accepting DrinBox Studios’ first console game into their Pub Fund program, as About a Blob has proved it belongs alongside other breakout Pub Fund games like Joe Danger and Burn Zombie Burn.

Tales from Space: About a Blob is available as an automatic download for PlayStation Plus members and $15 dollars for non PlayStation Plus members.

Tl;dnr

The Good:

• Awesome retro art style and science fiction inspired theme and musical score.
• Charming, fun and whimsical characters, gameplay and puzzles.
• Great personality and Drinkbox Dev humor inserted into the game.
• Gameplay and mechanics aren’t anything new but come off as fresh and strangely innovative.
• Yet another substantial indie game, from yet another Toronto indie dev studio.
• Well designed and executed physics-based puzzles and integration of special abilities used to solve puzzles.
• About a Blog may not go down in history as other great indies like Braid and Super Meat Boy, but it has set the bar high for indie games in 2011.

The Bad:

• Although the game is well done overall, there are the occasional tell-tale signs of an indie game: repetitive enemy models, environmental objects etc.
• Local co-op campaign is fun but online co-op would have been fantastical times.
• Boss battles are a cakewalk.
• 15$ price tag may scare off some gamers, but those budgetary button bashers will most likely come back around if it ever goes on sale.

You’ll like this game if you like: Joe Daner, DeathSpank, Katamari Damacy, PixelJunk Shooter, Earthworm Jim, LoccoRocco.

Platform: PS3

Developer/Studio: DrinkBox Studio

Reco: Buy it

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In development for over 2 years, Tales from Space: About a Blob will be released as part of Sony’s “Pub Fund” program. The game features a monster movie setting, retro inspired art style and puzzle-focused platforming gameplay, as well as prescribed  daily doses of humor.

Features:

2 player co-op

1080p HD format

Online Leader boards

“Players will interact with the game environment using unique growth and absorption control mechanics, experiencing the world at vastly different scales as they progress. Both single-player and co-op play will be supported.” said Ryan MacLean, CEO of DrinkBox Studios. He continued: “We’re extremely excited to be releasing the game on the PlayStation®3 system.”

About Sony’s “Pub Fund” Program

Developers looking to release a game through the Pub Fund initiative must be prepared to build it to completion and commit to a period of console platform exclusivity. In return, approved developers receive a development-budget-matching royalty guarantee from SCEA. A number of popular PlayStation®Network games, including Burn Zombie Burn by DoubleSix and Joe Danger by Hello Games, have already been released through the program.

Ryan MacLean had this to say about the initiative:

“Pub Fund has been a good fit for us. The royalty guarantee and other Pub Fund terms have allowed us to confidently focus on finishing our game while retaining ownership and artistic control over the project. Working with SCEA has been a great experience in general: The advice they have given us over the course of development has helped us build a better game. We’re excited to be working with them on this project!”.

For more information about the game please visit the official Tales from Space: About a Blob blog at www.aboutablob.com.

FOR MORE DLC NEWS AND INFO YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @THE_GEEKJOCK

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Line tracing games gained in popularity in early 2010 but lost some of their appeal as casual users got caught up in the 3 star puzzle craze with the likes of Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope etc.   Fare City launched late into the line drawing phase but brought alot to the table with clean, polished design and a variety of playmodes.

In Fare City, you draw paths for taxis to passengers and then their destinations.  The line tracing is quick and responsive and uses a snap to grid system that allows users to be accurate and fast.   To keep things simple, there is a wraparound feature on the map that keeps cars from driving off the map with your passengers.  As you continue, more passengers appear on the map and more taxis become available.

Fare City delivers a casual, yet challenging game experience without getting too frantic.  It has a very subtle escalation of difficulty that offers just a touch of forgiveness at higher levels.  If you have more than 2 taxis and there is a collision, you will be able to keep playing with your remaining taxi until more return to the game.  This is much better than the sudden death experience that dominates almost every other line tracing game.

Fare City offers 4 game modes and a number of interesting map variations.

The music and art lend perfectly to the platform and allow this game to have a broad appeal to a large audience.   If you are as tired as I am of squawking feathers, fruity ninjas or rope swinging frogs, give Fare City another chance, its available for only 0.99 or in a free lite version as well.