Here are some recent posts of mine from Indygamer, for those who don't get over there very much or at all. Though if indy games are your thing, I suggest you take at look at the site. There is news about the scene every day.



Blumenmacht

Initially the screenshot itself caught my eye, especially because of my interest in art games. After reading a little more about the concept I was eager to try Blumenmacht (German for "flower power"). What I found is an intriguing twist on the top down shooter model.

The twist is in fact rather substantial in that the game has become largely non-violent. You're no longer actually shooting down enemies, but engaging in a dance which fills the respective "ballerinas" with happiness. Some will undoubtedly be put off by this motif, while I was glad to see a game with such a unique artistic vision.

I found the game to be a little frustrating at first. The amount of visual stimuli can certainly be overwhelming, and it took me many tries to actually figure out what I was doing, despite an in-game tutorial. In a way, this is to be expected with a new or revised game concept. After some time, however, I realized that it was not quite as difficult as I thought it to be initially.

If you bear with it, and learn the ropes, you'll find a very unique, stimulating, and enjoyable experience in Blumenmacht. Granted the game can see some improvements, and many have been suggestion in the forum thread. Yet there is something very good and appealing in its cacophony of colors and additional challenges will continue to present themselves in later levels.

You can also view a gameplay video here, via YouTube.



In Other News

Blazing Wings is a remake of the Amiga shooter Wings of Death. Aligarion has put a lot of effort into ensuring the accuracy of this remake. Sprites have been resampled at double the original resolution, and music is being remixed by Nils Schneider. [French Blazing Wings website]

Heyufool1 has released a demo of a simple but fun little concept called Avoider, which builds on the snake game model. By adding mouse control, the mechanics have become much more interesting, and enough additional changes been made to give Avoider an original feel.

IGA Struts has a new demo showcasing all of it's classic platforming glory. The Castlevania influence is strong, and the mechanics pretty solid. Nice sprites and various small details give the game a polished feel already, so this is certainly one to keep an eye on. [Thernody's page, IGA Versus]