Tag Archives: Free Stuff

Melon Journey: Kind Of A Hello Kitty Episode Directed By David Lynch

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Thanks to its charming tone and visuals, quirky yet descriptive writing (“He is singing a quiet song about eating vanilla ice cream in a warm room”) and low-key but catchy MIDI score, this short and sweet adventure game by RPGMaker.net users Mario & Karolina (almondmelon on the site) comes highly recommended. It can easily be completed in one sitting (about 2 hours or so) and when you’re done, you’ll wish it was a bit longer. Gameplay revolves around locating items within and around the village, which in turn nets you other items you can use or trade in order to progress further in the story. There’s a tiny bit of an Animal Crossing vibe here as well, but the game’s brevity and offbeat style makes it a bit better in my opinion. Saying more will spoil the fun, so if you like adventure games and strangeness that will make you smile, definitely make this little town your next gaming stop. Get it here and thank me later.

Random Indie Game Of The Week: Paradise Blue

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One of the nicer RPGMaker games I’ve played this year is Paradise Blue, a Final Fantasy homage that’s actually a bit more impressive in a few areas. The developer, Ocean went as far as to redo the familiar RPGM backgrounds with his own artwork, boosting the normally straightforward color palette and detail considerably. While the game still has the look of a quality NES title, colors practically pop off the screen in nearly every map making this one of the more unique-looking “old-school” RPGs I’ve seen to date. It takes a little while to get used to some of those details, however. You’ll be dazzled by sparkly areas and items that look as if they SHOULD be interactive, only to find they’re just there for effect.

Where the game shines is in some of the well-scripted dialog, the skills system (which is deep and rewarding once you get into it) and some of the trickier battles the game drops you into. Switching out classes and equipping the proper skills is a must here, as some high-level side quest battles can wipe out your party before you know it.  In addition to some addictive gameplay, there’s also an excellent score that works quite well at conveying mood. As usual, you can grab this game for FREE at the link above and it comes highly recommended if you’re a fan of classic 8-bit JRPG bliss. Ocean also has some other cool titles I’ll get around to reviewing as I find time to do so. Heck, this review WOULD be longer, except for I’m  even more backlogged than ever since discovering RMN!

(thanks to YouTube user Vysethedetermined2 for the gameplay video)

Hyper Princess Pitch: This Royalty Needs No Rescuing, That’s For Sure…

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I know a few people out there who can’t stand most Mario or Legend of Zelda games because they’ve outgrown them or never really got into them at all, but somehow, Hyper Princess Pitch is right up their alleys when I point them to it. Granted, Nintendo hasn’t made a game like this (and probably never will), and yes, the game owes more to Smash T.V. and Robotron that any mascot character classic. The story is silly fun with our heroine going after a bad Santa and his gift-giving ways (try not to take what’s here out of context, as it’s SUPPOSED to be goofy). Heck, you can suplex enemies when you’re not running around with a brick, rainbow or freeze launcher and there are bonuses galore for those willing to take the time to unlock them. Yes, you can use a keyboard to play this, but a dual analog gamepad is very highly recommended. Get this one for FREE (as in absolutely nothing) here and check out some of Remar Games other fun retro styled projects (all made with the Game Maker program) while you’re at it.

Random Indie Game Of The Week: Cavern of Doom

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Most of the popular RPG Maker games out there are the usual Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest clones of assorted quality (terrible to truly inspired masterworks), but Cavern of Doom manages to take retro to an even more nostalgic level. Imagine an actual turn-based RPG made for the Atari 260- and you get the idea. If you love the blocky graphics old Atari home games had, CoD will get you smiling as soon as you see it in motion. the guy who made this gem, bobthebobish, clearly has a great sense of humor as you’ll see when you’re playing the game. I love how his chunky sprite monsters, simple use of color and even more straightforward dungeon mazes all tickled the proper nerves while the more modern turn-based combat appealed to my JRPG loving side. There’s also a cool upgrade system where you buy new skills with gained experience, a necessary thing as the game can be quite tough if you move too quickly through the dungeons. A sequel of sorts was in the works, but real life has halted progress on it for the time being. Anyway, CoD is ONLY about a 3 MB download, it’s FREE and if you happen to like the art style, you’ll get a kick out of what’s here even if you’re not big into the genre.

Things You Find Out At Starbucks While Getting A Free Drink…

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So, today from noon to 3pm, Starbucks was introducing its new Refreshers drinks by giving away Tall sizes to anyone who walked into a location. I decided to take advantage of this at my regular Starbucks and a second one just over a mile away (and a nice walk, too) just to confirm something that was bugging me about the Wi-Fi service at the closer location. Turns out I was right, as the Wi-Fi at the shop near me stinks badly while the service at the other spot was flawless and fast. Yes, I was FINALLY able to update my Vita (after installing an older update from the Gravity Rush game card), so from here on in, that location will be my go-to spot for any portable PSN downloads and demos I need to track down. I could use the exercise, so it’s all good.

Oh yeah, the Refreshers were nice. Two flavors: Lime and Berry Hibiscus or something like that. Made with green coffee beans and real fruit, so there was a bit of a jolt (I felt sorry for the parents snapping up Coolers for their kids – it’s going to be a rough Friday night for those wired ones is all I’ll say), not a lot of sweetness (a good thing!) and overall a nice addition to the already hefty lineup the chain offers.

Atlus Wants YOU To Win This Cool Persona 3 Artbook…

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Hooray for free stuff, as it’s a nice Monday brightener! Atlus is going to be making 25 lucky, lucky random winners across the U.S. of A. (only, sorry overseas folks!) VERY happy with this lovely Persona 3 Official Design Works book published by Udon Entertainment (a $39.99 value!) simply by signing up as a new member (or already being a current member) of the Atlus Faithful and keeping their fingers and toes crossed when the drawing is held on July 16th.

I’d have my own fingers and toes crossed, but I need to type and I also have to go to the bathroom as soon as I finish posting this.

 

Random Indie Game of the Week: Hellion: Diablo Meets Dragon Quest (And It’s A Blast)

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I found this cool little indie RPG quite by accident a few days ago while looking up something entirely different, downloaded it and got an immediate grin going when I fired it up. One of a few very awesome NES-inspired RPGs made by a a user called kentona (with Enterbrain’s wonderfully retro RPG Maker 2003), Hellion plays like bits of Dragon Quest, Diablo and Final Fantasy dropped into a blender and mixed up just right. Basically, you choose a character class at the beginning, assign some skill points and set out to tackle the dangerous multi-level dungeon under the town you start the game in. There are random monster drops, traps and chests to disarm, a bunch of side missions to tackle and more.

While I’m only three floors in, I like the ability to hire up to three party members, the alignment system that changes based on your choices during the game (some NPCs and potential teammates won’t deal with you if you’re too goody-goody or too much a total jerk), the level of challenge right from the start and more. The game uses graphics and music lifted from the DQ series, but I like the 8-bit visuals and tunes because of the nostalgia value. That and it’s actually more fun than Diablo III because you don’t need to be always online to play or have to deal with stupid stuff the DRM in that game was supposed to stop from occurring. Anyway, go check it out and while you’re there, take a peek at kentona’s other works as well as some of the other great games on the RPGMaker website.

Random Indie Game Of The Week: DOOM The Roguelike

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OK, OK… it’s been around for a bit, but I’ve never gotten around to actually playing Kornel Kisielewicz’s excellent roguelike version of the classic FPS because I really dislike ASCII graphics (sorry, but while they were cool back in the day, now my poor eyeballs can’t take them, even on a big monitor). Anyway, thanks to Derek Yu’s awesome tile sets and artwork (go play his updated version of Spelunky on Xbox Live Arcade if you’re a fan of the classic NES game, Spelunker), I can now spend a few hours dying too much, yet forging onward taking the minions of Hell out as a lone Space Marine on a Mission. Anyway, go download and play this challenging and sometimes scary gem here.

Did You Grab Your Free Tall Cuppa Joe From Starbucks Yet?

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Happy Independence Day! Today, ladies and gents, you can walk into any Starbucks in the U.S. of A. and get a FREE Tall coffee with NO strings attached. So yeah, if you’re a bean freak, go for it! Of course, I got a bit of an annoying experience at my Starbucks because the free Wi-Fi wasn’t working (boo!) and I’d brought my PSP to download a game to review. Eh, whatever. I’ll try again tomorrow. At least the coffee was good.

Advance Screening Alert: See DREDD 3D For Free At San Diego Comic-Con!

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Hey! Are you going to San Diego Comic-Con this year?  Good! Want to see DREDD 3D for FREE months before everyone else? Well, OK, then! Here’s info direct from Lionsgate on how to get in on this:

We’re excited to announce that Lionsgate is kicking off San Diego Comic Con 2012 with an Advance Screening of Dredd 3D!!

**SCREENING:

When: Wednesday, July 11th, 10:00PM

Where: Reading Cinemas Gaslamp. 701 5th Ave., San Diego

Note: Star Karl Urban will introduce the screening!

To learn more about the above, and register for the exclusive screening, visit www.JudgementIsComing.com and retweet DREDD 3D’s tweet! #JudgementIsComing

**MASTERS OF THE WEB PANEL:

When: Thursday, July 12th, 4:30PM – 5:30PM

Where: Room 24ABC

What: Masters of the Web – The annual gathering of some of the most prominent and influential film pundits on the web discuss the film industry, writing for film online, film fandom, and a whole lot more. Moderated by star of the new Lionsgate film Dredd, Karl Urban (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King), with special surprise cast members from the film. Panelists include Mike Sampson (ScreenCrush.com), Jen Yamato (MovieLine.com), Mali Elfman (ScreenCrave.com), Erik Davis (Movies.com), Steve “Frosty” Weintraub (Colider.com), Grae Drake (Fandango.com), Jenna Busch (Cocktails with Stan Lee), and Edward Douglas (ComingSoon.net), and hosted by John Campea (AMC Theatres). AMC is generously providing free movies passes to all attendees of the panel this year! Room 24ABC

http://www.facebook.com/dreddthemovie

#Dredd3D