Tag Archives: Random Games

Random Indie Game of the Week: Epic Elf

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While it’s got a few pesky typos (and is yet ANOTHER game that’s making me wonder if I should join the fine folks over at RPGMaker.net and ask people to send me their scripts to proofread), spirit_young‘s very cool and often crudely funny RPG, Epic Elf manages to be well worth checking out for a few reasons. His spin on the treasure hunting rogue and his slime minion is a fun one, complete with modern day cursing (hey, it made me laugh) and plenty of increasingly challenging battles. I liked that the game wasn’t a complete walk in the park and some of the dungeons past the first area require your party to be properly leveled, packing some powerful gear and spells in order to take out enemies and much more brutal bosses. You can swap your trusty slime out with another useful minion once you find it, but be sure to level the new one up a bit or it will constantly be dying in combat.

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Random Game of the Week: Starless Umbra – A Work In Progress Indie RPG Worth Paying For

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I’ve been playing and enjoying many RPG Maker games since about 2001 (and far too many JRPGs to count in general since the 1980’s), but Starless Umbra is turning into one of my new favorites and it’s not even completed yet. RPGmaker.net user Andrew Keturi (aka dragonheartman) has been slowly working on this game since 2002 (!) and it’s shaping up into quite an epic that’s going beyond simply working with the basic RTP assets or being yet another shameless Final Fantasy meets Dragon Quest clone. Not that there’s anything wrong at all with a great FF or DQ clone at all (I’ll name two awesome ones next week from the site you should grab). Based on the dramatic prologue and few hours of gameplay I’ve squeezed in alone, there’s a sharpness to the project that’s welcome in everything from the battle system to choice of music and sound effects. In the build I played, the mix of challenging combat and interesting use of stamina (where choosing whether to walk and run actually makes a difference) kept me glued to my monitor for longer than I expected..

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Phantasy Star III2K: This RPG Maker Remake Is Better Than The Original In A Few Ways

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While poking around over on RPGmaker.net the other day looking for smaller games to download for my weekly feature on Random Indie Games, I stumbled upon this pretty interesting fan-made remake of what some call the “black sheep” of Sega’s Phantasy Star series. Programmed by Lys86 (who also made A Blurred Line, one of my old favorite RPGM games), this version keeps the same story as the original, but adds in a ton of new dialog (with a nice sense of humor in spots where its needed) and a completely reworked battle system that takes a bit of getting used to. Like the original game, there’s still  the need to grind quite a bit before you can fetch Nei from her waiting spot in the forest, then grind some more before tackling the desert area and so forth and so on. But I rather like the mix of enemy sprites based on the original, redesigned maps (some with fun puzzles added) and completely different RTP backgrounds.

The game also adds collecting creature parts, plants, relics and other items which can be traded for Meseta or cool gear, trainers for certain character skills and lots more that make it a lot less dry than the game it’s based on.  Visually, as this one’s a bit long in the tooth, it hasn’t aged all that well, but still gets the job done. While it’s not perfect and you may find a minor bug here and there that can take you out of the fun for a tiny bit, this is one of those games that will make you appreciate the third installment all the more because it manages to be quite enjoyable while hitting all the right nostalgic marks. It’s too bad Sega isn’t planning to revisit the older PS games any time soon, as I’d actually love to see Lys’ beefed up translation get the nod as an “official” rewrite of the game’s story. I’ve still got a ways to go before I’m done with this one, but from what I’ve played thus far, the game kept my smiling away and reminiscing for a bit. Give this one a look and definitely a play if you’re a Phantasy Star fan looking for a new take on an old friend…

Random Really Short Indie Game Of The Week: Wither

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While you can complete Wither in well under an hour (or about an hour if you get stuck), the game will linger in your mind for quite a bit longer. This RPG Maker gem from Rastek is a creepy little exploration game that focuses on mood and manages to be unsettling despite the cute Game Boy style visuals. In the game you’re a guy who’s been in an accident tasked with collecting sixteen flowers to lay at a grave. As you explore your surroundings, you’ll run across assorted citizens who can help you out on your quest. Some know where flowers can be had, others have flowers you need to acquire in a few different ways.

There’s some fine writing here, some logical clues to help you find a few of the trickier to get flowers and some interesting bits of morbid humor throughout to keep the occasional grin going when needed. You might see the ending coming about halfway through, but I’d say that’s just how Rastek wants it. Telling any more would spoil the fun (well, as much fun as can be had by being mildly freaked out by some of the more unsettling content here). Go download this one, play it with the lights down low and prepare to have a few hairs standing up  on assorted body parts. I was going to post a gameplay video I found on YouTube, but it gives pretty much the entire game away. Click that link at your own risk! Better yet – just get the game. It’s FREE, it’s a small, quick download and I’d bet you’ll tell someone else about this one once you’re done playing…

Random Incomplete Indie Game of the Week: Dungeon Crawl

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Yeah, that title is as generic as they come, and it needs a bit more work, but don’t let that stop you from trying out this cool little free game. What’s cool about it is how developer Liberty has tweaked the extremely familiar anime/manga style RPGMaker 2003 visuals to a simpler top-down viewpoint while limiting the cute stuff down to some well-written dialog sections between characters.There’s also a lengthy intro sequence that’s well done, pulling you into the story and game world, making you eager to jump in and experience the challenge ahead.

Gameplay isn’t quite what you’d expect from a game called Dungeon Crawl, but that’s a good thing. Rather than being combat focused, success in the game relies on careful exploration, avoiding traps and using resources you find wisely. You’ll also need to deal with a few other adventurers in the dungeon, some of whom will try to take advantage of you. You can choose to be nice and help them out, or be a total jerk and blow up that bridge you just made or refuse to aid someone who needs a helping hand. Everything you do affects one of (currently) ten different planned endings and each of the three classes plays slightly differently. The save system is a bit quirky, but manageable once you understand you can’t save wherever you’d like and may need to retry some areas if you run out of health.  For a rainy day or if you’ve got a few spare hours to burn, this one’s a charmer that sneaks up on you and keeps you playing longer than you’d probably expect.

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.

Juggernaut: A Horror Game For Eggheads (And That’s A Good Thing)

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Proof that a good horror game isn’t all about running around dispatching all sorts of hideous monsters with assorted weapons, Juggernaut is also a tough sell unless you’re looking for a game that’s very weird and intentionally slow moving that still manages to get under your skin. From the surreal visuals to the even stranger plot, the game is a three-disc descent into hell that gets stranger as the plot spools out, yet makes for a compelling experience once the game has its hooks in you. Granted, it’s an old PlayStation game from 1999, so you’d need to have an interest in revisiting that system for about a dozen or so hours (give or take). Nevertheless, the story of a guy trying to save his possessed girlfriend’s soul by taking a trip into her mind (with a little help from a creepy corrupt priest with his own agenda) just might keep you up longer than you’d like. Don’t expect this to pop up on PSN any time soon, as the game never got decent reviews other than a few of writers (yours truly included) who “got” the creativity oozing from the game in all the right places.

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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.