Bowmaster - Defend your castle game

Another defend-your-something shooting game, well made and addictive. In this one you have to defend your castle and the theme is medieval.
Your weapon is a bow bound on top of your castle. Using it against the hordes of enemy troops coming to take you down you gain XP(experience) points that you can use at the end of each level to upgrade your arrows, buy archers to fight with you, increase the range of your arrows and many other options.
The visuals are moderate and similar to most of the flash games one can encounter on the web. I like the enemy soldiers that look like the Uruk-Hai from Lord of the Rings. Probably the designer is inspired from the movie.
The game doesn't feature in-game music, but the sound effects are cool. You can hear the bow hiss as it travels through the air, the enemies moan with a funny way when they get hit, the bomb arrows exploding and so on.
To aim, drag the transparent-green circle from your bow and release it at the desired position to shoot. A mark will show you where you left the circle the last time so you can adjust your next shot better.
And there's a lot of things that you will figure out while playing the game. I absolutely recommend it, but be cautious because there's a great chance that you will be playing for a long time. So be sure you don't have anything get done before you start.
The game is coming from Jason Reinsvold. Here's the original page: Jason Reinsvold's Bowmaster.
Note: Bowmaster 2 is coming soon. Check out this link for up-to-date information.

Grain Strain - Collect the grain!

This game is a combination of Lemmings and The Incredible Machine. Grain falls from the air and you have to use various machines combinations to collect as much grain as you can in a bucket on the floor. If you manage to collect enough before the timer runs out, you move to the next level. And that's all about the gameplay.
Graphics have not anything special, just simple shaped objects of pour quality. This will not make you enjoy the game less, but I think the designer could make it better. There's no sound effects, only a repeating music track that is a little boring. This is not a big problem though, because you're pretty busy to complete the level and so you don't notice the music. Again, the designer could provide us an option to mute.
To play, press the button labeled "Start Game" and begin putting machines into place by dragging them from the toolbar on the bottom of the game screen to the main game area. When placed, the machines can be drug again and be placed somewhere else.
To start the game in it's own window click on the image above. Or click here visit the page the game is hosted on.

Tilt - Funny balance game

A small game where you try to balance a weight bound on a rod using your fingertip. It's easy when you begin, but as the time passes and your score goes up, the rod gets shorter and it becomes harder to balance the weight.
I personally made it up to level 14 with 2858 points. Click the the image above to test your balance skills!
Or you can go to the original page I found this game on:
Tilt @ GameArmy.net

Incredible Machine Flash Variant

If you ever played one of "The Incredible Machine" games from Sierra, you'll notice the similarities of this one with the original. Your purpose is to use various parts available in your invertory to make the small box go from the begining point to the room's exit.
It's a puzzle game, so you have to be creative and find the right parts combination and positioning in order to success.
The game have a lot of rooms to challenge your brains, all having an icy look. That's the reason of the game being named "CCL Winter Game". It's coming from CCL, an online computers trading company, so it is created for promoting their site. When you move from a room to the next one, a splash screen appears asking you to select a part for what they call "your Virtual PC".
Despite those advertizing screens, it is enjoying and you will have a good time playing. If something is missing from the game, that is a larger inventory of parts. This could make the rooms more challenging. The original Incredible Machine had a LOT parts to choose from to make your way through the levels and that was what I liked the most.
The gameplay is simple: Drag items from the inventory and place them in the room wherever you want and press the button labeled "GO" to see the results. Press the "STOP" button to make changes and the "CLEAR" button to clear the room and start over.
You find information on the original Incredible Machine games in this article from Wikipedia.
CCL Winter Game is hosted here.

Cannon Fodder

The first game that lunched with the "Cannon Fodder" name was a real-time strategy and action game combination, very popular on the Amiga platform around 1993 and many others later on.
This one has nothing to do with the gameplay of the original game. It's a cannon shooting action game, where you try to destroy your enemy's cannon before he does. An interesting game detail is the way that wind affects your shots. To see witch way the wind is blowing and at witch speed, you have to notice the clouds. They're moving towards the winds direction.
Use left and right arrow keys to setup the angle of your cannon, hold the space bar and release when the power meter is at the desired position. If you miss the shot try again, a marker will be showing where you release the space bar on your previews shot so you can adjust the power better this time.
A cool game feature is multiplayer support. So you can challenge other players and show them your skills! By the time I was playing, there was no other players online so I can't say anything on how the game is performing in multiplayer.
A link to the original page: Cannon Fodder.

Switcheroo - Concentration test

A game for the eyes: This is a test of your concentration skills. There are three cups turned upside-down on the table, one of them hiding a coin. When the game begin you are shown witch cup has the coin under it and then the cups start sliding around each other switching positions to make you loose the coin. If you manage to stick on the right cup you win one point, else you have to start over.
The game is designed and hosted by Makai Media.

Moover - A Nice Sokoban Variant

Sokoban is a classic puzzle game first released to the public on 1982 and it is well known to players worldwide as Tetris is. The game's subject is about moving all boxes to specified areas on each level and to do so, you have to calculate your moves. You have to be careful because some moves will result in a box not being movable anymore, and you will not be able to complete the level.
Moover is a Sokoban variant written completely in Javascript and PHP and can be played in any Javascript enabled browser. You control a funny cow trying to move all wooden boxes to the areas of the level marked with a red "X" sign. The levels are well designed and the difficulty is increasing normally as you move on. Also, if you have cookies enabled on your browser's settings, the game will automatically save your progress and you'll be able to continue from that level later. See the game's instructions for detailed information on saving and loading.
There's a settings page where you're able to configure the game's screen size and control keys. The default are as follows: Arrow keys to move around, U key to undo a move, O key to redo and Escape key to reset the level.
Click here to go to the original page.
If you want to have extended info on Sokoban History, check out this Wikipedia entry.

Uniroyal Fun Cup - Race with a turbo-charged VW Beetle

From all the flash racing games I've played till today (and there's a lot out there) this is the best. It is well implemented and realistic, fun to play and challenging. You drive the old Volkswagen Beetle customized as a race car and try to beat your opponents on track, while making the best lap times.
What I like in this game is it's very good pseudo-3d graphics engine. The game is 2d in reallity, but the designers made it look so good that you think you're playing a 3d game. There's four different tracks on witch you can try your skills: Belgium, Italy, Great Britain and Germany. All of them are looking good, each one with it's own difficulties and tricky spots.
At sound level, the game is doing good also. You can hear the car's engine roar as you drive faster and the tires scream as you slip on tight turns. It's a pity that there's no in-game music though, it could be a good addition.
You control your car with the same way you do on most racing games: up arrow key to accelerate, down arrow key to break and reverse, left and right arrow keys to steer.
The original page: Uniroyal Fun Cup.

Kung Fu flash remake

To continue on classic games remakes on flash, I post about this remake of Kung Fu Master, a coin-op back from the 80's. The remake looks like the original, but it's funnier. Take a look at the screenshot above, I removed the opponent's head with an air-kick!
The creator had the idea to remove the second boss and put in his place Megaman.. :D
I enjoyed playing this game a lot. It reminded me of the time ten years back, when I was spending hours and hours playing in coin-op rooms...
Here's the controls:
Right and left arrows to move, up arrow to jump, down arrow to duck, z key to punch and x key to kick. Oh, and p key to pause the game.
That's all, have fun!
Original page: Kung Fu remake.

Prince of Persia - Flash remake

The all time classic game from Ubisoft - Prince of Persia. No need to say much about it. The name is well known and most of us have played of heard of the original game or a sequel. This one is the original ported to flash, so you can play it on the web. Help the prince find his way through the dungeon to the vezier's throne room and prevent him from unleashing the Sands of Time.
Use the arrow keys to move, jump and duck. Press the shift key to walk and interact with objects. You can also use the space bar to make a forward jump instead of up and left or right arrow key combination.
The game is difficult as the original was, but it's addictive and pretty enjoying to play. Experiment with the controls for a while and soon you'll get used to it.
The original page: Prince of Persia.

Dropkick The Faint!

This is another game following the style of many flash games on net. The ones that your objective is to throw something as far as you can. In this one you control the members of a punk-rock band, named The Faint. There's five band members and you have to make them run and kick a person from the crowd, who's standing on the stage, waiting to be thrown away from you :)
To start, first adjust the speed indicator on the top left corner of the game screen. The faster the speed the stronger the dropkick. Next, press the space bar to make the strength meter stop as close to the center as possible (it's moving periodically around the center, next to the speed indicator). At last, press the space bar again when you're close to the stage, and enjoy the results! The crowd member will fly away and finally hit the ground, leaving a blood line as he slides on the cement...
When the drop ends, information is show about your accuracy and the length of the drop. The points from each drop is summarized when you finish the fifth kickdrop to the total points that you scored. You can then submit your score and see the top-100 list of highscores.
This game is violent, but it's close to the punk music mood and after all, it's very funny. There's three songs of the band playing on the backround, witch can be swithed using the control buttons on the top-right corner of the game screen.
Click here to see the original page this game is coming from.

Bang The Drum

Have you ever wished to be a member of a famous rock band? I have no music education at all, but if I had, it would be probably on drums..
The game's name is Bang the Drum, and it's exactly what the title says: about drum banging!
It's coming from inxs.com, the website of the famous rock band INXS. Your objective is to bang the drums following the rhythm of the beat in one of the band's most popular songs. You bang the drums by clicking on them.
The more precise your bang, the more points you will get. The drum witch have to be banged next is highlighted and you have to catch up if you want to keep playing, because if you miss a drum or bang it out of time you'll get a "Strike". And if you get three strikes, it's game over...
In general, the game is pretty easy. All you have to do is to catch the rhythm and follow on. I stuck playing for a while because I wanted to hear the whole song till the end.
Here's the original page.

GROW nano vol.1 - A new addition to the series

Hello again to all of you! I'm back, refreshed and fully rejuvenated, ready to provide you new game links and reviews!
This time it's about the last addiction to the popular GROW series. The name is GROW nano vol.1, witch obviously follows GROW nano vol.0. The concept is almost the same in all the games coming from the designer at Eyezmaze. Click here and there in order to make things grow, usually with different outcome depending on your actions.
In this one, you start with a little stone on the bottom of the screen and try to find points highlighted with a dashed circle when the cursor is above them. If you click those points, the stone will grow and become something bigger, starting to take shape. The difference with the previous volume of this game is that you have all the time you want to search and find where to click until you finish the game (took me about 5 minutes) and see your creation fully functioning. The previous volume has a timer clocking and you have to click all the spots in fixed order and on time if you want to see the ending.
It's very small, indeed. But it's funny and enjoying and leaves you with curiosity to see what the next volume will look like.
When you're done playing, take a visit to the creator's home page by clicking this link. There, you can find all the games published and check the ones you've missed.
Oh, and here's the original page: GROW nano vol.1
Note: this game is played in 500x800 resolution, so if your screen height is not bigger than 800 pixels, the you're probably going to have problems playing it. In this case you can go to the original page. You will be able then to scroll and see the entire picture.

Out for vacations

I will be out on vacations for a week, so no posting for a while.. I'm going to venture on the fine Greek beaches and do some skin tanning :)
At least I had the time to find a flash game before I leave, it's name is Puff Ball but I have no more time to write a review. In short: it is similar to ping pong. Hit the little ball-shaped fish with your crab and try to get it past the opponent crab. Hold the left mouse button to make a stronger shot. And that's all. As soon as you score 5 points, you win and progress to the next level.
Simple and fun to play. The decoration reminds me of my destination on the trip I'll have tomorrow.. ;)

The original page: Puff Ball Game

flOw - Flash Excellence

Well, this flash game is beyond comparison. It is totally unique and atmospheric, having a very beautiful theme. The scene is underwater, with you controlling a strange creature with main subject to feed it so it can grow larger and stronger while evolving. There is a variety of other creatures around, all of them being feed targets for you. Some are harmless and easy to consume, while others are dangerous, trying to consume you!
To dive deeper underwater or to return, there are two special creatures on each level of depth (except the first and the last level). Eat the one having a red dot in the center to go a level deeper, or the other with the blue dot to go upper.
The visuals are excellent for a flash game. Even though everything you see in the game consist of simple geometric shapes, with the right effects applied all becomes a beauty for the eye. The same pattern is used for the sound: simple but absolutely effective. The ambience music is so environmental that I actually started to feel that I was being underwater in reality!
To move point the mouse towards the desired direction. Press the left mouse button to accelerate.

The original page: Flow in Games

Highscores Competition - 3 Flash Games

Yesterday I came up with an idea: Find 3 nice flash games, put the links under the same post and invite players to submit their highscores as comments... And today I decided to make it!
So here you go:

Game #1 - Red Bull Flugtag
	RedBull Flugtag Flash Game. Make this thing fly as far as you can!
Game #2 - Puzzle Bobble
	The old time classic puzzle game, ported to flash. No need to say anything else about it.
Game #3 - RumbleBall 4
	An inspired one. Hit all objects in the level with your ball, so you can proceed to the next one. Note: When you aim the triangle you control and the ball must be connected with a dotted line. Else you can't make the ball rumble..

To play a game, click on the game's image. After you have played each one of them, come back and leave a comment with your highscores. Here's mine:

Game #1: 110.124 ft
Game #2: 129010 Points, Round 8
Game #3: 34800 Points

Imminent - Defend Your Tower Game

Mike Mass from Games on the Web posted about this cool game named Imminent. It's a defend-your-tower game like many other on the web, except this one got me stuck playing it for hours!
As Mike already noted, the game's pros are the numerous different enemies, the upgrades you can make to you tower and the music.
There's a con I have to mention though: No sound effects at all! You release so much fire-power from your tower, but there's not a single "bang" or something coming out from your speakers. Too bad...
Click here to read Mike's post.

Another Paper Toss Game

There's another post with the same subject on my blog. But I think this is a lot better than the other one and slightly different. This time a co-worker passes you the paper balls and you have to catch them on the air. After that you shoot the balls in the basket with no fan to change the ball's direction and it depends on how good your shot is to get the target.
Using your mouse you control the player's hand. By pressing and holding the left button you catch the balls on air. Then you move the hand towards the basket and release the button to fire a shot.
The funniest part is the comments you get from your co-worker who's reacting to your actions!
It's a great time-waster. Play it here: Cyrkam Airtos
Oh, and if you're bored to check my previous post, here's a link to the other paper ball throwing game: Paper Toss

Galactic Gravity Golf - Play with gravity!

There's a lot golf games with many play styles, but this one is the most original I've ever seen. The difference is that you play golf on space, with planets affecting the ball's path because of planetary gravity. The bigger and heavier a planet is, the more gravity force will apply on the ball. Your aim is to put the ball in one of the black holes on the level, shooting every time from a fixed position. If the ball hits a planet it explodes and you have to try again.
There's no limit for the shots you have, but each one above the level's par will decrease your points for that level. There's various gems spread on the levels witch you can collect to increase your total points.
To control the shot's direction you use the left and right arrow keys, you set the power with up and down keys and you fire using the space bar. There's detailed instructions accessible through a main menu option if you want to have any additional information about the game.
To conclude, the game features good sound effects and cool drum&base music while you play. There's two songs to choose from and the ability to switch music off if you get bored hearing.
Here's the link: Galactic Gravity Golf

Wings 1915 - Planes arcade game

I've been out for a while with no posts for some days, but I came back with a new template for my blog and a new game I found today. It's called Wings 1915 and it's an arcade game with planes. Actually, very old planes.. You move around using your mouse and fire your guns by pressing the left button. On the way you have to collect ammunition, fuel and repair keys in order to survive while trying to take down your enemies. Simple implementation and fun to play.
Click the following link to give it a try: Wings 1915
Come back with your comments, I'll appreciate it a lot!