Mini Reviews: GasGames
Posted on March 18, 2007
GasGames has an assortment of games for you to play. Some are a little strange, some are more addicting. Here are five mini-reviews of some of the games that I played.
The only direction Fulfillment gives you is
Achieve and cherish it.
That poses no problem because this game is actually one that can explain itself. Take the pieces from the left side of the board and configure it into the square on the right side. It’s kind of like the tangrams you might have played with when you were in elementary school. The catch is that you can’t rotate the pieces, which gets extra challenging in higher levels when there are strangely shaped pieces. The hardest part is that every puzzle has a time limit, so if you don’t make the square in time it’s game over for you.
This game is as addicting as it is simple. It’s a great distraction from work, but watch out–you may be taking more time playing the game than actually doing any work.
Yes, the word “apartheid” doesn’t have the greatest connotation, but the game is actually quite interesting. You have to separate colored circles from any circles that are different colors. Sound confusing? It may take a couple of plays to understand game play completely. You use the mouse to draw lines to separate the circles. But they move. And sometimes, different colored circles move annoyingly close together. The game ends when you completely use all of your energy, which is depleted every time you draw a line to separate colors.
This game doesn’t have the addiction factor of Fulfillment, but it’ interesting for a couple of round of game play. It’s nothing that kept me consistently wanting to keep playing it.
Multiplex is one of those games that, when it starts, you think it’s rather stupid and a waste of your time. And then it gets faster, and you realize just how much concentration goes into the game.
The object is to use your number keys to press the number on the block when it lines up with the block of the same number. Yeah, that’s sort of a “huh?” explanation, but it’s clearer if you look at the picture. Let’s say a block that has the number 1 on it falls from the sky. You need to press the 1 key on your keyboard when it aligns with the 1 on the floating blocks. This gets very complicated when you have a low number and a high number right next to each other, as you might forget to put the high number in its place because you’re concentrating on the low number.
game is quite easy, but it does turn out to be frustrating when the blocks start to fall more quickly. It’s good to play, but don’t do it when you’re already wired. You might throw your computer out the window. Or something.
Constellations has you connecting dots in order to make a certain length. Watch the bottom gauge to see how close you are to that length. You get points by finishing and by how many unused stars you have left on the board. The more unused starts the better. Your game can be over in two ways: you run out of stars or you run out of time.
This game is quite addicting, and since the configuration of the stars change every time you play, the game won’t be the same at any time.
Filed Under Flash Games, Free, Happy Rating, Video Games, Neutral Rating, Extremely Happy Rating | Leave a Comment
Prelim Review: Silversphere
Posted on January 26, 2007
Silversphere is one of those games that have you controlling a ball in order to get safely from point A to point B. The concept doesn’t sound familiar to you? No? Well, then read on. Although the game may be lacking in originality, it does have the addictive quality of games that are easy to learn yet hard to master. (I think those very words were written on the side of a Mastermind box).Anyhow, you use your arrow keys to navigate the ball sphere.
On a very basic level, you are only supposed to guide it to a swirly blue portal by making bridges with crates that you push into the water. Of course, no puzzle game makes it that easy for you.
Sometimes, you need to first activate the portal by placing crates on a very peculiar-looking block. Or you have these ice blocks that only stop when there’s something in front of them. On levels with ice blocks, they are generally an integral part of the puzzle. So get your logic thinking caps on, you may be at this all night.
However, this game doesn’t only test your logic skills, but your timing ones, as well. The puzzle that is currently stumping me involves trying to not get obliterated by one of the silversphere’s gold cousins. It’s harder than it sounds.
Overall, the gameplay is quite simple, but the solutions to the puzzles can be almost diabolical. It’s worth your time to check out, but it may not steal your attention. It’s more of a diversion that some games that are made to be diversions.
Filed Under Flash Games, Free, Neutral Rating | Leave a Comment
All you need is four seconds
Posted on November 2, 2006
Anyone up for a WarioWare-like game that is simple to learn but uber-frustrating at the same time? Enter Four Second Fury, a game that comes with only one set of rules: use your arrow keys and space bar.
That’s it. No other explanation for gameplay is given, so you basically have to figure out how to play the mini (erm… micro) games in the four seconds that are supplied for each one. Each game gives you a command like “Run!” or “Shoot!” and nothing more. They’re not necessarily hard to learn but may upset the more stress-prone among us.
The games are interesting to a point. They get repetitive as the object of many of the games are similar. For example, more than one game makes you go from point A to point B with only the use of your arrow keys. Of course, it’s probably hard to conjure many four second games for a varied gaming experience.
The graphics change with each game. Sometimes, the pictures look like something someone would draw with a tablet and artpad. Other drawings are stylized to look like old video games. It depends on the game. I think the overall style keeps the game from being cohesive enough, even though the idea is to have a frenzied, detached pace.
The best thing about the game is its replay value. I found myself coming back to it simply because I wanted to see if I could get further into the game than I had done before.
I would have liked to have seen a little more variety, but Four Second Fury is a great game to play if you only have a few minutes of free time.
Filed Under Flash Games, Free, Neutral Rating | Leave a Comment
