Month: September 2020

Recommended Game – Salad Fields

Published by Greyson Ditzler on 30th September 2020

There are a lot of interesting creators in the video game industry. There are mainstream Triple-A developer with huge budgets and heavy duty marketing, smaller independent developers who tour convention scenes and spread positive criticism mainly through word of mouth, and then there’s the classic tale of the lone bedroom programmer. This leads me to our subject for today, the highly unique works of one particular developer, his partner, and the weird and dreamy game they made together, Salad Fields.

Puzzle game

Salad Fields is a self-proclaimed “dreamyqueer” puzzle game where you have to solve challenges by pushing blocks around, peppered with interesting mechanical gimmicks and loads of bizarre charm. This game comes to us as a joint effort from developers Resni and Jars, a couple development team, the former of which gave the world games like the highly underrated arthouse platformer Mibibli’s Quest and sexually explorative titles like Peen Peen. I know less about Jars as a developer, though I believe they’ve helped Resni with music in the past, and now they’re fully on board with the creation of Salad Fields.

Ever since Resni’s last game with Mibibli’s Quest I’ve been doing my best to keep my eye on him as a creator, because there’s really not much else I’ve seen before quite like his work. It’s often unapologetically queer and sexual, irreverent and comedic, and always well-designed and uniquely executed on a technical level. Your always in the market for weird and charming gameplay and writing when it comes to this person’s work, and with Salad Fields I’d say we have another success on our hands.

water bottle — *Let go of your inhibitions and let the weird and wonderful wash over you.*

Salad Fields is a block-pushing tile-based puzzle game, and really that’s about as simple as it can be summed up. There is a framework of sorts that gives you a reason to do the puzzles. But for the most part the game doesn’t bother with an extensive explanation of the setting and circumstances, and honestly, you shouldn’t worry too much about it. You’re here for some solid mechanics and a unique personality, and boy does this game have it in spades.

Graphics

Starting with the graphics. The game has a mixed media artstyle consisting of a pixel art at different scales. And intentionally dated looking 3D renders of character an objects like one might have seen in the 1990’s on old computer screensavers or bowling alley animations. I personally love the look of this game. I found the style and tone to be a fairly even mix of ironic and genuinely charming. This mostly stands out when interacting with characters and collecting one of the game’s many veggie pickups. And let me tell you, seeing a lumpy and nobly piece of broccoli rendered at 5 frames a second accompanied by the phrase “vegmazing” really put a smile on my face. The pixelated landscapes are also very varied in style and color palette, with every item and location looking visually distinct and nicely detailed.

*Remember, whenever you’re feeling down, just remember that you are absolutely Vegmazing.*

Music

The music is also fantastic. It ranges in tone from intense and rocking to eerie and emotional. Always complementing the level each track is made for quite well, and helping to create an almost other-worldly atmosphere in conjunction with the off-color dialogue.

Gameplay

I’ve saved the gameplay for last in this recommendation because I have the least to say about it over everything else that this game has to offer. It’s very solid and fun gameplay. Just that on the surface it’s very simple. It’s more complex elements are both difficult to describe, as well as surprises I’d rather not spoil for you. You push blocks to solve puzzles, which often involves pressing switches, avoiding insta-kill hazards, and utilizing limited-use magical power-ups. There’s a lot of balls up in the air a lot of the time. And it can be difficult to juggle all the mechanics without getting confused and flustered. But over time you’ll come to understand and appreciate how each new mechanic operates.

game map — *If the density of this screenshot scares you, you should see level 2.*

Design

Salad Fields also has a surprising number of quality if life design choices for a game so difficult. Firstly, while the level design connecting the puzzles in each level can be somewhat repetitive and have twisted, overlapping layouts. This is easily handled by the addition of a competent map on the pause screen. Additionally, early on you gain the ability to conveniently warp between the actual puzzles themselves within each level.

Salad Fields can be quite hard when It wants to be, which is what I should have expected after the classic Mega Man style adventure that was Mibibli’s Quest. But it’s a more cerebral type of challenge. Resni and Jars have managed to get some seriously intense challenges and mechanics out of a formula as tried and tested as pushing blocks around.

Am I saying that the ability to skip through the gameplay is a genuine positive? Yes. Am I saying that the gameplay is bad and that I want to skip it? No. I’m saying that the puzzles are quite hard, and occasionally when I’m stuck on a particularly difficult one and all I want to do is see what cool or weird thing happens next for the fun of it. It’s a nice feature to have. The game also very kindly keeps tracks of what puzzles on each level you have completed and which ones you have skipped. All the while you can come back and solve them for real if you eventually feel up to it. I just really appreciate that Resni felt obliged to cater to two completely different audiences and actually put in the effort to make your experience easily changeable at any time.

My experience

Whatever it’s minor flaws may have done to hamper my experience. I came away from Salad Fields confused and happy. It’s base gameplay may be a very old formula. But it spices it up greatly through seriously challenging puzzle design as well as very unique and well-realized gimmicks. A lot like what he managed to pull off with Mibibli’s Quest years prior.

It’s an inexpensive game that hides a weirdly unique and richer experience than you might be expecting. It’s mood-swing writing and dreamy atmosphere paired with excellent music, unique and elegiac style, and surpsingly deep and difficult gameplay makes for a great game that I highly suggest you check out if your either looking for a real challenge or just want something weird and unique. I’ll have to keep my eyes on Resni and Jars in the future to see if anything else cool shakes loose. Please give Salad Fields a try! It might just expand your horizons, and even if it doesn’t, it’s still quite fun.

Greyson is an aspiring author and YouTuber with dozens of consoles and hundreds of gaming hours under his belt. He’s always looking for something new to play, and is always happy to share it with other people. He also likes the Shantae games, like, a lot.

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Game Recommendation – Sprint RPG

Published by gerardo medina on 17th September 2020

Run! Slash! Discover! Why you ask? Because your playing Sprint RPG! This unique RPG had me coming back for more every time i put it down. This game is so different from other RPGs and thats why I like it so much.

STORY

In this game you play a swordsman who is exploring dungeons and looking for relics. Yeah thats it as far as its story goes. But the fun is not with the story, but with its gameplay.

GAMEPLAY

Do you have quick fingers? Your gonna have to if your gonna play this game. In it you have to run through a linear dungeon, defeat enemies, and collect coins and relics. The thing is that you have to do all those things and reach the exit while beating the clock. Also, you cant just hack and slash enemies. Each monster has its own sword and shield pattern in order to defeat them. If you mess up the pattern a chunk of time goes down. So you gotta be sharp.

COLLECTING

Collecting items is a big part of this game. While running through dungeons you will find treasure chests. In these treasure chests you will find one of three things inside: coins, monsters, and relics. Use coins to unlock new gear. Defeat an enemy and it will be recorded in your Monster Book. There you can find each monsters defeat pattern. After every completed level, you fill up your experience bar. Once you do that you gain a big chunk of change.

GRAPHICS and GIGGLES

The graphics in this game are cartoony but also pixelated. This game doesnt take itself too seriously either. When you have collected enough coins you can buy mystery items. These items are most likely gonna be silly. So you can swap out your regular sword and shield for a heart mug and raw fish. This is why i like this game so much. The pixelated cartoony look with its funny collectable items. And your gonna bet the relics your looking for are gonna be just as silly.

This game has an old school look to it. Its black and white and it makes you feel like your in an arcade. You will notice it right away at the start screen. Instead of saying press start, it says insert coin. Also the music that plays in the background is very retro arcade like.

MY EXPERIENCE

Did I mention that I love this game. I love the challenge of racing against the clock in every level. I love the quick thinking you have to have in order to defeat monsters. And lastly I love the item collecting through out the game. One tip I would like to share is to make sure you look through the monster book. You gotta learn the defeat patterns if your ever going to progress in this game.

If I have convinced you to check this game out then…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! If I have you on the fence then just check this out: this game is free to play from the Google Play Store. This is a great game and you should definitely try it out.

Well its on to the next…

I am Mrboldlyblue. A gamer, a reader, a writer, an artist and all around nerd at heart. I am passionate about all these things and would love to share these things with you. What better way then with a blog.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrBoldlyBlue
Facebook: https://facebook.com/thisdudesclubhouse/
Blog: https://thisdudesclubhouse.blogspot.com/

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Recommended Game -Megabyte Punch

Published by Robert Ball on 3rd September 2020

Megabyte Punch feels like one of those games I’d dream of growing up.

A Megaman Style Platformer with Customizable Characters, mechanics borrowed from Super Smash Bros and up to 4 Players? I couldn’t write my Key Request email fast enough!

Setting

Megabyte Punch centers on a very digital world full of Robots of varying forms called Megacs.

There actually is some Lore to this game! An Empire causing havoc for a small village of robots.

As the newest and most powerful Megac in the small village of Ventu. You are tasked with protecting it, the HeartCore that powers it, and of course its inhabitants.

*This is the Heartcore, the MacGuffin that our plot centers upon. Everybody wants it.*

Presentation

The visual presentation gives impressions somewhere between Megaman Classic and the Net levels of Megaman.exe, and the Customizable Megac designs themselves actually bring me back to Custom Robo back on the Gamecube. Game Structure resembles an Explorative Platformer (MetroidVania) with new paths unlocking over time across a larger world.

You’re the strongest Megac, so naturally everything falls into your lap.

For those unfamiliar with the games I describe this as similar to, Megabyte Punch is very colorful and uses plenty of “Tron Lines” which is to say those odd bits of lit up lines meant to evoke the image of electrical circuitry in most media. Simple shapes are everywhere, making this look somewhat “Retro” by emulating design limitations of yesteryear despite being more than capable of detailed models. The end result is a solid frame rate that I can’t recall stuttering at any point.

Ah, the music ain’t bad either if you enjoy Techno! Though sometimes it can get a little repetitive when you’re stuck in a level for far too long.

*The Villagers of Ventu relay the Plot to you! But if you know where to go, you’ll probably never need to actually hear what they have to say. It’s still nice to see the time was taken to do this.*

Parts and Abilities

Each Part of a Robot can affect Stats or add either a Passive Ability or an Active Ability that may be Hotkeyed to one of four Special Ability slots:

Forward+Special, Up+Special, Down+Special, and Neutral+Special.

*All your Megac’s Parts are visible in the Parts subsection of the Parts/Abilities Menu opened with Y.*

These abilities can be mapped to any unoccupied slot of the Four Cardinal Directions, with Analog Stick Input determining which of the four is executed when the player presses the Special Button.

Parts that change your Stats are not to be underestimated. For instance, some Parts boost Movement Speed and Jump Height by 10%. That 10% is readily apparent in gameplay, and equipping two Speed boosting legs just feels so right.

With the Parts system, I have a few nitpicks with how some Parts are identical in all but Name and Appearance, though there are many more unique Parts than generic and it’s not a big problem. It just makes me long all the more for a sequel.

*Details like these decorate each world. Of course my favorite so far is this Horror themed one. Strangely, it makes me want to illegally download music.*

As to the player character’s movelist, my only nitpick after some extended play is how the Low Kick has just a bit less range than you would expect.

*Sooo yes that is a Skeleton enemy and yes that is a Tombstone and yes enemies come out of the ground here. I love it.*

Colors

There are 30 Color Capsules hidden throughout the game. Whenever you collect one, it will be equippable at your Home. These are purely cosmetic as you would probably expect.

Bits

Bits are the Currency of Megacs, and collecting 64 will give you an extra life. They can be spent at a Shop in Ventu village. But in most of my gameplay, I was collecting them to keep alive in the levels rather than to spend afterward. Whenever you have more Parts than you want or need, you may convert them to Bits. Parts that have an Ability attached will give you 4 Bits, while all others will give you 2 Bits. This can come in handy since it converts something potentially worthless into something inherently useful to you.

Shield

Your Shield is activated with the Right Shoulder button, and creates a digital Purple Shell around your Megac. This can be broken both by holding it too long or by a player smashing it with a Shieldbreaker move.

*Much of the terrain is destructible. That being said, there is a right and wrong way to dig. DO use a Shovel or Drill. DON’T use the ability to summon exploding Kachooks. Takes ages.*

All About Parts

Where do they come from?

Parts are bits of megacs of course! Whenever you defeat an enemy, there is a chance they will drop a Part of themselves for you to pick up. Every time you finish a Stage (A vast Playable Area, 1 of 3 per Level) your currently equipped Parts will be Saved and selectable at your Home from then on. However, all your currently carried Unequipped Parts will be lost upon exiting a Stage.

Break’em down!

All Unequipped Parts can be broken down at the in Parts Menu opened with Y. Parts offering an Equippable Ability will break down into 4 Bits, while all other Parts will break down into 2 Bits. You won’t get rich this way, but all extra Parts are flat out lost after exiting a Stage, so it pays to do this before advancing.

Head, Arms, Legs, Shoulders, Hips, Parts in General

You’ve got slots for 7 parts in total, with two of each for Arms and Legs respectively.

Every Part in the game can only fit in its matching slot. Some Parts have Special Abilities which are Special Moves you must manually Equip, and they have effects that alter your Megac’s Stats, and Passive Abilities that boost your performance. But only one of these 3 categories or nothing at all.

Personally I like to have a part that gives an Ability functioning as a 3rd jump for either climbing back up after a hard hit or for reaching high places and finding secrets. Apart from this one critical part of my Builds, my only other requirement is an Ability that works as a good finisher.

The remaining Slots can be filled with anything. But usually I end up using Stat Boosting Parts.

Shieldbreaker

Enemies can Shield, and that kinda sucks for you when you’re attacking.
But you know what would suck for them? If their shield broke; And you can make it happen!

Your hips are a mighty weapon in this game, and pressing the Left Shoulder button or Left Trigger unleashes what I call the DD “Deep Dick” which can immediately break shields!

*Team Reptile probably prefers we call it the “Shieldbreaker” or “Pelvic Thrust” attack.

Apart from breaking Shields, this move is only good for proving complete dominance over your opponent. No other Standard Attack has such pitiful Range or Damage output or Startup Lag.

Naturally, I use the Deep Dick entirely too often and it surely has cost me many victories…

But nothing feels so good as finishing off your friend by slapping them silly with your titanium salami.

*The VS mode lets you fight your friends. GO FOR THE DD! Glory awaits!*

Levels

This game is rather PostModern with its presentation. You will move through areas blatantly labeled as Level 1 and Level 2 and so on. Each Level has 3 Stages followed by a Boss Fight.

It bears mention that many pieces of your environment in Levels are destructible. Early on you’ll figure out how to kick enemies through dirt and walls, and honestly that never gets old. There is something special about seeing a path torn through solid matter where you just kicked some Mantibyte critter.

Bosses

I’d be shocked if a game like this didn’t feature boss battles. That said, they will destroy you utterly if you aren’t paying attention. Usually defeating a boss will result in acquiring a new Part, often one that will help you reach the next Level such as the Drill Arm.

Player Versus Player, Co-Op Modes

Something that will delight households with Siblings, Megabyte Punch features up to 4 Player Splitscreen Co-Op and Versus!

There isn’t as much to say about the Splitscreen Co-Op as I expected to have, as it works exactly as one would expect. It’s the same game but with your screen halved or quartered. Definitely not ideal for play on the go, and it could be a problem for you if you suffer from relatively poor eyesight like myself.

*Little known fact, you can’t be KO’d in the Lobby. Sooo you can use Mines to damage yourself all the way to 1000. No fighting allowed outside the matches though.*

With that bit out of the way… Versus. I really enjoyed playing this game with my bubba Brandon. Both players are dumped into a lobby at first with the same facilities as you find in the Main Game “Home”, with three machines for dispensing parts, saving builds, and swapping colors respectively. You must use the Lobby to prepare a build you like using the Parts and Colors and Builds you have acquired on your Profile. Sooo this mode gets a lot better as you get farther in the game. With the exception of very odd placement of the Jump Button (X on the Switch) you will find the controls very similar to Smash Bros. In fact, my brother forgot it wasn’t Smash bros during one of our bouts. Sooo I consider that a positive testimony as to the feel of Megabyte Punch’s gameplay.

My brother and I are brilliant morons.#MegabytePunch #TeamReptile #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/U8DXlMkr9P
— Robert Kelly Ball (@RobertKellyBall) August 6, 2020

My brother and I are here demonstrating what we’d like to do to your Mom

Summation/Conclusion

When playing this, I felt that same strange magic of playing a game I never heard of randomly selected off the shelf of some Rental store. It’s a hidden gem. The gameplay to this is unique, and I’d love to see a sequel explore its design space further since nothing else offers anything quite like it.

Do ya like Megaman? Do ya like Smash? If so in either case, you’ll find something special here.

Team Lizard knows how to make a great Action game, and have delivered a unique and high impact title in the form of Megabyte Punch. Bring your friends!

I’m 29 years old today and a parent of one delightful six year old. I love just about everything about videogames, and am thrilled that I can write about them. Advocating for the poor is my other hobby, and I will gladly offer whatever aid I can if approached.

Twitter: @RobertKellyBall

Email: llabtrebor@gmail.com

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Planit Rabbit Release!

Published by Robert Ball on 2nd September 2020

Planit Rabbit Release! At Polyspice, we’re so happy to present the release of Planit Rabbit – Version 0.9

Planit Rabbit is evolving. Previously we had a vast and seemingly endless space a player would fly around in until they crashed. This was good, but much simpler than the more Intentional Video Game we dreamed about. Which is why I’m excited to reveal that our newest version has revisited and refined the visuals and mechanics of earlier builds.

A Level Select with defined Objectives helps giving players a true progression system across two Food Themed Worlds of Fifteen Levels each.

The General User Interface is flashier, more intuitive, and has more of the personality we always wanted.

A big deal for myself, the Performance of Planit Rabbit has been overhauled to give a smoother experience even during more hectic segments.

As I’ve previously described, 3 Unique UFO’s will now be usable! These are handy options, while they can’t generally outperform the Rockets. They ARE much more user friendly for those having issues with the Difficulty Curve within Planit Rabbit.

Needless to say, we’ve also refined the Rockets that make up the core of our gameplay experience. So get your rabbit ears on!

Download the game for free on the App Store or Play Store and try it out! We hope you have a great time and don’t forget to leave a review if you do.