Archive for the ‘Platform’ Category

Snowy Bear Review

Action, Adventure, Platform | Posted by musicaltrack
Feb 09 2010

snowy-bear
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Snowy the bear is the coolest little guy ever.  Your goal in this classic arcade platform Mac game is to get him back home safely from the myriads of monsters attacking him from all sides.  Is that too much to ask?

There are 3 modes to choose from in this challenging game of many levels.  The Kid’s mode will give you 100 (!) lives with fewer monsters.  Normal has 10 lives and double the monsters, and Hard is crazy with lots and lots of monsters and 10 lives.  You must bring your game face for this mode in order to beat it. 

This is your typical platform game where the monsters can come at you from all directions and all sizes, including the bosses.  You use your control key and arrow keys to throw snowballs and maneuver around.  I had trouble using the control button and arrows so I went into options and changed the control button to the space bar by clicking directly on control and changing it to any key.  I chose the space bar since it’s centrally located and it’s bigger than the other keys.  I use a MacBook Pro with Mac OS X, version 10.5.6.  If you do not change this key, your screen will disappear.  That was my only mishap I had with playing this Mac game.

The play is to move Snowy facing the enemies and clicking either your control or space bar to throw snowballs until the monster is completely covered and then kicking him out the game board.  Be careful though the snowball may come back and take Snowy down losing a life.

This game is fast and you must move even faster to either avoid the bad guys or by throwing the snowballs.  This action, shooter arcade play is more than awesome, it’s a challenging, strategic game with an upbeat music and happy character like Snowy.  What more do you need for an exciting and electrifying play?  Beat those monsters and get Snowy home.

I would definitely recommend this game to all the quick moving, coordinated (with practice) platform gamers who may enjoy a fun story about a fearless polar bear.  Also kids and inexperienced gamers can learn from the 100 lives you have to practice this awesome game.  The colors are so bright and intense and the artwork is imaginative.  I didn’t know you could do so much with platforms.  Don’t let the cuteness factor put you off.  Snowy is one tough bear.   

 

Features of Snowy the Bear’s Adventure:

-Tons of Snowballs and Levels

-Great Adventure

-4 Worlds

 

Rating: ★★★★☆

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Bud Redhead Review

Action, Adventure, Arcade, Platform | Posted by Meg
Feb 04 2010

Bud Redhead
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Bud Redhead is an action-packed, side scrolling fun platform Mac game for all ages. Its story begins with Bud and Rachel strolling through a park, and a green creature appears through a light and kidnaps poor Rachel. Bud could only grab part of the creature’s arm before the two disappear through another light. Bud is then approached by 2 grey aliens who explain to him that the green monster is Feyatta, and they, from the Cosmic Federation, are chasing him for galactic evil deeds. The electronic piece Bud grabbed from Feyatta will prevent the creature from escaping to his space ship and leaving for the unknown. They could track Feyatta, but the 2 grey men cannot chase the criminal on earth due to galaxy restrictions in interfering with earthlings. It is up to Bud to help Rachel get back and put away this desperate galactic criminal.

Bud’s adventure will take him to 4 different locations and 4 different time periods. Music also changes in each location. The places vary from a forest over 8000 years ago to a spaceship orbiting Saturn way into the future with Medieval Castles and Ancient Egypt in between.

The play is easy to pick up using the arrow keys and jumping with the control button. There are helps in forms of monitors along the way. You can stop and view them or you can ignore them. There are thousands of coins (which you need to exit the portals), jewels and fruit to get for your score. This is your basic run and jump game where you will find secret areas in each land, moving platforms, many tiered trees, levers, ropes and the dreaded but fun slippery floors.

Bud Redhead is an awesome play in the style of the Mario games. The artwork and graphics were great, and some of it reminded me of Japanese anime. The backgrounds were drawn in detail and rich colors. The ending is a big surprise. So if you are looking for an excellent family fun, try Bud Redhead and venture out into the timeless unknown.

Features of Bud Redhead:
-20 Levels of Adventure and Fun
-5 Levels per Different Worlds
-Thousands of Coins, Jewels, and Fruit
-Secret Areas
-Big Boss Levels

Rating: ★★★★½

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Abracadabra! Review

Action, Arcade, Platform, Puzzle | Posted by Meg
Jan 16 2010

abracadabra

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Phelios the maker of Pixie, Doulber Gold, Kaijin and many more  Mac games made Abracadabra a few years ago. We are reviewing this simple but popular game for all those who may have missed it the first time around.

Abracadabra is an action packed arcade platform puzzle game. You take the little wizard through a magical trip finding gold, potions, keys and evil creatures. The wizard with his enchanted wand uses it to make or break bricks and can help save his life. You do not want to see him die. You use the arrow keys to direct him through all the mazes with many obstacles to prevent him from proceeding to the next level. Find the key and exit through the door. The space bar will let you use his wand, and use the arrows with the wand to direct the appropriate action to the right object or creature.

It takes a little practice for non-gamers to get used to the key movements but can grasp the play very quickly just by doing. It is a great starter game for all who are new to Mac games or video games, because the tutorials (in many languages) will take you step by step through the play. However, the higher levels are quite challenging and entertaining enough for even the seasoned gamers.

This game is reminiscent of the very first 2D Mario games, and you know they are always entertaining to revisit and play again. Abracadabra is just a fun play when you do not want to think too hard. I say too hard because there are some mazes you have to strategize to exit the platform. An added bonus is the easygoing jazzy music and colorful scenes to enhance your mood to play. So meet the spellbinding challenge with Abracadabra and spend some time playing this old time Mac game.

Features of Abracadabra:
-115 Levels
-Fun Arcade, Action Puzzles
-Wizards and Mystical Creatures
-Tutorials in Many Languages

Rating: ★★★½☆

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Jasper’s Journey Review

Action, Adventure, Arcade, Platform, Puzzle | Posted by Zeke
Nov 16 2009

Jasper's Journey 2
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Everyone knows cats are needed for evil witches’ brews so it should not have been a great surprise when Orlando, Jasper’s favorite pet, is snatched by a wicked hag on a lovely, sunny afternoon. Jasper may not be your typical hero type, and he may not be the smartest, swiftest or the bravest person in his small hamlet, but he is loyal to his friends and must go on a treacherous journey fighting and avoiding monsters of all sorts to save poor Orlando’s hide in Mac game Jasper’s Journey.

This is an old time scrolling platform play that everyone can enjoy. If you are new to this type of arcade play, use the easy mode until you get the hang of it. There are 3 modes for all levels of expertise. Initially the game is easy going and no problem accessing hidden areas for fruits, coins, stars, gems, golden orbs and shields. The game progresses quickly and your skill will be put to the test with the many high jumps you must make in order to get all your supplies, keys and treasures.

The blocks at first are also easy to handle especially the spikes where all you need to do is time the jump. The gnome-like guards can be shot down with ease using the X key and speed through the stone throwing birds overhead. After a couple of levels, it does get harder and more challenging. You will find that you must keep going back to search for all your objects. Nothing is too good for Orlando. Jasper is risking his life for him over and over again. There are also locked and secret areas you must explore. This is part of the enjoyment of platform games like Mario and Sonic.

The play is the fundamental platform maneuvers with the arrow keys managing your movements, Z is for jumping and X is for shooting. The fruits will give you energy and you’ll need it since shooting will drain your energy. Garner all the golden orbs, shields and treasures to keep going in the game. The gold can be used in the inns to buy supplies like fruit and shields. Remember saving a game will cost you 10 gold pieces and there are 6 different potions to help you.

Jasper’s Journey is full of items and objects to get in all the high or underground places. Mastering the jumps will advance your play by many folds because all the great and necessary things are usually placed way up high. The level ends when you reach the blue dragon. The purple dragon will take you to the island for more items.

Jasper’s Journey is a retro, side scrolling platform fun play similar to Bud Redhead. This type of game has loyal arcade followers who enjoy platform games. Even the music is retro and familiar with nice background graphics to enhance your play. Take a stroll back to the arcade era and help Jasper fend off the monsters and big bosses to save Orlando from the evil crone.

Features of Jasper’s Journey:
-Hidden Treasure Chambers and Secret Levels
-Battle Monsters
-Flying Potions
-Magic Butterfly

Rating: ★★★★☆

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The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures Review

Action, Platform | Posted by musicaltrack
Nov 12 2009

tuttles
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The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures begins with the Tuttle family embarking on a family vacation to the Alamo. Join Barry Tuttle (voiced by Bob Saget), his wife Barbara (Jamie Lee Curtis), his daughter Jess (Ashley Tisdale), and his son Zach (Dominic Scott Kay) and their “smart” car Vance (voiced by the great William Shatner) as they attempt to make it to Texas in their flying automobile. Unfortunately not everything goes as planned and the family is sidetracked with zany side-stories. With an allstar cast like this, who needs a good game (Just joking)?

After flying around in the family minivan, the Tuttles run out of gas and have to crash land in the desert. This is where Barry has to leave his family and look for more gas to restart the car. The game takes on a platform approach, similar to Donkey Kong, where the goal is to collect all the necessary items and then make it to the exit. The controls are very basic, you can walk, jump and attack. These can be carried out on either the arrow keys or the mouse. I thought the mouse feature was pretty cool, but definitely felt more comfortable using the traditional arrows.

I looked into this game, because it seems like it is pretty big with movie and TV stars’ voices, and I found that it has ties to the Starlight Foundation. So when you buy this game, part of the purchase price goes right back to the charity, bettering both your gaming experience and the general community. Having celebrities like Bob Saget, Ashley Tisdale and William Shatner create an interesting experience that many people will like. The game additionally won many awards and can be played by the whole family for hours and hours of fun.

Personally, I thought this was a good game. The actors voices were a nice touch, but their lines were somewhat limited. When I would jump, they would repeat annoying noises that at times became a nuisance. Other than that, I had no other complaints as the game played very smoothly and the graphics were nice. The story line was funny without trying too hard and with 40 levels of fun, there is plenty of replayablility. I would give The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures four out of five stars.

Features of The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures:
- 40 levels of side scrolling action
- Celebrity voice overs
- Multiple characters
- Part of the Purchase donated to Starlight Foundation

Rating: ★★★★☆

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