Indie Ancestors (issue 1)

Good morning, dear readers! Over the past few years, the so-called indie has hit the gaming industry like a big wave. Among games from independent developers there are both bad or, to put it mildly, strange projects, and good ones, original and even excellent. The latter, in principle, promote the gaming industry as a whole. Indie entertainment has already reached the level of the old big projects of major studios, at least visually. Of course, there are a lot of good games that are not young. I will write only about a few that, in my opinion, stand out for something in particular or maybe the sum of all the components.
I appreciate your time and will try to talk about the games briefly, so some details will not be mentioned or will be lightly touched upon.
And so, I present to your attention an article on the topic “Old games that the indie industry could learn from” or in another way "The Ancestors of the Indies.»

Flashback: The Quest for identity

This project proves that the plot and atmosphere in games are not an empty phrase.Of course, I mean the old Flashback, and not its 2013 remake. Comparing these games is like comparing the movie Total Recall with A. Schwarzenegger and “Total Recall” with K. Farrell, starring. And this comparison is not accidental. And in general, it’s noticeable where the creators of Flashback drew inspiration from.

Plot: The story begins with a chase. The main character runs away from two people who shoot after him. Slightly tearing himself away from two armed figures in cloaks, he gets on a motorcycle and flies away.However, the pursuers get into the car and catch up with him. Against the backdrop of mountains and jungle, the car fires several shots, one of which reaches the designated target and knocks a man off his flying iron horse. Then the pursuers try to find the fallen man, and apparently deciding that he is dead, they fly away. All significant plot events will be demonstrated in similar videos. Later, our hero comes to his senses and, through a not too cunning search, finds a holographic cube. In which the protagonist, Conrad Hart, sees a video recording that he apparently once recorded and addressed to himself. In it, the viewer receives instructions about meeting with his old friend, who lives in “New Washington” and will help shed light on events.

Game mechanics:When creating the game, we used rotoscoping technology, which can also be found in the games “Another World” and the original “Prince of Persia”.» Game mechanics, it is essentially an action platformer. This work uses acrobatics (basically the same as in “Prince of Persia” 1989), during which you will climb and jump. However, among other things, a somersault function has also been added.

The mode of destruction of hostile individuals is implemented by shooting from a pistol and ridiculous waving of hands, in close contact with enemies. Opponents of humanoid and other species will try to kill the main character. The pistol has infinite ammo. But you play as a mortal man who doesn’t have lasers coming out of his eyes and doesn’t have the ability to climb walls or run at supersonic speeds. But you have to survive somehow. To do this, the main character has fantastic devices. I will not list them all, so as not to spoil the intrigue, but I will mention a few. For example, in the inventory there is a thing called “shield”. It is she who protects Hart from final death when receiving damage. But there are only four attempts. To replenish your shield, there are special generators located at the levels. They are also useful for other things. A little later, our target will receive a device in his inventory that creates a force field. It does not need to be recharged, but the protection appears for a few moments, so in case of danger you need to choose the right time to activate the barrier.
At some point, it becomes possible to move freely through several locations using the metro. But apart from the main plot, there are no missions.

Music:The melodies are not played very often, but when they are played, they emphasize the right moment.

Flaws: The combat may seem a little monotonous, but its energy keeps you from getting bored.

The atmosphere and general scenario of the game are literally saturated with “old science fiction”.“They don’t chase you down by promising you non-stop action, but they don’t stand still like a tree in a field. This story contains many references to the “old school” of fiction; anyone who has read Hanlein, Sheckley, or Bradbury will understand what I mean. This creation of the gaming industry, in my humble opinion, is one of the best representatives of its genre.

Earthworm Jim

This game is quite famous among players. It is noticeable to the naked eye that there is a large share of good humor and absurdity in it, in the good sense of these words. However, despite all the fun and comedy, the player will have to overcome not the easiest tests that can tickle the nerves.

Game mechanics: This creation of game makers boasts good platforming, so to speak. If the main character has to jump somewhere, then most likely he will jump, and not jump over or not jump over. To kill opponents, Jim wields himself, in the sense of a worm, like a whip or shoots from a cannon. Firearms have a decent rate of fire, but the ammo is not infinite.True, they are replenished if the number representing it reaches zero. A worm, he can also cling to hooks to find objects and reach the end of the level. There are a decent number of stages in the game and the developers have done a great job of diversifying them. Either Jim flies to races, maneuvering between asteroids, then he changes his position on the rope trying to push his opponent, and he can also swim underwater in a fragile bathyscaphe. By the way, an earthling in a white suit will chase after Psychoblood and at the same time dodge space stones quite often. Literally after every level.

The external content of locations sets the right mood. In addition, almost every level has elements that emphasize its uniqueness. I mean, the good work of the level designers is noticeable. For example, at the first stage, our worm encounters rubber tires, on which Jim will have to jump. And in hell — from time to time, a fire will appear along the way, trying to roast you. The backgrounds and soundtrack also create the right atmosphere — in the same hell mentioned above they are screaming.

Music:I won’t talk too much https://gamblingsitesnotongamstop.co.uk/ about music. I’ll just write that it’s done very well and is simply perfectly woven into the game.

Flaws:The first "Earthworm Jim" is quite a difficult game. Unfortunately, not everyone can master it. For some, the lack of a plot can be called a minus, but this miscalculation is more than compensated by the excellent gameplay.

Most boss encounters in the game are unique. I’ll probably mention that this work of game development has the largest number of animations (passive animations). Some characters do it more often, others less often.

Earthworm Jim-2

Game mechanics: In the second part, the developers took a more humorous route compared to its predecessor. True, in my humble opinion, the gameplay suffered from this. The game seems more damp or angular, or something (but this is my personal opinion). In the previous part there was tomfoolery, but behind it one could see some kind of firmness, literally polished gameplay. The game seems to have become easier, or something?. You wouldn’t have gotten through the last part without concentrating hard, unlike this one. Although in the second there are quite a lot of interesting, funny and varied situations. Just remember the levels with rescuing puppies. Or taking off with an inflated head with the lights on, also a pretty memorable stage. I’ll also remember a quiz show with multiple choice answers and a level for delivering a bomb in a hot air balloon, where the developers even changed the camera to isometric.

Jim’s weapons have increased noticeably. But unfortunately, this circumstance does not play a big role. The clinging system has undergone another change. Previously, the earthworm grabbed the hooks with itself, but now instead of the hooks, there are places to which it clings with the help of some green substance similar to snot. You can also use it to float, while the green liquid turns into something like a parachute with eyes.

Music: They didn’t really bother with the musical accompaniment in this part. Basically they just took well-known melodies such as Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”, and “Polka Dziadek” or “El Choclo”, and reworked them a little.

Flaws: In this part, the gameplay has become easier, but more fun. As in the first part — there is no clear plot.

Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 are filled with high-quality humor, sufficient complexity and, most importantly, variety. Overall, this game series is a masterpiece (I don’t want to mention the 3rd part). And I don’t know of a similar franchise, except that the good series “MediEvil” comes to mind .“

Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2

Some people still remember that they grew up with wonderful cartoons from the Disney studio.» This game is dedicated to the adventures of famous little characters who perform small but important feats.

Plot: The next adventure of the cheerful company begins with a video showing how an airship with a sign “Fat Cat” flies up to the prison and Fat Cat voluntarily leaves the place of his imprisonment to carry out new evil plans. And of course, the brave team rushes to the rescue in order to punish the villains and everyone who is on their side.

Game mechanics:You will play as Chip or Dale, and possibly both, if you go through this path with a partner. Each character has a life scale. On the screen it is shown in the form of hearts. You can replenish them with the help of acorns. In principle, the game is not very different from many platformers. She has a good appearance and cute, beloved characters. During the adventure you can see the rest of the heroes from the team of brave rescuers.“The course of game events is familiar to the genre as a whole. Chipmunks can jump on and off platforms. You can get rid of enemies by throwing objects at them. Mainly wooden boxes. Among your opponents there are some that you can’t get rid of with just one throw. Then the first action is to first stun the living threat with the box, and then either pick it up and throw it somewhere, or repeat the first action, accurately hitting the target. Flying enemies will also be encountered more than once. But even the enemies here are pretty cute. However, it is not necessary to destroy everyone,. Sometimes, to defeat an enemy, it is enough to simply hide in a box and then when the enemy comes into contact with a throwing object, the chipmunk will automatically throw it. By the way, you can pass the first boss without throwing a single wooden object at him. There are also bonus levels in the game. In them, rescuers need to aim a spherical object at prizes flying over their heads. There is only one attempt for each chipmunk and not much time to think.

Probably the cardinal difference of the game is the unusual interaction between the characters. Firstly, playing with two players is much better in that you can collect more lives and other bonuses. That is, going through it with a partner is not only more fun, but also more profitable. Secondly, it is possible to grab your party member and throw him wherever he pleases, while he cannot do anything. Sometimes you really have to stun a chipmunk by throwing some kind of throwing object at him. I’m almost certainly sure that many people have done this to their younger brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and others.

Music: During the adventures of the main characters, quite rhythmic music will sound. In the initial levels it is more cheerful, but later you can hear more mystical compositions. The melodies are situational and well emphasize the visual part of the stages.

Cons: Excessive lightness may seem like a minus, although if a child is playing, it’s just right.

The result is a fun adventure about chipmunk rescuers that is not particularly annoying in its gameplay, which is more profitable and fun to play together.

Disney’s Aladdin (Virgin Interactive)

This game follows the plot of the first cartoon from the Disney studio, about the adventures of the street thief Aladdin. The story is told using pictures and inscriptions. If you’ve forgotten, I’ll try to remind you.

Plot: One sultan had a vizier named Jafar, who decided it was time to replace his sovereign on the throne. But for this he needs a magic lamp. The vizier finds a thief named Aladdin and invites him to steal the lamp for a reward. And the street boy agrees to the persuasion of the treacherous servant of the Sultan. But things don’t happen as Aladdin and Jafar planned.

Game mechanics:The first thing that catches your eye is the picture, which is pleasantly visually pleasing. This work is an adventure platformer. The game execution is simple, but this is more a plus than a minus. The main character will jump on platforms, climb ropes, and sometimes do acrobatic pirouettes.

Of course there are enemies in the game (where would we be without them). Many of them look quite friendly and even funny. In general, the enemies are not too difficult, except that bats can spoil your nerves. Aladdin will deal with them by waving an Arabian sword or throwing apples at them, which love to count. Several times you can simply spit on enemies using the services of a camel. It is advisable to accumulate apples by picking. It’s also worth paying attention to the gems located at the levels. With them, you can exchange “life” for 5 stones and “desire” (continuum) for 10 stones from the merchant. You can also get lives by finding them on the levels. They are indicated in the form of Aladdin’s head. There are save points in the game areas, so-called “check points”. They are realized in the form of large vases, which, when touched by the main character, turn over and an image of the smiling head of a genie appears on the vessel. The game has bonus levels. You can get to them if you find the sign — “the head of the monkey Abu”. Actually, in these zones the player will control a cute monkey with a sword. In addition, at the end of each level you can play a kind of lottery, where objects quickly change in the Genie’s mouth.

As the game progresses, the main character will visit all the important places that could be seen in the cartoon. They are quite diverse. The developers of this game are not afraid to joke. This is noticeable both in the initial splash screen and in the appearance of some enemies. Yes, even death looks funny here! Well, or rather the animation after it.

Music: The musical part will be familiar to those people who have watched cartoons about a lucky thief. After all, the main part of the compositions is taken from them.

Flaws : To be honest, I didn’t notice any particular disadvantages in the game. Perhaps only its short duration is a little upsetting.

The result is not too complicated, a good work, with good visual content, which is simply a pleasure to play. Perhaps this entertainment is one of the best to instill in children a love for the gaming industry. This game carefully opens the door to the world of the marvelous east and Arabian fairy tales in particular.

Today’s material has come to its logical conclusion and I wish you a good day!