Games to Watch: Owl Boy

Today I wanted to write about a game from indie developer D-Pad Studio, called Owl Boy. I’ve been watching this one for about a year now, after happening upon it while on a retro game binge. The artwork immediately caught my eye, and I was sold as soon as I watched the trailer. When the demo was released I was impressed with the promise the puzzles showed and the overall presentation. Yesterday I took some time to replay the demo and grabbed a few screenshots to share.

You play as Otus, a boy in possession of a special cape that grants him the ability to fly. Within the first minute you are introduced to the first of several companions that Otus can carry while flying. Each companion can shoot their own unique projectiles, aimed and fired with the mouse. Right after that, you run into the store. I was able to purchase a hat that increased my companion’s rate of fire.

It feels like the demo really begins when you enter the Owl Temple. While inside, you are introduced to a number of mechanics that will feel familiar to Zelda and Metroid fans. Occasionally your path will be blocked and you’ll have to solve a simple puzzle to advance. Throughout the temple you discover chests that contain HP increasing flasks. Some areas have falling water that prevents Otus from flying and in turn prevents him from carrying his companion. Not to worry, however, as you can summon you companion by pressing the “R” key once you’re in the clear. There are also sections that have you sneaking around goblins, much like dodging sligs in Oddworld.

Between the stunning sprite-work, classic gameplay and catchy sound track, Owl Boy seems to be a great game in the making. If you miss the glory days of 16-bit, then Owl Boy needs to be on your must play list. The game does not have an official release date yet, but the developer's site says they'll be announcing one soon. Check out the demo for yourself by downloading it at D-Pad’s official site, here http://www.roflgames.com/DPadWebsite/www/index.php

Casually Hardcore with PopCap: An Insaniquarium Spotlight

Casual games are on fire these days. Almost everyone has a phone or tablet capable of playing them and they’re priced to sell. I had been picking away at Plants vs Zombies on and off for a while now. I would usually play it on my breaks at work. Yesterday I finally finished the adventure mode. The game has clearly earned the hype surrounding it. I’ve found myself being more interested in the game now that adventure mode was over, as there is so much more to be done.

When I got home from work yesterday, I checked out PopCap’s website to see if there were any other games I should try. I already had Zuma’s Revenge on my phone, and knew all about Bejewled. One I had forgot, however, was Insaniquarium. When it first came out, I remember “casually” playing for hours at a time. I downloaded the trial and gave it another shot. It was still pretty fun, but what I was more interested in was its similarities with Plants vs Zombies. It would be a lie to say they were identical, or even close, but there was enough shared “DNA” to wonder if Insaniquarium could be a hit again.

In Insaniquarium, your goal is to raise a variety of fish that will drop money so you can buy pieces of an egg. When you buy all the pieces of the egg the level ends and you are rewarded with a new helper fish. During the levels, on top of having to keep your fish fed, you also have to protect them from deadly aliens. Why are aliens invading your fish tank? Who the fuck knows? The only thing you do know is that they’re hungry, and your fish are looking tasty. Three additional modes including challange, time trial, and a virtual tank round out the experience.

Insaniquarium would make a great game for the mobile market. The controls for the original PC version consisted of pointing and clicking, perfect for the touch-screen interface. The graphics may need a small update, but the core artwork is consistent with PopCap’s signature style and charm. I would buy a mobile version in a heartbeat…

Daydreaming in 8bit

Though the earliest video games came before my time, I did cut my teeth on the NES, so I've been at this for awhile.  Video games have changed rapidly over the past 20 years. At least one thing that has remained the same, for me anyways, is their ability to captivate the player's imagination and submerge them into worlds they could only dream of. As a kid I probably spent more time outside pretending to live some of these games than I did actually playing them.

My NES collection was very limited as I was about 6 or 7 at the time. Castlevania was my absolute favorite game, and to this day is one of my favorite series. I loved the cover art and tried to draw it a hundred times. When the Genesis and SNES came out I was able to play a much wider range of games. The Super Nintendo was left at my grandparents house so my cousin and I could both use it. Every once in a while one of us would take it home for a week or so, if we were in the middle of good game. Summers were great back then. We'd spend all day at Gram's going back and forth from the pool to the basement to play Donkey Kong Country or Aladin. Like many grandparent's houses, there was a seemingly endless supply of snacks and Pepsi. I don't know if it was every kid's dream, but it certainly was mine.

One day, I remember my dad coming home with a large brown box. Before he could even get in the door I was looking inside and saw a Sega Genesis and a strange looking oversized cartridge. That cartridge turned out to be the Sega Channel. Well deserving its own thread, for now I'll say the Sega Channel represents one of my favorite eras in gaming. 

At that point, my video gaming habits were still pretty moderate. I loved to play, but spent just as much time if not more drawing or running around outside with my friends. When the PlayStation hit the market, I was completely oblivious to its existence. I remember seeing the PlayStation codes in the back of the gaming magazines and thinking the colorful shape inputs looked funny. I was in third grade when I first got to try one out. It was my first time hanging out at my new friends house and we played Crash Bandicoot and Oddworld. Both became instant favorites of mine. I was blown away, and tried hard to find a game for the SNES or Genesis that would compete with Crash's 3D platforming. I was unsuccessful. Then, on some random day, I was rewarded for my good grades with a trip to Toys'R'Us. I left with my own PlayStation, and my love for the brand began.

Since then, my involvement with gaming has only deepened. When PlayStation 2 was released, I was heading into high school. A job and a car made my video game purchasing all the more easy. Things have slowed down a tad more recently, mostly because life got more serious. Even so, I still manage to get a good amount of gaming in. Spanning almost all the major platforms, I dabble in a little bit of everything. I also frequently, and increasingly more so, replay the retro games that started it all. 

I've wanted to create a video game fan site for quite some time now. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to really dive into it. So for the mean time, I figured I'd start this blog. Here I hope to share my gaming experiences, both old and new, as well as reflect on the current video game culture. If you've read this far, you probably have a passion for these things too. Video games are much more fun when you can share them with others. With that in mind, lets game...