It's time once again to take a look at some of the best video games released for in-browser play. The following three are excellent time-wasters that came out in May, 2009.
Developed by a newbie over at the always excellent Armor Games named Joey Betz, this simple but addictive title combines action, physics and some puzzle elements for a surprisingly fun result. Crush The Castle is the spiritual sequel to Castle Clout, a game developed by Liam Bowmers with the same basic premise. Players take control of a trebuchet, which is like a more sophisticated version of the catapult, and attempt to knock down a series of structures made from individual physics-reactive pieces. Crush The Castle improves significantly on a number of issues plaguing Clout. The trebuchet is a lot easier to aim accurately after making it past the learning curve and the ammunition system has been streamlined.
The goal of Crush The Castle is to kill each of the King's rebelling subjects within each castle. This can prove to be quite tricky when the structures are reinforced or the pieces fall into a protective spot. Each castle has some sort of weak spot or gimmick that keeps play from becoming too repetitive and the different kinds of ammunition get dramatically different reactions from different structures. Some of the results can be downright hilarious and it's very satisfying to watch an entire structure come tumbling down from one well-placed shot.
From a Canadian developer who submits under the name light_bringer777, Learn To Fly is a perfect example of a good formula given a clever twist. Distance-achieving games are certainly nothing new to the Internet. Titles like Hedgehog Launch have pushed the genre into a new level of polish. While Learn To Fly doesn't have that same polished feel, it has plenty of entertaining mechanical bits to keep the game entertaining.
Players control an intrepid penguin intent on using a combination of rocket propulsion, hang glider technology and good, old-fashioned momentum to achieve flight for his otherwise flightless species. The game rewards players who achieve high speeds, altitude, or a long flight. More money means more powerful rockets, better glider designs and a more aerodynamic penguin. For those players who can figure out the right formula to travel 6000 feet in a single launch, an ironic ending waits at the finish line.
Developer LongAnimals is no stranger to game design. He's been creating flash titles for several years now. Heavy Weapons is his first stand-out effort. Using physics similar to the hit Bubble Tanks but with a more nuanced, level-based approach, Heavy Weapons has players piloting a space craft through a series of closed arenas fighting off waves of different kinds of enemies. The level ends when the requisite number of enemies has been destroyed. Players have to be careful how they spend the money earned after each level. There's no returning to previous levels to earn more and it can be a real disaster to only have the wrong weapons available for a particularly tough fight.
These are just a few of the great games released for online play in the past month. I'll be back next month to look at some of the best titles of June.
Printer-friendly version