Checkpoints

Lego Fever is a fantastic little game put together by GameLab, a fledgling development house based in New York City. It seems that dull grayness has taken over Lego World, and best Lego friends Harry and Jens are determined to bring back the color. You, of course, are Harry and Jens, and as the two friends you partake in three different activities, all with the goal of bringing color to the regrettably drab lives of the denizens of Lego World.  It’s fast-paced, well designed, and fun as hell.

The three games go something like this:  In the first type of game, called Puzzle Mode, Jens runs aimlessly in one direction while you stack blocks to help him get to the sad, gray people to bring color to them.  This could involve building bridges, steps, or even walls to turn Jens around.  Then there’s Chase Mode, which is sort of the same as Puzzle Mode, except that Harry only wants to run in one direction.  You’re still giving color to those without, but in Chase Mode, you have to keep ahead of the oncoming tidal wave of gray.  Finally, there’s Clump Mode, which requires that you move blocks around to match three of the same color, thus making them disappear in true puzzle game fashion. 

The three modes, while not necessarily all that original in their design, are executed perfectly.  The puzzles start, as they should, extremely, almost insultingly simple.  As such, they are perfect vehicles for getting used to the mechanics of the game.  Pick up a block here; move it here.  Simple enough.  Jens and Harry are pretty happy Lego dudes, they’re good at what they do, and it feels as though this is going to be another one of those walk-in-the-park puzzle games that companies are churning out at will these days.

And then, it shifts.

By the end of the first of five worlds, things start to get frustratingly difficult, but just the right kind of frustratingly difficult.  From then on, it’s the sort of game that’ll keep you up late, throwing things at the computer every time you lose, the sort of game that has you convinced that the answer is just beyond your grasp.  Lego Fever is a fantastic little game, something that goes beyond just the Lego aesthetic and actually involves the building of blocks in its gameplay.  If you don’t mind your puzzles wrapped up in a whole heaping of cute, Lego Fever is a wonderful little diversion. [Amazon, Amazon UK]

Sony infamously screwed up at last year’s E3.  There is no need to go through all the details, but basically, they revealed the price tags for the PS3 and everyone started complaining.  It can be argued, however, that the Playstation 3 is a better deal than the Xbox 360 (the awesomeness of the Wii will be excluded from this argument).  Sony packaged a Blu-ray player, standardized the controllers, and offered more storage space.  Microsoft, on the other hand, charges you 200 dollars for an external HD-DVD player.  Every Microsoft accessory is kind of clunky, and the 360 is probably the loudest console ever.  Still, the 360 has all the exclusive titles that inspire people to call in sick from work. 

Until now. 

Actually, I’m just playing.  Super Rub a Dub cannot and will not ever be played on another system, but only because Sony literally owns the game.

While searching though Sony’s woefully underdeveloped online store, I found a game called Super Rub-a-Dub and got excited because I thought it was going to be the demo Sony showed at E3 2006.  It wasn’t.  The demo probably would have been more fun, but I bought it anyway so I could show off the Sixaxis controller to all my friends.  “Big deal,” one of them says, “I have a Wii, and this is just a worse version of that marble game.”

Super Rub-a-Dub may be a cute name, but the game is deceptively violent.  It involves navigating mazes, trying to rescue ducklings by touching them and guiding them towards a hole.  That alone is messed up, but it gets even worse.  The harder the levels get, the more sharks—yes, sharks—you have to avoid.  The sharks eat your ducklings.  This is not a kid-friendly game, it is Finding Nemo, rated PG-13.  While you can bounce the sharks out of the tub by lifting the controller, the maneuver is not nearly sensitive enough and I found myself bouncing my mommy duck out of the tub, making my times slower.  What’s worrisome about this game is the knowledge that the dragon in Lair is going to be controlled by the Sixaxis.  After a few frustrating minutes of trying to tilt the Super Rub-a-Dub tub, it’s daunting to think how hard it might be fly a dragon. [Amazon, Amazon UK]

Bust a Move Bash! is one of the worst examples of video game studios cashing in on a slapped-together product. The game is uninspired, boring, frustrating, derivative and worst of all, not fun in the least.

The Bust a Move franchise is based on a very simple puzzle blueprint. Match sets of different colored balls in an attempt to rid the screen of said balls before the screen collapses. The Wii seems like a natural home for this straightforward puzzler with its simple motion controls and wide demographic.

There are four different modes in Bash! but they tend to blend together or aren’t worth playing at all. Puzzle Mode is the “traditional” mode in Bash! and is the most bearable in the title. Some wrinkles added in Bash! are the special types of balls that have different effects on the game. Flame balls explode, doing collateral damage. Rainbow balls change the color of an adjacent ball. Other than that, the player pretty much shoots balls at other balls trying to make a match of three or more to clear them. Other modes in the game are Shooting (gallery-style target practice), Endless (self explanatory) and Versus (multiplayer). All are utterly forgettable. 

The worst part about this game is that after a while, the player can abandon all strategy and simply randomly shoot balls at any angle. It’s almost as effective as thinking about your next shot, and not nearly as painful. On top of that, the menu screens are terrible, the graphics are mediocre, there is little replay value (unless you include the arbitrarily huge number of levels in Puzzle Mode) and almost no depth. Everything that is good and right in the kingdom of puzzle games -– addictive game play, mass appeal and challenge -– is startlingly absent in Bash!.

Nintendo’s Wii, with its innovative and unique motion controls, is the perfect console for an addictive, Tetris-quality puzzler. Bash! is not that game, not by a long-shot.  Bust a Move Bash! is not even worth the discounted $30 price tag. Save yourself the money and play a better variant of this game somewhere online for free. [Amazon, Amazon UK]

It’s a curious mix of nostalgic elements that drives the impenetrably titled rhacp by the prolific Japanese indie developer Crostar.  It’s the sort of game that seems to put a new spin on an old game, but it’s almost impossible to put a finger on just what old game it’s updating.

Right off the bat, it feels a bit like Pac-Man.  You’re a polygonal creature going around and eating up these little pellets while these other polygonal creatures chase you around the board.  Since I can’t read Japanese, it took a while to figure out that these other things weren’t trying to eat my polygonal thing, rather, mine was trying to eat them.  Knowing this fairly crucial fact makes playing the game much, much easier, as you can’t progress to the next level without eating a certain number of these other things as a counter counts down in the corner of the screen.

That’s not to say you don’t want to try and avoid those other little buggers; if they hit you in anything other than the head, a mine (a little round obstacle that immediately ends your game if hit) comes out your tail.  This gets particularly problematic when the result of eating so many of the little polygons is that your polygon gets longer.  This, of course, evokes the Snake game from many a Flash PC window and graphing calculator.  The game has four levels, with a fifth “challenge” level tacked on to the end whose sole purpose is to rack up as high a score as possible.  The level design is fantastic, with different wall configurations, cute (if simplistic) music, and beautifully colored backgrounds allowing for a diverse play experience despite the limited mechanics.

Still, the fact that a game like this feels as fun as it does might speak to a lowering of gamer standards, spurred by a glut of casual games and collections.  The Wii has cemented the prominence of the casual game in the modern consciousness via titles like WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Sports, in part conditioning gamers to enjoy their games in short, mind-numbing bursts.  Still, there’s something to be said for appropriating classic gameplay elements for the sake of creating new games out of them—there’s a reason the classics are the classics, so why not borrow from them a bit?

rhacp will never set the world on fire.  Even so, it’s a hell of a way to spend 10 minutes. [Amazon, Amazon UK]

Everybody wants to rule the world, and what better place to start than as the ruler of your own nation?  Cyber Nations—an online nation simulation game that boasts a world with some 35,000-odd user-ruled nations—offers you the chance to do just that.  Featuring an array of building-block economic, social, and military options, the game offers you the chance to craft a budding super-power or play as a rogue militaristic state.  Form trade agreements with other players, build civic features, join alliances, or fight in wars, do anything you can to continually improve your piece of the pie.

The game also continues “off-site” in both official game and user forums, fleshing out the game options with some real-world politics.  At its most involved—within the machinations of the larger in-game alliances—the game becomes as involved as a multiplayer RPG campaign, complete with war councils and elections.  If you do register a new nation and join the games, take some time to read through the game forums as well, as detailed information and ideas for maximizing your country’s success can be found there. 

Similar in nature to the more limited NationStates, but boasting more interactive features and group play in a manner analogous to the cheeky fantasy game Kingdom of Loathing, at first blush Cyber Nations seems unlikely to hold interest.  You can collect taxes for money only once per day, making the strategy as much about judiciously allocating your resources as it is about action, and navigating global politics and striking bargains are as much parts of the game play as fighting battles.  It’s also worth mentioning that playing alone is a bit less fun—and less advantageous—than getting some friends together to play as a group. However, despite its deceptive simplicity, the limited amount of single-round play is oddly addictive, and given that it’s a free online game, you definitely get more than your money’s worth. [Amazon, Amazon UK]

Just about everyone has either played or heard of Risk, the ancestor of all modern strategy games.  It’s been around for 50 years.  Armies, countries, dice, cards, conquer the world.  Well, give it an ancient history theme, put it on a computer, and you’ve got Ancient Empires Lux.  The publisher, Sillysoft, makes no bones about this:  They refer to AEL’s older sister, Lux Delux, as “a game of strategy and domination inspired by the board game Risk.”

That there’s nothing revolutionary about this game doesn’t diminish its value as a fun way to kill 20 minutes in an airport lounge.  Even the free demo, which allows access to the first three of 12 ancient empire scenarios, has strong replay value.  There are four difficulty levels, and once you’ve mastered those, you can play again using other, less advantageously placed civilizations.

Each map is accompanied by a brief, defensible history narrative.  The East is as well represented as the West, which is more than can be said for many games that mine ancient history for their material.  If you buy the full version, you will get to conquer Rome (and who doesn’t want to do that?), but not before you’ve established dominion over ancient India and Han China.

Gameplay is easy to master and moves quickly.  Battles are animated with clouds of dust and angry little battle cries (or painful groans) when opponents are eliminated.  That’s it.  No blood, flying spears or little armies trudging across the screen.  Ancient Empires Lux, like Risk, is meat and potatoes strategy gaming.  Those seeking cinematic cutscenes inspired by Ben Hur or 300 should look elsewhere.

If you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to crush ancient Egypt under your boot while your laundry finishes, your game is here.  Do your wallet a favor and wear out the demo before springing for the full version.  Ancient Empires Lux is a perfectly nice little addition to a portfolio of PC time-wasters, but $20 seems steep for what’s essentially a strategy game widget. [Amazon, Amazon UK]