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Leap Into 'Fotonica,' a Hectic Marathon Through a Retro Wireframe World

by Ben Deitz on January 18, 2011 at 04:55 PM


Forget last year's obsession with using spasmodic flailing as a way to control video games. It's far more interesting for developers to subvert the classic D-pad and buttons that we've been tapping away at for years. The one-button game perfectly realizes this by forcing both developers and players to think laterally without resorting to fancy new technology. Play 'Canabalt,' and then check out our week-long one-button showcase.

'Fotonica' is a first-person race through a charmingly retro environment. Each of the game's three levels involve running and bounding between elevated platforms, pipes and rubble-strewn roadways as you challenge yourself to make it as far as possible without suffering a game-ending fall. You run by holding the space bar, and jump by releasing it; and, although the timing takes some getting used to, you'll soon be soaring through levels like parkour legend David Belle. Collect the white dots littering each course for additional points, but be aware that you'll need to perform some fancy footwork to get them all. Additionally, you'll enter a slowed down "gold" mode once you reach a certain speed, allowing you to more accurately manage your leaps and bounds. Perhaps the game's most outstanding feature, though, is its wireframe style. Reminiscent of the vector graphics of such early arcade games as 'Tempest,' 'Battlezone' and 'Star Wars,' 'Fotonica' feels like taking a run through the future that we always envisioned we'd be living in.

The free Unity Web Player is required to play.

Tags: flash games, FlashGames, fotonica, gamesonthego, gaming, top, unity, vector, videogames

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