Tag: PLATFORMER

Our New Year's resolution for 2011? Be weirder. We have more realistic first-person shooters and self-important RPGs than we know what to do with. We want more games that evoke the singular dream-like wonder of the films of David Lynch or the music of 'The Residents'. Care to join us on our trip into the strange? Then check out this week's picks for time wasters that will leave you as captivated ...

It's almost a brand new year, so we thought we'd say goodbye to 2010 with a round of indie and Flash platformers that hearken back to yesteryear while looking toward tomorrow. The genre that 'Super Mario Bros.' created 25 years ago is still going strong, and, whether you're a nostalgia hound or just a gamer who needs his twitch fix, these games aim for the throwback. Not since 'You Have to ...

Big things come in small packages, they say -- and, as undernourished, nerdy shrimps, we're here to prove that adage correct. Pint-size protagonists have long been a gaming staple, from the compact physique of 'Mario' to the robo-twerp protagonist of 'Mega Man.' This week, we'll take a look at a new generation of microscopic mascots who star in games that are big fun. 'Endeavor' is an ...

Big things come in small packages, they say -- and, as undernourished, nerdy shrimps, we're here to prove that adage correct. Pint-size protagonists have long been a gaming staple, from the compact physique of 'Mario' to the robo-twerp protagonist of 'Mega Man.' This week, we'll take a look at a new generation of microscopic mascots who star in games that are big fun. 'Rocky Memphis' is the ...

No, your monitor isn't broken. While this week's crop of games have been drained of color, they're just as ingenious as their more vibrant brethren. Inspired by doodles, noir cinema and silent films, this batch's stark graphics present curious mechanics and clever adventures. Flash addiction will be as simple as black and white. 'Shift 3' is the mind-bending result of interplay between ...

Let's face it. Most Flash and indie games are painfully easy. But just because a game is made for a browser doesn't mean that it has to hold your hand. There's something satisfying about surviving a bone-crushingly hard game by the skin of your teeth. Once, with games like 'Contra,' this sense of accomplishment came from memorizing enemy patterns and level layouts without resorting to the Konami ...

For a long time now, the Internet has been the best place for gamers to get their 2-D platforming fix. The latest suck on our time is a game called 'Liferaft: Zero,' a game that gives you control of an infinite army of small, blond female clones, which you must guide through a lab filled with deadly spikes. To advance, you ring the bell that's strategically placed in each level. While the ...

For many, the original 'Super Mario Bros.' is the quintessential video game. Not only did it help the NES to usher in a new era of home consoles, but it also popularized a genre that would come to dominate gaming for decades: the platformer. Platformers arguably originated with 'Donkey Kong,' which also starred the plumber-protagonist Mario, and challenged gamers to leap over hazards, climb ...