GAME > Psychedelic Zombie Assault (Gideon Simons)

Psychedelic Zombie Assault is a short and simple shooter (made for Gideon's own competition), where you play as an unknown protagonist who finds himself in a sinister dungeon-like arena. Using the mouse, you must shoot rapidly oncoming hordes of zombies (yes, zombies...) while a strategic dynamic is added amid the emerging lasers destroying anything in their path. Some more arena designs and a wider variety of enemies and traps would have improved the gameplay side, although making it more complex could ruin the fun to be had. The juddering graphics remind me of those found in Virtual Silence and the dark, minimalistic style fits the setting nicely. The game features one appropriate soundtrack and a number of sound effects to reflect the actions on screen. Overall, this is another momentary yet well-made shooter from Gideon; a great excuse to waste a few minutes.

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GAME > StopHappyMonsters (Gideon Simons)

StopHappyMonsters is an exceptionally demanding horizontal shooter with basic but well-worked and appealing visuals. You must obliterate wave after wave of (satisfyingly) bouncy ball-like monsters, interrupted by larger bosses which take the game to an even harder level. A subtle but nifty feature determines the direction of each bullet by the current momentum in the ship. This cleverly decreases the number of keys needed, making way for a brilliantly uncomplicated control system (in stark contrast to the game’s difficulty). The simple graphics work very nicely and the fine range of colours reflect the cheerful, carefree mood, much like the apposite music and sound effects. Online highscores would have been a good addition, but maybe I’m asking too much from a quickly developed game. This thoroughly fun shoot-‘em-up was made for the third GMG mini-competition and will undoubtedly stand an excellent chance.

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GAME > Mouse No. Probably a Rat. (David Scatliffe)

Mouse No. Probably a Rat. is a stylish parody of Squid Yes! Not so Octopus!, with many noticeable similarities to the shooter. You (probably) play as a rat that must dodge around the arena speedily, avoiding the relentless enemies that appear from nowhere in large groups. Survival is very difficult – the online leaderboard was a good idea, increasing replayability. The graphics and effects are well worked and consistent, especially for the short time the shooter was developed in. Audio is also aptly stylish to round off a thoroughly fun experience that fits the theme of the competition it was created for. All arcade fans will enjoy it.

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GAME > Milo Applequest (Darkleo)

Milo Applequest is a cute and composed platformer set in an attractive kingdom - Applekingdom. You play the role of a chirpy racoon who must collect a lot (and I mean a lot) of apples from the kidnapping hands of the Evil Spirit of Forests. There are over thirty levels embracing this polished experience, of which there are four types – variety sure is nice. These visually lush stages are all accessible from a nicely designed ‘hub’ where you can enter each level after collecting certain amounts of gold apples; these serve as the main game objective. The gameplay feels quite slow but measured, with well thought out level design offering an enjoyable overall feel, although this game is not for action-only enthusiasts. The graphics are perhaps the finest aspect, although the creator has openly admitted that he didn’t make them – a shame, indeed. I’m not much for the repetitive use of the main typeface, but it does match the feel nicely. The music and sound effects are also very fitting for the style of the game. If you’re a fan of platformers, typically from Nintendo, you’ll probably enjoy this.

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GAME > Angry Gorilla Machine Monsters (Andrew Brophy)

Angry Gorilla Machine Monsters is a trademark Andrew Brophy shoot-‘em-up, where you typically play as some kind of ship shooting down a bunch of ugly enemies that appear in a periodic configuration. Because enemy emergences are generated randomly, you’ll have to play through the game a number of times to experience them all, especially since it’s so hard (touch a bullet and it’s game over). As customary, the visuals are the focal point, with an array of gorgeous effects to compliment the fluid gameplay. A nifty high scores table shows that quite a bit of effort has been put into development, even if it does seem to end before it's really begun. The music (courtesy of John Marwin) is perfectly apt for the high tempo and feels on par with the other facets of the shooter; there are no complaints to be made. Play Angry Gorilla Machine Monsters if you want a quick burst of optical niceness.

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