GAME > Hellarious (Ian Jones)

Hellarious is another entry into Game Jolt’s recent contest. This one is a demake of another hit indie title, Canabalt. Yes, a very high profile game to demake but Hellarious does the job admirably. Instead of being on rooftops, this one-button platformer takes place in hell. You face fireballs, dropping stalactites (hell must be made of limestone) and lava in your quest to race as far as you can before coming to an inevitable and occasionally unfair death. The best side of the game is its addictiveness; the design makes you feel like you can do a bit better every time you die and the online highscores offers more replay value. Graphically, the game is a tad poor and the platforms, especially, look a little rusty. The optional iPhone border looks fairly mismatched but it’s an amusing parody of the Canabalt game found on its home page. If you’re playing this to have fun, the hellish (hur hur) visuals shouldn’t put you off. And the background music, titled ‘Falling Demons’, is all too apt.

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GAME > Legs (Daray Manning)

Legs is a (very) short and simple precision platformer where the protagonist appears to have lost his arms. You must tackle eleven levels, with the character’s only abilities being to walk and jump (with his legs) in order to find these misplaced limbs. The inspiration from You Probably Won’t Make It is evident, with similar colours and aesthetics used throughout. The game is generally a fun time-waster, although there is a particularly frustrating problem – the player seems to glitch with the wall and bounce off it almost every time. This ends up as the most challenging aspect of the platformer, which is not a good thing. The graphics are suitably basic, but I’m not totally convinced why the developer decided to make the screen size so tiny. While the music matches the general feel, it was highly repetitive with such a short looping time and alas there were no sound effects to be heard. Overall, Legs is a good platformer; it just needed that something more to be great.

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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 > RunMan: Race Around the World (Matt Thorson & Tom Sennett)

RunMan: Race Around the World makes me want to smile. It’s a true example of what an indie game should be. The enthralling platformer puts you at the helm of a small yellow star named RunMan and, as you may have guessed, he likes to run. The game’s story tells of an event – a race around the world. Alas, RunMan’s apprehensive challengers do one before it has even begun. This leaves RunMan with the trophy, but he decides to rightfully earn his victory and run around the world anyway. The game will have you literally dashing, crashing and bouncing through intricately designed stages – if you’re good at it, the experience will flow effortlessly. And if you’re not, there’s always the fact that you can’t die. The amount of content is rather comprehensive – more than thirty-five action-packed levels are there waiting to be shattered (and all accessed via a nifty world map) including a number of bosses that add an (much needed) extra challenge, and I’m yet to mention there are collectible medals as well as saveable ghost runs. The graphics are perhaps the seemingly primary characteristic and will instantly catch your eye. The messy MS Paint-esque design really fits the laid back approach, working very effectively. The comprehensive collection of folk, blues and jazz music is just as pleasant, reinforcing a uniquely comical style that you’ll instantly fall in love with. Simply put, if you don’t play this game, you’re insane.

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GAME > Baghead Bandit (Alex Schacher)

Baghead Bandit is Alex Schacher’s debut game, where you play as a boy with a bag on his head. The aim of the game is to save the protagonist’s girlfriend from the evil Dr Plastik (yes, there’s a little humour) by trawling through the forty levels, collecting a jewel in each one. In all, there are seven areas to beat, with the map bearing similarities to that of the Super Mario Bros. series. Compared to many GameMaker games, Baghead Bandit is easy, with a lack of challenge and generally stuff to do (quite Seiklus-like in that respect). While this can allow repetitiveness to creep in, it’s nice to see a platformer forgiving to mistakes. As well as the wealth of levels, there is a timed mode and secret levels throughout, which should keep you playing for longer than the average GM game. The visuals are well-sprited and remain consistent, even with the numerous areas. An assortment of fitting audio tracks is included, allowing the game to flow smoothly. On the other hand, I feel that some of the sound effects sound slightly misplaced. Overall, it’s a relaxing platformer and a great first attempt at game development from Alex.

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GAME > Pixel Switch (Noel Berry)

Pixel Switch is a small platformer with an interesting (while familiar) gimmick, where the character can’t jump, yet you’re able to flip gravity as many times as needed. Through each of the twelve levels you’ll use this gimmick incessantly in order to avoid touching anything red before reaching the door. Disappointingly, the engine is a little glitchy. This setback becomes a real pain at times, but hopefully can be ironed out in an update (some more (challenging) levels would be nice, too). The pixel graphics are quite cute and aptly simple, creating a fun environment for the game, however the lack of decoration on the corner of the platforms makes the two-day development period evident. Effects are minimal, but are appropriate when used. In terms of audio, Pixel Switch features a cheerful soundtrack which feels right for the mood of the game as well as some simple sound effects to keep the experience flowing. Overall, Pixel Switch is a fun bout of platforming, save the tiny niggles.

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GAME > Atomic Blast (qrleon)

Atomic Blast is an action-packed platformer originally intended to be a full clone of Destructivator. Playing as a guy with a gun, you face just about every type of enemy or obstacle you could think of. The extensive range of impediments makes way for some really interesting (and challenging) levels, of which there are twelve, with a boss battle in the last. The game engine is very smooth unlike many platformers where simply jumping from ledge to ledge can become frustrating, and the graphics are well sprited and especially consistent in style, even if the loading image is a little ugly. The blood spurting animation was to my particular liking, adding a spell of comedy to the experience. The melodic piano-styled music is fitting and the sound effects give good feedback to what is happening on-screen. If you like platformers and shooting, you should download Atomic Blast right now.

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GAME > It Only Takes a Second (Andrew McCluskey)

It Only Takes a Second is an atmospheric 3D platformer with a clever concept. Playing as a time bomb, you must bounce through each level before finishing it with only one second left. The catch is that you can’t see what number the timer is on, except when the number which is present on the bomb turns green, after which you can count down manually to determine when to complete the level. The physics are very tricky to master and putting one foot wrong can mean disaster. A clear annoyance is the arguably overused wall jump; while this is a fairly clever feature used to increase the difficulty and strategy needed, it becomes very tedious and downright maddening, particularly once you get to the comparatively long levels. However, there is a video guide (though it would have been nice for it to actually be included in the game…) that goes through the basics of IOTAS in detailed fashion. There are a total of twenty levels; five in each of the four environments (with even more specific rules for each one), making this a pretty comprehensive game if you consider the ‘SPEEDRUN’ mode as well as the high amount of online functionality. The 3D visuals are very nice and fading the walls out to black worked well, creating an intimidating feeling, ideal for the objective of the game. Something that definitely stands out is the creative menu, which entices you to play on and gives good visual feedback. There’s no music in-game, because of the need to count ticks, but where necessary, there’s always sound to account for your needs. If you can take frustration, you should definitely give this Game Jolt ‘Axioms’ competition entrant (Andrew’s second) a play through.

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GAME > Broken Cave Robot (Matt Thorson)

Broken Cave Robot is another adventure platformer created for Ludum Dare 15. You’re given five minutes to explore a cavern labyrinth, until the robot-protagonist’s battery runs out. Throughout the quest, there are two main things you should aim to find and collect – gems and power-ups (‘climbing gloves’, for example); the time limit works well with these objectives, pressurising the player into making quick decisions, such as which path to choose. A particularly interesting feature ties in with the story of the robot – the normally clichéd map used to keep track of your position must be hand-drawn (or mouse-drawn rather). This is one of a number of elements that makes this platformer seem so intricate and well-structured, setting it out from other games in the genre. The graphics are simple, but what I really like is the way shadows and the lack of light is used to affect the gameplay. Audio-wise, Broken Cave Robot is very minimal and I don’t think the music effectively matched the visual style, nevertheless perhaps I’m being unfair to pick out negatives in what is a platformer you must try out.

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GAME > Beacon (Chevy Ray Johnston)

Beacon is an eerie platform game where you must keep the familiar-looking protagonist (reminds me of the male character in Pokémon Ruby…) within close proximity of the moving beacon, or a bright crystal, while trekking through the deserted cave. This interesting concept gives way for some really neat ideas (too many for me to go through), while Chevy gradually increases the challenge waiting in every level. The graphics… well, what can I say? They’re pretty remarkable, and even more so if you consider the fact they were developed in only two days. Everything appeared pretty flawless, even with the fabulous effects; I’m particularly impressed with the smooth character movement, interaction (with the water especially) and animation. The howling background ambience greatly adds to the dark feel of the experience, with the occasional sound effect to emphasise the mysterious atmosphere. Beacon was originally created in only 48 hours (for the 15th Ludum Dare); quite outstanding bearing in mind the graphical polish and the emotional detail behind the game. You absolutely must give this gem a go.

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GAME > Tower of Heaven (Askiisoft)

Tower of Heaven is a fairly short (although it took two years to create) puzzle platformer where you must complete each level in a certain time limit to successfully scale the tower. After the introduction, the game bases itself upon laws that are gradually introduced by God, as you progress through each stage. This concept makes each level increasingly tricky and also gives the opportunity for good design. After you complete the game the first time, you can go back through it in the ‘Speed Run’ mode, where you are timed for the whole adventure. The developers of Tower of Heaven is even holding a promotional Speed Run contest where you can win some cool stuff. As for the looks, Tower of Heaven bears a well presented 3-colour pixelized style, with some nice effects that give great polish. This style matches very well with the audio, which is also nice and old-school (very Game Boy-esque). Overall, a well refined and fun platformer.

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GAME > PyRO (Zack Banack)

PyRO instantly reminded me of a previously reviewed game, For Now. And it’s easy to see why. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting platformer with a nice gimmick - interactively rotating visuals. You supposedly play as a child who ‘fears the flame’; you can make your own mind up whether a small yellow cube adequately represents a child. Over the thirty levels, there are a number of new puzzling features introduced to increase PyRO’s challenge and variety, as well as a level editor for more extensibility. Although I do have a problem with the slow player movement; it makes every move feel very heavy and laborious. The visuals look quite smooth and the rotating cubes aren’t too extreme. PyRO features a soothing and atmospheric background tune which fits nicely with the leisurely movement and the game’s eccentricity. By the way, the platformer was made for Game Jolt’s Axiom contest and surely must stand a decent chance.

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GAME > Mr. Jones’ Dream (David Sulon)

Mr. Jones’ Dream is an exploration platformer that focuses on a businessman who’s just been laid off. The game follows the vivid dream of Mr. Jones when he goes home and falls asleep. Taken as a whole, it’s a pretty unsystematic platformer, with an array of challenges at hand; quite a fitting scene for a dream. The pixelized graphics are nothing particularly special, but they are well pulled off and the visual consistency is nice. Also, the simplicity reflects the dreamy environment. The range of background music, although fundamentally basic, fits the atmosphere nicely and it’s great to see that the developer actually made them himself. Incidentally, the game has been entered into TIGSource’s Adult/Educational competition.

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GAME > For Now (Josh Sullivan)

For Now looks very similar to an unreleased game by Jonaton Söderström, but just because it’s so comparable, it shouldn’t be looked down upon. After all, it does have some unique features in addition. Anyway, For Now is a psychedelic platformer with disorientating effects that make what would be a boring game without the eccentricity, an interesting game. In each level, you collect all the red pyramids by jumping around with a multicoloured ball – it’s a simple objective, but it doesn’t need to be anything more, since the effects provide the challenge. The visuals are clearly the main focus, with abstract 3D platforms present in magnitude; each level has a slightly different style to keep things new – you never really know what to expect in the next stage, apart from more weird and wonderful visuals. The background music creates a fitting ambience for this strange platformer. No sound effects seem to be at hand, but they’re not really needed.

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GAME > Silly Anthony, Don’t Run Away While I’m Filming! (Ryan Langewisch)

Created to celebrate the first anniversary of the hit indie games weekly video show, ByteJacker, SADRAWIF is a fun platformer in which the show’s cameraman (Jon) chases Anthony when he decides to run away for reasons we’re not aware of. Controlling Jon, you must run over rooftops while trying to keep Anthony in the camera shot – failing to do so results in ‘Game Over’. Various harmful objects must also be avoided, ranging from drink cans to bubble gum; this can become very tough and timing jumps becomes a core skill needed to progress well. There is also a wide range of characters from indie games dotted throughout that can be collected, adding to replayability. The graphics are very refined; especially considering SADRAWIF was made in only two days. The overall visual style is very consistent and there’s enough variety to keep you interested. For music, the game includes a remix of the familiar ByteJacker show introduction, expertly created by Ryan’s brother. The track really adds to the authenticity. Any ByteJacker fan must play this!

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GAME > Alexitrón’s Journey to Learn GML (Alexis Andújar Gonzalez)

Alexitrón’s Journey to Learn GML is a comical platformer comprising of twenty increasingly difficult levels. The game is based upon the creator’s transition from the use of Drag and Drop to GML in GameMaker. The player must destroy all of the Drag and Drop icons in each level, simply by jumping on them – oh, how refreshing it is. The icons come in a variety of forms to keep the game varied and a combination of them together can prove tricky to overcome. The graphics are very simple, reinforcing the somewhat plain style of the GameMaker GUI. A nice effect appears when the protagonist jumps on an enemy, but that’s about as distinctive as the visuals become. There’s no background music, but the fitting retro sound effects more than make up for this. Overall, it’s a great game to pass a little time with. I hope Alexis can continue to make brilliant games, now in GML.

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GAME > Innoquous 3 (Andrew McCluskey)

Innoquous 3 is yet another sequel from Andrew McCluskey. This tricky platformer adds countless features to what used to be a simple game, making this by far the most comprehensive and impressive of the series. Using the arrow keys, the player negotiates cleverly designed levels (in colour for the first time in the Innoquous series), with the main gimmick being the smooth gravity switching. Boasting thirty levels and a number of different modes, there is a lot to do to attain 100% completion. And this is all made even better when you consider the ability to upload your stats to the Innoquous 3 website, allowing you to compare scores with other Innoquous-lovers across the globe. Heck, there are even ten trophies to amass. Graphically, the game is very streamlined but colours add to what used to be a pretty desolate-looking platformer. Something which attracted me was the well thought-out menu; it’s not often you see a good menu in GM games. Personally, I thought the music was a little off the gameplay tempo and, although the hordes of sound effects were nice to hear, some of them clashed pretty distinctly. However, these are minute negatives of a very very good piece of excellence.

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GAME > Follow Your Heart (Kolj)

Follow Your Heart is a simple platformer, where you can only walk left and right and climb ladders. Yes, no jumping, but this permits some smart level design. The objective is clear-cut; reach the pink heart in each level to make a door appear, then go through it. Alas, it isn’t actually too difficult to beat the game, nevertheless I imagine the saying ‘short but sweet’ is applicable here. Graphically, the game is basic, but in a good way. The consistent pixel style is very well executed, adding to the pleasure you will find while playing. The retro background tune is very repetitive, but this rather reflects how games used to sound. There are also a few cheesy sound effects that feel somehow necessary.

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GAME > The Great Double Dog Unicycle Dare (Ryan Langewisch)

TGDDUD is hard. Wheely hard. So hard, I only just managed to proceed over the first gap (I’m terrible, I know). Anyway, it’s a platformer where you are dared to ride a wobbly unicycle that is unbelievingly hard to manage – if you play anything like me, you’ll be smashing your keyboard plentifully. Other than that, it’s a pretty basic platformer with the normal challenges you’d expect. The graphics have a very definitive red style and when they’re all put together, they work. It pretty much proves that minimalistic work on the visual side can still make a game look good. As with pretty much every game by Ryan Langewisch I remember playing, TGDDUD comes with a very retro background tune. And, as usual, it fits perfectly. If you complete this, you really should give yourself a pat on the back.

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EXTENSION > Platform Basic Library (Andy Hamm)

Platform Basic is an old library package released back in 2004 by Andy Hamm originally designed for Game Maker 5 & 6 users. The library aids in creation of platform games. It includes 18 drag-and-drop actions and a customizable game engine, topped off with some very sharp glossy blue icons.

Unlike many platform libraries I have tried Platform Basic just works. There is no fuss, no confusion, and your games always feel professional. Implementing the library into your game is extremely easy and only takes a few D&D actions before things are running. And don't be fooled by the release date! This library is very stable compared to some of the platform game packages I have tampered with from more recent dates.

Platform Basic has three different versions still available for download officially supporting versions 5 and 6 of Game Maker, however version 2.0 of Platform Basic works fine with Game Maker 7. The download also comes with a help file and example.

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