Good Morning Bird is another audacious step toward learning how to completely integrate all aspects of a game into the game's mechanics themselves. In this case, we're talking about the music. Yes, that first sentence wasn't just an expertly crafted amalgamation of words, it also contained a pun! The last game on the list to try this (or at least the last one I remember) was entitled Audacity. That game pulled off the whole "2D music platformer" thing decently. Its main flaws were that the notes that played when you picked up stuff were just a bit out of sync with the rest of the "song" and that there was no save feature (grrr).
Good Morning Bird seems to have fixed both of those. There were only a few moments when the notes were out of sync (but that's to be expected for a game this experimental), and the game is short enough to not need a save feature. So, is this it? Have we reached an apex of game design? Has the perfect platforming musical experience been crafted? Well...no, but hey, Good Morning Bird is a damn good try.
First off, let's talk visual design. There are no graphical glitches and the game is decently colorful and exciting. I'm not an artist, but I daresay any problems you may have with the visual design are personal preferences. I, personally, loved the visual design. There's something about that half-egg on legs that makes me go "daww."
Next, game feel. This is where the game took a big misstep for me. Your hitbox is a bit larger than it should be, and enemy patterns are just a bit too fast. The snakes are the worst culprits. They bounce merrily up and down so fluidly and so rapidly that it's a huge pain to time your passage over or under them accordingly. Not to mention, your character is just a bit too slow, giving that feeling of "come on, hurry up, dammit!" when you bear down on the right arrow key hoping, to no avail, that the little birdie will get a move on.
If you can get past that, though, Good Morning Bird is a neatly wrapped, fun experience. That's all for now. Until next time, stay musical.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25907
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Gobs of Color
If you've read my Claustrophere review, you probably know that I'm a big fan of the "inevitable demise" story framework. Of course it won't work for every game, but there's something about fighting your hardest in a fruitless battle that just brings up all sorts of introspective thought, at least to me. Why do I keep fighting even though I know this war zone will be my grave? Would it not be more moral and logical to simply lay down my weapon and spare the lives of my enemies, who will win the day regardless of their casualties? What am I fighting for in the first place? Who am I, even?
In the case of Gobs of Color, that questioning process goes something like this: "Why d-" and then you're dead.
Gobs of Color is a short, Asteroids-esque shooter with a difficulty curve that will beat you senseless. Each of my playthroughs lasted less than a minute before I was consumed by the pastel-colored space monstrosity. If there was ever any thought in your mind that I confuse "frustration" with "extreme difficulty," let this review put those worries to rest. This is perhaps the most difficult game on the list so far, and never once did it get frustrating.
What I like most about this game is that it scores you on two separate things that are only tangentially related: score and time survived. See, the only way to rack up points is to shoot the Crayola globules, but doing so makes them explode and spread out, making them more likely to hit you and chip away your health. Thus, the game allows for two distinct types of playstyles: pacifism and aggression. What's better is that it's completely up to the player to decide which playstyle is preferable...huh, maybe this game is deeper than I initially thought.
This game is short, sweet, unique (kind of), and challenging. It definitely gets my seal of approval and it's perfect for anyone who needs some quick sensory stimulation after a mentally draining stretch of homework or filing taxes or what have you.
That's all for now. Until next time, stay colorful and gelatinous.
Links
Space Play-doh: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8724
In the case of Gobs of Color, that questioning process goes something like this: "Why d-" and then you're dead.
Gobs of Color is a short, Asteroids-esque shooter with a difficulty curve that will beat you senseless. Each of my playthroughs lasted less than a minute before I was consumed by the pastel-colored space monstrosity. If there was ever any thought in your mind that I confuse "frustration" with "extreme difficulty," let this review put those worries to rest. This is perhaps the most difficult game on the list so far, and never once did it get frustrating.
What I like most about this game is that it scores you on two separate things that are only tangentially related: score and time survived. See, the only way to rack up points is to shoot the Crayola globules, but doing so makes them explode and spread out, making them more likely to hit you and chip away your health. Thus, the game allows for two distinct types of playstyles: pacifism and aggression. What's better is that it's completely up to the player to decide which playstyle is preferable...huh, maybe this game is deeper than I initially thought.
This game is short, sweet, unique (kind of), and challenging. It definitely gets my seal of approval and it's perfect for anyone who needs some quick sensory stimulation after a mentally draining stretch of homework or filing taxes or what have you.
That's all for now. Until next time, stay colorful and gelatinous.
Links
Space Play-doh: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8724
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