[ JAN . 26 . 2011 ]
This week we take a look at a creative take on the "Match Three Blocks" theme. There's certainly a glut of these games out there, but this titles changes things up in one important respect- You're playing the game in real time on two playfields at once.

Colored blocks enter from the top and bottom of the screen and head towards the center. You must arrange them into groups of three or more of the same color in order to clear them. The active blocks on either side of the game grid may be swapped by pressing control or space.. but only if they haven't touched any other blocks. Certain blocks also contain power-up's that can be either good or bad. Experimentation is key. :)

Interesting game.. perhaps too busy for my own personal taste.. but worth a try. The official website for the game is here, although it appears the game file is completely offline.

Anyway, I've decided to host the game myself, so download it and give it a try.

-Chip

Here is a gameplay video, courtesy of Pixel Prospector:

[ JAN . 19 . 2011 ]
This week we take a look at a smashing PC remake of the classic computer game Oil's Well. This game was known for it's intense and somewhat frustrating game-play style. It had a very prominent risk/reward system that was almost unmatched, and led to quite a few controllers meeting an untimely demise.

[ JAN . 12 . 2011 ]
 
I remember back in 1976 when my father came home with Atari Pong... We hooked it up straight away on the TV set in the kitchen and just played the hell out of it. Only being five, I didn't quite get the hours in on it that my older siblings did, but I still logged quite a few.

Who would have thought that something so damned simple could hold your attention for so long? Simply put, it was a new technology that really foreshadowed the possibility of what was about to come. And it didn't take long.. Atari 2600, Fairchild Channel F, Bally Astrocade, Intellivision, Odyssey 2... all of these systems owe their existence, at least in part, to the financial success of Atari Pong... and conceptually to the Magnavox Odyssey by Ralph H. Baer and, of course, Willy Higinbotham for his oscilloscope rendition of Tennis for Two.

[ JAN . 04 . 2011 ]
 
It's just amazing that we can still be reviewing new Commodore 64 releases in this day and age.. and there's nothing wrong with that. You guys know that I always like to give these games a shout-out because they are getting fewer and far between. They also tend to get buried under the mass of new titles for current systems. Also, who wouldn't want some new games to play on this nearly thirty year old beast. :-)

So, today we were contacted by Shoot'em-Up Construction Kit (S.E.U.C.K) king extraordinaire, Alf Yngve, about his latest S.E.U.C.K. game release over at Psytronik Software.

[ DEC . 22 . 2010 ]
 
Way back in the golden age of video games, the humble racing game was nary more then a line on either side of the screen with an amorphous blob in the center to denote your "car". And you know what? It was damn fun to play.

In the ensuing years, the genre pulled itself up by it's proverbial boot straps, dusted itself off and started down the road (pun intended) to refinement... Adding better graphics, physics based handling, simulating realistic weather and track conditions and emulating the driving behavior of famous drivers.

>> Quick Peeks: Nanako in Classic Japanese Monster Castle [C64]

This week we are taking a look at Inside's [Portuguese Link] oddly entertaining (not to mention, odd) platformer for the Commodore 64: Nanako in Classic Japanese Monster Castle.

·  · ·· Quick Peeks: Space Chunks 2 ·· ·  ·

Welcome to another Quick Peeks.. This week I'm taking a look at a free form arena shooter created by George Thornton. This game has it all: Great graphics, weapon upgrades, power-ups, enemies, boss battles, wingmen, commendations, promotions and much more.

Drop in an see what all of the fuss is about.

·  · ·· Quick Peeks: The Soul of Dracula ·· ·  ·

It's Wednesday... And that can mean only one thing.. Ok, maybe not just one, but it _is_ time to take a Quick Peek at a title that will help you muddle through you tryptophan induced stupor this Thanksgiving.

This week we are taking a look at an indie title that pays homage to one of gaming's classic platformers. So before you fall asleep on the couch, pop on in and check out The Soul of Dracula...

·  · ·· Quick Peeks: The Hordes ·· ·  ·

I've been on a shooter kick recently so today we will be checking out a fun freeware shoot'em up called The Hordes. This particular game was created in the classic shoot'em up style and has a fairly linear stage progression with deceptively difficult game play.