Honorable Mention

Cave Story 3D (3DS)

Tuesday November 8, 2011

If you need even more proof that the indie scene can indeed create a hit, Cave Story should be the poster boy of proof. Created entirely by Daisuke Amaya over the course of five years and released over the Internet in 2004 for the PC, Cave Story slowly gained popularity. In fact, it gained enough popularity to catch the attention of Nicalis, an independent game developer, who proceeded to work with Amaya to port it over to the WiiWare back in 2010. NIS also got in on the action as well with this 3D remake.

Starring an amnesiac boy who woke up in a cave, he stumbled upon a village of rabbit like people threatened by a maniacal scientist. In classic video game mode, the outsider becomes their only hope for salvation.

Cave Story plays out on a 2D plane despite the 3D makeover, and pays homage to classic 2D games like Super Metroid and Castlevania. So much so that you even have missiles and weapons that can be used to open new areas of the world. Cave Story also has a reputation for being rather difficult, which also fed into its popularity amongst the hardcore. If the 3D look feels distracting, Cave Story offers up Paper Mode, which switches the game’s look back to the classic game’s graphics.

The 2D platformer may not be the current hotness genre wise, and especially not this week, but for a game that manages to rise from such humble beginnings all the way to actual commercial release doesn’t happen everyday. Something about it has to be special enough that a game company, you know those heartless bastards who thinks of nothing but profit all day long, will actually take a chance with a commercial release. The only other explanation I can think of involves dark rituals and deals signed in blood.

Max and the Magic Marker (DS)

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Max and the Magic Marker may not have the same rise to popularity story like Cave Story did, but they both prove that the 2D platformer space still have room for success stories. Originally released for the WiiWare and PC, Magic Marker managed to gain just enough attention to warrant releases on other platforms including the PSN last week and on the IOS earlier this year. As for this week, we’re getting one for the DS.

In Max and the Magic Marker, Max came across a marker with the ability to bring to life whatever he draws. Unfortunately, the first thing he drew was a monster, and now it’s running amok in all of Max’s drawings. Max decided to draw himself into his drawings to stop the monster. You play as both picture Max and real life Max with his magic marker. As picture Max, you run and jump through over 50 levels, and as real life Max, the marker can be used to solve some environmental puzzles. For example, drawing a line will create solid platforms that picture Max can use to get around, but because of gravity, the platform must be drawn so that it doesn’t fall down and become useless to you. Time can be stopped temporarily giving you time to draw multiple objects before the physics of the world kicks in.

Why publishers decided that this week, of all 52 weeks in a year, is the best week to release a low profile indie game about some kid with a marker is beyond me. It almost feels like some sort of unresolved pathos on their behalf or something. Nevertheless if you absolutely can’t stand the other Triple-A releases coming this week, maybe a little detox with an indie 2D platformer will do you some good.

Raving Rabbids: Alive & Kicking (Xbox 360 Kinect)

Tuesday November 8, 2011
Hot damn, these guys don’t give up do they? After their stint on the Wii, the Rabbids look ready to take on the mini-game collection space that has opened up on the Xbox 360 all thanks to the Kinect. Just like before, the wacky Rabbids play host to a series of mini-games with the big focus being that the Rabbids will be right there alongside you through the magic of Kinect’s cameras. Some of these games include air guitar, dodging a spotlight, Whack a Mole with the Rabbids playing moles, and various others. Admittedly, the Rabbids popularity has cooled in the recent years, and coming out in such a blockbuster heavy week such as this one may not have been very smart of Ubisoft. But then again, counterprogramming tactics do work every now and again.