Added by Happy Vader on 8 Jul 2013 12:18

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Casual Games Reviews

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Blosics - Mobile

8.0/10

Ever since discovering this game by accident, I have been hooked to Blosics, its sequels, and physics games in general.

The premise is simple: you must knock down bricks via a ball. If you hold down the left mouse button long enough the ball increases in size, and this proves to be very useful in certain levels. But beware, the larger it gets, the more point it takes away, so basically yes, strategy and accuracy is the name of the game here.

Though containing only few levels - the sequels both have 30 levels - the gameplay and fun is immense. The only time you will ever wanna let go is when you have reached a certain amount of high score and absolutely cannot achieve higher any further.

As bright as the colors are, the sound effects are also very memorable. I'm guessing the developers were either big Star Wars or Halo fans because the sound effects - especially when you're "charging" your wrecking ball - sound as if taken straight from a sci-fi media.

Happy Vader's rating:

Blosics 2 - Mobile

9.0/10 Stars

The superior sequel to the above, Blosics 2 is everything a great, nay, excellent sequel should be about: take everything that made the first one exciting, memorable, or any word of your choice, expand upon it and make it tons better - thus solidifying your love for both titles.

Just like its predecessor, the main objective is to score a minimum of 100 points to proceed to the next level. But unlike the first one, this time around you get a selection of balls to which the points are pre-determined; all you have to do is pick the suitable one for the level. You can cheat and use the bigger one on easy levels but that will cost you points - if aimed incorrectly the first time of course.

The levels are very imaginative and almost all of them have replay value in them. Though other games may have beaten Blosics financially, this title knocks all of them right out of the ball park by its fun and addictive gameplay.

Blosics 2 has my vote for the number 1 best casual game on the internet!

Happy Vader's rating:

Blosics 3 - Mobile

7.5/10

If you've noticed a stutter in the pattern, then it's no surprise. Blosics 3, although retaining the same gameplay, sees blocks with scared faces and balls with angry frowns, thus finally giving into the Thomas the Engine complex of anthropomorphism. *snicker*

A little on the difficult side, Blosics 3 is nevertheless fun, but I always find myself playing the first two more than this one. One of the major reasons for my running away from this game is the somewhat annoying voices the blocks make incessantly. They burp, they apologize, they scream; sure, you can mute your speakers, but there's no fun in that. The imprisoned blocks, however, sound very cute!

If my reviews, or the pictures, have intrigued you, I recommend stopping at part 2, but since you can finish off all 3 in just under an hour, I think it's better that you finish off the trilogy so that you can be ready when / if part 4 releases.

Happy Vader's rating:

7.8

Auditorium - PC Games

8.5/10

Auditorium is as beautiful a game can come. Sure, there are others and they range from this genre to that, but they need the correct mindset if one is to enjoy them. Auditorium doesn't ask for anything, maybe except the use of great speakers.

This music game requires you to fill up bars with neon rays which represent different tones of music. As the game progresses, the objective changes from simple bar-filling to quite-complex coordinating the right color for each tone. If the bar is yellow, then the neon rays must pass through a yellow circle, and so on...

The music is sublime, and though I can understand the standing ovation it got / gets, I personally didn't enjoy it as much as the others, but I still think it a beautiful game.

Happy Vader's rating:

8.2

Flow - iPhone

10/10 Stars

Finding this game was a case of serendipity. I was originally in the search for another title by the same name by the indie company, thatgamecompany. They're known for developing games which evoke emotional responses from the player. When I searched for Flow, I was hoping to play their title, but as it so happens, there's another game by the same name; a puzzle solving web-browser game which sees you connecting two dots of the same color via a pipe. But there's a catch.

You must use all spaces. (see the image above). Even if you miss one, the level won't end. Though you can spend as much time as possible on any level, all of them are limited by certain moves; some require 5 accurate moves, some 4, some 6, and in the harder levels, more than 10. You can exceed the moves limit, there are no penalties, but you won't get the perfect 3 stars if you do. The star rating is based on the moves, and that's the only objective of the game - though you don't need to play it in chronological order, like is the norm in other puzzle games, as all levels are unlocked for you.

Speaking of which, there are 300 levels for you to play. This is not a guess but an approximate number. The more the game progresses, the more color dots appear. Originally you start off with purple, blue, red, yellow and green. The more the colors, the more difficult.

Flow is perhaps the most clever and addictive puzzle game I've played yet. It belongs to that unseen category where you don't play, but instead experience. It's not all about trial-and-error, either.

I've noticed in a lot of online and/or indie games that the background music is often-always beautiful and relaxing. Flow's music is no exception. As of now it is my second favorite music. The first being the excellent ambient theme of Blosics 2.

In conclusion, Flow is a clever game that though doesn't reward you anything for your achievements, does make you feel good about yourself when you finish off the entire game. I say bookmark the site, Plonga.com, and start playing it now!

Happy Vader's rating:

Boomshine - PC Games

Rating: 9.5/10 Stars

As one of the earliest internet casual games, I wasn’t at all surprised when I caught up with it 4 years later and still loved it as I did the first time around. The game’s supposed to be relaxing and soothing (which it is, by the way), but when the bubbles start to expand and when you are hoping to make it contact with the other bubbles, the feeling is excruciating; thus you’re not fully relaxed by the game because you’re busy being agonized by the near-contacts and no-contacts and curling your toes in anticipation. Yea, not even Super Mario Bros. or Contra makes one like this. Your spine stiffens, your throat dries up, your eyes widen, a cold electric wave passes through your body – all this over a bunch of colorful enlarging and contracting bubbles. Intense, bloody intense!

Containing only 12 levels, Boomshine really doesn’t ask much. Each level requires you to pop a certain number of bubbles in order to proceed to the next level. You can exceed the number, no problem, but it all lies in how precise your timing and placement of the first bubble was. Sometimes you think you’ve found the best spot but end up making contact with only 2 or 3 bubbles. Sometimes none; while the other times the chain reaction is so beautiful, almost everlasting, that it’s the video game equivalent of wiping your tushy with Kleenex Wet Wipes.

With the soothing music in the background, gorgeous colors and challenging gameplay, Boomshine is easily one of the legendary internet games that has a simple setup but grueling difficulty. Don’t come running sobbing to me (or to anyone) when you can’t finish off level 12.

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Wikipedia explains casual games as:

They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games. They require no long-term time commitment or special skills to play, and there are comparatively low production and distribution costs for the producer.

Though I'm certainly no fan of casual games, or Flash games, I sometimes stumble upon a certain game or two that's not only addictive, but brilliant as well. They're simple and challenging at the same time.

You can find casual games littered all over the internet and for most you don't even need to upgrade your browser or Flashplayer - though the sooner you do it the better, for better graphics and better speed.

If you have an Android phone, or anything of that nature, like Samsung Galaxy Tab (like I have :) - you can easily download tons of free games from the Google Play Store.