Tower Defence

Tower Defence games are pretty easy to find on the Web. A number of sites, including Newgrounds .com host these Flash-based games, but the version I like best is David Scott's Flash Element TD, available in this link.

The premise of a Tower Defence game is pretty simple, prevent waves of critters from reaching the end of a maze by building towers that will either slow or destroy the critters. It sounds pretty simple reading off my blog but trust me, it can get pretty challenging.


In terms of graphics, Flash Element TD looks pretty nice, borrowing graphical elements from Warcraft III and has funny sound bites at the beginning of each wave of critters. The sound effects themselves are serviceable, this being a web-based game after all.

As a casual game, Flash Element TD rates highly as it is relatively simple to play and it is a great time-waster, just don't get too engrossed in it until you forget that your boss is watching you!

Riding Lines

One article led to another and I eventually ended up in the Line Rider website (http://www.official-linerider.com/index.html), featuring a Flash-based game like nothing I've seen before. The premise is simple, draw lines on the drawing board and watch the rider hit the lines like a surfer hits the waves. Yes, it is pretty much a no-brainer but soon you'll have roller coster like designs and while you are at it, take a look at the jaw-dropping videos for some crazy inspiration!

Watch a video of Line Rider in action on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p4C7RzSU5U

Breaking New Ground

PS2 gamers might be familiar with the side-scrolling action game known as Alien Hominid, but do they know that this game first existed as an online Flash-based game on Newgrounds.com.

Newgrounds.com proclaims itself as the largest Flash portal on the Internet and even though I can't vouch for that claim, the website's Flash games inventory certainly deserves special mention. A wide ranging library divided into categories (action, driving, sports, etc), this website is bound to please any kind of casual gamer looking for a quick fix.

Aside from games developed by the website, Flash games are also submitted to Newgrounds. A voting system for members tells you which games are hot and which games are not, which is pretty nifty as some games are huge and take a while to load and you don't want to waste your time loading a dud. This being a Flash website, it is also advisable to use a broadband connection.

My current favourite games are:

Matrix Rampage - Play as a Neo look-a-like as you bash through waves of agents in this action side scroller. Use your fists or pick up and use stuff such as pistols, pipes, office desks, chairs, potted plants and even agents as weapons. The action takes place in a multi-storey apartment with destructive environments, which is a cool touch to a smooth and polished 2D game.

This game loads really fast as it is less than 500kb in size. For a direct link to the game's details and on where to launch it, click here!

Alien Hominid - The original game that inspired the PS2 version. Take Contra, replace the guy with a fugly alien, throw in some sketchbook art and there you have it, Alien Hominid. Contra and side scrolling fans should be familiar with the gameplay, so why buy the PS2 game while you can play it for free online?

At 1.904MB, this game (and many others which are larger in size), is reason why a broadband connection is highly recommended when browsing this site. Click here for more details of the game!

All pictures in this post are from Wikipedia.

Orisinal, and that's no typo

Imagine that you are in a child's picture book, featuring the likes of Brear Rabbit and friends, characters from the Grimm Brothers tales, and even more cute rabbits, like those from Watership Down, put all these into a collection of games and you'll get Ferry Halim's Orisinal.

Ferry Halim's creations have a surreal quality about them; the artwork is simply amazing and compliments the simple but addictive gameplay in each of the games. Guide a rabbit to jump on falling bells (did I mention the games are surreal) or lead a pack of cute dogs through an obstacle course, there is big list of Flash-based games to keep you occupied during your afternoon lunch break.

Visit the site at: http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/.

Casual Games - Part 1

"30 seconds have passed since you first started and your score is at an all time high. In an instant you realize that your superior is passing your cubicle any second now with your LCD monitor in full view for him to see. Immediately you reach for the Windows key + D combination to quickly hide your game of Solitaire in the sanctuary of the Windows Taskbar.

The supervisor stops to ask you about your work; the conversation takes too long and there goes any hope of topping your previous high score."

The appeal of casual games to both gamers and non-gamers alike lie in the fact the games are often easy to pick up and play. Casual games require very little overhead from the person of playing the game in terms of time and money; these games are often available free of charge and can be completed in a short span of time.

Throughout the years, casual games have out grown their typical mainstays such as handheld consoles and desktop computers to join the Internet and mobile communications bandwagon. Log on into Yahoo Games! and watch as thousands of people who don't associate themselves with video games mingle and engage in single player games such as Bejeweled and multiplayer games such as the Scrabble-clone Literati and card games.

Take the time to observe the people around you during your daily commute and you might find that even though the person standing next to you in the bus seems like she is busy texting someone on the mobile phone, she is actually having a ball of a time playing a handheld game, distracting herself from the boring commute!

To be continued...

Casual Gaming Delight

Casual gamers will be in for a treat when they use Windows Vista. This is because the operating system comes with, in my opinion, a nice collection of games that can and will keep casual gamers like me occupied for quite some time.

Some of these games are retooled classics such as Minesweeper and Solitaire but with way better graphics. Minesweeper in fact has some nice graphical effects coupled with better stats tracking which makes it a joy to play.

In addition to the classics, there are the new games such as Mahjong Titans and Chess Titans. Chess Titans is basically a chess game, rendered nicely in 3D. Mahjong Titans is best described as a game of match the tiles, but with really pretty graphics and engrossing gameplay, good enough for a game (or two, or three) when the boss is not around.