Freelance 9

This week: Titan Attacks and Professor Fizzwizzle.

Titan Attacks
http://puppygames.net/titan-attacks/

Titan Attacks is best described as a retro shooter mix and match. It obviously manages to draw inspiration from such greats as Space Invaders and Galaga. Don’t write this off as a wannabe clone, though - Puppy Games have injected enough of their own original ingredients as well as mixing existing ideas in a unique way. This makes Titan Attacks seem nostalgic and fresh at the same time.

Mirroring this idea are the graphics; they are old-school at first glance and pay homage to games of old, yet they are somehow quite modern at the same time. A lot of effort has been put into the visual styling, and it pays off. The artwork is deliciously chunky and sports a healthy neon edge, making the game look very attractive indeed. Each planet sports a different palette and styled background to keep things fresh.

As well as looking better than the games it takes inspiration from, Titan Attacks also dishes up a wealth of welcome gameplay extras. The most obvious are the weapon upgrades available to buy at the end of each stage. While the power-ups may not be imaginative, they are very functional and add a lot of incentive to earn big points. Enemies and enemy patterns are a lot more varied than games from back in the day too. Like any modern points-based game, combo's have also been added to the mix, as well as many small little details such as some ships crash landing or aliens sometimes bailing out of the ship, which you can then collect to earn a few extra points.

Titan Attacks is a small download that deserves a spot in your gaming folder. I can see myself opening this up for a blast every now and again for a long time to come. The demo has more than enough meat to sink your teeth into, but supporting the developer and purchasing the full version will give you as many alien waves as you could ever dream of.

Professor Fizzwizzle
http://grubbygames.com/

Have you ever gotten into a puzzle game like Lemmings so much that you just couldn’t stop playing it until all the levels had been completed? That’s exactly what happened to me when I started playing Professor Fizzwizzle – I just couldn’t stop.

The game could be described as a cross between Bubble Bobble and The Incredible Machine. You control the hapless Professor as he tries to progress through levels of increasing fiendishness and difficulty. Your path to the exit will always be blocked by a series of puzzles that range from pushing crates onto switches to running on top of a barrel to reach a ladder. It’s the combination of puzzles like these that really make Fizzwizzle such an addictive game, although the harder levels will surely test your sanity.

The full version contains over 200 levels, so it’ll keep you occupied for a while. Some of those levels have been designed specifically for kids, so if you have any little people running around who need a brain workout, introduce them to Professor Fizzwizzle. The game’s presentation is very slick and polished, with cute, cartoony graphics that certainly get the job done. If you’re after an Indie game that will have you tearing your hair out in frustration (in a good way), you can do a lot worse than Professor Fizzwizzle.