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About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

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Monday, December 15, 2008 Shipping Announcements

by Rainier on Dec. 15, 2008 @ 2:19 a.m. PST

Another day, another batch of games shipped to stores. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are announcements for:

Space Giraffe (PC)

This is more than just a copy of the Xbox 360 game! In the intervening time the development of the Neon engine has continued, and we now have a lovely new shader library. These new shaders have been used to create a NUXX mix of Space Giraffe which is at once much nicer-looking than the original, and alsoless intensely psychedelic (one criticism of SG 360 was that some of the effects were *too* intense; accordingly the new mix is beautiful and abstract without being quite so overwhelming).

For those who do enjoy the full-on psychedelia of the original, that is still available, because SG PC comes with two packs of 100 levels each - the NUXX smoother mix and the Acid Mix which is the levels from SG 360. We also added the capability for us to make available further level packs - which can be completely new levels rather than simply remixes - should there be sufficient interest. We could make chillout level packs, ultra-intense packs, shorter game packs (maybe 20 levels instead of 100 for those who want a shorter game), special themed packs to celebrate Christmas or L. Ron Hubbard's birthday - whatever people would like.

Llamasoft's Space Giraffe is currently only available as digital download for $20.

War Plan Pacific (PC)

War Plan Pacific is an exciting computer wargame for one or two players about the war in the Pacific waged from 1941 to 1945 between the allied nations of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Netherlands against Imperial Japan. Grand strategic in nature, this turn based title focuses on the air and naval battles that shaped the conflict, using a historical order of battle showcasing individual ships of light cruiser size or larger.

War Plan Pacific can be described as a serious beer and pretzels title, with a play time of about three hours. And yes, that's three hours to fight the entire war-from the initial Japanese surprise attacks to the surrender in Tokyo Bay-and not just a battle. Balancing playability and accessibility with historical accuracy, the developer John Hawkins has done a fine job of making War Plan Pacific easy to play yet true to history.

Using a map of the Pacific from Singapore to San Francisco, and dotted with twenty-nine strategically important bases, players can seek out the decisive naval battle or island hop their way to victory. The Japanese player is tasked with delaying the Americans by cutting off the line of communication to Australia or holding out long enough for the US public to grow weary of the bloodshed. The Allied player must bomb the Japanese into submission, or force them to the surrender table by strangling their economy. With both sides attempting to achieve different goals, gamers will appreciate that what works for one side will not work for the other, making the game feel very different depending on which side you are playing.

Gameplay is kept to a single session by careful use of abstraction. For example, while the tin cans of the sea played an important role in the conflict at such a scale their inclusion would significantly alter how long the game would play, and so the smallest unit in the game is a light cruiser. But while destroyers aren't present players can expect to feel the effects of the deadly Long Lance torpedo on the battleboard.

Another way that War Plan Pacific manages to both abstract but retain the important aspects of the conflict is in land combat. Land combat itself is abstract, relying on the successful use of invasions. Historically invasions succeeded or failed by control of the air and sea, and thus in War Plan Pacific controlling the green is a byproduct of successfully controlling the blue.

Besides supporting single player action against the robust AI, War Plan Pacific can be played against an opponent via the Internet. With a play time measured in hours, not days or weeks, it shouldn't be hard to recreate the glory days of your tabletop wargaming experience, no matter where in the world your gaming buddies are now living.

War Plan Pacific uses XML text files for its scenarios, allowing would-be designers to edit OOB, ship capabilities, base information, sea distances, and victory conditions. Creating new content is as easy as editing the proper files!

War Plan Pacific is available as a physical product for Windows and retails for $39.95.

T.W.T.P.B. (PC)

Spell of Play Studios' T.W.T.P.B. is a 2d arcade shoot 'em up game with tons of action, intense boss fights, special abilities and much much more...

Video gamers and shoot 'em up fans can download a free demo and experience the gameplay. "After the beta release we spent a lot of time adding features that would make the game more playable and not just for the core shoot 'em up crowd. I think that if you like action games in general you should definitely take the T.W.T.P.B. demo out for a spin." says Tobias Olsson, the lead developer of T.W.T.P.B.

Game Features

  • Frantic bullet hell shoot em up action in 10 levels
  • Collect and use the energy of the aliens to unleash special abilities, like time warp and regeneration
  • Intense fights with 10 unique bosses
  • Online hall of fame over the Emperor's finest pilots
  • Easily mastered controls using mouse, keyboard or game pad
  • 3 difficulty settings
  • Integration with the Spell of Play Community

Buy the full version of T.W.T.P.B.for $14.99.

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