Archives by Day

About Rainier

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

Advertising

As an Amazon Associate, we earn commission from qualifying purchases.





'Z.A.P.' Gets Some InstantAction - Screens

by Rainier on March 25, 2008 @ 3:13 p.m. PDT

In Z.A.P. each player pilots a spaceship through a vibrant top-down maze in a variety of rapid fire team games. Modes include Capture the Flag, Hunters, Zone Control, Retrieve, and the "every man for himself" annihilation of Z.A.P. Match. The game demands lightning reflexes and strategic team play.

“Z.A.P. is a stylish combination of fast-paced shooter action and collaborative play that any hardcore gamer will love,” said Josh Williams, CEO of GarageGames. "The team building Z.A.P. is bunch of passionate, experienced developers who have finally been set free to create the kind of games they want to play."

Z.A.P., also known as Zero All Productivity, was developed in collaboration between GarageGames and Bad Habit Software, a newly formed game studio comprised of games industry veterans who have worked on smash-hit console and PC titles including Syphon Filter, Warhawk, Ratchet & Clank, and Tribes. "InstantAction strikes a perfect blend between the accessibility of the web and next generation gaming horsepower,” says Mark Frohnmayer, Bad Habit Software’s Executive Producer and Z.A.P.’s original developer. "As a developer it gives us a solid community foundation and lets us focus all our efforts on making an exciting and visually compelling gameplay experience."

Z.A.P. includes over twenty maps, and eight game modes. Z.A.P.’s weapons include:

  • Phaser: Fires a single projectile with high rates of fire and damage.
  • Triple Shot: Fires three projectiles simultaneously spreading damage over multiple targets.
  • Bouncer: Fires projectiles which bounce off walls, used for strategic defense and attack.
  • Burster: Fires an exploding projectile, causing area of effect damage.
  • Mine dropper: Lays mines which explode for high damage on contact.

Players can also configure their ship with several modules, including:

  • Turbo: Boosts players’ rate of movement in any direction for a short period of time.
  • Shield generator: Protects player from damage while in use.
  • Repair module: Repairs self, teammates or strategic team assets such as turrets.
  • Enhanced sensor: Allows the player to spot invisible ships and enemy land mines, as well as see farther.
  • Cloak field modulator: Makes the ship invisible for a short time.

With the launch of InstantAction’s public beta last week, four games – MarbleBlast Online, Screw Jumper, Think Tanks and Wideload Shorts' Cyclomite – are already playable. More games will be added in the coming weeks, including the much anticipated FPS, Fallen Empire: Legions.

"It's refreshing to leave the grind of mainstream game development behind and to be able to focus on small, innovative titles,” said John Folliard, Bad Habit Software's Lead Programmer. "Games are supposed to be fun to make as well as to play!”

Z.A.P. is available exclusively on InstantAction.

blog comments powered by Disqus