Cipher Prime is a developer that has become synonymous with artistic rhythm/puzzle games… and good ones, too. With their newest venture made specifically for the iPad, some may feel as though they’re abandoning their traditional ground for the trendy. But to think so is to undermine the true achievement Cipher Prime has pulled off. Pulse pumps rhythm in a slightly different way, and it’s important not to overlook its positive elements.

The game takes the shape of the rhythm genre, with little that’s puzzling about its core gameplay mechanics but a ton of depth behind the scenes.  You’re most likely going to be screen-tapping like a maniac — and hey, if that’s not your thing, you probably won’t dig this game. But when I put on my headphones and engulfed myself for a good hour, attempting to perfect my score on three of the game’s eight launch tracks, I was impressed not only by its presentation but also Cipher Prime’s ability to weave intricate melodies into on-screen patterns. It ultimately feels very zen. This is one of those games that is just simple fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Pulse can certainly be construed as art — which, of course, it absolutely is — but for those who don’t know much about its underlying schematic will see it as a pretty rhythm game to oogle over on the iPad.

At the core of Pulse is, surely enough, pulse itself. Throughout each track, players will tap at notes as dictated by the beat (or pulse) of the center in varying numbers of concentric circles. As the pulse expands into each circle, gamers are expected to time their fingers perfectly. The earlier levels, namely the “Tutorial” and “Straylight” will keep it rather simple with a small number of circles. As the tracks progress, their difficulty will increase. Notes begin orbiting the circles and — thanks to the iPad screen real estate — there’ll be lots to keep track of. What’s really cool about Pulse is the technology behind each track, as the musical properties of each song have meaning in how gameplay flows.

Given that its mechanics aren’t all that complicated, what will likely have gamers talking are the title’s glowing color schemes through each track. You’ll notice that when notes are tapped at the correct time, a small explosion will create waves of a specific entity or object — often related to the song’s theme (at least, depending on your interpretation of the music). For instance, “Low Tide” employs a blue color schematic and when notes are tapped in sync with the music, what looks like sting-rays (or fish of some sort) are released onto the screen; “Porcelain Doll” mixes shades of blue and purple along with butterflies. It’s not the most important part of the experience, but it’s nice to have something else to look at besides concentric circles and pulsating notes.

It’s admirable that Cipher Prime managed to create some splendid melodies for Pulse. More impressive still is that they’ll be working in conjunction with a number of indie artists to expand the library of music in the game. These first eight tracks —  ”Tutorial,” “Straylight,” “Low Tide,” “Sakura,” “Porcelain Doll,” “Let’s Roll,” “Cinder,” and “Cirrus” all written by the studio’s own Dain Saint and Kerry Gilbert — are considered the first volume in the series. There may be some who will feel let down by the limited number of tracks at launch, but the purchase is ultimately worth its asking price because of the melodic and melancholy groove of the music and the challenging feat of achieving 100% across all songs. Furthermore, new content updates will come at no charge as this is Cipher Prime’s first self-published title. So, really, what can you complain about in terms of content?

If you’ve got an iPad, then there should be no question about Pulse: it’s pretty to look at, it’s enjoyably difficult, and it’s easy to show off. Especially for fans of rhythm games and Cipher Prime’s previous work, Pulse is a must own. As a side note, if you’re expecting a release on the iPhone/iPod Touch, don’t hold your breath. It’s apparent that the game will not allow it to be fully utilized on a smaller screen. We at DIYGamer will keep an eye out for any new developments or new content released for Pulse, but you should have no qualms about celebrating Cinco de Mayo with this purchase.

You can visit the Cipher Prime homepage for any more details. Pulse: Volume One is available here.

For fans of the old school tactical RPG, Spiderweb Software’s Avadon: The Dark Fortress looks as if it may impress. Having been released on Mac last month, Avadon is now available on Windows PCs as well. It boasts 40+ hours of gameplay, which is definitely a strong calling card for devoted RPG lovers. Seems as if Spiderweb are fans of dungeons and epic episodic experiences. Avadon: The Black Fortress is actually the first in a planned series. If the developer’s past Geneforge and Avernum releases are any indication, Avadon will likely be just as huge.

In Avadon, players take on the role of a spy who is dead-set on battling a conspiracy against his people. Working as a spy and warrior, you must save Avadon. I could keep talking about it, but chances are it’s more enticing for you to just try the game out yourself! Still, I have to note my appreciation for Spiderweb’s policy of “big free demos, a money-back guarantee, and no DRM.” Also, it’s worth mentioning that Avadon will be coming to the iPad, perhaps sometime in June of this year. But with that out of the way, here’s where you can find more goodies from the developer.

Avadon: The Black Fortress Features:

• Epic fantasy role-playing adventure in an enormous and unique world.
• Four different character classes, with dozens of unique spells and abilities.
• Uncover the fascinating history of Avadon and the land of Lynaeus.
• Many different endings. Your choices will change the world.
• Dozens of side quests, hidden dungeons, and secrets to discover.
• Hundreds of magical items to find. Use powerful crystals to make your artifacts even more powerful.
• Huge adventure with lots of replay value.

[Spiderweb Software]

It seems Decapod Studios’ Murphid, which had formerly been released on Xbox 360 and PC, has seen the light of day on Windows 7 phones. The game is available on the Zune Marketplace and it costs a dollar (or 80 MSP), much like it does on the Xbox Live Indie Games service. As far as what you do in Murphid, assuming you haven’t played it before, gamers will be using puzzle-solving skills along with quick thinking to deal with attacks of “gorgeous marble hordes.” It promises simple core mechanics but challenging and adaptive gameplay. Apparently, Decapod’s own “FunQuantization” technology has been redone to work smoothly on Windows Phone 7. Whatever FunQuantization is I’m not entirely sure… but I have to admit I’m curious.

Some key features of Murphid go something like this:

∙ Engaging Campaign spawning more that 70 levels of marble blasting madness.

∙ Three game modes for players to choose from to suit their playing style.

∙ More than 10 powerups to help players redefine the game field and wreak havoc in a blink of an eye.

∙ 8 exclusive Awards to boost the replay value further by throwing extra challenges at the player.

∙ Pre-filled Leaderboard to give the game nostalgic, old-school touch.

∙ Awe-inspiring HD visuals with full widescreen support.

∙ Charming sound effects to create the ambience.

∙ Adaptive gameplay technology for challenging and fun gaming experience for players of all ages.

It’s certainly awesome to see indie games branch out from their normal platforms and get on other services, but one has to wonder just how successful Windows Phone 7 is. For those who own a WinPho7, Murphid is worth a look-see. For those that do not, it’s also available on both PC and Xbox 360. There is also a demo available.

[Decapod Studios]

Steph Thirion: you sly, sly devil, you! Eliss snuck (or sneaked, according to Google, either is fine!) up on me a couple of months ago when I checked out the lite version of the app. Intrigued, I sent Steph a message and he promptly responded with the full version of Eliss. Though the game is already two years old, it ultimately hasn’t aged a bit. It succeeds because it is stylish, it’s fresh, and most importantly – as is usually the case with the best iOS games – it is made specifically for the iOS platform.

Eliss has often been hailed as the multi-touch holy grail on the iOS, and it deserves this title. Gamers will perhaps be surprised to find out that Thirion’s premise of the game had been planned, but its execution was rather accidental. At last year’s IndieCade, he spoke of how collisions and the idea of planet separation had come about while toying around during programming. It’s a good note for future developers to make that coding accidents can create some compelling ideas for gameplay.

Anyhow, in Eliss, you have a singular objective: create supernovas. In order to do so, you must proportionately account for planets and lead them into “squeesars,” which are essentially black holes. It’s quite a simplistic objective, but Steph’s execution is bundled with brilliance as you’ll learn soon enough: nothing comes easily. Squeesars come and go and it is your job to ensure that you have joined enough planets or split up enough planets to account for each squeesar’s size. It should also be duly noted that planets come in different colors, as do the squeesars, meaning you’ll have to account for double the workload. To intensify gameplay even further, suns — which have a given path — will populate your screen and use their gravitational pull to drag planets towards them.

Obviously enough, the game goes easy on you in its beginning stages. It will allow some leeway for you to fully comprehend the mechanics and establish your methods of action. But before you know it, it will throw in some incredibly challenging levels your way. Frustration is not uncommon, but I suppose that word carries a negative connotation that is not applicable here. Yes, you will be frustrated, but really it’s your fault for not utilizing all five of your fingers as tools for success.

Nothing is straightforward in Eliss – and yet everything is. It will help to pay attention to the game’s “How-To” tutorial, which sacrifices written directions for visual ones. I initially had no idea that “stardust” (which comes about after you form a supernova) would raise your energy when swiped and collected. That’s useful information in the latter stages, when the game’s difficulty spikes and requires careful but quick planning in order to make up for the loss of energy during collisions.

With a superb spacey art style and a plethora of sounds meant to be enjoyed with headphones, Eliss is a remarkable achievement in the world of iOS gaming. It’s a serious keep in any app library, and it’s $4.99 price tag is justified by some exceptional elements of play. The only real complaint I have here with Eliss is that it ends. Surprisingly, this is quite a valid complaint. For one thing, Eliss‘s gameplay is such that an endless mode would add greatly to its appeal. Unfortunately, with Steph working on Faraway and abandoning Eliss long ago, we may never see such an awesome act come to fruition. But the fact remains: Eliss is an unrivaled experience on the iOS and it needs to be played by everyone who loves or doubts the platform.

[Eliss, Steph Thirion]

That’s right, indie gamers. Although most of us have grown used to seeing our favorite indies as downloadable titles on the Arcade, PSN, Steam, and others, developers know that we also love hard copies. And so Team Meat’s indie darling Super Meat Boy has officially been released for PC on Amazon.com and damn, does it look sweet! For only $20, the Ultra version of SMB (which, by the way, is actually $16.40 at the moment I’m writing this) includes a whole load of awesome content.

That content includes:

- A 40-page booklet that is half-comic book, half sketchbook.
- A mini-poster by Dave Rapozza
- The ability to play as Alien Hominid on PC
- A digital soundtrack with 10 of Danny B’s tracks and 5 fan-made covers and tracks
- A Warp Zone art collection
- An awesomely designed outer box
- And more!!

It’s honestly a steal for 20 bucks, and I’m going to go ahead and request that my girlfriend buy it for me. It’s the price of a goddamn movie ticket! Anyhow, if you want to read up more on the Ultra edition, check out Team Meat’s official blog.

If you wanna buy it, head over to Amazon.com.

Hi-Rez Studios have announced that in mid-April, the “Free Agent” update for Global Agenda will see the light of day. The v1.4 update will offer gamers a chance to play Global Agenda for free up to level 50. For those who are already playing, Hi-Rez is bringing a new mode in the form of “Dome Defense Raid”: a CTF-style Mercenary PvP mode with pilotable robots. Damn, that sounds cool.

v.1.4 will also bring about other new content in addition to revamped skill-trees across all four character classes. If players wish to update from the Free Agent status, they may do so through a one-time fee of $19.99 USD/13.99 GBP/15.99€. Doing so will accelerate the rate of leveling, earning gear, and grant login priority as well as auction house and in-game mail access. Those who had previously purchased the game need not worry, they will be updated to the Elite Agent status automatically.

More details can be uncovered below (and there’s a lot of them, so you may want to read on):

Free-to-Play

• No Level Restriction
• Ability to earn all of the game’s current items without spending real money.
• Access to all of the game’s current playable content, including:
  • Sonoran Desert Open Zone
  • Special Ops PvE (1- to 4-person Co-Op)
  • 10v10 Mercenary PvP
  • 4v4 Arena PvP
  • Double Agent PvPE
  • 10-person Defense Raids (including the new Dome Defense Mission coming in version 1.4).
  • Agency vs Agency Gameplay (AvA)

Elite Agent – One-time purchase of $19.99/13.99 GBP/15.99€

• Earn End-of-Mission XP at twice the rate of a Free-to-Play user
• Earn End-of-Mission Credits and Tokens at twice the rate of a Free-Play user
• Earn End-of-Mission Elite Loot upon winning an instanced PvE or PvP match
• Choose which PvP gametypes you would like to play when queuing for Mercenary PvP.
• Access the Auction House
• Access In-Game Mail
• Less restrictive chat capabilities
• No ads for in-game voice
• Ability to create Agencies
• Higher Login priority

Both Free-to-Play and Elite Agent players can optionally purchase Boosters within the Global Agenda webstore.  For a timed period, Boosters will

• Double XP, Tokens and Credits earned in Game
• Provide 2,000 tokens a day for free
• Provide an extra end-of-mission Boost Loot drop

10-day, 30-day, and 90-day boosters are available.  These are available today and will work no differently when the Free Agent release is launched.

[Global Agenda]

[Source: GamesPress]

I pre-maturely judged this game as Limbo-like, but in doing so I also increased my motivation to play it. Prior is a delightfully constructed puzzle-platformer from krangGAMES. Much of it centers around the unknown, so it’s hard to pick and choose which details to tell you and which to leave out. It’s pretty apparent at the beginning of the game that you know nothing. In fact, this is probably further illustrated by developer’s own description of the game. It goes a little something like this:

Who are you? Where are you? Why are you there? PRIOR: You know nothing.

You move about by using the WASD keys, among a couple of other buttons, and go from area to area attempting to solve puzzles to progress and discover notes with hints as to what has happened to you, who you are, and where you are. There is certainly an air of eeriness throughout Prior. As you go searching for answers — or, at least, it seems — you may come up empty-handed. Much of it is even affected by choice. I can’t discuss this without spoiling the game for you, albeit this is a weak spoiler: there are three endings to the game. Each is tragic in its own way. How you reach them is essentially up to you. There are a number of walkthroughs for the game, most notably on JayIsGames.com, but I suggest piecing the puzzle together yourself.

Simply put, it’s much more rewarding to delve into the dark ambiance of Prior and learn about the environment by yourself. Although some may surely look at the game’s story laughably, those of us who are akin to Flash games and don’t mind suspending disbelief should have no problem connecting with its malaise tone and meaning. Likewise, there are a few interpretations of the story — which takes center stage along with the carefully constructed and wonderfully designed environment.

Prior is a game worth playing, and it’s absolutely free. What you may gain from it, however, may be priceless. See for yourself.

[Prior]

Rumors of a Torchlight release on a console have been swirling for a long period of time. It looks as if Geoff’s initial observations about where Runic Games was taking the game are indeed true. And now, almost exactly a year after our first post on the matter, Torchlight will see the light of day on March 9th on the Xbox Live Arcade as part of Microsoft’s “House Party” promotion, which also includes the likes of Beyond Good and Evil HD and Bejeweled Blitz. Runic’s well-received action-RPG will be sold for 1200 MSP ($15) and has been revamped for a stronger console experience.

These upgrades include: the user interface has been “COMPLETELY overhauled from the ground up.” There are no more item slots, but simply a maximum number of items you can hold. Players can have a total of 8 mapped skills and — as Runic has admitted — “Most of us actually find it easier to use a variety of skills on the console vs. PC, oddly enough.” Furthermore, no skills have been removed but some have been altered to meet the demands of the console variation. Some goodies from Torchlight 2 have also been added to the XBLA version of Torchlight. Finally, there is confirmation that a PS3 version will not be in the works as Microsoft is publishing the game. Anyhow, a whole slew of updates and improvements to the game have been made and you can read all about it (and see a set of mouth-watering screenshots, I might add) on the official Torchlight website.

One thing’s for sure, I’m super excited to see how the game plays and — although I doubt I’ll have the time to play it again — the demo will be a good indicator of whether the Microsoft-published arcade version is indeed better than the original.

[Runic]

I have kept my distance from DIYGamer for too long. While finishing a semester and partying the hell out of the holidays is excruciating fun, there’s the sweet call of the gaming industry roaming around my head at every waking moment. Seeing as how I covered most of the iOS titles anyway, I’ve decided to compile a list of the best iOS indies of 2010. Granted, some of you will want to see my blood spilled because I forgot to mention something or maybe you don’t consider a certain game or developer “indie” in any sense of the word, we just want you to be playing these games because they’re really — and I mean really — fucking awesome!

So without further ado: turn on, tune in, drop out:

10. Super QuickHook

RocketCat Games seems to have embraced the whole hook thing, and who can blame them? The game mechanic has served them well in each title as iOS gamers are always astounded by how addictive the experiences end up being. Super QuickHook also uses a familiar shop element to hook gamers in, it feels right at home when seeing improvements in gaming quality. It’s stylistically retro, but in a sleek iOS way. Play it!

9. Bar Oasis

Aurora may have made something completely off-beat, but it ended up working perfectly. Turns out being a bartender is fuckin’ fun! Anime chicks are cute, the conversations are genuinely interesting, and you get to learn all about alcoholic beverages (some that you are guaranteed to try after seeing them) while doing it. See, it’s fun and educational! Thanks, Aurora.

8. Train Conductor 2

Yes, Train Conductor was fantastic — but that doesn’t mean The Voxel Agents were simply riding on their success. Rather, they displayed their passion wholly and created new levels that surpassed its predecessors’ qualities. The art style will floor you, the gameplay will haunt you, and the music is a perfect complement to the experience. I know The Voxel Agents won’t make another game about trains, at least not for a while, but that’s because they have already displayed their abilities adeptly.

7. Spirits

I’m not putting this just because it’s received a lot of attention from us and has won an IndieCade award among other nominations and claims to fame; I’m putting this in because it’s that good! Spirits has aesthetically inspiring and warrants a warm and fuzzy feeling without being upfront. Get from point A to point B, but strategically plan your pathway to avoid obstacles and promote efficiency (you’re also collecting flowers in most levels). Spaces of Play deserve whatever praise they receive because Spirits is a must-own iOS title, especially if you have an iPad or iPhone 4.

6. Drop7

Puzzle games are packed into the App Store. Match-3s come in abundance, and it’s hard to come across something really intriguing. Fortunately, Area/Code came up with Drop 7. A friend of mine introduced me and it was love at first sight. It will eat up your minutes but you’ll be very eager to give them up. Drop7 should be in every app library.

5. Age of Zombies

There had to be a twin-stick shooter on the list; Age of Zombies is that twin-stick shooter. It’s the best game Halfbrick has done thus far, in my opinion, and it was very addictive on iOS. Monster Dash is kind of a sequel — more of a spinoff — of the game but Monster Dash needs the context of Age of Zombies to make its story (and I use that term loosely) prevail. In general though, blasting zombies and mummies is always fun, and Age of Zombies is a retro masterpiece.

4. Osmos

Yes, we’ve seen Hemisphere Games’ Osmos before, but only recently on iOS — and it took the App Store over by storm. It should have, too, because it’s a brilliant game and it works with the iOS mechanics. Pay attention, future developers: gamers enjoy fresh ideas.

3. World of Goo

While I have yet to see it on iPhone/iPod Touch, I’m assuming we’re getting closer having witnessed the recent iPad release. World of Goo was an extraordinary game to begin with, but iPad owners are raving about how great it is on their tablet. We all knew it would be awesome, but the fact that it’s really awesome makes me happy. Way to go, 2D Boy!

2. Game Dev Story

This game absolutely cannot not be on this list (double negatives emphasis). Sims aren’t my favorite, but the formula for this particular title was far too perfect. After five minutes, the lovable scheme comes to life and — before you know it — you’ve been playing for a few hours. KairoSoft is already working on the second game, but we’ll be playing the first Game Dev Story until it’s out.

1. Shibuya

Well, you may have already read about my affection for Shibuya in the Best of 2010 article, but I have to hand it to developers Nevercenter: the music in this app is just gorgeous. The gameplay will hook you in the first minute and you’ll find yourself playing repeatedly. What Shibuya did best though was challenge the player. Achievements were grouped and you had to level up to unlock further goals. By level 4, you’ll be saying WTF!? Normal is fine, but Adept and beyond (especially Gentle Rain) is when you truly know you’re on your way to mastering this game — and damn, it feels good. Shibuya comes out on top in 2010. Congratulations, Nevercenter!

Honorable Mentions:

NinjaTown: Trees of Doom - Venan’s NinjaTown was just a load of fun packed with cutesy visuals. I found it to be more enjoyable than NinJump.

Guerilla Bob - Though this twin-stick shooter didn’t make the list, Guerilla Bob‘s sense of style and penchant for extremism earns it an honorable mention.

Hook Worlds - As the follow-up to Super QuickHook, Hook Worlds offers more of happy-hook-fun, but ultimately is overshadowed by its predecessor. Still, Hook Worlds is entirely worth a playthrough if you’re a fan of the (and I use this term lightly) genre.

feelforit - Chris DeLeon’s feelforit initially annoyed the hell out of me — I just couldn’t figure it out. But once I got a feel for it, I knew exactly what was happening and the experience is simply unparalleled. All for free, too!

Monster Dash - The Age of Zombies spin-off starring the bringer of badassery, Barry Steakfries, made an honest climb to the top of the charts in 2010. Since then, I’ll admit its appeal has been lost because of its far more entertaining counter-part, but Monster Dash is a very addictive dollar title.

Sketch Nation Shooter - Games that encourage user-created content deserve all the attention they can get. Sketch Nation Shooter managed to pull off a painless (initially Facebook-based) download system for new levels, allowing app owners to try out as many shooting games created with Engineous’s system as possible. A must-own regardless of whether it is on the list or not.

I just want to thank all the indie developers for all mobile devices/consoles/computers who have made gaming fun, fresh and exciting. The App Store took a huge step forward and the bar has been set high for 2011. Let’s see what you got this year!

Spaces of Play’s excellently-lauded puzzle/action/strategy blend — Spirits – has finally hit the App Store. It hasn’t been too long of a stretch since the game’s November iPad release date, but long enough for the guys at Spaces of Play to have made some adjustments to the overall experience of Spirits on the handheld iOS devices. Most notably, zoom has been extended even further for better view of the level. This was actually something that I was initially concerned with and hoped that Spaces of Play would deal with it accordingly. Fortunately, they have.

By utilizing 4 strategic abilities through 40 challenging levels, gamers will embark on a very unique adventure through the world of Spirits. Although it’s drawn some comparisons to Lemmings and World of Goo, from the DIYGamer staff itself, Spirits is very much its own game. Our review will be forthcoming shortly. In the meantime, we’ve got a fully loaded preview and interview for you guys!

Spirits is available on the App Store for $2.99. It is priced at $4.99 for the iPad. You can also find its wonderful soundtrack for sale at BandCamp.

[Spaces of Play]