“Think you’ve got a big sword? If it’s not the size of a small building or a Boeing 747, then you’re going to have to try harder to impress the burly, pixilated monsters in Ginormo Sword. This retro blade-swinging RPG doesn’t kick off with a quest to rescue a kidnapped princess, save the realm from evil, or get revenge for a fallen comrade. No, this adventure is all about forging the biggest, most ultimately badass sword humanly possible and using it to cleave your way through the beast-strewn countryside. “
Some may be wondering what happened to my Free Bytes indie freeware gaming column (or not). Rest assured, it has not died. It has been assimilated. Regular frequenters of IGN.com may be familiar with the site’s weekly Cheap Thrills gaming deals column. For at least the next few months, I will be contributing to that column with a short freeware write up each week. I’ll be covering a selection of indie, social networking, and flash games that are very much in the same vein of what I’d covered in the Free Bytes column for Green Pixels. Things may change around again in the foreseeable future, but for now be sure to hop on over there to check out some sweet deals and my freebie game of the week. The first installment features Ginormo Sword. Check it out here. Thanks!
“Not all free games are nice, neat, and tidy. Some involve poop, others involve vomit, and a few involve snot. Bodily functions are a part of being human, and some indie game developers felt inclined to explore the grosser side of game design. We applaud them for their gall, as the results are hilarious, fun, and a little disturbing. A few of the scatological oriented selections in this month’s Free Bytes medley might make you throw up in your mouth a little bit, but we assure you it’s going to be worth it. Enjoy!”
“The thought of large, carnivorous sea beasts awaiting just beneath the waves tends to instill a sense of passing dread in many of us who prefer to stay on land, yet it’s not enough to stop scores of other braver souls to flock to the beaches for some sand and swimming on warm summer days. Indeed, sharks tend to get a bad rap, but the toothy protagonist in Miami Shark even makes Jaws look tame.”
“When the passing scenery is so syrupy sweet and bubbly, it’s challenging to avoid stopping for a moment or two to soak in the view. But sightseeing isn’t on the itinerary for RunMan. This energetic little bouncing star has places to go and mileage to clock. For him, life is a race, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. That works out just fine, since the thrill of bounding around, over, and under obstacle after obstacle at high-speed in countless hand-drawn levels is great indeed.”
“Why would you want to make your house float up into space? When it comes to the limitless possibilities and potential for weirdness in the gaming world, I suppose the real question to ask is why not? Attaching balloons to your abode seems a good a means as any to slowly launch it skyward, but keeping it afloat is far more challenging than you might think. Sit down for a few minute of Higher!, and you just must not get back up for a few hours. Watch out. The sky is calling.”
“The floodgates remain open, and the steady rush of downloadable games showered across all platforms each week shows no signs of abating anytime soon. The month of September has ushered-in a little something for all tastes, but thrill seekers will find our selections definitely get the blood pumping. A little retro-shooting, a touch of space-age tower defense, some crazy base jumping, and more downloadable gaming goodness awaits you in this month’s installment of Download Picks.”
“Hopping on a bicycle and taking a leisurely ride through the countryside is a great way to unwind on a breezy summer afternoon. Being strapped to your work desk all day may prevent such an indulgence, but a monitor and PC keyboard make a tolerable substitute. Fig. 8 lets you embark on a pedaling adventure of sorts, except it replaces the blue sky with blank nothingness and switches out the green scenery for black-inked technical sketches.”
“The timeless tale of a windswept Kansas girl and her pooch being transported away from tornado alley and dumped into a strange, magical world has been interpreted and re-tooled in some unexpected ways. Developer Media Vision’s latest new twist on the story, which sees the protagonist and her motley crew of cohorts donning weapons and armor and charging into battle, is easily one of my favorite takes on the lass’ adventures in the land of Oz. Dorothy and pals are packing heat, and her little dog too.”
“Some prefer to relax to a flurry of soft, melodic piano notes. Others dig the driving beats and screeches of electronic mayhem. Regardless of where you fall along the spectrum of personal musical tastes, we’re about to dish out the funk with some hot, free games for the musically inclined. Join in with dancing robots, 8-bit rockers, flowing musical notes, and more musical craziness in this month’s Free Bytes themed medley.”
