Swords, Soldiers, Meat and more

Sometimes Hyper-Realistic is just horrifying.
Image: Dave Rapoza 

In todays market many games focus on hyper-realistic graphics, sound effects, special effects, etc. A lack of flashy graphics, realistic sound effects or in-game phsyics can, in some cases, lead to bad reviews or turn away gamers. However there are games, and even genres, that shun these concepts, focusing instead on intense, thought provoking gameplay and/or original concepts. I’d like to showcase a couple great examples of such games.

Swords & Soldiers: A game about eating meat, and destroying nations for Barbecue Sauce. No, seriously.

Swords and Soldiers (HD),
PC, Wii, PS3

“Swords and Soldiers” is a side-scrolling tower-defense style strategy game. Each level begins with a set amount of Gold and Magic Points. Gold is used to purchase new troop units and magic spells; Magic Points, are used solely to cast spells. As the game advances the ability to purchase and create new units, buildings and spells increase; defensive spells, such as healing, being amongst the first spells available, with offensive spells like lightning strikes coming later. The goals of each level vary, but mostly alternate between destroying an enemy base, or defending a home base for a set amount of time. The character units available for purchase have one of two abilities, attack/defend or mine gold. While attacking units are limited only to the amount of gold available to purchase them, worker units are limited to a maximum of 10 on each level; capping the amount of gold available for purchases at any given time. Once a troop is purchased it will go about its task without the aid of the player, and can only be acted upon in limited means via spells; usually healing or “driving berserk”. Attack units immediately progress to the right attacking anything in their way, continuing to do so until they are dead or the end of the level is reached. Mining units simply mine gold, increasing the ability to purchase spells and troops, unless they are killed, or the level ends. Troops and workers are not carried over from level to level, and each level starts over anew with a specified amount of troops/workers readily available.

Those Vikings were all about equality, hence forcing women to work the mines... 

“Swords and Soldiers” is a simple concept well excuted. While the tower-defense genre has been “done to death”, S&S comes across fresh and fun. Each level is well designed and executed. The graphics, music and sound effects are light and cheery, giving the game a lively air. The vibrant cartoony “hand-drawn” style graphics are clean and well done, perfectly complimenting the comedic storyline and settings (usually about conquering, or stealing from, other characters and nations).

The music, while pleasant, and continuously keeping pace with the action, could use more variety. With no “stand-out” tunes, it never became anything more than simple background music, neither bothersome, nor engrossing.

Gameplay is easy to pick up, and welcoming, if fairly standard for the genre. Those familiar with other tower-defense style games will readily adapt to this title, while new-comers to the genre will find it intuitive and straight forward.

Don't mess with Aztecs. They can punch the ground so hard you'll die.
Just think what would happen if that guy landed a blow on you. 

The only complaint I have is that I got through the game fairly quickly, never feeling strongly challenged during the time I spent playing S&S. I found myself breezing through some levels, and not feeling very challenged until I was well over half way through the game. Replay value is decent, but not a “play every day” title. Once the one-player campaign is beaten the main replay draw is online multiplayer versus matches, which offers far more resistance than the single player AI.

All in all I found “Swords and Soldiers” a great, if short experience, and recommend it to anybody looking for a quick diversion, or a fun romp into the tower defense genre.

A solid title worthy of the low cost of purchase.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

The best graphics in the game presented right there. Am I kidding? Nope.

Super Meat Boy,
PC, Xbox 360

“Super Meat Boy” is a throw back to old-school action platform titles, with each level being filled with various items and obstacles that will kill your character. With limited abilities outside of running and jumping, depending on the character used, SMB is minimlist in almost every way. Each level requires precision timing and expert control, and (usually) allow infinite attemtps at beating them. A necessary feature as many levels will take multiple attempts before the player can move on, let alone master them.

Playing as Meat Boy you are on a mission to rescue the love of your life, Bandage Girl, from the nefarious Dr. Fetus. The storyline is straight forward, and the goal of each level is to reach Bandage Girl in as short a time as possible. Finishing a level below the set amount of time earns an “A+”, and unlocks an alternate “Dark” version of that level. Bandages are placed strategically throughout the game, and as they are gathered they unlock hidden characters with different special abilities. Also placed throughout the game are Warp Zones that take the player to special “Retro” levels that are based on different classic games. These zones may reward bandages toward unlocking characters, or even unlock new characters to play as. While most warp zone levels have a limited amount of tries available (3 lives during each stage of the retro levels), some, like the normal levels, allow infinite attempts.

Typical screen grab of "Super Meat Boy".
Not a game for using "keyboard" controls.

Graphics wise “Super Meat Boy” is very minimalist. A homage to classic games the graphics are very blockish and simple, but are simultaneously colorful and well done. Cartoon cutscenes present the humorous, if dark, storyline, giving a nice progression throughout the game. No dialogue is used in the game, but sound effects and music are used to convey expressions, helping to add to the simple, retro, feeling of the game.

The music is fantastic. While it can get old listening to the same tune a thousand times while trying to beat a particularly fiendish level, overall the music is varied and well done; adding to the ambience and atmosphere of the game. The sound effects are all well done and fitting, and compliment the game in ways rarely seen.

Gameplay is based on the incredibly tight controls created by Team Meat, and split-second timing on the players part. Stating this I must say these may be the best controls of any platform game I’ve ever played. While some characters may have the ability to float, grab hold of surfaces, drift, or simply speed off, every aspect of the controls was well thought out and presented in a manner of detail previously unseen. Easy to pick up, yet difficult to master “Super Meat Boy” is the epitome of fine controls, and may never be topped in this aspect.

An homage to a Gameboy game inside of a game that is a throwback 
to a bygone era. It's like Inception, but with a better ending. 

The "replayability"  of “Super Meat Boy” is unbelievably high. I have personally put more hours into this game than I’d care to admit. Even after you have mastered each level the game presents, challenges and trophies abound that demand “just one more” play through. Meaning to play for “just five minutes” I have repeatedly found myself an hour or more into this game without realizing it. Simply put this is one of the most replayable platform games I’ve ever played.

I recommend “Super Meat Boy” to any gamer who wants a good challenge, wants a new title to master, or any fan of platformers or adventure games in general. At around $10 on services such as Steam and Direct2Drive for PC and about $15 on Xbox 360, this game is worth every penny you'll spend.

Old-school retrogaming at its finest “Super Meat Boy” is sure to please the hardcore and casual alike.

“Super Meat Boy” receives 4.5 out of 5 stars for its gaming excellence.

Until next time, lets game.