In recent times, the Internet has become awash with puzzle games designed to captivate their audience for short periods of intoxicating fun. Mole Control, designed by Remode Studios, is a perfect example of a generic, yet very fun, addition to the PC puzzle game family.

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The game play is basically a rebooted and refined form of the classic Minesweeper puzzle game. The player is tasked with piloting a craft through gardens, lawns and fields to find exploding moles hidden beneath the soil. Like Minesweeper, the lawns are divided into grids (the actual grid lines can be toggled on and off creating a more seamless in game experience) and the player can use left clicks to move one spot at a time to reveal the number of exploding moles adjacent to the current position. A right click of the mouse will dig up a grid spot removing a mole if one is there. Damage is inflicted upon the player when they either: move to a spot occupied by a mole, or dig up a spot that does not contain a hidden mole.

Overall, the game play is fun but not very difficult. I don’t play many puzzle games but I had no problem breezing through the first few levels without a scratch. The developers made the puzzles fun and exciting for the casual gamer but the tricks and traps of Mole Control will fail miserably against the seasoned gamer. The decision to incorporate a story mode to the game is also a welcome change to the puzzle game norm and further solidifies the titles excellence in the eyes of a casual gamer. With a story, the player no longer needs to be enticed only by the challenge of the puzzle allowing the game to attract an audience of less hardcore gamers. Also incorporated through the story are fun nuggets, like golden moles, which further distance Mole Control from the usual monotony of puzzles and levels seen in traditional puzzle games.

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The graphics in “Mole Control” are of very high quality for the genre. They feature a campy cartoon style but it fits the overall style of the game (it is about moles after all). The game also runs smoothly, does not lag and is never choppy. The single track accompaniment music is the only disappointment in an otherwise very solid gaming experience. The music is incredibly annoying to the point where I would have been happier hearing nails on a chalkboard by the end of the game.

Overall Mole Control is a great puzzle game for the casual gamer, who rarely plays video games. It is sharp, fresh and a great time to play. However, for those who are used to playing more difficult games, Mole Control will surely disappoint.

Buy: Fun game play, innovative story, and seamless quality graphics

Skip: Annoying soundtrack, easy difficulty, very similar to Minesweeper

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Feel free to check the game out for yourself at either Boonty or Impulse.

Here’s the trailer for the beta:

He gives users the option to play an online demo at Kongregrate here or you download as windows or mac demo.

The game costs $15.00

The Magic Toy Chest, by Graduate Games, is an extremely innovative game which uses physics to literally “get the ball rolling.” With this game, players can use tutorials, play and even create their own levels, play them, and submit them to the company through email.

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This game allows the player to choose male or female, language choice, and even enter an email address for ease of emailing newly created levels. Although at the beginning, the graphics and music seem very simplistic and child-like, this is a game that might become your next family favorite.

Game play is simple placing and clicking, but there is animation involved when the player “activates” a toy. The player places and activates toys, so they can see how placing or dropping a toy in one spot or another affects how those toys collide with others and fall into the magic toy chest. Young children will enjoy watching older children or adults play, because the game uses fun graphics and tools made from toys, such as legos, bats, balls, blocks and teddy bears. The music can also be changed to different types, but it can get slightly annoying after a time, because it is all child-like.

Teenagers and adults will enjoy the challenge of applying their knowledge of physics to complete levels. The theme of the game is to put toys away into the magic toy chest within a certain time limit. When beginning, there are numerous tutorials, which although overwhelming at first, are relatively simple and explain the use of toys quite well. It is highly recommended that a player download and play the trial version of this game and use all tutorials to be sure the player wants to purchase the game. The tutorials are very helpful in determining how the game is played, because it teaches players how to collect keys, open the chest and place and use toys.

Dart guns and rockets, bats and bowling balls; each toy has a use. Players can use dart guns to knock things over and bowling balls can plow through blocks. When the game is first downloaded, there is a manual, which a player can ignore or open. It is recommended that the player opens the manual and follows the tutorial, as well as checking out all the other interesting features. There are other menus in the manual, such as the Level Editor, Options Menu, Pause Menu, Game Play, Load Screen, Level Select Screen and the Navigating Title Screen. The manual can seem a bit overwhelming, but just explore one or two options at a time.

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This game, which seems simple at first, is given a 4/5 rating, because it is very creative and unlike many puzzle games already out there. This trial version is fun for adults and children, so the full version is definitely worth purchasing. Just a warning for the physics lover: You may become addicted to this game!

Game Review Summary:

You should buy “Forts 2″

-If you really have nothing better to do with your spare time
-if you don’t prefer too much variation or strategy
-If you find yourself looking to burn 15 minutes

You should not buy “Forts 2″

-If you are familiar with many of the free variations of this theme
-If you actually like to see the edges of the objects you are trying to knock down
-If you are not worried about originality

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Full Game Review

With a repetitive soundtrack, dodgy physics, and distracting color palate, the negatives in “Forts 2″ make me wonder that there ever was a “Forts 1″. This puzzle shooter leaves much to be desired for even the casual gamer, but it does have some high points.

Background

The game is a block puzzler. Your focal point is a round targeting reticule that you use to shoot blocks in a standing puzzle block of different shapes and sizes on platforms.The object is to clear each level by knocking blocks off platforms. This game has a 3D feel so be aware of space and trajectory when you place your shots. You have a limited amount of projectiles in all but the first level.

Graphics

The graphics in this game were so-so. The lighter colored blocks are almost iridescent and the darker ones are black or grey making the edges of the blocks difficult to discern. The game played smoothly on my older computer with a low end, video card and just under 1GB of RAM. The animations of the blocks falling were smooth with no clipping. Mouse control over the screen was also smooth.

Game Play

You play the game by firing at the blocks in the puzzle.The various configurations were not that interesting, and all of the 10 initial levels were completed within a few attempts. Coins are earned for all blocks knocked over. For most levels you have a single ball type projectile, later a ‘double ball’ shot is enabled. There are some other shot options not enabled for the trial.

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Sound

The repetitive techno style soundtrack, is lulling and a bit hypnotic when you add in the iridescence of the lighter colored blocks but DOES contribute to a more relaxing atmosphere. The rest to the game is minimalist, with the firing of your projectile and the scoring at the end of a level being the only other noises during play.

Creativity and Innovation

With little variation, the game doesn’t have a lot going. My 9 year old son played two levels and then went off to play Lego’s, and my 6 year old daughter completed Level 10 in two tries. I was really disappointed in this game. I was expecting more difficulty, better graphics, a varied soundtrack-SOMETHING.I would not recommend this game unless you had a few dollars that you couldn’t get rid of any other way.

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SpringWorld Challenge isn’t what I’d call this game. I think I’d rename it to something along the lines of ‘A Cautionary Tale for Drivers.’ Doesn’t click? Oh well.

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SpringWorld Challenge is straightforward. You have a vehicle. This vehicle, either a car or a rocket, must reach a goal. This goal is typically located across an expanse of two-dimensional, twisting terrain filled with rotating platforms, crushes presses and circling hills. Bypass these perils, reach a green circle within a set period of time, and you’re golden. Depending on your speed you’ll receive trophies for your efforts, with extra kudos if you get to the end without much damage.

That’s it. There’s not much else to say about SpringWorld Challenge. Except, that is, for the glorious, glorious crashes.

Destruction is the real reason most will play this game. It’s endowed with a unique set of physics that, at least for the cars, makes for a hilarious time. As with any good racing game your car comes equipped with rocket boosters than not only speed your car up, but keep it rooted to the ground (these are located on the hood and top of the trunk). It’s extremely easy to become airborne, and because your car is fragile one good crash is enough to wreck it beyond repair.
And that’s where the fun comes in, because you’re invariably left with a pair of wheels and one mad thruster that you can still partially control. No more driver in this car; it’s a phantom wreck that will struggle along valiantly – mainly because you’ll make it struggle, giggling insidiously as you jab at the accelerator – until it realizes that, in its mangled state, there’s no way to reach the goal. Then you’ll start all over again.

I would’ve been happy with an entire game of just car mayhem. Unfortunately, the folks at Nyblom Software saw decided to include the tedious rocket stages. Your ship’s thrusters are much more frustrating than they are hilarious, and the wrecks are never as satisfying mainly because they aren’t high velocity, uncontrolled impacts so much as a series of annoying bumps. Especially aggravating are maze stages that stick your ship inside a minute labyrinth.

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There’s not much to be said about SpringWorld’s visuals. It looks, in fact, as though most of the game was done in MS Paint. The music isn’t much better, with only a handful of generic tracks though I’ll admit that, again, I far prefer the peppy numbers found in the car levels. It’s as if the programmer knew exactly where to focus the game’s strong points.

Don’t get me wrong. SpringWorld Challenge is fun. It’s a good time waster and even makes allowance for your more insane crashes, as you can record your runs and post them online for others to watch. I think, however, that the rocket should’ve been expunged in favor of more polish on the car stages. Nicer visuals and longer tracks would make SpringWorld into a classic.

As it is, SpringWorld strikes me as a glorified tech demo. I can’t recommend buying it. That said, if a car-only game ever comes along with the same physics I’ll gleefully grab a copy. 3/5

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