Fart on, sweet prince

Do you think farts are funny? Of course you do. That's one of the reasons Puzzle Farter is so endearing. If you have the sound on and you aren't at least chuckling by the end of level 3, then just go back to your knitting or whatever you were doing.

There are definitely some things wrong with the game. The lack of a save feature or checkpoint system really hurts the replay value. It's incredibly difficult to get to the end with very limited lives, but it is fun trying to get there. Puzzle Farter gave me a really strong Mario vs. Donkey Kong vibe, which I think is a concept that works pretty well. The fact that it's "too hard" shouldn't keep you from playing it over and over.

The developers of Puzzle Farter are also available for suggestions on their forum, so you can get a front row seat for future updates and level packs for the game. Go let one rip.

Run Dino, Run

I fell in love with a little flash game today called Dino Run from Pixeljam, where players take control of a little dinosaur and attempt to stave off extinction. There are seven main levels, with some speed runs available as extras. In other words, enough to keep you busy for an afternoon.

You maneuver your dino from left to right attempting to escape a wall of doom (which we can only assume to be extinction). Along the way you'll encounter other dinosaurs on the escape route as well as smaller animals, which you can eat for extra points. There exists just enough frustration to keep the game from being a cakewalk, but easy enough as to keep you moving through the levels.

The kick ass 8-bit sound compliments the lo-fi graphics amazingly well. I really recommend this game for a lazy afternoon.

tl;dr

Concept: A hectic escape from doom has you running for your life.
Controls: Arrow keys, anyone?
Sound: Awesome retro 8-bit.
Graphics: Beautifully rendered lo-fi.

Overall: 8/10

ESSENTIAL LINKS
http://www.pixeljam.com/
http://www.pixeljam.com/dinorun/

Kirby Quake

Today's little number is called Teeworlds. I often describe the game Culdcept or Culdcept Saga as a cross between Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering. If you think that combo is weird, try this on for size. Teeworlds is a cross between Kirby and Quake.

Teeworlds is a cutesy 2D environment set up like a traditional FPS server, including capture the flag and basic deathmatch games. Players move their 'Kirby-esque' characters around maps reminiscent of the Worms series and collect weapons ranging from mallets to rocket launchers. Power ups and armor also exist. All these things with the traditional FPS control scheme give this game a great familiar feel on a new concept.

There is a pretty good established community which means there is always a server to connect to and lots of maps to play on. I personally love capture the flag games with this game and there's a great mix of fun and frustration as you kill and are killed by more experienced players. The only thing that feels a little broken is the aiming scheme and the difficulty knowing if you've hit your opponent in the fast paced gameplay. Trying to aim is about the only learning curve aspect of Teeworlds.

tl;dr

Concept: Kirby + Quake = Cute destructive fun.
Controls: Traditional FPS controls are very comfortable.
Sound: Nothing great, nothing annoying.
Graphics: Cutesy and simple, but cool.

Overall: 8.2/10

ESSENTIAL LINKS
http://www.teeworlds.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teeworlds