First of all, the obvious. Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry. April must surely be a new record for lateness of results of a Christmas competition - things were looking bright and punctual in the middle of January, but then the organizer of the competition had a sudden illness, we lost contact with him, and the results were eventually caught in a loop of logic with no hope of escape. But now, this dodgily-written HTML page shows the results we have, and finally, who the prizes are going to. Scroll down to find out how you did.
- DavidN
The Rules
The aim of the competition was to create a grid-based Christmas-themed game. Everything else was left largely up to the participants - as long as the player and other important gameplay objects were locked into a grid movement, any approach or type of game was allowed. And after some argument as to what that actually meant, we got sixteen entries.
The games were originally to be judged by four judges, but due to the disapperance of Shab, only the remaining three have been counted. The original results, the ones that took Shab's scores into account, were previously published on TDC. Discounting one set of scores didn't affect the low and high positions at all, but several of the mid-range games were affected as their scores were so close together - none of the awards were affected by the change in results, but if you've got a position a little lower than you had on the first results, you can feel free to count the first one as your real place in the competition. :)
Games were judged on six categories, with the available points in each category totalling 100. With three judges scoring each game, the maximum possible score for a game was 300. In addition to prizes for first, second and third place, several special prizes were awarded - see the end of this page for the details.
The games were originally to be judged by four judges, but due to the disapperance of Shab, only the remaining three have been counted. The original results, the ones that took Shab's scores into account, were previously published on TDC. Discounting one set of scores didn't affect the low and high positions at all, but several of the mid-range games were affected as their scores were so close together - none of the awards were affected by the change in results, but if you've got a position a little lower than you had on the first results, you can feel free to count the first one as your real place in the competition. :)
Games were judged on six categories, with the available points in each category totalling 100. With three judges scoring each game, the maximum possible score for a game was 300. In addition to prizes for first, second and third place, several special prizes were awarded - see the end of this page for the details.
| Category | Description | Points |
| Graphics | The quality of the game's artwork - sprites, animation, and so on. | 20 |
| Gameplay | The main focus of the competition - how the game felt to play. | 40 |
| Sound | Music and sound effects - quality in themselves and how well they fitted the game. | 10 |
| Christmas-ness | How well the game tied into the Christmas theme. Different judges had different interpretations of this - often, it's not enough to simply use Christmas-styled graphics, and something more has to be made of the Christmas setting itself. |
10 |
| Presentation | The general polish of the game - its appearance and how well it was tied together. | 10 |
| Float | Ten points available for the judges to award based on personal preference. | 10 |
The Results
As said above, the results were initially reported with the scores from four judges, but as Shab's scores are no longer available, these results were totalled using only three of us. The prizes for the first three places and the rest of the special prizes haven't been affected, but you may find your game has moved around a couple of places if you were in the middle. None of the awards have changed as a result of the re-totalling.
Where we know Shab's comments, they're provided as a special bonus to the four games that got them.
Where we know Shab's comments, they're provided as a special bonus to the four games that got them.
| Pos | Game | Author | Points | |
 |
1 | Merry Gear Solid | Podunkian | 259 |
 |
2 | Santaman Got the Blues | Hayo | 242 |
  |
3 | Sleepy Head Santa | Hernan | 239 |
|
4 | Santasm 3 | Radix | 227 |
|
5 | Definitely Not a Tanooji Game | Bibin | 198 |
|
6 | sc.exe | Borgi | 150 |
| 7 | Jesus Saves Xmas '06 | Blanco | 147 | |
| 8 | Gool 2 | Yuyu | 144 | |
| 9 | Christmas Toy Workshop | Hempuli | 140 | |
|
10 | Christmas Thievery | Slink | 139 |
| 11 | Santa Bomber | Nioreh | 138 | |
| 12 | Santa's Challenge | Smarty | 132 | |
| 13 | Pengu Volley | Djud | 121 | |
| 14 | Xmas Puzzler | AndyUK | 108 | |
| 15 | Bryan and Ivan: Frozen Chill | Alex Filipowski | 101 | |
| 16 | Christmas Collector | awesomasapossum | 62 |
Bryan & Ivan: Frozen Chill
by Alex Filipowski
| B&I: Frozen Chill | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 9 | 4 | 9 | 22 |
| Gameplay | 15 | 7 | 13 | 35 |
| Sound | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 |
| Christmas | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Presentation | 6 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
| Float | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Totals | 39 | 22 | 40 | 101 |
David says:
Over the course of playing this game, I realized that it didn't actually have anything to do with Christmas. The graphical theme of it is icy, and there are a couple of coniferous trees scattered around, but it's about fighting giant wasps and could have been released any time of the year. The game is a turn-based strategy of sorts, and this entry is mostly comprised of a set of tutorials explaining the mechanics of the game (which often seem thrown in and rather disjoint from each other). Some stages are rather slower than they need to be, too.
It's not all bad - it was one of two submitted games to use an isometric viewpoint, which is a nice touch, and the turn-based engine isn't anything to complain about. One last note - the application is still called "Grid test"!
Over the course of playing this game, I realized that it didn't actually have anything to do with Christmas. The graphical theme of it is icy, and there are a couple of coniferous trees scattered around, but it's about fighting giant wasps and could have been released any time of the year. The game is a turn-based strategy of sorts, and this entry is mostly comprised of a set of tutorials explaining the mechanics of the game (which often seem thrown in and rather disjoint from each other). Some stages are rather slower than they need to be, too.
It's not all bad - it was one of two submitted games to use an isometric viewpoint, which is a nice touch, and the turn-based engine isn't anything to complain about. One last note - the application is still called "Grid test"!
Chris says:
First entry, but I don't really think much of it. The author doesn't seem to know what sort of game he wants to make; there's a mish-mash of gameplay styles, either involving following your partner and shooting wasps when they get close to you, or to position traps and obstacles to stop them from colonising your base. There's no consistancy, and matters aren't helped by the relatively poor graphics and presentation. Little reference has been made to Christmas, but the game does have one tiny redeeming quality; its moderately OK music.
First entry, but I don't really think much of it. The author doesn't seem to know what sort of game he wants to make; there's a mish-mash of gameplay styles, either involving following your partner and shooting wasps when they get close to you, or to position traps and obstacles to stop them from colonising your base. There's no consistancy, and matters aren't helped by the relatively poor graphics and presentation. Little reference has been made to Christmas, but the game does have one tiny redeeming quality; its moderately OK music.
Flava says:
This game was certainly something different from what I have seen before, however I felt it lacked much gameplay and the sounds were slightly repetitive. A nice effort, but a wider variation of levels and different objectives would have been nice. I quite liked the level editor and survivor modes which added slightly to the gameplay, however still didn't offer much of a challenge. Apart from the snow, the game lacked a Christmassy feel.
This game was certainly something different from what I have seen before, however I felt it lacked much gameplay and the sounds were slightly repetitive. A nice effort, but a wider variation of levels and different objectives would have been nice. I quite liked the level editor and survivor modes which added slightly to the gameplay, however still didn't offer much of a challenge. Apart from the snow, the game lacked a Christmassy feel.
...And Shab says:
Alex Filipowski has returned for another try at the TDC Xmas compo, and sadly, in truth the game isn't much better than his previous attempt. As many Xmas compo games seem to be, there are two parts to this game; a kind of turn based action game, and a razor thin "Trap Designer Mode". Trap Designer mode had promise, but it fails to deliver.
Trap designer mode centers around one premise; don't let the enemy cross the red line. To defend yourself against the endless horde of one wasp at a time, you can build 3 traps. A ground trap (Land mine that works against wasps?), a Wind Trap, and a spike trap. That's it. The wasps then proceed to tromp towards the red line, and when you kill one; it's replace by another one at the end of the turn. At no time will you face more than one wasp in Trap mode, add this to the low number of traps, and the fact that there is NO discernable AI for the enemy; and you're left with a severly lacking gameplay mode.
Alex Filipowski has returned for another try at the TDC Xmas compo, and sadly, in truth the game isn't much better than his previous attempt. As many Xmas compo games seem to be, there are two parts to this game; a kind of turn based action game, and a razor thin "Trap Designer Mode". Trap Designer mode had promise, but it fails to deliver.
Trap designer mode centers around one premise; don't let the enemy cross the red line. To defend yourself against the endless horde of one wasp at a time, you can build 3 traps. A ground trap (Land mine that works against wasps?), a Wind Trap, and a spike trap. That's it. The wasps then proceed to tromp towards the red line, and when you kill one; it's replace by another one at the end of the turn. At no time will you face more than one wasp in Trap mode, add this to the low number of traps, and the fact that there is NO discernable AI for the enemy; and you're left with a severly lacking gameplay mode.
Xmas Puzzler
by AndyUK
| Xmas Puzzler | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 5 | 8 | 5 | 18 |
| Gameplay | 10 | 23 | 9 | 42 |
| Sound | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| Christmas | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| Presentation | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| Float | 3 | 7 | 4 | 14 |
| Totals | 25 | 51 | 32 | 108 |
David says:
This game contains no instructions, and though it isn't exactly difficult to work out what to do, some extra introduction would have made things a bit better. As it is, it's one of those games involving sliding from one block to another and collecting tokens (that happen to be presents, to get into the Christmas theme) in order to advance to the next level.
The execution of it seems a little odd - you are given a limited number of moves per level, denoted by a slightly out-of-place looking counter. There isn't a mechanism to restart a level, and instead you have to run out of moves to begin again. One odd bug is that you can't move down as your first move - this never makes the game impossible, but it is a little annoying.
The sound also had some issues - on the third level, a new music starts up but the old one doesn't stop playing first.
This game contains no instructions, and though it isn't exactly difficult to work out what to do, some extra introduction would have made things a bit better. As it is, it's one of those games involving sliding from one block to another and collecting tokens (that happen to be presents, to get into the Christmas theme) in order to advance to the next level.
The execution of it seems a little odd - you are given a limited number of moves per level, denoted by a slightly out-of-place looking counter. There isn't a mechanism to restart a level, and instead you have to run out of moves to begin again. One odd bug is that you can't move down as your first move - this never makes the game impossible, but it is a little annoying.
The sound also had some issues - on the third level, a new music starts up but the old one doesn't stop playing first.
Chris says:
It's not too bad, despite the score I've given it. You control an elf, who must collect all the Christmas presents in the stage and then get to the exit. The grid based engine is of a continuous nature; the player cannot stop moving unless he hits a wall. However, the player also has a limited number of moves he can make before it's game over. Presentation isn't too hot, and there are only slightly more Christmas references than the previous entry. Plus there's horrible music created by the OJ Music Generator, but at least it's somewhat Christmassy. The game is ok to pass a few minutes by, but nothing outstanding.
It's not too bad, despite the score I've given it. You control an elf, who must collect all the Christmas presents in the stage and then get to the exit. The grid based engine is of a continuous nature; the player cannot stop moving unless he hits a wall. However, the player also has a limited number of moves he can make before it's game over. Presentation isn't too hot, and there are only slightly more Christmas references than the previous entry. Plus there's horrible music created by the OJ Music Generator, but at least it's somewhat Christmassy. The game is ok to pass a few minutes by, but nothing outstanding.
Flava says:
The idea behind this game is a good one, however I get the feeling it may have been a bit rushed for the deadline. There are lots of bugs within the game, and the graphics are very basic. On one level I was not able to move, and on another, when I walked into some flames I was directed to the last level (I'm quite sure that wasn't suppose to happen!). Like I said, it's a nice idea but seems to have been rushed slightly.
The idea behind this game is a good one, however I get the feeling it may have been a bit rushed for the deadline. There are lots of bugs within the game, and the graphics are very basic. On one level I was not able to move, and on another, when I walked into some flames I was directed to the last level (I'm quite sure that wasn't suppose to happen!). Like I said, it's a nice idea but seems to have been rushed slightly.
...And Shab says:
It's pretty obvious from the get go that this game was rushed, you've got your standard TGF counters, and some slightly animated characters. The gameplay basis is similar to that of Hypercube. In each level, you have a certain amount of moves you can make to collect all the presents. Making a move is as simple as pressing what direction you want to rocket your elf off in. He continues moving that way till he either dies, or hits a wall. Pretty simple stuff here, and some of the levels show a glimpse of some great mind bendingly simple puzzles; but because it was rushed, the experience is marred by numerous level looping errors and terrible music.
It's pretty obvious from the get go that this game was rushed, you've got your standard TGF counters, and some slightly animated characters. The gameplay basis is similar to that of Hypercube. In each level, you have a certain amount of moves you can make to collect all the presents. Making a move is as simple as pressing what direction you want to rocket your elf off in. He continues moving that way till he either dies, or hits a wall. Pretty simple stuff here, and some of the levels show a glimpse of some great mind bendingly simple puzzles; but because it was rushed, the experience is marred by numerous level looping errors and terrible music.
Christmas Collector
by Awesomasapossum
| Christmas Collector | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 2 | 8 | 5 | 15 |
| Gameplay | 3 | 19 | 2 | 24 |
| Sound | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Christmas | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Presentation | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Float | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Totals | 11 | 35 | 16 | 62 |
David says:
This is rather a basic game, definitely the quickest effort submitted to the competition. It's a basic present-collecting game with boxes randomly appearing in grid spaces, a time limit, a report of how many presents you collected in each game, and that's about it.
The counters used are just default GFactory red numeric ones, and there hasn't been any special effort made on the graphics or presentation - the gameplay is very basic and the result is determined largely by how many presents actually appear rather than any skill on the player's part.
The author said that this was written in the last hour before the competition deadline, and I'm afraid it shows!
This is rather a basic game, definitely the quickest effort submitted to the competition. It's a basic present-collecting game with boxes randomly appearing in grid spaces, a time limit, a report of how many presents you collected in each game, and that's about it.
The counters used are just default GFactory red numeric ones, and there hasn't been any special effort made on the graphics or presentation - the gameplay is very basic and the result is determined largely by how many presents actually appear rather than any skill on the player's part.
The author said that this was written in the last hour before the competition deadline, and I'm afraid it shows!
Chris says:
Shocking presentation with hard-to-read text doesn't get this game off to a good start. In fact, as soon as you click on the START option you're immediately thrown into the game, dashing around a grid to collect as many randomly spawning presents as you can within the allotted time limit. There's only the one level, so basically this game is a high-score-athon. It would have made a pretty good Vitalize game, but by itself, there's next to no content.
Shocking presentation with hard-to-read text doesn't get this game off to a good start. In fact, as soon as you click on the START option you're immediately thrown into the game, dashing around a grid to collect as many randomly spawning presents as you can within the allotted time limit. There's only the one level, so basically this game is a high-score-athon. It would have made a pretty good Vitalize game, but by itself, there's next to no content.
Flava says:
I don't like to be harsh, but to me it does not seem that too much effort was put into this entry. The character lacks animation, the backdrop is plain and the presents look ripped. The gameplay is also very very basic and there is no actual aim to the game. It is simply a case of moving around a grid and collecting as many presents as you can within the time limit.
I don't like to be harsh, but to me it does not seem that too much effort was put into this entry. The character lacks animation, the backdrop is plain and the presents look ripped. The gameplay is also very very basic and there is no actual aim to the game. It is simply a case of moving around a grid and collecting as many presents as you can within the time limit.
...And Shab says:
Christmas Collector is one of the weaker entries for this year's compo. It's a simple grid based game where you move your unanimated elf across the oddly smooth blue grid and collect the presents that appear mysteriously. It's an excercise to want to collect the presents though, as a horrible DING sound plays every time you get one. Repeat this for one minute and view your "score" on a screen that feature standard red numbers and some horribly garbled present graphics. Oh yes, for some strange reason you can move out of the playfield on the right and bottom of the screen. I suspect demons.
Seriously though, the game works, but it's obvious that the creator had little time to spend on it.
Christmas Collector is one of the weaker entries for this year's compo. It's a simple grid based game where you move your unanimated elf across the oddly smooth blue grid and collect the presents that appear mysteriously. It's an excercise to want to collect the presents though, as a horrible DING sound plays every time you get one. Repeat this for one minute and view your "score" on a screen that feature standard red numbers and some horribly garbled present graphics. Oh yes, for some strange reason you can move out of the playfield on the right and bottom of the screen. I suspect demons.
Seriously though, the game works, but it's obvious that the creator had little time to spend on it.
Definitely Not a Tanooji Game
by Bibin
| DNATG | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 14 | 14 | 16 | 44 |
| Gameplay | 28 | 26 | 25 | 79 |
| Sound | 8 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
| Christmas | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 |
| Presentation | 8 | 7 | 6 | 21 |
| Float | 8 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
| Totals | 72 | 64 | 62 | 198 |
David says:
This is a great effort, and I think I mentioned before that it's a vast improvement over the author's last Christmas entry. The gameplay is a collect-em-up at its heart, but is different enough to stand out from the rest, and the whole thing is well presented with an intro sequence and extensive list of options. In fact, it's tempting to say that there's too much menu in it - you spend a long while setting up the game and reading about it before getting close to actually playing it (though I appreciated the in-jokes along the way).
The whole thing seems to be very Jonny Comics-inspired, both in terms of graphics and of the tone of the game in general. However, it's well put together, the retro-styled theming is consistent throughout, and even though the Christmas theme isn't quite as prevalent in the game as it is in the introduction, it's deserving of a decently high place.
This is a great effort, and I think I mentioned before that it's a vast improvement over the author's last Christmas entry. The gameplay is a collect-em-up at its heart, but is different enough to stand out from the rest, and the whole thing is well presented with an intro sequence and extensive list of options. In fact, it's tempting to say that there's too much menu in it - you spend a long while setting up the game and reading about it before getting close to actually playing it (though I appreciated the in-jokes along the way).
The whole thing seems to be very Jonny Comics-inspired, both in terms of graphics and of the tone of the game in general. However, it's well put together, the retro-styled theming is consistent throughout, and even though the Christmas theme isn't quite as prevalent in the game as it is in the introduction, it's deserving of a decently high place.
Chris says:
This game would be so professionally made, if it weren't for the childish attacks on Evil Kitty; this is a competition and should be taken SERIOUSLY. The Tanooji name is getting very tiresome too, even though the game supposedly doesn't feature him, while the storyline is a bit of a personal attack on "spoilt brat" Evil Kitty.
That's probably the worst thing I can say about this game, so lets move onto the good things. A grid-based game that sees Bibin collecting presents for "spoilt brat" Evil Kitty. Bibin can only carry one present at a time though, and a time limit causes problems too - as do various obstacles such as conveyor belts and spikes. Fortunately, Bibin can jump, which can prove to be a godsend. Early levels help ease the player into the action, and the game is fun to play, until you get to around stage 7, where insane level designs and plenty of conveyor belts make the game very hard to beat. Had it not been for the sudden jump in difficulty, this game would be getting more points - which is a shame, because everything else is done very nicely indeed.
This game would be so professionally made, if it weren't for the childish attacks on Evil Kitty; this is a competition and should be taken SERIOUSLY. The Tanooji name is getting very tiresome too, even though the game supposedly doesn't feature him, while the storyline is a bit of a personal attack on "spoilt brat" Evil Kitty.
That's probably the worst thing I can say about this game, so lets move onto the good things. A grid-based game that sees Bibin collecting presents for "spoilt brat" Evil Kitty. Bibin can only carry one present at a time though, and a time limit causes problems too - as do various obstacles such as conveyor belts and spikes. Fortunately, Bibin can jump, which can prove to be a godsend. Early levels help ease the player into the action, and the game is fun to play, until you get to around stage 7, where insane level designs and plenty of conveyor belts make the game very hard to beat. Had it not been for the sudden jump in difficulty, this game would be getting more points - which is a shame, because everything else is done very nicely indeed.
Flava says:
This is a very nice little puzzle game which has a solid engine, good presentation and a nice feel to it. I quite enjoyed playing this game, even though some of the levels proved a bit difficult for me! I enjoyed this game, although some of the levels were slightly repetitive and the game backdrops were not too Christmassy (although the general feel of the game was quite Christmassy!). Definitely a good effort into the competition!
This is a very nice little puzzle game which has a solid engine, good presentation and a nice feel to it. I quite enjoyed playing this game, even though some of the levels proved a bit difficult for me! I enjoyed this game, although some of the levels were slightly repetitive and the game backdrops were not too Christmassy (although the general feel of the game was quite Christmassy!). Definitely a good effort into the competition!
Jesus Saves Xmas '06
by Blanco
| Jesus Saves Xmas | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 13 | 10 | 14 | 37 |
| Gameplay | 11 | 20 | 22 | 53 |
| Sound | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| Christmas | 7 | 5 | 6 | 18 |
| Presentation | 6 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| Float | 5 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
| Totals | 45 | 44 | 58 | 147 |
David says:
This is another present-collect-em-up, though I like the slightly more humorous tone of it, with the simple story and Christmas theme kept with cutscenes between the levels. It's a basic "avoid enemies, collect bonuses, get to the exit" game, but what's there is well done. The sound is rather irritating and the arrowed tiles seem strangely rushed compared to the rest of the graphics, but it's definitely not one of the worse games submitted for the competition - the presentation of the storyline saves it from a lower score.
This is another present-collect-em-up, though I like the slightly more humorous tone of it, with the simple story and Christmas theme kept with cutscenes between the levels. It's a basic "avoid enemies, collect bonuses, get to the exit" game, but what's there is well done. The sound is rather irritating and the arrowed tiles seem strangely rushed compared to the rest of the graphics, but it's definitely not one of the worse games submitted for the competition - the presentation of the storyline saves it from a lower score.
Chris says:
Annoyingly, it's not possible to skip the initial lengthy cut-scene, and when gameplay finally starts, you get the impression that things are unfinished. Since Santa, in the story, twisted his ankle, Jesus instead delivers presents. However, he only looks in one direction, and can wander off-screen too. Enemies wander the screen, they must be avoided, while all the presents are picked up. It's pretty Christmassy, but the music is ear-killing. All these elements, and indeed the elements of unfinished programming make this one of the poorer entries in this competition.
Annoyingly, it's not possible to skip the initial lengthy cut-scene, and when gameplay finally starts, you get the impression that things are unfinished. Since Santa, in the story, twisted his ankle, Jesus instead delivers presents. However, he only looks in one direction, and can wander off-screen too. Enemies wander the screen, they must be avoided, while all the presents are picked up. It's pretty Christmassy, but the music is ear-killing. All these elements, and indeed the elements of unfinished programming make this one of the poorer entries in this competition.
Flava says:
Jesus Saves Xmas is a simple puzzle game in which you must collect all the presents and avoid the baddies. The gameplay was very basic and slightly repetitive after a while, however I thought the presentation and Christmas-ness was quite good. The level design was good in some places, although I felt that some levels were a bit messy and rushed, however this game was still fairly okay.
Jesus Saves Xmas is a simple puzzle game in which you must collect all the presents and avoid the baddies. The gameplay was very basic and slightly repetitive after a while, however I thought the presentation and Christmas-ness was quite good. The level design was good in some places, although I felt that some levels were a bit messy and rushed, however this game was still fairly okay.
SC.exe
by Borgi
| SC.exe | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 10 | 19 | 12 | 41 |
| Gameplay | 10 | 30 | 19 | 59 |
| Sound | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Christmas | 8 | 10 | 7 | 25 |
| Presentation | 2 | 5 | 6 | 13 |
| Float | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Totals | 32 | 66 | 52 | 150 |
David says:
If there was a "Makes the least sense" award, this game would get it easily - it's completely unclear what's going on from the moment it's started. The entire contents of the zip file is a file called "sc.exe", and there are no instructions or title screen. It just feels unfinished.
I did gather that the idea was to collect presents and get to the chimney on each level, though it's still unclear to me what the rest of the items do (and what "Pounched!" means). The engine is quite good as it handles multiple levels, and it's nice to see another isometric-styled game, but the scrolling is over-the-top and is a bit disorienting for the first few minutes. It always crashed for me after the third level, too.
If there was a "Makes the least sense" award, this game would get it easily - it's completely unclear what's going on from the moment it's started. The entire contents of the zip file is a file called "sc.exe", and there are no instructions or title screen. It just feels unfinished.
I did gather that the idea was to collect presents and get to the chimney on each level, though it's still unclear to me what the rest of the items do (and what "Pounched!" means). The engine is quite good as it handles multiple levels, and it's nice to see another isometric-styled game, but the scrolling is over-the-top and is a bit disorienting for the first few minutes. It always crashed for me after the third level, too.
Chris says:
This game had the potential to be something truly great. But once the developer logo disappears, you're thrusted straight into the game without so much as a hint of a title screen. Gameplay involves wandering around an isometric grid, collecting a certain number of presents and then dropping down the chimney of a house. All very well and good - if the time limit wasn't so unfairly tight. The first level gives you 25 seconds to complete the stage, but it counts down so quickly that you generally only have a second left to spare when you beat the level. Of course, since you're thrown straight in, without a title or help documentation, you WILL DIE ON YOUR FIRST GO. Naughty! It's a tremendous shame, because everything else is perfectly programmed and the tight time limit completely ruins the game for me.
This game had the potential to be something truly great. But once the developer logo disappears, you're thrusted straight into the game without so much as a hint of a title screen. Gameplay involves wandering around an isometric grid, collecting a certain number of presents and then dropping down the chimney of a house. All very well and good - if the time limit wasn't so unfairly tight. The first level gives you 25 seconds to complete the stage, but it counts down so quickly that you generally only have a second left to spare when you beat the level. Of course, since you're thrown straight in, without a title or help documentation, you WILL DIE ON YOUR FIRST GO. Naughty! It's a tremendous shame, because everything else is perfectly programmed and the tight time limit completely ruins the game for me.
Flava says:
I can simply only score this game on what I played. After playing and completing the third level, I constantly got a windows error (I believe another judge also got the error) and therefore can only judge the game up to the third level. The game engine was certainly interesting and was a nice idea for a Christmas game. The controls were a bit fiddly for me at first but I got use to them after a while. The gameplay could have been much more varied than simply collecting presents, however the presentation helped the game most.
I can simply only score this game on what I played. After playing and completing the third level, I constantly got a windows error (I believe another judge also got the error) and therefore can only judge the game up to the third level. The game engine was certainly interesting and was a nice idea for a Christmas game. The controls were a bit fiddly for me at first but I got use to them after a while. The gameplay could have been much more varied than simply collecting presents, however the presentation helped the game most.
Pengu Volley
by Djud
| Pengu Volley | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 8 | 9 | 11 | 28 |
| Gameplay | 10 | 7 | 18 | 35 |
| Sound | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 |
| Christmas | 6 | 4 | 6 | 16 |
| Presentation | 5 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
| Float | 7 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| Totals | 41 | 31 | 49 | 121 |
David says:
Of all the genres to be entered in a Christmas competition, I think that a volleyball game was fairly low on the expected list. This game has a decent engine, and getting the AI to work with it isn't a bad achievement either. It falls down a little while actually playing it - you need lightning reflexes and mouse-keyboard-eye coordination in order to return the ball if it's being aimed at the front row of your team, and if you're using a laptop touchpad (as I was the first time I tried it) it's totally impossible.
The graphics and presentation are decent (with the exception of the horribly pixellated Christmas tree at the start), and even though it's not one of the standout games, it has to at least get some points for originality.
Of all the genres to be entered in a Christmas competition, I think that a volleyball game was fairly low on the expected list. This game has a decent engine, and getting the AI to work with it isn't a bad achievement either. It falls down a little while actually playing it - you need lightning reflexes and mouse-keyboard-eye coordination in order to return the ball if it's being aimed at the front row of your team, and if you're using a laptop touchpad (as I was the first time I tried it) it's totally impossible.
The graphics and presentation are decent (with the exception of the horribly pixellated Christmas tree at the start), and even though it's not one of the standout games, it has to at least get some points for originality.
Chris says:
Volleyball?? It's certainly original, but the control scheme is horrendous. I didn't enjoy it at all, but I gave it two float points because it tried to be different. Shame the game made a hash of it. The grid scheme was innovative though.
Volleyball?? It's certainly original, but the control scheme is horrendous. I didn't enjoy it at all, but I gave it two float points because it tried to be different. Shame the game made a hash of it. The grid scheme was innovative though.
Flava says:
Maybe I'm just tired, but I found this game quite difficult - I guess I'm not too good using the mouse and the keyboard to click penguins and move them around. The gameplay was probably too fastly paced for me! However I quite liked the concept of the game - certainly something different to the other games. Also quite nice to see a bit of sport thrown in there!
Maybe I'm just tired, but I found this game quite difficult - I guess I'm not too good using the mouse and the keyboard to click penguins and move them around. The gameplay was probably too fastly paced for me! However I quite liked the concept of the game - certainly something different to the other games. Also quite nice to see a bit of sport thrown in there!
...And Shab says:
I don't think any of us was expecting a sports game, then Djud sprung Pengu Volley on us. The game is well programmed and it's certainly a different use of the grid based theme, it's just so unfortunate that the control scheme is horrible.
I don't think any of us was expecting a sports game, then Djud sprung Pengu Volley on us. The game is well programmed and it's certainly a different use of the grid based theme, it's just so unfortunate that the control scheme is horrible.
Santaman Got the Blues
by Hayo
| Santaman… | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 18 | 20 | 17 | 55 |
| Gameplay | 30 | 34 | 30 | 94 |
| Sound | 9 | 5 | 7 | 21 |
| Christmas | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| Presentation | 9 | 8 | 9 | 26 |
| Float | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 |
| Totals | 82 | 82 | 78 | 242 |
David says:
I'll let you into a secret - part of the reason for choosing this year's theme was to discourage platformers, as there were so many of them last year. But managing to crowbar a platformer into a grid-based engine is quite a decent achievement in itself. The disadvantage of doing a grid-based platformer, though, is that inevitably it feels quite slow-paced. It's not a huge problem, and it gives the game more of a puzzle-platformer feel, in a similar vein to The Lost Vikings. New elements are introduced to the game regularly, both in terms of obstacle features and abilities that you're handed out every couple of levels, which offsets the slowness of it somewhat.
As you'd expect from the Peasants, the graphics and sound are excellent - the music for the main levels is a sort of wobbly demented rendition of Greensleeves that reminds me of my music teacher in high school who was convinced there was a voice up his sleeve named Jeffrey.
The ending of the game is very sudden, and one weakness of the engine that got annoying in a couple of places is the way that you can't turn around without stepping a space in that direction - but otherwise this is a very competent entry.
I'll let you into a secret - part of the reason for choosing this year's theme was to discourage platformers, as there were so many of them last year. But managing to crowbar a platformer into a grid-based engine is quite a decent achievement in itself. The disadvantage of doing a grid-based platformer, though, is that inevitably it feels quite slow-paced. It's not a huge problem, and it gives the game more of a puzzle-platformer feel, in a similar vein to The Lost Vikings. New elements are introduced to the game regularly, both in terms of obstacle features and abilities that you're handed out every couple of levels, which offsets the slowness of it somewhat.
As you'd expect from the Peasants, the graphics and sound are excellent - the music for the main levels is a sort of wobbly demented rendition of Greensleeves that reminds me of my music teacher in high school who was convinced there was a voice up his sleeve named Jeffrey.
The ending of the game is very sudden, and one weakness of the engine that got annoying in a couple of places is the way that you can't turn around without stepping a space in that direction - but otherwise this is a very competent entry.
Chris says:
It's beautiful. Everything works nicely. One small thing would be that perhaps the pace of the game is a little slow - activating doors, for instance, by pulling levers is very reminiscent of Hayo's earlier work in the Fishhead games. This is the only competition entrant that gave me a warm, Christmassy feeling. If it wins, it deserves it.
It's beautiful. Everything works nicely. One small thing would be that perhaps the pace of the game is a little slow - activating doors, for instance, by pulling levers is very reminiscent of Hayo's earlier work in the Fishhead games. This is the only competition entrant that gave me a warm, Christmassy feeling. If it wins, it deserves it.
Flava says:
One obvious strong point of this game is that the graphics are very good - and the gameplay is something a bit different for a change. I rather enjoyed this game. It wasn't too difficult and some times it might require you to actually think about what you're doing. Maybe the gameplay was a bit repetitive at times, and the game became a bit easier when I got the shooting stars - but it is certainly a top Christmas game!
One obvious strong point of this game is that the graphics are very good - and the gameplay is something a bit different for a change. I rather enjoyed this game. It wasn't too difficult and some times it might require you to actually think about what you're doing. Maybe the gameplay was a bit repetitive at times, and the game became a bit easier when I got the shooting stars - but it is certainly a top Christmas game!
Christmas Toy Workshop
by Hempuli
| Christmas Toy Wk. | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 15 | 6 | 14 | 35 |
| Gameplay | 16 | 3 | 25 | 44 |
| Sound | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| Christmas | 6 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| Presentation | 7 | 5 | 6 | 18 |
| Float | 8 | 6 | 5 | 19 |
| Totals | 56 | 25 | 59 | 140 |
David says:
I like the idea of this game - it's about getting things to work in much the same way as The Incredible Machine, and in this way was fairly unique in the competition. A large help section is given, but strangely, it still doesn't quite convey the message of what you're actually supposed to be doing. A playthrough of the first few levels sorts this out, though. The object is to lay down tiles that eventually cause Christmas trees to be lit and toys to be packed, completing each puzzle. The Christmas link is again largely graphical, but it's there.
The game works well for the most part, but there are a couple of issues with the interface that get in the way. The smallest of them is that the object counter has been left in, giving the game an unfinished look. You also can't see the number of tools you have left at a glance - you have to hover the mouse around to see them individually.
One of the biggest problems is that there's no neat way to stop a puzzle once it's started and modify your solution - you have to restart the whole level and place everything again. On the more complex levels, this is a lot of trouble to go to just because you missed the right place for an object by one grid space.
Overall, this is a potentially very good game that's held back by a number of annoyances.
I like the idea of this game - it's about getting things to work in much the same way as The Incredible Machine, and in this way was fairly unique in the competition. A large help section is given, but strangely, it still doesn't quite convey the message of what you're actually supposed to be doing. A playthrough of the first few levels sorts this out, though. The object is to lay down tiles that eventually cause Christmas trees to be lit and toys to be packed, completing each puzzle. The Christmas link is again largely graphical, but it's there.
The game works well for the most part, but there are a couple of issues with the interface that get in the way. The smallest of them is that the object counter has been left in, giving the game an unfinished look. You also can't see the number of tools you have left at a glance - you have to hover the mouse around to see them individually.
One of the biggest problems is that there's no neat way to stop a puzzle once it's started and modify your solution - you have to restart the whole level and place everything again. On the more complex levels, this is a lot of trouble to go to just because you missed the right place for an object by one grid space.
Overall, this is a potentially very good game that's held back by a number of annoyances.
Chris says:
I have absolutely no clue as to how to play this game. The readme and ingame help files are pretty useless, and I simply can't play the thing. Some kind of interactive tutorial would have been nice. The engine looks good but the overall presentation is fairly weak and could be better. My float score is fairly high because I feel that the author has attempted to create something original. If only I knew what I was supposed to be doing...
I have absolutely no clue as to how to play this game. The readme and ingame help files are pretty useless, and I simply can't play the thing. Some kind of interactive tutorial would have been nice. The engine looks good but the overall presentation is fairly weak and could be better. My float score is fairly high because I feel that the author has attempted to create something original. If only I knew what I was supposed to be doing...
Flava says:
I quite liked the idea of this game, were you had to give power to Christmas trees and power to pack boxes with toys. Although, to begin with it actually took me a while to figure out what to actually do! The graphics are okay, although some of the tools look a bit plain - the amount of levels is reasonably good and provides quite a bit of play time.
I quite liked the idea of this game, were you had to give power to Christmas trees and power to pack boxes with toys. Although, to begin with it actually took me a while to figure out what to actually do! The graphics are okay, although some of the tools look a bit plain - the amount of levels is reasonably good and provides quite a bit of play time.
Sleepy Head Santa
by Hernan
| Sleepy Head Santa | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 20 | 15 | 17 | 52 |
| Gameplay | 35 | 19 | 35 | 89 |
| Sound | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| Christmas | 10 | 7 | 9 | 26 |
| Presentation | 10 | 8 | 8 | 26 |
| Float | 10 | 4 | 8 | 22 |
| Totals | 93 | 61 | 85 | 239 |
David says:
The presentation of this game is absolutely fantastic - it's clear that a lot of time was spent on the menu system and title screen. The introduction and entire premise of the game made me laugh, which is always a good sign, and the crisp, clean graphical style is definitely among the best of the entries for this competition.
The game contains a good, original idea that distinguishes it from many of the competition entries - clearing a path for Santa's sleigh so that he doesn't wake up and trigger the most terrifying Game Over screen in the universe. (You'll see.) The puzzle elements scattered around the play area are sufficiently varied to keep the game interesting. One minor criticism is that many levels seem to start too quickly - rather than have any chance at looking at a level first, you're often running maniacally back and forward trying to get to the other side of the level with a snowball or boulder or something before the sleigh gets there before you.
But this is certainly a highlight of the competition - it has an excellent use of the Christmas theme and is a good game in its own right as well. Also, it's yet another game to feature the option for custom levels.
The presentation of this game is absolutely fantastic - it's clear that a lot of time was spent on the menu system and title screen. The introduction and entire premise of the game made me laugh, which is always a good sign, and the crisp, clean graphical style is definitely among the best of the entries for this competition.
The game contains a good, original idea that distinguishes it from many of the competition entries - clearing a path for Santa's sleigh so that he doesn't wake up and trigger the most terrifying Game Over screen in the universe. (You'll see.) The puzzle elements scattered around the play area are sufficiently varied to keep the game interesting. One minor criticism is that many levels seem to start too quickly - rather than have any chance at looking at a level first, you're often running maniacally back and forward trying to get to the other side of the level with a snowball or boulder or something before the sleigh gets there before you.
But this is certainly a highlight of the competition - it has an excellent use of the Christmas theme and is a good game in its own right as well. Also, it's yet another game to feature the option for custom levels.
Chris says:
A clever idea for a game here, with the main objective being to clear Santa's path. The graphics are nice and the presentation - especially the title screen - is well done, but I couldn't really get into the gameplay - it didn't really gel with me. I did find the extremely lengthy transitions to be a right pain in the bum as well.
A clever idea for a game here, with the main objective being to clear Santa's path. The graphics are nice and the presentation - especially the title screen - is well done, but I couldn't really get into the gameplay - it didn't really gel with me. I did find the extremely lengthy transitions to be a right pain in the bum as well.
Flava says:
I really enjoyed this game - it had a nice arcade feel to it and each level was a challenge which I had to think about. A lot of effort has clearly gone into this game. The graphics were pretty good and the game feels Christmassy! I got a bit scared when a huge screaming Santa appeared on my screen - but the large amount of levels and number of extras make this game a great contender for first place!
I really enjoyed this game - it had a nice arcade feel to it and each level was a challenge which I had to think about. A lot of effort has clearly gone into this game. The graphics were pretty good and the game feels Christmassy! I got a bit scared when a huge screaming Santa appeared on my screen - but the large amount of levels and number of extras make this game a great contender for first place!
Santa Bomber
by Nioreh
| Santa Bomber | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 12 | 10 | 13 | 35 |
| Gameplay | 8 | 18 | 12 | 38 |
| Sound | 6 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| Christmas | 4 | 7 | 5 | 16 |
| Presentation | 6 | 6 | 5 | 17 |
| Float | 4 | 6 | 5 | 15 |
| Totals | 40 | 54 | 44 | 138 |
David says:
As an engine, this is resaonably impressive, with the inclusion of a Bomberman AI that handles the randomly generated levels. However, it's very short, and doesn't feel fleshed out enough to be an actual game. The jerky grid transitions (no smooth movement between grid spaces) look out of place as well compared to the otherwise pretty decent graphics.
There are a couple of problems with the AI, involving it running out of the level and eventually blowing itself up at one point when I played, but the presentation of the whole thing saves it from scoring lower.
As an engine, this is resaonably impressive, with the inclusion of a Bomberman AI that handles the randomly generated levels. However, it's very short, and doesn't feel fleshed out enough to be an actual game. The jerky grid transitions (no smooth movement between grid spaces) look out of place as well compared to the otherwise pretty decent graphics.
There are a couple of problems with the AI, involving it running out of the level and eventually blowing itself up at one point when I played, but the presentation of the whole thing saves it from scoring lower.
Chris says:
Bomberman! It's Bomberman! Except not as good. The core engine is great, but gameplay is simplistic, with only one powerup (a star) that increases the bomb range. There are two modes of play - vs the computer or vs another person - and even these modes are only accessed by clicking on the menu bar of the application, which reeks of laziness. Cool earthquake effects abound though, but overall Santa Bomber is a very shallow experience. There's also only just the one level, and when all the walls are destroyed, basically it takes ages to defeat your opponent. However, the "mazes" are randomly generated. Had the game had more substance to it, it would easily recieve a much higher score.
Bomberman! It's Bomberman! Except not as good. The core engine is great, but gameplay is simplistic, with only one powerup (a star) that increases the bomb range. There are two modes of play - vs the computer or vs another person - and even these modes are only accessed by clicking on the menu bar of the application, which reeks of laziness. Cool earthquake effects abound though, but overall Santa Bomber is a very shallow experience. There's also only just the one level, and when all the walls are destroyed, basically it takes ages to defeat your opponent. However, the "mazes" are randomly generated. Had the game had more substance to it, it would easily recieve a much higher score.
Flava says:
This is quite clearly a take on Bomberman - the engine isn't too bad and the game features a bit of AI. I quite liked the fact you could play against the computer - but that was probably the only highlight of the game. It is a very simple and basic game, and different gameplay modes would have probably made it a whole lot better. Overall, it is not bad, but it is only about 5 minutes worth of game time.
This is quite clearly a take on Bomberman - the engine isn't too bad and the game features a bit of AI. I quite liked the fact you could play against the computer - but that was probably the only highlight of the game. It is a very simple and basic game, and different gameplay modes would have probably made it a whole lot better. Overall, it is not bad, but it is only about 5 minutes worth of game time.
Merry Gear Solid
by Podunkian
| Merry Gear Solid | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 19 | 18 | 17 | 54 |
| Gameplay | 35 | 32 | 35 | 102 |
| Sound | 9 | 10 | 10 | 29 |
| Christmas | 10 | 5 | 8 | 23 |
| Presentation | 10 | 8 | 9 | 27 |
| Float | 9 | 7 | 8 | 24 |
| Totals | 92 | 80 | 87 | 259 |
David says:
First of all, I'd like to say that this game made me laugh a lot - from the character voices (the David Hayter-alike goes in and out a bit, but they're otherwise dead on) down to the uses for the items that are found around the house, and the way that the music manages to combine MGS and Christmas themes.
For the most part, the presentation and controls of the game are excellent, but the way that you have to click to activate televisions seems very out of place in an otherwise keyboard-driven game. It's a small point, and I don't really see how else it could have easily been done, but it does stick out.
Much like the real MGS games, it sometimes feels like a continual tutorial because of the constant codec calls and the way that so many elements are introduced during the course of the game, but I don't think that this takes away from it too far. In fact I'd really like to see an extended version of this, as it has one of the best engines that appeared in this competition - the sheer cleverness of the approach of using an invented scripting language for level building goes far beyond what I expected to see in any of the entries. And I loved the authentically Hideo Kojima moment, as well.
First of all, I'd like to say that this game made me laugh a lot - from the character voices (the David Hayter-alike goes in and out a bit, but they're otherwise dead on) down to the uses for the items that are found around the house, and the way that the music manages to combine MGS and Christmas themes.
For the most part, the presentation and controls of the game are excellent, but the way that you have to click to activate televisions seems very out of place in an otherwise keyboard-driven game. It's a small point, and I don't really see how else it could have easily been done, but it does stick out.
Much like the real MGS games, it sometimes feels like a continual tutorial because of the constant codec calls and the way that so many elements are introduced during the course of the game, but I don't think that this takes away from it too far. In fact I'd really like to see an extended version of this, as it has one of the best engines that appeared in this competition - the sheer cleverness of the approach of using an invented scripting language for level building goes far beyond what I expected to see in any of the entries. And I loved the authentically Hideo Kojima moment, as well.
Chris says:
Wow... that's all I want to say to this game. It's short but wonderful. Obviously the game itself is a parody - like many of Arthur's games in fact - and you wouldn't think that a sneak-em-up would work on a grid based engine - but it does. The impersonation of Snake is amazing and MGS has plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour with ingenious devices to aid Solid Santa in his quest to deliver Christmas presents. Perhaps the only thing negative I would say is that the game is fairly "grey" and doesn't really have that much of a Christmassy atmosphere - despite the presence of Santa. Otherwise, this is very good stuff. Again, if it wins the competition, it deserves it.
Wow... that's all I want to say to this game. It's short but wonderful. Obviously the game itself is a parody - like many of Arthur's games in fact - and you wouldn't think that a sneak-em-up would work on a grid based engine - but it does. The impersonation of Snake is amazing and MGS has plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour with ingenious devices to aid Solid Santa in his quest to deliver Christmas presents. Perhaps the only thing negative I would say is that the game is fairly "grey" and doesn't really have that much of a Christmassy atmosphere - despite the presence of Santa. Otherwise, this is very good stuff. Again, if it wins the competition, it deserves it.
Flava says:
This is another game that could claim the top prize - it is a Christmas spoof of Metal Gear Solid and features a few things that reminded me of the actual MGS games. The game features several levels, tools and has some great voice acting - I get the feeling the game might try to make the player laugh more than enjoy the gameplay, but overall it is quite funny and I played the game for quite a while.
This is another game that could claim the top prize - it is a Christmas spoof of Metal Gear Solid and features a few things that reminded me of the actual MGS games. The game features several levels, tools and has some great voice acting - I get the feeling the game might try to make the player laugh more than enjoy the gameplay, but overall it is quite funny and I played the game for quite a while.
Santasm 3
by Radix
| Santasm 3 | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 16 | 15 | 16 | 47 |
| Gameplay | 30 | 32 | 32 | 94 |
| Sound | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
| Christmas | 7 | 8 | 7 | 22 |
| Presentation | 9 | 6 | 7 | 22 |
| Float | 8 | 8 | 7 | 23 |
| Totals | 77 | 75 | 75 | 227 |
David says:
Strangely enough, Radix's prediction seems to have been perfectly correct - I was expecting an avalanche of Sokoban-styled entries as well, but this was the only one that was submitted. And it's not even a standard Sokoban-type game at all, having its own unique elements to make it stand out.
The game is very challenging, getting difficult early on thanks to the wide variety of collapsing platforms, blocks, snowmen that can temporarily be transformed into pushable presents, and evil shooting eye things. One nice touch is the way that the controls allow you to face in a direction before actually moving.
The game is also extensible, with levels stored externally and an editor included. It's always nice to see these extras. The sound is a collection of chiptunes by Playtrip accompanied by a couple of blips and explosions, and I can't really fault the graphics or presentation at all.
Strangely enough, Radix's prediction seems to have been perfectly correct - I was expecting an avalanche of Sokoban-styled entries as well, but this was the only one that was submitted. And it's not even a standard Sokoban-type game at all, having its own unique elements to make it stand out.
The game is very challenging, getting difficult early on thanks to the wide variety of collapsing platforms, blocks, snowmen that can temporarily be transformed into pushable presents, and evil shooting eye things. One nice touch is the way that the controls allow you to face in a direction before actually moving.
The game is also extensible, with levels stored externally and an editor included. It's always nice to see these extras. The sound is a collection of chiptunes by Playtrip accompanied by a couple of blips and explosions, and I can't really fault the graphics or presentation at all.
Chris says:
Quite a big departure from the two previous games - this second sequel is half based on Sokoban and half based on a game called Lolo (which I've never heard of). Upon first playing I didn't really have a clue what I was supposed to be doing, but I soon got the hang of it. The puzzles are actually quite deviously clever, with the objective being to collect all the cookies to unlock the stairwell to the next area. Obstacles and enemies make life pretty hard, but they can all be dealt with by using your brain and the objects in the local area. The game even comes packed with a level editor - a major plus point in my book. Overall, a very solid entry.
Quite a big departure from the two previous games - this second sequel is half based on Sokoban and half based on a game called Lolo (which I've never heard of). Upon first playing I didn't really have a clue what I was supposed to be doing, but I soon got the hang of it. The puzzles are actually quite deviously clever, with the objective being to collect all the cookies to unlock the stairwell to the next area. Obstacles and enemies make life pretty hard, but they can all be dealt with by using your brain and the objects in the local area. The game even comes packed with a level editor - a major plus point in my book. Overall, a very solid entry.
Flava says:
Another game that I enjoyed - it is very basic gameplay, but the game is also a challenge. The levels included within the game were very good, and the game also features a level editor so that you can create more levels. When turning the music on, my computer crashed - so I only had limited sound. That's probably just because my computer sucks!
Another game that I enjoyed - it is very basic gameplay, but the game is also a challenge. The levels included within the game were very good, and the game also features a level editor so that you can create more levels. When turning the music on, my computer crashed - so I only had limited sound. That's probably just because my computer sucks!
Christmas Thievery
by Slink
| Christmas Thievery | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 10 | 10 | 11 | 31 |
| Gameplay | 14 | 16 | 17 | 47 |
| Sound | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
| Christmas | 7 | 8 | 6 | 21 |
| Presentation | 7 | 4 | 6 | 17 |
| Float | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Totals | 46 | 44 | 49 | 139 |
David says:
This is a rather original take on the Christmas theme, being a game about beating people up to get their presents rather than just collect them in the innocent way featured in most games submitted for the competition. It's a side-scrolling beat-em-up in a similar vein to Double Dragon and so on from the NES era - the graphics are oddly stylized, but after disliking them at first I got used to them after a while.
Many games in the competition feel as if they're not making a lot of the Christmas theme. This one instead feels like it had to stick in a grid-based movement so that it could be included - having this type of game on a grid feels rather unnatural, and the gameplay is sluggish as a result. The snowballs thrown by the elves are difficult to dodge, and I think there's an issue with the object limit as well - snowballs stop appearing after a while.
It also seems to have an problem with crashing - it only happened a couple of times to me, but it was enough to be irritating.
This is a rather original take on the Christmas theme, being a game about beating people up to get their presents rather than just collect them in the innocent way featured in most games submitted for the competition. It's a side-scrolling beat-em-up in a similar vein to Double Dragon and so on from the NES era - the graphics are oddly stylized, but after disliking them at first I got used to them after a while.
Many games in the competition feel as if they're not making a lot of the Christmas theme. This one instead feels like it had to stick in a grid-based movement so that it could be included - having this type of game on a grid feels rather unnatural, and the gameplay is sluggish as a result. The snowballs thrown by the elves are difficult to dodge, and I think there's an issue with the object limit as well - snowballs stop appearing after a while.
It also seems to have an problem with crashing - it only happened a couple of times to me, but it was enough to be irritating.
Chris says:
I'm not sure exactly what to make of this game. Initially it seems as though your objective is to collect presents and work your way to the exit while avoiding skateboarders and snowball throwing kids (that don't actually always throw snow, for some reason). The game is merely average in almost every sense, but unfortunately crashes once the first level is complete, rendering the rest of the entire game useless to me.
I'm not sure exactly what to make of this game. Initially it seems as though your objective is to collect presents and work your way to the exit while avoiding skateboarders and snowball throwing kids (that don't actually always throw snow, for some reason). The game is merely average in almost every sense, but unfortunately crashes once the first level is complete, rendering the rest of the entire game useless to me.
Flava says:
This was an interesting take on a beat-em-up I think. At first I didn't really notice the grid movement, and I think it doesn't really suit this type of game. The game was simple, just collect presents and beat people up. It was relatively easy, although my computer crashed when trying to load a level and there are seemed to be an object limit bug - were people actually stopped throwing snow balls. Another bug was when my character just froze and wouldn't move. Apart from the bugs and, in my opinion, irritating movement - the game isn't too bad. Could be some improvement though.
This was an interesting take on a beat-em-up I think. At first I didn't really notice the grid movement, and I think it doesn't really suit this type of game. The game was simple, just collect presents and beat people up. It was relatively easy, although my computer crashed when trying to load a level and there are seemed to be an object limit bug - were people actually stopped throwing snow balls. Another bug was when my character just froze and wouldn't move. Apart from the bugs and, in my opinion, irritating movement - the game isn't too bad. Could be some improvement though.
Santa's Challenge
by Smarty
| Santa's Challenge | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
| Gameplay | 10 | 23 | 11 | 44 |
| Sound | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
| Christmas | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| Presentation | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 |
| Float | 5 | 8 | 4 | 17 |
| Totals | 36 | 57 | 39 | 132 |
David says:
I think that this game falls into the trap of being just a normal game that happens to have Christmas graphics so that it fits in with the theme - it's a basic collect-em-up with Santa, presents, and some evil gingerbread men.
There is no title screen or introduction, and you're just dumped straight into the first level. It's a fairly standard maze game, with the objective of collecting presents, and finding keys so that you can open doors to collect more presents, but to its credit, it didn't feel anywhere near as sluggish as some of the other entries. The editor and external level storage are nice touches, too.
I think that this game falls into the trap of being just a normal game that happens to have Christmas graphics so that it fits in with the theme - it's a basic collect-em-up with Santa, presents, and some evil gingerbread men.
There is no title screen or introduction, and you're just dumped straight into the first level. It's a fairly standard maze game, with the objective of collecting presents, and finding keys so that you can open doors to collect more presents, but to its credit, it didn't feel anywhere near as sluggish as some of the other entries. The editor and external level storage are nice touches, too.
Chris says:
A very competently programmed game - although each level takes a while to load. The premise is pretty simple - initially. Collect silver and gold keys to unlock doors in a maze, and then get every present to complete the level. Later, teleporters are thrown into the mix, and the game eventually starts to go downhill with the introduction of the gingerbread men, who move around very quickly and very randomly. I wish they weren't in there, as their inclusion spoils the game. To assist the player there is a mini-map detailing locations of the presents, which is a very nice touch, and once again, much like Radix' entry, a level editor has been included. General presentation is scrappy, sadly, and Christmas references are quite minimal.
A very competently programmed game - although each level takes a while to load. The premise is pretty simple - initially. Collect silver and gold keys to unlock doors in a maze, and then get every present to complete the level. Later, teleporters are thrown into the mix, and the game eventually starts to go downhill with the introduction of the gingerbread men, who move around very quickly and very randomly. I wish they weren't in there, as their inclusion spoils the game. To assist the player there is a mini-map detailing locations of the presents, which is a very nice touch, and once again, much like Radix' entry, a level editor has been included. General presentation is scrappy, sadly, and Christmas references are quite minimal.
Flava says:
This game was very basic - it was basically you, Santa, collecting all the presents within the levels. I think that the creator has probably spent most of the time creating the nice map editor, rather than concentrating on the gameplay. The first few levels are easy, and there are no puzzle elements or enemies to avoid. Later on, you have to dodge gingerbread men - and I thought their movement was rather unpredictable and I found it near impossible to avoid them most of the time. I feel the loading times of the maps are also unecessary - I'm fairly sure they don't have to load that slowly anyway. Nice little engine and everything, but I didn't really find this game much fun.
This game was very basic - it was basically you, Santa, collecting all the presents within the levels. I think that the creator has probably spent most of the time creating the nice map editor, rather than concentrating on the gameplay. The first few levels are easy, and there are no puzzle elements or enemies to avoid. Later on, you have to dodge gingerbread men - and I thought their movement was rather unpredictable and I found it near impossible to avoid them most of the time. I feel the loading times of the maps are also unecessary - I'm fairly sure they don't have to load that slowly anyway. Nice little engine and everything, but I didn't really find this game much fun.
Gool 2
by Yuyu
| Gool 2 | David | Chris | Flava | Totals |
| Graphics | 7 | 14 | 10 | 31 |
| Gameplay | 8 | 28 | 11 | 47 |
| Sound | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
| Christmas | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| Presentation | 7 | 7 | 5 | 19 |
| Float | 5 | 10 | 5 | 20 |
| Totals | 38 | 66 | 40 | 144 |
David says:
This game would be nice as an engine test, but as a submitted entry feels a little awkward. I'm actually impressed by the increasing tendency to put pseudo-3D sections into Click games, but the Mode 7 effects are a bit flickery, with sprites appearing in front of each other when they shouldn't, and the gameplay feels sluggish.
Importantly, though, the 3D viewpoint is used as an essential gameplay element rather than just a gimmick, with the need to throw elves together to create platforms to reach your goal. Underneath the engine, though, it's really quite a simpistic game.
This game would be nice as an engine test, but as a submitted entry feels a little awkward. I'm actually impressed by the increasing tendency to put pseudo-3D sections into Click games, but the Mode 7 effects are a bit flickery, with sprites appearing in front of each other when they shouldn't, and the gameplay feels sluggish.
Importantly, though, the 3D viewpoint is used as an essential gameplay element rather than just a gimmick, with the need to throw elves together to create platforms to reach your goal. Underneath the engine, though, it's really quite a simpistic game.
Chris says:
When I first played this, I immediately started making comparisons to Segas BUG! Too. Technologically, this game is astounding and shows the true power of MMF and Mode7 combined. The graphics are nice, rendered works of art - but Christmas references are virtually non-existent, which is a huge shame. Gameplay takes place in a green environment not dis-similar to the Matrix films, and it's a little sluggish too. Gool 2 is also quite hard, and you'll be challenged almost immediately without a decent learning curve. However, despite my reservations with the game, this is the best example of Mode7 I have seen in a klik game, henceforth the very high float rating. Not bad at all.
When I first played this, I immediately started making comparisons to Segas BUG! Too. Technologically, this game is astounding and shows the true power of MMF and Mode7 combined. The graphics are nice, rendered works of art - but Christmas references are virtually non-existent, which is a huge shame. Gameplay takes place in a green environment not dis-similar to the Matrix films, and it's a little sluggish too. Gool 2 is also quite hard, and you'll be challenged almost immediately without a decent learning curve. However, despite my reservations with the game, this is the best example of Mode7 I have seen in a klik game, henceforth the very high float rating. Not bad at all.
Flava says:
This game features quite an impressive 3D engine, for MMF anyway. Although I still didn't find this game any more fun than a 2D game may have been. Using this kind of engine has its limits, and I found the control scheme to be quite annoying and it was fustrating when I knocked an elf off the edge and couldn't move on! A nice try at a fun game, although I feel the engine has somewhat made it less fun than it could be. Nice idea though!
This game features quite an impressive 3D engine, for MMF anyway. Although I still didn't find this game any more fun than a 2D game may have been. Using this kind of engine has its limits, and I found the control scheme to be quite annoying and it was fustrating when I knocked an elf off the edge and couldn't move on! A nice try at a fun game, although I feel the engine has somewhat made it less fun than it could be. Nice idea though!
The Prizes
Once again we have Clickteam to thank for providing the prizes for this year's competition. I'll get in contact with the prize winners, but if you haven't got an email from me within the next couple of days, send one to davidknewton AT gmail DOT com with your contact details. If you choose a cash prize, you'll need to provide a Paypal account for the money to be transferred into.
1st (awarded to Podunkian for Merry Gear Solid): MMF2 Developer or $100 2nd (awarded to Hayo for Santaman Got The Blues): MMF2 Standard or $50 3rd (awarded to Hernan for Sleepy Head Santa): TGF2 or $50 Special Awards
In addition to the main prizes this year, Clickteam offered the winners of five special categories a mystery prize each - and these prizes are going to be copies of Jason Darby's development book "Power User's Guide to Windows Development", worth $49.95 (and a fairly enormous amount in shipping fees, I'd imagine).
Oh-so-close Award: Radix won this with "Santasm 3", the only Sokoban-styled game in the entire competition. (It surprised me as well). A clever alternative to the traditional crate-pushing gameplay and the inclusion of a level editor got it into an easy fourth place. Best Graphics: This was very difficult to decide between the entries submitted by Hayo and Hernan. Both of them had excellent console-styled graphics, but "Sleepy Head Santa" just got it for its clean, slick presentation. Most Original: It might be a surprising choice, but this one went to Slink for "Christmas Thievery". A Christmas game about beating people up and stealing their presents was definitely not something that we were expecting. An honourable mention also has to go to Djud for his submission of a sports game. Best use of Christmas theme: Another unusual choice, perhaps, and this one was by far the most difficult to award. In the end we went for the unnamed game by Borgi, because of its Christmas theming throughout the style of the game, past just the Christmas-themed graphics. If this had been finished then it would definitely have been one of the top entries. Round Table: This was an award that was solely up to the judges, and we eventually decided on Bibin's "Definitely Not Another Tanooji Game". Opinion on the in-joke it was based around varied, but we all agreed that it was a polished effort that deserved recognition.And that's it! The endless Christmas competition 2006 is over, now that we're already halfway to the next one. Congratulations to the prize winners, and thanks to everyone for taking part and not killing us for not putting up the results, etc. etc.
I can't wait to do this again next year...