The Daily Click

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Author:	Hill Gigas
Added:	18/02/2008
Overall:
Average:	7/10

So here is a neat little platformer called CactuX in Dreamland. It caught my eye and I decided to give it a try. The screenshots dont do it justice, this is actually a very well made game! There isn't much here as far as a story or intro. This is more like an 80's arcade game that skips the pleasantries and throws you to the wolves from the very start! This is really a niche game. It will probably only have a handful of fans, but those fans will REALLY like it!

Gameplay is where this game shines. The platforming engine is very simple, but it's also very solid and easy to use. I got the hang of the game right away. The game also has neat little gimmicks like bouncy white mushrooms (I think thats what they are), buttons to mash, block platforms to ride, etc. It's simple by design, but very fun to play.

Graphics are good... enough. ;) Like I said before, this game reminds me a lot of an old 80's arcade game, and the graphics are no exception. Sprites are simple, colorful, easy to identify, and immediately recognizable as friend or foe.

Sounds and music are also straight from the old arcade. The music is very fitting for the game and adds a nice touch of fantasy to the experience. Sound effects also do well in complimenting whats happening on screen.

Lastability isn't very high for a few reasons- First, the difficulty gets too high too fast. At the very beginning of the game you're presented with the challenge of reaching the end of a vertical level while running from a very fast and indestructable ghost. You'll die once by trying to step aside, you'll die again by trying to jump on it's head, you'll die the third and fourth time by falling on it after missing a platform. I can breeze through it now of course, but for beginners who are learning how to play, this is a very frustrating start. From there it only gets harder, level 2 starts with a seemingly impossible jump. After trying many many times, I quit the game to come back and read the games description thinking there was some trick or button I was missing.

Overall, this is a fun and simple platformer with a well made engine and fun graphics. The difficulty will cause most casual players to give up early, but for diehard platformer fans this can provide a very good challenge. On the good side, most levels are very short. So if you can figure out how to avoid each levels difficult obstacles, you'll probably only have to do it once and not worry about dying down the road. Recommend for arcade style platformer fans with a deathwish..