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| Play it here! |
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My Little Mahjong
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Pony Chronicles Update
Pony Chronicles Tumblr
It seems Pony Chronicles has come a long way since we first posted on it during Pon-E3 2012. Today marked their second trailer release, showcasing the game so far and some of the beautiful original music. A while ago, a release date was set for late 2012/early 2013, so it hopefully we won't be in for a long wait!
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Minty Fresh Adventure II Tech Demo-Thing
A while back I was given the opportunity to try out a tech demo for Minty Fresh Adventure II, and for a holiday surprise Mark was nice enough to release what he called an "Xmas Preview Thing" to the general public. It doesn't show off much except for some new backgrounds and one of the ingame enemies, but hopefully it will make the wait for the final product somewhat easier.
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My Little Pony X Jaws
...Of all the ridiculous fangame ideas that I've ever seen, My Little Pony X Jaws is probably the one that none of us expected to ever be made. From what has been revealed so far about it the game appears to be a tech demo for The Lost Kingdom and will be very strange. For example, it takes place in an alternate ocean-themed universe with the Mane 6 being an elite fishing crew that has set out to kill Jaws after he ate the mayor. If you eventually plan on playing The Lost Kingdom when it comes I would highly recommend that you play this game first, as you can import your savegames from My Little Pony X Jaws to The Lost Kingdom, which will allow you to start at a higher level than you could otherwise.
Unfortunately there's no word yet as to when this...interesting fangame will be released, but hopefully it will be soon because I love humorous fangames. Beanseh said that he'll be releasing screenshots of the game soon, so stay tuned for that!
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Lyra's List #9
As we head towards 2013, it's time once again for Lyra's List, a monthly list of game design documents and resumes for those wishing to get involved with fangame development! The deadline for the next Lyra's List is January 31, 2013. There aren't too many submissions this time around, but you can find them after the break...
GDDs
andysonic1
Pony Tactics: Salvation
Tactical RPG
Long Term
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15HLA5m9DriMP09FLjCXFbIAUQwOrZGUnQOfh7ZoAXlg/edit
EQCoders
Darkness on Equestria
Adventure MMO
Long Term
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zStcgO9P6Sz8l09ffGoWiIi8osi6SH4abvZ7bbbwtPE/edit
Kajdan Lancuch
MLP: Trough the History
RTS
Long Term
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1LdcigSmWcseW1CVU9YNkVlSUU
Game Artists
Xyore
Programmer/Game Designer
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1pZumgsj3pWZQlkTgqnuHX39JfLtLmE89MjOP_R1otC0
That wraps up this Lyra's List, the last of the year. That reminds me - Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your guys' 2013 is filled with happiness and ponies.
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Review: Rainbow Dash's Cloud Dodging Fun
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| Play it Here! |
The object of the game is simple - rack up the highest score possible by staying alive for as long as you can. Use WASD or the arrow keys to move Rainbow Dash around, dodging thousands upon thousands of clouds at high speed, and picking up powerups to boost your score, health, speed, energy, or cloud smashing ability. You can also use up the energy you've accrued to give you a boost, slow down time, or clear all the clouds from the screen.
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| Those clouds won't even know what hit 'em! |
Also worth mentioning is the new scoring system, which lets you know on the top of the screen as you play who is directly in front of and behind you on the leaderboard, as well as their scores, so you can keep track of your gaming supremacy. All in all, this is a simple, very fun, well made game, and for that, it gets the following grade.
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Project Updates MegaComp #1
Merry January, fillies and gentlecolts! I feel like I owe you guys something after last week's vacation, so I've made my apology with a deluge of pony gaming updates. Updates to Super Smash Ponies, My Little Pony: Fighting the Unknown (formerly MLP:RPG), Ponymon, the Pegasus Flight Simulator, and more after the break!
Super Smash Ponies
Gameplay trailers keep popping up for Super Smash Ponies, and this is the most impressive yet! A lot of progress has clearly been made on Twilight's move set, although it's still in development.
My Little Pony: Fighting the Unknown
The game formerly known as MLP:RPG continues to update, now featuring multiplayer events, gift keys, and with an upcoming "significant storyline change." They're also looking for a voice actor and an artist: not a bad chance to get in on a promising project!
MLP: Fighting the Unknown About Page
Download
Pegasus Flight Simulator
The recently released Pegasus Flight Sim version 2.0 now contains both Fluttershy and Derpy as playable characters! Prepare for some detailed 3D graphics, but be warned: learn the controls from the ReadMe file and adjust your volume before starting the game.
Pegasus Flight Simulator v.2 Download
Stroll
Stroll, the open-world, sandbox, pony-finding exploration game is already complete. However, due to popular demand, the original project is now open source! Feel like expanding the game? Get to it!
Stroll Project File Download
Rainbow Dash Mod
Turbobear has released a new trailer for the latest version of the Rainbow Dash Brawl Mod, now featuring an expanded move set and a Lightning Dust skin! Stay tuned until the end to see Rainbow Dash take on a disturbingly humanoid Pikachu.
Ponymon Dawn/Dusk
Development on the Ponymon Dawn Dusk project is back on, with a new release (v.0.32) for the new year! Hit up the wiki to check it out and download!
Ponymon Dawn/Dusk Wiki
That's all for this week! The countdown timer until greatest pony episode of all time currently reads 11 days, 20 hours, and 30 minutes. Happy belated new years!
Development on the Ponymon Dawn Dusk project is back on, with a new release (v.0.32) for the new year! Hit up the wiki to check it out and download!
Ponymon Dawn/Dusk Wiki
That's all for this week! The countdown timer until greatest pony episode of all time currently reads 11 days, 20 hours, and 30 minutes. Happy belated new years!
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Fighting Is Magic
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Fighting the Unknown Trailer pt. 2
MLP RPG: Fighting the Unknown
From the looks of it the second half of MLP:Fighting the Unknown's trailer was released on the 9th, but due to my forgetting to check my email inbox this post is a tad late. Sorry! Anyhow, by the looks of it Fighting the Unknown is yet another fangame created with the RPG maker game, and unlike some of its prettier companions (such as Pony Chronicles The Lost Kingdom) it is actually available to the public. Unfortunately I cannot compare it gameplaywise to the other released MLP RPG, The Elements of Harmony, as I have not played either game yet, but you can expect a review of Fighting the Unknown fairly soon.
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Game: Everwinter
Ponies and city-building strategy? Well, now I've seen everything. Actually, knowing you guys, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Everwinter features some impressive city-building gameplay, and is definitely worth a playthrough - but at the moment, it's also in dire need of an artistic team. Have at it!
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A Chaotic Crisis
By the looks of it some guy named WaltzBrony (a rather obscure creator of My Little Pony comics) is in the process of creating another MLP RPG, and unlike the vast majority of his comrades has decided to use custom pony sprites. Is this a good thing? It would be if the man wasn't so fond of gradients. Admittedly he is better at using them than I was when I first discovered it, but I am still of the opinion that the game would look much better if he shaded it by hand.
Not much else can be said about his game, as it seems to be in a fairly early state of development. Either that, or this migrane is making it rather hard for me to think clearly, I'm not sure which. The guy has some more gameplay videos on his Youtube channel in case you're interested, but they don't really show off much that wasn't already in this video.
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Review: TWALAGHT SPARKUHLZ REVEHNGSHE 1.1
The Brony fandom has a decent amount of shooters, but none of them are quite as absurd as TWALAGHT SPARKUHLZ REVENGSHE (as the title makes clear). It was originally released back in August 2012 as a concept whipped up in 10 days but lacked a soundtrack and was rather unbalanced. This new update patches in everything that was missing in the original release along with several completely new features, such as the rage mode and bosses, and as a result of the new additions we've finally decided to give this game a review.
In a similar manner as to how Rainbow Dash's Cloud Dodging Fun was supposed to be the ultimate cloud dodger, TSR is intended to be the best shooter that one could dream for, but does it qualify? Find out in our review after the break.
Remember Canterlot Defender? One could say that TSR is essentially a far more advanced version of that game with extra weapons, upgrades, and no magic bar to prevent the player from firing too rapidly. The player controls Twilight Sparkle, who is apparently tasked with protecting Ponyville with a swarm of parasprites hailing from the Everfree Forest. The first few waves are rather dull, but as she defeats wave after wave of parasprites they become angrier and bigger. Thankfully these ugly insects drop cash after you blow them up, and you can buy bigger and better magic weaponry with your money. Now this game would be fairly simple if there wasn't more to it, but gradually the player is introduced to new varieties of parasprites that are either weak to certain projectiles, indifferent to them or completely immune to your fancy fire orbs and whatnot.
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| Earlier levels are quite dull, but thankfully the game doesn't stay this way for long. |
What really makes TSR stand out from the crowd is not the different weapons nor the weird enemies, but the fact that the player can equip up to three weapons at the same time; creating endless possibilities for mayhem and extra explosions. This ability is very handy and lightens some of the player's load, who must constantly switch between weapons in order to stay alive in the face of the parasprite invasion. Later on a "rage" mode is unlocked, that when activated transforms Twilight into her flaming alternate persona and spams ultra-powerful magic missiles that should make quick work of any overly threatening swarm. The game also features a global scoreboard, which adds quite a bit of replay value and reminds you that you probably won't ever live up to Stormcrow's incredible 14,122,102 points reached at wave #103.
Of course, a game may have lots of unique features and gimmicks, but the most important thing a developer must consider is that their game is actually fun. Is TWALAGHT SPARKUHLZ REVEHNGSHE fun? It depends on whether the player turns on autofire by holding down the mouse button. Without it the game is frustrating and nigh-impossible, but with it activated the game is an absolute blast once you get past stage ten or so. Unfortunately Penta Studios did not bother to mention the existance of autofire anywhere in the game, which forced me to waste a couple hours on the first few stages until I accidentally discovered it. This is a huge flaw that prevented many people from enjoying the game to its fullest, and which I hope will be corrected soon after the publication of this review.
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| It is really quite hard to portray this game in a screenshot due to its fast-paced nature. |
Strangely enough upon reaching the twentieth wave or so it is entirely possible for the game to be played without looking at the screen for periods of time, as one simply has to juggle weapons that the current wave is weak to while at the same time waving the cursor about wildly. It worked up until the 25th "wave", which was actually a single boss who was quite easy to defeat with the proper weapon combination, and for a couple regular waves after him. The jury's still out on whether or not this is a weakness or not, but I still thought that it was worth a mention.
What did I think of the revised TWALAGHT SPARKUHLZ REVEHNGSHE? It was definitely an enjoyable experience with great replayability, but poor documentation took quite a bit away from the game at first; so much, in fact, that before discovering autofire by myself I was initially going to write a vastly different review and give it an underwhelming 3/10! Thankfully this was not the case, and I'm quite happy to give TSR the following score:
Sorry I couldn't give it an 8, but the lack of documentation on the autofire was a rather serious defect in the game. Hope you enjoyed the review!
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Pony Blaster in Space 3000
Looking for a little random to start your weekend? Desperate to kill time until what's certain to be the best episode of the season? Well, look no further! If you've ever wanted to blast aliens while riding around in space on a pony, this is probably the closest you'll get. Use the arrow keys to steer and the mouse to fire in this asteroids-style shooter - it'll only take you a few minutes to play through, so enjoy it!
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Updates: Rainbow Dash Shooter / A Chaotic Crisis
Merry Tuesday! It's a smaller updates post this time around - everyone's mired in the January doldrums, it seems. Head down past the break for a new Chaotic Crisis demo as well as updates from the Rainbow Dash Shooter project!
A Chaotic Crisis
WaltzBrony, developer of A Chaotic Crisis, recently released a demo for the upcoming title! So far, the game is pretty basic - trot around in three different locales, collecting crystals to increase your harmony level and make progress towards your eventual goal of freeing Princess Celestia.
Interaction with the various ponies is the game's strongest point so far: although the stylized pony sprites and animations are far from perfect, they remain visually interesting. Meanwhile, the game's voice acting, especially the voice of Discord, is far less cringe-worthy than in most projects of this size. The game certainly has promise, although in several respects, namely the MS paint-esque backgrounds and the bland, blob-like enemies you're required to walk around, it still has a ways to go.
Rainbow Dash Shooter
Here's a project we haven't heard from in a while! The Rainbow Dash Shooter now features new OC manes and accessories, a new color picker utility, and a few bug fixes. Overdose is now a power-up, meaning you'll have to defeat larger enemies to collect Overdose Cupcakes and recharge it.
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Text Adventures!
Why the random header image? Because back in Star Swirl the Bearded's day, they didn't have any of those fancy graphics we're all so keen on critiquing. Also, because apparently relevant header images are everything here at the stringent and strictly professional EQG headquarters. Honestly, I don't see how this image could ever fail the relevancy test.
Today, I've taken a look into the dark and mysterious world of pony text adventures. Prepare for links and mini-reviews after the break!
Overview: In the distant future, the Cutie Mark Crusaders have accidentally released Discord - and with control over time, he's determined to rewrite the events of the past. Playing as Star Swirl the Bearded, escape his traps and save Equestria, past and future!
Writing: The writing here was a plus, especially when Discord got snappish. Handy on-screen instructions and a dropdown menu made it easy to figure out how to proceed...
Difficulty: ...that is, almost too easy. The puzzles weren't much of a challenge, and the adventure didn't last very long. Still, with time travel and a riddling Discord, there's enough here to make a great extension.
Grade: 7.5/10
Welcome to Ponyville (Online or Download) (No, not that Welcome to Ponyville)
Overview: After surviving a mysterious tragedy in your home town, you pack your bags and head off to Ponyville for a fresh start. Rather than overcoming puzzles and avoiding death, you advance the story in the style of a visual novel. With RPG-style stats, an open sandbox world and a bare-bones relationship system, there's much more content to love here.
Writing: So-so. The grammatical errors are at their worst during the opening text wall, and as the story progresses the writing gets marginally better. It remains far from perfect, however - so if that sort of thing bugs you, cross Welcome to Ponyville off your list.
Difficulty: Non-existent. The game uses textadventures.co.uk's built in mechanics, which are pretty solid, but I hit a snag when the game timed out and ended prematurely. You may want to create an account or use the client to download and play the game online.
Grade: 7/10
Death by Discord Demo (Online or Download) [WARNING: HORROR/GORE]
Overview: See that tag which says horror/gore? Well, don't ignore it. The game is pretty dark. Discord's trapped you in a Saw-like nightmare, and you must use your wits to survive. Unfortunately, the demo's very short.
Writing: I enjoyed the writing here - but it's hard to get a sense of it over such a short period of time. At the least, the script is precise and grammatically correct.
Difficulty: Easy. Overall, the challenges were intuitive (though this might depend on your mental state.)
Grade: 5/10, on account of length.
Honorable mention: Brony Hero of Equestria (fimfiction link)
A choose your own adventure, rather than a text adventure - not quite a game, but theme-fitting nonetheless. Gallivant around the country, wreaking havoc and seducing everything. There's a lot of random, off-color humor to love here, if that's your style.
Well, that's it for today! I was caught by surprise - I'm quite taken with this sort of game. If you'd like to see another text adventure featured, by all means, send it in!
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Raridoom Beta
Raridoom Beta Download
Ahh, Mondays. Good time for a first-person changeling smackdown? Yes. Actually, that holds for pretty much any day of the week.
Raridoom is actually a ponified mod of Chex Quest (read: Doom), with spells, hand-to-hand combat, and voice acting. Difficulty settings are a huge bonus: if it was too easy the first time around, crank the setting to Nightmare Mode and see if you can still knock corrupted Bon Bon for a loop. Posters with slogans like "The Queen is Watching You" scattered around the dungeon corridors add a touch of humor to the otherwise dreary setting. Also, make sure to select the menu option marked "Read This!" to get a hang of the controls.
The beta's still a little rough around the edges: the title screen could use a revamp, and starting certain levels on certain difficulties caused the game to spit errors. Still, if you're a Doom fan, this is a project you won't want to miss - bon appetit!
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Spes Fractus
[Warning: some profanity] A one-man project with original animation? I'm impressed already!
Playing as an OC unicorn, dash through a darkened Equestrian landscape, battling what appear to be corrupted Ponyville residents with a gradually evolving set of spells. So far, Spes Fractus's strongest points appear to be its spell animation and rich vector backgrounds. Hopefully, the gameplay lives up to the visual appeal - but that's impossible to know until a demo is available.
Update: Gameplay trailer after the break!
Update: Gameplay trailer after the break!
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Fighting is Magic: Fluttershy Showcase
Fluttershy Showcase
It's been quite a while since Mane 6 has released any gameplay videos of Fighting is Magic, although this is probably the fault of the anonymous tester who leaked a pre-release version of the game and caused the devteam to cease their fascinating weekly updates. That was entirely unnecessary on their part, but today they have somewhat made up for it by releasing a showcase video of Fluttershy (who appears to have been nerfed significantly since her infamous original incarnation) and her pet bunny, Angel.
The trailer itself doesn't reveal a huge amount of information about the game that we didn't know already, although I was impressed with the quality of the character animations and whatnot. We are still entirely in the dark about any future release dates (the "coming soon" bit at the end doesn't help), but at least we know that Mane 6 is taking their time to make the best game that they can and are not rushing it.
Oh, and in case you're interested the original post on this showcase has some behind-the-scenes information, but not much else.
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Rise of the Clockwork Stallions (Musicians Needed)
Rise of the Clockwork Stallions
Back in April a guy named ChurchCrusade released a great My Little Pony platformer named Magic Shards. Eventually a sequel was announced to be under development and a rather impressive demo was given to us in August. It is currently halfway under development, but the team is in need of some more musicians. You see, Rise of the Clockwork Stallions is very big for a fangame, with over seven worlds that contain six levels with their own soundtracks. That's 42 sounds for the levels alone; and even more are needed for the overworld, cutscenes, etc. As can be seen from the embedded playlist above the team already has a large portion of their quota done, but they could really use some extra help.
Feel like helping out the team by contributing some music of your own? Then contact ChurchCrusade via Twitter, Steam, or Skype. Happy composing!
Feel like helping out the team by contributing some music of your own? Then contact ChurchCrusade via Twitter, Steam, or Skype. Happy composing!
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Cadence Throw (AKA Best Game Ever)
Cadence Throw
The current reigning king of Brony game developers, Sebastian Krzyszkowiak (otherwise known as "the cheesehead who brought us Super Derpy: Muffin Attack"), has released an utterly amazing that will knock your socks off; or at least it would if you were running Linux. Since you are obviously too cowardly to even think of compiling a program via cmake I advise that you take a sneak peak at the video to see the amazing pony fangames you are missing out on by not using a real operating system.
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