IPHONE GAME REVIEW
MinigoreSuper size me |
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Literature professors tell us only seven plots are available to novelists, and it's much the same in any creative endeavour. Boil things right down and there's a finite set of foundations from which to build your own ideas.
It's easy to see Minigore as a descendent of the original video game Asteroids. You move around a dot while things that would do harm try to collide with it.
In the case of Minigore, that dot is square-headed action figure John Gore, who, armed with his infinite ammo machine gun, roams around the beautifully rendered game, eternally pursued by waves of furry furries.
These shadowy fellows come in four types, which like Russian dolls are nested. When shot, the Giant Furry splits into the Furry, which in turn fragments into mini-Furries. There's also the Fireflurry, which is the only creature to outrun John Gore.
There's a hint in how to play the game here, for, like the spaceship moving through the ever shifting asteroid field, in order to say alive you do have to keep on the run.
Luckily, you can outrun the three main furries, which is what you'll need to do much of the time as they appear from random directions and start following you. You have to keep firing, too, but that goes without saying.
The use of two virtual joysticks - the left to move, the right to rotate and fire - isn't ideal in this type of all-action experience.
For one thing, even when you choose to play with the pads hidden, your left hand, in particular, covers a large chunk on the screen. This provides encouragement to keep moving right.
I also found the speed of rotation less sharp than it should have been. Thanks to the game's hardcore 'Two bites by a furry and you're dead mechanic,' this often ends up being fairly frustrating.
Of course, as Minigore has shipped with just a single-player survival mode, every game is going to end with John Gore lying in a pool of his namesake, while the furries loudly munch on him.
The audio and music through the game is excellent, as is Arin Hanson as the voice of John Gore. But when sudden death happens due to control gremlins, or because you're stuck at in the corner of the relatively small playing area, it's plain annoying.
Other minor quibbles include the issue that furries are sometime spawned within bushes and trees, where you can't see them until they bite you.
Still, once you get stuck into the killing fields, there's plenty of enjoyment to be had.
There's a simple power-up system that sees you collecting three four-leafed clovers, which are randomly dropped by dead furries, in order to transform into your inner beast.
Effectively a god mode, your flaming id allows you to stomp around, destroying everything in your path. It doesn't last long but you can extend the power by performing chained kills.
Aside from your ever-present machine gun, you can also get your hands on a shotgun and exploding traps.
The reason to keep playing is the online high score tables. Using the OpenFeint social networking platform that's integrated with the likes of Pocket God and Car Mania, you can compare scores with your friends, or globally. Other options include chat rooms, achievements and the ability to see what games other people are playing.
But the sharp point of debate with Minigore lies in judging what we currently have versus the various updates we know are coming down the line. These include new modes, such as multiplayer co-op, more levels, more guns, and more furries, we'd assume.
Despite the game's early success - it's in the App Store Top 10 within days of release - the basic framework as provided in this 1.0 version isn't as honed as it could be.
It looks and sounds great, and will fulfil your pick-and-play urges, but it seems to demonstrate a lack of ambition.
It's perhaps a churlish attitude given the value for money Minigore provides now and will undoubtedly provide in the long run, but this is a game that feels as if it could have been much much more if it had been released at a higher price point and with more content.
Call me greedy, but I'd prefer Maxigore.
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Great graphics and audio mesh with run-and-gun gameplay, but we wish Minigore had shipped with more of the content that will arrive in future updates
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LiamW | 4 August 2009
If it had come out any later fans would have started to shoot themselves.
That's why they left out the content, and partially because that business model is very successful.
crsfc | 5 August 2009
Actually Liam, that business model has proven to be quite unsuccessful since it brings bad reviews and bad word of mouth early on which can sour would be buyers for good. Some blog had an article about it a few days ago with actual numbers and examples but I can't seem to find it. It showed how many games maintained consistant sales whether updated with major additions, small additions, or not at all and the only time games saw huge spikes in sales were when they dropped the price like Peggle did.
I have a feeling this game is good enough that it will do well despite it but there is no question in my mind that having a more complete game upon release is the better way to go.
Timo Vihola | 14 August 2009
Jon: Hopefully you like Episode 2 more - it's a bit easier :)
crsfc: Yeah, it's possible to improve your chances by taking note of statistics or guidelines but ultimately each project is unique. We decided to go the episodic route because we have a huge passion for it. "follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be." as Joseph Campbell once said. So far it's paying off with over 100 000 units sold ;)
Timo Vihola / Mountain Sheep art guy
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