Dark Souls III: Easiest Souls Game yet?

Lets get one thing out of the way right from the start: this is NOT an article about bashing Dark Souls 3.I love the game and am paying it like a madman. It is one of the best games of 2016, even with Uncharted 4 around the corner. Now that that is out of the way, let us begin ! 

So, like any avid rabid Souls-Borne fan, I have been playing Dark Souls 3 exclusively for the past few weeks and this feeling keeps creeping up again and again that this might be the easiest Souls game yet ! I keep trying to shake it off, but it resurfaces every other hour and I can't help but feel that it is an intentional change by From Software and not because I have gotten better at playing these masterpieces over time. It is not a bad thing necessarily, as people who feel intimidated by the difficulty of these games can now try the series out without feeling.....well, intimidated !

This is the most welcoming and accessible souls game out there, for sure ! So, if you have been waiting to take a plunge, read on how this is the easiest of them all to take a plunge into....and if you still find it difficult, I list a few simple ways the game provides to make it feel even easier for your pansy pleasures ^_^ !

Wake up, O Ashen one :

See, in a souls game, however much you may level yourself up, a slight misstep causes death and failure and a large health pool and beefed up weapons do make every game easy after a while, but the push-pull battle mechanics, the perfect timing of dodges to use those invincibility frames and every move of your weapon ingrained into your muscle memory have always been a defining factor in winning every 'one-on-one' or a mob fight.Umm...... Not so much in Dark Souls III !

Somewhere in DS3, I have a feeling I am having it way easier than before. My number of deaths are minuscule, paltry, unnoticeable on a Souls scale and I am getting by being careless in exploring, not measuring every step and letting curiosity take over blatantly ! My reckless decisions are hardly ever punished and......you get the drift : though enjoying it like hell, somewhere I am finding it EASY .....that's heresy for a souls game :^P ! 

So, I sat down with my brains in my hands and decided to note down what exactly is helping me out here and letting me be a normal gamer, rather than a sulking Dark Knight. This is by no means a definitive list of features that make it easier, but I think they cover most of the gameplay aspects making it feel that way. Feel free to add more, if I have missed some completely!

Way simpler tutorial area: 

This isn't really a complaint about difficulty, as it passes very soon, but the opening area, which sets up the tone of the game, completely lacks the mystery and dread of the previous souls games.....and, well, the difficulty too. There are no confusing pathways or hidden threats or even a general sense of mystery to this environment. Nor are there any super tough enemies to run away from ! 

Yeah, its still very pretty ! 

 Bright sun-kissed-open-cheerful landscape isn't something you expect from a "Dark" souls game -_- ! Atleast, the Firelink Shrine saves the day by appearing pretty quickly and offering some mystique and hidden paths ! But yea, compared to the "Prison cell" and "Things Betwixt" of DS 1 and 2, this is the simplest, most spoonfed opening area of a Souls game lacking all fear, dread or mystique.

Bonfires are too close to each other:

 Yup, thats true. I never thought I would say such a thing, its a relief actually, but its also a problem, you see: there is no real risk of losing your souls in DS III unless you completely (very very unlikely) miss a bonfire location ! Bonfires are very frequent in this game, almost like checkpoints in other games. The dread of wandering around with thousands of souls and a sliver of a health-bar, with no more Estus to save you...haven't really felt that much in my playtime with the game. Except for one specific time where I wandered around bat crazy, not knowing what to do or where to go, I haven't really risked losing my souls for the want of a bonfire....and even in that particular case I found a shortcut within 100 meters of the bonfire ! I was just not looking hard enough.

 Early levels of the game have a bonfire every 5 mins and even later in the game, if you get a feeling  that the last enemy you fought was a tough one, you can be sure there will be a bonfire or a shortcut right around the corner. This takes away that very quintessential dread of playing a souls game and the relief one felt upon finding a bonfire......and in the process also makes the game pretty easy ! You don't really need to worry much now, just keep moving forward. You will find a bonfire waiting for you just about the time you end up using your estus flasks or even before that happens.

Pyromancy kills the crap out of everything: 

For the 30 hours I have spent inside this World of Lothric, I haven't held a shield for even a second.....which is good, great, awesome ! Finally, I can be a deadly pyromancer lighting up the enemies with glee ! ....but that also means that if you choose the pyromancer class while creating your character, like I did, then you will have a very easy time with most of the tougher enemies of the game, including doing quite a massive amount of damage to bosses without getting near them at all !

The rule of Fire !

 In fact, if you want to have it easy on yourself , I would say just go for Pyromancy right from the start.  You can change your playstyle later once you level up enough with the help of that fire in your palm ! The damage and the range of your standard fireball is pretty high right from the start and you can rely on taking out quite a lot of enemies just by using fire. The fact that most of the early game enemies are weak to fire helps a lot and bends the odds even more in your favour !

Add to that the frequent bonfires to refill your FP, it means you almost always have fireballs at your disposal and can kite enemies from far, safe and away from their hit zones ! This made me so lazy in the beginning of the game that I didn't even bother to learn all the moves of my trusty Axe......as I had a even more trusty fireball at my disposal :^)

Ember Ember everywhere: 

So lets say you are not a pyromancer and you do not have keen eyes to spot those Bonfires everywhere, worry not fellow knight, there is still this little mechanic which provides a huge help throughout the game: its called Ember !

Ember grants a longer health bar !

On the surface, Ember is pretty much what humanity was in the previous game, albeit a few differences. Consuming Ember provides one with a HUGE  health bar, like a temporary level boost, which is a complete and massive life saver. It is like having a boost of say 5 extra levels until your next death. It means more mistakes are forgiven and one can be more sure of reaching the next bonfire.

Ember grants a loooooooooong health bar ! :O

 It also entails the ability to summon other players for co op in your game to help you out. As was with Humanity, you lose your embered state when you die. All of this sounds familiar to Souls players, but there is a difference in DS3. You see Ember, unlike humanity, is not rare to find.....in fact, it is everywhere ! So much so, that it is pretty much possible to play the whole game in embered state !  

This changes everything. Once I realised that Ember wasn't rare at all, I started consuming ember each time I died just to get that super boost to my health bar and with that humongous a health bar , one doesn't feel much need to be scared, now does one !

Long health bars means selfie times even during Boss Fights :P !

....and even if you run out of embers, do not fret, cos the hand-maiden in the shrine will sell you some embers for a paltry amount of souls ! The number of embers she sells is limited but frankly, between bosses, random drops and the Handmaiden selling them, I doubt you will ever run out of embers, making the game that much easier again !

Embers light up the co op:

 ....and Ember again ! Once you have consumed ember, you can summon other players for co-op in your game and the co op turns the tide in this game. With a party of three, you can roll through areas faster than a fighter jet on nitrous ! So, if you feel you do not have the nerves of steel to go through this game alone, fret not, just summon two more people via there summon signs and have a blast, like you would in any game ! Its a ton of fun !

Knight Fight !

All this is great and super fun to do, but the fact that you have enough ember to play co op all the time means......you can steamroll through the game all the time ! If Ember was a bit rarer, it would have been a strategic decision to use it only at the right time, but in my game I have always had a dozen to spare. So, I find myself going for co-op as much as possible....its the cheapest, easiest and most harmless way of making the game easier. There is nothing that three Ashen ones cannot handle together :^)!

Free souls for all :

Just like summoning others into your game, you can also join others' games to help them out in their world......and the game rewards you for it. The biggest fear of losing all your souls upon dying is the defining factor of all souls games, but that fear is removed for you if you help out others via co-op. So, what that means is that no matter what clumsy way you die in while helping someone, you will always come back with all your souls intact to level yourself up !

Its basically a free levelling up tool at your disposal, a rare aspect of a souls game which has NO PENALTY at all ! So, like any normal gamer, if you still feel that this game is hard, just go for fun co-op sessions in others games, bring back souls and level up your character really high before tackling your own demons ! and did I mention it requires no Ember or any other consumable at all? Which means you can do it as much as you want ! Voila, easy mode unlocked !

Secret of Dancer of the Boreal Valley:

Finally, there is way to get almost 50,000 souls very early in the game by defeating a very late game boss with the help of an NPC summon. It can level you up almost 11-12 times in a go granting you a huge advantage over the game. Though it is executed like a glitch, the game's lore suggests that it s not a glitch but an intentional event added into the game by From Software. The fact that they are not patching it either confirms that it is part of the many secrets inside the game.

This "secret" is best described in this video by "Naamtar", who discovered it and shared with all. It is very easy to pull off, but needs to be done very early in the game. Watch this video for a complete rundown:

With those 50k souls in your kitty, you will pretty over levelled for the next area and you can keep the momentum going from there on making the whole journey just a tad bit easier.

There you have it ! 

With the in game mechanics regarding Bonfires and Embers making it easier than before, you can make it even easier and newb-friendly by using pyromancy, getting help from co-operators and levelling up by helping others and using the Boreal secret.

These options are intentional game design choices made by From Software and the game can easily feel like the easiest Souls game, if you use them well. If you are a seasoned fan of the series, you may not like some of the changes made by From Software and for that , I say, except for the frequent bonfires, its all optional and can be avoided for a hardcore play experience.

But if you were always intrigued by the series and had never dared to take the plunge due to the percieved high difficulty these games offer, feel free to jump in now as Dark Souls 3 is the most accessible of them all and yet retains the quality, mystery, addictiveness and charm that makes a Souls-Borne game absolutely unique ! Join in and let it suck your life away :^) !

......and if you see an Orange summon sign, summon the phantom, we might just kick some ash together ! (pun intended ^_^)

Street Fighter V Review: A Critical Art, fighting is !

My friend and a chronic game maniac Kevin Kain, aka U.F.O., goes hands on with the latest in the Street Fighter series from Capcom. Prepare for some beating, buggers ! :)

This is a review of the PC version of the game Street Fighter V.

        Bang-Bang-Bash-Beat -Critical Aaaaaart !  

You lose  ! XD

So,as it turns out I've been playing Street fighter V for the past 2 weeks and beatings and triumphs aside, what pops out most to me is the toon-shaded, rather than a realistic, aesthetic of the visuals. Just look at its amazing mix of styles, it feels like a cherished relic of the golden age of all things wonderful and boombastic ! 

Peel your eyes away from the fantabulous screen for a while and lets check out what the game splurges at you in your ruthless battle for victory: 

Round 1 Fight ! :

 As I fired up the game for the first time a really impressive intro had me all pumped up and ready for action and thus began the journey of my fist through the pile of opponents ! Though, as it turned out I really really REALLY sucked at it :O !  I didn't loose my first match but I knew that I was ridiculously slow at mashing its buttons.The last time I had played a fighting was about a decade ago and I think it was Street Fighter II because I remember a friend kicking the hell out of me with M. Bison. The lack of practice from all these years really showed and I soon found myself bruised and beaten but full of vengeance to continue !

So I spent some time in the training mode beating up M. Bison(my revenge ruled the better of me!) with Ken and found out that the game is punishing to a rookie. The time window for the key presses for a combo is really narrow and most of the combos include an analog action which has to be really precise to pull one off. Good luck with that, you rookies out there ! I really struggled while executing the Critical Arts, the game's super awesome devastating special moves which can be unleashed upon filling a specific meter, and even after much practice since then, I still have to give it a few tries to get it right. The thrill of pulling it off is un-matchable and rewarding though and you find yourself determined to get it right each time. It is not all over powered , though. Apparently, the Critical Arts do have a certain range and if the opponent is too far it wouldn't reach him/her leaving you feeling dumb (struck!) . THere is also a possibility that the opponent can simply dodge it !

The game does require some getting used to for a new gamer but I guess this wouldn't be a problem for hardcore Street-Fighters and they'll be massacring each other in the battle lounge in no time. Even for old timers, there are some new mechanics in there, like the V-Skills that can be used only after your V-Trigger meter is full. WHat it does is add more character specific moves to your arsenal after the match has progressed a while adding more variety and a feeling of progression to each round. Its simple in execution for newer players but has enough depth and breadth for the pros to have their hands full with moves and strategies to choose from.

Beauty is for the one left alive : 

The Stages in the game are beautiful and the way in which the audience in the back are animated is hilarious !My favorite stage turned out to be Apprentice alley, which is  basically an Indian setup with people all over a train engine with bollywood film posters on the walls and a yogi levitating while using a touch screen tablet !  I totally cracked up on that one :D ! 

The characters look stunning and really attractive. There are some cool changes in thier physical appearances, like exaggerated body parts, which makes the characters look really appealing. The cinematics shown while performing a successful critical art are also really Impressive. I particularly love Necalli's Soul Offering and M. Bison's Psycho Crusher ! 

Fighting as a way of life:

The content of the game can be broken into two segments Online and Off. The game features a Story mode for each character which consists of a few fights and honestly, it feels less like a story mode and more like the prologue for every character. To say the least, it feels very lacking.

Next up is a Survival mode in which a player has to fight one opponent after another in a series of matches, the twist being that your health is not replenished between matches. I ,being a rookie as I was, was still able to reach level 16 in ' Hell ' mode, the highest difficulty level, because after getting used to the gameplay for a while the AI feels very clumsy and predictable. You feel like the destroyers of realms soon :D !

  ......but multiplayer matches are a whole different story. The game sure is difficult when it comes to a fighting game and really does take a lot of time to get used to it as compared to Mortal Kombat X. I was able to adapt to Mortal Kombat in like half an hour and also was able to beat friends in multiplayer pretty soon. The fatalities in Mortal Kombat, which are equal to critical arts in Street Fighter V, are realyl easy to execute. The real key in that game is timing whereas Street Fighter V requires a lot of precision as well, along with impeccable timing, which to me is a lot of balls in the air. I found myself biting dust much more often and the songs of glory ringing in my head from my time in the Survival mode soon faded off, to be replaced by grit teeth, sweaty palms and blood red thumbs. The excitement and exhilaration is unmatched, though, and just like an adamant Kung-Fu hero, I keep heading back into the MP arena to get my next chance at victory ! My time is near, I swear  ! I shall conquer !

Conclusion: 

From my two weeks spent in the game I can say that  Street Fighter V is a real treat to all fighting game enthusiasts out there, and Capcom really won my heart with the art-style .To conclude I'd say that though it may feel that it lacks content in the offline mode, with the story mode being very short and cursory, when taken online this one is tough to beat in the professional arena. As a mainstream multiplayer fighting game, Street Fighter comes out as king again ! 

Pros:

* Fantastic core gameplay

*Very precise and skill based fighting.
* A balanced roster of characters

*Exceptional visuals

*Knuckle biting MP matches

*A very gratifying experience

Cons:

*Very little offline content. Seems like a primarily online game

*A very short story mode.

Verdict:

If you love fighting games and primarily play multiplayer , then go ahead and get this. You will be bleeding pixels and serving vengeance in no time ! If you prefer offline play though, then you might be better off waiting for the future DLC to see if its is worth the price of admission.

Lego Marvel's Avengers Review: Grit your Teeth, Bash 'em Buttons !

Lego Marvel's Avengers

This review of the ps4 version of the game is 100% story-wise and gameplay-wise spoiler-free to keep your gaming goodness intact while playing this game or maybe not for this game. Read more to find out !

How do you voice something uncomfortable? How do you describe something bad without sounding negative, without spitting it out-right?  I feel divided reviewing this game, because I love games but here is one that can make even a blinded-to-reason lover spurn away and writhe in pain!

I mean, I am shaken ! In fact, when I first started playing this game the very first thought that sprung up in my mind was:

"Is this the final retail version of the game???"

 I even called up the distributors and asked them if I had, maybe by some mistake or goof up, received an unfinished preview build of the game and was perplexing over a problem that maybe didn't exist! I sure wished it was so !

.......but alas it wasn't .....It was the final version of the game that was spinning in my ps4 :O ! and that constant feeling of disbelief continued as I squirmed through the game.......

When is it "Done! "?:

This review may feel weird but I have to confront this and come out with it.When I say it feels unfinished, its not the technical polish or the amount of content that I am talking about, though. Where it feels totally unfinished or meandering without direction is the way it conveys its experience.

For one, the game's systems, though very simple, are presented to be extremely un-intuitive. You are always left wondering as to what it is that the game expects you to do ! I attribute a lot of it to the  abrupt and seemingly unplanned opening area of the game and lack of a co-ordinated or pre-meditated visual design.

Gameplay:

 The game totally falters in presenting what it is as a game and what is its definition of gameplay. It feels as if the game expects you to already know what a "Lego" game plays like and foregoes any effort to educate you on that part. It completely lacks that gentle easing in to the game's world and systems that quite a lot of studios have mastered now. It starts with a throwaway cutscene with such jarring sound design that you feel disoriented from the get go and then the experience continues to be so.

Puzzle based adventure games have always asked us to click around everywhere on the screen till we find the solution but here the visual design doesn't help much at all in hinting towards a logic we are supposed to learn to follow. The environments are full of shapes and colours and the game throws in all of its colour coded clues at you right from the start, even where those have no relevance at all and  the game doesn't match this up with a colour-palette or art-style to support the colour based gameplay. 

So, the result of it all is that within the myriad colours of blocky legos all over the level lies that ONE lego block that your character can interact with and it looks the same as everything else and you are supposed to find it and press buttons around it !

So, what do you do? ..............Well, go and bash every piece of lego in the level till you find that particular piece which lets you progress to the next level. And its not as if you can somehow deduce the solution either. The game has its own solution for each level and you have no idea what it is till you have found it by chance.Now repeat that aimless button bashing for every level and you have a full game !

Sound Design:

This warrants a very special mention in this game because:

It is terrible ! 

Yes, I never go so negative on games usually, since I love the medium and would rather not talk about something if its bad but this one is so bad I cannot oversee it. It is just plain bad as if the producer decided that it is not worth it to spend time and money on the sound of this game. 

The Voiceovers cut in and out abrubtly as if they just don't belong and the voices sound jaded, bored and disconnected, with no processing to make them sound even cool. The sound effects are simply cringe- worthy. You have to hear this game to believe it------or rather don't hear it, its not worth it.

You know what, I cannot carry on the negativity anymore, its time to be succinct and short. So here goes:

Graphics:

Do not serve the purpose and readability of the game.

UI:  

Childish and cluttered.

Story:

Its the film, no more, no less. Its funny, though, you will smirk or giggle, here and there.

Conclusion: 

Pros: 

*Will make you appreciate other games and the mundane of life more than before.

Cons:

*Lets just drop it now, shall we and stop beating this dead horse. 

Verdict: The game is a by the numbers run through of the film with un-intuitive puzzles and little else. Frankly, if you or your family likes the Avengers then you are better off watching the movie again. Just skip on this one, it is not worth the time or the money.

Sorry if I have hurt anyone's feelings here. I do not like to do this, but all I can say is that I have been honest. Also, I have NOT finished the whole game, because after a while I just could not continue anymore. 

Christmas Magic+ featured yet again on the Appstore ! :^)

            Just ahead of Christmas day, Christmas Magic +, our beloved little game for the iPad, has got the honour of being featured on the front page of the "Puzzles" section of the Appstore !

Here's the screenshot straight from my iPad :

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, thats the second category where CM + has got featured on the front page, after the "Kids" section. It feels like a dream run to us, out efforts finally bearing fruits :) ! The game is being received extremely positively all over the world and it getting front page treatment from Apple, shows its attention to quality !

Don't miss out on the fun this christmas, Download now:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/christmas-magic-+/id587804888?ls=1&mt=8

Here's the wonderful trailer which is bringing in all the crowds :):

 Remember to watch in HD ! Have a wonderful Xmas fellas !

Christmas Magic is back !!!

....as Christmas Magic + ! and it is Free to Play !

            Yes, the well received and widely loved adventure of L'il Pono is back on the Appstore this Christmas. We have worked hard and revamped the game's systems to make it work effortlessly on all iPads. The game also sports new effects and graphical improvements over Christmas Magic. Also, fans will notice new unlockables and re-vamped in-app purchases. Oh, and yes, there are free gifts for everyone and extra free gifts for Twitter users :) !
        Christmas Magic has been featured in the "Whats Hot" section of many countries and with Christmas magic +,  we intend to spread the Christmas cheer to every home out there ! Here's hoping every proud iPad owner enjoys Christmas Magic + as much as we loved creating this beautiful little tale. Let this Christmas be warm and glowing not just with light, but with Love, cheer and happiness !

Merry Christmas everyone, from L'il Pono and everyone at P.L.A.Y.-Games !  :)

Download here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/christmas-magic-+/id587804888?ls=1&mt=8

Christmas Magic rocks the #BecauseWeMay sale !!!

Ta daaa ...Ta ..Daa......................!

Christmas Magic celebrates the #BecauseWeMay sale ! A group initiative of Indie developers to celebrate our independence to price our games as we wish ! The Base game is FREE and all in-app items are upto 70% off from 24th May to 1st June !

We have already hit MASSIVE download numbers on the very first day of the sale : more than 30 times normal  !  and we are already featured on the "Whats Hot" section of multiple AppStore's, under the categories "Puzzles" and "Family" ! Its time to celebrate and rock the world !

So, its parties, Free stuff and Celebrations all this week !
Grab'em all this weekend ! Don't miss out on any in-game item at all ! Go..Go.. GO !!! :D

Clickety-click here :
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/christmas-magic-+/id587804888?ls=1&mt=8

Be Cool ! Be Smart ! Be Magical !!!!!!!  and spread the word far and wide ! Christmas magic has arrived !

Breaking News, Concept art and Game Updates !

              Hey ! I am back with some behind-the-scenes concept art of Christmas Magic and some b-r-r-r-r-reaking news !

          So, lets roll ! This image you see up there was pivotal in the development of the concept of the magical tree. Before this we had tried many concepts, some were very unique indeed, but it was this image where, for the first time, we felt we were nearing the vision for the tree. A simple tree, not too high fantasy, not too alien or spooky.....a sense of mystery around it, yet charming and inviting ! Of course, this is not what you finally see in the game, cos we went through numerous revisions and little corrections before finalizing the tree's concept art. The final image will be featured some other day, some other time  ! A little mystery is fun :) !

Otherwise, we have been busy working on the first update for the game. Finally, the update got done last night and has been uploaded to Apple for review. Hopefully it will be live soon !The main changes that have been made are:

• We have made graphical improvements so that it runs better on iPad 1, as we were getting reports it was crashing on first gen iPads. We are still not sure if the crash is fixed or not. I hope it is.
• Also, added support to earn in game goodies like Magic Pots for free by sharing the game on Facebook and Twitter 
• Fixed some text errors ! Yes ! Even after taking so much care that the game is perfect on launch, a small textual error crept in and has been fixed ! Now, you can enjoy the game ni all its dictionary-perfect glory :D !
• and numerous other little fixes which only programmers would care about, so lets not talk about them !

      Thats that, as far as updates are concerned but  what you need to wake up and notice for now is this :

"Christmas Magic has taken the top spot and "Breaking" into the "News" section of GamingXpress.com ! "

Need I say more, just have a look at the shiny, glossy, squeaky clean screenshots on that page :D !:

http://www.gamingxpress.com/newsitem/items/Free_Zen_game_Christmas_Magic_available_for_iPad.html

Yes ! L'il Pono's mission to take over the interwebz is working out neatly. Soon, he will be more famous that all those famous celebrities no one cares about and only likes to read about (wink wink !) ! Pono's innocent face and the warm smile shall conquer every heart, mart, bits, bytes and websites out there !

"
 L'il Pono is all set,
To conquer the mighty internet !
Tra La La...La La !
.....
"
 :D
 and dispelling the mystery right now, here's what the final art looks like :

Ain't that suweeeet !!!!!

Will be back soon with some awesome stuff i have been cooking up on my drawing table ! Hoping you guys will like it and it will set the internet a-blaze !
This is Renegade Singing out !
:)

Click here to download the most popular game on the App Store : Christmas Magic ! :)

L'il Pono sighted on AnimatinXpress.com's front page !

L'il Pono is getting famous(see the new shades he got !) and is in the news again ! Our dearest App Store gem "Christmas Magic" featured as the main story on AnimationXpress.com ! Woohoo ! :D Chk it out !

Free Zen game “Christmas Magic” available for iPad !

                    L'il Pono is going places and is destined for big things in life ! Pono's current mission is total dominance of the App store and the interwebz .........and he will use every weapon of mass communication possible ! Including his killer shades !

In case you still haven't checked out Christmas Magic , here you go:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/christmas-magic/id483085364?ls=1&mt=8

         Just click on the link above and bask in pure magic !

Now, I have to go control the paparazzi ! :)

The P.L.A.Y. Song :D ! Creative outbursts celebrating 2 weeks of Christmas Magic !

                   

      Christmas Magic has completed a splendid 2 week run in the wild wild web and me and my mates are going head over heels over the achievement ! We have learnt a lot regarding the patterns of downloads on the App Store and the power of "Word of Mouth" publicity. We have not put into action any marketing campaign as of yet and still the game is being downloaded each day, surprising us and positively delighting us each day ! Soon we'll have reviews and articles on various websites. At least we are trying to get them on websites, when they'll finally appear is God's own free will. We are doing as much as we can, but being Indie has its own limitations. Not having an evil corporation funding you means you gotta believe in the motto "Slow n Steady wins the race !" :)

                        Another amusing fact that has emerged from the download stats is that China is a huge market for iPad games. We had no idea about that and since our game has a story book in it in english, we were surprised to see the number of downloads in China rivaling those of the US of A.  Guess the gameplay rules above all and the relaxing Zen gameplay and the charming ambiance of the game is breaking cultural barriers and sweeping everyone off the floor !

Good for us, makes us float with glee :D !

             So, while I was floating around in thin air, smelling sweet perfumes of the fresh spring season, I came up with a song ! Yes ! A song :) ! A song about us gamers, about us game -makers ! Our thrills, excitements, bravado's and laziness !!! Yes, the master of  Zen gaming says we must encompass all aspects of our existence in one perfect song of celebration and present it to the mighty world !

Lo and behold ! Get glued to your monitors, touch your touchscreens and clickety-click your rodents, cos here I present :

The P.L.A.Y. Song !

(Or the song of the gamers n devs !

BTW, the song is to be read in viking voice, complete with all its hoarse sound and proud pronunciations! it has a wonderful effect on the perception of the song ! wink wink !)

Pirates and Princesses

Legends and Lore !

Aliens and Archstones

 Yikes and Roars  !

We sail for the distant lands,

Treasures and Shores,

We slay mighty Monstaars,

We sail some more !

We sail through the hardships,

" All Hands to the Oars !!!"

We date sweet Mermaids,

 Their beauty so pure !

We are  Messy, Ho ! Grimy, Ho !

Grumpy and sore ,

Loot Magic from Everland,

We are hungry for more !

HO ! Ho ! Ho ! Ho !

Rawr ! Rawr ! Roar ! Roar !

Swing ! Swing ! Bang ! Bang !

Swish ! Swish ! Snore ! Snore ! 

We are denizens of Everland,

We never do our chores,

We are gamers , game makers,

Level up n Xplore ! 

Level up n Xplore !! 

C'mon dear Pirates,

My grumpy Ol' mates,

Let’s conquer this Everland,

Let’s claim our Fates !

OMG ! Meh ! meh !

Woot Woot ! For the Win !

let’s unleash those pranky little

 devils from within !

We are pirates, we are zombies,

we are  soldiers, we are  kings,

we are anything thats fun,

we are ideas with wings !

We are denizens of Everland,

We never do our chores,

We are gamers , game makers,

Level up n Xplore ! 

Level up n Xplore !! 

C'mon dear Pirates,

My grumpy ol' mates,

Let’s conquer this Everland,

Let’s claim our Fates !

Level up n Xplore !! 

Level up n Xplore !!

:)

There, there, I can hear the applause all around me already !  By the way, this song can also be enjoyed inside Christmas Magic in the "Extras" menu. Along-with the song you will also find the best part of the game, our mighty names : in the credits ! 

Do check it out on the appstore : http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/christmas-magic/id483085364?ls=1&mt=8

And if you are the  kind of person who loves to watch before he plays, here's what you need :  

Signing off for now ! Will be back with more interesting stuff soon ! :)

Christmas Magic is out ! Celebrations,Jitters,aftershocks and opulent outbursts of a game designer ! :)

Aha ! Its been a long busy time working on Christmas Magic, our mighty game for the iPad, and what do you know : ITS DONE NOW :D ! Yes ! Finally the game is done and out on the App Store now, ready to be devoured and swallowed whole by each and every one of you out there ! :

Link to 'Christmas Magic' shining bright on the AppStore ! Click on Me Now ! :)

( There, see, after having seen this amazing painting from the game, you have to click on the link ;) ! if you haven't, don't worry, I'll provide the link at the bottom of the post too.)

 and just like every game developer/artist/parent, I was jittery about how it would be received by the world wide web of people from all walks of life : Appreciated/Ignored/Detested/Raised an eyebrow at/ Screamed at like mad men or Worshiped like an Inca Goddess ! 

           Thankfully, the reaction is somewhere between "Appreciated" and "Worshiped like an Inca Goddess" ! Phew! The 1037 people who have played it and others who have  seen their friends play it on their shiny iPads(thoughts of stealing the shiny thingie might also come to mind :P) or watched the "oh-so-amazing !" trailer have all appreciated its good looks, great production values, sweet story telling and deeply relaxing and unique gameplay. (A lot of credit goes to Trevor Holms for composing such a mesmersing OST for the game!) A true testament to this appreciation from people, apart from the 5-star ratings, reviews and comments, is the fact that most, almost 50%, of the downloads have happened because of recommendation from friends. Yes ! When we launched the game on the 3rd of April, 2012, we did not have any marketing media ready with us. For the first 3 days, the game was visible in the "New Releases" section of the App Store and we got 600 downloads during that time, but soon it got buried in the flurry of 'newer' new releases. Ever since then, all the downloads have been a result of people telling their friends, their friends telling their friends and so on ! Well, there might have been some who hated the game so much that they recommended it to their arch enemy/nemesis hoping he would die of shock n boredom , LOL , but you get the flow :D ! He ! He !

              This is very very encouraging for us, the whole team, as it means that people who have played it are loving the game and find it worthy enough to be associated with their reputation and hence, are recommending it to others. There is no bigger satisfaction than that for a game designer: the fact that the little idea, the thought that once came in my head, which I trusted, banked upon and nourished, shared with my friends and asked them to believe in it, is finally being loved by the world! Believed by the world ! My little walk in the imagination, a stroke of emotions from my heart on an idle afternoon, a moment when an illusion tried to force itself into the real world inside my head has evolved into an amalgamation of shapes, sounds and colours, of names, places, longings and fullfillment,  that is as real to players now as any other place and person in this physical world ! People talk of L'il pono and the Magical Tree to each other ! People smile when the Tree surprises Pono, get excited when magic starts to flow from Pono's fingertips! They help him out in fulfilling his innocent wishes for a Christmas night and feel the warmth when love flows on the magical night !

   Putting a game out in the App Store is almost like sending your child to school. You have nurtured that little one from when he did not exist to now and now you send him off to the world. Will people like him? what will his teachers say? will his classmates like him? will his teachers like him? will he perform well? Have I brought him up well? Will I be a proud parent ?!
           Ah ! The jitters ! but now its all over !All the anxiety, the fear of judgements is all gone... All that has settled around me now is tranquility and a contended smile :) ! The child has turned out to be a prodigy, his teachers love him, his classmates love him and he is performing really well on his own !

What is needed now is more efforts from us parents ! what is that, you say? Well, marketing, promotions and visibility ! Not for the children in schools heh heh ,but for our game. The first step towards that has been taken and I present to you, Ladies and Gentlemen, Guys n Gals and all the hep n happenin' synonyms for males and females ..........

The Launch Trailer !!!!

The launch trailer in all its ridiculously sharp 720pHD awesomeness  :) ! 

Check it out  :

Watch it, love it , like it , comment on it and spread it all around the net !!!

My burst of happiness has brought about this magical effluent and opulent post of mine after a long time in slumber. I am generally happy these days  and ,well, exhausted, but happily exhausted ! So, you will hear from me again........ and when I am back I will bring around some goodies that can otherwise be accessed only from the game , just for you right here :D ! Till then enjoy the game, if not the game, enjoy the trailer, its just as awesome as the full game .....!!!!!

Link to 'Christmas Magic' shining bright on the AppStore ! Click on Me Now ! :)

First Steps into a Magical World !!!

Hey guys,
We, me and Anmol, have been officially Laughing Mango Games now for quite some time now .
We have been neck deep into making our first game for the iPad since the past many months now and today my first puzzle became playable :) !!!!!! Albeit, its still on the PC and inside our puzzle editor made by our resident genius Anmol, but its a moment of triumph for us and can't express enough about how happy I am right now. Finally, my sketches, drawings and words have taken their first breath of life ! Incubation is almost over, its a living and breathing entity now ! Wow !!!! :D Yoooohoooooo !!!!!

Can't wait to share more stuff with everyone! Here are two screenshots of the puzzle editor. The first one shows the unsolved puzzle, while the next shows it alomst solved and done !!!


























The game is called "Christmas magic" and will be on your devices, mesmerising you all on Christmas ! Oh ! Don't worry about how it looks right now, we'll have worked our magic on it by then :wink: :wink: ! Till then just wait wide eyed and with a smile as big as Santa's sleigh itself ! :-D