Free Game Giveaway: Super Mario Crossover

Is Mario the true hero of the Mushroom Kingdom? Simon Belmont disagrees. And so does Mega Man and SOPHIA and Samus and...

Hacks and tributes to Super Mario Bros are ten a penny these days, but SMC goes to astonishing efforts to recreate the classic NES platformer, from graphics to physics, without a change in sight; having done so, it then throws in a slew of classic 8-bit characters to find out if Mario really is the best man for the job, in his own video game.

From Simon Belmont to Mega Man, a host of NES classics are represented here, and while their various powerups have been modified to fit the three-tier mushroom economy of Mario's world, they all accurately represent their respective franchises, and it's equally fascinating and nerve-wracking to see them duke it out with Bullet Bills and Cheep-Cheeps; Mega Man has serious problems against the Lakitus in particular, as his inability to aim upwards makes for a frantic and powerless mess of a run, constantly stopping to bring in Rush so he can bounce over high obstacles. SOPHIA of Blaster Master fame, meanwhile, proves to be an unstoppable juggernaut, as her jetpack and multi-directional fire make short work of both Lakitus and tricky jumping segments.

Free Game Giveaway: Octodad

This week, a game that makes everything a hassle

At roughly an hour in length, Octodad is definitely more of a taster than a fully fledged game, but with a sequel in the works and an indie team in need of both support and encouragement to see it through, it's definitely worth taking some time out of your afternoon to experience it.

Octodad puts you in the odd-fitting shoes of a cephalopod trying to pass himself as a human; cleaning the fridge, playing football with his son and fetching his daughter her favourite stuffed dolphin are all taken in his bandy, slippery stride.

These mundane tasks are rendered monumentally infuriating by the controls, which manage to simulate his plight with merciless efficiency. Movement involves holding the mouse button that corresponds with a given leg, dragging it across the screen and then letting go, dragging back and repeating with the other foot. Hand control involves much the same, and requires precision tentacle-groping to snake your slimy mitt past picture frames and flowerpots to grab whatever it is you have your eye on.

Free Game Giveaway: ROM CHECK FAIL

This week, Fruitbat looks at an arcade-style oddity

Like the very best arcade and puzzle games, ROM CHECK FAIL concerns itself with one simple idea that spawns endless possibilities, both for victory and defeat. That it features a healthy dose of nostalgia is very much in its favour, too.

Each of the game's twenty levels feature a single screen festooned with level blocks and a set of enemies, which need to be cleared in order to advance. What makes the game so unique is that every element of the level - from player to enemy and music to background - is randomised based on a tidy collection of old-school video games. In any given level you might find yourself pitting Pac Man against the Space Invaders, or the ship from Defender against an army of Goombas. Every player and enemy behaves exactly as they do in their respective games - getting caught as the Space Invaders ship spells trouble, as you can only move left and right, but Link and Pac Man are free to roam the screen at will.

Welcome One and All!

It's a brand new Fortress! Where posts are as punctual as British Rail and factual accuracy is a thing of the past!

Seriously though, with my workload chopped in half (who knew you could work as little as 40 hours in a week?) I'm finally in a position to spend some quality time with my Fortress, and with it will come new articles posted on a weekly basis of all things media (but mostly games, if I'm being honest), as well as some new sections including but not necessarily limited to:

Free Game Giveaway

Man, there sure are some good games out there, and some of them won't cost you a dime! They may be short, a little rough around the edges and occasionally demand runtimes that they should really have the foresight to package with the installer, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve your love, and that's why I'll be featuring them.

Retro|Spective

Like a vintage car, all games have to fall out of fashion and grow old. But unlike a vintage car, they can stay spotless for evermore, without rusting or bits occasionally falling off. Some even improve, like vintage wine! The ones featured in Retro|Spective are my favourites, hand-picked and Fruitbat-certified.

Digital Remix

If there's one way in which video games haven't aged a day, it's in the music department. Retro tunes are as catchy as they ever were, and their synthetic beeps have only retained their charm. From the early days through to the modern day, many is the tune that can be rejuvenated and made new once again by a catchy remix. Check in here for some of the best.

Artist Spotlight

Thanks to the internet and the advent of digital galleries, finding a raft of talented artists and decent webcomics has never been easier, to the point of being ridiculously overwhelming. Since I love rummaging through both galleries and webcomics, I'll be showcasing my favourites in the hope that they can become yours as well.

Series Review

I'm damned if I have the time to pick apart a TV series episode-by-episode, week in, week out, but once the dust has settled and things have run their course, I'll be giving my verdict on whether it was all worth it. Series' both new and old will find a home here.

That's all for now; welcome to the Fortress, and enjoy your stay!