Penguins
Score: 75% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Wild Tangent Developer: Wild Tangent Media: Download/1 Players: 1 Genre: Puzzle/ Platformer
Graphics & Sound: There is the type of gaming that you do for rich, immersive gameplay with hours of exploration. Then there are the games that you spend way too much of your free time playing because they are just simple, clean and fun. I'd like to make a great distinction in the differences of how I rate casual games against mainstream studio games and independent games. I give them their appropriate due. Right now, I want to let you guys know about a casual game I have been playing from the Wild Tangent library called Penguins. This game's look is very reminiscent of the early 90's game style. Again, though, I say the gameplay is what you are here for. The soundtrack is simple and clever. Don't expect to find it as a stand-alone music compilation on the music store shelf. Nothing wrong with that; it is just as clean and quick as the game.
Gameplay: Those pesky Penguins are on the run and trying to escape the zoo. You are going to get a sense of deja vu when you see the gameplay. Not unlike some rodents you have had to keep safe in a game back in the 90's. I don't know what it is with games and movies portraying penguins as escape artists lately. Was there a mass penguin exodus I was unaware of taking place at a world famous zoo? Or, maybe it is the "tux", and they all have delusions of grandeur thinking they are James Bond. Anyway, you use many objects that you drop into their path, allowing them to spring, bounce and even jet-pack across the screen to facilitate their flightless escape. Along the way, you will collect coins good for many purchases at the zoo gift shop. You can actually buy and download the MP3's you hear during the game. You can buy outfits that the penguins can don as they do certain tasks.
Difficulty: There is more than one way to skin a penguin. In Penguins, as the levels progress, you have to be very aware that the hazards in your way will do just that. Although you're not literally skinning a penguin, mind you; it is a game for everyone. But, there are many hazards along the way that make you have to rethink your approach. I have a lot of fun with casual puzzle games because, sometimes, they just frustrate me. This is either a lack of puzzle aptitude or really good puzzles. Given that I am writing this, it must be the latter. Sure it starts off easy enough, and don't they all, but the further I got, the more I had to stop, get off the machine, and re-evaluate. I would come back and finish them later, but the guys at Wild Tangent were probably wondering where their review was. I wanted to finish up the game before I wrote the review. No snickering!
Game Mechanics: Penguins has an extremely simple cause and effect gameplay that leaves little for discussion. You place items from your inventory into the path of the single-minded birds so they can complete their tasks. We are not dealing with a complex physics engine and everything goes according to plan... as long as it is a good plan. I enjoyed playing through Penguins. I recommend checking it and all of the games that are available through Wild Tangent's game portal. I used to hunt and peck around several places on the Internet to look at casual games. Not anymore! I just fire up the browser and pick the one I want to try. Choose, click, play, enjoy!
-WUMPUSJAGGER, GameVortex Communications AKA Bryon Lloyd
Minimum System Requirements: Operating System: Windows 2000 and XP, Processor: Pentium 3 - 800MHz, RAM: 256MB, Video Card RAM: 3D Hardware Accelerated video card with 32MB VRAM, DirectX Version: 8.1 or above, Keyboard and Mouse: Supported   Test System: Windows XP Pro, 3.2 GHz P4HT CPU, 2 GHz Ram, 256 PCIE 16 ATI X300SE
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