Arcade Game Central

Enkord is proud to announce the release of Clash’N Slash: Worlds Away, a sequel to highly addictive arcade space shooter where players must defend the planet from aliens with a variety of space based weapons and power-ups.

In Worlds Away, like in the original Clash’N Slash, you must defend your planet from pesky alien invaders that will arrive from all around the galaxy. This time alien hordes are more diverse and clever featuring more than 70 enemy types and 12 huge bosses. But worry not as there are two brave heroes on your side! Barry Barnes (codename: Clash) and Liz Valentine (codename: Slash) are there to help you and save humanity. There are eight different planets that have to be saved and there are loads of weapons, upgrades, and power-ups to make your gaming process versatile and fun. In the end there are three difficulty settings and survival mode to satisfy both novice and hardcore players.

“It’s been more than a year since original Clash’N Slash was released and we are so proud to present a sequel” – said Yaroslav Yanovsky, CEO of Enkord. “Clash’N Slash: Worlds Away became much better than original in every way. It has funny story, lots of improvements and content, but most importantly it’s the same fun for the whole family to enjoy!”

Clash’N Slash: Worlds Away runs under Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 and the full version features over 70 thrilling levels, 19 awesome weapons, over 70 enemy types, 17 unique power-ups, 12 bosses, 2 game modes, free game updates and technical support.

Founded in 2003, Enkord is a team of software developers, artists and musicians who are dedicated to producing simple and addictive games, distinguished for all-new gameplay, innovative mechanics and high playability. Visit www.enkord.com for more information.

More information about Clash’N Slash: Worlds Away
Download Clash’N Slash: Worlds Away (14.02MB)

Brickshooter Egypt has all the elements of a great casual game: simple rules, addictive gameplay, and a compelling story line. Well, “compelling” might not be the right word - “derivative”, though a bit harsh, is perhaps closer to the truth. OK, let’s be charitable and call the story line “familiar”.

Brickshooter Egypt is a fancied-up version of the original Brickshooter game, created by Sergey Stolbov and Terminal Studio in 1999. The first versions only offered simple graphics and rudimentary animations, but that’s all that was needed. The game concept was so strong that no extra graphical fluff was necessary to make it a great game.

But times have changed, the bar has been raised, and even simple puzzle games are expected to have spectacular graphics, stunning themes, and compelling backstories.

So Brickshooter gains an Egyptian theme, with the requisite pyramid/pharoah/heiroglyphic accruments. The game is now a quest, set in the land of the Nile, and you’re charged with rebuilding the glorious monuments of the past. Each puzzle you solve brings you closer to restoring an Egyptian icon, including the pyramids of Khufu, Djozer, Sneferu, Senusret, and Niuserre, as well as the majestic Sphinx.

Does the Egyptian atmosphere and rebuilding quest make this a better game? Perhaps. The graphics are very attractive, with tasteful sound and music. The additions certainly don’t detract from the gameplay, and the quest actually helps to draw you in. Unlike in the original game, where each level got progressively more difficult, but was not actually leading you anywhere, the quest gives you a goal, and each puzzle you solve takes you closer to achieving it. You actually feel like you’re accomplishing something, rather than just reaching a higher score.

The gameplay is still basically the same - create combinations of three or more blocks to remove them from the board. Yes, it’s a match-three puzzle, but unlike any others. Rather than starting with a full gameboard and swapping blocks to create matches, Brickshooter starts with a partially-populated gameboard, and you “shoot” colored blocks from the top, bottom, left, or right. Of course, the colors you need aren’t always the colors that are available, and therein lies the challenge. Each level will require you to work around a number of such mini-puzzles. It often requires a good deal of planning and foresight to solve each situation.

Another difference between Brickshooter and seemingly-similar games is that Brickshooter doesn’t have a time limit. The faster you clear your board, the more bonus points you earn, but you can take you time in planning your moves. Ultimately, the only goal is survival. Free all the magic glyphs before you fill the board with blocks, and you live to fight another day. This makes the game more strategic, and less dependent on hand-eye coordination.

I think this game is every bit the equal of some of its better-known contemporaries. Is it completely original? No. But it is truly innovative and original in it’s gameplay, and that’s what counts. It deserves to be a hit.

More information about Brickshooter Egypt
Download Brickshooter Egypt (8.69MB)

The Collapse series has been one of the web’s longest-running and most successful puzzle game franchises, and is now in it’s third major incarnation, with Super Collapse! 3 bringing the title up to the present day. Prepare to be charmed yet again.

GameHouse released the first Collapse game in 2000, and it was an immediate success, and was followed by Super Collapse! in 2001, and Super Collapse! II in 2003.

The major addition to the latest version is the new quest mode. Adventure awaits as you explore 10 fun and unique lands, earning coins along the way that allow you to purchase power-up items to help you in your quest. Each level also contains a mini-casino where you can win even more coins playing slots and other simple mini-games.

In addition to quest mode, the game also offers a quick-play mode, where you can simply enjoy the fast and furious action just for the fun of it.

Whether playing in quest or quick modes, the game offers you several distinct ways to play. In the classic mode, you simply click on groups of three or more colored blocks to eliminate them from the screen. Relapse mode offers a more intense and dynamic challenge, with blocks entering the screen from both the top and bottom. Puzzle mode offers unique, puzzling challenges without time pressure. Strategy mode plays much like the traditional game, but requires careful planning rather than rapid clicking. Super Collapse! 3 also featured new Slider, Continuous and Countdown modes. And for the true Collapse aficionado, new variations and classic favorites in Quick Play mode deliver endless, back-to-back challenges!

Whether you’re already a fan of Collapse or new to the frenzied fun, once you start clicking you won’t be able to stop!

More information about Super Collapse! 3
Download Super Collapse! 3 (13.9MB)

Matt Slagle of The Associated Press (Poll: 4 in 10 Play Electronic Games and A Closer Look at Gaming Trends) reports on the results of a recent AP-AOL Games poll, “40 percent of American adults play games on a computer or a console. Casual games like board or card games were the most popular, followed by strategy games, action sports, adventure, first-person shooters and simulations, the poll found. Casual, strategy and role-playing games were most popular among online gamers.”

The poll also found that 41% of all gamers play at least 3-4 hours a week, including 10% who play at least 10 hours a week. Another interesting finding was that more men than women (45% vs. 35%) play computer or video games, and that males are more likely to play computer or video games with other people, while women are more likely to prefer to play games by themselves.

Awem Studio, a Belarus-based developer of classic arcade games, has released a new title called Alien Stars, a breathtaking vertical-scrolling space shooter.

The year is 2741 and a massive contingent of alien spacecraft is circling the Earth’s orbit. After attempts to communicate with the aliens go nowhere, you assume the role of a spacecraft commander, commissioned to prevent the threat of total annihilation. Prepare for a highly intensive battle, commander! You will struggle through 12 diversely themed missions and respond to the challenge of thousands of alien spacecraft, equipped with the most advanced weapons. Can the humans win this time?

Alien Stars combines all the best features of simple arcade and space shooters. You will find lots of different enemies, power-ups, and as much action as you can handle. The action is non-stop, and takes place in a well-designed and beautifully-rendered space environment.

You can play with either the mouse or keyboard, and the game offers three difficulty levels to challenge beginners and experienced pilots alike. The number and variety of enemies is quite large, and they never stop coming. Your only defenses are your quick reflexes and the numerous power-ups available as the game progresses. It can be difficult to pick up your bonuses while simultaneously avoiding enemy fire, but this just adds to the challenge.

The bosses at the end of each level are appropriately difficult, but each has a weakness that you’ll need to find and exploit in order to survive. If nothing else, pouring on the lead will eventually do the trick, if you can manage to stay alive long enough.

If you enjoy space shooters, Alien Stars is an excellent example of the genre, and well worth your time. You may also want to check out Awem Studio’s other space shooter, Star Defender 2.

More information about Alien Stars
Download Alien Stars (8.64MB)