noitu-love-2 posts

Welcome to the Indie Showcase, a semi-regular column on Big Download that takes a look at games we haven't covered on the site that we really think you should play.

Wow. 2008 sure was a whirlwind year for independent games on PC and console alike. Games like World of Goo, Braid, and Everyday Shooter have defied our expectations and brought forth a sort of indie gaming renaissance. So let's take a look back at all those indie games released or significantly updated in 2008. There's a lot that can be learned from the independent and the auteur, after all. These games will be in no particular order, because I don't want to taint this list with trying to name a best, second best, and so on. They are all great games.

Click on the image above to continue reading about the best indie games of 2008

So you are looking for a new experience in gaming. But the mainstream market is getting you down with its high price tags and extensive DRM. But there's a lot of great games out there that you can get cheap. The indie market is strong, and some of the best games around can be found for half the price of the price of more mainstream games like Dead Rising or Fallout 3. They've also got far less rigorous specs than their mainstream counterparts, which is also a welcome change of pace. We've got a list of some of the best indie games money can buy, ranging from the puzzle extravaganza World of Goo to the clever and addicting Armageddon Empires. So indulge in the little guy this holiday season. You won't be disappointed with the results you get.

Click on the image above to continue reading Big Download's 2008 PC Game Holiday Gift Guide

Independent Minds aims to take various aspects of indie gaming and present them to you each week. From game round-ups to design elements to interviews with prominent members of the scene, it's an exploration of what makes indie gaming great as well as what makes someone an indie.

It's a phenomenon normally only seen in amateur communities, among people that do not have the drudgery of a nine-to-five job in their field. The freelancers and visionaries, the next great creators of the future. From writing, to art, to movie-making, competitions are not so much the realm of professional-level creation but rather for those that can crank out a prototype, an early draft, or a short movie in a single weekend. For these competitions, none seems to be as interesting as those created by the independent game development company.

Welcome to a new weekly column here on Big Download! Independent Minds aims to take various aspects of indie gaming and present them to you each week. From game round-ups to design elements to interviews with prominent members of the scene, it's an exploration of what makes indie gaming great as well as what makes someone an indie. The very first topic of conversation is something that, given the failure of Eternity's Child and the success of Braid, has been on a lot of minds: criticism. How do you respond to people tearing apart your most beloved works?

About a month ago, the sequel to the amazing indie game Noitu Love was released. Aptly titled Noitu Love 2, the game's quirky charm and much more action-y feel drew me in and made me pick it up for the $20 that was asked of me. Being no slouch in the music department, the game has a multitude of original tunes composed by Konjak alongside the decidely retro gameplay. Konjak has generously released these kickin' tunes to the general public for free if you happen to want them. Whether you've played the game or not, the music is a great addition to any collection, and as it's free, it's even better for your consumption. You can download it through Konjak's developer blog.

[Via TIGSource]

Noitu Love was an excellent little freeware gem that game out of nowhere and took me by surprise, thanks to its interesting level design, quirky plot, and retro graphics. Konjak has finally decided to up the ante and release his sequel to the game, appropriately titled Noitu Love 2.

Noitu Love 2 is what a sequel should be. Taking the concepts from the original and improving them in every way, it's more reminiscent of Metal Slug or Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006 than the original Noitu Love. Featuring some excellent spritework, a plethora of levels, modes, and difficulties, and a whole ton of secrets, it's a very fitting successor to the original.

Noitu Love 2 costs $20 and is available for purchase on Konjack's website. There is also a demo to check your compatibility with the game and to see if you like it or not.