I love simple games. Apparently, you do too!
As the 2011 Game Developer Conference takes place this week, it’s interesting to see a return to basics in game design lately.
It’s hard not to notice that the iTunes App Store has brought something back into vogue that used to be a standard in the Flash games department: very simple games.
As the creator of silly, simple Flash games in the past, I must say I enjoy the heck out of such games. Doodle Jump and Angry Birds are just two of the insanely popular “one button” hits that have taken the stage in recent years, but the onslaught continues. Heck, our own Aquarium Adventure has even been reborn on the iOS platform (albeit with a little less gore than past versions).
And if you haven’t played Tiny Wings by Andreas Illiger on your iOS device yet, you really should. So simple it’s beautiful.
Another reason not to use Paypal.
Seriously, WTF kind of money-laundering scheme is this company (besides a very successful one, that is)?
L’il Johnny’s back… sorta… on the iPhone!
Way back in 2004, when Turdhead.com first appeared on the Web, it began “not with a bang, but with the sad, pathetic whimper of a foolhardy third-grader trapped in a tank full of piranha.” Our first Flash game, Li’l Johnny’s Aquarium Adventure, made quite a splash for its sick humor and… well, I guess that’s about it. It remains, however, one of the most popular items on the site, and people still ask whether we’re ever going to update it for these new modern times. And to those imaginary people, I can now officially announce that, yes, the Aquarium Adventure is back — on the iPhone!
Our sister site, CodeCooler.com, has released an updated version of the classic game (now Alien Aquarium Adventure with a new protagonist and some fancy new graphics for our new favorite mobile platform, iOS. Check it out, as it’s due to hit the App Store any moment now… and you can win a copy before it’s even released just by tweeting about it.
It’s here: UltraEdit for OS X!
Anybody who’s followed Turdhead.com in the past few years knows that one of my biggest (OK, my only) gripes against OS X for Web and Flash development has been the lack of a full-featured text editor that works the way I, a Windows refugee, might expect. That’s not to say there aren’t some great editors out there (People swear by TextMate and BBEdit, after all, and Vi(m) has been around since the start), and after several years, I’ve even become content with my own choices (first jEdit, and then later, the ever-improving Komodo Edit, which I have to say I’ve learned to really like).
But last week, it finally happened: I’ve been reunited with my first love! UltraEdit, the text editor I began using in 1994 and missed sorely when I switched to the Mac in 2003, has finally joined me in my Mac development world. IDM Computer Solutions has obviously spent a lot of time developing and testing this release, and it shows: UltraEdit 2.01 looks and feels as if it’s been here all along: It’s a pure Mac app, and it includes all the power and extras one might expect from an editor now in its 16th revision on that other platform.
Granted, reacquainting myself with this old flame will be a learning experience, now that I’ve become comfortable with Komodo Edit over the years, but I look forward to re-learning its powerful simplicity. If you’ve never tried it, give it a spin. (And if you HAVE tried it, you’re going to love it… again!)
Fantastic job, and kudos to Ian and company at IDM! Good to have you back in my workflow.
Dammit, Adobe! Why is it so hard to register your *!*^@# software??
Just got my new copy of CS5 in the mail, and couldn’t wait to enter the new code and get rid of the nagging “Demo mode” dialog at the start of all my apps. I skipped CS4, so this upgrade is a huge deal for me. Fortunately, I’m eligible for the academic version of the software, so of course I knew I would have to jump through a couple hoops (never mind I already submitted all my academic eligibility info just to BUY the software, but now I have to give it to another site in order to register it. But no matter, if that’s what it takes).
So, on to the fulfillment forms at good ol’ Adobe.
Step 1: Enter your product code. No problem!
…
Wait. WTF? My product code isn’t valid? SO I can’t even get TO the hoops I need to jump?
For fact’s sake, Adobe! How can just about every other company in the world get their registration system streamlined, and yet I end up climbing walls every time I try to buy one of your apps?
BTW, CS5 is AMAZING! Just hope I can use it before my $500+ trial expires.