QuickLook.Technobrains

I try not to review games that I haven’t been asked to review simply because of my immense backlog.  When it comes to certain genres, however, I just can’t help myself.  Prime among those are scrolling shooters and one of my new favorites thanks to the iPhone, the dual stick shooter.  IUGOME just released their entry into the ever growing staple of selections, Daisy Mae’s Alien Buffet.  And, despite the heroines two big… erm,,, machine guns, I still think iDracula is a better game when it comes to dual stick shooters with no levels or plots.  However, Daisy Mae is still a blast to play, and the various control schemes could make it more accessible to those who have some issues with being able to run and shoot at the same time using two different controllers.

There’s never really a story presented to you, but from what I gather Daisy Mae is quite the businesswoman, because she’s had the sense to open up a diner right outside the fence of Area 51.  So what’s the main course, you ask?  Well, in case you missed the title of the game, it’s aliens!  And make no mistake about it, poor Daisy really has to work to hunt down some of these delicacies.  As with most dual stick shooters, you basically run around a predefined area blasting everything that has a desire to snack on you.  You start out with twin Tommy guns, which despite their unlimited ammo are quite weak (hence the unlimited ammo).

Along the way you’ll pick up several different types of weapons, from a bizarre dual-head laser gun to what appears to be a giant air-pressured staple gun!  In an interesting twist it seems you can only hold one weapon at a time, but at least you set the other weapon down so you can pick it up again later if you wish.  You have three lives denoted by lipstick smooches, and you can replenish these lives by picking up lipstick containers left by the aliens.  Unfortunately you can’t stockpile them either, which I suppose is only rational because let’s face it – where would Daisy put them?  The other special you get is Daisy’s “infatuation” ray.  As you slay aliens a meter fills up, and when it’s reached the top you can unleash your womanly wiles to seduce the bad guys to death (I guess all the aliens are guys).  The meter appears to have three different levels depending on how much “love damage” you wish to inflict.

The aliens are plenty and they are mean.  And, unlike games like iDracula and Minigore where you have small, medium and sometimes large, in Daisy Mae’s world there’s small, large and “what, is that a house?”   So don’t feel bad if you spend a lot of time running.  To help facilitate that you’ll control Daisy’s movements via a virtual thumb stick.  On the other hand (literally) you have three different options for controlling how Daisy shoots.  The first is to go autopilot, which I guess doesn’t really count as a control method since you’re not actually controlling anything.  The second is to have a button for shooting.  The problem with these two methods is that auto-targeting is employed as well.  If you are dealing with a few enemies, auto-targeting works out pretty well.  When you have a lot of bad guys to fend off and you want to dispatch certain ones first, these aren’t such good options.  The third option is the second thumb stick we’ve all come to know and love.  I actually seemed to fare the best with the button for shooting, but I prefer the thumb stick just because I feel that I’m participating more.

Daisy’s world is very nice to look at (and I’m talking about the whole thing, you pervs).  The aliens clearly have their roots in old school drive through theater, yet they’re not quite like anything you’ve seen before.  The backdrop is filled with interesting objects, from a complete playground to an abandoned tank.  Everything is nicely rendered, though as you get close to some objects you’ll note that they appear more flat like the scenery in Minigore than actual 3D.  The main down side to the visuals is that the view is zoomed out quite a bit to accommodate the really big aliens, so you can’t always appreciate all the details (on the aliens and scenery, you gutter dwellers!)  The sound effects are actually somewhat blasé.  Guns sound like guns, Daisy whimpers a bit when she gets hit, and the aliens don’t make much noise at all other than the popping of the bullets hitting them.  This seems to be a growing trend where aliens don’t make any sounds.  Anyone ever watch Star Wars?  The music is pretty good, though, and it fits the atmosphere of the game quite well.

Is this the next iDracula?  Probably not.  However, it is a really fun game, and I like the retro sci-fi theme.  The visuals are nice, the music is upbeat, and the multiple control schemes do their best to reach the widest range of players.  If you’re any sort of dual stick shooter fan you owe it to yourself to take Daisy Mae for a spin, and if you’ve been put off by this style of game play in the past due to controls, this might be one to change your mind.

Final Verdict: Recommended
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Reviewed Platform: iPhone
Device Used: iPod Touch 2nd Edition
Software Type: Game
Developed By: Mountain Sheep

Before iDracula, I’d probably say that the last “survival shooter” I had played was Robotron (in one of its various incarnations). Now, I must say that I’m rather addicted to the concept. As a result, my interest in Minigore was a no-brainer. Fortunately, I have not been disappointed. I’m sure people will draw comparisons (as I will in just a moment), but I really hope the public will let this game stand on its own, because it certainly deserves it.

So, let’s get this out of the way. For those who want to compare Minigore to iDracula, okay. Minigore is as much a clone of iDracula as Sonic is of Super Mario Brothers. Sure the mechanics are basically the same, but the whole feel of the game is completely different. There, I said it. Now let’s move on to the important stuff.

As I play Minigore, I can’t help but think this is what the result would be if MGM asked Tim Burton to conceive a segment for the Tom & Jerry cartoon hour. In Minigore you play John Gore, and your job is to keep the furries at bay as long as possible. Furries are basically the long lost cousins of some cheesy forgotten 80s horror monster. They pop up out of nowhere and come at you from all directions. They also come in three sizes. The larger ones take more hits to dispatch, and when they fall they don’t give up, but instead split into multiple smaller furries. There’s even a flaming furry that can outrun you, so be prepared to strike them first.

So how do you combat this nasty menace? First and foremost you have your trusty machine gun with unlimited ammo. This bad boy will never leave your side and does a pretty good job of teaching the furries who is boss. Next up are crates that appear from time to time. A few shots will destroy the crate, sending a wave out that destroys furries in its path. On the other hand, if you run into a crate you’ll get a shot gun that temporarily replaces your machine gun (but don’t worry, the machine gun’s not going anywhere). The shot gun is quite limited in ammo, but it can dispatch several small furries at once. It also can reduce a big furry in size with one shot. And finally there’s the clover.

Sometimes a clover will fall be left behind when you shoot a furry. When you collect three clovers you unleash your inner beast, and boy is it a doosie. While in beast mode you can run over anything without fear of getting hurt. You need to be cautious of your clover meter, however, because when it reaches empty you’ll transform back into John and suddenly become fair game for any furries that happen to be close by. Fortunately, if you collect clovers while in beast mode it will simply replenish your clover meter and you can keep on happily stomping furries. The game ends after you receive two hits while you are John, at which point you are treated to a brief glimpse of furries joyously gnawing away at you. Curse those cute yet sadistic little fur balls!

The controls for Minigore are simple and exactly what you’d expect if you’ve played many of these survival shooter games. In the lower left corner is your movement circle, and in the lower right corner is your firing circle. I will say that I think they handle just a bit better than iDracula (oops, there’s that comparison thing again). The game integrates into OpenFeint for global high scores, and hopefully we’ll see some achievements at some point as a result of that integration as well.

The graphics in Minigore are simply a treat. The background feels like it was ripped from a popup book, complete with one-dimensional foliage that’s still quite effective at hiding furries. If you go to the upper right corner of the screen there’s even a freshly dug grave. I wonder who that could be for? John Gore looks like a LEGO figure with a vengeance, block head and all. The first time he gets hit the hat is replaced with a bandage on the cheek and some wounds. Your “inner beast” is a cool flaming monstrosity that is only dwarfed by the biggest furry. The furries themselves are black, cute and bounce, as they have no limbs. Even the splash screen looks like a finely conceived movie poster (and hopefully alludes to some future updates to the game).

The sound effects are good sometimes quirky, and certainly help create the perfect atmosphere for this game. Blasting a bunch of furries in close succession almost sounds like making popcorn. The grunts and chomps of the furries as they are chasing you or chewing on your corpse once you’ve lost the game suit the critters to a tee. The absolute best part of the sound, however, is the voice and comments of John Gore. I’m not familiar with the guy who did the voice, but he’s perfect for this character. Whether he’s commenting on the endless supply of bullets or oooh-ing over newly found loot, he could certainly give Ash from the Evil Dead series a run for his money in the wit department. As for the music, it’s just incredible. The song that plays during the menus is mesmerizing, and reminds me of the scene in any great adventure movie when they’re just about to stumble over the greatest discovery of the movie. The in game music is a magnificent blending of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Pirates Of The Caribbean, and has a Danny Elfman signature about it.

Graphics: 10
Sound: 10
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 9
Usability: 10
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 10

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: NO
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- No Achievements

PROS:
- Awesome Graphics
- Incredible Sound And Music
- Frantic, Furry-infested Fun

OVERALL::
iDracula may have set the bar for survival shooters on the iPhone, but Minigore is the only one that makes it feel like Tim Burton had anything to do with it. It’s a hard thing to make a game about shooting everything in site with cute visuals and actually have it work, but Minigore does just that. Add in the wit and charm of John Gore and the incredible musical score, and Minigore becomes an instant classic. If you actually made it this far in the review before going to purchase this game, shame on you. Go click “buy” in the Minigore entry on iTunes now!

Overall Rating: 9.8
Available Platforms: iPhone
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[Note: images courtesy of App Shopper]