Sea Strike! - Pen and Ink Outline

Click here for a high quality version.

And you thought your commute home was rough...

We work hard, we play hard.

Freeware Profile: Gamma Bros.
Devloper: PixelJam
Platform: PC and Mac
Genre: Space Shooter

What happens when you combine the classic EGA/VGA low-resolution visual style of the early 90's PC titles with the acquired knowledge and limitless potential of modern gaming mechanics? Gamma Bros! A seemingly simplistic freeware title that at first may have a rather incomplex surface but once you begin to explore the gameplay you can really start to appreciate the love and effort that went into creating this wonderful game. By combining the time tested and classic 'Space Shooter' arcade genre with the solid foundation of modern gameplay and rewards this game truly proves that while the retro days of gaming may be dwarfed by today's AAA titles and million dollar budgets, all you really need is an understanding of the fundamentals of game design, some elbow grease and a little nostalgic love to produce a timeless game.

Gamma Bros. plays somewhat like a mixture of Gradius and Galaga, complete with swarming enemy formations, power-ups, upgrades and the fast, frantic gameplay you would come to expect from any great arcade shooter. Meaning that the game is easy to pick up on but requires some time and practice to master. The controls are simple, using the arrow keys in combination with the W, A, S and D keys allows your ship to move and shoot in four directions, similar to the controls used in titles like Smash T.V. The difficulty level begins nice and easy, slowly building up to a chaotic fast paced frag fest that requires quick reaction time and steady eye-hand coordination.

From the title screen the attention to detail is apparent, if you watch closely you'll see several separate scenarios playing out at once as the two Gamma Bros. hustle back and forth fiddling with computers, dialing knobs, pressing buttons and even taking a break to get a drink from the water cooler. There's also busy little helper robots that bustle to-and-fro. Very cool.

As soon as the player hits start and chooses their bro to play as the game begins. The catchy (awesome) theme song kicks in and you're off! Immediately upon exiting the large space station swarms of enemies begin to attack from every direction, enemy ships organize in formation and attack in sequence. Dodging and weaving while blasting away the squadrons of enemies you'll collect coins and power-up capsules that are left behind from defeated foes. These include temporary speed and firing boosts as well as health, shields, destructive smart bombs and invincibility capsules. Every so often a small ship towing gun upgrades, new ships and other useful items sails steadily across the screen, if you've collected enough coins these upgrades are extremely useful. By providing these rewards the gameplay value is accentuated, keeping the players interest focused on reaching that next gun or ship upgrade, becoming that much more powerful.

If the life bar reaches zero your ship is destroyed but you still have one more chance! As your ship explodes into pieces your Gamma Bro will be able to zoom through space via jet-pack and bubble helmet, allowing for one more hit to be taken before being destroyed. If you're lucky and still have the other Gamma Bro alive he'll eventually come coasting back onto the screen and you can then touch him to switch off via tag team. It's even possible to reacquire a lost ship, when buying a new shuttle the old one will be boarded and piloted by the other bro. A very well executed and helpful mechanic.

The battles are heated and fast, as you blast the attackers to 'bits', square colored plumes of smoke bellow as tiny fragments of scrap metal swirl out into space. Each enemy has a specific AI and method of attack, ranging from the simple drones who slowly form small groups to the quick and nimble spacemen (my personal favorite) who dive bomb and shoot fast pulsing lasers. Of course no space shooter would be complete without the infamous bosses. Sudden and tough, even the first boss encounter consists of pitting the player against three deadly quick battleships equipped with an array of wicked weaponry, from heat seeking missiles, tri-laser beams and even a giant destruct-o beam (that's what I'm calling it anyway). Throughout these battles I found myself so immersed in the gameplay it took me a moment to realize just how in-tuned I was with the action. I believe that connection is what all gamers seek, the thrill of the moment... That lovely video adrenaline rush.

Shoot, move and SHOOT!

The music switches from an ambient, deep, thick bass drive to a sudden shift in gears becoming a faster, more intense melody when a new event begins. It's a great effect for carrying the player along, heightening suspense and then snapping into an action sequence. My favorite part about the music is that it's entirely composed of the familiar bleeps and bloops we've all come to know and love from yesteryear... Except it has a more modern structure, a more "21st Century" attitude.

Gamma Bros. is a title that every gamer, new and old alike should play. It houses so many solid gameplay mechanics and is abundant with enough variety and rewards to keep the player coming back again and again. Besides, these guys are giving you a grade 'A' game for FREE! I can't stress it enough, go download it today! PixelJam has created some really unique titles that all have rich attention to detail, solid gameplay elements and tons of replay value to boot... Each one is definitely worth checking out.

PixelJam.com

Pongatron!

Pongatron! was the very first 'official' game I've created. The creation was a long and interesting process... to say the least. It began with one idea, which grew to another, which then rapidly began to multiply and mutate into something that I no longer seemed to have any control over. It had become a monster with a mind of its own. In the end, Sam Bakenhus (the lone programmer) and I were forced to decapitate the proverbial head of the project (beast) clean off and salvage what we could, lest we lose our very sanity. The end result is 'Pongatron!'. Even though it turned out absolutely nothing like I had planned, this project has taught me many invaluable lessons as far as bringing an idea to life.



Pongatron began in July of 2009 and was completed by early October. When I had originally started the project I had planned on having it finished in no longer than a month and a half. However, as stated above, this game seemed to want to go in a million directions at once. Trial and error was the name of this game. After months of development, changes, rehashes and do-overs we finally had a product to show. A real life game!

Check out Pongatron! here!

Attackin' Kraken - Deck

This was the first in a series of skateboard decks I've be working on, it's currently on sale and being shown at King's County - the coolest bar in Brooklyn :) It was completed using acrylics, spray paint and pen and ink.





Sorry for the poor photo quality... These were uploaded from my cell :P

Super Metroid Statue - Complete

Here's the Super Metroid Statue piece completed... Just in time for the 15th anniversary of this wonderful title.



High quality version here.

The Lair of the Beast

The basic necessities for life people, right here. This is all I need... Well, mostly.

Don't mind the grainy photos, I work in the dark... Like Batman.

The Brave Need Only Apply

Game Profile: Power Strike 2
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Compile
System: Sega Maser System
Release Date: 1993, Europe only
Genre: Action/Shooter (vertical)

There's a good reason why hundreds of arcade games are of the Shoot Em' Up genre. Shooters helped transform the coin-op gaming experience into a true test of ones gaming ability with their unique brand of chaotic challenge. Most required a cool head, steadfast reaction time and even faster fingers. Power Strike 2 is no different and has easily become one of the tougher Shooters that I've finished in my day.

To help the player against the typical onslaught of SHMUP enemies Power Strike II features six different power-ups, each with six different strength levels. The six power-ups are represented by floating number icons which make it easier to distinguish them. By collecting two or more of the same number the strength level is raised by one, just make sure that you don't accidentally grab a power-up you're not looking for. Before the start of a game the player is allowed to choose which special weapon they would like to start off with by using a preview window that actually shows your fighter shooting each weapon, this also helps by giving you an idea of how the weapons work.

Along with the chosen special weapon your ship also comes equipped with a standard rapid-firing straight shot and a powerful charge shot that is determined by how long you hold down the attack button. The main gun can also be powered up by collecting 'P' power-ups that appear after certain enemies or icons are destroyed, they descend vertically and have to be quickly snatched up before they fall off the screen and are lost.

The weapon selection screen helps by letting you preview each weapon.

A maximum of two shield's can also be equipped by grabbing the shield power-ups. Rotating quickly around your ship the shields stop some enemy bullets and cause slight damage to any enemy they come into contact with. Three different shield colors exist, each one also effects your main gun by means of adding a spread, rapid fire and/or power attribute.

Every time your ship is destroyed (all it takes is one hit) you'll automatically jump back into the game without any delay. Unfortunately when this happens you loose half of your weapons power-ups and any shields you've acquired. While it is possible to gain extra lives it requires a good chunk of points to catch one. Nobody said it was going to be easy but Power Strike II is kind enough to grant the player infinite continues so that when you do run into the game over screen you can attempt the level again.

The gameplay is sporadic and very fast but the mechanics are well balanced and fair. That doesn't mean that this game doesn't require excellent coordination, the right weapon for the job, luck and most importantly, tons of practice.

The levels are varied and all include plenty of challenge.

I believe a shooter embodies some of the purest elements that compose a video game, after all, there is a reason why some of the first video games ever created relied on the same, motor skill challenging principles. It all comes down to testing the players skill level and to get better, to reach that next level or to beat your last game's High Score you'll have to invest your time, energy and lots of lives.

If you're the type of gamer who believes that a game should present you with a challenge, I mean a real challenge (several different difficulty levels of challenge), I mean, seriously testing your eye-hand coordination, reaction time and the ability to stay cool under pressure than this game, my friend, is for you. If you prefer save points every couple of minutes and a leisurely frolic through an inconsequential, unchallenged and uninspired game (admit it, we've all seen too many of these types lately) then this may not be your cup of tea.

You don't beat Power Strike II, you survive it. Your victory is not handed to you but earned in the hours of practice and diligence required to finish this classic shooter.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Power Strike II receives: