Rush
Developer: Two Tribes
Publisher: Two Tribes
Rush reminds me a lot of old school lemmings games. You essentially indirectly control the path of blocks by placing down multiple different types of path manipulators, like "turn left" "turn right" "wait" and some more complicated ones like "alternate left and right" etc.
So it combines pathing and timing based problem solving, and I won't lie there's nothing quite as satisfying as having bashed your head against a problem for a few minutes (read: hours), slowly getting closer and closer to the solution until finally clicking it all together and watching the blocks go to their proper homes.
Potato 1/2: Placing specific tiles on "Key to Success" as determined from an image in the 4th RAR file from Amnesia
Obviously, I played until I had unlocked this level, and then placed them exactly as you can see here.
password: conveyor belts
Potato 2/2: Complete the 5th Actual challenge Level. Solutions are here.
This... was actually more difficult than I anticipated, even with solutions. I managed to solve the other 4 challenges fairly easily, but the 5th one? That thing was insane. The solution wasn't actually that much help, the nature of the level is one that it's difficult to see what's going on, and this wasn't helped much by having to view someone elses perspective and then try and either match it or work out what you were doing from yours... eurgh.
Anyway, I actually ended up solving it slightly differently from the solutions, not using all the stamps in the end. Please don't ask me how, I almost had to enter a zen zone to do it...
password: joinitforsuccess
Overall: A great concept that's only weakness is the lack of replayability. Unlike Cogs there's no reason to recomplete levels as the whole thing is essentially paused until you hit the "run" button. As all levels seem to have only one solution I feel they missed a trick there. Maybe offer the same level but with different tools for a different solution?
Play again: Like I said, no replayability and I completed enough of the game to get a good idea from playing it the first time through. Don't regret buying it though.
Super Meat Boy
Developer: Team Meat
One of the few games I owned before the potato pack. This is everything an indie game should be. Simple but deep mechanics, somewhat absurd humour that outlines an unimportant plot, and niche gameplay that punishes as much as it rewards. This is a hardcore platformer masquerading as a casual game and is an absolute love letter to old puzzle platformers, but in a modern age. It highlights speed, muscle memory and intelligent design.
Potato 1/2: Die eleven times on level 4-19. (save file for all levels, password: super)
I actually stumbled across with one prior to making a proper effort in the golden potato hunt. Problem is, at the time I didn't have the password. Not surprised this level was a part of something portal related, due to the dark portals farting out those evil pac-man bastards constantly.
password: death traps (fittingly...)
Potato 2/2: Search "FOR MEANING" in the "levels" tab in Super Meat World, which is unlocked with 20 bandages. Login page will pop up automatically.(video)
And that's about it.. I get the impression that this was a dump for another part of the ARG, but once solved pretty much everyone in the community had these things.
Overall: If you're like me and were a fan of either Mario or Sonic then SMB will probably appeal. It's surpisingly cerebral for something so fast paced, and the wide variety of subtle differences in the various indi-game cameos can make for some fun alternate ways to solve levels. The inclusion of global score boards for time trials and bandages make even most punishing levels rewarding to replay.
Play again: Not done playing it the first time! A great game and a must have for platformer fans. Though do play with a controller, or else your fingers will bleed. On a side note, SMB's inclusion in the ARG feels almost entirely token, as their levels were entirely forgettable. I guess they wanted a big name in with the bunch over the slightly too niche amnesia.
Toki Tori
Developer: Two Tribes
Publisher: Two Tribes
A puzzle platform title that I probably would have ignored if not for the potato pack, which would have been a true miss on my part. You play as the titular yellow bird-thing that can't attack, jump, move quickly and is essentially the bitch of any and all of the spiky predators in the game.
The goal is to rescue your egg(bert-esque) brothers by walking into them.
The true strength of this game comes from the items you're given. Teleporters, platform blocks, freeze guns. All of these items and weapons manipulate the environment in clever ways. Often they're a limited resource, meaning that many levels are simply a "problem" with a "solution". This is more a strength than a weakness however as it seriously highlights intelligent design and means that this isn't a genocidal killing spree like so many old platformers.
Potato 1/2: Reach the bottom right part of <TEST> bonus level 2. Solution is here on YouTube. Solutions to the normal levels.
I'll admit, I had to use the solution. I kept having issues conceptualising that you the yellow bird can do a little "hop" onto blocks up to his waist, which tends to be the way to solve a lot of these problems. Also, the ability to create a tower of frozen Sonic-wannabe's confused me too...
password: bird eggs
Potato 2/2: Beat the real bonus level 6. ZIP and Video solution located here.
If I had to take any one potato out of context in order to typify the entire args, this would be it.
So here's the original level...
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| on the plus side I got an achievement for him being sad |
Completely unsovable.
But once you use the .zip you receive this...
So you physically needed to change the game files themselves in order to even ENABLE the level.
Brilliant.
I don't actually know the source of the .zip... Apparently someone on the potato args IRC found it, so maybe it was within another games files, or given to them by the devs?
I actually managed to solve this level by myself in the end, though saying "Beat" is a bit wrong, seeing as you're actually just trying to get to the portal.
Overall: I think more than any other game Toki Tori really sings home to me, because it's the kind of game I'd love to create some day. It's cute, it's intelligent and it rewards experimentation, understanding of the mechanics and inventiveness over pure muscle memory and reflexes, while the "rewind" function serves to stop you from feeling like failure is such a big deal. It's very Portal in that way. It's only drawback can be a lack of replayability, though I suppose the "wild card" does allow you to progress, while creating a demand for replay at a later point.
Play again: There's still a few levels I haven't completed so I'll go and revisit them some point in the future.
The Wonderful End of the World
Developer: Dejobaan Games, LLC Publisher: Dejobaan Games, LLC
A katimari clone, the only difference is you're some kind of golem that absorbs what they touch in order to grow in size as opposed to a mario-enemy-reject rolling a ball that gets steadily bigger. Yeah, it's not an original concept but it's fairly well executed and has an ok soundtrack. The levels are varied and cute and the whole thing has a very polished "student project" feel about it, and I don't mind that.
Potato 1/2: Hold [U] while entering the Arcadia level on timed mode. Get an A+ rating. You can use [Space] to jump on this level. Guide here onYouTube
An odd one, had little to do with portal other than the song, but that's only because it reference's a "hole in the ground", and I'm pretty sure there's a bit about cake... I get the impression they had the song and wanted people to listen to it, as it's apparently by one of the devs.
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| Crates upon crates... What does this have to do with portal? |
A personal bugbear on this level, and indeed on both potato levels, is that they added the ability to jump with space. Marvellous, except I'd been playing it with an xbox controller, so suddenly had to switch to mouse and keyboard. Shame they didn't add the jump thing to the face buttons of the 360. Ah well.
password: every piece
Potato 2/2 : Press "P" while entering the Sugar Candy level on Timed mode, which gives you a level filled with Companion Cubes. Get an A+ on the level. You need to pick up the cake to win
Now here's the obligatory portal level.
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| Companion cubes, cake and "Still Alive" in the background - this is more like it! |
This was the biggest fan stroke in any of the potato games, but it's a worthy one. I really get the impression the devs for this game thought more about level design for these 2 secret levels, and that's why they were actually pretty fun. I missed a bit of the aesthetic, so I hope in the future they strike a balance.
Overall: I wouldn't recommend against wonderful end, though it's kind of a weird one. If you know and love katamari you might as well play that, if you don't, then play katamari: it's much better. If you want something like katamari but maybe a different flavour of insanity, then yeah I guess this is the game for you, and congratulations you're in an incredibly small niche that only you and the devs of TWEOTW reside in.
The potato levels were probably the first time I felt the score mattered and was hard to achieve, but it's evident the devs care more about the aesthetic of a level over the actual design of the game itself, and while I can appreciate that, I can't respect it 100%. Saying that, it's always a good bit of cathartic release to just get to that point where you're large enough to PLOUGH THROUGH EVERYTHING!
Play again: Sadly no, this game's cute and fun but there's nothing else to it. It's the kind of thing you get on a rainy afternoon during a steam sale to make you smile, but otherwise it's a bit lacking in any real juicy bits, or anything worthwhile to take away.
I'll round everything off with Part 5...
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