In the past years there have been several releases by the studios of Armor Games which were completely new games with elements that we’ve all seen before. What set these games apart was their gameplay, artwork and the feeling that it was polished. That last point has proven to be very important in flashgames. If the player feels the game has been rushed to release and has rough edges, it lowers the entire esteem of the game.

Just like Hedgehog Launch did in the recent past, their new game Balloon in a Wasteland brings this formula to a new level and this is proven by almost half a million gameplays and a 9.2 player score on ArmorGames in its first week. Again, the principles of the game are simple and are a collection of elements we’ve seen in other games. When you balloon crash-lands in a wasteland of fowl creature, its time to survive. Upgrade your weapons, fort, and turrets while you try to fix your balloon. Balance your free time between battles so you are prepared for future waves with the ultimate goal of escaping in you repaired balloon.

The game is exactly what the description says and ArmorGames managed yet again to make it tremendously enjoyable to play. Just like Hedgehog Launch it isn’t overly difficult or a long game, but everthing is in proportion making it a well-balanced and fun game to spend some time on.

Click here to play Balloon in a Wasteland

Developer Hero Interactive is working round clock on Bubble Tanks Arenas and it shows by the fact that more and more information is being released. Last week we already posted the first Q&A and now they’ve just posted another Q&A on their upcoming title, which seems to be getting better every week!

Q: Will you be able to face other people’s tanks?
A: Yes, sort of. If I create enemies and arenas and upload them to the server, other players will be able to fight the enemies I created. If I create an avatar tank (player controlled), you can’t fight that with your avatar tank.

Q: What is special about creating Arenas?
A: Arenas let you create Bubblefields with your own custom created tanks. If my friend John plays an arena that I created, his game will automatically download all of the enemies I created as well so he can fight them in the arena I made. You can determine how many of each enemy you want and combinations you’d like, but you can’t determine the starting positions of enemy tanks.

Q: Can I make a tank on one site such as ArmorGames.com and then load it up on another site such as Kongregate.com?
A: As long as both sites allow us to connect to our server (the above named sites will), and as long as you upload your tank to our server, then yes, you will be able to download your tank on other sites. You can also simply copy and paste the Tank Code (TC) from wherever and paste it into the game to load a tank.

Q: If I sell a weapon will I get all my Gun Points (GP) back?
A: Yes. GP is more like a limit to how strong you can make your tank. You can totally swap out weapons. If you don’t like one 3 GP gun, you can trade it in to get a different one or even 3 separate 1 GP guns.

Q: If you save a custom tank will you have to write down the number to retrieve it or does it also save locally?
A: There are a lot of ways to get tanks. First of all, when you save a custom tank, it will save locally. It will also give you the Tank Code (TC), the actual data, that you can copy and paste into notepad to save or email to a friend, whatever. You then also have the option to save the tank to our server on top of that, if you feel it’s a particularly awesome creation. Tanks saved to the server are issued ID numbers.

When people load tanks, they can either enter in a tank ID number to load a specific tank, they can copy and paste the Tank Code into a box and load it that way, or they can just browse our server and see what other people have made. If they see something that looks cool it’s just one click to save that tank to your local machine so you don’t have to browse for it again or remember the ID number.

Q: Will guns rotate with the tank or rotate independently?
A: Both, it depends on a few things. Some guns NEVER rotate, i.e. the massive cannon from BT2. Typically though when you’re talking about basic and heavy cannons, it depends on the size of your tank. There are 6 size classes. Tanks sized class 3 or lower will not have rotating cannons. If you have a gun that points backwards, it’ll always shoot behind you. If you are class 4 or larger, then your guns will rotate. Really large tanks may also have the option of getting weapons that have auto targeting enabled which are basic cannon auto-turrets as they were in BT2.

Q: What do you mean by ‘the money we receive’ in the question regarding Extra Content in the previous Q&A?
A: BTA will be free to play, but it will have Extra Content. EC will be free to play, but you will have to play it on ArmorGames.com. ArmorGames pays Hero Interactive to make the Extra Content because it drives more traffic to their site. Although EC can be frustrating, we like it because it allows us to make a LOT more stuff for BTA (and make the game in the first place) while at the same time making everything free for the players.

Q: Will there be a way to get infinite GP and BP?
A: Probably not.

Q: Will Arenas keep track of scores and time’s of completion?
A: Of course!

Q: How is tank speed determined?
A: Both armor and speed are determined by the Class of your tank. Class is determined by the size of your tank. The bigger you make your tank, the more health it will have but the slower it will be. Starting the game, you will be only able to make Class 1 tanks. As you progress, you’ll be able to unlock larger classes. Also, if you’re wondering why you’d want to make a small tank when you have class 6 unlocked, some weapons and parts will have class restrictions. For example, a massive cannon might only be able to go on Class 5 and higher tanks. A piercing sniper cannon might only be able to go on a class 2 or smaller tank. So there are advantages to going either way.

Q: Will there be many new weapons?
A: Probably not unfortunately. This round, we’re mainly focusing on the ability to simply create tanks and share them. In future versions of the Bubble Tanks series (aka, BT3), we’ll be focusing mainly on making many new weapons and parts for your tanks.

Last week we already brought you an update on Fancy Pants Adventure: World 3 and now developer Borne Games has released another teaser of their upcoming title. This time its accompanied by a Q&A regarding the sharpened pencil that Fancy Pants uses as a weapon to slay his enemies.

We certainly think the game looks better than ever before and can’t wait to try it out. Unfortunately, there is no known release date, but expect it somewhere this year if that’s any help at all. Scroll down for the teaser video showing the sheathing of the weapon and more animations!

Q: How does sheathing the pencil work?
A: He does it automatically during normal levels, after running a bit, or jumping. No separate button, but for now, ducking forces a sheath.

Q: Does this mean that old levels are getting redone for World 3
A: Maybe, maybe not, I just still like the first level of the first world of FPA, haha. Soooo much better with the newer physics, too.

Q: Should FPA carrying the pencil on his back instead of it disappearing?
A: Probably, I’ll have to do some tests, as long as it’s not distracting.

Q: Is there a separate key for using the pencil?
A: Yeah, it’s A or D right now. All the moves are done by either tapping or holding one of them. So it’s only one button, just set to either of those right now.

Q: Can the ricochet scratches hit other enemies?
A: They better, would be a wasted opportunity if they didn’t Might have to fiddle with the trajectory to make that easier.

Q: Parts that take specific advantage of the pencil?
A: Absolutely.

Q: Bring back those hideous and terribly drawn flying dog/dragon things from World 1!
A: I really should, huh? Man, those were embarrassing…

Q: Will there be a running attack?
A: There certainly should be, there isn’t one animated now, though.

Q: XBox Live and/or PSN?
A: I’d sure love to. But yeah, that’s a full port there. Regardless, I want World 3 to be as good if not better than most games that come out on either of those services =)

Take control of a massive mechanical commando once again as duty calls! The sequel to Mechanical Commando is almost done and is promising to be even faster, bigger and better than its predecessor. The first installment of this series received more than one million gameplays on Kongregate alone and was ranked among the top games at the time.

Fans of the series had to wait patiently, but coming Thursday developer Berzerk Studio is releasing Mechanical Commando 2: Invasion. It’s the same developer that brought us Hero’s Arms last year, which was well received by players worldwide.

The game has been in development for a long period and not much information has been released about its features. Just like in the previous game it’ll be a top-down shooter packed with explosives and turrets. After centuries of well maintained peace, the federation is under attack by a mysterious enemy is all we know about the game’s storyline so far, but this time round you’ll have access to brand new upgrades and weapons as you fight your way through the game. Berzerk Studio implemented a new levelling system which will allow you to upgrade your Mechanical Commando as you gain experience.

We certainly can’t wait to play Mechanical Commando 2: Invasion and be sure to check it out coming Thursday. Of course, we’ll be covering its release and everything you need to know will be right here.

Update: Mechanical Commando 2: Invasion is out now and can be played at King with all features unlocked!

Click here to play Mechanical Commando 2: Invasion

How cute can a knight be you might ask yourself. Don’t be ashamed, this urgent question gets us all thinking now and then. Good news, the answer is here and its called Chibi Knight. In this adventure three beasts have ravaged the kingdom of Oukoku. Legend tells of a small warrior who will save the kingdom and guess what, that’s where you come in!

Chibi Knight’s colourful world is filled with plenty of cartoony creatures and a simple storyline. You can walk around the worldmap to engage in either conversation, which usually is a quest you must complete, or battle. When in combat, the game goes into side-scrolling mode and everything is kept simple. You can either swing your sword or jump and with these two options you’ll have to cope throughout the game. Some of us might find it too simplistic, but its quite challenging. The game doesn’t drag on forever, you can actually finish it within an hour.

By that time you’ve encountered several boss fights and the length of the game is just right. It’s not the second best thing since sliced bread, but that doesn’t take away the fun factor of this game. Be your own judge and try Chibi Knight!

Click here to play Chibi Knight at Armor Games

After losing count how many times you failed a stage in any action-packed game or keep losing at the same wave with tower defense, its time for something else. Sit back, take a deep breath and relax. No better way to do this than with the Differences series by developer Ivory Boy. Feeling better yet?

The concept is simple, you get to see two almost identical images and you must find the differences. This time the player must spot four differences in each picture, hence the name of this new game: 4 Differences. The art of this game is truly amazing considering every picture is computer-drawn. Together with the soundtrack this game brings the player to another dimension and the result is a game that will not only appeal to every puzzle fanatics, but a much wider audience.

We certainly enjoyed it and think its absolutely worth your time. Don’t take our word for it though, try for yourself!

Click here to play 4 Differences

You might not have heard of Vortix Games yet, but that’s about to change. Vortix Games has been in the business for quite some time and released several games. Apart from their own games and joint projects, they’ve helped many flash developers through their blog by posting coding difficulties and sharing solutions.

Up until recently not much was known about their projects as no information was released before completion. They’ve decided to share a little insight into their latest project, a turn-based strategy game in the line of Advance Wars and the Battalion series. The game has no official name yet and is in early stages of development.

All the characters and some buildings are 3D with their own animations for every action like attacking, walking and falling. According to the developer, they’ve put quite some comedy and fun into this aspect of the game. The AI is another strenght of this game and during inital testing the developer won and lost an equal amount of matches against the computer.

The artwork looks very promising and we can’t wait for more information about this turn-based game. Hopefully Vortix Games will release it more frequently in the future and if they do; You’ll find it here!

It’s been some time since our last top 5 and in the meanwhile, there was definitely no shortage of new games. Especially the fans of the tower defense games have had a good year with the release of many highly anticipated titles. Our top 5 includes both new older games that still deserve the attention and praise for their contributions to the tower defense genre.

However, not all of them can make it into our list and that’s why we selected the five very best tower defense games available today. True fans have probably finished all of them already and if you missed any of them, be sure to catch up! We’ll be closely following the developers of these games for updates on possible sequels and keep you informed so stay tuned!

1. Bubble Tanks Tower Defense
Enjoy a variety of maps in the most complete and accesible tower defense game of them all. Continuing in the line of Desktop Tower Defense, this game brings together all the elements that make a good tower defense game in perfect harmony. Whether you’re new to the genre or looking for a hardcore challenge, you’ll find it here!

Click here to play Bubble Tanks Tower Defense

2. Bloons Tower Defense 4
Released 419 days after the previous installment of the series, but it was worth the wait. This game met all its expectations by introducing new types of bloons, towers and maps while maintaining its cartoony looks and feel. Don’t be fooled its cute factor though, the game offers quite a challenge for even experienced players!

Click here to play Bloons Tower Defense 4

3. Gemcraft Chapter Zero: Gem of Eternity
This game brought the already famous Gemcraft series to an even higher standard. With more maps and several game modes the lifespan of this game is longer than ever before, if you can make it through the storymode that is. Accompanied by the highest quality artwork and sound, this game will surely last another year!

Click here to play Gemcraft Chapter Zero: Gem of Eternity

4. Desktop Tower Defense Pro
You almost can’t mention tower defense without thinking of the original Desktop Tower Defense. This game made this genre popular and has been enjoyed by tens of millions of players. This list wouldn’t be complete without paying tribute to the latest version of this game, adding new game modes to extend its replay value!

Click here to play Desktop Tower Defense Pro

5. Protector III
The second tower defense title that can’t be excluded from this list. The original Protector unleashed a massive hype and got millions of players hooked to tower defense. This third installment of the series is the best version to date, allowing players to specialize their units to a great extent while playing through the various maps!

Click here to play Protector III

It’s time to travel even further down the rabbit hole in Alice is Dead Episode 2. Alice is Dead takes the player to wonderland where not everything is like you would expect it to be. Welcome to a dark, strange and vile world filled with horrific creatures and blood trails. Your first encounter is with the corpse of Alice, from which you depart to find out what happened.

Things are getting more and more bizarre in episode 2 as you find yourself locked up in prison. Try to escape as you gather clues of what happened and more importantly, what role you played. The artwork is again of the highest quality endulging the player in a morbid atmosphere as you gather items en clues in this point ‘n’ click adventure. The episodes are fairly short in length but the storytelling is splendid and you it might take quite some time to figure out some of the puzzles, they’re tough!

Make sure to have played through episode one first or you’ll be completely lost. If you’re stuck in of the two episodes, check out the video walkthroughs!

Click here to play Alice is Dead Episode 1 at Kongregate
Click here to play Alice is Dead Episode 2 at Kongregate

Walkthrough of Alice is Dead Episode 1:


Walkthrough of Alice is Dead Episode 2:

The yearly Flash Gaming Summit is back! In just over a month the event opens its doors in San Francisco. This years conference will bring together leaders in the flash game space to share industry insights and strategies on successful game design, development and monetization.

The advisory board consists of the biggest names in the industry such as Ben Garney from PushButton Labs, Danielle Deibler from Adobe, David Scott from Casual Collective, Matthew Annal from Nitrome, Jim Greer from Kongregate and Tom Fulp from NewGrounds.

Traditionally the Mochis Award Show will award the best flash games in the industry as chosen by the players. Nominations are open for any flash game created in 2009, and can fall into eleven different categories. Haven’t voted for your favourite games yet? Vote now!

The event is intended for game developers, flash artists, entrepreneurs, marketers, advertisers interested in games, flash portal and gaming website owners, business development and venture capitalists, technologists and representatives from companies in the gaming and social media space.

We’ll keep you updated!

Click here to visit the website of the Flash Gaming Summit 2010