A little while ago it was the Indie Music Bundle to titillate your ears with fantastic vibes, but right now you have a choice of not one, or even two… but four different game bundles to check out – and they’re all asking you to pay as little or as much as you like! One is even completely free to download!

Since a couple of them are also supporting charity, now is a great time if you’re just starting to dip in to the world of indie games and are looking to snag some great deals at the same time as helping a good cause. While it’s possible to take the dimmer view that it’s an easy way for an organiser to make a quick buck, that would be pretty unfair – if you believe in the charitable roots behind a couple of these bundles then they’re doing a lot of good at a time of year when it matters the most. Even if a bundle doesn’t donate part of its proceeds to charity, it’s still a good way to get some games you might otherwise have overlooked for an excellent price. Stocking fillers ahoy!

Read on to see all of the currently running bundles that are clamouring for your attention…

First we have The Humble Indie Bundle #4. From the people who started the whole bundle phenomenon off, this is actually their eighth compilation of games that they’ve offered up, and it’s a darn good one too: Visually sumptuous bullet hell shoot ‘em up Jamestown, pixelly reflex tester Bit.Trip.Runner, acclaimed platformer Super Meat Boy, gritty tale of revenge Shank, and rolling stone NightSky HD as standard. There’s also strategic explosion factory Gratuitous Space Battles and magnificent adventure Cave Story+ included if you pay more than the average price. Eek! That’s a lot of adjectives for a lot of games!

Next we have Indie Royale’s Christmas Bundle. For some titles that aren’t quite so well-known you may want to give this a look – it contains The Blackwell Trilogy: Remastered, a quality series of three point ‘n’ click adventures; Eets, an endearing puzzler that’s far more cerebral than it looks; Dino D-Day, a FPS exploring an alternative WW2; and The Oil Blue, a satirical action simulator of the oil business. Ticks all the right boxes and covers all bases pretty darn well.

Third up is the Little Big Bunch, a newcomer to the bundle party but boasting a juicy selection of five classy indie titles. It features polished platformer Explodemon, the only game I know of with a self-exploding hero, and Frozen Synapse, a fine turn-based strategy game set in a strange blue cyberverse. It has more, too, in the form of New Star Soccer 5 for all you football fans, Munch’s Oddysee for those who love helping aliens, and Serious Sam Double D for those who just want to shoot aliens with literally stacks of guns!

Last but certainly not least is the free-to-download 99 Percent Bundle, a pack of games from developers that you almost certainly won’t have heard of. Does that mean you should ignore them? Absolutely not! It includes a ginormous thirteen games to enjoy, including NeonPlat Adventures (by AGameAWeek’s Jayenkai), pleasant Flash game Diamond Hollow II, and the fantastically-titled Next Time I Won’t Trust The Man In The White Van. I dare you not to check out this pack just through sheer curiosity!

Surely somewhere amongst this selection of 31 titles is a game to tweak your interest. But if there isn’t… word on the street is there’s probably another bundle coming out next week. Just you wait and see if I’m not right

Happy bundling!

So here’s the story: After a chain of poorly-communicated delays spanning through 2009, the $12 / £10 WiiWare release of the game in North America last year was deservedly well-received but expensive and somewhat glitchy. It included one particularly annoying bug with music playback when the original music tracks were selected instead of the default remixed tracks (which some people – including myself – didn’t like). Not only did it take eight months to get these problems patched out but it took ten months after the NA release for the game to get to Europe. Meh. So far, so mediocre.

Then there was the DSiWare release for portable gamers to enjoy Quote’s adventures. Cool. But a year on from the Japanese and North American releases last November, it still isn’t available in Europe, despite a suggestion from Joystiq it would be out around Q2 of this year. It seems likely that Euro gamers will now never see that version due to the incoming Cave Story 3D for the 3DS (which – who’d have guessed? – has also been delayed). Based on their track record, who knows when the 3DS incarnation will arrive in Euroland…

Surely things can’t get any more ridiculous. But wait! Yes they do!

Time rolls forward to September of this year, when Cave Story+ first appears. It features a smattering of new features and an unlockable new level, Wind Temple, designed to be roughly as difficult as Sanctuary (the hardest level of the original game). Where’s the best place for this masterpiece? Erm… on Mac OSX, apparently. Nicalis no doubt believed it was another platform to attract customers on. However, the original game was already playable on Mac using Wine - and just like the old PC version, it supported mods, too. {EDIT: As mentioned in the comments, there is in fact a true Mac port of Cave Story available through this page} I can’t divine exactly why CS+ went here first – presumably because it was something that was easy for them to do? – but at this point the “cross-platform” excuse is being stretched fairly thin.

Now, a couple of months later and well over a year after the game started its journey into the mainstream, Windows users have a chance to be milked for their dosh in a direct port of this latest version. Frankly I no longer accept the argument of wanting to make the game as cross-platform as possible; Nicalis have done far more to turn Cave Story into a cash-cow for the most convenient audiences than they’ve done to genuinely improve it.

And if you’re thinking that I’m a hypocritical fanboy who only loves something while it’s free – nothing could be further from the truth. Despite my gripes I’m delighted that many more people have the chance of playing this gem. I simply wish that Pixel had a direct Paypal link so I could pay him £30 without any of it lining the pockets of a greedy publisher who seems to have not lifted their little finger for the European fan base until now – and that in only an incidental way (a Mac to PC port through Steam couldn’t have been difficult).

TL; DR: Simply put, for the relatively small amount of work Nicalis have done to the game – compared to the effort Pixel has put in to get the new versions ready – I do not believe they warrant their share of the loot. Delays are something Nicalis are experts at. Right back at ya, guys: I’m delaying giving you my money. Permanently.

Yes, I’m bitter, and I’ll stick right here with the original game, thanks.

Once again it was The Gnome’s Lair that enlightened me with the knowledge of this particularly sparkly treasure, and I can safely say the game’s creator nyarlu labs (also known as brandon and, on Twitter, @cucumberoneye) has played an absolute blinder with this one.

This game is nuttier than an almond nutcake with cashew and pecan topping. For an unrelated sidenote, forget about the whole game aspect, it’s great fun to just leave running in the background for amusement purposes since it provides an excellent audio accompaniment to whatever you may be typing: As I write this, I am being serenaded by a beautifully bonkers selection of 8-bit noises upon each cursor key tap and each press of the WASD keys…

But, erm, yes. Read on after the break for some words that actually pertain to the gameplay!

Forget-Me-Not is a game crying out to be put into an arcade cabinet. While the developer says that their inspiration was an obscure type-in C64 game called Crossroads, to a layman it acts like a psychedelic lovechild of Pacman and Wizard of Wor that caught a bad case of fractals in its youth.

You must help your square hero to wend his way through a series of randomly-generated levels in an effort to pick up all the flowers growing within, racking up bonuses and claiming your rightful place at the top of the scoreboard in true arcade style. The more flowers you pick consecutively, the more points you get. There are monsters to dodge, of course, but otherwise it’s perfectly simple! Hold on, though, I feel a “but” coming on…

To complete a level you still need to grab the key to the level exit, probably from one of the enemies that decided to start lugging it around behind them. Apart from having mundane, lock-opening properties, the key is also quite handy for protecting yourself where you have to travel down a wrapping corridor – since it’s apparently made of laserproof metal, your constantly-fired bullets will fizzle harmlessly on it, rather than burning right through your backside.

As you dash and weave around the chaos that inevitably erupts around you, there’s a neat mechanic of wall-grinding that heats you up, making you whiz along at a nippier rate and letting you bosh enemies up close and personal by crashing into them. A useful thing, and sometimes the only way to attack certain obstacles.

In the later levels things get downright zany and completely unpredictable as more vicious flavours of enemies start to appear. Some will leave a gelatinous goop behind them encasing the flowers you’re trying to collect; others that look suspiciously like wizzrobes will amuse themselves by flinging mortar-like fireballs of death across the arena; and yet others will go berserk when you shoot them by running off and self-destructing, taking a part of the maze with them. Oho, ha, yes – and don’t get me started on the plague-like diamond wotsits that simply clone themselves everywhere if you try to shoot them…

The mazes of each screen are suitably dynamic. With a steady flow of low-res destruction taking its toll on the architecture it pays to keep your plan flexible as new corridors are created and others become spontaneously guarded by monsters. Through it all, traditional blippy sounds go hand-in-hand with my favourite style of graphics taken straight from the early 16-bit era of “hey, we can do full-on rainbow strobes now!” school of thought, bringing back to mind great times spent with Llamatron on the Amiga. It’s bright, bold, and completely unafraid of being as retro as it gets.

If none of this has convinced you, well, I can do no more except to suggest that you download it now for either Windows or Mac and have a damn good chuckle at some rip-roaringly pure oldschool goodness. You can also support the author and buy it for your iThing of choice for just £1.49 at the time of writing.

It may kill you with a horribly unfair level or it may smile on you with a perfect chain of flowers – either way, Forget-Me-Not should surely be remembered as a unique arcade blaster of rare quality and playability.

Ranger by menki
Jump into the boots of a ranger and do rangerly things like plant trees, harvest the fruit they grow and, erm, use them to kill nasty monsters. Defend the forest! ‘Cos you’re a ranger, and that’s what rangers do! Feels like a quirky combination of Rogue and Harvest Moon. Curiously enough, it seems to work. Playable but unfinished; could easily grow into something big, har har! 75%

ro9 by Crackerblocks
Controlling one character at a time is just so 80s. Fortunately Crackerblocks is here to break the mould and give you the chance of controlling 9 (!!) adventurers simultaneously! Quite simply you job is to get as many of them “ascended” as possible, remembering that each move you make is mirrored across all nine of your heroes. A simple idea implemented really well, making brilliant use of Oryx’s first-person graphics. 84%

Roguelet by Hyperlogic
Sadly, without a Mac, I was unable to play this one. Shame – it looks interesting…

Running Pandja by prof
What is this, Bleeding Obvious Name Day or something? Now, this may come as a shock, so best sit down before I tell you that this game involves a panda… that can run. Just think of it as really short version of Knytt. Explaining more about it would ruin the 2 minutes of gameplay. Barring some kooky dialogue (English or Gibberish? You decide) there’s not much to see here. Way too short… but does have an editor. 41%

Mushroomer by Jotapeh
Seeing the phrase “Just like a real video game!” immediately made me smile, but sadly the rest of the game couldn’t quite pull off enough to keep that smile on my face. A run and jump platformer made vaguely interesting with slidey controls and ninja rope goodness. Escape the cave before you lose all your lives or a ten minute timer expires. Competently done (nice backdrop!) and points for the rope, but a tad plain. 63%

Mushroom Stew by iarwain
Wahey, more mushrooms! You can never have enough mushrooms, folks. In this case you have to blast through a story of confusion and deception to find out why your mushroom buddies are suddenly trying to kill you. Use your crouching and time-bending skills to reach the end. Technically very good with several tricks used to enliven the graphics – sharp gameplay too, if a tad repetitive. Even has a level editor! 77%

Oh Crackers, Not Again! by The Greenest Banana
In a spicy, tangy twist to normality, here you have to protect a helpless little girl as she tries to get back home following a path which is infested with monsters. You take the part of her faithful and happily indestructible hound who can jump on enemies’ heads to stop them from being such a nuisance. A charming Flash effort but quite challenging even on the easiest difficulty. Needs more levels but still a great effort. 78%

One Pack by MrRoboman
Being a toned ace space pilot is all very well but it’s oh-so-easy to pile on the pounds in your retirement. Such is the problem Ace Fatman now faces in his quest for… okay, I have no idea what his quest is, since this game is one for the “unfinished” pile. But it’s enough to raise a guffaw at the creative use of assets. Multi-purpose flab, anyone? Throw a can or three of polish at this and it could have an entertaining future! 52%

discussion forum

GoonSwarm were founded by members of the Something Awful community and achieved notoriety for being one of the least restrictive groups to inhabit the outer reaches of space, operating under the philosophy that anyone, regardless of skill, should be able to get a taste of what life can be like in 0.0 territory. Their sudden departure from the region leaves a massive vacuum that may well trigger a widescale conflict for control of valuable resources.

No official explanation has yet been given for why the alliance has broken up in this way, but whatever the reason, it’s definitely a pivotal moment in EVE‘s history.

One thing I forgot to mention in the first TAR post is that the download links will point you to the final competition version of the games – bear in mind there may also be further updated downloads! For the most recent links be sure to check the TIGForum threads.

Anyhow, this installment should be a good one, so let’s not hang around any longer. Here they come…

Bang Bang Roguelution by Sos
Holy macaroni, it’s a thinly veiled clone of Dance Dance Revolution complete with hordes of retro sprites! Get ready to mash your keyboard like there’s no tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, you can bag yourself a highscore. Includes 23 blippy tunes to savour the madness with. Steer clear of this one if you are prone to seizures, but otherwise get in there and have a laugh! 71%

BirdyWorld by Logan Ames
Billed as a “collaborative Zelda“, this has to be one of the competition’s star entries. Explore a world that has been created by other players (that includes the monsters and dungeons, too) and expand the world yourself as you go! A cool concept indeed. It’s let down by the lack of any sound or music, but the gameplay is horribly addictive despite the lack of clear objectives… 83%

Bitworld by Ivan Safrin
Imaginative use of 2.5D makes this another strong challenger for an Assemblee victory. It’s a Roguelike dungeon romp where you take either a knight, wizzard (sic) or archer into ye olde dwarven fortress in order to defeat the stompy red demon of doom which has invaded the place. Very, very smoothly done. Switching between axiseses is fun! 86%

Bleerg …
I couldn’t get this to work, so I’ll return to it later in TAR when I’ve had chance to find out why it hates me

Boulder Dodge by EzekielKnight
A single-screen time attack where you must keep the counter running for as long as possible while picking up gems and multipliers to increase your score. And, weirdly enough, there are these boulder thingies which you have to… erm… give me a minute… dodge, that was it, dodge! Or they’ll bash you on the head and make you lose, and stuff. Nothing special – good, simple fun for a few minutes. 59%

Quick note: click on the or icons for an appropriate download link, or  to visit the relevant thread on the TIGForums. Anything not safe for work is marked with a .

6nine by JMickle
Oh, good. A game packed with male reproductive organs. How original! This game isn’t just made of cocks – it is cock. Almost non-existant gameplay. In truth, a waste of perfectly good bandwidth. 15%

30 Bomb of Awesome Frags by C. A. Sinclair
“I seize my material!” Quite fun. Bonus points for nonsensical storyline. Short but tough gameplay in a style you could liken to  Meritous – navigate through a dungeon and kill enemies by charging your attacks to release bombs. 74%

87 Spiderbats go to the Inn by Sos
Points awarded for technical skill – this is a proper Atari 2600 game! Nice, but unfortunately the game itself is rather basic. Stop the dreaded spiderbats from invading your inn by killing 87 of them before you lose all your lives or too many get past you. 58%

Backworld by Juha Kangas & Anders Ekermo
An impressive game with an interesting gameplay mechanic. Guide the rabbit to the end of each screen in a grayscale world. To do so you will need to paint holes into the “backworld” to erase obstacles, reveal platforms or even reverse gravity. Good stuff. 84%

Expect more TAR over the weekend!