Developers can make some fantastic games, but sometimes the community can produce some great stuff too. With creation tools available in many games now, it’s only fair that we feature some of your stuff from time to time too!
 

This time we are going back to Game Builder Garage – a game we loved, despite the tedious tutorials and lack of support. The latter of which remains the game’s biggest crime, as the game still has a very active community that is coming up with some fantastic stuff. It requires a bit more effort than some of the other creators, but the results are definitely worth it.

Let’s have a look at some of the recent creations that caught our eye!

AN UNUSUAL TRIP
Dalmont | G 004 L4P YGR

I’m not going to lie, the rather generic title gave me rather low expectations for this one, but it ended up being my favourite of the batch. It’s just so ambitious and it mostly works rather well too.

The first thing that impressed me was the great opening cutscene, as an opening blurb turns into a floating note that lands in the chimney of a mushroom house. After landing, out pops our Mario-looking protagonist built out of shapes, and it really is impressive to look at. Of course, being made out of shapes means that the control is a bit stiffer than the normal Person protagonist, but it’s still completely functional.

The game then goes from being a standard 2D platformer, to having Super Mario Galaxy style planet exploration and then some brutal gravity shifting shenanigans. It’s extremely ambitious, even if the latter section is a bit too challenging -especially with the very narrow death zone.

Even though it could do with some latter game tweaks, this is still a great example of the incredible stuff that can be achieved through Game Builder Garage.

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NODON GALAXY
KIRBYSUPER | G 001 T5X 83F

Speaking of ambitious (and Super Mario Galaxy), we have another one inspired by the Nintendo classic albeit this time in 3D and starring our friendly neighbourhood Person.

The goal is to collect 12 apples, which are scattered across the three platforming areas with a few more in the hub world. There’s a Toy World, a Water World, and one other that I couldn’t reach because the shooting star didn’t work. And the water world bubble didn’t work either, resulting in me falling through.

Regardless though, a lot of effort has been put in to making platforming challenges reminiscent of Galaxy and Sunshine’s secret stages. They don’t all work, especially as you die in one hit, but it’s a good starting point. With some of the elements being tightened up a bit, this could be a pretty lengthy and fun experience!

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STREETPASSER
Mr Docena | G 008 6J7 HTB

Moving onto something completely different now, and we have Streetpasser. As the name suggests, it’s themed around the Streetpass mechanic of the 3DS. The goal is to make ten new friends by passing their general vicinity and adding them to your collection.

People can be found in erratically moving buses, inside buildings, or just running around the street. It’s a cute little gimmick, especially as your fella wags his arms around while running (or crawling in my case, as I managed to break the sprite a little).

I had a lot of fun with this one as it’s a rather unique little concept, and the small touches – such as the streetpass notification when successful – make it all the more charming. The stamina system is a little bit too annoying, making you tired out in mere moments, but it’s a small gripe in an otherwise fun little game.

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ORY’S APPLE FETCH
Dallas | G 002 4XX K3X

Harkening back to Nintendo’s history is all very well and good, but it’s also nice to see some completely original ideas too, and that’s where Ory’s Apple Fetch comes in. As the name implies, Ory needs to collect apples. It’s not clear why, so perhaps he’s just a little hungry.

What I love the most about this game is that the visuals are completely unique. Simple, but everything gels together so well. Ory and the world around him is simple, but the bright colours and clean outlines make it very pleasing. Ory also controls really well too, with a kick nicely complementing his platforming.

There’s only really one area for you to explore and find the apples, but it consists of various different challenges. There’s walljumping, skateboards, rising plants, blocks for you to kick and so on. Collecting an apple will place it on your head and then you can take them to the basket at the start. Ory can only carry a maximum of five, so return trips are essential.

It’s a cute little game, even though I couldn’t figure out how to get one specific apple for the life of me. Never mind, it’s still worth your time and attention. 

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BOB-OMB’S REVENGE
thetoiletslayer |G 008 6J8 3PM

For our final entry, we’re going back to Mario: except this time we’re killing him rather than playing as him. Set inside the Battle Course from Super Mario Kart (complete with a pleasing map in the corner), the goal is to make it to Mario and blow him up.

To make things more difficult, Mario is in a kart and you move pretty slow. Activating your fuse will cause you to speed ahead, but you’ll also blow up shortly after. This speed boost is vital to success. Unless the AI gets Mario stuck in a corner, of course!

It’s a short game, but also very well made. The course recreation, the character models, the map – everything is just so well made. It may not take up more than a few minutes of your time, but it’s certainly worth trying out at the very least! 

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