This is the first of my Easter offerings from the myriad of free games out there!
Amphibix (35.6Mb)
Amphibix is a cute and entertaining arcade puzzle game originally introduced as a commercial game - but is now free (as freeware)! You latch your frog’s tongue either directly or indirectly to get to the lowest number tile on the screen. There are various hazards to avoid such as moving and stationary spikes, stomping spikes, bombs, moving circular saws, lightning, lava and more, sometimes needing several jumps, avoiding higher numbers than the lowest where you can for maximum points, and things like moving platforms Frogger-style to either help or frustrate you getting where you need to be. You then repeat the whole procedure consecutively from the lowest number up until you have reached each number tile on the screen in order starting with the lowest, thereby successfully completing each screen. You can retrace your steps and re-use blank tiles and number tiles over and over to hop between or from.
The level exit shows as a white tile when you have reached all of the numbers in the correct order. Using higher numbers may be needed on some levels, but reduces the point score if you need to do so. Reaching five numbers in a row in the correct upwards order gets you hyper power - which for a short while shows the next correct number and makes you temporarily invulnerable to the hazards.
There’s a brief intro tutorial just to get you started. There is a storyline about rescuing Komiko interwoven into the game. There are three game slots to allow for different players or to replay levels with numbers arranged differently.
You use the mouse to control movement by clicking where you wish to go using your tongue. You can change direction mid-hop if need be by quickly latching on to another tile. Your tongue will reach anywhere on the screen, and you need to make it safely to the exit after clearing all the number tiles. There’s a time limit for each level and you have 5 lives per level. Progress is saved when you complete a level. If you have to repeat a level, it is regenerated with fresh numbers to make it more challenging; than simply replaying it with the same numbers. You also get a bonus by moving quickly - streaking from tile to tile correctly.
The screen is a top down semi-isometric view and the graphics are bright and gloriously colorful. The game has 99 levels with a further ‘endless’ mode if you complete all of the levels to get the necessary code! The music and sounds are mp3 making them changeable if you wish. You could even change some of the game sprites if wished, though you might need to keep them the same screen area in size. ’F4’ changes between windowed and full screen mode, or you can set this via the menu, which also has a music on/off setting. Full scoring is shown for each level after completing it, and there's a high score table.
While the graphics could be improved a little detail wise, it looks fine when playing. Gameplay is mostly relaxed rather than intense, but you do sometimes need to act/react quickly. For shorter time periods it’s a great game, though you might wish to play it over shorter sessions as interest can lag a bit playing it over a longer length of time. It’s also educational for children while being good fun at the same time. The download is the full version. There may be many different routes to try between tiles which adds to the game's interest and enjoyability.
It’s an interestingly different game, with a unique style of gameplay that you might well wish to add to your freebie collection!
