Achievement Unlocked
The Blue Elephant player avatar is iconic if you frequented Armor Games in the late 2000s and early 2010s. But I’ve chosen this trio specifically because I always played them, especially the second. Not only the design, but also the peppy Kevin MacLeod music that dominates the first five floors suddenly changing to sombre adventure music you’d only play if you were about to climb to the top of an epic hill or something. I’m not sure where the creator got the idea from, but it works wonders! Interestingly, said creator has a Wikipedia Page listing A LOT of, I assume, Flash Player Games he’s created… With no years or additional information next to the vast majority of them. Sounds like a job for The Curious Aspie if enough people are interested!
Factory Balls
This Bart Bonte game is also iconic because of how challenging the concept is. Taking an ordinary white ball and using all the tools and paints provided in a very specific order that you work out through trial and error to achieve the objective on screen. Puzzle games like that I can take or leave primarily because it comes down to my comfort zone and if I can grasp the concept of the game. And with this one, I can. Now there are actually four games in this series but since it’s Christmas Day, I’ve chosen this one to represent the series. This creator also has a Wikipedia Page with incomplete information on games worked on and when. At this rate, I think I might start a series where I fill in the gaps in information like this. Mostly because I am that kind of guy!
Isoball
I’m highlighting this one because what I loved most about it is the sound effect used when the ball shatters after falling off the track or into oblivion. But also, it’s another Trial-and-Error puzzle series that I think would be great for those who like Daily Puzzles, like me. The objective is to set up an elaborate path using the pieces provided so that the ball can simply roll from its starting block to the exit hole in one go. There are many pieces to wrap your head around and later versions also had a Sandbox Mode where you could customise your own paths using all the pieces you had to wrap your head around in the main game. I think these games would also definitely benefit from some tidying up of the sound effect quality, which is so early 2000s…
Truck Loader
My fourth offering is Truck Loader. In this series, you are a mechanical loading machine with a metal magnet that attracts cargo boxes. Your goal is to navigate the constantly changing warehouse environment and deliver the cargo into the Delivery Truck’s Yellow Zones. You sometimes need to handle with care and ensure others are upside first. All without destroying your magnet or falling into oblivion by making careless mistakes. This is the kind of series I played a fair bit, and this particular series is one of my favourites, hence why I want to see the collection in the Steam Vault. But like Isoball, its sound effects and music could use some TLC on the quality front, although granted these games were made in the 2000s so post-processing and 1080p Quality were alien to most indie game creators at the time.
Roly-Poly Cannon
For my final entry, at least in this selection, I present the Roly-Poly Cannon series. Some of them may look like innocent characters, but the overwhelming majority are not and deserve one thing: ELIMINATION! Whether that’s by Bombs from a Cannon, waterways, fire pits, spikes, whatever. Advance through each level by getting rid of every single piece of evil! In as few shots as possible. I played two of this series most: Roly-Poly Cannon 2, which had themed enemies in groups of five and Roly-Poly Cannon: Bloody Monsters Pack because of the Hallowe’en theme and achievements that were available, which I always find attractive.
Now, this is only a small, but representative, sample of the Flash Games I came across growing up. Do you know the names of any others I might also have played? Or perhaps you think this whole topic warrants a second look and many more examples? Leave your thoughts and memories in the comments below. Right now… I just want to play Roblox and think about how I’m going to shop until I drop the day after Boxing Day!
After I’m done with both of those things, join me on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day as I reflect on the first few months of this Blog’s existence and what you can expect in 2025. And maybe a few other things.
Until then, this has been The Aspie behind The ADog Blog. Speaking by myself, for myself. Unlike Autism Speaks.
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