Gridrunner Revolution
Encyclopedia
Gridrunner Revolution is an action game developed by Llamasoft for the PC
. It was released on the 25th September 2009. On 18 December 2009 Llamasoft released an updated version with integrated Online Scoreboards (and also reduced the price) On 23 February 2010 the game was made available to buy on Steam
's earlier PC
and Pocket PC
game Gridrunner++
. The original intention was to convert Gridrunner++ to XBLA with new graphics and gameplay mechanics. However, after a near-complete version of the demo was submitted to Microsoft
for approval for XBLA, Llamasoft received no response - neither positive or negative. They thus continued to develop the PC version of the game, which was originally intended to be released after the XBLA version as with Space Giraffe
. In the course of adapting the game to be primarily a PC game, a number of improvements to the gameplay were added, which dramatically changed the play of the game. The name Gridrunner Revolution was suggested by Sin, a member of the YakYak forum to indicate this advancement.
The game plays as follows:
, awarded the game 8/10
Gamereactor
- 8/10
Hardcore Gamer - 4.5/5
Wired News
- 9/10
Destructoid
- 7.5/10
Gamespot
- Hands-On preview
Dead Pixel Live - 8/10
8-Bit Rocket - Grade A
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. It was released on the 25th September 2009. On 18 December 2009 Llamasoft released an updated version with integrated Online Scoreboards (and also reduced the price) On 23 February 2010 the game was made available to buy on Steam
History
Gridrunner Revolution was originally named Gridrunner+++ to indicate its status as an enhanced version of Jeff MinterJeff Minter
Jeff 'Yak' Minter is a British computer/video game designer and programmer. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and his recent works include Neon , a non-game music visualization program that has been built into the Xbox 360 console, and the video games Space Giraffe , and Space Invaders...
's earlier PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
game Gridrunner++
Gridrunner++
Gridrunner++ is a shooting game written by Jeff Minter for Windows. It has since been ported to Mac OS X, to the iPhone and to a portable Java applet. It was offered only as shareware for download from the Llamasoft website, with a registration fee of £5. Its sequel is Gridrunner...
. The original intention was to convert Gridrunner++ to XBLA with new graphics and gameplay mechanics. However, after a near-complete version of the demo was submitted to Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
for approval for XBLA, Llamasoft received no response - neither positive or negative. They thus continued to develop the PC version of the game, which was originally intended to be released after the XBLA version as with Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe is an action arcade video game by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. Space Giraffe visually resembles the arcade classic Tempest, an arcade game by Atari Inc. released in October, 1981, though Minter claims that it is not a clone of this game. The game was released on August...
. In the course of adapting the game to be primarily a PC game, a number of improvements to the gameplay were added, which dramatically changed the play of the game. The name Gridrunner Revolution was suggested by Sin, a member of the YakYak forum to indicate this advancement.
Gameplay
Minter has released a screenshot-based 'tutorial' on his yakyak.org forum detailing some of the basics of the game.The game plays as follows:
- The game begins play as a straightforward "bottom-up" shooter as with Gridrunner++Gridrunner++Gridrunner++ is a shooting game written by Jeff Minter for Windows. It has since been ported to Mac OS X, to the iPhone and to a portable Java applet. It was offered only as shareware for download from the Llamasoft website, with a registration fee of £5. Its sequel is Gridrunner...
, but the player can (and is required to) rotate the ship. The game can still be controlled purely using the mouse; the mouse buttons rotate the ship, or the player may use the keyboard for this. An alternate game mode, "Thrusty Mode", has the mouse control the thrust vector of the player's ship, with rotation becoming automatic; this is unlocked when the second difficulty level is completed for the first time.
- "Sheepies" fall from the top of the screen at regular intervals; collecting a sheepie increases the score multiplier by 1 and upgrades the ship's weaponry. When the player's ship is destroyed, it is thrown slightly upwards and then begins to fall off the bottom of the screen; if it falls completely off the bottom, a life is lost. The player may move their ship left and right to cause it to bounce off active enemies, and collecting a sheepie in this state brings the ship back to life without a life being lost (a "sheepie save").
- The player can choose between several different ships, with different firing patterns. The player can switch between ships on the fly, using the keyboard or mouse wheel. Each ship represents one of the player's lives, so when a life is lost, so is the ship that was in use at the time; and gaining extra lives makes new ships available. In addition, there are four "super ship types" that must be unlocked, by completing each of the four difficulty levels, in order to be added to the rotation of possible ships.
- Certain levels feature "suns", which cause the player's shots to bend with gravity. Using more intricate bullet routes to shoot enemies yields more points. Shooting at the sun eventually transforms it into a "black hole", which grants an extra ship and removes the normal 9x limit on the score multiplier. The sun or black hole may also fire shots at the player; on the earlier difficulty levels, the black hole does not fire, and thus opening the black hole may be used to stop the sun from firing. On the later difficulty levels, the black hole also fires.
- There are 50 stages, which can be played on multiple difficulty levels: KormaKormaKorma is a dish originating in South Asia or Central Asia which can be made with yoghurt, cream, nut and seed pastes or coconut milk; it is usually considered a type of curry...
, MadrasMadras sauceMadras curry or Madras sauce is a fairly hot curry sauce, red in color and with heavy use of chili powder.-Origins:Madras curry is said to originate from the south of India and gets its name from the city of Madras now known as Chennai, when English merchants arrived there in 1640...
, VindalooVindalooVindaloo is an Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. It is popular globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often renowned as a particularly spicy dish, though it is not necessarily always the hottest available. The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish...
and PhallPhallPhall is a British Asian Indian curry dish, which originated in Indian restaurants in the UK, and is not to be confused with the char-grilled, gravyless, finger food phall from Bangalore...
. However, the stages are not played in strict order: when first started, only levels 1-20 of Korma are available. When level 20 is completed, the player is deemed to have completed the mode, and levels 1-30 of Madras are unlocked; every level from 21-30 of Madras completed unlocks the corresponding level in Korma. This pattern continues through all of the difficulty levels.
- Simulated versions of the original VIC-20 and C64 releases of Gridrunner are included.
Reception
The first online review, by EurogamerEurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
, awarded the game 8/10
Gamereactor
Gamereactor
Gamereactor is one of Northern Europe's biggest game magazine and Gaming sites that covers video- and computer games as well as mobile phone-games and indie-titles. It started in Denmark in 1998 by Morten Reichel and Claus Reichel - first years under the name Gamez.dk. The Magazine and Online...
- 8/10
Hardcore Gamer - 4.5/5
Wired News
Wired News
Wired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...
- 9/10
Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
- 7.5/10
Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
- Hands-On preview
Dead Pixel Live - 8/10
8-Bit Rocket - Grade A
External links
- Gridrunner Revolution Wikia page
- Matt Cundy's preview of Gridrunner Revolution - 2009's most insane shooter for Games Radar
- Mersey Remakes' review of Gridrunner Revolution
- 42 screenshots at gamespot.com