Star Guard

  Star Guard may have old school graphics but it's gameplay is rich and it's story telling method is awesome. Like some other indie games your previous lives don't just go away, they happened. In this game it was just another guy that died and you are now in control of the person that was behind you. The games simple graphics, simple controls and awesome concept really shine through here.
  This game is about a bunch of guys. These guys are fighting aliens. Though the aliens may kill some of them, they know that they will prevail in the end. The aliens must be defeated before they're armies reach the group's home. But the fighting is tough, and you're never quite sure if you'll be able to do it.
  I really like the game towards the end, it's storytelling really captured me then and I was really looking forward to what was going to happen next. I HAD to beat the game at that point. I'm not a fan of the huge wall of rpg plot that some story driven games have, so the way this game displays it's story is awesome to me. Alot of games these days are trying to pull this sort of thing off but they all fall short of Star Guard.


Get it here: http://vacuumflowers.com/star_guard/star_guard.html

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Minecraft (classic)

  Minecraft is a free range sandbox of fun. This game is kind of like playing with legos, you can build just about anything you want. The combining functions of the game make the process of building things more of a challenge then legos ever were though. In end up having to chop down trees and mine deep into the earth in order to create the type of bricks you want. You can also build other things then bricks if you know the right combos.
  This game is about a guy. This guy needs to build stuff. He needs to build stuff because he needs to hide at night, because that's when the monsters come out. In all honesty there's not really much of a plot to minecraft, but you can think one up for yourself if you'd like.
  When I first played this game, I couldn't stop for hours. It gets pretty addicting and you find yourself searching everywhere for those certain blocks you need to finally make that last wall to your golden fort. There's also a pay version of the game that gets updates all the time and there's also an online element to this game. It's one of the most well known Indie games there is.


Play it here: http://www.minecraft.net/play.jsp

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Spike - A Love Story

  Spike - A Love Story lets you play a side scroller as a character no other sidescroller has ever featured as the main character. In this game you get to be a spike trap. Simple 1 button controls let you slam down your spikes to kill passers by. Anyone who's ever wanted to play the villain instead of the hero in a video game should give this game a look. It's an instant classic.
  This game is about a spike trap. The spike trap loves the man who runs under him. By love him, I mean he loves to squish him. The man doesn't like this and tries everything he can think of to outsmart the spike trap and run past him. Running past him isn't enough though. As anyone who's ever played a sidescroller knows, you end up playing the same board more than once and could easily end up needing to past the same spike trap something like 25 times. Which is the number of tries the man gets in this game. If the trap lets him by too many times, despite his love for the man, he will be fired.
  I really like the unique gameplay in this game. Spike manages to remain entertaining despite having very little player interaction. Playing this game is like watching a cartoon that you can interact with. I really enjoyed this one, and just had to play it more than a couple times. Good Luck!


Play it here: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/568517

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Dragonball

  Dragonball is best known as the prequel to the very popular series, Dragonball Z. Dragonball is the origin story of most of the characters in Dragonball, and it is basically the same show just the first part of it. But, it's different in many ways. So different that it's got a different title. This show is based loosen off the one of the the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Journey to the West. This was kind of like a modern retelling of that story. Unlike Dragonball Z, the Earth is alot more magical, instead of being based off of real life like it is in Dragonball Z.
  Dragonball is about a little boy. This boy lives alone in the wild, until a girl finds him. The girl is searching for magical Dragonballs in order to gain the wish the person gets when they find them all. The boy has one of these balls but refuses to give it to her, so she instead takes the boy with her. The boy turns out to be really strong and helps the girl defeat all the foes that they come across.
  I was a big fan of this show when I first saw it. It's really a fun show, and has alot of magical things going on yet you don't get lost in the insanity of it all. The part where the pig man wishes for a simple pair of girls underwear is priceless.


Watch the first episode here:  http://www.123video.nl/playvideos.asp?EMB=EmbedLayer&MovieID=116074

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Bleach

  Bleach is about samurais who are really grim reapers, who all live in a place styled like old Japan which is really more like heaven or something. There's a hell in the show too, which is where the demons, or "hollows", come from that the samurais/grim reapers fight. The show focuses alot on the inter-workings of the samurai heaven and the powers the samurais there possess. All of this is done through fighting of course, which is why this anime is so popular. Everyone loves a strange fight, full of crazy powers.
  This anime is about a boy who sees dead people. One day he also sees a demon, and a girl who is fighting that demon, or "hollow". The hollow attacks the boy and his family and the girl saves him but also injures herself greatly. In order to defeat the "hollow" the girl gives the boy her fighting powers and thus the boy starts kicking everything's ass. The girl ends up getting in trouble for doing this, but the boy ends up being so awesome that....
  I really liked this show at first, but the seasons of filler, like in Naruto, really ruin the show. For my thoughts on filler episodes please see my posting for Naruto. The strong plot elements in this show really hold it back from becoming better than it is. However it's still one of the most popular anime out there.


Watch the first episode here: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=FQKUIHHO

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Naruto

Naruto is one of the most popular anime of all time. Despite it's terrible "filler" episodes it still manages to keep the veiwers coming back time and time again. It's basically the new Dragonball Z. Like Star Trek or Star Wars, fans of the show have a term that is used to describe them. That term is "Narutards". It may not be the nicest of things to call someone, but you have to acknowledge that the show must be pretty darn popular if the fan's are that well known.
This anime is about a boy ninja. This boy ninja has the most powerful demon in the world trapped within him. The anime documents his ninja journey as he goes form a ninja boy to a ninja man. He hopes to be the most powerful ninja of all time, but he doesn't show much promise.
I was a big fan of the Naruto series when it first came out. However, the long seasons of filler episodes really killed the show for me. By filler episodes, I mean episodes that aren't based off the original manga. These episodes are normally much more goofy, or meaningless then the rest of the show. Since the show needs to stick to the plot of the manga after the filler episodes are over, nothing important can really happen in the filler episodes. An episode where you know nothing important is going to happen is boring to watch.


Watch it here: http://naruto.viz.com/


Watch the first episode here: http://www.vizanime.com/ep/695?episode_number=1&referrer=viz_naruto&utm_campaign=narutoRedirect&utm_medium=redirect&utm_source=naruto.com

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SKET Dance

SKET Dance is not as dirty as it sounds. It takes place in a school, and could be described as kid friendly. Still, with a dance like SKET, it's worth a double take. This show actually takes a look at bullying and focuses on a group of kids that work against such things.
This anime is about a club. This school club acts as sort of a detective agency. However, the members of the club are all very weird and so they aren't really taken seriously. However, though they be weird, the club member's weirdness is also what makes them so great. They can accomplish tasks that no one else could because of the way they operate.
I picked this anime mostly based on the name. It was kinda funny so I figured I'd give it a shot. I wasn't that upset with what I ended up watching and you might find it enjoyable too. sket sket


Watch the first one here: http://veevr.com/videos/zjSz9nMq8/0

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Deadman Wonderland

Deadman Wonderland is a crazy thrill ride from the future. It's like watching an anime version of Super Jail. In fact, that's basically what it is. There's alot of things going on in this show that don't make sense. Hopefully things will become more clear later.
This anime is about a boy who is wrongly convicted of mass murder and sentenced to death. His death row sentence is carried out in a half jail half amusement park where the deaths of the inmates are the main attraction. The inmates are put through crazy challenges to earn time off their sentences or more time to live in the case of death row inmates. There's also a strange girl that follows the main character around that no one seems to think anything of. She's dressed like Marilyn Manson but no one seems to care that much. She's also super powerful.
I really like how original this anime seems to be. I think it could become something really special, but it also seems like it could suck. Only time will tell.


Watch it here.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7 (coming soon)

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Fault Line

Fault Line is a puzzling platformer. This game reminds me a lot of portal in the way that it presents it's puzzles. The player is in a small room that he has to reach the end of. The main character is an android, and he's a crazy device that let's him/her travel in a new and amazing way. Any fan of portal would be doing themselves a favor by playing this game.
  This game stars a little robot guy. This robot has been tasked with testing a new device that let's the user fold space. These "Fault Lines" the device creates seem to interact with the environment in very strange ways. The way it interacts with moving platforms is the weirdest. Instead of jumping from point a to point b, the platforms dissappear into the fault line's void.  All that would be well and good, if lasers didn't cross the fault line like the player can. What I'm trying to say, is that mechanic wise, I'm just not sure the developers thought about the reasons behind why the fault lines act the way they do.
  I really like the presentation of this game. The first couple of times I used the device, I felt like I had to go and show people this game. It's really fun to play around with. I just wish you didn't have to confine your fault lines to the weird power node things. But then again, the game would have been a lot easier then.


Play it here: http://www.nitrome.com/games/faultline/

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Solipskier

Solipskier is a game where you don't control the main character. You control the ground under his/her feet. Playable on some of the more popular handheld devices, Solipskier is easy to pick up and play. Can you beat my score of 1,213,476?
This game doesn't really have a plot. I mean, one could assume that the skier is blind or something, and some kind of super being is messing with him. That's kind of a sick plot though. So yea, I think I'm going to stick with the lack of plot angle on this one.
I really like the fast paced nature of this game. This is just one of those games that get addictive and even while playing it you're not really sure why. You should try it out, it's pretty fun.


Play it here: http://mikengreg.com/solipskier/

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Ao No Exorcist (The Blue Exorcist)

  The Blue Exorcist has a neat plot and good animation. The real life struggles of a hero are always interesting to me, and the scene in the first episode where the hero of the anime is working in a grocery store is priceless.
  This anime is about a boy who finds out he's the son of Satan. He has the ability to see the demons that lurk among us. He also has the ability to burst into blue flame. (hence the name) Having grown up in a church orphanage, the boy must now fight between his dark origins and his moral up bringing. It's a real case of nature versus nurture.
  Having started in the summer of 2011, this anime has only 4 episodes to date, but I think we should be expecting many more in the future.


Watch it here: http://www.hulu.com/blue-exorcist

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Synopsis Quest

  Synopsis Quest is like the cliffnotes to an rpg that doesn't exist. You play through all the interesting parts of an rpg and skip the boring parts. The game is split into 25 different quests. Each quest is like a mini puzzle, some of which are really tricky. I'd suggest this game to anyone who like's rpgs.
  This game is about a hero. This hero is on a quest to defeat an evil mage and save a princess. But things aren't always what they appear to be. The hero will have to use his knowledge of rpg games in order to solve all the quests he has in front of him and save the day.
  I really liked some of these puzzle quests. The one where you have to talk to the princess took me forever to get, and I laughed when I finally figured it out. I think that's my favorite part of this game. Most of the quest solutions are like little inside jokes for rpg players.


Play it here: http://www.skipmore.com/freegames/synopsis/synopsis.html

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Soul Brother

  Despite the silly name, this is a pretty fun game. Soul Brother is a platformer puzzle game. Much like Braid or Limbo. It's a neat little game where dieing is your tool for success. I think this game is suitable for everyone, but the puzzles might be too hard for younger players.
  This game is about a soul. Having just died, the soul tries to find enlightenment but can't. So it possess other bodies in order to search the world for enlightenment. Using the many different abilities of the different forms he finds, the soul gets past even the most hopeless terrains.
  I really like the gameplay mechanics in this game. I'm a huge fan of platform puzzlers, and this one has a really original gimmick. The achievement fruit give the game something to come back for after beating it. I hope to get them all soon.


Play it here:  http://games.adultswim.com/soul-brother-adventure-online-game.html

Super Crate Box

Super Crate Box is a fairly simple game. You have to collect crates without dieing. The more crates you collect the more points you get. Every time you get a crate your weapon changes and sometimes the weapon sucks. This game can be addicting, and I really like to see a game like this in an arcade somewhere.
The game stars a little guy. This little guy must get crates without getting killed by other little guys, floating skulls, really big guys, and more. That's about it. There's not really a plot to this game.
I really found some of the weapons to be really fun. The minigun really surprised me when I first got it. It shook the whole screen and blew away everything in my path. It's weapons like those that make you not want to get that next crate. But, if you don't get the crates, you don't progress in the game.


Download it here: http://www.supercratebox.com/?p=downloads

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FLCL

  FLCL is a 6 episode long music video. This anime revolves around the music of the band The Pillows. A large number of their songs are featured and seem to go with the flow of the anime seamlessly. This anime might be a bit too unusual for some, but might be the coolest things in the world for others.
  FLCL is about a boy. This boy has been followed around by his brother's ex-girlfriend ever since his brother left for America to play baseball. The boy sees the world as a very dull place, where nothing ever really happens. Then one day he's run over by a strange women on a scooter and strange things start to grow out of his head. Now his life is going out of control, but he still thinks everything is boring.
  My favorite part of this is the randomness of it all. The different art styles that pop in and out of the show really keep you on your toes. The final episode is also truly epic, and out does the finally of many many other shows.


Watch it here: http://www.hulu.com/flcl

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Don't Look Back

  Don't Look Back is a game where the story behind it is most of what makes the game great but you really have to think about it in order to fully grasp what's going on. This game can be sad. It takes a dark look at what many people go through when they lose a loved one. This game is also very beautiful, and may touch your heart when you play it.
  This game is about a man. This man seems to have just lost someone he loved very much. The game starts with the man standing over a grave. Then he's off. His target is the depths of the underworld. With a gun he finds along the way, he battles through the pits of hell in order to find the one he loves. Things take a turns for the strange when the man encounters the meaning of the title "Don't Look Back". It all end with a scene that will make you both sad and angry.
  My favorite part of this game is the respawning. This game could have been alot harder and more frustraighting if you went back very far after dieing, but thankfully you only go back to the beginning of the current screen you were on. I also really liked the message. Like many of the really good indies of today, it seemed more like an art piece than a video game.


You can play it here: http://www.kongregate.com/games/TerryCavanagh/dont-look-back

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Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu

  Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu is the sequal series of Full Metal Panic?, and Full Metal Panic? The Second Raid. All third have nothing to do with Full Metal Alchemist. Even though the first 2 series of this anime are serious, the Fumoffu series is done more in the tone of a comedy. The switch from serious anime to comedy really brings out some interesting forms of comedy that might otherwise be impossible.
  This anime is about a boy. This boy was in the special forces starting at a very young age, but due to certain situations, he's currently attending a normal Japanese high school. He has a very military way of looking at things, like how he see's no reason not to bring weapons to school. He used to be an ace pilot of a giant robot, but in this series that is replaced by the presences of a robotic mascot custom.
  I really like the humor in this anime. I think this show could get a laugh out of almost any anime lover, so you should give it a try.


Watch it here.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9

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Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied has one of the craziest opening scenes of any anime, ever. It depicts a fully nude woman, killing a bunch of army guys in an underground base, with her mind. The scene kind of reminds me of the first pokemon movie, where mewtwo escapes from team rocket. I wonder if there was some copying going on there. It's kind of weird to think of the to haveing anything in common.
Elfen Lied is about a girl. This girl has about a dozen weird insible arms growing out of her back that can easily tear a man in half. She escapes from an army base, but injures her head in the process thus lossing most of her memory. She's found by a young man, who takes her in and cares for her. Together with his friends, the boy lives peacefully with the girl. However, the girl's origins keep coming back to haunt her.
I think the huge switch from gore and nudity to family friendly fun is insane. Alot of anime now a days try to achieve this, but Elfen Lied acheives it with great results. I also like the strange power this anime came up with. It's original and cool. Of course, this anime is not meant for the young ones, watch at your own risk.


Watch the first episode here: http://www.veoh.com/static/swf/webplayer/WebPlayer.swf

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Every Day the Same Dream

Every Day the Same Dream is a strange game. If you find yourself going crazy because you do the same thing everyday, you might relate to this game. I recommend this game for all office workers, but please don't try some of this stuff at home.
This game is about a man. This man gets up everyday at the same time. Then he turns off his alarm and gets dressed the same way. Then he wishes his wife well, who is currently baking, as he heads out the door. Then he rides down the elevator with a strange old lady with an alarming amount of insight. He gets in his car. He goes to work. He sits at his cubicle. He works. He goes home. He sleeps. Then he gets up at the same time he did yesterday. The player can repeat this as many times as they like. The key to this game is trying to change the man's day. It sounds easy, but it might be harder then you'd think.
I liked alot of the strange things the man ends up doing to change his day. The game ends up being a bit short but not in a bad way. You could end up playing this game your whole life if you weren't careful.


Play the game here: http://armorgames.com/play/6244/every-day-the-same-dream

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Beck (Mongolian Chop Squad)

  Beck was really entertaining to me. It really gave me an insight into the J-rock culture, and showed me just how much like the american indie rock culture it really is. Anyone that wants to learn more about rock music in japan should watch this anime.
  This anime is about a highschool boy who joins a rock band. The anime spans several years, and follows this band as they rise in popularity. It really becomes a how to video on how to start a rock and roll band in japan.
  I personally like this type of anime. When the main character has a goal that I myself can achieve and then applies the characteristic anime attitude of never giving up and always pushing forward I can't help but like what I see. I also liked the songs this anime rock group wrote (which are in English oddly enough), and I think that really says alot about the time that was put into making this anime.


Watch it here: http://www.hulu.com/mongolian-chop-squad

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Cave Story

  Cave Story is like an old super nintendo game, but better! It has all the story and character of zelda with all the gameplay and intrigue of metroid. This game should be played by everyone.
  This game is about a robot. This robot is in a cave for reasons unknown. The robot find enemies to shoot and townsfolk to talk to. As the story goes on you meet yet another robot, a dragon, a scientist, some weird talking boombox and even an evil witch. You have to save the world, but the you might not be up to the task.
  One of the things I found really fun while playing this game was using the machine gun to float around. For some reason this was just really neat. I also liked the parts where you could affect the ending in different ways. I like it when a game has more than one ending.


You can download it here: http://www.cavestory.org/downloads_game.php

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Immortall

  Immortal is a short game that takes a dark look at humanity. This game is sad and may not be the best thing for children to play.
  This game is about an alien. This alien crashes on earth and meets with a farm family. But then, either the army finds out about the alien or world war 2 is currently happening. So, the alien has to make his way through this battle ground, with no real goal in site.
  It's kind of like E.T. ( the movie not the game ) if E.T. had taken place during World War 2, and E.T. himself wasn't such a fat little midget.


Play it here: http://pgstudios.org/games.php?g=2

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Bakuman

Bakuman is a look behind the scenes of what it takes to make manga. The anime focuses on everyday dreams and large lofty goals and what it really takes to achieve them. It could really become a favorite for those of you out there that plan to make it big one day.
This anime is about 2 middle-schoolers who decide they want to create an anime. But of course, manga must come first. The artist isn't sure they can do it and doesn't want to waste his time. That is, until the girl he has a crush on gives him the support he needs. Will these 2 middle-schoolers ever achieve the lofty goal of making their own anime? Will Bakuman itself end up being that anime? Only time will tell, because this anime is still on the air. From the look of things, it'll remain on the air for years to come.


Watch the first episode here: http://rutube.ru/tracks/3640909.html?v=e89216e76c28d42142f7d544b4f2ee99&autoStart=true&bmstart=1000

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Spelunky

  Spelunky is a sidescroller that's never the same twice. It's fun every time you play it, and difficult ever time too. This is a fun game, but might be too hard for some.
  This game is about a guy who explores caves. You control this Indiana Jones like guy as he makes his way through ever evolving caves in search of gold jewels and even women.
  I think my favorite part of this game is stealing. There are stores in the game that you can steal from, if you're skilled enough. The shop keeper comes after you with a shotgun afterwards and you can't really visit a store ever again, but you sure can get some cool free stuff doing it.
  You can buy shortcuts to the later worlds with the money you earn, giving the game a very unique saving feature. Will you be able to reach the end?


You can download the game here: http://www.spelunkyworld.com/original.html

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Gantz

  This is one of the most insane animes of all time. It's got tons of gore, nudity, and amoral values. Watch at your own risk!
  This anime is about a big black ball. This ball finds people who have just died ( or are about to die) and brings them back to life. However, it also brings them to the mysterious apartment where it's hidden. There, it welcomes the new members of what seems to be an alien hunting group. The people are giving special guns and suits to wear. Then they're teleported to a place in the city where they are told aliens are hiding. They're goal is to kill all the aliens there, but the aliens don't go down without a fight. As members of the group are killed off, the big black ball, known as Gantz ( hence the name ) selects new people to join the group. The surviving members are released out into the world again, free to do as they please. That is, until Gantz calls on them again to hunt aliens. Will your favorite character survive?


Watch the first episode here: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=PCUCMK23

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