MURI

A game by Remar Games and Ludosity for PC, originally released in 2013.

Gaming has aged to the point where an entire generation of gamers has joined its ranks without ever experiencing its foundational years. While emulation has given these newcomers a (slightly warped) window through which to view the era, the world of DOS-based gaming remains largely unexplored in the modern age… and MURI is here to fix that.

MURI prides itself on exploring its DOS-based heritage, and was heavily influenced by the likes of Commander Keen and Duke Nukem (back when he was 2D… and relevant). The game features a 320x200 EGA resolution with the playable area enclosed in a wide frame and a large HUD. It offers stylized but ultimately gaudy visuals, using the limited 16-color system of the day, and it has no dithering effects, making everything appear stark and solid.

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 2013, Ludosity, PC, Remar Games

Ittle Dew

A game by Ludosity for PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, Wii U, Ouya, iOS, and Android, originally released in 2013.

Ittle Dew is a game built upon the core structure of The Legend of Zelda, but it moves beyond that outline to create something different that stands on its own. The game focuses on a strong-hearted and somewhat surly young lady named Ittle Dew.

Ittle is out one day relaxing on her raft with her friend Tippsie, who happens to be a magical flying fox and a bit of an afternoon potion drinker. Ittle and Tippsie crash onto an island, destroying their raft in the process, which leaves them stranded. Ittle immediately sets out to remedy the situation, and also has hopes of finding a bit of adventure along the way… and perhaps a few things that need to be hit with a stick.

After a short jaunt through a tutorial cave, she discovers an item shop. The shopkeeper has a number of weapons for sale (Ittle has only a stick at the start of the game) and offers to give her a raft in trade for a certain artifact locked away in the nearby castle. And so, with adventure to be had and creatures to smite, Ittle marches her way straight to the castle.

Ittle runs around barefoot for the duration of the game. She has a somewhat stocky build and she has a direct and decidedly gruff demeanor during her various dialogue exchanges, even going so far as to poke fun at some established genre archetypes like the consumption of dropped enemy hearts to restore her life bar. Ittle is not some cutesy princess who is sitting around waiting to be saved, and she’s not a dainty lady who is afraid to sully her gown; she means business and she’s not about to let anything stand in her way.

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 2013, Android, iOS, Linux, Ludosity, Mac, OUYA, PC, Switch, Wii U