ANN: Alawar Releases Cube Pusher

[DadTimesTwo]

Alawar Entertainment has released Cube Pusher, a visually appealing logic game in which the player moves crates onto hot spots. The catch is that the hero can only push the boxes, as the title suggests. This allowed developer Alex Shabalin to create puzzles ranging from simple to mind-boggling.

Fortunately, Cube Pusher’s straightforward interface allows the player to concentrate on solving puzzles rather than controlling the hero. To move Cube Pusher, the player clicks the hero’s destination, after which he automatically runs to the new location. Moving crates is just as easy. If the player makes a mistake, he or she can either undo the move or restart the level.

Cube Pusher comes with four level packs containing 50 puzzles apiece. The levels, which are viewed from a bird’s eye perspective, allow the player to join the Crusades, explore a Pirate’s Cove, slip through a Gothic Mansion and navigate an Old Factory. The shareware version of Cube Pusher offers a selection of puzzles from each game world.

The player who completes a level in the fewest steps will see his or her name posted in Cube Pusher’s Hall of Fame. Is your brain ready to compete for bragging rights?

Demo:
http://www.alawar.com/download/CubePusher.exe

Screenshots:
Image 1 (http://www.alawar.com/upload/iblock/ea865e15b8b79c9f8a30976bca681348.jpg)
Image 2 (http://www.alawar.com/upload/iblock/cb57330f743840350e9f711b233b7993.jpg)
Image 3 (http://www.alawar.com/upload/iblock/0dd19a7924cc768a8a9228e7e973f8c1.jpg)

CONTACT INFORMATION:
David Laprad
Alawar Entertainment
615-597-8128
davidlaprad@yahoo.com
http://www.alawar.com

[Mike Boeh]

Whoa!? David, working for Alawar?

[DadTimesTwo]

Yes, and enjoying it. :)

[Reactor]

A couple of things...

Lamest name, evar. Also, "The levels, which are viewed from a bird’s eye perspective" aren't viewed from a birds eye perspective. That'd be top down. Those shots are an isometric perspective.

[Dominique Biesmans]

"The levels, which are viewed from a bird’s eye perspective" aren't viewed from a birds eye perspective. That'd be top down. Those shots are an isometric perspective.

In fact, "bird's eye perspective" is another term for isometric perspective.

Mathemetical explanation of bird's eye view (http://www.profc.udec.cl/~gabriel/tutoriales/giswb/vol2/cp6/cp6-7.htm)

[Reactor]

I wonder if that is a well known mathmatical definition, or if that guy simply slapped the title on that equation? Either way, this isn't an issue of what the technical details of a 'birds eye view' actually is.

About ten to twelve years ago, it was a fairly universal thing in gaming to call anything 'top down' a birds eye view. Top down views were originally called 'birds eye' because (like a bird) you'd have to be amazingly high up to see straight down on top of things, and back in the day, many games were either limited to isometic vewipointed artwork, or top down. Those were the two main definitions for the viewpoints. People pretty much worked it out that you couldn't call both the same thing, considering the top down view was (mathmatical definitions aside) a 'birds eye' view as well. Most gamers I know would look at that game and say, "Um, that isn't birds eye." because the term 'birds eye' firstly reminds them of a view from very high up looking down, and because of some fairly well grounded game teminology. I doubt many of them look at it and say, "Hey, will you look at that... that view is a mathmatical correct understanding of birds eye!" Maybe you're right from a mathmatical understanding, but many people won't percieve it as right.

Anyway, it's all semantics, so who cares! :)

[GrahamGoring]

Anyway, it's all semantics, so who cares! :)

Also, surely "Isometric Perspective" is an oxymoron? Isometric viewpoints have no perspective, right? ;)

[Midnight Synergy]

Yes, and enjoying it. :)

Cool! Are you also still at Avault?

Patrick

[DadTimesTwo]

I'm just doing a little behind-the-scenes volunteer work at AVault, since leaving the site entirely after six years would be like cutting off a limb.

[Anthony Flack]

Nice press release (yeah, terrible name though). But don't give us that. We all know it's Sokoban. The question is, what makes this game different from the 10 million existing Sokoban games?

[Fost]

I love these types of games - Well done.

One of my all time favourite indie puzzlers is altitudes (http://www.miremare.com/) (although I could do without the music :) ) which has a similar concept to it.

[Pyabo]

The question is, what makes this game different from the 10 million existing Sokoban games?
Duh! The iso-birdseye perspective utilizing the latest in fourth-dimensional
3D rendering drawing systems!

[Stefan Maton]

Since we are at it : http://www.dude-development.com

Another small Sokoban Clone ;)

Greetings,
Stefan

[DadTimesTwo]

...what makes this game different from the 10 million existing Sokoban games?

I can't claim that its gameplay is markedly unique. But it does offer a nice visual presentation and user interface. I also think Alex devised excellent puzzles.

Thanks for the link to Altitudes. I'll have to check that out. There's always room for just... one... more... game!

[Anthony Flack]

it does offer a nice visual presentation and user interface. I also think Alex devised excellent puzzles.

Fair enough. That's a much more informative summary for people around here, I think. Since everyone here already knows what Sokoban is and that.

Er, but I already said that. I guess I ran out of point.