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Glider PRO; For Mac and Windows
Topic Started: Oct 18 2012, 06:15 PM (759 Views)
Draexzhan
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RAINBOW HYPER!!!
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This game played a big part in my gaming history, and was one of my favorite games as a kid. I've been wanting to write a review on the forum for a while, and I decided no game would be more fitting for my first review than this one. But before I get to the review, I'm going to tell a little about this game's history.

This game came out in 1991, published by a company called Casady & Greene, which published shareware product, mostly for Macintosh. (fun fact, they were the first to distribute a little program that later turned into what we've come to know today as iTunes.) Unfortunately, they went out of business in 2003, and so the rights to this game went to the game author, a guy named John Calhoun. Calhoun then decided to upload this game onto the internet for free download, as well as unfinished ports to OS X and Windows. I actually got this game right around that time. But yeah, you can download it for free.

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Look, a MacPlus. Does that not vouch for this game's age?


Now for the review... Note that I'm going to be reviewing the version for OS 7-9, as that's the one with all the features. The screenshots, however, are from the OS X version, because the computer I own that can run the OS 9 version... well, the only internet browser it has is an ancient version of Netscape... yeah...



Gameplay: 14/15

You are a paper airplane. You fly around a house and avoid crashing into objects. Your goal is to collect stars.

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Do-do-do-do do-do DOO! Here we go!


Yeah, it sounds stupid, doesn't it? Well, it's better than you think. WAY better. This 2D anti-platformer. (I'm calling it that because you want to avoid platforms) actually has a lot more to it. Your glider cannot fly upward on its own. You have to rely on a number of floor vents to keep you in the air. Likewise, there are ceiling vents that can make things tougher for you. Plus, like every other game, even as a paper airplane, nearly everything is out to kill you. A paper dart might fly across the screen to send you to the ground in a crumpled heap. There are basketballs that refuse to stop bouncing. Toasters attempting to make toast out of you by shooting you with toast. Fish on caffeine, jumping out of their bowls to eat you, plus much more. There's also items you can use such as rubber bands, helium, and tinfoil shielding.

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Tinfoil shields. Because nobody likes roasted nuts.


You can teleport to other places on the map by flying into air ducts or mailboxes, and there are switches all over the place that do different things. This game initially starts out with 16 levels to play from. Ranging in difficulty from a tutorial level to levels with hundreds of rooms, there's actually quite a bit to be done in this game. It also includes a two player mode, but this game is more meant for single player.

Actually, that doesn't really make it look simple. It is, though. A very simple and addicting game.

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Seems legit...




Graphics: 4/5

This is an old game, so of course the graphics are a lot simpler than today's games, but they're bright and cheery, which blends perfectly with the lighthearted nature of this game. A fair warning though: this game makes a ton of references to the Wizard of Oz book series. Yes, that means some of the references you won't get just by watching the movie. On a side note, the OS X and PC versions of the game include slightly more realistic shading, but personally, I think the game looks better without it.

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See, in the older versions, lit rooms were as bright as the outdoors.




Sound: 2/5


The music in this game is nothing impressive. the majority of the time it's just a very simple seven note phrase played by an electric guitar. Whenever you travel to a different room, a piano joins in for a phrase. Occasionally, one of two different melodies that can actually be called "tunes" will play instead, and they typically last for 30 seconds.
Yeah... that's all the music this game has, hence the lowered score here.
However, this game has some really nice sound effects. Whenever chimes are on screen, you'll hear an occasional jingling, and when there's an espresso machine nearby, you'll hear it running. There are many other sound effects in the game too, some so subtle you barely notice them.



Replay value: 15/15

This is where this game really shines. There's a level editor in the game (OS 9 exclusive), and while it has no instructions, it's so easy to use, an eight year old kid could figure out how everything works without any help. I would know, I got this game when I was eight. The editor has full customization capability, and for the really hardcore level designers, you can import graphics and sound effects to make completely original masterpieces. People have made log cabins, alien spacecraft, castles, trains, pyramids, really anything can work. One level is capable of having over 8000 rooms if you so need it to. Being one of THE most customizable games of its time is what makes Glider PRO so... well... PRO!

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˙oʇ pǝʇuɐʍ ʎןןɐǝɹ noʎ ɟı sıɥʇ ǝʞıן buıɥʇǝɯos ǝʞɐɯ uǝʌǝ pןnoɔ noʎ




So yeah... I really don't have much else to say about this game. Honestly I don't feel like anything I say can do it justice. It's really a game you just gotta play if you want to know how good it is. It's free, so it's not like you have anything to lose here.

If need be, there are Mac Classic emulators out there, for OS X and Windows. I feel as though you cannot get the full experience without the level editor. Even so, there are people out there who have made very superb levels and uploaded them for people to play. Levels from OS 9 WILL work on the latest version of this game.

Anyways... final score time.

Final score: 87.5%

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Caped Godot
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Co-host of DOOM!
Why did you give such arbitrary scales for each section?
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Mr. Fievel
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Shaken, not stirred.
It's generally a good idea to remain consistent with scales, Dragon. Also, such a high score for gameplay seems a tad generous, especially considering it's a 14/15 as opposed to a 9/10 or a 4/5, which both have more room for quality, though I haven't played it so what do I know?
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Draexzhan
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RAINBOW HYPER!!!
Had a feeling someone would comment on that.
Basically, I don't think gameplay and sound, for example, should be equal influence on the total score. I mean, if, say, we have a game with stellar graphics, sound, and everything, but a zero for gameplay, I don't think it should get the same score as a game with stellar everything, but no sound at all.
Edited by Draexzhan, Oct 18 2012, 08:02 PM.
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Mr. Fievel
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Shaken, not stirred.
Well I agree with you on that, but even on professional reviews where every section (music/gameplay/graphics/etc) is based on the same scale, each section has its own weight. I mean, I personally hate professional reviewers, but they (mostly) at least know that good/bad music and visuals don't hurt or help a game's score anywhere near as much as gameplay and enjoyment. Like Sonic '06. A lot of people said that game had good music, but it was still considered a shit game for its gameplay.

Basically, we all know that gameplay is ultimately the primary factor in overall score, but having different scales for everything just makes the review awkward.

EDIT: Also, there are times when visuals and/or music ARE just as important as gameplay. Like in rhythm games. A rhythm game wouldn't be anywhere near as fun if the music plain sucked. And then there are atmospheric games, where the manner in which the sound and visuals present the game is an important part of the game. Like in Limbo, and several survival horror games. It all depends on the game.
Edited by Mr. Fievel, Oct 18 2012, 09:03 PM.
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Draexzhan
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RAINBOW HYPER!!!
Alright, thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to heed it next time I write a review.
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