Fantastic Flash: Fathom
Having recently (not so recently) changed careers to the Flash gaming space, I spend a lot of time in a browser playing games. Sweet, sweet flash games. Okay so it's not the most glamorous industry but I like it. Every so often I come across a game that makes me feel happy. Fathom is such a title.
This cute little pixel platformer has everything you could want: pixel graphics, jumping, shooting and little baddies. It also has a flawless retro style. Definitely worth a try, and don't ask me how to get out from underwater, I don't know.
Fathom [Adam Atomic]
Asterick
Posted to Video Games on 19 May 2009
· Comments (6)
Other stuff like this: flash, indie, megaman like, pixel, platformer, sprinkers are awesome
Pro-tip: Follow the fish!
You might want to mention how much of a hit or miss game this is... The game is REALLY misleading to people expecting a traditional retro-throwback gaming experience, when it's actually quite experimental.
Of course, if you don't mind games like that, then you'll love this, as it IS done extremely well :D
I tried following the fish. I have no idea what exactly I did, but I got to the end credits.
All I remember was collecting a green "bomb" somewhere on the left side of the abyss. Then dropping the bomb in the "dirt" area towards the middle. Then exiting towards the lower right of the map after hearing an "explosion." I then navigate a through a litte maze and end up going up for quite some time. Then roo credits...
The game was a not really a hit or miss for me. I didn't like the frustration from not knowing exactly what to do or go, but that's similar to Metroid (which I love). At the same time I wanted more action out of the water. If that were the case though, I think the game wouldn't be called Fathom.
It's a really cute game, but I expected a "shootie" the whole way through, not a shootie in the beginning credits, an unbeatable "boss" and then bubbling through water for the entire bulk of the game. When I finally got past the block through whatever means that was, I got to white and then that's the end?
Wow.
The game was undeniably charming, pixel wise. So cute. However, i thought it would have ben far better if i was able to use an NES controller rather than the arrow, X, & Z keys on a keyboard; but besides that it was quite nice. Though, following the fish to get to the white area just to die??? Most disheartening.
Wow, that was impressive -- and surprisingly affective.
I'm not sure how to deal with spoilers here, but
[spoiler] the final maze area is a perfect reproduction of the area your character first goes through above water, albeit submerged, and the final ascent towards the "light" is in the boss' room; make of it what you will, but I'm inclined -- at least upon my initial play-through -- to interpret it as the last moments of our robot hero, attempting to complete his directive even as his body sinks and his circuits are inundated. [/spoiler]