The Windows Store is certainly growing and it seems that if you delve deep enough, there is always a new interesting app or game to tryout. We have played quite a few games on our Windows tablet’s such as Halo: Spartan Assault, that take full advantage of the graphic processing at hand. However, as we all know, complex graphics are not always the most important aspect. Today, we are looking at a simple, yet fun, infinite platformer – Night Lighter.
Arraybracket Limited is the company behind the small 8 MB arcade style platformer, Night Lighter. Upon checking out the Windows Store, we noticed that this is their first game for the Windows 8 platform, but they have developed numerous games in the past for Windows Phone.
The game itself is completely free to download, and we feel that is a good start; it is not exactly “full of depth”, but instead is an interesting little tidbit to pass the time. If the company did charge for the game, we probably would not purchase it for much more than 99 cents (USD).
However, let us get onto the facts of why we like the game. To start – it is simple; the graphics are simple, the gameplay is simple, and the soundtrack is simple. Be sure not to confuse the word “simple” with the word “bad”, though.
The graphics are neon style sprites that come in an array of one of three colors – red, blue, or yellow. The platforms themselves and your flame character are glowing blue, while enemies and coins glow red and yellow respectively.
The game really does feel as if it popped out of an arcade, as the mechanics are quite easy to learn. Run through the levels and dodge any hazards you can avoid while collecting coins and 'light fuel'. The coins will increase your points and the light fuel will keep the platform around you illuminated for running; if you run out of fuel – as the developers say, “you’ll be jumping blind”.
As you continue through various levels, the difficulty increases and you are sure to have a good time even if you need to restart, as all the levels are randomly generated and you will not be running into the same repetitive tracks.
Your controls are as simplistic as the design of the game – there is only one motion. All you need to worry about is jumping while avoiding killer sparks and aiming at the next platform. You can use the space key on your keyboard, the right-click button on your mouse or your finger on the touchscreen to control Sparky’s jumps (that is what I am naming him). Quickly press for a short jump or hold down the jump control to gain some extra airtime.
Watch our video demo below to get an idea of what Night Lighter is like!
Overall, it is not the most amazing game we have tried out, but it is still fun to play and we think you might like it also. It is free to download and there are no ads or in-app purchases to get in your way, so take it for a spin and enjoy.
You can download the game from the Windows Store by clicking here.
Have you tried out Night Lighter – what do you think?
