Save the Blupis!
This little known real-time strategy game plays out a little like Nintendo classic Pikmin and shares a similarly cartoon-style approach to its theme while also adding in elements of pretty much every other RTS from Command and Conquer to Warcraft. The story here relates how the planet of the Blupis (which bear a strong resemblance to yellow rubber balls) is being invaded by an evil robot who threatens to kill them all with a deadly virus. The game starts out in typical RTS fashion, with the creating of buildings and harvesting of resources, with things like breeding sites and laboratories all on the menu. However, things then take a turn for the interesting, with the game's 30 missions providing some surprisingly varied gameplay. Instead of just killing everything, you have such challenges as locating lost people or building walls to defend against a forest fire. It's this variety which makes the game as intriguing as it is and it is a pleasant change from the usual kind of mission the genre offers. The game's interface is simple and intuitive, requiring little more than a bit of pointing and clicking to issue orders and send your Blupis out on patrol so if you've never played such a game before, this is a good starting point. Even for genre veterans though, there is plenty to keep you occupied here. The missions are extensive and thanks to the differing objectives, are certainly challenging enough to keep you going for some time. Visuals too are charming and distinctive and help to make this a pleasant change from the usual fantasy and sci-fi offerings.
