Friday, October 8, 2010

Hummingbird

Not what I expected from the title... by Michael Martin

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From the title I expected some kind of nature documentary interactive fiction.  Instead, Hummingbird is a light hearted super hero fable.  I was reminded of the Earth and Sky series, written about a decade ago by Paul O'Brien.

The title character (Hummingbird) is an underdog of the super hero world.  He has only one special skill: the ability to fly short distances when powered by a special energy drink.  But what this character lacks in super skills, he more than makes up for in courage and sincerity.

The writing is about what you'd expect for this type of game.  There are a few genuinely humorous moments.  The programming is competent, although there is not a lot of detail in this world.  The puzzles are simple and I didn't consult the hints until I had finished.  There are evidently multiple solutions to the problems, and at least three successful endings (in addition to the unsuccessful endings in which Hullmmingbird falls to his death).

I enjoyed playing this little game.  But I didn't see a lot here that will elevate it above the many other fine games in this year's competition.

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