Thanks to jph for sharing one his unreleased creations with us, we now have a brilliant isometric take on the classic Wizard of Wor to enjoy. Return to Wor features gorgeous pixel graphics courtesy of Gabe Brooks, though many players feel be slightly disorientated at first due to the skewed view presented throughout the game.

Nonetheless, everything works as it should and much of this is credited to jph's expertise at making old classics new again. As a Worrior, your task is to hunt down monsters in a maze-like dungeon with a unified field disruption rifle and several useful abilities not found in the original.

An extreme rarity.

Name: Return to Wor
Developer: Jph Wacheski, Gabe Brooks
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Labels: jph

Gyro-Phyter is an abstract shooter by Jph with strategic elements. The objective of the game is to weaken the green wells and turn them red, though the green side's defensive turrets will try their best to thwart your efforts.

Use the arrow key to move your ship around, and tap the I key to place a red turret. To retrieve a turret, simply hold the I key for a few seconds. Red turrets destroyed in combat will float back to base for the player to collect and redeploy on the battlefield.

Ammo is limited, but can be replenished by hovering above the base. Use the J or L keys to strafe, and hold the K key to shoot. If you lose a ship, another will respawn back at base. The number of lives left is indicated at the bottom left of the screen.

Name: Gyro-Phyter
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Labels: h0607

Cluster Funked is another strategic shooter by Jph which features similar gameplay elements from Gyro-Phyter. Your first task is to take control of a red well, which will then produce green units for deployment and defensive purposes.

Tap the K key to shoot, and use the J or L key to strafe. Rapid fire can be activated by holding the fire button, but will cause the gun to heat up and locking your weapon until the cool down period passes.

Your ship can grab up to five green pawns using the I key, indicated by triangles around your craft. To respawn, simply move towards any green well on screen.

Name: Cluster Funked
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Labels: h0607

The Lila Experiments is another abstract shooter by Jph, in which the player's ship is constantly attracted to several black orbs on screen. Collect green orbs before they turn red, and use the Z key to shoot at red orbs to turn some of them back to their original color.

Your shots are limited to a gauge shown at the top of the screen. Collect more green orbs to increase this meter, and hold the X key to keep your ship stationary. Hold the end key to restart the game at any time or view the instructions.

Name: The Lila Experiments
Developer: Jph
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Labels: ac0907

Strategic Oil Reserve is a decent Missile Command remake by jph which featured several new additions. Alien spacecrafts will navigate around your shots, and land fills can be used to provide further protection against enemy attacks. Use the middle mouse button to drop some additional dirt, padding the area around your oil reserves.

Name: Strategic Oil Reserve
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Labels: jph

Wizard of Wor Remix is another beautifully crafted remake by jph, featuring larger mazes, a handy fold space button which allows basic teleportation and a very capable A.I. written to mimic the actions of a secondary player in the game.

As a Worrior, your task is to hunt down monsters in a maze-like dungeon with only a unified field disruption rifle as your only weapon. Definitely an item of interest to fans of the original, though the current generation may not be so easily endeared by it's archaic roots.

Name: Wizard of Wor Remix
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Labels: jph

Dust Scape is a new experimental project by Jph, this time it's a reinvention of the classic gameplay elements found in Snake. Use the left and right arrow keys to inch your way towards a green nucleus. Use the control or J key to brake.

Touching a fire ball ends the game. Collect twenty-one green nuclei to restore the use of both up and down arrow keys for vertical movement.

Name: Dust Scape
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Labels: jph

Quiescence is an abstract arena shooter by Jph with gameplay elements from the classic Snake mixed with some rather odd controls. Use the arrow keys to move around, and hold the left shift key to shoot. The objective of the game is to collect all green orbs in each level while avoiding yellow objects, though it's possible to shoot at them to remove the immediate threat.

Press the end key to restart at any time. Hold the control key to remain stationary, and use the space key to start a game from the main menu.

Name: Quiescence
Developer: Jph
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Labels: ac0907

brainTooth is a new experimental release by Jph, in which the author returns to his orbital gameplay design roots found in both Valence and The Life in Matter.

Place your ship by pressing the home key, and use the cursor keys to move from one planet to the other. The ship automatically orbits around the closest planet. Hold the control or shift key to shoot in opposite directions.

Name: brainTooth
Developer: Jph
Category: Arcade
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Joust 3 - Revenge of the Lava Troll is another brilliant remake by Jph, featuring seven stages worth of action as you battle in the air against enemy knights, bats and even pterodactyls. Hold the K or up arrow key to take flight, and press the J key to fire a stunner arrow. Replenish your supply of arrows by collecting golden eggs.

Touch the Tikki statue once the area is clear in order to advance. A handy save feature can be activated by pressing the F5 key, while quick load is possible using the F8 key.

Name: Joust 3 - Revenge of the Lava Troll
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Labels: jph

Hive Mind is a decent shooter by jph which combines three different gameplay modes into one single package. Use the up arrow key to activate your thrusters, and hold the left or right arrow key to turn your ship in the intended direction. Press the down arrow key to stop your ship and make it stay in one position.

Hold the K key for a few seconds to charge your super shot, and press the J key to lock on to the nearest available target. The lock on button can be pretty useful during the hive mind phase. Destroy the core to initiate the third wave.

When the hive mind is vanquished, energy crystals will appear in it's previously occupied spot. Protect these crystals from space insects and they will turn into blue orbs when the next phase begins. Collect the orbs to increase your shield count, indicated by a blue gauge at the bottom right of the screen.

Name: Hive Mind
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Labels: jph

100 Invaders is an interesting take on the classic Space Invaders theme by jph, in which your ship is able to thrust forward when the up arrow key is held. The allowable travel distance depends on your current Pow level, which can be increased by collecting green pods.

These power-up pods can be created by shooting each orange pod three times, though grabbing them can be rather tricky because when your ship travels in one horizontal direction all pods in the vicinity will move towards the opposite angle.

Large invaders are only vulnerable if you hit them right in the middle. Hold the left control key to shoot, and use the left alternate key to distribute half of your current Pow level to the next ship.

If you can endure the epileptic-inducing effects then this is definitely one remake worth having in your collection.

Name: 100 Invaders
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Labels: jph

One new screenshot from The Underside posted. Expect to see an extended gameplay video on GameTrailers soon. [Merry Gear Solid, The Underside preview]

The Shivah lands a review at The Onion A.V. Club. [thanks to Shih Tzu]

Cliffski is currently working on Kudos: Rock-Legend. [Source: Paul's development journal]

A screenshot from Chris Nimmo's latest project posted. [A Mini Falafel Adventure]

Charlie Foxtrot is very close to completion. [The Winter Rose review]

More Al Lowe interviews, one with G Wie Gorilla and the other with Custom PC. [Player One podcast]

The Podunkian reviews Binary Land.

Dust Scape is nearly done. Jph will work on a golf game with strategic elements next. [Jph's past projects]

Jph's Black Bullet Hell is a game with a simple control scheme and minimal use of colors. Hold the left control key to shoot and press the left shift key to aim. Collect glowing white orbs to increase your shot range and ship's health.

Acquire 512 orbs to win the game, or use the escape key to quit.

Name: Black Bullet Hell
Developer: Jph
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Labels: sh0807

Sub Atomic is a reimagination of Taito's The Electric Yo-Yo, but to access jph's remake the arcade classic has to be beaten first. Complete the game or use the insert and page up key combination to skip all three stages. A Sub Atomic executable file will be unlocked, decompressed and placed in the same game folder.

In the original, your objective is basically to clear the entire screen by moving your Yo-Yo over each block to remove them. Both creatures must be avoided, unless you've gained temporary invincibility by looping an energized brick. Earn more points by maximizing the distance travelled between two blocks.

The new version features six levels, with the additional ability of launching seekers bestowed upon your electric yo-yo. Use the control key to spawn a seeker at the cost of one charged dot, and they will target your nearest adversary. Press the shift key to make the seekers follow your yo-yo for a short while. Hold a directional arrow key to chase the nearest dot. An orange line at the top of the screen indicates the number of dots that you're required to collect in order to advance. The next phase is triggered when this line touches the word 'goal'.

Name: Sub Atomic
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

Labels: jph

Cathode Raygun is jph's Shmup Dev competition entry that was made with wonky controls on purpose. The objective of the game is to collect thirty-two pods with the help of a tractor beam that can be activated by pressing the X key.

Once you have collected enough pods, the final boss encounter begins. Pretty short but quite fun nonetheless.

Name: Cathode Raygun
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Labels: jph

lockOn is another release by Jph Wacheski of Iteration Games that can be described as shooter with weird psychedelic effects. Guide your ship around using the arrow keys and shoot at enemies with the G key. Shot aiming is automatic unless you decide to target the nearest hostile unit by pressing the F key.

A forward gun can be fired but the projectile's movement is decided by your own speed velocity and current travel direction. There are collectible power-ups which increases your weapon strength but whenever your ship takes damage it weakens by one level. Enemy ships which have been destroyed will turn into blinking objects that you have to pick up. If you leave them around for too long, they will respawn into new ships.

Game instructions can be found here.

Name: lockOn
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Labels: jph

The Life in Matter is an interesting one key effort by Jph Wacheski, where all actions in the game are carried out through the use of one button. Your objective is to reach the core by moving the grey creature clockwise. You need to avoid objects that are orange in color, but any other items can be collected for bonus points.

The creature is always in perpetual motion, but you can change it's direction by pressing any key. Going counterclockwise will actually move it further away from the core, so keep going clockwise to reach your objective and advance to the next level.

Name: The Life in Matter
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 3MB

Labels: jph

Jph had released a new arcade shooter entitled Gyoza, available for download from the Iteration Games' web site. The game currently requires an Xbox360 controller to work, but a version with support for keyboard controls will be released sometime soon.

The objective of Forward Always Forward is to collect all gems that each red turret yields when destroyed. Your shield level increases by one for every green crystal collected, up to a maximum of five. Gems do not disappear so you can backtrack at any time to replenish your shields.

Aiming is achieved by rotating your ship using the J and L keys. Hold the K key to shoot. Another version which allows the use of a mouse to aim can be downloaded from this page.

Name: Forward Always Forward
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Labels: jph