From Software Informer
| Icy Tower
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| Developer(s) | Free Lunch Design
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| Publisher(s) | Free Lunch Design
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| Distributor(s) | Free Lunch Design
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| Designer(s) | Johan Peitz
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| License | Freeware
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| Engine | Allegro library
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| Platform(s) | Windows
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| Latest release | 1.3.1 / October 29, 2005
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| Genre(s) | Platform game
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| Mode(s) | Single player
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| Media | download, cover CDs
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| System requirements | 5 MB HDD, 16 MB RAM, 200 MHz CPU
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| Input methods | Keyboard, gamepad, joystick
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Icy Tower is a freeware video game created by the Swedish game designer group Free Lunch Design. In the game, the player controls a character, whose goal is to climb the tower as high as possible. The character jumps up floors, and earns points while doing so.
[edit] Gameplay
The tower consists of floors in different sizes, colors, and shapes and is of infinite height. The player’s goal is to reach higher and higher floors. The player’s character will constantly accelerate as long as he moves. The faster he runs, the higher and longer he will jump.
As the player escalates the tower, the screen will start to scroll downwards slowly, and the player will have to keep up in order to not fall off the screen. Every 30 seconds, an alarm clock will sound and the scrolling will accelerate. A clock in the upper left corner of the screen shows how much time is left until the next speed-up. The player can fall off if he fails to land on a floor or if he does not keep up with the scrolling of the tower.
[edit] Combos
| Floors
| Combo
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| 50-69
| Amazing
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| 70-99
| Extreme
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| 100-139
| Fantastic
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| 140-199
| Splendid
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| 200-249
| No Way
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| Floors
| Combo
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| 4-6
| Good
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| 7-14
| Sweet
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| 15-24
| Great
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| 25-34
| Super
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| 35-49
| Wow
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Combo jumps can be made by jumping at least two floors, at least two times, each jump taking maximum 2 seconds. After making a combo-jump, the combo mode activates. The meter to the left of the screen will fill up, and then drain within 2 seconds. In order to stay in combo mode, the player needs to make another jump of at least two floors high.
When the meter runs out or if the player makes a non-combo jump, the combo will end and the player will be given extra score. The formula for score is: <math>x = n^2</math>, where n represents number of floors reached inside the combo. Using combos is useful for obtaining high scores and climbing faster in the tower.
[edit] History
Icy Tower was first released on December 22, 2001. Since then, three main versions have been released. Version 1.2 introduced game replays and custom characters. Version 1.3 introduced major bugfixes, and made the game more difficult, in order to prevent the players from reaching very high floors. The game is based on Xjump, an older Linux-based title. [1] According to the creators, the game has been downloaded 10 million times since its debut. [2]
At March 14, 2007, creators of Icy Tower have announced that the game will be ported to mobile phones.[3] In June 2008, the official Icy Tower Mobile site was opened.[4]
[edit] Replays
Version 1.2 introduced the ability to save replays of games. This gives the player the ability to prove their highest scores, combos and floors. This feature made it possible to create online highscore lists, which list the best Icy Tower scores, combos, and floors, and allows internet users to download replays. The official highscore list can be found at the official Icy Tower site. Replays from older versions of Icy Tower are not always compatible with newer versions. For example, replays of games made in version 1.2 can not be viewed in version 1.3.
[edit] References
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