I have a few Christmas rituals to which I stubbornly adhere. Most of them do not apply until the Christmas Threshold is passed (my father's Birthday on the 1st of December) but there was one I was able to indulge in today.
That particular activity being the annual 'Playing (and eventual beating) of Snowcraft. I first encountered this lovable little flash game in late 2000 and it provided me a whole load of fun as I honed my skills of winter combat, my plucky Red jacketed crew bravely facing down the Green shirted thugs from around the neighborhood, pelting the little stinkers with heavily charged snowballs and avenging their fallen comrades.
In order to beat Snowcraft (and I suggest you go and play it right after finishing this article) you have to duck and dodge out of the hail of fire. I normally fight by starting the game in a mad rush to get all my guys into the safety of the bottom left hand side of the screen (" 'Ave it Greenies! Your diagonal trajectory cannot reach us here!") and then take one member on a pelting mission, slipping in and out of the range of fire squeezing of a hail of snowballs at point-blank range. This technique has been developed over years of play and all other methods were exhausted first (including the "ARTILLERY!!" style long distance lobbing which can't save you forever). Even using my 'commando' techniques it still takes about 6 games before I'm back on 'top form'.
The game is an absolute corker, it was the best flash game I'd ever played when I found it and nothing has come since to take its crown. I only wish there was a sequel :)
Later
John
Snowcraft has been around for so long - I remember playing it with everyone else in my Computing class when I was 14.
Posted by: Kevin Mulligan at December 1, 2003 02:02 AM