Octogeddon

This fun, wacky, and accessible arcade smasher is strangely addictive, even with its cartoonish focus on destruction, and an underwhelming start that becomes better over time. After the opening cinematic, you'll find yourself underwater and learning the simple mechanics to destroy approaching enemies. By pressing the left mouse button you'll rotate left (counter-clockwise) and pressing the right button rotates you to the right (clockwise). That's all there is to it -- until you're on land and must hold down the buttons to roll in a given direction, as well. But the fun is in angling Octogeddon to aim tentacles at baddies, avoiding getting hit by them first (or else you'll lose a heart), collecting goodies (like coins, clams, and hearts), and tackling a boss at the end of each major level. While simple in its control and premise, the game does get quite challenging over time.

The real fun is in expanding your limbs and then experimenting with different tentacles before applying your strategy on a stage. For example, while destroying the Statue of Liberty, you'll need to simultaneously take down rockets, aircraft, and nuclear-armed tanks. Should you freeze them first with the penguin tentacle and then have your snakes fire at them? Or wait until they get closer so you can aim better with the claw, which destroys them in one snap? You can choose what works best. Plus, at the end of a stage, what should you spend your hard-earned clams on? Extra lives? More tentacles? Bigger upgrades? Buy a turtle shell to protect you from damage? You get the idea. As fun as the game is, there are some issues, such as having to repeat multiple levels over again when you die, and instances when enemies hurt you even if your arms are lined up perfectly to destroy them. But these problems don't take away from the enjoyment too much. From the ridiculous storyline and cute graphics to the addicting upgrades and smart tactics needed to succeed, Octogeddon is a blast -- especially for action-loving PC gamers on a budget.