Eets
Encyclopedia
Eets is a 2D
puzzle game
developed by Klei Entertainment
and first released on March 27, 2006 for Microsoft Windows
. It was later released for Mac OS X
on December 9, 2010. Both the Windows and Macintosh versions of the game are distributed digitally via Steam. On April 25, 2007 the game was released for the Xbox 360
via Xbox Live Arcade
under the title Eets: Chowdown. Eets is a puzzle game with similarities to Lemmings
where players must guide a character through an on-screen puzzle.
Both Eets and Eets: Chowdown were well received by critics. Eets holds an aggregate score of 81.75% at GameRankings, while Eets: Chowdown averages a score of 78.33% at the same site. Reviewers generally praised the game's unique art style. Opinions were divided on the subject of gameplay, with some reviewers feeling it was too difficult, and others praising the game's difficulty level.
and The Incredible Machine, and adds a quirky art style and a surreal
sense of humor. In Eets the player must navigate the titular character through a series of platforms to collect puzzle pieces. In order to do so the player must place a variety of items in Eets' path to help him to his destination. Explosive mushrooms fire Eets over an arc, whales can suck objects in and then shoot them back out their spout, and gravity pills allow Eets to walk upside down.
Depending on the characters mood he reacts differently to stimuli. If Eets is angry he can jump across larger chasms, while a scared Eets will not jump at all. His mood can be changed in several ways, such as hitting him with chips from a chocolate cloud, which angers Eets. In addition to featuring over 100 level
s, the official website has an additional puzzle pack that users can download, made by both fans and developers.
Eets: Chowdown is the Xbox 360 version of the game. It includes 120 new levels and an action game
called Marsho Madness. The core gameplay for Chowdown is the same as the home computer versions of Eets. Marsho Madness requires quick-reflex A-B-X-Y button press combinations to protect a stationary Eets from an ever-increasing horde of Marshmallow creatures. Each type of "Marsho" moves and acts differently, demanding varied and dynamic approaches. Strategic accuracy generates combo points, multipliers, and splash damage: all key to advancing score. Extra lives and consumable powerups appear incrementally the longer the player survives. In this manner, this robust minigame combines elements of rhythm, puzzle, and arcade action genres. Rewards for gameplay include three achievements, unlockable gamer pictures and leaderboard postings.
or PSP
, but to no avail. In October 2005 Klei Entertainment met with Valve Software to begin negotiations to publish the game on Steam, Valve's digital distribution platform for Windows and Macintosh. In January 2006 the two companies decided to not go through with the deal, and Klei began distributing it via their own website. It would later be released on the Steam platform on December 21, 2006. Klei Entertainment spent three years on the title, working intermittently and going through several concepts. Once the game had reached a stable state, an additional nine months were spent on polishing the game. On January 30, 2007, Eets: Chowdown was announced for the Xbox 360, to be distributed via the Xbox Live Arcade service. It was released April 25, 2007. Two additional puzzle packs were released for Chowdown; the first on August 29, 2007, and the second on September 26, 2007. The Mac OS X version of the game, ported by Kruger Heavy Industries, was released on December 9, 2010. Music for the game was composed by Tom Chi.
. The scores for Eets: Chowdown are slightly lower, with a 78.33% at GameRankings and a 77/100 at Metacritic. Eets: Chowdown also received an Editor's Choice award from TeamXbox
's Will Tuttle. In its first weekend, Eets was downloaded over 7,500 times. Eets: Chowdown ranked eighth in Xbox Live Arcade purchases the week of its release, as well as the following week. GamesRadar
's Eric Bratcher noted that with the games 800 Microsoft Point price that it is "priced to move."
IGN
's Erik Brudvig praised the humor of Eets. He stated "a nice sense of humor has been infused throughout the game." He also gave high marks for the game's art style and stated that it is one of the things "Eets does several things exceptionally well." Brudvig further praised the game's achievements. He noted that even after completion of the game, the remaining achievements encourage the players to keep playing and try different methods of completing levels. Charles Herold of The New York Times
called it "an adorable puzzle game". Bryon Lloyd of Game Vortex also praised the visuals and said the game is "a beautiful game to look at with its cel-shaded cast and crew." GameSpot
's Ryan Davis also enjoyed the game's visuals and noted they "have an inspired look and feel." Eric Bratcher of GamesRadar also noted it has a "splashy, fun art style." Eurogamer
's Tom Bramwell was more critical of the art style. He felt that the bright, colorful graphics made it difficult to distinguish where the character was and what was happening.
The gameplay and overall difficulty of the game received mixed comments from reviewers. IGN's Erik Brudvig felt that gameplay would occasionally drag on, but conceded that it was "a solid choice for anyone looking to get the brain juices flowing." Will Tuttle of TeamXbox enjoyed the difficulty, but warned that "the majority of the puzzles occupy that zone between challenging and frustrating." He further added that the game was perfect for those looking for a challenge. GameSpot's Ryan Davis noted that with the amount of levels in the game that players will be "[kept] entertained for hours." GamesRadar's Eric Bratcher express frustration with the fact that players cannot skip levels when unable to solve a puzzle. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer felt that the game was "probably not as compelling as it might be, but that certainly has its moments."
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
puzzle game
Computer puzzle game
Puzzle video games are a genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles to be solved can test many problem solving skills including logic, strategy, pattern recognition, sequence solving, and word completion....
developed by Klei Entertainment
Klei Entertainment
Klei Entertainment is an independent game development studio located in Vancouver that develops downloadable video games for the PC and Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade. Klei was formed in July 2005 by Jamie Cheng. They are best known for two of their original intellectual property games, Eets and...
and first released on March 27, 2006 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. It was later released for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
on December 9, 2010. Both the Windows and Macintosh versions of the game are distributed digitally via Steam. On April 25, 2007 the game was released for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
under the title Eets: Chowdown. Eets is a puzzle game with similarities to Lemmings
Lemmings (video game)
Lemmings is a puzzle computer game developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis in . Originally developed for PC and Commodore Amiga, Lemmings was one of the most popular computer games of its time, and several gaming magazines gave it some of their highest review scores at the time...
where players must guide a character through an on-screen puzzle.
Both Eets and Eets: Chowdown were well received by critics. Eets holds an aggregate score of 81.75% at GameRankings, while Eets: Chowdown averages a score of 78.33% at the same site. Reviewers generally praised the game's unique art style. Opinions were divided on the subject of gameplay, with some reviewers feeling it was too difficult, and others praising the game's difficulty level.
Gameplay
The game combines elements of games such as LemmingsLemmings (video game)
Lemmings is a puzzle computer game developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis in . Originally developed for PC and Commodore Amiga, Lemmings was one of the most popular computer games of its time, and several gaming magazines gave it some of their highest review scores at the time...
and The Incredible Machine, and adds a quirky art style and a surreal
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
sense of humor. In Eets the player must navigate the titular character through a series of platforms to collect puzzle pieces. In order to do so the player must place a variety of items in Eets' path to help him to his destination. Explosive mushrooms fire Eets over an arc, whales can suck objects in and then shoot them back out their spout, and gravity pills allow Eets to walk upside down.
Depending on the characters mood he reacts differently to stimuli. If Eets is angry he can jump across larger chasms, while a scared Eets will not jump at all. His mood can be changed in several ways, such as hitting him with chips from a chocolate cloud, which angers Eets. In addition to featuring over 100 level
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
s, the official website has an additional puzzle pack that users can download, made by both fans and developers.
Eets: Chowdown is the Xbox 360 version of the game. It includes 120 new levels and an action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
called Marsho Madness. The core gameplay for Chowdown is the same as the home computer versions of Eets. Marsho Madness requires quick-reflex A-B-X-Y button press combinations to protect a stationary Eets from an ever-increasing horde of Marshmallow creatures. Each type of "Marsho" moves and acts differently, demanding varied and dynamic approaches. Strategic accuracy generates combo points, multipliers, and splash damage: all key to advancing score. Extra lives and consumable powerups appear incrementally the longer the player survives. In this manner, this robust minigame combines elements of rhythm, puzzle, and arcade action genres. Rewards for gameplay include three achievements, unlockable gamer pictures and leaderboard postings.
Development
Eets was first announced via an online preview in June 2005. The game was originally pitched to publishers as a possible title on the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
or PSP
PSP
PSP most commonly refers to the PlayStation Portable, a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment.PSP may also refer to:-Computing and programming:*Corel Paint Shop Pro, a graphics editor...
, but to no avail. In October 2005 Klei Entertainment met with Valve Software to begin negotiations to publish the game on Steam, Valve's digital distribution platform for Windows and Macintosh. In January 2006 the two companies decided to not go through with the deal, and Klei began distributing it via their own website. It would later be released on the Steam platform on December 21, 2006. Klei Entertainment spent three years on the title, working intermittently and going through several concepts. Once the game had reached a stable state, an additional nine months were spent on polishing the game. On January 30, 2007, Eets: Chowdown was announced for the Xbox 360, to be distributed via the Xbox Live Arcade service. It was released April 25, 2007. Two additional puzzle packs were released for Chowdown; the first on August 29, 2007, and the second on September 26, 2007. The Mac OS X version of the game, ported by Kruger Heavy Industries, was released on December 9, 2010. Music for the game was composed by Tom Chi.
Reception
Both versions of the game were well received by critics. Eets holds an aggregate score of 81.75% at GameRankings and 81/100 at MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. The scores for Eets: Chowdown are slightly lower, with a 78.33% at GameRankings and a 77/100 at Metacritic. Eets: Chowdown also received an Editor's Choice award from TeamXbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
's Will Tuttle. In its first weekend, Eets was downloaded over 7,500 times. Eets: Chowdown ranked eighth in Xbox Live Arcade purchases the week of its release, as well as the following week. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
's Eric Bratcher noted that with the games 800 Microsoft Point price that it is "priced to move."
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Erik Brudvig praised the humor of Eets. He stated "a nice sense of humor has been infused throughout the game." He also gave high marks for the game's art style and stated that it is one of the things "Eets does several things exceptionally well." Brudvig further praised the game's achievements. He noted that even after completion of the game, the remaining achievements encourage the players to keep playing and try different methods of completing levels. Charles Herold of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called it "an adorable puzzle game". Bryon Lloyd of Game Vortex also praised the visuals and said the game is "a beautiful game to look at with its cel-shaded cast and crew." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Ryan Davis also enjoyed the game's visuals and noted they "have an inspired look and feel." Eric Bratcher of GamesRadar also noted it has a "splashy, fun art style." Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Tom Bramwell was more critical of the art style. He felt that the bright, colorful graphics made it difficult to distinguish where the character was and what was happening.
The gameplay and overall difficulty of the game received mixed comments from reviewers. IGN's Erik Brudvig felt that gameplay would occasionally drag on, but conceded that it was "a solid choice for anyone looking to get the brain juices flowing." Will Tuttle of TeamXbox enjoyed the difficulty, but warned that "the majority of the puzzles occupy that zone between challenging and frustrating." He further added that the game was perfect for those looking for a challenge. GameSpot's Ryan Davis noted that with the amount of levels in the game that players will be "[kept] entertained for hours." GamesRadar's Eric Bratcher express frustration with the fact that players cannot skip levels when unable to solve a puzzle. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer felt that the game was "probably not as compelling as it might be, but that certainly has its moments."