Best Of Indie Games: Don't Be a Pacifist, Mash Those Buttons

[IndieGames.com: The Weblog co-editor Tim W. rounds up the week's top free-to-download and commercial indie games from his sister 'state of indie' weblog.] This week on 'Best Of Indie Games', we take a look at some of the top independent PC Flash/downloadable titles released over this last week. The goodies in this edition include a brilliant Gradius-style horizontal shooter, another remake of an Action 52 game, a pair of great-looking visual novels, and a puzzle platformer that comes with built-in custom level support. Here's the highlights from the last seven days: Game Pick: 'Hydorah' (Locomalito, freeware) "Hydorah is a Gradius-style horizontal shooter that features sixteen different levels to beat, a wide variety of weapons to unlock, and a handful of secrets that can only be found by space pilots who dare travel off the beaten path. There is a progress save option that'll come in handy for practicing and mastering difficult stages, although players aren't allowed to use it more than three times during the entire mission." Game Pick: 'Bo' (Mahdi Bahrami, freeware) "Bo is a platforming puzzle game with a unique concept that makes for some really interesting play. Your hero can move between different levels of the world by switching one grid space to another plane. It's one of those games where it's easier to play than explain." Game Pick: 'Mash Man' (SharkArm Studios, freeware) "Mash Man is a remake based on one of the games from the infamous Action 52 cartridge, where you play as a grape masher who makes wine with his two big feet. His expertise is very much appreciated by the townsfolk around him, that is until they got themselves some machines to do Mash Man's job more efficiently. No longer needed by the people in his neighbourhood, our hero is banished to the nearby forest to live in exile." Game Pick: 'Grace's Diary' (GPTouch, browser) "Grace's Diary is a visual novel made by Hima and Piti for submission to the Life. Love. Game Design Challenge Contest, an annual competition sponsored by Jennifer Ann's Group to spread awareness about the dangers of teen dating violence. The story is about a student named Grace and her best friend Natalie, whom she thinks might be involved in an abusive relationship." Game Pick: 'The Life of a Pacifist' (Bento Smile, freeware) "The Life Of A Pacifist Is Often Fraught With Conflict is a cartoony visual novel created by Bento Smile using the Ren'py engine, featuring five different endings and a quick conversation skip button that can be extremely useful for multiple playthroughs. In it you play as a member of a game development team, attending another meeting to discuss the agenda for the day with your fellow colleagues."