Polar PWND - a Flash-based Puzzle

Polar PWND is a Flash animation puzzle created by Newgrounds.com programmer Orbitgametech, with artwork done by Newgrounds.com artist ikaan. The sponsor for this submission is Newgrounds.com user gameboltz. This physics-utilizing puzzle was submitted to Newgrounds.com on January 20, 2010 and won a Daily third-place award on January 21, 2010.

Game Background

As Boris, the new recruit for the United Bear Association, fight your way through the opposing penguins to get to the heart of the Penguin Headquarters to discover the enemy's secrets.

Gameplay

The objective of the game is to knock over all the penguins on the screen using Boris the bear, who is riding on a sled of some sort.

To begin a stage, simply click on the walrus in uniform at the bottom-left hand corner of the screen. This will essentially turn on the gravity in the game, which should lead to a series of events that will hopefully lead to the completion of the main objective. You can restart the level by pressing on the walrus again.

There are a few tools that you can use to help you accomplish the main objective. These tools can be seen at the bottom of the screen. The first two tools are ramps that can be placed on the screen. Simply click on the ramp that you wish to place on the screen, then click an area on the screen to place the ramp.

The object after the two ramps is a bomb. Use the bomb to help Boris propel in a certain direction. For instance, if Boris start out on a level plane, then he won't get very far on his own, especially since you can't control him directly. However, you can help him move indirectly by placing a bomb near him. The bomb will explode and propel Boris in the appropriate direction.

Next to the bomb is the mine, which serves essentially the same function as the bomb. Once Boris makes contact with a mine, the mine will explode and propel Boris in the appropriate direction.

To the right of these four objects, you can see three more useful buttons. The first button (the green one with a white arrow in it) lets you place items on the screen. The yellow button after the green button lets you rotate objects. This can be useful when combined with the ramps, since you can rotate the ramps to make makeshift ground so Boris doesn't get stuck in pits or cracks in the natural landscape. The red button with an X on it can be used to remove objects from the screen.

The Tips button at the bottom-right hand corner of the screen can be used if you feel stuck. Also, at the top-left hand corner of the screen, you have a Walkthrough button that you can click on if you feel especially stuck. The reset button at the very bottom-right hand corner can be used to clear the stage.

Knock over all of the penguins in the stage to advance to the next stage. Complete all of the stages to complete the game. There are a total of 10 stages plus 4 tutorial stages for you to complete.

Game Review

Polar PWND is a fun little puzzle game that can keep players interested enough to complete the game. The idea of turning gravity on and off is interesting in that it requires players to predict in advance what the outcome of the scenario will be and thus place items appropriately according to the situation. The progression of difficulty also makes the game more interesting. The music adds a nice comical military feel to the game.

Polar PWND scores a 9/10 for good entertainment and replay value.