''Log Jammers'' is a

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published and developed by

Mega Cat Studios Mega Cat Studios is an American video game development and publishing company located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 2015 by James Deighan, Nick Mann, and Zack Manko. Mega Cat develops and publishes games for computers, consoles ...

. It was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System and is scheduled to be released for

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PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

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, and

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in 2020. The game features a lumberjack theme, silly humor, and fast-paced action in the style of arcade games. The objective of the game is to toss an axe past the opponent and into their goal. The game's name is an allusion to ''

Windjammers A windjammer is a commercial sailing ship with multiple masts, however rigged. The informal term "windjammer" arose during the transition from the Age of Sail to the Steam-powered vessel, Age of Steam during the 19th century. The Oxford English ...

'', which the developers cite as an inspiration. It also refers to a

log jam A log jam is a naturally occurring phenomenon characterized by a dense accumulation of tree trunks and pieces of large wood across a vast section of a river, stream, or lake. ("Large wood" is commonly defined to be pieces of wood more than in di ...

, which relates to the games lumberjack theme, as well as the aquatic, log-based levels.

Gameplay

There are eight playable characters in ''Log Jammers'', each with their own unique special ability, attributes, and story. After selecting a character and mode, players throw an axe back and forth, attempting to get it behind their opponent into their goal, while also protecting their own goal. An axe that lands in the middle portion of the goal is worth two points, while one that lands in either corner is worth five. The round ends when a player's score passes ten points.

Power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...

s granting various temporary abilities (like the oil can, which greases your opponent and makes them unable to catch the axe) float down the middle of the screen at regular intervals. After beating the game's tournament mode, players unlock a brief vignette revealing the outcome of their character's story.

Development

Development of the NES version of ''Log Jammers'' began in 2017. A Kickstarter campaign for the game's modern console versions was launched in September 2018.

Reception

''Log Jammers'' received a positive reception from the press; critics praised the game for its art style while voicing concern that the game itself may be "too chaotic".

Accolades

''Log Jammers'' won the awards for Best Gameplay and Game of the Year at Gameacon 2017, and was selected as a Game of the Year finalist for the 2017 Indie Prize USA.

References

External links

* {{Homebrew 2017 video games Indie games Mega Cat Studios games Multiplayer and single-player video games Nintendo Entertainment System games Nintendo Switch games PlayStation 4 games Sports video games Video games developed in the United States Windows games Xbox One games