Steam | GOG | Zoom Platform (Your Mom's Box Set) | Zoom Platform (Fudge Pack) | STOVE
| ESRB Rating: Adults Only 
| Steam Net Revenue: $13,277,341.42 13m | Part of the Postal series (2nd of 4)
So, let me clear the air on this one: Postal 2 is gross, puerile, insensitive, and racist in the way that can only be explained if you understand where the US was culturally in 2003. I also have 79 hours in the game on Steam as of this writing. The simplest way I can explain the appeal is that the Postal Dude in this game is very 'gender' to me and playing as him and his awful life is gratifying given where I am in life myself. Moreover, this is what I would consider the 'Ur example' of what an open world game ought to be: with other modern open world games, you're still expected to do things in a certain order and complete certain objectives before proceeding - adventure games with higher resolution, frankly. Postal 2 positively doesn't care when or how you do its objectives. Bought milk from the store honestly or stole it? Doesn't matter, off the list. Confessed your sins or killed the pastor? Off the list either way. In fact, it is entirely possible to go through the game without hurting or killing anybody, which poses as much of a unique challenge as playing the game as a typical shooter. The point is, though, the game is worthwhile because of what it does, not in spite of it, because it's a rare occasion that a game will earnestly let you get as buckwild as Postal 2.
| Net Revenue: Freeware N/A
GrowWing is a hori SHUMP with the central design philosophy revolving around saving powerups to upgrade your preferred shot type. Before each mission you are given one of two choices for each weapon loadout: Laser, Fhoton (sic) and Launcher. Each powerup makes the weapon look more and more impressive (for instance, level 3 of the Missile Launcher weapon turns the screen into an Itano circus) but no matter what shot type you choose, it's important to know that when it comes to bosses and tougher enemies, your only real option is charging your shots as your basic shot isn't enough to take down big ships. The game itself is relatively easy compared to others in its genre and release date - you get ten shots before you lose a life (you have 100 health and most single shots take off 10), three lives in total, and you respawn exactly where you died instead of restarting the level. Aesthetically the game is downright lovely with 3D backgrounds and pre-rendered ships created in LightWave 7.5 with the intention of The Steel Warrior learning how shaders work. As far as I can tell, there are only two levels in GrowWing - the opening taking place in a canyon and the other deep underwater - but for a project like this, that's really all you need!