''Eets'' (also known as ''Eets: Hunger. It's emotional.'') was a
2D puzzle game developed by
Klei Entertainment
Klei Entertainment Inc. ( ) is a Canadian video game development company located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Klei was formed in July 2005 by Jamie Cheng. Their best-known titles include ''Don't Starve'' and ''Oxygen Not Included''. On January ...
and first released on March 27, 2006 for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
. It was later released for
Mac OS X
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...
on December 9, 2010. Both the Windows and Macintosh versions of the game are distributed digitally via
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
. On April 25, 2007 the game was released for the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
via
Xbox Live Arcade under the title ''Eets: Chowdown''. ''Eets'' is a
puzzle game with similarities to ''
Lemmings
A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae) together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also include ...
'' where players must guide a character through an on-screen puzzle.
Eets was later reimagined as ''Eets Munchies''. Its beta debuted as part of
Humble Indie Bundle
Humble Bundle, Inc. is a digital storefront for video games, which grew out of its original offering of Humble Bundles, collections of games sold at a price determined by the purchaser and with a portion of the price going towards charity and t ...
9; the full game was subsequently released on Steam on March 11, 2014.
The original Eets is no longer available.
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 ''
Lemmings
A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae) together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also include ...
'' and ''
The Incredible Machine'', and adds a quirky art style and a
surreal
Surreal may refer to:
*Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art
* "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki
* ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze
*Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor
...
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 character's mood he reacts to stimuli differently. 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 or levels may refer to:
Engineering
*Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights
*Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical
*Canal pound or level
*Regr ...
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
An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...
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 the player's 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 DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
or
PSP, but to no avail. In October 2005 Klei Entertainment met with
Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
to begin negotiations to publish the game on
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, Valve's digital distribution platform.
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, a revamped version of ''Eets'' called ''Eets: Chowdown'' was announced for the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
. ''Chowdown'' was 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
GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
and 81/100 at
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
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
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
's Eric Bratcher noted that with the game's 800
Microsoft Point
Microsoft Points, introduced in November 2005 as Xbox Live Points, were a digital currency issued by Microsoft for use on its Xbox and Zune product lines. Points could be used to purchase video games and downloadable content from Xbox Live Market ...
price that it is "priced to move."
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'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 Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
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'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'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'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
'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 number of levels in the game that players will be "
eptentertained 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."
References
External links
*
{{Klei Entertainment
2006 video games
Puzzle video games
Windows games
Xbox 360 Live Arcade games
Indie video games
Video games developed in Canada
MacOS games
Klei Entertainment games
Single-player video games