The Mike Hardy Saga, Part V: Back in the Asylum
(note: read parts I, II, III, and IV if you haven’t already)
Oops, it looks like I goofed. Part four did not actually cover all the releases Michael J. Hardy has made under the Asylum Studios name. Correct, there are more magical Mike Hardy makings to be discovered!
For this update, I will start with Word Lab (mirrored copy, the original is shut down). This promises to be a somewhat original puzzle game that just might expand your vocabulary. I wonder if the words “fraud,” “thief,” and “steal” are in it? I ask these questions because it just so happens that you can find the exact same game without the Mike Hardy brandings on it right here. There is not much more I can say about this one.
Even Mahjongg is not safe from the clutches of Mr. Hardy. Witness his Ghost Mahjongg Solitaire, a blatant copy of Kyodai Mahjongg. Or is it Mr. Hardy’s vbMahjongg (local mirror) that is a ripoff of Orville P. Chomer’s VB Mahjongg? Honestly, I am not very certain right now. This is all so tiring and confusing. For an interesting diatribe against Mr. Hardy, look here.
Wow…a Minesweeper clone called MineXP. How imaginative. It is kind of sad that Mr. Hardy cloned a game that comes with Windows, and then tries to charge money for it. Actually, the screenshot just says that the game is commercial, but the site fails to mention a way to buy it. This is probably a good thing.
Next up: Booda (local mirror), an Othello (Reversi) clone. A version of Reversi actually came with version 1.0 of Microsoft Windows, but they removed it by version 3.0. No doubt Mr. Hardy’s version is simply rebadged from someone else’s creation, but I cannot find the original. Any assistance in finding it would be appreciated.
Honestly, I think my brain is beginning to melt. I will return to the Mike Hardy saga in a few days, I think.