| Version | 1.1 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | GamesResearch |
| Release date | Nov 7, 2008 |
| Date added | May 10, 2004 |
| Os requirements | Windows, Windows 2000, Windows XP |
| Requirements | Windows 2000/XP, DirectX 8.1 |
| Total downloads | 16,159 |
| Price | Free to try |
Description
Hikari is an addictive, high-energy, puzzle-arcade game--think Lights Out meets Minesweeper meets Bomberman--in which you must switch lightbulbs and other pieces on or off by clicking them with the mouse. Sound easy? The further you get, the more challenging the puzzles become. Even the brightest minds will be challenged. Featuring more than 40 pieces--not only several types of lightbulbs, but also turnstiles, swappers, conveyors, bombs, batteries, and safes--Hikari provides rich gameplay from start to finish.
Review
Hikari's interface is restrained and the concept is elegantly simple, and at first we thought it was a kids' game. However, the Hikari concept evolves into a brain-stretching challenge that, at its highest levels, is frustratingly difficult.
To complete a level, you must illuminate all the bulbs on the board. Most of the early puzzles consist of the two most common bulbs, 25-watt and 60-watt. When clicked, the 25-watt blue bulbs activate themselves and the four (if any) bulbs at each 90-degree angle (von Neumann neighborhood). Similarly, the 60-watt bulbs control themselves and the four bulbs at each right angle, but they also command the four corner bulbs (Manhattan neighborhood). Bombs, turnstiles, and swappers spice things up.
The demo version contains 30 puzzles out of the 200 in the full version. The first boards are painfully easy, but everything after level 10 is moderate, levels 20 to 30 contain some real doozies, and the full game gets insane. Like most great games, Hikari is simple to learn and easy to start playing, yet extremely difficult to master. If you're the obsessive type and need to finish every single level, be warned: This lightbulb game may just burn you up.
