Hikari now available for $7.95
Now you can play the full version of Hikari for the low, low price of US $7.95! This critically-acclaimed puzzle-action game offers over 200 action-packed levels with over 40 different tokens. Hikari is very easy to pick up for novice puzzle enthusiast, but has enough to offer for even the hardest-core puzzle fanatics. Download the demo version today!
Hikari v1.1 Now Available
GamesResearch has just released Hikari 1.1 to correct several bugs and provide some minor additional functionality. Among the fixes:
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FOR PLAYERS WHO DON'T ALREADY HAVE A VERSION OF HIKARI INSTALLED: Just download and install the Hikari 1.1 installation package.
FOR PLAYERS WHO ALREADY HAVE HIKARI 1.0 INSTALLED: Installing the quick patch to 1.1 is easy. After downloading and unzipping the patch file, replace the Hikari executable currently installed on your system (by default at location C:\Program Files\GamesResearch\Hikari.exe) with the executable in the patch, also called Hikari.exe. Once you have replaced Hikari.exe, the bugs have been fixed and you're ready to roll. This patch applies both to registered versions of Hikari as well as demo versions.
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Hikari v1.0 Released!
On April 12, 2004, GamesResearch released the much-anticipated Hikari 1.0 for Windows. Hikari is an addictive, high-energy arcade/puzzle game - think Lights Out meets Minesweeper meets Bomberman. Solve the puzzle and move up to the next mindbending challenge; and with over 200 such puzzles, you're guaranteed to enjoy Hikari for a long time.
The mechanics of Hikari work like this: you must switch lightbulbs and other pieces on (in most cases) by clicking them with the mouse. The catch is, clicking on a lightbulb will not only affect the target lightbulb itself, but also that of its neighbors - it's not uncommon to have to turn a lightbulb on, then off (via another lightbulb), then on again (via a third lightbulb) in order to solve a puzzle!
Hikari lightbulbs come in several intensities (e.g. 25-Watt, 60-Watt, etc.). Each lightbulb "shines" differently, resulting in a multitude of fun and challenging puzzles for players! Hikari also has a cornucopia of support pieces, including turnstiles that rotate the surrounding pieces; swappers that swap the position of two pieces; bombs that destroy pieces; batteries that absorb - then re-emit - charges from neighboring lightbulbs; and many more!
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Hikari boasts more than two hundred addictive puzzle boards of varying difficulty - thirty of which are freely available in the demo version - and 40 different piece types! Players receive a certain amount of points if they can solve the puzzle board in the "average" amount of moves, but they can receive even more points by completing the puzzle with only a few moves. See how few clicks you can solve each board of Hikari in!
Hikari also features a unique puzzle board selection screen in which the player is allowed to play boards only when they have earned a certain amount of points. That's not to say that if the player gets permanently stuck on one board, he or she cannot advance to the next board; several unsolved boards are usually available for the player, so there are a variety of options for advancement. If there are no boards that the player can get past for the time being, he or she can revisit old boards and try to attain higher scores by solving the boards in fewer moves in order to open up brand new boards. Once a board is open, it stays open forever, and the player always has the opportunity to revisit it for more points. Hikari's board selection screen allows any player - from passive puzzle enthusiasts to diehard puzzle maniacs - to enjoy the game at their own pace.
Hikari Screenshots (click thumbnails for larger images)
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Each of the Hikari piece types was carefully, meticulously animated to be startlingly lifelike and engaging. The haunting, mellifluous soundtrack was composed by Eric Doggett of Eric Doggett Studios. The artwork and sound is complemented by some first-rate puzzle special effects - including explosions, moving starfields, and more. The result is a beautiful and fun experience uncommon in the arcade/puzzle game genre of today.