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'Bit.Trip' limited vinyl soundtrack loaded with killer indie games
The folks over at iam8bit have been knocking it out of the park pretty regularly. Earlier this year they released the absolutely gorgeous vinyl edition of the Hotline Miami 2 soundtrack, an equally beautiful video-game world map and during ComicCon the outfit unveiled the limited edition soundtrack for Battletoads on wax. The latest project looks like it could be just as special: a "greatest chips" collection of games and music from the the lovely (and unapologetically difficult) indie series Bit.Trip. While the multi-colored bullseye picture disc and fancy Drew Wise album art are cool enough on their own, it's the digital offerings packed in that are pretty awesome in and of themselves. In addition to the aforementioned accoutrements, the $25 asking price also nets you download codes for each of the seven Bit.Trip games and their full soundtracks. It's a circus of value!
Harmonix scores Freezepop, Super Meat Boy composer, more for Amplitude
There's going to be less talk, more rokk for Harmonix's Amplitude Kickstarter campaign going forward, as the band Freezepop has joined the fight to bring a new version of the 2003 PS2 cult classic to life. The band, which frequently collaborates with Harmonix, won't be alone in their quest, as plenty of other high-profile artists are ready to lend their talents to the project. Danny Baranowsky (Super Meat Boy, Crypt of the Necrodancer), Anamanaguchi (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), C418 (Minecraft), Jim Guthrie (Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP) and Kasson Crooker (FreQuency, Amplitude) will all contribute original music to the game should it reach its funding goal, Harmonix announced via Kickstarter update. As of this writing, the campaign is just shy of $400,000 with a goal of $775,000. Harmonix has until 5 p.m. EST, May 23 to reach their goal. If the crowdfunding campaign fails, Harmonix has said that Amplitude will go "back on the shelf." [Image: Harmonix]
Reformat the Planet DVD arrives at (more) retailers December 7
The DVD version of Reformat the Planet, 2 Player Productions' chiptunes-centric documentary, has been available through some obscure online channels since this past summer. However, folks hoping to receive it as a gift from a not-so-tech-savvy relative should have better luck in a couple of weeks when select retailers, including Amazon, will begin carrying the film starting December 7 -- making it much easier for Uncle Grandma to find the movie, wrap it and place it beneath your chosen holiday's gift-hiding object. The DVD, which includes two discs' worth of bonus features, director's cuts and commentaries, will cost your beloved holiday shopper $25, which seems like a fairly reasonable price to pay for a movie capable of making you dance forever.
You're invited to a Scott Pilgrim soundtrack listening party
It's been a while since you last attended an exclusive soiree, hasn't it? Our compatriots over at AOL Music have invited you to a "Listening Party" for the Anamanaguchi-crafted soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. Yes, that's fancy internet-speak for "the whole album is now available to stream for free, on the off-chance you're too much of a cheapskate to buy it." So, it may not be the most exciting party you've ever attended in your life, but at least you can attend it sans pants and not get any funny looks from your contemporaries.
Scott Pilgrim game soundtrack coming to iTunes next week
Do you wish you had the soundtrack to the recently released Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, so that you had the appropriate tunes for your favorite exercise routine? That routine being, of course, beating the coins out of Canadian hipsters. The 8-bit quartet Anamanaguchi, which crafted the beat-em-up's score, recently announced that the soundtrack will be released August 24 on iTunes through ABKCO Music and Records. If you're forced to deal with a small group of menacing Canadian hipsters standing outside right at this moment, you can stream clips from the soundtrack on ABKCO's site to get pumped up. Or, if you'd just like to hear a few more selections from the 'Guch, you can do so on the band's official site. [Thanks Vivas!]
Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game
You may have heard of this whole Scott Pilgrim vs. The World thing -- it's kind of a big deal. There's a movie based on a series of graphic novels opening this week (we saw it a little early), and there's all manner of tie-in merchandise capitalizing on its epic epicness. So, here's the Scott Pilgrim video game. "Probably designed by Uwe Boll's less talented cousin Steve and coded by a drunken monkey," you say. Alas, licensed games do generally have that reputation about them. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is one of the best video game adaptations I've ever played. Like, since I was falling into pits playing E.T. on my Atari 2600. Unlike that train wreck and so many others that followed (with rare exceptions like Batman: Arkham Asylum), Scott Pilgrim isn't the product of dubious market research, cutting corners to maximize profits or designing a game for the lowest common denominator. It's clear almost immediately that this is made by people who have gaming ingrained in them down to the sub-atomic level. This is their love letter to their favorite hobby and, in turn, an invitation to revel in it alongside them. .%Gallery-95506%
Bit.Trip Runner original soundtrack now on sale
At long last, the ever-catchy background bleeps and bloops of Bit.Trip Runner can now be listened to from the safety and comfort of your music-listening device of preference. The mostly original soundtrack for the game (two songs were contributed by the chiptune virtuosos of Anamanaguchi) is now available to purchase from CDBaby.com for $6. We definitely think it could make for some soothing ambient music to accompany your daily aromatherapy sessions -- that is, as long as each square wave doesn't fill you with haunting flashbacks of that one fireball that ruined your perfect run.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World trailer beats up the internet
If you've still got that glow from finishing the last installment of the book series upon which it's based, you're probably in the perfect place to check out the Comic-Con trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Heck, even without all that book-learnin', you should still probably give it a glimpse.
Listen to a new Anamanaguchi track from Scott Pilgrim
Graphic novel writer and part-time musician Brian Lee O'Malley recently updated his personal blog with a delightful clip from the Anamanaguchi-composed soundtrack of Ubisoft's adaptation of Edgar Wright's adaptation of his flagship series, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Interview: Scott Pilgrim production manager Marc-Andre Boivin
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World has been selected as one of Joystiq's E3 Standouts this year. It's got everything an old school gamer could want: a 2D beat-em-up foundation, pixel art by Pirate Baby's Cabana creator Paul Robertson and a chiptune soundtrack by Anamanaguchi -- not to mention it's based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's seminal rock and roll Canadian comic. Can it get any more geek chic than that? We spoke with Ubisoft production manager Marc-Andre Boivin to learn more about how this nugget of awesomeness came about, the PSN timed-exclusivity agreement and our one disappointment so far: the game's lack of online co-op. The full interview follows. Joystiq: This Scott Pilgrim game is sparkling with indie charm, and yet it's being made by Ubisoft -- a big company. How did this project come about at Ubisoft? Marc-Andre Boivin: From my understanding, Universal first proposed a project to Ubisoft, and it was the vision of the initial director and the initial team. They worked with [Scott Pilgrim creator] Bryan Lee O'Malley, with the creative team in place, and they found that the beat-em-up style with the pixel art style was a good direction to go. I think everyone agreed at that time that this could be interesting, and I think the creator of the books, Bryan Lee O'Malley, liked the genre as well. So they started the project that way. Since the beginning, that was the vision -- a beat-em-up with the pixel art style that we have. %Gallery-95506%
Chiptune rock band Anamanaguchi providing soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim game
If you're a fan of both the high-energy electro-rock stylings of Anamanaguchi and the illustrated adventures of Scott Pilgrim, you're in for a serendipitous treat -- the 'Guch announced during their PAX East concert last night that they would be providing the musical accompaniment for Ubisoft's recently announced video game adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim comic series. Given the comic's penchant for 8-bit gaming references, and the band's penchant for 8-bit gaming synthesizers, we think this partnership is a match made in heaven.
PAX East: Concerts, exhibitors announced
PAX East has finally announced its concerts and exhibitor line-up -- not that people seemed to need a reason to show up in droves. Musical performances include PAX favorites like Jonathan Coulton, Anamanaguchi and MC Frontalot. Major publishers attending the show include EA, Ubisoft, Microsoft and Nintendo. Local studios Harmonix and Turbine will be there, along with indie darlings The Behemoth and Twisted Pixel Games. The show will sell out shortly, so if you're planning on attending, now (like, right now) is the time to get registered. PAX East is shaping up to be a surprise break-out show, with several video game publishers recognizing the potential. The announced list of musical acts and exhibitors can be found after the break.
Bit. Trip: Runner is a 'rhythm platformer'
Speaking to Nintendo Life in a podcast, Gaijin Games's Alex Neuse spilled plenty of details about the fourth Bit.Trip game for WiiWare, Bit. Trip Runner. Neuse calls the game a "rhythm platformer," a genre populated, in his estimation, only by Vib-Ribbon. Which means that players will move Commander Video through side-scrolling environments to the beat of new chiptune songs, two of which are provided by chiptune superstars Anamanaguchi. The game's 50 levels will make use of user-submitted fanart, for which the developer is still soliciting entries. The universe of Bit. Trip will also expand a bit: "We're going to be adding a lot more to this game," Neuse said. "There's going to be multiple characters – not playable characters, but we are going to introduce some new characters into the franchise." Runner is around 2/3 complete, and is expected to release on WiiWare sometime this spring.
Blizzard at PAX this weekend
As we reported a little while back, Blizzard will be in attendance at the sold out Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington this weekend, and Crygil has posted on the forums that they'll have everything playable that they had at BlizzCon: the new Diablo III Monk class, the Cataclysm expansion, and the Starcraft II singleplayer campaign. Somewhat strangely, they don't actually say that the Cataclysm expansion will be the same starter zones that we played at BlizzCon -- they may actually have some of old world Azeroth open and playable. But on the other hand, they'd probably announce something like that if it was happening, and given that they'll have a smaller setup than BlizzCon, we don't imagine there'll be anything really new there.In other WoW news at PAX, our friends at The Guild will be screening the entire season 2 on Friday evening -- Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh will be there, along with producer Kim Evey and Wil Wheaton (Felicia is headed off to Dragon*Con this weekend). Unfortunately, the screening is during the Friday evening concert, and so you might have to miss Anamanaguchi, Metroid Metal, and MC Frontalot. My favorites Jonathan Coulton and Freezepop are playing on Saturday night, though, so you can fit in both of those if you like.
