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Sword and Sworcery devs talk with Adventure Time creator, for fun's sake
Two of the bombastic dudes behind the iOS gem Sword and Sworcery EP recently sat down with the creator of Cartoon Network's Adventure Time, Pendleton Ward, in an hour-long discussion with Juegos Rancheros, the independent video game collective in Austin, Texas. Kris Piotrowski of development studio Capy and Craig Adams of Superbrothers had a talk with Ward about the fine lines between cartooning and gaming, pitches for a possible Adventure Time video game and the superb soundtrack to Sword and Sworcery, composed by Jim Guthrie. Take an adventure into the entire video above, moderated by Canabalt creator Adam 'Atomic' Saltsman.
3D printed toy features the runner from Canabalt
It's no Angry Birds toy, but I like the idea of this Runner figurine. It features the little guy from the popular iPhone game that spawned a genre, Canabalt. Not only does the resemblance to the little pixelated guy shine right through, but the figure is actually 3D printed in color, and then UV coated to hold the whole thing together. Pretty cool. Voxelous has it on sale right now for $14 along with a few other indie gaming stars, though supplies are limited. What other indie iPhone games need figures like this? I wouldn't mind having a printout of my favorite Bitizen in Tiny Tower...
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Gravity Guy
Gravity Guy is a fun one. It doesn't really do anything we haven't seen before -- the basic idea is a running-style game where you simply tap the screen to switch gravity (very similar to the terrific indie game VVVVVV). You can play it right now online as a Flash game, and you only need to get into it for a second before you see the whole premise. But what's really sent this one to the top of the App Store charts is all the extras and bonus modes that come with it. Not only is there a full story mode to play through, there are also practice and endless modes to play, and even a local or online multiplayer mode. There are Game Center leaderboards and achievements, and both the graphics and music look and sound terrific. So yes, this is just a Flash game port (and a simple one at that), but it's a Flash game port done very right. Plus, as of this writing, Gravity Guy is on sale today for the low price of absolutely free. Grab it and check it out if it seems like your thing.
NYC Museum of Modern Art to co-host 'Arcade' event with Kill Screen
It seems the "Games as Art" debate is over, as New York City's Museum of Modern Art is co-hosting a game-centric event later this month with haute gaming mag Kill Screen. Titled "Arcade," the one-night soiree on July 27 features several great indie games (Bit.Trip Beat, Canabalt, Limbo, and "a new motion-based Kinect project" from current Harmonix employees Ryan Challinor and Matt Boch, as seen here). The games will be playable throughout various parts of the museum, including the MoMA's gorgeous sculpture garden. That's where we'll be hanging out, in case that wasn't clear. You may be wondering how the folks at Kill Screen finagled a gaming night at one of the world's most famous art museums, and we were too. It turns out that the event is part of MoMA's "Talk to Me" exhibit, which explores "the communication between people and objects." Video games seem like a perfect fit, no? If the incredible location and selection of great games weren't enough to convince you, tickets are just $16 in advance and $20 at the door, which entitles you to "an exclusive viewing, a cocktail reception, a tote bag," as well as the aforementioned opportunity to play games at the MoMA. We'll also be there in our sharpest outfit handing out exaggerated high fives, so keep an eye out! Update: This post originally pegged Ryan Challinor and Matt Boch as former Harmonix employees, when in fact they are both still employed at the studio. Sorry guys!
TUAW's Daily iOS App: Castle Runner
Castle Runner is a running title that's more hardcore than Canabalt. The pressure to run and avoid objects is increased by a ceiling slowly coming down on top of your head. As you run along, you'll pick up power-ups that will usually help (either raise the ceiling or allow you more time playing), but sometimes hurt (speeding you up or even darkening the screen so that you have to memorize the obstacles as they come at you). There are pillars to slide under and bumps to go over, making Castle Runner really tough. Plus, the grayscale color scheme doesn't exactly scream fun and friendly. But for running game fans looking for a challenge, you'll find one here. It's too bad the title doesn't have social networking or Game Center integration (yet?), because a high score in this one is something to brag about. Castle Runner is available for US$0.99 on the App Store for iPhone, and I believe an iPad native version is coming soon.
Apple approves Canabalt clone
Late last year, the developer who created popular indie game Canabalt released the game's source code under an MIT open source license. This license lets other developers use the underlying game engine to power their own games for either private or commercial distribution. While the underlying engine is free to use, the Canabalt developer clearly states other developers cannot "distribute or redistribute our game code, art or sounds." Unfortunately, PLD Soft may have violated this open source license by taking the source code, repackaging it with minimal changes and submitting it to the App Store as an app called Free Running. Apple approved this Canabalt clone, and it is now available for free. While it may prevent the entry of harmful and poorly written applications into the App Store, Apple's approval process is not perfect. Just last week, a Mario clone made its way into the App Store, and now we see the debut of a Canabalt clone. The Mario clone had a limited lifespan and was pulled promptly from the App Store, we will wait and see if Free Running meets the same fate. [Via Daniel Wood (@loadedwino)]
Winnitron 1000 brings exclusive indie arcade games to GDC
The Winnitron 1000 is an arcade machine that houses indie games you won't find anywhere else, including two-player versions of Canabalt and Super Crate Box. Usually, the only way to experience these games is to visit the machine's home at the LoPub in Winnipeg, but the collective that created it occasionally takes it on tour to events -- like, say, the Game Developers Conference. As much as we hate to publicize this and increase our own time spent waiting in line, the Winnitron 1000 will be playable at GDC, in booth 1137. That booth will also be home to a series of talks by indie luminaries Vlambeer, Adam Saltsman, Kyle Pulver, Chevy Ray Johnston, and the Indie Game: The Movie crew. We hear you'll be able to hear these talks best from just outside of the Winnitron line.
TUAW's Daily App: Inspector Gadget's MAD Dash
I would say that this Canabalt-like game is good for kids (and it is), but I don't suppose there are too many kids around nowadays who remember the early days of Inspector Gadget like I did in my generation. We 80s babies can fondly look back on Gadget, Penny, Brain and the mysterious Dr. Claw with nostalgia, so while this one is more or less a licensed tie-in game, it's still good to see the old gang kicking around. Actually, just calling it a tie-in game isn't quite right -- there are some new elements here, in the form of coins to collect as you run and a few interesting new sequences (including some hook-jumping and a train for Gadget to dodge). But it basically plays like a running game; Gadget constantly skates forward, and a touch on the screen let's you jump up to safety. It's just as fun, too -- while it doesn't have Canabalt's cool flavor, it does have the Gadget theme, sounds from the series and everything else you'd expect from a licensed title. It also has a nice curve of replayability -- you're not only scored as you play, you're also granted Gadget Coins, which you can use to unlock extras both in-game and out (there's a digital comic and a sound board, both of which are nice meaty add-ons). Plus, the game is half price right now at just US 99 cents ($2.99 for the iPad version). If you've got kids who like Canabalt, or if you just remember being a kid that liked Inspector Gadget, give it a shot.
Indie iPhone sale raises $25K as Canabalt goes open source
The generosity of indie developer Semi Secret apparently knows no bounds. Not only did the studio lend its runaway (geddit?) hit Canabalt to the Indie iPhone sale, which has already raised over $25,000 for the Child's Play Charity with its ongoing $0.99 offers on iPhone hits such as Osmos, Drop7, and Solipskier, but the two-man team behind the grayscale game has opened up the Canabalt source code for everyone's perusal. You can download and learn more about the Canabalt source on Semi Secret's official site -- all that we ask is that, should you go poking around in the game's brain, you finally program in whatever the agile protagonist is running from. We've spun off a number of theories involving the Illuminati, but it's entirely possible that we're way, way off base.
Indie iPhone games marked down to 99 cents for Child's Play
The latest indie gaming charity drive allows you to simultaneously be stingy and charitable: six popular iPhone games have been discounted to 99 cents each through December 31, with one third of that lowered price (after Apple's cut) going to Child's Play. The games in the Indie iPhone Holiday Sale include Canabalt, Solipskier, Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, Osmos, Drop7, and Eliss, all of which we can safely say are required for your iPhone to work properly. And unlike other charity game bundles, which allow you to pay what you want, these are locked at 99 cents, so you can't feel guilty for not paying more. Well, you can, but you won't be able to do anything about it.
TUAW's Daily App: Cookie Rush
Cookie Rush is an interesting title. The goal is to keep some villagers away from a giant rolling cookie, but instead of guiding them directly, you control them by placing jump arrows in their way -- it's kind of like a group Canabalt where you're controlling the environment rather than the character. Things get frantic quickly. As you go along, you have to dodge gaps and try to get your villagers up to rescue vehicles, there are dogs to dodge, and there are bad guys that you don't want jumping up with the rest of your folks. I like Cookie Rush. It's pretty original (given that the main villain is a gigantic rolling cookie, it pretty much has to be), and it's worth a shot if you like arcade-style platformers. It's too bad there's no free version to try, and if you're on the fence, you might want to wait for a lite version to come along. But OpenFeint achievements and leaderboards add some fun functionality for just US$0.99. If the idea of the gameplay appeals, it's worth a look.
TUAW's Daily App: Mirror's Edge
Usually, we like to use this space to highlight developers and apps that could use a little more exposure, not call out big-budget titles from developers like Electronic Arts. But this one's worth it -- Mirror's Edge is a pretty terrific, completely original translation of the plaforming game that arrived on consoles last year. It was out on the iPad at launch earlier this year, and now the game has made its way to the iPhone, bringing Retina Display graphics and the same well done gameplay. Out of all of the "major" game publishers, EA has shown Apple quite a bit of love in the past, and this is probably the company's best original (in mechanics, if not actually name or premise) title for the iOS platform. It's a real shame that it took so long for this one to make it around to the handheld, but now that it's here, it is worth the $4.99 purchase price for those looking for a premium iPhone experience. And heck, if that's too much, just be patient another eight months or so and you'll probably see the game on sale. If you're interested in this gameplay at all -- basically a complicated Canabalt, with heroine Faith running, sliding and shooting her way across rooftops -- definitely give it a look.
TUAW's Daily App: Monster Dash
Halfbrick Studios really made a splash with their iPhone debut, Fruit Ninja, and now they've followed it up with a little game called Monster Dash. It's a running game in the vein of Canabalt, but rather than dodging skyscraper jumps and bombs, you're fighting through pixelated monsters while sprinting along. The main addition to the game is a "shoot" button, so in addition to jumping obstacles and gaps as they come up, you can mow down enemies with various weapons, such as the (default) flameburster, uzis, and even a machine gun jetpack (that comes in handy when jumping). It's a lot of fun (as you'd probably expect if you've played either Canabalt or Fruit Ninja), and the game comes with Halfbrick's requisite polish, including excellent lush graphics and full OpenFeint compatibility. If there's a downside, it's too bad that Halfbrick decided to just stick with the usual arcade formula. It'd be cool if they tried for something a little less shallow and a little more engrossing. This is just a bunch of levels and a chance to rush for the high score; nothing else carries over from one game to the next. That's just nitpicking, though. Halfbrick has done another great job on this one and pushed the newborn genre forward with their own twist. It's well worth the 99 cents. And if you do buy it, try tapping on the title screen monsters just for fun.
Canabalt creator Adam Atomic talks indie gaming, documentary on the way (video)
Adam Atomic's real name is Adam Saltsman, but regardless what you call him he's the man behind Canabalt, a killer parkour-inspired title in which you control a dude running across a rooftops with just a single button -- jump. Though it has simple mechanics and simple aesthetics the thinking behind it was anything but, a topic that Adam explores in the video clip embedded for you below. The footage is the product of James Swirsky and the team behind the upcoming documentary Indie Game: The Movie, due out next year and promising to explore the art and craft of the independent game movement. It's too early to tell whether the film might be able to knock The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters from the top of our documentary chart, but this segment (not actually a part of the movie) certainly makes things look promising.
TUAW's Daily App: Gravity Hook HD
Semi Secret Software (the same folks behind the amazing Canabalt game for the iPhone) has released its second game for the iOS platform, Gravity Hook HD. I actually heard about this one way back in March, and it was made even before Canabalt was. But this iPhone and iPad release has been updated for HD, and it's kind of fun. To play, you tap on various hook points in order to send your little guy skyward; you do this while fighting gravity and trying to keep from falling off the bottom of the screen. I can't say it's as fun or as simple as Canabalt, but it is colorful and addictive for sure. You don't believe me? Go play the free Flash version on the website. If it hooks you (get it? Hooks?), you can pick up the universal app for iPhone or iPad for US $2.99.
Canabalt now universal, Godfinger now available
Here's two big updates to big games on the App Store lately -- first up, the much-loved Canabalt has now gone universal, so if you have an iPhone and an iPad and have already purchased the app, you can now play it in full resolution on your iPad. Of course, if you haven't bought the app yet, what are you waiting for? It's a classic one-button app, dripping with ambience, that's just $2.99 for both platforms. Ngmoco has released their second big freemium title worldwide -- Godfinger is now available on the App Store for both iPhone and iPad. I got to play an early build of the app at GDC, and it basically combines Ngmoco's We Rule social and persistent functionality with some Pocket God-style gameplay. In other words, it'll likely be popular. I'm a little surprised the app didn't come out sooner -- Ngmoco is supposedly planning to release twenty new titles this year. If that's still true, they better get a move on.
TUAW's Daily App: Tomena Sanner
This one comes on the recommendation of a friend here at E3 -- Tomena Sanner was released for the iPhone last year by Konami, and it's a fun, crazy little game that's probably lots more entertainment than it deserves to be. Like Canabalt, it's a one-button title, but unlike Canabalt, it doesn't take itself seriously at all. Instead, as a busy businessman, you have to run to work, and you simply tap on the screen to get whatever's in your way out of it. The game is just plain silly, but it works quite well, and as your score and speed climb, so will your excitement. At US$1.99, you might have to get yourself in the right mood to enjoy it, but once you do, it's a heck of an App Store experience.
Learn typing, flee invading robots with Canabalt: Typing Tutor Edition
For those of you who are entirely too good at Canabalt (and we see you there on the leaderboards, you smug jerks), Adam Atomic has introduced a more difficult version under the guise of "education." Canabalt: Typing Tutor Edition is the same game you're familiar with, but with the jump command mapped to a letter key that changes after every few uses, displayed in the corner of the screen. In order to successfully navigate the endless rooftop path, you have to be able to access the right key immediately. It also includes optional spacebar or double-click-based control options. You can play the game in a browser window here. We don't expect to see this one on iPhone -- or, at least, we hope we never have to use the iPhone's virtual keyboard for this. [Via GameSetWatch]
TUAW's Daily App: Above
Our tipsters have been raving about Above, which is sort of a cross between Doodle Jump and Canabalt. It appeared in the App Store a little while ago. Odds are, after that description, you probably went looking for it already. Just in case you're still here, though, I'll tell you that it does offer up a few new tricks. Just like Canabalt, it's still a one-button-to-jump affair, but in Above, you actually hold down a finger to "charge" a jump, which adds a little more strategy to it. As in Doodle Jump, you're trying to constantly climb up a series of platforms using "powerfuls" (a feature of the game) and avoiding obstacles, but Above's unique art style and much more forgiving structure make for a different experience. It's a very stylistic experience, from the great backgrounds and graphics to the trippy music. I'm not sure that it really offers anything new to this "climbing platformer" phenomena that seems to be taking over the App Store, but it is polished to a shine. Achievements and multiple stages add some replayability and make the game more than worth the US$1.99 purchase price. If you want a Doodle Jump that's a little less casual and fleeting, here it is. If you're addicted to the one-button gameplay of Canabalt, Above offers more. Our tipsters are right: Above is certainly worth a purchase.
GDC 2010: Interview with Faraway's Steph Thirion
Steph Thirion is a game designer who's been releasing some of the most inventive games I've seen on the iPhone. He started out with Eliss a little while back, and he recently announced Faraway, which I got to play at GDC. The night after I played the game (it was at a party called Gamma IV), I sat down with him to chat about developing for the iPhone, why Eliss wasn't bigger, and his biggest inspiration for the more casual gameplay of Faraway. Read on for the full interview.
