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Dragon platformer ‘EarthNight’ is out today on Switch, PC, Mac and iOS
EarthNight made waves when it was revealed at in 2015. The endless runner mixes hand-drawn visuals with catchy chiptune music and old-school sound effects, resulting in a game that could please both today's mobile-first gamers as well as those who grew up in the 2D era. And of course, there are giant dragons. After four years of waiting, the game is finally hitting consoles and computers today.
Korg's music-making Switch app offers Genesis and Taito game sounds
It stands to reason that a music creation app on a game console should have sound samples from consoles, doesn't it? Korg certainly thinks so. It's updating its Gadget app for the Switch with both a Sega Genesis-derived drum machine (Otorii) and a Taito arcade synth (Ebina). Both are as retro-looking as their names imply, and they each sample their fair share of classic games.
Crowdfunded Nanoloop synth doesn't need a Game Boy to make beats
Nanoloop has been a cornerstone of chiptune music for years, but using one has meant either owning a Game Boy or making do with a mobile app. You won't have to make those compromises for much longer. Developer Oliver Wittchow and crew are crowdfunding a dedicated, handheld version of the music-generating wunderkind. You'll still have a gamepad-like interface, four-channel synth and 4x4 matrix sequencer, just in a form factor that frees up your other gadgets.
Sega adds 'OutRun' and other classic soundtracks to Spotify
If you need a distraction from the stress of our new Orwellian order, why not take a trip back to a simpler time with Sega? It just released nearly 20 classic soundtracks from the '80s and '90s onto streaming site Spotify, including OutRun, Virtua Fighter, Fantasy Zone and NiGHTS. OutRun is probably the standout, as many of us wasted a good chunk of our youth (and quarters) racing in the multiplayer arcade version.
The next great indie game is about the dragon apocalypse
There's no such thing as an "overnight success." Sure, some folks get lucky with a snappy catchphrase or a $30 Chewbacca mask and they experience a wave of sudden, unplanned popularity, but generally, people don't achieve their dreams over the course of a single evening. Rich Siegel is living proof of this myth. He's an independent game developer who's been quietly working on his dream title, EarthNight, for years. It's a beautiful, hand-painted platformer about the dragon apocalypse. Players careen across the backs of massive, snake-like dragons as they soar high above the planet, all while an original chiptune soundtrack pounds away in the background. EarthNight has received some scattered press, but it's not a household name. When it finally lands on PlayStation 4 and PC, it will probably be a surprise to most people, another indie game in a sea of new releases. However, there's something special about EarthNight. It has all the trappings of a sleeper hit: It's gorgeous, unique and whimsical, and it feels fresh even as it embodies the nostalgia of classic platformers. It has built-in Twitch streaming capabilities, it's a blast to watch and it features permadeath, which means once players die, they have to start the entire game over. EarthNight inherently caters to competitive people and repeat plays. If any indie game is going to be an "overnight success" in 2017, this is it.
Watch how game music went from beeps to Sound Blaster
You can't enjoy retro games without digging the music, and a YouTube video (below) shows exactly how those tunes evolved. As explained by the 8-Bit Guy and Obsolete Geek, early PCs and Apple machines used "beeper speakers" that were driven strictly by your computer's CPU. Those only produced crude sounds, because forcing the CPU to do more actually hurt gameplay. Computers and consoles eventually got dedicated sound chips, but each used a different number of "voices," producing the distinctive differences between, say, a Nintendo NES and a Commodore 64 system.
With this player, making chiptune music is as easy as gaming
Chiptune music is one the many phenomena that '80s era gaming nostalgia spawned -- but to get into it you need to mod a working 30-year-old NES into an instrument. Now, a company called Assorted Wires has launched a hackable 8-bit chiptunes instrument on Kickstarter to make it way easier. The pitch is pretty simple: if you're good at video games, you can make music with no practice. That's why they're calling it the Lo-Fi SES, for Sound Entertainment System. It's shaped exactly like a game controller, with the control buttons used to trigger samples, change tempo, and play, record or delete tracks, to name a few functions.
This cover of the 'Game of Thrones' theme was made with an NESkeytar
Enjoy this for what it is: a bitchin' chiptune cover of the theme song to the nerdgasm, soft porn fantasy-fest that is HBO's Game of Thrones. And, yes that is a "keytar" with a Nintendo Entertainment System attached that YouTuber Theremin Hero is deftly fingering to play the show's epic opening theme. Dude's even rocking Think Geek's 8-bit tie. Clearly, he's committed. The full video is after the break. (Full disclosure: I've tried reading book one of Game of Thrones at least twice on a plane ride and failed to get hooked. Same goes for season one of the show. I just don't get it.)
World 1-2 Encore remix album available now
The World 1-2 chiptune album released in May now has a follow-up in World 1-2 Encore. The album features 14 tracks from artists like Cory Johnson, Video Game Orchestra and The OneUps. Unlike the first album, it is entirely composed of remixes, so the tunes may sound a little more familiar this time around. World 1-2 Encore is available on BandCamp for $8, and both albums can be purchased in a 34-track bundle for $24.
Grab the Nubuwo Winter Bundle, help fund the FAMI-MODE 2012 DVD
The third video game music menagerie from Nubuwo is the Winter Bundle, and it's available on the Kickstarter for the FAMI-MODE 2012 DVD, a documentary of Tokyo's live chiptune concert. The Winter Bundle includes two halves of more than 80 songs each, the indie pack and the Fami pack, with either half up for $7 or the full bundle for $10.The indie pack includes Rainbow Moon Melodies, Slipstream Volume One (revisiting music from Wipeout), El Huervo Trilogy (including music from Kometen, Hotline Miami and Clairvoyance) and the FTL: Faster Than Light soundtrack. The Fami pack includes the holiday chiptune album 8-Bit Jesus, Mega Man cover album Mega Ran Fifth Anniversary Edition, Killed by Koopa Stage One and FAMI-MODE 2012 Live Recordings.The Kickstarter itself funds the FAMI-MODE 2012 DVD, but if it makes you feel better, look at this as a simple way to get the Nubuwo Winter Bundle on the cheap. The Kickstarter has to succeed for the goods to be distributed in this way, though – there are eight days left to raise $4,700 on this thing. Rock and fund on, chiptune lovers.
Pianocade synthesizer lets DJs practice their shoryuken skills
Tired of the same-old DJ equipment or chiptune gear? Then may want to consider this new and unique piece of kit from Toronto-based Portmanteau Devices. Dubbed the Pianocade, it's a synthesizer and MIDI controller that, as you can see, is disguised as an arcade authentic joystick (albeit one with quite a few extra buttons). Naturally, it's also designed to be fully hackable and customizable (both the hardware and software are open source), and it even includes some strap mounts so you can wear it like a keytar. Sadly, the one thing it can't be used for at the moment is an actual USB joystick, although Portmanteau hopes to add that feature before it ships, or roll out a firmware upgrade later failing that. Those interested can get their pre-orders in now for $250 or $325 Canadian for the one and two octave models, respectively, with shipments are expected to go out 8-12 weeks after the end of the pre-order period on September 14th. An electronics only package is also available for $100 if you'd prefer to build your own. Head on past the break to check it out in action.
Chiptune album puts a music player in your Game Boy
A 41-track chiptune album created by various artists under the name "Handheld Heroes Volume One" hit the web this week. While the album is on sale for $15, a mere $5 more nets buyers a physical DVD with extra goodies, including books on creating chiptune music and an LSDJ player ROM. Songs on the album use sound chips from a variety of systems, ranging from the Game Boy to the Commodore Amiga.With a little legwork, lovers of music players considerably larger than their pockets can enjoy said chiptunes on a Game Boy system using the ROM, as seen in the video above.[Thanks, Nigel!]
Apple II drum sequencer surfaces for chiptune composers
No, this isn't a recycled news item from the 1980s -- it's 2011, and MJ Mahon and 8 Bit Weapon have just announced the release of the Apple II DMS Drummer, a wavetable-based drum sequencer for Apple II-era machines. The monophonic synth reproduces eight drum sounds like bass, snare, rim shot, hand clap, tom, hat open, hat closed and "lazer," along with a sequencer that lets you plug in up to 16 drum patterns across 256 slots. Seems like just the thing for chiptune composers hankering for a way to make authentic eight-bit drum tracks using vintage Apple hardware. System requirements call for an Apple IIe, IIc, IIc+ or IIgs with 80-column capability and a 5.25-inch floppy drive -- you know, pretty modern stuff. A limited demo version is available, but if that doesn't satisfy, you can either buy it on a floppy for $14.95 or download a .dsk disk image for $9.95. Oh, and neither require a time-traveling DeLorean to go back to 1985. [Thanks, Seth]
Free concert in LA this weekend, bring your Apple II
Following the only logical path one can take after building a working 15x scale Atari joystick, Jason Torchinsky is pulling together all the Apple IIs that can be had for a quick concert. Those not already entranced by chiptunes will want to give LA neighborhood art space Machine Project a wide berth on Saturday, where participants will use a 16 step sequencer to get something like music out of the system's timer circuit. Those interested in checking it out can check the source link for details, but if you actually have an Apple II laying around (and aren't in the middle of a game of Oregon Trail, that's serious business) you'll want to show up around 6 p.m. to get things arranged.
Chip Maestro turns your NES into a MIDI synthesizer
Are you hoping to one day start your own Starscream, Anamanaguchi or other totally radical chiptunes band? Your musical outfit could have a worse origin than this: As part of a Kickstarter fundraising campaign, you can donate $50 to grab a "Chip Maestro" -- an NES cartridge that turns your old-school gaming console into a decidedly new-school MIDI synthesizer. If you've got a MIDI-compatible keyboard (or even a MIDI converter for your PC), you can start recreating the 8-bit melodies of your youth -- or the poppy, energetic melodies of tomorrow. Check out the device's Kickstarter page for a video demonstration of its capabilities! [Thanks, Tom!]
Game Boy makes music of a different sort (video)
Don't get us wrong, we know that Nintendo's original 8-bit portable can create some killer sounds -- we'd never sell chiptunes short. That said, you haven't truly heard Game Boy music until you watch the video above.
Chiptunes documentary "Reformat the Planet" now available to watch in its entirety on Hulu
You may or may not know that chiptunes have a very special place in our hearts. Regardless, the documentary about the people behind this intriguing genre, Reformat the Planet is an enthralling watch for music fans and nerds alike -- it's a film we seriously really enjoyed. Well, now you can watch it on the internet -- Hulu, to be specific -- where it belongs. In fact, we're so crazy, we've embedded it after the break. Woohoo!
Pixel Force DJ Hero now a beautiful 8-bit reality
Eric Ruth Games' Pixel Force DJ Hero is no longer just an idle YouTube distraction, something to load up in the background so you can listen to chiptune Joan Jett/Queen mashups while you write Joystiq posts (or whatever it is you do while listening to chiptune mashups). You can now actually download and play the NES-style rhythm game "demake" for yourself! Even better news: Ruth also released a new video, featuring an awesome chip mashup of the Ghostbusters theme and Huey Lewis & The News' "I Want a New Drug." So you have something to listen to a few dozen times if you have some more posts to write (or, again, whatever your job may be) before checking out the actual game.
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.
TUAW's Daily App: Game Dev Story
Man, I love everything about Game Dev Story -- from the excellent premise to the cute, pixelated aesthetic to the great simulation gameplay. The idea is that you run your own game studio, and that idea is executed flawlessly. You hire your staff, choose a game genre (or do some contract work if you need extra cash), and then build up your game in terms of fun, graphics, sound, and gameplay, all while trying to keep your staff paid and avoid bugs when possible. Finally, you ship out your game and hope the reviews come back well, even while you're planning out your next title. It's incredible fun, and the great chiptunes and graphics bring a lot to the table. There's a wild sense of humor in the mix here, too. New consoles are released into the market, a video game magazine comes every month, and you slowly build up your own studio's fanbase. Game Dev Story is a ton of fun! It's somewhat pricey at US$3.99, but honestly, if you're a fan of the game industry at all (there's even a fake E3 where you can promote your games!), you'll find a lot of joy in this one. It's a very, very cool title.
