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Download Naughty Bear on iPhone for free today
Redundant question: Want free stuff? Of course you do! That's why we'd like to inform you that the iPhone port of A2M Behaviour Interactive's game about a cuddly curmudgeon, Naughty Bear, is free today. Head on over to the App Store and give it a download -- you know, if you want. No pressure!
Artificial Mind and Movement rebrands; (re)introducing Behaviour Interactive
You may not know the name "Artificial Mind and Movement" but its one of the oldest and largest independent game developers working today and also the oldest operating developer in gaming superhub Montreal. A2M, as it's been called, began work on original IP, creating Jersey Devil for the PlayStation in 1998. But back then it was known as Behaviour Interactive and, beginning today, it will be Behaviour Interactive once again. We spoke with CEO and founder Rémi Racine about the name change, what it means for his studio and its goal of becoming a consumer-facing developer instead of a business-facing work-for-hire studio. "We're trying to do more and more of our own IP," Racine told Joystiq. "Our name becomes more and more present to the game community when you do your own stuff, so that triggered the change" to Behaviour Interactive. "Because of Wet and Naughty Bear and the Wanako brand and Assault Heroes, we're moving more and more into our own IP."
Naughty Bear 'Chapter 9' DLC now available for $5
You know how it goes -- they always offer the first fix for free. And then, when you need more, you have to pay up. A2M and 505 Games have employed this classic strategy for the release of a new piece of Naughty Bear DLC, dubbed "Chapter 9." The add-on is out today on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, but unlike the previous DLC release, it'll cost you: 400 Microsoft Points or $4.99, respectively. Chapter 9 introduces the Island of Perfection, replete with "exclusive hidden treasures, deadly weapons and brutal buccaneers," and two boss bears for the cuddly curmudgeon to conquer: Admiral Giggles and The Great Bear Beard. The DLC also includes four new challenges. For avast look (see what we did there?) check out the trailer past the break and the images below. %Gallery-104302%
Naughty Bear crashes the iPhone party
Naughty Bear has apparently become a "worldwide success" for 505 Games. Capitalizing on its "very wide fanbase," developer A2M has just released a handheld version of the game for iPhone/iPod Touch. Check out screens and a trailer after the break.
'Crash Course' from A2M outed by Australian classification board
An Australian classification board rating has outed Artificial Mind and Movement's unannounced "Crash Course." Apparently, the game will be available on multiple platforms, though it appears to be heading to Xbox 360 at the very least -- the game's publisher is listed as Microsoft Game Studios, giving us the impression that Crash Course is en route to Xbox Live Arcade. Also of interest in the listing is its country of origin: Chile. Given that A2M's Santiago, Chile development house Wanako Games is based out of the South American country, we're thinking those folks could be behind Crash Course. Neither A2M nor Microsoft got back to us by publishing time.
Naughty Bear gets free 'Episode 8' DLC today
This news is something Naughty Bear's title star can finally be happy about. A2M and 505 Games is releasing DLC for the stuffed animal murder simulator today on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. In the new "Episode 8," Naughty Bear receives an invite to a cake tasting party. But is it a trap? (Spoiler: It most certainly is!) In the episode, you'll have to fight against X-Bears, a "gang of superhero bears led by Danger Bear." You'll be able to unlock additional costumes, hats, weapons and challenges in an "originally themed environment" -- something the original game was sorely lacking. With a rather attractive cost of entry ($0), the DLC is certainly worth checking out, provided you can bear to play any more.
Review: Naughty Bear
Sure, Naughty Bear is a little rough around the edges. The controls are too stiff, and the framerate is a bit sluggish. There isn't much content to play with, but as a $10 downloadable game, Naughty Bear makes for an interesting diversion. Wait ... this is a retail game? And you have to pay $50 for it? Unfortunately, in spite of a few good ideas, Naughty Bear is too sloppily executed, and too shallow to recommend -- especially as a "full" retail experience. %Gallery-79926%
UK charts: Harry Potter casts Chartium Supremus on Red Dead
If you're wondering what it would take to best Rockstar's dust-em-up, Red Dead Redemption, in a battle for UK chart supremacy, it would seem it only takes a wizard -- a blocky, mute interpretation of the nation's own Harry Potter. It only makes sense that Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 would debut at the top spot. Isn't he like the UK's Prime Minister now? The boy with a scarred forehead has pushed nearly everyone down a spot from last week: Red Dead Redemption has fallen to second, while Super Mario Galaxy 2 now takes up third. Also of note are strong UK debuts of several games, including Naughty Bear, Demon's Souls and Transformers: War for Cybertron. Find the complete top ten sales breakdown posted after the break.
Naughty Bear doesn't really like boating enthusiasts
Sadists, sit up. We've got another Naughty Bear video now, which highlights how our cotton-filled curmudgeon likes to handle would-be boaters. It's odd, because this is perhaps the tamest video we've seen for A2M's game yet. If you're going to kill a guy on a boat, wouldn't you get a bit more creative? You've got a rotor and rope to work with -- heck, you could even blow the whole thing up and watch your prey burn to death. You know what? We should probably stop posting so many Naughty Bear videos. It's beginning to ... affect us.
Naughty Bear's cannibalistic, Jaws-inspired trailer
The parodies keep coming for Naughty Bear, as this latest trailer takes a bite out of Steven Spielberg's horror hit, Jaws. While we definitely enjoy the spirited homage, we do have one issue: it's straight-up cannibalism. We don't care if these bears are full of fluffy cotton -- seeing one bear consume another is terrifying. You can get in on our own personal nightmare by clicking the play button after the break. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
Don't fall for this Naughty Bear trailer's trap
As advanced as the bear populace seems in Naughty Bear, some things never change. Raw fish and honey are still mainstays of their diet, for example. As you can see in the trailer above, they also remain susceptible to the bear trap. Apparently, when it comes to objects that look like gigantic metal shark mouths, these bears just tune 'em out. Oh well, we're sure the bear corpses piling up will force an evolutionary adaptation eventually. Just not today, it seems.
Naughty Bear pre-order costumes pay tribute to slasher movie villains
The gameplay of A2M's Naughty Bear, in which you either outright murder other bears or scare them into killing themselves, is missing something. It seems like there's some additional touch that could really sell the idea of becoming a revenge-obsessed villain preying on the worst fears of those around you. Like, perhaps, a Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees outfit. Publisher 505 Games announced that you'll get precisely that (well, almost precisely: it's a "Kruebear" costume or a "Slasher Bear" outfit) when you pre-order Naughty Bear from Amazon or GameStop, respectively. The Kruebear offer isn't reflected on the Amazon page yet -- but expect to be offered the chance to tear stuffing out of bears' bodies with some knife-gloves soon. See the "Slasher Bear" costume after the break. %Gallery-79926%
A trio of twisted Naughty Bear trailers
505 Games has released a new batch of Naughty Bear trailers. The standout of the three trailers is probably the Blair Witch parody we've embedded above. While the homage to the movie is appreciated, it's a little low on bear-on-bear violence for our taste. The other two trailers, thankfully, fall a bit closer to the mark. The second is actually a snippet from the third level of the game, which tasks Naughty Bear with destroying cameras mounted on birds (no, really). Finally, the third trailer gives us the violence we crave, as the demented fiend pushes a poor, defenseless comrade into a giant cake mixer. If that's not good, clean fun, we don't know what is.
Naughty Bear stuffing shelves on June 8
505 Games has announced that A2M's adorable cotton-shredder, Naughty Bear, will stalk retail shelves this summer on June 8. The game follows the eponymous Naughty Bear, who finds something very odd about his usually pleasant surroundings and neighbors -- and then attempts to resolve it by making everyone hug ... a shotgun. Check out our impressions if you're not sure where you stand on the issue of cruelty to stuffed cartoon animals. %Gallery-79926%
Naughty Bear trailer takes a stab at Alien
The onslaught of great Naughty Bear media doesn't let up in this new trailer, which does a good job of creeping us the hell out. It's a parody of that scene from Ridley Scott's Alien and continues Naughty Bear's unending goal to present itself as one messed up game. Have you read our impressions yet? Denmark is a super rotten place in A2M's latest. It's a pretty neat trailer but, frankly, we think Mel Brooks' take on the whole Alien thing was way better. You can't win them all.
Impressions: Naughty Bear
What happens when you take one part Conker's Bad Fur Day, another part Happy Tree Friends and mix in a bit of Metal Gear Solid? You get Naughty Bear, A2M's upcoming game in the severely underrepresented "cute torture porn" genre. If you're like me, you've been waiting a long time for a game like this. Check out any of the game's pre-release media and it's easy to understand Naughty Bear's mission -- and exactly why he must wreak vengeance on his cuddly neighbors. It may seem overly cruel, but there's a creepy Stepford Wives–esque vibe about the entire gameworld. The rest of the bears are a bit too cute, and a bit too clean -- in a very sinister way. The true face of the town is revealed when Naughty Bear starts his quest. The town's response is no less violent than any of Naughty Bear's actions, and the residents will use pistols, shotguns and even ninjas to make sure Naughty Bear is dead. Naughty Bear has an incredibly gruesome repertoire of moves at his disposal. He can use a wire to choke another teddy bear to death, slam a bear's head into a fire or kick a bear down and shoot its head wide open with a shotgun. If it weren't for the soft side of the game's characters -- they're stuffed animals, after all -- Naughty Bear would probably outdo Rockstar's Manhunt in terms of over-the-top, gratuitous violence. %Gallery-79926%
New Naughty Bear trailer stuffed with violence
505 Games has released another trailer for A2M's upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 project, Naughty Bear. Like the first screens released, the trailer pretty much conforms to what you would imagine. In the grand tradition of taking eternally cute cliches and making them violent -- think Happy Tree Friends, Conker's Bad Fur Day -- the trailer features Naughty Bear gunning down another bear as it flees in terror. The cute violence concept isn't exactly new in games -- Fairytale Fights says hi -- but we have to admit it's pretty funny to see stuffing spray out of a teddy bear as the result of a shotgun wound. Check it out in the trailer above. If you think you can bear it, of course. %Gallery-79926%
Naughty Bear trailer features pre-Naughty Bear
This trailer for Artificial Mind and Movement's Naughty Bear sets up the story, depicting the social slight that turns the title animal toward thoughts of revenge. Which means that this trailer consists almost entirely of footage of a sad, stuffed bear. We kind of think the "sadistic stuffed animal" idea is cute, but seeing Sad Bear just makes us feel, well, sad. That poor bear! Well, maybe not. After looking at the screenshots, we totally see why his bear pals shunned him. Would you want to invite the kind of guy over who boils people in a cauldron in response to perceived social offenses? Guy's a jerk! %Gallery-79926%
Revenge of the Wounded Dragons finally kung fu kicking it on PSN tomorrow, Dec. 10
It's been two weeks since Revenge of the Wounded Dragons, SOE / Wanako's modern tribute to games such as Double Dragon and Kung Fu, was supposed to arrive on the PlayStation Store. The game's imminent release was even announced on PlayStation.Blog for the early pre-Thanksgiving PSN update that arrived on Tuesday, November 24. For reasons unknown, the game was bumped and will instead punch up the retro vibe on PS3 tomorrow, December 10. The two-player game will run $9.99 and you can watch a nice, quick video of it in action in our earlier post. Really, we promise it doesn't drag on.
505 Games unleashing a Naughty Bear on PS3 and Xbox 360
click for bear-size505 Games just announced a new game from Wet developer Artificial Mind and Movement -- and the protagonist is, well, artificial. Naughty Bear is pretty much exactly what we expected when we saw the trademark filed by A2M: a violent action game starring an animated, stuffed bear. Specifically, a stuffed bear who swears revenge on other jerk bears for failing to invite him to a party. The goal in Naughty Bear is to scare, irritate, and, of course, hurt the other bears, racking up "Naughty Points" as you do and using weapons strewn about the game's 30 stages. The game will dole out more Naughty Points in response to more "deviant and maniacal" tactics. From the description, it sounds like Manhunt with teddy bears. It's going to be a polyester stuffing-bath. %Gallery-79926%
