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Digital Storm's revamped gaming laptops boast extra-speedy NVIDIA graphics
If you've been waiting for a gaming laptop that wrings the most performance out of NVIDIA's new GeForce 800M graphics chips, you may want to check out Digital Storm's freshly revamped laptop line. The Javelin, Lance, Krypton and Behemoth all carry fast dedicated video, ranging from the GeForce GTX 860M (in everything but the Behemoth) all the way to dual GTX 880M chips in higher-end Krypton and Behemoth models. Beyond that, you're mostly paying for screen size and frills. The Lance starts things off at $1,196 for a 15.6-inch 1080p screen, a quad-core 2.4GHz Core i7, 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. Step up to the $1,430 Lance and you'll get both improved cooling and audio alongside minor spec bumps; the $1,478 Krypton adds a 17.3-inch screen, while the $2,289 Behemoth takes a big leap forward in speed with a GTX 880M GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state primary drive. All of Digital Storm's latest portables are available to order today.
It's a battle of the titans in this new Black Gold Online trailer
Snail Games has just unveiled a brand-new trailer for Black Gold Online, teasing a fight between an enormous goliath and equally large behemoth and showing off behind-the-scenes clips of how the goliath was designed. According to the video description, the goliath is a creation of the engineers of Steam, built specifically to counter the Erlandir-summoned behemoth. And by "counter" we mean "punch." Check out the teaser after the break. Snail describes Black Gold's universe as a "world where innovative Victorian steampunk clashes with traditional high fantasy." The game is set for launch sometime in 2014 with a closed alpha aimed at February.
Battleblock Theater lets loose a new prisoner for two weeks: Toast
Play and complete the featured solo or co-op fan-created levels in Battleblock Theater over the next two weeks and unlock another special prisoner, Toast. Mmm, crunchy. The levels can be found under the Furbottom's Features tab, where every two weeks developer The Behemoth brings out a new, unlockable prisoner for completing some user-generated stages. The Behemoth has already locked back up the Behemoth Chicken prisoner, Winston, Donuts and Furbottom, and Toast will be available for the two weeks following May 3. Check out the solo and co-op Furbottom's Features here.
Castle Crashers clocks in over 3 million 'knights in the making'
The Castle Crashers leaderboards crested 3 million players this month, meaning "over three million humans have hacked and slashed their way into a castle in hopes of gaining animated glory," as The Behemoth puts it."Reaching the 3 million in leaderboards means a lot to us for so many reasons," The Behemoth writes. "It shows us that there is still demand for 2D games like Castle Crashers. It motivates us to keep on creating fresh and original content like in Castle Crashers."Castle Crashers launched on XBLA the summer of 2008, came to PSN in 2010 and was recently announced for Steam. It consistently remains one of the top-selling XBLA games each month and has sold more than 2 million copies on XBLA alone.The Behemoth's next game, Battleblock Theater, has been in development since 2009 and we eagerly await a release date any day now.
Add bling to your Xbox in the Castle Crashers Tournament of Champions
The Behemoth is hosting the second annual Tournament of Champions to discover and reward the "best Castle Crashers Arena Fighter in all the world," with first place earning a real-life, honest-to-chicken, gold-plated Xbox 360.This mirrors (in a yellowed, rich kind of way) the top prize from last year's tournament, but 2012 adds some new rewards for first place: 25 squeezy chickens, a chonku-chonku mini-fig in the color of the winner's choosing, all nine Castle Crashers phone charms, a beanie, a Behemoth t-shirt and the new Necromancer figurine signed by Behemoth developers.Second place gets everything except the golden Xbox, but in fewer numbers than first place, and third place gets fewer things than second, though more than anyone in the top 50. The prizes are outlined on the Behemoth blog.To qualify, players must hit the top 100 on the XBLA Castle Crashers Weekly Ranked Arena Leaderboards by August 17 at noon PST. The Tournament is scheduled for August 25, starting at 8 a.m. PST and ending at 5:30 p.m. PST. The top 96 valid registrants will compete in one-on-one melee matches, hosted by a Tournament staff member, until just one player is left standing.Check out the full rules and schedule right here.
In-fighting to win in Behemoth's Battleblock Theater
I really wish The Behemoth didn't always have such an awesome booth set-up.The giant, colorful arcade cabinets, adorable cartoon-emblazoned fight sticks and beautiful screens running Castle Crashers and Battleblock Theater are all an elaborate tease of things that only exist in the magical world of conventions. Every player's excited laughter turns into a cry of remorse as soon as he steps away from the booth and realizes this experience may never again be repeated, at least not in the comfort of his or her own home.Battleblock Theater is poised to follow in Castle Crashers' footsteps as an addictive, enthusiastically fun cooperative platformer with oodles of replay value and longevity when it eventually launches on the XBLA. I played through two levels on two separate cabinets, on two separate days with two different people, and had the same joyful experience with both. Battleblock Theater is a game to be enjoyed with friends, or with people who seem to have a good attitude about getting hit with friendly explosive Frisbees in the middle of complicated platforming maneuvers.
Battleblock Theater is 'code complete' [Update]
Battleblock Theater, the long, long-awaited title from Castle Crashers developer The Behemoth, passed its code complete milestone just before San Diego Comic-Con kicked off last week, project manager Emil Ayoubkhan told us. We played a few rounds of Battleblock Theater at another fantastic installment of the Behemoth booth at the con. Battleblock Theater still has no set release date, and has a few more stages to complete before The Behemoth gives it one. Right now the speed of development is "all on us," Ayoubkhan said, and every day is one step closer to a final version. Update: The original story read that Battleblock Theater had passed Microsoft certification, and that The Behemoth planned to release it before the end of the year. We have received confirmation that this is not the current schedule, no matter how excitable anyone may have been at Comic-Con.
You know you want these Castle Crashers LEGOs to exist
Castle Crashers is essentially a virtual personification of the make-believe adventures we'd take our medieval-themed LEGO kits on as wee children, lo those many years ago, so we're all about the idea of actual Castle Crashers LEGOs being put into production.So is LEGO Cuusoo user Czar, whose Castle Crashers prototype set (seen above) is doing its damnedest to gain traction over on the crowdsourcing service. If made, the kit would come with four knights, two barbarians, a forest set piece and the War Machine mini-boss. Anyone interested in proclaiming their interest in such a product can do so here. Hopefully Castle Crashers will be seen as more of a LEGO-friendly brand than Firefly was.[Thanks, Shaun!]
Behind the Mask: Comparing the archetype bruisers
A lot of people seem to get the wrong idea about Champions Online's Gold archetypes. For the most part, the Gold archetypes are simply different options to play with. As I mentioned previously, the Master is kind of an exception, since it's the only dedicated archetype tank. However, this does not mean that the Master is the beat-all-end-all or that Gold archetypes are outright superior to Silver ones. For the most part, the Silver archetypes are better at their focused roles than the comparable Gold archetypes. This week, we're going to look at the damage-soaking tanky archetypes and compare them. I'll also give a quick comparison between these bruisers and a comparable freeform hero. There's quite a few to cover, so let's get to it!
Castle Crashers' second title update ready for download (grab your free Pink Knight!)
That's right, you can download your free Pink Knight character for Castle Crashers on Xbox Live right now but, perhaps best of all, The Behemoth promises to pledge a dollar for each of the first 50,000 downloads to the Keep A Breast Foundation. You get free game content, a charity gets free money and some women hopefully get to keep their breasts. It's win-win-win! On top of the free Pink Knight, there's also a downloadable Blacksmith character for 160 MS Points ($2), a new Team vs Team mode for Player Match Arena and two new Avatar awards to unlock: a Cardinal Animal Orb and Knight Helmet. In addition to all of these goodies, there are also several bug fixes employed in this title update, all of which you can read about in the update notes over on The Behemoth's blog.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 vs. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy in Behemoth battle
Thanks to the release of some new Final Fantasy XIII-2 screens, we can directly compare the approach of Square Enix's hi-def sequel to another recently announced game, Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy. Above is Final Fantasy XIII-2's interpretation of a "Feral Behemoth," next to the "Behemoth" seen in the 3DS rhythm game. They're both kind of purply, but it's tough to see the family resemblance beyond that. Looking through the gallery, we can also see FFXIII-2's version of Lightning -- which, like the Behemoth, is so much less cute than Theatrhythm. That's probably just because it's built on the FFXIII assets. We're sure Square totally would have gone in and made her chibi otherwise.%Gallery-128122%
Mario Sports Mix features one behemoth of a boss battle
Well, here's a ... weird ... thing. We knew that Mario Sports Mix would feature characters from the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises, but we weren't aware of the other aspects the athletic Wii title would borrow from those two RPG franchises. TheBitBlock recently uncovered a bizarre gameplay clip from Mix -- apparently, at one point, you have to face off against one of Final Fantasy's Behemoths, using your epic volleyball skills. Yes, really. Check out a video of a Final Fantasy Moogle and a Super Mario Toad going two-on-one against the boss monster posted after the jump. We wonder if he drops any good loot -- like coins, or a mushroom, or a Masamune. [Thanks, Franco!]
Castle Crashers invades PSN on August 31
Congratulations, PlayStation fans, you can pencil in a date for the end to all the anguish. That's right, the PSN version of Castle Crashers finally has a release date and it's very soon. On August 31, just under two weeks away, the game will launch on PSN for $15. We suggest you skip a few fast food meals and save the money for some sweet castle crashing action. It's worth it. Promise.
Hands-on: Battleblock Theater (XBLA)
Battleblock Theater, the Castle Crashers followup unofficially known as "The Crying Leprechaun Game," was available in one distinct play mode at PAX East: a multiplayer team deathmatch variant that centered around eating souls. It's the bright, colorful and playful kind of evil you might imagine is okay in most Saturday morning cartoons, and it's exactly the patented style we've come to identify as "The Behemoth Touch." The basic format of the demo was a 2-on-2 team deathmatch gametype, in which cute little blue blockheads (they looked like a cross between a cat and a bear) try to defeat cute little red things of the same origin. By jumping onto an opponent's head, he (she? it?) is effectively killed, releasing a ghost or spirit that can be captured. Once you grab the escaping ethereal being and hold on to it, points slowly accumulate on the scoreboard -- all the while, a timer gradually counts down to zero. This is a straightforward affair of ghost-napping.
All about Castle Crashers Volleyball on PSN
The bad news: The Behemoth still hasn't nailed down a release date -- or even a release month -- for the PSN version of Castle Crashers (though it's still slated for this year). The good news: PlayStation 3 owners will be treated to some brand new content. Specifically, a recent entry on The Behemoth dev blog revealed that the PSN version of the game will feature a new volleyball mini-game. The mini-game will allow up to eight players (locally or online) to play a game of volleyball using any of a player's unlocked characters. It will feature new serve and spike moves and magic attacks that place one of eight status effects on the ball. The volleyball game will even include its own leaderboards. Again, it's not much to dull the pain of waiting, but at least the PSN is getting something extra in the deal. Also, if it makes you feel any better, The Behemoth will be showing off Castle Crashers and Battleblock Theater at PAX East next month.
Today only: Castle Crashers for $7 on XBLM
With only two days of daily holiday deals left, it looks like Microsoft decided to make today's a doozy. Like the headline says, today's deal is Castle Crashers for a mere 560. That's sevenearth dollars and, more importantly, a substantial savings over the usual 1200 ($15) price tag. If you haven't experienced the co-op glory, now is the time. Trust us, people like this game. They like it so much that they build costumes of their favorite characters. If you don't have it yet, you need that kind of joy in your life. Shortcut: Add Castle Crashers to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]
The Behemoth's third game gets its first dev diary
Rather than employing the glitz and glamor of a AAA-title's dev diary, The Behemoth kicks things a bit more old-school in its first dev diary for the development studios third game (found after the break). Featuring the game's "Soul Mode" (the name is still tentative), the clip details how two players work together to hang on to multiple souls for as long as possible. Narrators from The Behemoth guide us through the four minute journey, culminating in their vast triumph over AI combatants. The talking heads do mention that the game will most certainly have a story mode, and we'll be getting a chance to check out more at PAX 2009 and then Tokyo Game Show not long after. Now all the game needs is, um, a name.[Thanks, Deniz!]
Rock Band Weekly: Green Day and Mayhem Pack
Next week's Rock Band Weekly brings the announced three-pack from Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown album. The tracks are apparently the first offerings from an "exclusive partnership" between Harmonix and Warner Music to bring the band's songs to the platform. Green Day isn't even the angriest band this week ...Green Day Pack (440 / $5.50/ 200 Wii Points apiece) "21 Guns" (160 / $2) "East Jesus Nowhere" (160 / $2) "Know Your Enemy" (160 / $2) Mayhem Pack (1080 / $13.50/ 200 Wii Points apiece) "Conquer All" -- Behemoth (160 / $2) "What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse" -- Black Dahlia Murder (160 / $2) "Hammer Smashed Face" -- Cannibal Corpse (160 / $2) "Empire of the Gun" -- God Forbid (160 / $2) "Embedded" -- Job for a Cowboy (160 / $2) "Disposable Teens" -- Marilyn Manson (160 / $2) "Black Magic" -- Slayer (160 / $2) "This Is Exile" -- Whitechapel (160 / $2) All tracks are original masters and are available for download next Tuesday on Xbox 360 and Wii. They make their way over to PS3 on Thursday.
Castle Crashers hits 900,000 players, Behemoth offers prize for guessing date of millionth
The Behemoth took the time out of its busy Crying Sugar Cube Leprechaun (not real title) development to reveal that the Castle Crashers leaderboards have passed 900,000 users. That does not mean there have been nearly a million sales of the game, but it does mean that Castle Crashers has been doing well on XBLA, a mere 8 months after launch.The company's site is now challenging users to guess the exact date and time that the main Castle Crashers leaderboard will hit one million players. The winner will receive something "SPECTACULAR." Best of luck, but don't get The Behemoth too distracted with your entry on the company's forum, it has another game to finish.
Reminder: Alien Hominid HD for 400 MS points this week
Major Nelson reminds us that Alien Hominid HD is only 400 ($5) this week for Xbox Live gold members. The Behemoth's first XBLA title is normally priced 800 ($10). If this is somehow your first time ever hearing about Alien Hominid, the title received generally favorable reviews -- and we'd also like to welcome you back from your troglodytic lifestyle of the last three years. The Behemoth is currently working on The Crying Sugar Cube Leprechaun its third as-yet untitled project, which the developer recently showed off in trailer form.
