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Daily iPhone App: Pop Kingdom
Pop Kingdom is a delightful game and similar to Bubble Bobble and Snood. The goal is to shoot orbs to the top of the screen, matching colors in chains of three or more before they fall to the bottom. But there's a twist, in that Pop Kingdom offers RPG elements. You play as either Will or Kate (after a certain royal couple, I guess), who do damage to invading monsters as you match tokens. The graphics are supremely cute, and there's a lot of nice flash and polish to the game overall, enhancing an otherwise simple game. I'd like to see the RPG aspect enhanced (you can occasionally cast a special ability to mix things up), but the core puzzle game is so tried and true that it doesn't really matter. The title is really fun, and the graphics will appeal to gamers of all ages. Plus, Pop Kingdom (which was just recently updated with some new effects and bug fixes) is completely free. At that price, you shoudn't pass this one up.
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 12/31/07
So, it's the final week of 2007 and what do we have to show for it? Frickin' Bubble Bobble is what we have got! It's enough for us, hopefully it'll be enough for you. But, on the other hand, the two titles available that don't have a bubble or a bobble in their name aren't that bad, either.
Bubble Bobble screens burst forth
Some fresh screens have been dished out to us from Ignition Entertainment, providing a look at some of the changes in gameplay Bubble Bobble will receive. Bubble Bobble: Double Shot DS, the official title for the game, looks to include several different types of bubbles, each with their own unique twist. Star Bubbles appear around the various bubbles and allow the screen to be cleared of all other bubbles. Elemental Bubbles carry water-based, fire-based and thunder-based effects, allowing enemies to be dispatched more effectively. Finally, Extend Bubbles allow you to gain extra lives by capturing them.%Gallery-9958%[Via press release]
New Zealand Story, Bubble Bobble headed to U.S. in early 2008
Ignition Entertainment just announced a deal with Marvelous Interactive through which Ignition will be publishing some of their remade arcade classics. The first DS games to benefit from this arrangement are the remade Taito hits Bubble Bobble: Double Shot and New Zealand Story Revolution, which will come out early next year.We could have sworn that both of these games were already out, but it turns out that a) they've been out in Europe and Japan for quite some time, which confused us a bit, and b) we were conflating the two titles with Bubble Bobble Revolution, which obviously contains elements of both new games' titles and had a rather ignominious release last year.Because they've been out across the pond, there's been time for the European press to register their opinions. And, while we shouldn't expect broken cartridges, it doesn't look like there's too much good to expect here either. Spencer Yip namechecked New Zealand Story yesterday as an uninspired and uninspiring remake in our roundtable.But we admit that we still want to give New Zealand Story Revolution a chance when it comes out. It was such a great NES game! We're remaining optimistic that we'll be able to extract enjoyment from the game.[Via press release]
E307: Furu Furu Park minigame list
Say what you will about Majesco's Furu Furu Park, but it's got taste. Taito and 505 Games picked some fantastic games to adapt into minigame versions. If everyone made minigames based on stuff like Cameltry, we would never have a problem with minigames.We thought it would be useful to post the full list of included games, because we hadn't seen it yet. If at least five of these are fun, we'll consider the game a winner. Arkanoid can't possibly be non-fun, so that's one in their favor!In our bleak world of cancelled Pocky & Rocky sequels, we must take what we can get. And at the moment what we can get is a Pocky & Rocky-themed shooting minigame. We can smile a little, thinking that there's still some Pocky & Rocky in the world.[Via press release]
Furu Furu Park making a surprise trip to the US
Furu Furu Park, Taito's self-referential minigame collection, is coming to the US courtesy of Majesco. Normally, we're all GRR TOO MANY MINIGAMES. But this one's got Arkanoid bits in it, so it gets a pass.In other words, Taito has figured out the winning formula for making us care about a minigame collection: well-designed gameplay making it look like old games. It may even be fun, with games like Super Karate (in which you waggle karate moves), Safe Cracker (The Wiimote becomes your, uh, combination lock dial!) and Bubble Bobble (which is Bubble Bobble!) Man, that version of Bubble Bobble looks sharp.
The Joystiq Weekend: April 21 - 22, 2007
These wonderful shoes were personally styled by Jamie, whose boyfriend Scars sent a gallery of photos to Go Nintendo. We're jealous of the sexy footwear. Check out the highlights for today:JoystiqueryJoystiq Podcast 005 - brb, IM on the 360 edition (feat. Chatterbox)Today's Chuckiest video: make your own Chuck Norris MiiWeekly Webcomic Wrapup: R.I.P. 300 jokes editionNewsNew York politicians prepare anti-video game crusadeGod of War PSP title nearly revealedFallout 3 teaser site, forums openYou and Master Chief, all night long on Xbox LiveFreakonomics and Wii at Best Buy tomorrowTyping away the dead with words ... againAmerica's Army GGL sponsorship under attackJack Thompson responds to Rocca as we Zen on Take TwoStart settling Catan in MayCulture & CommunityThompson receives 'Jacklash' in a weekGame recruiter speaks this week about breaking into industryHomemade Donkey Kong clockXbox Live Vision camera turns player invisibleThe Zelda tattoos, or, An Ink to the PastSuperman 64 almost had an evil twin on the PS1PyWeek game challenge results announced, winners include a seahorseSquare-Enix: making new games is hard, we'll just re-make old ones [UPDATE]
DS releases for the week of March 19th
It seems like we only just found out about Theme Park DS and here it is, shipping to stores everywhere this week. We're willing to bet that a few of you will be bending the stylus in the pursuit of your dream park by the weekend. But hey, if parks aren't your thing, there's a ton of games out this week. Helps to make up for some of the recent lackluster weeks, eh?DS releases for the U.S. Custom Robo Arena Major League Baseball 2k7 Puzzle Quest: Challenge of WarLords Steel Horizon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme Park Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2007
What motivates DS homebrew developers?
The rewards for a homebrew developer's labor are few. The majority of their games and applications will never see a commercial release or any cash return. The number of people who can even appreciate their work on the DS is limited because of hardware requirements (i.e. third party storage carts). To find out why these programmers pour countless hours into projects that they won't likely profit from, Modojo interviewed the minds behind four of the homebrew scene's most visible games: Tetattds, Tower Defense, The Lemmings Project, and QWAK.Tetattds is a polished clone of Tetris Attack/Panel de Pon for the SNES, adding online support to the puzzler. Tower Defense is an adaptation of the popular Warcraft 3 mod. The Lemmings Project jerry-rigs the PC classic to work with the DS' touchscreen and resolution limits. QWAK, a GBA puzzle platformer reminiscent of Bubble Bobble, was actually self-published with a small run of 300 carts. So what is it that drives these homebrew developers? Several of them cite community participation or the need to fill a gap in the DS library. Others have a reason that's even more simple and obvious: They just want to make the best games they can.
New Bubble Bobble trailer pops
Many of you out there are looking for a quality Bubble Bobble game on the DS and believe us, you're not alone. We're right there with you, biting our nails in anticipation, hoping that Bubble Bobble Double Shot turns out the way we want it to. The embedded trailer, which is available past the post break, shows some promising gameplay, but we must warn you that the music is really hard to listen to. And the trailer is in German.[Via NeoGAF]
Codemasters adds a 'Rainbow' to Bubble Bobble replacements
Were you affected by the Bubble Bobble Revolution recall? Of course you weren't -- you didn't buy a game that was known to be broken: "The game is so broken that it isn't worth purchasing. Do not support sloppy game making. Do not buy this game" (Digital Entertainment News). Did you?Apparently some did. Now, five months later the fixed replacements are shipping out. And guess what? Codemasters has packed a tiny Rainbow into every box. Aw, how thoughtful... (too bad it's rubbish -- but it's all the team had).Was that too harsh? Yeah, probably. Um, well, then let's just say this was indeed a kind gesture -- and leave it at that. Anyone else care to make nice? We're looking at you two, Microsoft and Treyarch.
Minigames strike again: Taito's Furufuru Park
Wii players in Japan will have a shot at another minigame collection this April, when Taito releases their Furufuru Park. It will feature scaled-down dating games, adventure games, 3D fighting, and even a mech game set in the year 20XX. If the idea of yet another disc of minigames doesn't grab you, then the cast of characters, pulled from Taito classics like Bubble Bobble, Arkanoid, Sonic Blast Man, and even the recent DS release Mawasunda!! might. And if the mention of Sonic Blast Man actually piqued your interest, then we are very concerned about the apparent theft of our identities. Check after the post break to see some mini-screens of the minigames in mini-action, and check the homepage to see... the box art and not much else. [Via GAME Watch]
Bubble Bobble Revolution recalled
As skeptical as we've become about the prevalence of patches and updates delivered through online console services like Xbox Live, the alternative -- the old way -- is still far worse. Take Exhibit A: Bubble Bobble Revolution. Codemasters' DS puzzler was released with a crippling bug that would not permit players to pass level 30 in the game's New Age mode.The result? More than four months later, Codemasters is finally issuing a recall, asking owners of the defective Bubble Bobble Revolution to ship their broken games back to the publisher (via pre-paid envelopes), and then wait for replacement cartridges, which begin shipping out February 23.Xbox Live and its ilk may provide a cushion for lax QA testing, but bugs occur regardless. We'd much prefer a downloadable patch delivered to us a few weeks after a game's release than rely on a cumbersome work-around or snail mail replacement.Exhibit B: EA offers "Work Around" for Madden PSP crashExhibit C: EA replacing faulty NCAA 07 PSP games
Bubble Bobble getting second chance on DS
DS-x2 has received word that Rising Star Games is developing a new Bubble Bobble game for the DS. Publishing duties are being handled by Taito and, given the last disaster that was Bubble Bobble Revolution on the DS, this installment better deliver. It's no wonder that in this latest game, titled Bubble Bobble Double Shot, the focus is to re-create the appeal of the original titles through enhanced graphics and the same grassroots approach of simple gameplay. One new addition to the gameplay, however, has players needing to switch between characters on the fly as enemies are now color-coded and, as such, only weak to certain characters. As for multiplayer, only local wireless has been reported, so cross your fingers if you want to see some Wi-Fi Connect-enabled gameplay here.
Bubble Bobble bursts onto retail shelves with busted cartridges
Apparently all North American customers are up the proverbial creek without the requisite paddle as Codemasters confirmed that ALL copies of the game shipped to the territory are defective. This comes as very sad news, as not only are several bubbles left unbobbled, but this also marks the first occasion where a DS game has shipped with known defects in the territory. As you may already know, the game shipped to Japan and European territories last year without a problem.
Help us put Bubble Bobble on XBLA
It was a month and a half ago when we began our series, "That should be on XBLA," in which we pick a classic game that would be a perfect fit for Xbox Live Arcade. The first game we picked was Taito's perennial action puzzler, Bubble Bobble. The idea behind "That should be on XBLA" is to get developers to notice that their games belong on Xbox Live Arcade.It looks like Taito was listening. Taito's publishing company, Empire Interactive, has a thread running in their forum right now, which reads thusly:"Hi All I hope you can help us out with a bit of retro advice, If you were to pay to download a Taito Classic what would your top 3 be ?? Also, without giving the game away :) would online multiplayer be important to you downloading it ?? Come on guys - post your lists and let us know what you want."While the post doesn't directly mention Xbox Live, we're pretty sure that's what this is all about. We're also pretty sure he's talking about Bubble Bobble with that question about online multiplayer. Note to Taito: hell yes, online multiplayer is important!So, make your voices heard, loyal readers! Registering for Empire Interactive's forums is a snap. Go do it and tell 'em what you want (and don't forget to tell them who sent you). Our list looks like this: Bubble Bobble Arkanoid New Zealand Story It's not like you can play any Xbox Live today anyway. You might as well do something constructive.[Via Xboxic]See Also:That should be on XBLA series
DS releases for the week of September 25
Looks like we're facing a March of the Minis this week, with the new Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2. The pitter-patter of mini feet will fill gaming stores across the nation as the well-reviewed title hits the shelves. If that's not your thing, try a little nostalgia with the mediocre-but-old-school Bubble Bobble Revolution. This week's wildcard title is strategy game Mage Knight: Destiny's Soldier. Little is known of the turn-based Namco title, but strategy is right at home on the DS, so we have high hopes.So what tickles your fancy? If the word "revolution" in a title does it for you, this could be your week. We've got a long list, so check after the jump for all the games.
That should be on XBLA: Solomon's Key
Last week it was action puzzler, Lode Runner. This week it's Tecmo's Solomon's Key (submitted by ctrl-alt-del). Solomon's Key, like many arcade puzzlers of its time, has a simple formula. It's easy to pick up and play -- you should be able to get through the first few levels easily -- but it get's much harder as you progress. Equal parts strategy and reflex, Solomon's Key is yet another example of a great game for Xbox Live Arcade (and the ladies love it). Read on to discover its block destroying devilry.
That should be on XBLA: Bubble Bobble
One of the absolute best features of the Xbox 360 is undoubtedly the Xbox Live Arcade. We've already seen some great games for the service, some originals (Cloning Clyde) and some retro classics (Street Fighter II). Naturally, we're all over original content. Castle Crashers just may be the most anticipated title at X360F (according to Chris Grant after it was announced, "I mean, Castle Crashers? How f*cking cool is that?" So, yes, XBLA will surely be a font of great original content, but there are still those among us who pine for more companies to sell us our youth. As such, we've decided to pick a game that's ripe for XBLA: Bubble Bobble. For those unfamiliar with the game, Bubble Bobble puts you in the shoes of two boys (named Bub and Bob, natch) who've had their ladies stolen away. As if that weren't enough, the boys are subsequently turned into dragons, and not kick ass fire breathing dragons either. Nope, these dragons blow bubbles. These bubbles, as you might imagine, are the primary gameplay mechanic. They're used to trap and kill enemies, and also as platforms. The game has a very strong puzzle dynamic and gets insanely difficult as you progress through the 100+ levels. And, of course, like all great games, Bubble Bobble features cooperative play -- and the most annoyingly catchy music ever to grace a videogame. In short, it's a simple, fun game that's easy for anyone to pick up and play. Make sure it has local and Live multiplayer, add leaderboards and some sweet achievements, and you've got the perfect candidate for XBLA. Do you, our loyal readers, agree? What other great games would you like to see on XBLA? Give us some ideas in the comments and we'll post a new candidate every week or so. Try and keep them realistic, obviously we won't be seeing any Mario on XBLA. Believe or not, companies do read our blog and they keep track of what people are saying. So, join us and we might even influence a little Live Arcade history.
