ContreJour
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'Contre Jour' is now playable in the browser, one third of the levels require IE 10
Say it with us: Developers! Developers! Developers! That's Steve Ballmer's mantra and indeed, it says a lot about the way Microsoft has gone about promoting Internet Explorer. In addition to a series of prime-time ads (maybe you've seen 'em), the company has been using certain HTML 5 apps to show devs what they can do using IE 10's deep multitouch support. Now the outfit's back, this time with a game: Contre Jour is coming to the web, and while it runs in any modern browser, you'll need IE 10 and a Windows 8 machine to play a third of the levels (it shouldn't make a difference if you have a touchscreen or a multitouch trackpad). That's because in some parts of the game, you'll be required to use as many as three fingers at once to pull off certain maneuvers. In IE 10 you can do this, so you get access to all 30 levels; if you're using a different browser that doesn't support these gestures, the levels will remain locked. Hit up the source link to play the game for free, and if a game based on "The Little Prince" doesn't do much for you, at least check out the Behind the Scenes section -- coding geeks should appreciate the deeper explanation as to how the web app was built.
Weekend sale on lots of iOS games
Today is indeed Veterans Day (and we do honor all of the men and women who have served for the United States of America -- thank you!), but the sales on the App Store this weekend haven't really been labeled as such. As far as I can tell, they're on sale just because. Nothing wrong with that! First and foremost, Scribblenauts is just 99 cents for the weekend. This one's a must buy -- it's an amazing game with a terrific iOS port that you should totally check out for that price. No question. EA's having a big sale with up to 80% off titles like Need for Speed, Dead Space, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Gameloft's sale is continuing, with lots of games, including Rainbow Six, HAWX, and the great Dungeon Hunter 2 down to just a buck. Little White Bear Studios' puzzler Tanzen is free for a limited time. Spirits for both iPad and iPhone is on sale for just a dollar. Street Fighter IV Volt is on sale for just 99 cents for the first time. Digital board game New World Colony is free to download. Kairosoft's Grand Prix Story is down to 99 cents as well. Contre Jour HD is just a buck -- this one is a really amazing title as well, grab it if you haven't yet. Peggle is also a dollar, as is Madfinger's really impressive looking Shadowgun. Finally, the non-HD version of World of Goo is just a buck. Holy moly, there are some great sales in there. Scribblenauts and Contre Jour are definitely two you should grab now if you haven't, and some of those others are steals as well. Enjoy the weekend!
Daily iPhone App: Contre Jour
I saw Chillingo's new game Contre Jour back at E3 this year, and really enjoyed it. It's a very atmospheric puzzle-platformer in the vein of games like Cut the Rope, but as you can tell from the title (which is French for "against daylight"), it's a little darker than that game. You run an eyeball named Petit around a strange little world with stalks for him to swing on and bulbs for him to stick to, and the black and white graphics and great sound design perfectly set the scene. There are sixty levels to play through, and nearly all of them are inventive and fresh. Contre Jour is a really solid experience -- it's casual enough for all players to pick up, but it never gives away that quirky art game feel. Really well done, and a great purchase. Game Center achievements seal the deal. The iPhone version is available for US 99 cents, or you can pick up a universal HD version for iPhone and iPad for $2.99.
Chillingo shows off new titles at E3
Chillingo held its E3 demo this year in the same area as EA, which makes sense considering that EA outright purchased it last October. The publisher of Angry Birds and Cut the Rope has a very impressive stable of titles due in the next few months, and I got to both see and play with them at E3. I've got some quick descriptions on these future Chillingo releases, including cute platformer Roll in the Hole, Draw Race 2, and an artsy little puzzler called Contre Jour.
