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C64 to stay free, KaleidoVid also free
A little while back, the C64 app in the App Store (a C64 emulator with officially licensed code from some old Commodore 64 games) announced that it was going free for a day with the Free App a Day promotion. That was a few weeks ago, and you might have noticed that the app is still free in the store. We contacted Manomio's CTO Stuart Carnie to ask him if the app was still free, and he confirmed that yes, C64 is staying a free download. The reasoning is pretty interesting -- the way the app works is that you do get some games for free, and then you can buy more using in-app purchases. Carnie tells us that when the app went free, they saw a spike in games being bought -- twenty times what they were selling previously. Making the app free also vastly increased their user base, and since they're constantly trying to get the licenses for older C64 games, going to code owners and saying that they've got almost 1.5 million downloads of the title gives them a lot more attention. In fact, because of the free promotion, Carnie says they've secured rights for International Karate, all the Last Ninja games, and Myth -- those should all be out on the store soon. Very interesting. C64 isn't the only app to go free lately -- David Barnard, the creator of KaleidoVid, an app that our own Dave Caolo enjoyed, has made that app free as well today for "a limited time," though we don't know how long yet. Barnard tells us that sales on the title weren't spectacular, it was designed more for fun than anything else, and that maybe sending the app free for a while will help it pick up some extra attention. Certainly there are apps that work better at different prices, but even if the goal is to make money, selling an app for free sometimes is actually the way to go.
VC in Brief: Last Ninja 2 (Commodore 64)
Last Ninja 2 (Commodore 64, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)We say: Save your sawbuck This week's VC in Brief is all about Last Ninja 2, the story of one ninja trapped in 1988 New York city. For me, it was more the story of ninja persecution at the hands of the NYPD, but, to be fair, juggling clowns in the park didn't seem to like me either. Regardless, I found that Last Ninja 2 -- much like its predecessor -- just isn't for me. Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks.
Leaked UK retail list raises questions
Nanostray 2 ... on Wii? Orb, Thorn and Midnight all coming this year? When they leak retail information sheets in the UK, they do it right. Wii UK got their hands on a retail list (origin and destination unknown) with few concrete dates and a lot of unexpected, and even unknown games, as well as a few old favorites we're always happy to hear about. Hit the jump for the full list, but keep in mind that these are UK titles and games ... and since there's not much source information, you might want to keep a few grains of salt handy. But it's okay to get a little excited. We won't tell anyone.
Epyx returns to PSP
The retro compilations keep on coming to the PSP. If the Genesis-era of gaming is still too new for you, then you'll be glad to know that the popular line of Commodore 64 games published by Epyx are making a comeback. Impossible Mission will hit in January and California Games will follow in May. The Last Ninja trilogy will be making a comeback as well. Although these games will be remakes, they won't be 3D:"You gotta keep the gameplay mechanics the same or else it ceases to be the original game and you're only using the game brand to sell games," Kale (System 3 founder) said. "It ceases to be Impossible Mission or California Games or what have you. ... What we're doing is we're incorporating the original gameplay and mechanics and bringing the gameplay up to date."The remakes will also be available on the DS and Nintendo Wii.[Via DS Fanboy]
