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5th Cell announces next DS project: Scribblenauts
Developer 5th Cell is known for their unique use of the Nintendo DS touch screen in their titles, which include Drawn to Life and Lock's Quest -- however, their next project makes those two titles seem like the creative equivalent of Madden 09. In a recent interview with IGN, 5th Cell creative director Jeremiah Slaczka gave a brief run-down on Scribblenauts, which will have players traversing puzzle-filled worlds, spelling nouns to make objects appear that will help solve said puzzles. For instance, in the first gameplay trailer that 5th Cell provided (posted after the break), Maxwell (the game's protagonist) is trying to collect a "Starite" from a treetop. Writing "ladder" will provide the vertical assistance needed to reach the Starite, but you could just as easily create a "football" with which to topple the Starite from the tree. Then again, you could spawn a "beaver" to chew the tree down. Or maybe you could summon basketball superstar (and crically-acclaimed actor) "Shaquille O'Neal" to grab it for you. Okay, we made that last one up -- but if the possibilities are as endless as the trailer suggests, we better see some Shaq functionality in the final product. [Via DS Fanboy]
Australia gets their own awesome Lock's Quest DS and more
To promote the release of 5th Cell's strategy/action game Lock's Quest, THQ Australia is giving away a custom DS Lite, much like THQ is doing here. However, the Australian giveaway item is different from the US one -- and it comes with more stuff! In addition to the custom airbrushed DS seen here (if you squint), one winner will receive a $2500 gift certificate to the Bunnings hardware store, a "giant-size adjustable spanner/wrench set," a backpack with a solar panel, and copies of The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Great Castle Search. Two more winners will get all that stuff minus the Bunnings money. The method of entry is different, too: instead of playing a Flash game, contestants must describe a new turret for the game in 50 words or less. Here's an example off the top of our heads: "This turret fires a projectile that, upon contact with the ground, causes me to win contests." %Gallery-19901% [Via Vooks]
DS Fanboy Review: Lock's Quest
I hate tower defense. I've tried to play tower defense games numerous times, giving it my best try after MTV's Stephen Totilo's nomination of Desktop Tower Defense as his Game of the Year, and failed to clear even a single round every time -- or to have any fun trying. There's nothing fun (to me) about running out of money trying to build reinforcements and then sitting by helpless as entropy, in the form of enemy soldiers, destroys all of the work I just did. Lock's Quest solves my tower defense problem, creating something that is playable by even non-crazy people. In the process, developer 5th Cell has added something that seems rather difficult to add to this kind of game: a story, and a good one at that. %Gallery-19901%
Lock's Demo now available on Nintendo Channel
The DS demo section of the Nintendo Channel is usually swamped with bland Touch! Generations fare, but it now looks like Nintendo has abandoned that policy to bring us some potentially interesting games to try out. What a novel concept! Top of your "to download" list (if you haven't already bought it) should be Lock's Quest, 5th Cell's ace tower defense/real-time strategy, which reviewers have been throwing superlatives at from every direction (stay tuned for our review later this week). Spore Creatures is there also, and while it may not have attracted the same loving critical response as Lock's Quest, it still piques our curiosity, simply because it's not the Spore everybody else has been banging the drum for. There's a demo of MySims Kingdom as well, which looks adorable, and an anagrams demo for sdrsorsCwo SD. These all expire October 5th, so don't delay! %Gallery-19901%
Metareview: Lock's Quest
We've been waiting since last week to pull together a collection of reviews for 5th Cell's Lock's Quest, but until roughly today, that collection would have consisted of IGN and nobody else. That is an insufficient amount of meta-ness for a Metareview! We're not just running "IGNreview" posts here! Now that there are multiple reviews out there, we can scoop them up and present them to you as individual tiles in a mosaic titled "how good some different reviewers think Lock's Quest is." Preview: quite good. It's really hard to pick out just one excerpt from this glowing 1UP (91%) writeup. It's pretty clear that Phillip Kollar likes the game, at least: "The game effectively straddles the line between traditional tower defense and full-on real-time strategy, requiring the more fast-paced, on-the-fly tactics of the latter without ditching the addictive, pick-up-and-play nature of the former." WorthPlaying (90%) found it, well, worth playing: "Lock's Quest is the sort of game for which the DS was made. It's quick and easy to pick up and play, makes great use of the touch-screen, and is just an overall delightful game. It isn't perfect, and there are plenty of places for a sequel to improve on, but it's charming, fun and one of the best titles to hit the DS this year." IGN (86%) completely fell for the game's charms: "Lock's Quest is by far one of the most original, inspired, and entertaining experiences we've had on DS this year. Everything from the unique build mode to the impressive audio/visual offering, the immersion found in cinematic intros and story-developing cut scenes throughout, and even the random tongue-in-cheek dialogue lines thrown in to remind players that this is a game, made by gamers, are very welcome." %Gallery-19901%
The Lock's Quest DS revealed!
5th Cell sent us these lovely pictures of the custom Lock's Quest DS Lite that will serve as the prize in the contest held on their website. Somebody will get this for free, as a result of playing a cool Flash game. The one-of-a-kind DS appears exactly as the previous description, uh, described. We'll outline its features: Shiny, gunmetal grey system Illuminated buttons Hella illuminated stylized flame emblem 5th Cell and Lock's Quest logos Holy crap it's awesome Seriously This DS is so cool that it may inspire someone to go out and buy Lock's Quest whether they like the idea of the action-strategy game or not (we're sure more like it than don't), just because it has the words on it that are also on this. Those blazing shoulder buttons call out to us. "Wiiiiiiin meeeeee. Plaaaay the Flaaaash gaaaame." %Gallery-32083%
DS releases for the week of September 8th
There's just one thing to say about this week's lineup of DS releases: wow. Spore Creatures and a host of games to suit any taste here in the States, and internationally, you've got Dragon Quest IV and then Pokémon Platinum in Japan. This could be one of those legendary weeks that threatens to empty (and then devour) your wallet ... and to think, we've not even entered the holiday season yet. Hell's Kitchen Lock's Quest Mazes of Fate DS Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir The Price is Right Spore Creatures Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise
Lock's Quest to give you a custom DS Lite
The Lock's Quest website has opened, providing such content as a really cool animated comic, screens, and trailers, as well as a Lock's Quest-themed Flash game that is best described as an isometric take on Defend Your Castle. Basically, you huck stuff at invading soldiers, archers, and others looking to breach your castle; you can upgrade and repair your fortress after each round. You get the option to submit your score after the game ends, and every submission enters you in a sweepstakes. A severely awesome sweepstakes. What's at, uh, stake? Only a custom, extremely limited-edition (as in, an edition of one) gunmetal grey Lock's Quest DS Lite with translucent, illuminated buttons and a blue flame emblem on the back. And, of course, copies of the game. We'll have to see the real thing to be sure, but based on the concept alone, the Warhammer 40K Squad Command DS just got served in the publisher-made custom DS arena.
Latest Lock's Quest trailer shows off build, battle phases
For those of you that got a kick out of Drawn to Life, you've likely been watching Lock's Quest. Following up the video that was released back at E3, we've been sent a new trailer which details the premise of the game and shows off some of the things you can do in it. It's a really interesting title, if we may say so. What do you all think? %Gallery-19901% [Via press release]
DS Daily: The year of third parties
Nintendo had a very significant release early this year with Professor Layton, and they've got one of the best games of the year ahead -- also some Pokémon stuff, and even a Kirby game. But for most of the year, it's been third parties' time to shine. And the third parties have taken advantage of it -- most notably, perhaps, in the form of Guitar Hero: On Tour, which so suitably served as a surrogate for a Nintendo release that it had its own hardware bundle.Stephen Totilo mentioned in a post yesterday that he's found himself playing a lot of high-quality third-party DS games this year, from Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword to Space Invaders Extreme, and games like Zubo and Grand Theft Auto mean that non-Nintendo publishers are going to continue dominating. He even got past the tutorial in Lock's Quest and found that "It plays well, it's fun. I'm hooked."Have you been leaning heavily on third-party games this year? Or are you waiting for Bangai-O, N+, Dragon Quest IV, or one of the many other great new games to come out?
E308: Lock's Quest strategy goodies attack E3
After getting our hands on Lock's Quest, we've decided that tower defense fans need to take a look at this one (stay tuned for some impressions later!). While the trailer above doesn't do too great of a job of selling the game (sans the phrase "robot invaders"), gameplay clips make Lock's Quest look hectic and fun. Oh, and don't worry if you hated Drawn to Life, since that connection is just being played up by THQ for marketing hype.Check after the break to see what we're talking about in terms of gameplay. Oh, and hey, whaddya know -- there are new screens in the gallery, too. Make sure to give those a look before (or after) feasting your eyes on video goodness.%Gallery-19901%
IGN and 5th Cell boss construct Lock's Quest interview
5th Cell co-founder and creative director Jeremiah Slaczka has taken time out from working on Lock's Quest to chat to IGN's Matt Bozon about the forthcoming construction/Tower Defense game. In the resulting interview, there's plenty of discussion about 5th Cell's commitment to innovative games (something we can totally believe, considering 5th Cell created Drawn to Life), and also some concrete details passed on. Slaczka reveals that Lock's Quest's story mode should last for around 20 hours, and also clarifies the game's multiplayer for us: apparently, there'll be no Wi-Fi play, but wireless local play for two players, in the form of a Vs. mode. On an unrelated-to-Lock's-Quest note, Slaczka also appears fairly keen to distance 5th Cell from THQ's licensed Drawn to Life spin-off, Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition. "With SpongeBob for example, that's our IP, but we didn't make it," he points out. "That's cool that THQ wants to move in that direction, and that's fine, but that's not something we're interested in personally." %Gallery-19901%
Too much tutorial before Lock's Quest is unlocked?
Stephen Totilo's brief impressions of 5th Cell's Lock's Quest aren't as sterling as previous impressions we've read, but only because he seemingly hasn't been able to get into the game yet. Given his status as an extreme Desktop Tower Defense fan, Totilo will probably be enchanted by the action/structure-building gameplay found in Lock's Quest, but first he has to endure a seemingly overlong tutorial level. "I wanted to get going, to play it and enjoy it," Totilo said in a frustrated blog post. "But first it had to take me to school." Long tutorials have been a problem since games became complicated enough to need them (and since developers realized that we're not going to read the manual, no matter what). Just consider this fair warning that Lock's Quest is going to require a little prep time before it's suitable for pick-up-and-play. %Gallery-19901% [Boxart via Gamefly]
Boxart Battle: Lock's Quest vs. eyestrain
Finally, conclusive evidence of what the new 5th Cell game's title is going to be! It would certainly be a waste of a logo if the name were to change.Nintendo.com's page for Lock's Quest is the first to show the game's boxart, tiny though it may be. It's definitely big enough to see what's going on: Lock, slightly Sora-like in his short pants, poses triumphantly with a big old wrench over the ruins of some Clockwork enemies, as the game's signature structures (and more enemies) loom in the background. A huge red inset advertises the Drawn to Life connection, suggesting that Drawn to Life really did well!Even in a tiny image, we can tell that the art is excellent. 5th Cell's artists remain on top of their game. According to Nintendo.com, the game is out September 8.
Lock's Quest videos unlocked
Defending yourself from robotic invaders isn't the easiest of tasks, but it may be one of the most fun. After hearing some interesting tidbits about Lock's Quest, such as the mechanics behind the enemy AI and its innovative strategy gameplay, we were waiting for some tasty video morsels to gnaw on. Thankfully, IGN saw fit to feed us. After watching these videos, we also grew interested in the music we heard. It seems to invoke an oldschool Final Fantasy feel, no? Above you can see the introduction for the game, which sets up the premise for the "construction combat". Then, if you like what you see, check past the break for some gameplay videos of Lock's Quest. Gallery: Lock's Quest
New release dates for THQ games including Lock's Quest
Gamefly's DS listings have been updated with a bunch of tentative release dates. A bunch of them are THQ games, leading us to believe that the rental service received some kind of communication from the publisher -- which makes the dates more believable. Lock's Quest, the new strategy/action/tower-defense game from Drawn to Life developers 5th Cell, is listed for September 17. The Nickelodeon stuff has dates too, if you're interested (Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition September 24, Naked Brothers Band October 15, Tak Mojo Mistake, SpongeBob: Globs of Doom, Back to the Barnyard: Cowlympics all October 22). Our Gamefly search has also revealed that THQ has picked up Mikoishi Studios' Drop Cast (website here) for U.S. release. According to the listing, it'll be out October 14. %Gallery-19901%
Joystiq opens up Lock's Quest
Over the weekend, Joystiq's Zack Stern got a chance to check out THQ's lineup, including the new DS strategy game (currently known as) Lock's Quest. He cleverly isolated one major difference between Lock and most tower-defense style games: the fact that your main character is on the ground, participating in the fighting. Most defense games involve building structures and setting them in motion, but Lock's Quest combines that with one-on-one real-time combat. The enemy AI actually sounds pretty sophisticated: after the first wave, enemies learn to avoid the site of their predecessors' defeat, approaching from a new direction. We've got new screenshots, including three delightful exclusives, featuring the amazingly vivid 2D art that is quickly becoming 5th Cell's trademark. The look has totally dashed our personal defenses. Check them out in our gallery! %Gallery-19901%
Joystiq impressions: Lock's Quest (DS)
Lock's Quest is a tower-defense-style game where you try to protect a group of inept friends from incoming attackers. Unlike those Flash games you might have played, Lock issues commands from the ground, running around small maps to build walls, turrets, and directly fight advancing enemies. The result comes together as a real-time strategy and action game, with light role-playing elements. Completely stylus driven, you move Lock around much like Link. (The D-pad can shift the view, but the stylus issues all actions.) Taps direct Lock to new areas, while other stylus swings cause special attacks and specific actions. For example, gamers sequentially tap a group of randomly ordered numbers to add a boost. But much of the game is about designing and defending structures. Lock uses resources enemies drop to build walls, gates, and turrets. The attackers advance randomly at first, but after the first wave hits your base, they learn where they were thwarted. The following groups will attempt other tactics to broach the defenses, possibly approaching from a different side or fighting with a different tactic. Your job is to hold up the fort over several "days" of these marching enemies, after which, everything repeats with a new level. Scheduled for a Fall, 2008 release, Lock's Quest could be a unique action-puzzler with wide appeal. Action, RTS, and fans of other genres might all find something to like. %Gallery-19858%
Lock's Quest changes titles again, still looks cool
According to IGN's Mark Bozon, 5th Cell's new arcade-style RTS thing, Construction Combat: Lock's Quest has gone through another name change -- one we can agree with. They've dropped the silly Construction Combat bit, calling the game simply Lock's Quest. News of the name change coincides with Bozon's extensive preview of the game, which is practically bursting with enthusiasm. How enthusi-bursty? "It certainly raises the bar for DS innovation" is just one of the effusive proclamations Bozon issued. He compares it favorably to Square Enix and Atlus strategy games on the DS. Lock's Quest features two views for gameplay: a normal view (seen here) and a zoomed-out view in which characters are represented by icons. Surprisingly, Lock can actually be moved around and commanded in this zoomed-out view.
