mushroom-men
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Mushroom Men multiply with new screens
Mushrooms are tasty. In fact, Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars should end with some random guy coming in and cooking up a nice mushroom sauce to have with a tender ribeye steak. Will that guy be Les Claypool? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps we have some new screens for the upcoming platformer, where mushrooms are the heroes rather than delicious enemies.It's no surprise that we are pretty excited about Mushroom Men, the potential of which is enough to break down the doors of Red Fly and take a peek inside. If you dig the new screens in the gallery, then you're an official member of an exclusive fungi appreciation club. Hey, it's an upstart organization. Seeking sponsorship opportunities.%Gallery-18243%[Via press release]
Les Claypool puts a funky groove on Mushroom Men
This is something we didn't know: Primus frontman, and all-around awesome dude, Les Claypool, contributed music for Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars. To be more exact, he contributed tunes to capture the feel of each of the different races found in the game, which we imagine is quite the potent combo when paired with the lovely game art we've seen. You see, MTV Multiplayer recently had the Wii version of the game demoed for them, and they walked away pretty impressed with the game's audio offerings. The music seems to be procedural, and changes as the player accomplished tasks in the game world, shifting and reshaping in line with what is happening in the game. All in all, it seems that Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars is going to at least provide an interesting audio experience. Let's hope the gameplay is being developed with as much care!Not familiar with Les and Primus? Head on past the break for a pair of our favorite Primus tunes.%Gallery-18243%
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Screens
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi is on the way in October, and we've got a few new screens in our gallery that show how the game is coming along. The 2.5D platformer uses somewhat simple polygons (a smart decision) but gives off the same kind of atmosphere as the rocking concept art due to very interesting lighting effects!Mushroom Men on the DS is planned as a prequel to the Wii game -- another smart decision, we think. It helps position the DS game as less of a spinoff item and more a part of the real game series. It would be a shame if a cool sidescroller like this got overlooked because of the 3D game. That is, of course, assuming that the Wii game isn't also overlooked.%Gallery-15252%[Via press release]
Fungi rises on the DS this October
We knew that Red Fly hoped to release Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi sometime this year, so we're pleased to hear that the software is on schedule and will be in stores this October.Red Fly also went into more detail about the storyline of the game in a recent press release, since the DS version is a prequel to the Wii title. Both will cover different parts of the Mushroom Men's history, with Rise of the Fungi detailing a time when they first got their special abilities. The Bolete tribe must stave off attacks from hostile insects and other creatures, until the Amanitas Empire becomes an even bigger threat to their survival. Mushroom Men fighting amongst Mushroom Men ultimately leads to the Spore Wars, which are covered in the Wii game. We really like the idea of one game's story leading into another's in such a short period of time (as in, you won't have to wait long between releases). While we're still not sure when the Wii game will follow, you can expect it in November or December if Red Fly sticks to the original plan. Gallery: Mushroom Men
Behind the scenes with Mushroom Men
We may be limited to sporadic updates from Red Fly Studio's Mushroom Men, but they're usually worth the wait. Today, we've got a little quality time with the developers, who sound just as excited about working on their project as we are about playing it. They also manage to work in a little humor, which we're also big fans of around here. The game footage included looks as great as ever, and Q4 is looking further and further away. Though, honestly, we could just stare at the concept art all day long and probably be satisfied.
Mushroom Men benefits from retooling
According to the latest 1UP preview, Red Fly Studio's Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi has gone through some tweaks since the last time it was shown -- and those tweaks have made it a better game. Specifically, the map has been made easier to navigate with the addition of objective markers. In addition, platforms have been made to stand out from the background visually. This is often a problem with prerendered 3D environments: it's hard to tell which areas of those environments are interactive.Unfortunately, the healing system, apparently, could use a bit more time in the oven. You heal automatically for most damage types, but not falling damage, which is frequent. In other words, you basically don't heal automatically.%Gallery-15252%
Revamped Mushroom Men site cultivated, launched
If, inspired by too many episodes of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, you've yearned to adventure the world as a miniaturized figure, fighting pygmy creatures with Lilliputian weapons, you really should look into Mushroom Men! To assist interested gamers who refuse to put their memories of 80s cartoons behind them, publisher Gamecock has updated its official site for the platformer, providing previews of Mushroom Men's playable characters, jury-rigged arms, and misshapen enemies.Gamecock has also announced that Primus's Les Claypool is lending his talents to the soundtrack for both the DS and Wii Mushroom Men games. According to the renown bassist, like many parents hoping to win their children's favor, he took on the job at the urging of his fantasy-gaming-obsessed son. You can treat your ears to one of Les's songs for Mushroom Men at the relaunched site right now!See also: EIEIO 08: Brief Mushroom Men impressions%Gallery-15252%[Via press release]
Mushroom Men: The Aspect Ratio Wars
Live Wii conducted a five-question interview with Red Fly Studio, developers of Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars, and got one crucial, and vaguely disappointing, bit of information: as of right now, the game displays in 4:3 only. "Currently it is 480p. BUT we are looking into the capabilities of 16:9, if possible." 480p is, of course, welcome to fancy TV owners.Red Fly couldn't offer any specific answers, really, to Live Wii's other questions -- except to say that there won't be any online play. That's not really a big deal for a platformer. There will be some kind of multiplayer, probably, and Mushroom Men uses the pointer in some way. %Gallery-18243%[Via GoNintendo]
Wii Fanboy interview: Red Fly Studio (Mushroom Men)
Red Fly Studio has big goals. In the words of the company's CEO, Dan Borth, they want to be "the world's premiere third-party Wii developer." They're aiming high on the DS, as well. It may sound a little presumptuous, but their inaugural effort, Mushroom Men, shows significant promise on both the Wii and DS, with a unique, detailed visual style, bizarre challenges and an expansive junk-based inventory. At the EIEIO event, I spoke with Chad Barron, external producer for the DS side-scroller, and Dan Borth, CEO and creative director, about both games, as well as the experience of working for a big publisher on a big license. %Gallery-18243%
DS Fanboy interview: Red Fly Studio (Mushroom Men)
Red Fly Studio has big goals. In the words of the company's CEO, Dan Borth, they want to be "the world's premiere third-party Wii developer." They're aiming high on the DS, as well. It may sound a little presumptuous, but their inaugural effort, Mushroom Men, shows significant promise on both the Wii and DS, with a unique, detailed visual style, bizarre challenges and an expansive junk-based inventory. At the EIEIO event, I spoke with Chad Barron, external producer for the DS side-scroller, and Dan Borth, CEO and creative director, about both games, as well as the experience of working for a big publisher on a big license.%Gallery-15252%
EIEIO 08: Mushroom Men: trash vs. rabbits
I was thrilled to watch a gameplay demo of Red Fly Studio's Mushroom Men at EIEIO. The concept art for this game is gorgeous enough to sell the game all on its own. The company agreed, evidently, as their stage area was decorated with huge, striking prints of the art on canvas. Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars is the story of mushrooms made sentient by some kind of green dust left by a comet. These mushrooms then break off into tribes and start fighting each other. The DS prequel, Rise of the Fungi, tells of one tribe's conflict with some annoying insects, but The Spore Wars deals directly with the fighting between the Amanitas and the Morels. The mushrooms also have to contend with the other newly aware, mutated creatures that have emerged. In the demo level shown, these included kudzu and rabbits.%Gallery-18243%
EIEIO 08: Brief Mushroom Men impressions
I was only able to see a couple of minutes of Red Fly Studio's Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi, but I learned some interesting details about the game. Rise of the Fungi on the DS, codeveloped with Zen Studios, is designed as a prequel to the Wii game, telling two stories in the same world. In both games, a meteor has somehow caused mushrooms to gain awareness and intelligence, along with other organisms. In Rise of the Fungi, one tribe of mushrooms must drive interloping insects out of their village.Mushroom Men is a (really nice-looking) 2.5D platformer set in a world that looks very big to a mushroom. Multiple characters are available: "heavy" characters with good melee combat skills, "sages" with excellent spore powers (special magic-type abilities) and "scouts" with ranged combat abilities. These characters will traverse 10 levels, each divided into two scenes, solving environmental puzzles and, well, collecting garbage. In fact, garbage is kind of important to the game.The environmental puzzle we were shown involved using items found in the stage to reach a higher platform. The player had to knock a soda can into a buzzsaw, which turned the buzzsaw on, causing it to fall down. It could then be used to climb up to that platform.As for the garbage: both the DS and Wii games feature the "scav" system, which allows you to pick up junk and combine it into weapons. And there are a lot of choices -- a quick look at the menu screen showed at least 20 available weapons. A 2D platformer with a lot of weapons? Yes. Yes.I was very impressed overall with the demo, except for the part in which I didn't play the game. Luckily, Red Fly expects to release Rise of the Fungi late this year, with The Spore Wars to follow soon after. Hit the gallery for new screens and even more delightful concept art!%Gallery-15252%
New Mushroom Men trailer sprouts
Mushroom Men, if you'll excuse the terrible pun, is beginning to grow on us. We're ready for another platformer after, you know, and Red Fly's plant-based romp looks like it could keep us occupied. There's a quaint, almost eerie vibe to the game, with a Fifties B-movie tone to most of what it does.In the trailer above -- the first we've seen of the game in some time -- we get a look at some combat (against common garden beasties, such as ants and rabbits), as well as our fungal hero flexing his magical "spore-based powers."
Mushroom Men resurfaces
It's been quite some time since we've heard from Red Fly Studios' fungal platformer Mushroom Men. We're quite happy to see them showing their caps again! A new trailer has been released, revealing an intriguing side-scroller starring small mushroom guys in the human world -- with a slightly spooky vibe added. There's an element of environmental interactivity on display that we're interested in -- things like the house of cards suggest that there's more to do than just jump and shoot. Even the jumping and shooting have more going on, in the form of an item-creation engine.It's not every day that a 2.5d platformer comes along using original characters. We kind of wish it was.[Update: this got posted on Wii Fanboy by mistake! Take it to mean that we think the game looks really good. And also that IGN posted it on their Wii page.]
Mushroom Men site leaps into action
The trailer above might not be full of the gameplay footage we normally look for in our trailers, but the concept art for this game looks absolutely amazing. The atmosphere it sets is so rich and real, we feel as if we can reach through our monitor and touch these little men made of mushrooms. And if, like us, you find the above trailer to only leave you wanting more, the official site for the game also has some info on the game world itself and some concept art for three different character classes.
Joystiq impressions: Mushroom Men
Mushroom Men is still many moons away from being done and what we saw was mostly still concept art. There was some in-game footage to show the game is real, but it was a video and not a demo. The thing is that developers Red Fly are on a path at the moment, but where that path leads is anyone's guess. Mushroom Men will release as a 3D platformer on the Wii in the fall of 2008 and as a 2D platformer on DS in spring of 2008 (there were no images of the DS version). The concept of Mushroom Men is that a comet has passed over the planet and the dust left behind has given consciousness to the fungus. The Mushroom Men evolved and are now at war with other fungus, all of this isn't noticed by the humans.One of the interesting concepts that we couldn't see implemented is the "Scav" system, short for scavenger. You'll collect trash and put it together to form weaponry. For the Wii version they're still working on eight different control schemes and attempting at all costs to have players do battle without feeling like they are doing battle through "waggle." There is a chance for an Xbox and/or PS3 version of the game if it does well on the Wii. The high-res models they showed of the characters in their video clearly can not be done on the Wii and will need to be scaled back. In an interesting aside, the reason the game is being designed for Wii and DS is due to the install base and the fact that it costs half as much as if they were developing it for the more powerful systems. This reasoning may rear its head by many independent developers who just can't afford the $20 million price tags surrounding full featured Xbox and PS3 games.There's really not much we can say about Mushroom Men. Conceptually it sounds fine, beyond that there wasn't much to show of the game. From the artist concept drawings though we hope the game does do well so we can see the beauty of this title come through on the Xbox 360 and PS3. We also look forward to seeing how the game comes across on the Nintendo DS soon, especially considering spring is only 9 months away -- start incubating those spores now!%Gallery-3542%
Friday Video: Spore Wars
While this brief teaser gives us no real idea of how the finished game will look, it's still nice to see something from Mushroom Men. We can't wait to undertake massive backyard fungi battles. It's like all the mushrooms Mario's eaten over the years are back, and they're pissed off. Enjoy this brief bit, because it may be a while before we see anything else -- Mushroom Men is scheduled for the DS and Wii in fall of 2008.
Gamecock details EIEIO party
In case you missed the information in our interview with co-founder Mike Wilson, the GameCock EIEIO party will be held at Hotel California, coinciding with Min-E3, at the following times: Wednesday, 11 July: noon until 6 p.m. Thursday, 12 July: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 13 July: noon until 4 p.m. According to the press release, Gamecock suckers, accessible developers and food and drink will be available. Expected playable games include Fury (PC), Insecticide (PC, DS), Dementium: The Ward (DS) Hail to the Chimp, Mushroom Men (DS, Wii) and Dungeon Hero (PC, Xbox 360). If Wilson gets his way, there may also be a New Orleans- or Vikings-style funeral for E3. No word on if Old McDonald will host the event.[Update: corrected the months]
Here they come ... Mushroom Men teaser 2
The above trailer doesn't show any gameplay for Mushroom Men and normally I wouldn't post a trailer like that, but the music and visuals are so bizarre that I thought readers had to see it. Mushroom Men is coming to us from the new publisher Gamecock. It's an action game where Mushroom Men fight ... oh nevermind, no matter how I try to explain it, it'll never make sense.
Gamecock's Insecticide and Mushroom Men
I never thought I'd write about cock on this blog, but it's unavoidable now that a new company has formed called Gamecock. The company was founded by the former CEO and former president of the defunct Gathering of Developers. They aim to bring risk taking, creative indie titles to all platforms. Two of their first games are headed to not just next-gen systems, but also an unnamed handheld. It seems like the PSP is the most likely candidate. The first game is Mushroom Men, which follows three-inch-high Mushroom Men as they battle in a war against different spore factions. Use common household items to fashion weapons and tools to help turn the tide of war. The second game is Insecticide which has a Tim Burton/Psychonauts look to its character designs and is an action/adventure game set in a world that is decaying and full of bugs ... sexy bugs. You can visit Gamecock's site to see more on all their games. [Via IGN]
