nervous-brickdown
Latest
Studio Arkedo taking on Wii for their next game
Studio Arkedo, the French developer behind Nervous Brickdown and the upcoming Big Bang Mini on DS is branching out to Wii, according to a Cubed3 interview. While talking about the upcoming Nintendo Channel demo of Big Bang Mini, Camille Guermonprez offers the fairly unambiguous hint "Our next project in on the Wii, by the way *grins*".This could mean a Wii version of Big Bang Mini, as Guermonprez states earlier in the interview that "We would love to do Big Bang Mini with its addictive blending on a bigger screen.." Or it could mean a new project. What it probably won't be is a WiiWare game: "WE WANT BOXED GAMES *grins*", Guermonprez said. Whatever it turns out to be, expect color.
DS Daily: Born free
There are a lot of games on the DS whose origins are in free online games. Some, like Diner Dash, Nervous Brickdown, and the upcoming N+ and WordJong, are good, or even great. Some are Elf Bowling 1&2. In every case of a free game getting remade as a DS cartridge, money is charged.Do you have any games based on freeware? Do you plan on getting any in the near future? Is compelling gameplay enough to warrant a purchase for a portable console, when the experience can be had for nothing on PC? Or do you require significant expansion and upgrading before you'd even consider it?Our personal view: even if a game costs nothing, that doesn't mean it has no value. We don't want to pay strictly for portability, but we're entirely willing to shell out for new content in a game whose progenitors were once free. Not Elf Bowling 1&2, though.
DS releases for the week of June 25th
We can only guess someone has designated this the official week of licensees. Two movie-based games are hitting shelves, along with remakes, remixes, and redux titles. What a weird week! But how can we complain when there are several new games on the shelves? Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth Remix Nervous Brickdown Ratatouille Touchmaster DS Vegas Casino High 5! Hit the jump to see what's out this week in the rest of the world.[Update: Now with the actual Japanese releases.]
Anxiety-filled Breakout videos
We've been on edge ever since Eidos announced its plans to publish Nervous Brickdown, Arkedo Studios' modernization of the Breakout genre. Much like how Tetris DS made block dropping seem fresh again, this high-strung title breathes new life into the break-a-brick formula with creative modes and a style overhaul.IGN has a hands-on preview and some new videos of Nervous Brickdown's gameplay variations, and they're totally stressing us out for reals. In one of the game's ten distinct modes, you guide a paddle and ball through scrolling shmup stages -- making it a paddle-em-up, maybe? Drifting ghosts haunt the stages, hindering your progress, so you'll have to blow into the DS' mic to push them away. Another theme challenges you to manage a platformer on one screen while simultaneously playing Breakout on the other. Just talking about it is enough to make our stomachs all queasy.
Nervous Brickdown brings sexy back to Breakout
Nervous Brickdown breathes new life into the Arkanoid-Breakout genre, updating its basic template with ten distinct gameplay modes. This might be Arkedo Studio's first game for any console, but the charming soundtrack and highly-stylized environments -- ranging from 70s mod to playful retro -- really give Nervous Brickdown a first-rate polish that other Breakout-clones usually lack. The break-a-brick game takes advantage of the Nintendo DS' hardware, making use of the system's touchscreen, microphone, and WiFi (multiplayer) features. Ecrans has a few videos showing how hectic the game can get as it forces you to dodge bullets, fight bosses, and catch items, all while keeping the ball in play. No release date has been announced yet, but we're happy to hear that Eidos has picked this title up for publishing. You will definitely be hearing more about Nervous Brickdown from us in the future. [Thanks, Sebastien!]
