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Portabliss: NightSky (3DS eShop)
This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go. I can never think, or write, about NightSky without using the word "meditative." So I'm just going with it. NightSky is meditative in the extreme. It throws calm and serene imagery all up in your face. It's not overly easy; rather, the combination of clever level placement, soothing music and subtly beautiful visuals make the whole experience more ... well, meditative.When the 3DS port was first announced, Nicalis producer Tyrone Rodriguez told us it wouldn't display in 3D. However, the final game does include stereoscopic visuals. "We tried it and it looked better than we thought," Rodriguez explained to Joystiq, simply. "But then we had to ditch the gyro," referring to plans to use tilt controls.%Gallery-169349%
Humble Indie Bundle 4 adds free soundtracks for every game
Er, not every game ever -- that'd be impossible, you guys. We're talking soundtracks for every game in the fourth Humble Indie Bundle: Gratuitous Space Battles, Cave Story+, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner, Super Meat Boy, Shank and Nightsky HD. The soundtracks are free to anyone who pays above the current average for the Bundle and, as usual, to anyone who's already purchased the bundle. You can snag them in mp3 format or, in the case of Super Meat Boy and Nightsky HD, also in FLAC.
Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario Party 9, more coming in Q1 2012
Nintendo dropped its Q1 lineup on us this morning, offering highlights like the inexplicably GameStop-exclusive Circle Pad Pro and the best news of the year. But there's a lot more in the lineup than those two items -- for example, we now have a specific release date for Masahiro Sakurai's 3DS Kid Icarus: Uprising: March 23. On the 3DS eShop, Nicalis's ports of indie hits VVVVVV and NightSky are scheduled for eShop sometime in Q1, as is WayForward's Mighty Switch Force, a port of Zen Pinball, and Mutant Mudds. Nintendo will bring Kirby's Block Ball to the Virtual Console in the quarter as well. Mario Party 9 will launch on Wii March 11, preceded on February 27 by PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond. The only listed WiiWare title is, again, from Nicalis: La-Mulana sometime in the quarter. The DS lineup is ... light, with only the February release of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 really worth mentioning. But you can see the full list of announced releases on all three platforms, after the break.%Gallery-141688%
Indie Royale offers NightSky, Ben and Dan, and more for a small, but increasing price
We don't mean to put any pressure on you, but the new Indie Royale bundle -- featuring NightSky and both Ben & Dan adventure games, along with Scoregasm and Fate of the World, is getting more expensive by the second. It just went up a penny as we were typing this. As with previous Indie Royale bundles, the price rises as people purchase it (and decreases as people pay over the average), so while it's an incredible deal right now (NightSky alone is normally $10, and the bundle's under $3.50 as we write), who knows if that will still hold by the end of, say, this sentence? But no pressure.
Nicalis bringing NightSky to 3DS eShop, in 2D
Cave Story developer Nicalis revealed on Twitter that it's working on a 3DS port of NightSky, the puzzle platform game it released on PC and Mac earlier this year. Later, the developer followed up with a note that it'll be on eShop, making the 3DS version of Nifflas's game one of the rare non-Game Boy, non-DSiWare downloadable games on 3DS. "We literally just started working on it last week," Nicalis "Producer and Janitor" Tyrone Rodriguez told Joystiq in an interview today. "I'd like to have it done before Christmas and out." Even though work is still early, "it looks perfect on the 3DS." As if the status as an eShop game didn't confer enough novelty status, NightSky on 3DS will not display in 3D. "I feel that it would distract from the game," he explained. NightSky is flat silhouettes against sky, so we aren't even sure how 3D would work there. Nicalis is still deciding whether to implement motion controls. "We'll probably add that as an option," Rodriguez said. "If it feels right, then we'll definitely do it." Nicalis has another eShop game planned, which it's not ready to announce just yet.
Steam discounts NightSky, Tom Clancy games
If you're looking to spend your long weekend in a quiet, relaxing way, you could do worse than to check out NightSky, the meditative rolling-ball platformer by Knytt creator Nifflas. And now's a good day for it, because Steam has reduced the price to five bucks through 1PM tomorrow. If you're in the mood for less tranquility and more Tom Clancity, the ongoing Ubisoft sale continues today, with 66% discounts on pretty much every Tom Clancy game ever, including various Splinter Cells, Ghost Recons, Rainbow Sixes, and HAWX ... es.
PSA: Nicalis' NightSky rolls onto PC today
Nicalis, developer of the excellent WiiWare and DSiWare updates of indie action-platformer Cave Story, has announced that its latest offering has arrived for the PC today. NightSky (formerly titled Night Game) is now available through the studio's site for the oddball price of $7.20. NightSky sees the player navigating a sphere over, under and through all manner of 2D obstacles set in a beautiful, dusky world. It's a strange concept to be sure, but considering Nicalis' most popular game features gun-toting robots caught in the middle of a rabbit war, it's actually kind of par for the course. NightSky is also planned for future release on WiiWare.
Nicalis' NightSky coming to Windows on January 6
Nicalis, best known for releasing Daisuke Amaya's Cave Story on the Wii and DSi, has announced that it will be bringing the 2D physics-based platformer NightSky to Windows on January 6. The title, by Sweden's Nifflas, was originally scheduled for release on WiiWare as well. Nicalis says it hasn't "given up on consoles" for the game, but the PC and Mac releases will arrive first. The game looks intriguing -- you can see a short launch trailer after the break. There's no word on price yet (or where you'll be able to get it, other than the official website), but assuming the game arrives as planned, those who want to get their hands on this 2009 IGF finalist will finally be able to do so.
