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NinjaBee unveils XBLA title A Kingdom for Keflings
After receiving a not so informative announcement video, then receiving a much more informative gameplay video, NinjaBee has finally lifted the announcement curtains on their latest XBLA project, A Kingdom for Keflings. Including some screenshot love too!A Kingdom for Keflings is a city building simulator where you'll play a giant who builds, designs and constructs a city all in an effort to attract the much tinier Kefling population to live in. And with all kinds of customization options, different seasons to experience and four player Xbox Live co-op gameplay, A Kingdom for Keflings sounds like another NinjaBee hit ninja-hit. Press release after the break and a few screenshots below.%Gallery-28993%
Ninjabee bringing 'city-building' Kingdom for Keflings to XBLA
Developer and XBLA evangelist Ninjabee, known for such titles as Outpost Kaloki X and last summer's Band of Bugs, has announced its latest project in comedic fashion, though judging from the video above we're unsure if we should be laughing or mortified. Perhaps a little of both, as we see Ninjabee's Shawn Boyles go from mild mannered artist to vicious murderer thanks to the industrious, if annoying efforts of unseen workers known as Keflings, stars of Ninjabee's upcoming fall XBLA release A Kingdom for Keflings.Little is known about the game beyond that it will focus on city-building, and will feature "fun and light-hearted gameplay with graphics and original music to match," no doubt creating the perfect atmosphere for stapler-related homicide. Or is that Keflicide?
'Doritos Dash of Destruction' coming to XBLA (unfortunately)
The finalists were played, the votes were tallied, and only one of the five weaksauce Doritos flash titles would be turned into an actual, factual Xbox Live Arcade title, thanks to Doritos' Unlock Xbox Competition. Announced today was the official winner: Mike Borland will be taking his game concept, Doritos Dash of Destruction, to Ninjabee Studios to be turned into a fully-working XBLA game.Dash of Destruction has players taking on the role of either a T-Rex or a Doritos truck, in a race around a city to see who can win: the Doritos truck (by making it safely out of the city) or the T-Rex (by eating the Doritos truck). The concept is cute, but the execution on the Unlock Xbox website is practically unplayable.Like the other four finalists, the Flash-based demo of the game was developed by advergame studio Blockdot. Clearly Blockdot had a lot on its plate while developing these demos, as they all suffer from numerous glitches and other results of rushed coding. It's clear that voting must have been based more on the concepts than the final games. Here's hoping Ninjabee -- whose previous titles include Outpost Kaloki X, Eets, and Band of Bugs -- can turn Doritos Dash of Destruction into something a bit more polished.
X3F hands-on: Band of Bugs
Xbox Live Arcade is finally starting to pick up steam and, as a result, more game genres are being represented. We've got fighters, beat 'em ups, puzzle games, arcade classics, board games, and many more. There hasn't been much in the way of turn-based strategy though. That is, there wasn't until Band of Bugs. Coming to us from NinjaBee, the same folks who brought us Cloning Clyde and Outpost Kaloki X, Band of Bugs takes the same lighthearted, humorous approach to turn-based strategy. Read on to find out how Band of Bugs fares.
Win Band of Bugs from Uncle Gamer
The kind and generous souls over at Uncle Gamer are at it again. This time, they're giving away a redemption code for Band of Bugs, the latest release from our friends at NinjaBee. We've been having a lot of fun with Band of Bugs so far, and that feeling will only be made better when you realize you didn't pay a dime for it, right? If you'd like your shot at some free, lighthearted strategy goodness, head over to Uncle Gamer and enter. They're accepting entries until Friday, so get cracking!
And the Band of Bugs winner is ...
It's time to pick a winner for our quick and dirty Band of Bugs giveaway. We've sifted through the virtual hat and pulled out a name. That name is ... Joseph Pinero, who reminds us that Band of Bugs goes "SPLAT." Indeed it does, Joseph. Indeed it does. Congratulations, your code will be winging its way to your inbox in no time. If you didn't win, don't worry, we've got lots of contests lined up over the summer. You should be hearing about a new one very soon.
Win Band of Bugs from X3F
Update: A winner has now been selected. Click here to see the winner.Insects. Turn-based strategy. At first glance, these two things don't seem to go together. As it turns out though, Band of Bugs (from our friends at NinjaBee) proves that war and insects are the digital equivalent of peanut butter and chocolate. We managed to snag an Xbox Live Marketplace download code for this delicious concoction and we're giving it away to one lucky reader. If you'd like your shot at winning, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. We'll pick a random winner today at 4:00PM Eastern, just in time to enjoy the game after work. Get to commenting and good luck!General contest stuff: only one entry per person. Winner will be contacted via email.%Gallery-4176%
Band on Bugs swarms Arcade
Band of Bugs, the insectoid strategy game from NinjaBee is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. For 800 Microsoft points you get a single player campaign, standalone missions, multiplayer and a map editor. Also available are two packs with three gamer pics a piece, for just 50 points each and a theme for 150 MS points. This game has caught our attention for bringing some unique experiences on Xbox Live Arcade, are you going to give it a shot today?
This Wednesday: Band of Bugs crawls onto XBLA (ick!)
Fresh from 2007's Independant Gaming Festival, and hot on the heels of the open call for 2008, NinjaBee's indie strategy title, Band of Bugs, is crawling onto your Xbox Live Arcade plate this Wednesday, joining the enterprising dev's other XBLA titles, Outpost Kaloki and Cloning Clyde. For the going rate of 800 MS Points ($10) you'll get a story-based campaign, a four-person multiplayer mode with Xbox Live support, a built-in level editor (you can share levels with friends, pretty cool!), and another reason to drag your Xbox Live Vision cam out of the junk drawer (it's supported in multiplayer modes). %Gallery-4066%
Band of Bugs swatting Arcade this week
Band of Bugs, who's Achievements were recently revealed, is splatting onto Xbox Live Arcade this week. For an expected 800 Microsoft points, The game has a single player campaign mode, as well as stand-alone missions for some quick action. The online seems to be fun, and even has a "Mystery Leaderboard" for which the details of scoring points on are hidden, so that'll be intriguing. So, now that we know it's coming, will we see you online Wednesday?
Band of Bugs squashes out its Achievements
NinjaBee Games was kind enough to give out an exclusive peek at the Achievements for their upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title, Band of Bugs. Unfortunately, there is no award for tinkering around with the map editor that we showed you video of last week, but all in all it looks pretty evenly spread out. Also, the release of Achievement information only shows how much closer we are to a game's release, especially XBLA titles. Do you expect Band of Bugs to be another hit from NinjaBee?
GDC 07: Band of Bugs hands on
Sitting right next to Castle Crashers was a game not nearly as publicized, NinjaBee's Band of Bugs. We managed to wrangle a Band of Bugs interview a while back, and we were pleased to see the game at GDC (Band of Bugs is part of the Independent Games Festival) and speak with Steve Taylor, president of Wahoo Studios (NinjaBee's parent company). We spent a lot of time looking at Band of Bugs. We got a chance to learn about the level editor and even got a little time to play the game itself. Read on for first hand impressions of this unique Xbox Live Arcade title.
Namco Bandai announce Outpost Kaloki successor for Wii
While not a true sequel to the Xbox Live Arcade launch title, Namco Bandai have announced Space Station Tycoon for the Nintendo Wii; a follow-up to NinjaBee's Outpost Kaloki X. This will be the first title that has gone from a console specific, download initiative and turned into a full-fledged retail product.In an interview with IGN, players from both Namco Bandai and Wahoo Studios (the house of NinjaBee) talk at length in bringing their intergalactic management sim to the Wii. Aside from a bevy of tweaks and improvements to the core of the game, Space Station Tycoon will feature customizable space stations, co-operative play and will be entirely playable with only the Wii remote.The developers also make it clear that Space Station Tycoon does not utilize any content from Outpost Kaloki. Still, it does look mighty familiar. Space Station Tycoon is currently scheduled for a Summer 2007 release.
X360F interview: NinjaBee's Band of Bugs
When Band of Bugs was first announced for Xbox Live Arcade last week, we were intrigued. Within minutes, nay, seconds, we were emailing our buddies at NinjaBee to learn everything we could. We managed to snag an interview with Band of Bugs' lead designer, Jeremy Throckmorton. Unfortunately, there are still a few things that we weren't able to pin down (release date, price, etc.) but we did manage to get some tasty info all the same. You may read the interview -- painstakingly reproduced -- after the break.
Band of Bugs brings casual strategy to XBLA
When Microsoft announced the latest lineup of Xbox Live Arcade games, one game stood out among the rest. Sure, we're as excited about Worms and Castlevania as the next trusted news source, but Band of Bugs marks an interesting departure from typical Arcade fare. As a tactical RPG of sorts, Band of Bugs is unlike anything else on Xbox Live Arcade (though it should be noted that Worms is also tactical in nature). Gamasutra sat down with the boys at NinjaBee to learn about the genesis of Band of Bugs, which is now a finalist at the Independent Games Festival. NinjaBee reveals that they wanted to bring something different to the arcade, and that they wanted to create tactical game that appealed to the hardcore and casual alike. Another unique feature of Band of Bugs, it has a level editor. In fact, NinjaBee intimates that the level editor that ships with the game was used to create every level in the game. NinjaBee also takes time to discuss the importance of independent game development in the industry. It's a good read and worth checking out. We have some special Band of Bugs coverage coming soon, so stay tuned. [Via XBLArcade]
Rumor: XBLA to get Eets and Luxor 2 [update 1]
XBLArcade brings us two juicy rumors today. The first is that Klei's Eets is headed to Xbox Live Arcade. According to an entry from the USK (essentially the German version of the ESRB), a 360 game called EETs Chowdown (in the "Arcade" genre) has been rated appropriate for all ages. Naturally, the speculation here is that Eets must exist in order to be rated. Not ironclad proof that the game is headed for the Arcade, but it's a significant marker to be sure. You can check out an Eets demo here.The second rumor is that MumboJumbo's Luxor 2 is also headed to the arcade. Luxor 2 (play the demo here) is something like a combination between Breakout and Zuma, in which players match different colored balls as they come tumbling toward the bottom of the screen. The rumor stems from a rating found on the ESRB website. To see it yourself, search for Luxor 2 and restrict the platforms to the Xbox 360. Granted, we have no confirmation on either of these titles, but with review code out there somewhere, signs definitely point to yes. Good news, especially for those of us crying for some non-action Arcade titles.Update: Klei is responsible for Eets. NinjaBee is only a distributor.
What are you playing: FINISH HIM edition
Another Friday, another edition of -- say it with me now - "What are you playing?" Personally, I've been playing a lot of Xbox Live Arcade lately. All these titles in the last month or so, it feels like an embarrassment of riches. So, this weekend, I'll be playing UMK3, DOOM, Lumines (yeah, I can't help it), and even getting some achievements for Cloning Clyde. I may sprinkle in some LEGO Star Wars II and some Enchanted Arms, too. On a side note, I don't know how many of you have gotten Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but I had forgotten how incredibly cheap the AI is. It's terrible. It's not just cheap, it's the kind of cheap programming that allows CPU players to cut corners that human players can't. For instance, computers can skip frames of animation so that they can react faster -- like jump kicking you even though you started your jump kick first, etc. It's maddening. And, for the record, Shao Kahn may be the cheapest boss ever. How about all of you? Hmmmm? What will you be playing this weekend?
Not so special edition of Viva Pinata [update 1]
Not content with brainwashing our children with simple "standard" editions of the kid friendly Viva Piñata, Microsoft has made known their intentions to release a "special" edition of the title. What makes it special, you ask. You see beyond just the game, buyers of the special edition will receive playable demos of Lego Star Wars II, Frogger, Cloning Clyde, Time Pilot, and Marble Blast Ultra. That's right, they're bundling in demos that can be had for free on Xbox Live (with the exception of LSWII). Also included is a full length episode of the TV show (any drug dealer will tell you that the first taste is free). No doubt, MS is including these easily obtainable extras for the benefit of kids and parents who have yet to grasp the complexities of Xbox Live and its Marketplace. For gamers like us that understand our console, the extras hardly seem like a value add. Still, we're sure that this will force many parents to learn how to use Live properly. There may be no better educational incentive than the pleading scream of a child: "It says I need Xbox Live! Make it work!" Even though the value of the demos is questionable, you can't argue with the $49.99 price tag. Hell, that would be a deal if it came with nothing. Update: Fixed grammatical error -- two in one day. Jeez.
Free Poker next week
Sure, the only Live Arcade item we're getting this week is Cloning Clyde pictures, but next week we get free poker. That's right, folks, Texas Hold 'em will be free after all (thanks to the most pathetic petition ever?). There's a catch, though. You've got to download the game within the first 48 hours of its availability. Which brings us to an important question. What happens if the download starts in the first 48 hours but then hangs at 99%? Is it still free? Hopefully, none of us will have to find out. What's more, it looks like our previous report on the upcoming lineup of games was right on the money. Texas Hold 'em (Free, see above) will hit on August 23rd, followed by Time Pilot (400 points) on August 30th, and Scramble (400 points) on September 6th. And Lumines? September 13th we hope. [Via Joystiq. Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sunday at X360F: arcade madness results
The results from last Sunday's poll are in and it was a major upset to say the least. In a come-from-behind victory that nobody was expecting even in their wildest of wild dreams, Street Fighter II -- the plucky underdog that nobody believed in -- has come out on top with an astonishing 32% of the poll totalling 763 votes. Now, with the sarcastic statement of the obvious out of the way, let's look at the results. It seems SFII has a monopoly on gamer nostalgia, as the other retro classics, Galaga, Pac-Man, and Frogger gather a paltry 11% of the vote with 242 votes combined. It should be noted that Galaga seems to be the favored retro hit outside of SFII, though. By far the most interesing aspect of this poll is the performance of Lumines Live, Small Arms, and Texas Hold 'em, with a combined 47% of the vote. This is evidence that the real strength of Live Arcade is its ability to bring us original content (just as Cloning Clyde project lead, John Nielson told us earlier this week). No doubt had titles like Castle Crashers and RoboBlitz been on the poll, they would have shown a strong performance as well. So, to wrap up, Capcom is the king of selling us our youth, and people want to see more games that you can't get anywhere else. Here's to the 360 for making Wednesdays a little brighter. Cheers.
