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Kalimba review: Co-op will tear us apart
Xbox One Co-op has brought me some of the greatest joy I've ever experienced in games. It also frequently leads to bouts of murderous rage. The co-op in Kalimba, a stylish Xbox One-exclusive puzzle-platformer from the creator of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, falls more in the second category, and is more likely to inspire anger and hurt feelings than elation. Kalimba offers a distinct co-op campaign in addition to a collection of single-player levels. Beware, though: You and your co-op partner must be on the same skill level and puzzle-solving wavelength in order to make any progress whatsoever. If you want to learn who your true friends are, it's anyone who doesn't bludgeon you to death with an Xbox One controller after spending half an hour with Kalimba.
Project Totem's new name is Kalimba, launches next month
Conquering a cluster of platforming feats looks doubly complex in Kalimba (formerly known as Project Totem), Press Play's puzzler that leaves a player responsible for two or more characters at once. You can also ease (or complicate) things by enlisting a friend for Kalimba's co-op mode, but either way, you'll need to steer through matching fields of color and stretches of narrow platforms, as seen in the above trailer. The complex, color-coded traversal is used to save the Kalimba people's island from an evil shaman, who's presumably doing terrible things and totally has its defeat coming. It won't be long until he's dethroned either, as Kalimba begins its journey on Xbox One on December 17 and PC in January 2015. [Image: Press Play]
You can queue up June's Xbox One freebies for download now
Xbox One owners that have waited since Friday's announcement of this June's Games with Gold freebies to click that shiny download button are now able to do so. This month's free games, available only to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, are Max: Curse of the Brotherhood and twin-stick shooter Halo: Spartan Assault. Microsoft announced last month that June would be its newest home console's first time dancing with the both the Games with Gold and Deals with Gold programs. The month's discounted Xbox One games are NBA 2K14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, which join a handful of sales on Xbox 360, including Saints Row 4 and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Additionally, Xbox One players can pick up Crimson Dragon for half-off ($10). Xbox 360 owners will need to wait until June 16 for Charlie Murder and Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, while Dark Souls is available as a freebie now and until June 15. [Image: Press Play]
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood meets its marker on 360, PC
After quietly missing its April release dates, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is out today on Xbox 360 and PC. The young scamp and his enchanted crayon first returned to our screens on Xbox One last year, but you can now grab the puzzle-platformer for $15 on Xbox 360, or £12/15 euros in Europe - the Steam release should hit later today at the same price. Like Magic Marker, The Curse of Brotherhood has you doodling things in the environment to help Max progress. The next game from Danish studio Press Play is another colorful platformer with a twist, but it looks a fair bit different to the Max games. Instead. Project Totem tasks you with controlling two totem pieces with a single controller, and it sounds like it'll be a challenging proposition for Xbox One and 360 owners when it hits this fall. [Image: Press Play]
Control two totem pieces in Project Totem on Xbox One, 360
Press Play, the Danish studio behind Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, announced its next game today, codenamed Project Totem. Like Max, Project Totem is a colorful platformer, and is currently in development for Xbox One and Xbox 360. Press Play is preparing to launch the game this fall. The "playful yet precise" game has players guiding two totem pole pieces with one game pad. The gameplay concept comes from two brothers, Asger Strandby (Game Director) and Bo Strandby (Lead Designer), who opted to add local cooperative multiplayer to Project Totem in addition to its single player campaign. [Image: Press Play]
Xbox 360 draws in Max: The Curse of Brotherhood next month [Update: PC too]
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is headed for the Xbox One's older sibling next month, with an Xbox 360 release date of April 9 announced this week. Microsoft exec Phil Spencer used his magic crayon - otherwise known as his Twitter account - to reveal the date, prompting developer Press Play to confirm it. Max: The Curse of Brotherhood follows on from Max and the Magic Marker, but swaps out that game's 2D sketchings for a detailed 2.5D look. In the platformer, Max uses his magic crayon to manipulate the environment around him, drawing vines and water streams as he navigates the perils standing between him and saving his little bro. There's no news on a price for the Xbox 360 port, but the Xbox One version was priced $15 when it launched towards the end of last year. Update: Press Play also announced a Steam release date of April 15, and confirmed prices on both PC and Xbox 360 of $15 for North America, and £12/15 euros for Europe. [Image: Press Play]
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood swings onto Xbox One, out now
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, the follow up to Max and the Magic Marker, is available right now on Xbox One, priced $15 on the Xbox Games Store. The Microsoft-published 2.5D platformer was due on the Xbox 360 in the spring, but that window got pushed back to early 2014 after developer Press Play announced the Xbox One version. After an idle wish for his annoying little brother to disappear is spectacularly granted, Max sets off to save his smaller sibling, once more employing the help of a magic crayon. The previous game's 2D drawn-on look is swapped out for higher 3D detail in The Curse of Brotherhood, and now the marker can manipulate water streams, raise platforms out of the ground, and twist out handy vines (plants, not Sliwinski) for Max to use. While The Curse of Brotherhood snuck out a little early on Xbox One, there's no news on an ETA for Xbox 360.
Max uncaps his Magic Marker again in XBLA's 'Curse of Brotherhood'
XBLA exclusives are becoming rarer and rarer. The latest is a sequel to Max & The Magic Marker by developer Press Play. Max: The Curse of Brotherhood sees a very impressively CG-rendered hero accidentally banish his brother to another dimension, then going on a quest (with the help of his reality-altering marker) to rescue him.The presentation has evolved from brightly-colored cel-shading to a more realistic 3D look, though the 2.5D gameplay is intact. In the introductory trailer, the magic marker is used to draw vines, water, and more.The game launches this spring on XBLA, for 1200 Microsoft Points. It's a cautionary tale, to warn you of what would happen if you put a curse on your sibling but didn't have any other magic powers.
Max and the Magic Marker dev acquired by Microsoft
Microsoft has just acquired Press Play, developer of the multiplatformer Max & the Magic Marker. MS's Phil Spencer revealed the news during a pre-E3 discussion on Spike (which you can actually watch on Joystiq!) calling the developer the latest addition to Microsoft Studios.
Max and the Magic Marker coming to PSN this fall with Move support
Delightful platformer Max and the Magic Marker is making its way to PSN, decked out in a full 1080p overhaul. Outside of the injection of so many high-def Ps, this latest port will also support the PlayStation Move. It only seems natural in a game about drawin' stuff. Max and the Magic Marker is currently slated to launch sometime this fall for $9.99 on US PSN and €9,99 in Europe. There will be a total of 58 different levels to doodle your way through, including unlockable challenges, secrets and rewards. Feel free to hit up the gallery below for some screens -- just try not to doodle all over them. Unlike the game, you can't really erase stuff from your computer monitor. %Gallery-133503%
Max & the Magic Marker DS version penciled in for this holiday
Max & the Magic Marker, Press Play's indie platformer in which players control both a young boy and a free-floating marker that can draw platforms and objects, is headed to the DS after releases on WiiWare, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Windows Phone 7. Basically, if it's a game platform with some kind of pointing device, this game will eventually end up there. The DS version will be released as a retail cartridge in North America "Holiday 2011". The port is being published by Easy Interactive, who also re-released the WiiWare game as a Wii disc in Europe.
Max & the Magic Marker draws new life on iPhone, iPad
Max & the Magic Marker sales probably dried up on WiiWare long ago, but, with the help of EA Mobile, Demark-based indie Press Play has uncapped its puzzle-platformer for use on iOS devices. Both an iPhone and iPad version are now available on the App Store.
Japanese Nintendo downloads: Darius Twin, Max & the Magic Marker
With only one download per service, Japan's Wii and DSi Shops this week resemble the kind of updates we're used to in North America. At least the content is mostly good. Darius Twin, the SNES debut of Taito's horizontal shmup series, provides multiplayer shooting against a variety of giant robotic sea creatures. And Rakugaki Hero is the World Game Parade–localized Max & the Magic Marker. As for, Let's Make a Zoo on DSiWare, it was released elsewhere as Zoo Frenzy. It's all the fun of managing a fake zoo! The full list of weekly releases follows: Darius Twin (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Rakugaki Hero (WiiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Let's Make a Zoo (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
Max & the Magic Marker scribbles down March US WiiWare release
Danish developer Press Play would like to draw everyone's attention to Max & the Magic Marker's US release on WiiWare this March. The game released late last month on European WiiWare for 1,000 Wii Points. M&TMM is currently available in the US, directly from Press Play and digital distributors, for PC and Mac at a suggested price of $20. With a WiiWare demo for the game uncertain, we suggest you try it over on the official website. We're also drawing a direct link to some gameplay videos here. %Gallery-83833%
Max and the Magic Marker video for those waiting in North America
Allow us to draw your attention to some video and images of Max & The Magic Marker, which is currently available in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. For those of us patiently waiting for the game in North America, the internets have graced us with some video of the title, so we can see if it's worth drawing 1,000 Wii Points from our accounts when it eventually releases. For those who just can't wait to try out Harold and the Purple Crayon ... we mean, Max and the Magic Marker, they should feel free to try the demo on the official website. Check out video of the game after the break. %Gallery-83833% [Via Nintendaan]
Max & the Magic Marker Euro release date highlighted
With releases like Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth, and The Magic Obelisk, WiiWare has been pretty great lately. Press Play has announced that another promising-looking title will be joining those games on the service soon -- and unlike those two, it's hitting PAL territories first. According to the Facebook page for Max & The Magic Marker, a side-scroller that allows the player to interact with the world by drawing on the screen with the Wiimote pointer, will be available for download in Europe on January 22, with worldwide releases following soon after. While Press Play didn't divulge the North American release date specifically, we're pleased to have some news. [Via GoNintendo]
Max and the Magic Marker scribbles down a new trailer
It's amazing that it took this long for a game like Max and the Magic Marker to show up on the Wii, though we're definitely looking forward to trying out this WiiWare title at some point, hopefully before it releases this fall. Like we've said before, it looks like the interactive version of Harold and the Purple Crayon.We know Scribblenauts is for fans of language, so we hope Max will naut disappoint those who like to scribble. Check out the trailer after the break.
Max and the Magic Marker draws our attention
Max and the Magic Marker is one of those titles that walks on the scene with charisma ... now it just needs to back its eraser up with solid gameplay. The first footage of game looks impressive and gives off a Commander Keen meets Duck Amuck surrealism -- with a little bit of Harold and the Purple Crayon.The game is expected this autumn on WiiWare. We've contacted Press Play to find out if it plans on exhibiting at E3 or any time before launch. Check out the video after the break![Via GoNintendo]
