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Space shooters Ultratron, Titan Attacks flying to new platforms
Curve Digital will publish two of Puppy Games' arcade-style space shooters on new platforms: Ultratron and Titan Attacks. Ultratron will reach PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Wii U and Vita early next year, and features twin-stick "arena shooter action." As for the Space Invaders-like Titan Attacks, Curve will distribute the game on 3DS in early 2015 as well. Titan Attacks launched on PlayStation systems earlier this year. Ultratron arrived on Steam in March 2013 and is considered a "throwback" to Vid Kidz' 1982 arcade shooter, Robotron. The game features a "full upgrade system" and adaptive difficulty settings. Ultratron will be Cross-Buy-enabled on PlayStation systems, and is expected to launch in the same week on Wii U and Xbox One. Head past the break to check out a trailer of the game's PC version. [Image: Puppy Games]
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth spins to November [Update: trailer]
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, the twin-stick shooter's total remake for consoles, will launch November 4. Nicalis flashed gameplay clips and the release date for the remake in a new disturbing trailer, which has since been pulled from public view on YouTube. The developer teased that an announcement for the game was imminent on Twitter. The Binding of Isaac first launched on PC in September 2011, and Rebirth was originally discussed by creator Edmund McMillen in November 2012. The console port was previously expected to arrive in early 2014, but will hit PS4, Vita and Steam now in November. Rebirth was also originally planned for PS3 and 3DS, though the latter was disallowed by Nintendo due to the game's religious content. As of July, McMillen did not rule out an eventual appearance by Isaac on the 3DS eShop. [Image: Nicalis]
Globe-trotting with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
It wouldn't be fair to Lucid Games to say that Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is "just more Geometry Wars," and then leave one's impressions at that. Announced just a few weeks ago, the game literally takes the series where it has never been, primarily thanks to new three-dimensional visuals (with a pun-tastic title to match). In all honesty though, calling it "more Geometry Wars" serves as a reassurance to the twin-stick series' devotees that its fast-paced action hasn't gone anywhere. My time with Geometry Wars 3 at PAX Prime in Seattle demonstrated that the game fits perfectly with its 2D brethren. Piloting the iconic, angular cruiser through galactic grids felt as tight as ever, while slipping past threats and rapidly firing laser-like bullets at geometric baddies is as chaotic as ever. It took a few attempts to get acquainted with the game's latest twist, though the enemy and bullet behavior is just that, a "twisted" version of the previous games. The flat grid-like playing field fans are used to is now a sphere, tube, pill, peanut or one of numerous other shapes, depending on which of the single-player mode's 50 levels you jump into. Every element in play is stuck to the surface like Nintendo's iconic plumber in Super Mario Galaxy, but ultimately Geometry Wars 3 draws some appropriate comparisons to Super Stardust HD. Missiles rocketed past my ship and around the bend of some levels, but aiming for the more distant neon creatures never felt like a real shot in the dark, if I'm allowed to make my own puns here.
Co-op shooter Helldivers drops this summer on Sony systems
As the weather clears up, we tend to break out our list of items well-suited for summer. Namely, we like to cruise in drop-tops and play top-down shooters once the sun is out and the temperature rises, and a recent PlayStation Blog post noted that Arrowhead's Helldivers will be one of those two to toy with in the sun (as a game, not a car). The multiplayer-focused, twin-stick action game will debut this summer for PS4, PS3 and Vita after it was first announced at Gamescom in August. Players on those three systems can come together in online cooperative missions to tear apart procedurally-generated levels thanks to its Cross-Save and Cross-Play support. Arrowhead locked in friendly fire for Helldivers however, so the term "cooperative" gets an extra point of emphasis for the game. There's still no word on whether Helldivers will be Cross-Buy-eligible, though. [Image: Arrowhead Game Studios]
Former PS All-Stars devs form Dead Alien Cult, introduce Viking Ghost
Indie developer Dead Alien Cult introduced its first game on Steam's Greenlight service this week, Viking Ghost. The developer comprises four people, two of which are former PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale developers: Andrew Marquis and John Lawrence. Viking Ghost is listed as an "Arcade Action Adventure-Dual Stick Shooter-Dungeon Crawler-Rogue-Like-Lite" game with weapons, abilities and an experience point-based upgrade system. The developer cites the Zelda series, The Binding of Isaac and Spelunky among its inspirations for the game, which has eight locations and procedurally-generated levels that liven up every playthrough. Marquis and Lawrence's former developer Superbot parted ways with Sony in February 2013 before downsizing in April. [Image: Dead Alien Cult]
iPad Geometry Wars game available before the iPad
A $10 iPad version of Bizarre Creations' Geometry Wars is already available from iTunes, two days before the device's launch. Geometry Wars Touch features all the modes found in the original Geometry Wars, plus "Titans!," a new iPad-exclusive mode. You probably won't want to splash out for an iPad just to get another version of a game you have on Xbox (and possibly Wii and DS as well), but we imagine those vector-inspired graphics are going to look really cool on the iPad screen. Besides, if you've already ordered one of the things for whatever reason, well, now you'll have something to do with it. Geometry Wars Touch ($9.99) [Thanks, Dan!]
Burn Zombie Burn to heat up PC as well
Doublesix's twin-stick shooter Burn Zombie Burn is spreading like a zombie-fueled wildfire. Following the appearance of a PC version of the game on the ESRB database, Doublesix studio head James Brooksby confirmed plans for the release to Big Download. The title was originally developed as a PS3-exclusive, with assistance from Sony's Pub Fund. There's no definite release date, but the PC port will be distributed on Steam sometime in the next couple of months. As a rather nice bonus, the PC edition should include all of the PS3 version's DLC add-ons.
Dracula -- Undead Awakening coming to PSP Minis next week [update]
iPhone-owning fans of twin stick shooters have probably gotten their hands on Chillingo's vampire-slaying app, iDracula. If you haven't gotten a chance to check out the title, you may want to wait for the developer's next, similarly vamp-based project: Dracula -- Undead Awakening, a PSP Mini that will land on the European PSN next Thursday, November 26. Much like the company's previous title, Undead Awakening is a top-down shooter with unlockable weapons, abilities and perks, all of which presumably make you better at turning fangfaces into small clumps of Transylvanian ash. We've contacted the folks at Chillingo to find out if the game will also come stateside next week, how much the game will cost, and how exactly we're supposed to pronounce their company's name. (Chill-in-go? Chill-ing-o? Chillin'-jo?) Update: A Chillingo representative responded to our query, telling us that the game would come to the U.S. PSN "ideally pre-Christmas," though they haven't settled on a price for the title quite yet. Also, he informed us that the company's name is phonetically pronounced "Chih-lingo." Now we know -- and knowing is half the battle!
Hands-on: 0 Day Attack on Earth (XBLA)
Hidden in the back of its large TGS booth, Square Enix had three Xbox Live Arcade titles on display last week, one of which was 0 Day Attack on Earth.A twin-stick shooter -- finally! -- 0 Day puts players in control of a fighter jet fending off an alien attack. Throw darts at a board littered with game premises and this is where many of them land. The problem isn't that the game mimics the mechanics of so many other titles available on XBLA -- because twin-stick shooters can still be good -- it's that 0 Day Attack on Earth just isn't compelling.%Gallery-70582%
