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Humble Android Bundle 6 adds McPixel, Waking Mars, NightSky HD
The sixth Humble Bundle with Android just added three more reasons to throw down some cash: McPixel, Waking Mars and NightSky HD. All three games are available for PC, Mac, Linux and Android devices. The new games join Frozen Synapse and Broken Sword: Director's Cut behind the "more than the average" paywall (the average is currently below $5). Meanwhile, Aquaria, Fractal, Organ Trail: Director's Cut, Stealth Bastard Deluxe and Pulse are all available for any price you desire. McPixel, Waking Mars and NightSky HD come with their soundtracks, just as the other games do. Those who have already purchased a bundle can access these new games from their Humble Bundle download pages. The complete bundle is now valued at $120, and as always customers can dole out their money among charities (Child's Play and the EFF), the developers or Humble Bundle itself. The Humble Bundle program has raised more than $13.7 million for charity to date. Humble Android Bundle 6 is live for seven more days.
Steam weekly: They Bleed Pixels, Papo & Yo, Shuggy, Waking Mars
Steam's weekly deals kicked off yesterday, but players in the US were probably too busy lounging poolside with a plate full of hamburgers to notice – and hey, Steam users outside of the US could have been doing the same thing. It's cool; we don't judge. This week's Steam deals last until June 3 at 10 a.m. PT, and it's a big batch: Greed: Black Border, Waking Mars, Papo & Yo, They Bleed Pixels, The Guild 2, Angry Birds Space, The Adventures of Shuggy, Flatout: Complete Pack, Worms: Ultimate Mayhem and Tower Wars. All of these games are up to 75 percent off, clickable here. And again, Steam's news post says these deals last until a day in the past, this time "May 3." Don't tell anyone, and maybe we'll get these super sales for an entire year.
Waking Mars plants itself on Steam
Waking Mars has now made it all the way through the Steam Greenlight gauntlet, going from community-supported addition to actually available game. Tiger Style's self-described "action gardening" game, about the discovery and subsequent management of a subterranean ecosystem on Mars, was officially chosen as a Greenlight release at the end of November.The game costs $9.99, and supports SteamPlay on both Mac and PC. For more information about the PC release of Waking Mars, check out our podcast interview with creative director Randy Smith.
Apple announces the App Store's Best of 2012
Apple has posted its top picks for the entire year of 2012 in the App Store, and you can browse through all of the choices right now. On the iPhone, Action Movie FX has picked up the App of the Year award, and Ubisoft's Rayman Jungle Run has earned game of the year, with music app Figure and social word game Letterpress picking up the runner up slots. Over on the iPad, FiftyThree's Paper has won app of the year, and the spooky The Room has earned game of the year, with Action Movie FX's iPad version and Tiger Style's great Waking Mars as runner-ups there. There are also a ton of great apps listed in other various categories, and Apple has also listed the top downloaded (Angry Birds Space has nailed both top spots in paid) and top grossing apps in each category. Obviously, with any list like this, there are some favorites missing (and if you want to see TUAW's choices, follow along with our own Best of 2012 coverage). But it's definitely been a great and busy year on the App Store, and Apple's collection is chock full of very well-done apps and games for sure.
Waking Mars travels to alien lands of PC, Mac, Linux, Android next month
Waking Mars, the iOS game that we thought was out of this world, is coming to PC, Mac, Linux and Android on November 6, via the Humble Android Bundle and the Humble store on the game's own website. This version of Waking Mars has been revamped with full voice acting and higher resolution, along with keyboard and mouse support.Waking Mars follows the trials of Liang, a researcher adventuring deep into an underground cave on Mars, where he must harvest seeds from the various flora in the hope of finding his lost AI buddy. We called it "one of the most successful 'big' games" to be found on iOS.Below we have a gallery of the new (dare we say alien?) Waking Mars, along with some shots comparing it to the iOS version.%Gallery-169342%
Super Joystiq Podcast Special: 'Waking Mars' creative director Randy Smith
In a special edition of the Super Joystiq Podcast, managing editor JC Fletcher speaks with Randy Smith, creative director of the Tiger Style "action gardening" game, Waking Mars.Tiger Style's unique game started life as an iOS game and is now making its way to PC via Steam Greenlight. Randy talks about the the differences between the mobile and PC market, how App Store sales have affected unit numbers for the company, and the changes coming to the new PC version, which includes updated graphics and new voice acting.Waking Mars is slated to hit the PC in 2012. Update: It'll be on Steam pending Greenlight support. Go vote!Listen to the Super Joystiq Podcast: Subscribe to the Super Joystiq Podcast in iTunes Super Joystiq Podcast is also available in the Zune Marketplace Add the Super Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator Download the MP3 directlyA stream of the show and details about each segment is available after the break.
Portabliss: Waking Mars (iOS)
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Waking Mars. Waking Mars, a new iOS action-adventure game by Spider dev Tiger Style, does a great job of putting a console-style narrative experience on phones, matched to a simple method of gameplay that ensures easy touchscreen control and uncomplicated pick-up-and-play design. In short, it's one of the most successful "big" games I've played on my phone.The game (formerly known as Lost Mars) is based on an extraordinarily unlikely combination: Martian cave exploration and gardening. Just ... stare at that sentence for a second. Enjoy the cognitive dissonance.%Gallery-149229%
Waking Mars lands on iOS March 1
Waking Mars, the IGF finalist formerly known as Lost Mars, has been approved for human consumption and will be available on Apple's App Store come March 1, according to developer Tiger Style's Twitter account. The action-gardening platformer will set you back a solid $4.99, is both iPhone and iPad compatible, and as we discovered last September, looks "stunning."The game's name change was a preemptive precaution inspired by Mojang's legal trouble over Scrolls: "We were paying attention to the silliness surrounding 'Scrolls' and 'Elder Scrolls' and we talked to our lawyer and decided that it was best to go with a name we absolutely can own," said Tiger Style's Dave Kalina in a statement on the developer's blog. As that old, interplanetary gardener's saying goes, it's better to plant stuff on Mars than to get planted by Martians. Or, something.%Gallery-148462%
Lost Mars preview: Red planet meets green thumb
I experienced the first segment of Tiger Style's new iPhone/iPad adventure Lost Mars in what might have been my most unintentionally auspicious demo ever: after the developers finished their presentation at Juegos Rancheros, and set out iPads for demos, I took the only available system: the one on stage, hooked up to the projector. So everyone in attendance got to watch me jetpack through a network of caves, and learn the science of xenobotany.%Gallery-132050%
Tiger Style's 'Lost Mars' debuts at Juegos Rancheros this weekend
Determined to start a war of jealousy between the Joystiq staffers who live in Austin, Texas and those who don't, Juegos Rancheros will debut yet another new indie title this weekend. The game is titled Lost Mars and comes from Tiger Style, developer of Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor – A.K.A. the top-rated iPhone game of 2009.We don't know much about Lost Mars, apart from a handful of appropriately red and dusty screens. If you're in the Austin area, you can check out Lost Mars at the Highball this Sunday at 4pm. Oh, and if you see any Joystiq editors there, tell them to stop bragging so much.%Gallery-132050%
