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The frantic swordfighting of 'Nidhogg 2' arrives on August 15th
If you're a fan of in-person two-player games, there's a good chance you've heard of Nidhogg. Its frenetic swordfighting is easy to pick up, difficult to master and oozing with Atari 2600-style visual charm. There's only been so much you could do with its handful of levels and single-weapon gameplay, though, so it's a good thing that a sequel is right around the corner. Messhof has revealed that Nidhogg 2 will reach the PS4, Mac and PC on August 15th, with PS4 pre-orders starting on July 18th. The title preserves the core mechanics -- you're still trying to slash through (or around) an opponent and make it to a screen on the far end of the map -- but a lot has changed in the 3 years since the original.
'Nidhogg' creators bring hypnotic platformer 'Flywrench' to PS4
Messhof, the team behind indie hit Nidhogg, today announced that it's bringing critically acclaimed platformer Flywrench to PS4. Featuring the studio's trademark lo-fi art style and an aural assault of glitchy breakbeats, this minimalist-looking action-puzzler will offer 199 levels of brightly-lit mayhem. After a well-received PC release in 2015, Flywrench will be making its console debut on February 14th, launching on PS4 for $6.99.
Nine indie developers on the secret to making multiplayer magic
Ten years ago, multiplayer-only games went through a severe identity crisis. More people than ever were gaming together, but they were increasingly playing online only. The small-stakes joy of twitchy experiences like Street Fighter II and Super Off Road, games meant to be played in short sessions preferably in the same room, weren't feasible anymore. Video games have always been expensive to make, so multiplayer modes had to either come packaged with other content -- consider Halo's famed multiplayer tucked alongside its single-player story -- to flesh them out or be custom built to serve hardcore players meeting up on the internet, a la Team Fortress 2, Valve's modern-day equivalent to the easy-access multiplayer of yore.
Best of the Rest: Ludwig's picks of 2014
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. Jazzpunk Jazzpunk is likely to be misunderstood, or impossible to understand, by design. You could say explanation comes as an insult to its eccentricity. The gist of it is that you're a spy completing missions in a surreal, robot-dominated world, the kind you might dream up after dozing off in the middle of a late-night Leslie Nielsen movie marathon. And while the convoluted wordplay wouldn't feel out of place in a Zucker spoof - in Japan, for example, you're asked if you prefer kimonos or kistereos – the barbs of reality are what really make Jazzpunk stick. Take its odd vision of dystopia, which is regularly mocked through one-off minigames (like a first-person shooter dubbed ... Wedding Quake). Here, you can put on a special visor that lets you see and blast nonsensical Wi-Fi passwords as they dance in the air around you. I mean, that's weird, but ... think about it. The concept is kind of weird to begin with, right here on Earth. Taken as a form of escapism, then, Jazzpunk is silly without taking you too far from the truth.
PSN Store Update: Alien Isolation, Diablo 3, more
In a last-ditch effort to get in your wallet before the end of the year, the PlayStation Store has a number of good deals on games this week. Among the many deals for PS4 players at the moment, Alien: Isolation is $35.99 ($29.99 for PS Plus members), while the game's season pass is down to $14.99. Additionally, Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition is $39.59 ($35.99 on PS Plus), Escape Goat 2 is half-price ($5, $4 on PS Plus), Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is just $6.80 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is $25 ($20 on PS Plus). As for Vita, players can download Danganronpa 2 for $27.99 ($23.99 on PS Plus), Nidhogg for $10.49 ($8.99 through PS Plus), Thomas Was Alone and Stealth Inc. for $3.99 each as well as Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut for $5 ($4 via PS Plus). A number of games, such as Nidhogg and Thomas Was Alone, are Cross-Buy compatible, so those with multiple systems only need to pay once to access each version. That includes Flippfly's Race the Sun, which is down to $6.99 at the moment across all three PlayStation platforms ($5.99 on PS Plus). Head over to PlayStation Blog for a full list of the current deals. [Image: Sega]
Nidhogg gets off the fence and onto PS4 and Vita this week
We were wondering when the frenzied fencing of Nidhogg was coming to PS4 and Vita, and now we know thanks to the PlayStation Blog. Messhof's mano-a-mano madness is listed among this week's new releases, which going by traditional PSN schedules should mean it hits North America tomorrow, October 14, and Europe the day after. There's no word on a price as yet but for reference the Steam version is $15. Also it's cross-buy on PSN, meaning if you purchase it for PS4 you get the Vita version free and vice-versa. If you've yet to see Nidhogg in action - and you should - the game challenges two pixelated opponents to best each other with blades as they attempt to scroll from one side to the other. Sounds simple but it's a tense, terse affair of two-player swashbuckling, which for extra intensity can be opened up for up to eight players in take-it-in-turns tournaments.
Nidhogg takes the duel on the road in upcoming Vita version
Developer Messhof has announced that its cult-hit, minimalist fighting game Nidhogg will soon coat Sony's Vita handheld in a thick layer of pixelated blood. Nidhogg drops players into a high-speed duel between two sword-wielding fighters rendered in simplistic pixels. Despite its humble appearance, the game boasts tight controls, acrobatic moves and intuitive physics, which make combat a frenetic, tense experience. The combat mechanics are easy to learn, but difficult to master, and they're perfect for multiplayer combat, especially with a large group taking turns murdering the pixelated duelists. Happily, the Vita version of Nidhogg allows for both local and online multiplayer combat. While there's currently no word on when we can expect Nidhogg to reach the Vita, Messhof notes that the handheld game is being developed in conjunction with its PlayStation 4 counterpart. The two versions of Nidhogg should be released simultaneously and both feature Cross-Buy compatibility for those with a surplus of Sony's gaming devices. [Image: Messhof]
Skulls of the Shogun, Nidhogg, Escape Goat 2 and more jumping to PS4
At a Sony event today, PlayStation VP of Publisher and Developer Relations Adam Boyes revealed a whole slate of new titles coming to the PlayStation 4. Escape Goat 2, Ironclad Tactics, Nidhogg, Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-Fide Edition, Apotheon and Starwhal: Just the Tip, Chasm, Jamestown Plus, Source, Drifter and Spelunky are all making the jump from PC to the PS4. No specific timeline for each release was revealed, but the laundry list of titles gives us plenty to look forward to. Sony's "Third Party Production" team will help bring a select number of the new titles to the PlayStation 4. The group had previously worked to bring Towerfall to the platform. Check out trailers and details for each upcoming game after the break. [Image: Nidhogg from Messhof]
Nidhogg, NecroDancer headline IndieCade East eSports, Night Games lineups
Indiecade East, a festival celebrating indie creations, runs from February 14 - 16 in Astoria, New York at the Museum of the Moving Image. The folks behind the indie games festival have announced full lineups for the eSports and Night Games showcases today. The eSports showcase, highlighting competitive games from the indie community on Saturday and Sunday, will be headlined by Messhof's fencing game Nidhogg. Other standout eSports offerings include Videoball from Action Button, Glitchnap's space-jousting game Laza Knitez and dodgeball simulator Stikbold from Reign Bros. The Night Games showcase will offer up "a diverse mix of live action games, multiplayer games, theater projections of upcoming indie games and more," the press release past the break says, and goes down on Saturday night, February 15, from 7pm until 10pm. Among the highlighted games are rhythm-based roguelike Crypt of the NecroDancer and Tether, a multiplayer game where players must work to collect orbs but are chained to their opponents. Tenya Wanya Teens, from Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi, will also be on-hand. Full festival passes for Indiecade East are still on sale for $100 through the end of January. Starting in February, the cost for a full pass will go up to $125. Daily passes run $45 for Friday, $55 for Saturday (which includes the Night Games showcase) and $45 for Sunday.
PSA: Nidhogg carves out a space on Steam today
Messhof's two-player fencing game Nidhogg is now available for PC on Steam at $12, or in a two-pack for $21.59. On January 20, Nidhogg will revert to its full price of $15. Nidhogg is an Indiecade Game Design winner and IGF finalist from Mark Essen categorized as being very fast-paced – players can duel, throw their swords, fist fight, run, jump and slide around the 2D pixelated environments. It's currently unknown whether you can switch fencing hands mid-fight. You can play in local multiplayer or fence online with others in Nidhogg. The game also features a single-player arcade mode, supports local tournament play and is fully compatible with controllers and Big Picture.
En garde! Nidhogg arrives this month
Indiecade Game Design winner and IGF finalist Nidhogg finally has a release date, and it's soon: January 13. Last we heard, Messhof's 2D fence-athon was due last year, when IndieGames.com revealed the addition of online multiplayer to the swashbuckling mix. Nidhogg challenges players to get from one side of a scrolling castle to the other, with their pixelated opponents en garde to stop them in their tracks. The result is frantic mano a mano fencing, as shown to great effect in today's announcement trailer. Taking to the comments section on YouTube, Messhof's Marc Essen said that while the initial release is Windows only, Mac and Linux versions are also in the works.
EVO 2013 Indie Showcase features Towerfall, Aztez, SpyParty, 6 more
EVO, the annual fighting game convention and tournament, packs an underground punch this year with nine games in the Indie Showcase, bringing in four new titles and five returning champs. The four new games are Towerfall, Treachery in Beatdown City, Samurai Gunn and Super Space ____ (pronounced "Super Space Blank"), and the repeat offenders are SpyParty, BariBariBall, Nidhogg, Aztez and Super Comboman. Towerfall caught our eye on the Ouya, Aztez has been creating buzz around conventions local and otherwise, and SpyParty has a special connection with EVO – its current No. 1 player first saw it at last year's convention. The EVO 2013 Indie Showcase is organized by Nathan Vella, President of Capy Games (Below, Sword and Sworcery), and the entire show runs from July 12 - 14 in Las Vegas. Aaaaand FIGHT.
Come hang out with Joystiq (and play a bunch of great games!) at our E3 2011 reader meetup
We love you, Los Angeles, you know that. Sure, it's been awhile since we last hung out, but we wanna make that up to you. And not just any boring old dinner-and-a-movie kinda thing either, a full blown party! Next Friday, June 10, Joystiq will take over the La Cita bar in downtown LA between 5:30 and 9:00PM PST for a game-filled, giveaway-packed reader meetup. As our staff will be all up in your city for the duration of next week, we took the liberty of renting out a bar for a few hours so you -- our best friends -- could hang out, talk about the week's big news, play a bunch of great games, and take all the game swag that's been piling up in our domiciles. Chris Hecker will be swinging through with SpyParty, as will Andy Schatz with Monaco, to name just a few of the games/game devs at the event. And how about a chance to play Harmonix' next project before anyone else? 'Cause that'll totally be there too. Unfortunately, for our friends under 21, the event space is restricted to those of us with legal access to alcohol. We're really sorry and we still love you! It was, as they say, out of our hands. An extra big thank you to all of our participants! SpyParty, Chris Hecker (@SpyParty) Nidhogg, Mark Essen (@Messhof) Unannounced Project, Ska Studios (@SkaStudios) Monaco, Pocketwatch Games (@MonacoIsMine) Retro City Rampage, Brian Provinciano (@RetroCR) Q.U.B.E., Toxic Games (@qubegame) Unannounced Project, Harmonix (@Harmonix) Still with us? Head past the break for details, and make sure to RSVP on our Facebook event page so we know how many of you to expect!
Second annual 'No Quarter' exhibit to be held in NYC May 12
We assume that everyone reading this blog post are unswervingly hip individuals living in New York City -- if that is indeed the case, you should leave space in your social calendar for the 2nd Annual No Quarter games exhibit this coming Thursday, May 12 at 7PM EST. The event is a showcase of new titles from indie developers including Terry Cavanagh (creator of VVVVVV), Ramiro Corbetta, Charley Miller and Luke O' Connor. The totally free expo will feature new creations from these developers -- for example, Cavanagh's Nidhogg was commissioned for No Quarter last year -- as well as a public appearance by the indie game-stuffed Winnitron 1000 arcade cabinet. If that doesn't float your boat, perhaps this will: Free refreshments. Check out the flier after the jump for more details on how you can book your ticket on this gravy train. (Man, we hope gravy is one of the aforementioned refreshments.)
Nidhogg, Hazard, and more nominated for IGF Nuovo Award
The Independent Games Festival has announced the nominees for the 2011 Nuovo Award, a special category within the IGF for "abstract, short-form, and unconventional game development." In other words, weird art games! "I think what we've decided now is that even more light needs to be shed on this particular sub-section of the ever-growing sub-section that indie games already occupy in the wider gaming sphere," IGF chair Brandon Boyer told Joystiq, "the bit where developers are truly pushing at the edges and limits of what games can and probably should grow to encompass, whether that's videogames that move off the screen and into the playspace of the participants themselves, or games that tackle documentary, more personal and otherwise autobiographical subjects, or games that simply tonally run counterintuitive to the kinds of emotions games usually elicit." The eight nominees include the following: Monobanda's Bohm, a game in which you control the life of a tree. A House in California by Cardboard Computer, a "surreal" adventure game about four characters exploring a house. Nidhogg, Messhof's two-player, side-scrolling versus fencing game. Dinner Date by Stout Games, in which you listen in on Julian Luxemburg's thoughts as you follow him through the agonizing wait for his date to show. Loop Raccord by UFO on Tape creator Nicolai Troshinsky, a game based on video editing -- you have to create "continuous movement" by stringing together clips from archive.org. The Cat and the Coup by Peter Brinson and Kurosh VaiaNejad, a "documentary game" from the perspective of former Iranian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh's ... cat. Copenhagen Game Collective's Brutally Unfair Tactics Totally OK Now, a one-button game for up to eight players, with rules that players must enforce themselves (or choose not to). Hazard: The Journey of Life by Demruth, an abstract first-person puzzle game in which the world is constantly changing.
Austin's Fantastic Arcade lives up to its name
You wouldn't expect to walk into an arcade and find a cabinet dedicated to Every Day the Same Dream, Molleindustria's browser game about white-collar malaise. If you happen to be in Austin, TX this weekend, you can experience this particular anomaly for yourself, along with refurbished arcade machines housing Monaco, Nidhogg, Norrland, Enviro-Bear 2000 and more. These unique machines are just part of the Fantastic Arcade event within the Fantastic Fest film festival -- an event that also includes panel discussions, tournaments, and demos of Microsoft's upcoming XBLA Game Feast titles. We snapped some pictures of the handcrafted indie arcade for those of you who couldn't be there. Find them in our Fantastic gallery.%Gallery-103291%
