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Cartoonish Cuphead fills up on new trailer, has hopes for Master System port
Cuphead, the first game from StudioMDHR, received a stylish new trailer and screens last week that puts its 1930's-inspired design on display. The "run and gun action game" was pushed back to 2015 thanks in part to the developer's decision to switch from the XNA framework to Unity. It also "totally scrapped the original world map in its rough state" and began re-envisioning a more minimal GUI to focus on Cuphead's classic cartoon feel. When the game was announced in January, it was originally planned for PC. That's since changed, as the developer now expects to launch Cuphead on Xbox One as well as Steam. StudioMDHR also mentioned a "dream idea" in its latest press update: The developer hopes "we can at least be successful enough to port it to Sega Master System with cartridge, instructions and box" one day. [Image: StudioMDHR]
Classic run-and-gunner Metal Slug 3 coming to Steam in February
SNK's run-and-gun action game Metal Slug 3 will launch on Steam in February. The arcade game first arrived in 2000, later leaping to multiple platforms like XBLA in early 2008, the Wii Virtual Console in May 2012 as well as iOS and Android in 2012. The Steam version will feature online cooperative multiplayer, leaderboards and cloud save support. In addition to the mobile ports, the Steam version was handled by DotEmu, a specialist in retro game adaptations. The developer previously brought the Double Dragon Trilogy to mobile and also took Another World to Mac, iOS and Android. DotEmu is currently hosting a closed beta for Metal Slug 3 on Steam.
1930s cartoon-inspired Cuphead targeting late 2014 on PC
Indie developer StudioMDHR's introductory game Cuphead will launch in late 2014 on PC. The game's graphics are turning a few cup-heads, as they are inspired by 1930's-era cartoons from Fleischer Studios, "old Disney" and particularly artists like Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks, Grim Natwick (Betty Boop) and Willard Bowsky (Popeye). Cuphead is a run-and-gun game with a world that includes branching pathways and bosses, as well as weapons and power-ups. StudioMDHR, which consists of brothers Jared and Chad Moldenhauer, said Cuphead is a "retro game" at its core, "meaning it leans heavier on gameplay and not as much on story." The game's basic premise surrounds our hero Cuphead gambling with the devil, losing, then having to find a way to pay the devil back. "We wanted to avoid the classic save the world/princess and make the story/theme feel more comparable to 1930s cartoons," Chad told Joystiq. "This is why it is about Cuphead's deep-seated inability to stay out of trouble versus a hero destined to overcome a pre-existing obstacle. Even though he creates his own problems you can't help but root for his success." While StudioMDHR said the game will be difficult, Cuphead will have infinite lives and won't lose his weapons if he falls in battle, though there will be harder difficulty modes to challenge strong-willed players. Cuphead is confirmed for PC and StudioMDHR said it is "pursuing a console release." The developer shared a few more screens that show some of the game's behind-the-scenes design changes, which we've included in the gallery below.
Reverb to publish Exis Interactive's Majestic 12, revealed at PAX East
Reverb Publishing is the publishing wing of Reverb Communications, a PR agency for video games that's helped launch titles like Rock Band and Zen Pinball. The latest published title from the company will be called Majestic-12, Reverb has announced. The game is developed by Exis Interactive, and is a 3D side-scroller action title, with some human-on-alien bullet hell action "in the vein of old-school shooters like Contra."Wikipedia says "Majestic 12" is supposedly the codename for a secret government group meant to fight aliens -- so, historically, you know, the premise all checks out. There's no platform listed for the game yet, but Reverb says it'll be out for "digital download platforms," so you can start guessing Steam, and then go on from there.Our first chance to see Majestic 12 will be at PAX East early next month -- Reverb will be there showing off the game in booth 808. We'll be sure to stop by.
DDO's Update 11 arises with the artful Artificer
Today marks the latest evolution of Dungeons and Dragons Online, as Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers went live on the servers and the steampunk community collectively lost its composure. Update 11 adds a completely new high-level quest hub called House Cannith, where players can adventure out into a new wilderness area, dive into a trio of dungeons, tackle a pair of raids, and finish off the day with a trip to House Cannith's famed crafting hall. The cornerstone of this massive patch is the addition of the Artificer class, a steampunk-infused hybrid ranged damage-dealer with a snazzy look that would fit in fine at any geek convention in the world. To celebrate the advent of the Artificer, Turbine's Kyle Horner and Steve Muray sat down to compose a back-and-forth dev diary about the development and dark secrets concerning the class. The duo thinks that it will appeal to trigger-happy players who love their "pew pew." VIP players (subscribers) can start enjoying the new content today, but the rest of the playerbase is going to have to wait until the 15th to purchase the class and quest content from the DDO store.
Hard Corps: Uprising is new Contra for XBLA and PSN
It's Contra in all but name. That's what IGN asserts about Hard Corps: Uprising, a new PSN and XBLA run-and-gun expected for release this year. Despite the fact that the side-scrolling shooting gameplay we expect from a traditional Contra is present, and despite the fact that this is actually a sequel to the Genesis Contra: Hard Corps (starring the villain!), Konami has chosen to excise the series name from this digital release. That's not the strangest thing about this game. Development is being handled by Arc System Works, the developer and publisher of the Guilty Gear games and BlazBlue. We'll withhold judgment; after all, it turned out okay when Konami handed the license to the Ping Pals developer. At least with Arc (like with WayForward), we know we're in for great 2D art.
Noitu Love 2 headed to WiiWare from Golgoth Studio
IGF 2008 finalist Noitu Love 2: Devolution is a 2D action game notable for having an extremely odd control system that combines keyboard-based movement with mouse gestures. It's now being ported to WiiWare, no doubt with Wii motion controls adding an extra layer of oddness to the run-and-gun's control scheme. The port is being developed by Golgoth Studio, the French studio behind the HD remakes of Toki (which was without a publisher last time we heard) and Joe and Mac. It asked the community for retro remake ideas when it received its WiiWare developer credentials. Whoever is responsible for this idea, the result is another interesting indie game on WiiWare. If you'd like to try it now, there's a demo of the PC version on original developer Konjak's site. [Via Gamerbytes]
NintendoWare Weekly: Contra ReBirth, Super Return of the Jedi
Happy Labor Day! To celebrate the occasion, Nintendo offers a WiiWare game that is guaranteed to be hard work. That's what Labor Day is about, right? Doing as much labor as possible? Nintendo certainly isn't taking the day off, bringing us a decent number of downloads (relative to our lowered expectations). The list is available after the break. %Gallery-70507%
Contra ReBirth spreads to North America on Monday
Were you feeling a bit left out by the release of Contra ReBirth everywhere but North America? We were too, which is why we're delighted to tell you that North American Wii owners will be able to get their fill of dangerously shirt-free side-scrolling combat this Monday. We'd like to take the opportunity to thank Konami for telling us what's going to be available before it's available. Konami included the short trailer above, which includes one frame of ridiculous cut scene: "All fighting men are 'Contra,' whether they be human or robot!" There are also new screens of the adventures of Bill Rizer and samurai Genbei Yagyu (what?) to enjoy in our gallery. %Gallery-70507%
Groovy: Interplay and Gameloft making new downloadable Earthworm Jim
Interplay has announced a new Earthworm Jim for PSN, WiiWare, XBLA, and mobile platforms. Well, specifically, it announced that Gameloft will develop and publish a new Earthworm Jim game on those platforms. Which is ... considerably less exciting than if original creators Shiny Entertainment (now a part of Double Helix) were to return to the franchise. However, it is possible that this is the "Earthworm Jim 4" project for which creator Doug TenNapel was hired to consult -- which would be very groovy indeed. The recent XBLA Genesis poll proved that there is a sizable Earthworm Jim fanbase, a fact that must have delighted executives at Interplay and Gameloft as they prepared to make this announcement. We didn't realize there are still that many Earthworm Jim fans in the world after Earthworm Jim 3D -- a game with which we hope this new release has nothing in common. Earthworm Jim will debut on XBLA in the "last quarter of 2009," and will remain exclusive to that platform for one month. [Image credit]
Contra Rebirth also headed to Europe
We just told you that Konami's faux-retro Gradius Rebirth was added to the PAL WiiWare shop. If you've been playing for the past hour or so and have already moved on to dreaming about Konami's other WiiWare retro reinterpretation, you'll be happy to hear that Konami has announced a European release for Contra Rebirth as well, to be expected this August. This also gives North American readers cause for some measure of optimism. In addition, Konami will release its top-down racer, Driift, later this month as DRiiFT MANIA. "DRiiFT MANIA" is also a condition in which someone is compelled to spell things with two lower-case i's.
Contra ReBirth footage surfaces, US release still up in the air
Earlier this week, Contra ReBirth arrived on the Japanese WiiWare channel, and wouldn't you know it, tons of footage has been loosed into the wild (opening intro/first level after the break). While we'd love to get our hands on the title, we're not quite sure when it's landing on US shores. Last year, however, Konami set a precedent with Gradius ReBirth (released this year in the US) that we're likely to see repeated with Contra. So we asked Nintendo of America what it had to say about the title and a representative told us, "A US release date has not been confirmed." He did, however, remind us that "A US release hasn't been confirmed either." While we'd be shocked if it never showed up over here, if anything, it's going to take quite a while. After all, it took nearly six months for Gradius ReBirth to hit the US WiiWare channel. Unfortunately, as of publishing, a Konami rep has yet to return our call.
VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Contra and more
Today's Virtual Console and WiiWare offerings in Japan are shockingly good. So good that if a release week like this happened outside of Japan even once every six months or so, nobody would complain about Nintendo's downloads. Even if we ignore the three WiiWare games that are already out in North America, it's wall-to-wall quality. Well, we're kind of assuming that Contra Rebirth is quality. Even if it's terrible, we know we're in for a $10 download of an original Contra game when it shows up here. We know that the WiiWare Art Style games are fantastic, because we've been playing them since last year. On Virtual Console, the PC Engine CD-ROM version of SimEarth and the arcade release of the brutal Tower of Druaga pale before Downtown Special, a Japan-only sequel to River City Ransom starring Kunio and friends as samurai. Virtual Console: Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki Dayo Zenin Shuugo (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) SimEarth (PC Engine, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) The Tower of Druaga (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) WiiWare: Art Style: CUBELEO (1 player, 600 Wii Points) Art Style: DIALHEX (1-2 players, 600 Wii Points) Art Style: ORBITAL (1 player, 600 Wii Points) Contra Rebirth (1-2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Konami kind of announces Contra ReBirth for WiiWare
We'd love to be excited about the newly announced WiiWare release, Contra ReBirth, but it's a little tough when considering how Konami revealed its existence. The game recently appeared with little (read: no) fanfare on a Konami product page. Heck, we're not even sure if the thing is all original or a remix of an old game! It's like having your first-born child and letting your friends and family know by mentioning it under your breath as you drive past the hospital. What are you hiding, Konami? Is it ... a ginger?
Eduardo the WiiWare-bound Toaster
Semnat Studios has announced that their Independent Games Festival 2007 entry, Eduardo the Samurai Toaster, will now be released exclusively on WiiWare "this winter." The run-and-gun shooter features a unique mixed-media look and wildly varying gameplay in which one to four players "Jump, shoot, whip, drive, fly and throw your way through hordes of Peking Opera pastries, spear toting carrots, robotic mangos, and more." The co-op mode also allows players to "be annoying by throwing each other around the screen and attacking one another."We couldn't be happier to see an original WiiWare run-and-gun on the way, especially one with desirable features like "incredible funness" and "insane action that will give you tears of joy. no longer will your tears taste like sad." Taste the happy! After World of Goo, we expect to see a lot more of these indie projects on WiiWare, where they can be sold and make money.%Gallery-40617%[Via WiiWare World]
DS Fanboy Review: Metal Slug 7
My initial impression of SNK Playmore's Metal Slug 7 was that it was a little bit bland for a Metal Slug game. It certainly lacks the personality and irresistible wackiness that characterize pretty much every other entry in the series. Compared to the DS's other big run-and-gun game, Contra 4, which not only revived, but improved upon its legendary legacy, Metal Slug 7 is a bit underwhelming, a competent imitation of other Metal Slugs at best.After more playtime, however, I found that the imitation is accurate enough where it counts (mostly the controls). Even in its diminished state, Metal Slug is irresistibly fun. %Gallery-16835%
VC Friday: A question of value
This week's PAL Virtual Console line-up isn't short on quality, but it represents fairly awful value. As dreamy as we find any Metal Slug title, there are cheaper ways to play all three of this week's offerings. Want Metal Slug 2? We'd recommend picking up this. Fancy having your delicate gamer's ego rudely kicked in by Forgotten Worlds? There's an excellent compilation out there for a bunch of platforms that costs peanuts and comes with another 20 or so games. If you can't find Space Invaders for less than £6/€8, you're probably reading the wrong website. Better still: lavish those points on Space Invaders Get Even!. Metal Slug 2 -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Space Invaders: The Original Game -- SNES -- 800 Wii Points Forgotten Worlds -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii Points See videos of all three (including footage of one David Hinkle showing off his skillz at Space Invaders and Forgotten Worlds) after the break.
Born for Wii: Contra
As gaming moves forward, the perpetual improvement of technology naturally leads to the Gears of War 2 creed: "Bigger, Better, and More Badass." Unfortunately, the trend of increasingly film-like 3D games leads to fewer and fewer 2D titles finding their way to home consoles. Many series, such as Zelda and Mario, have successfully transitioned to 3D. But others never quite recovered after the jump, and were always in their prime in the 2D era. Take Contra, for example. This weekend, upon curling up with my DS -- a handy shield against things such as responsibility and obligation -- and spending a few hours being brutalized by Contra 4, I realized two things. The first was that I suck at Contra. But the second was that, in spite of suffering several emasculating deaths every minute 10 seconds, I was still having a blast. The game perfectly captures the feel of the series and is a worthy successor to the incredible Contra III, which is now 16 years old (so I guess it's about time, eh?). But the experience isn't quite perfect -- the DS's tiny screens only makes a difficult game harder, and the divide between them compounds the problem. It's been six years since the last sidescrolling Contra made an appearance on a console, and if Capcom's Mega Man 9 is any indication, a classic series like Contra has a home on the Wii. This week Born for Wii attacks aggressively with Bill and Lance. #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >> Gallery: Contra 4 DS Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Grim Fandango, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
ESRB rates Metal Slug 2, A Boy and His Blob
According to two new ESRB listings, camel-riding run-and-gun sensation Metal Slug 2 and the fabulous A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia will be coming to the Virtual Console at some point in the future. Either that, or they'll both hang around on that depressing list of games that get rated and never seem to come out. Feed your Blob a punch-flavored jelly bean to descend past the break and see some Metal Slug 2 footage!
Six of our favorite Media Summit videos
You've already had the chance to examine scores of wonderful screens from new Wii games announced at the Nintendo Media Summit. This new post is dedicated to displaying thousands of more screens (squashed together to create videos) of some of the bigger titles that have been shown at the event.We settled on placing Nintendo's official Punch-Out!! trailer at the top of this post, but could have easily led with some truly fantastic Sin & Punishment 2 footage, an impressive tech demo of The Conduit, or Yuji Naka's wacky-looking Let's Tap. Instead, all of those (and more) are past the break, and need to be viewed right now. Before you go, though, one final note: if any game released this year has a funkier soundtrack than Let's Tap, we'll be gobsmacked.
