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Video: Watch Splosion Man's 'Donuts, Go Nuts!' song performed live at PAX
Not at PAX? Want to live vicariously through the power of the internet? We can think of no better solution to your dilemma than to recommend you watch our video of Matt "Chainsaw" Chaney's ukelele performance of "Donuts, Go Nuts!" from the Twisted Pixel booth this afternoon. And look on the bright side: You can go flip on your Xbox and play Splosion Man (again!) while all these suckers at PAX are left napping on beanbag chairs.
Trials HD voted best XBLA game of 2009
For the third year in a row, Microsoft hosted a community poll on Xbox Live to determine the best Xbox Live Arcade games as judged by the players. And like last year, when Joystiq favorite Braid was overthrown by those persistent party castle crashers, 2009's "Best Overall Arcade Game" goes to Trials HD over Joystiq Best of 2009 winners Shadow Complex and 'Splosion Man (which both did manage to win lesser awards in the Xbox Live poll). We've posted the complete list of awards and winners, which also include Battlefield 1943, Hasbro Family Game Night and Banjo-Tooie, after the break. What, no love for Watchmen: The End is Nigh? We demand a recount!
More 'Splosion Man songs coming to Rock Band Network
We wish we possessed the kind of thought processes required to make the mental association between the release of the Rock Band Network and the catchy, quirky ditties from 'Splosion Man. The game's theme is already up on the RBN Store, but that's not the extent of the musical 'Splodiness -- in an interview with SavyGamer, Twisted Pixel CEO Mike Wilford revealed two other tracks from the game would soon hit the Network: "The 'Splode Beneath My 'Splosion" and "Donuts Song." No time frame has been given for the songs' release, but that hasn't stopped our excitement for the vocal part of "T'SBM'S" from growing to catastrophic, earth-quaking levels.
Reminder: 'Splosion Man is $5 this week
We told you last week, but with a certain something likely taking up every ounce of delicious brain juice you've got right now, we felt it prudent to put out a reminder. 'Splosion Man, Twisted Pixel's game of splodey splendor, is 50 percent off this week on Xbox Live, bringing it down to a very reasonable 400 price tag. If you haven't bothered to check it out yet -- it is one of 2009's best games, y'know -- then there's really no excuse now. Shortcut: Add Splosion Man to your download queue [Xbox.com]
'Splosion Man 'splores $5 price point next week
Twisted Pixel's highly combustible Xbox Live Arcade platformer and object of Joystiq adoration, 'Splosion Man, will headline the upcoming Marketplace schedule (as relayed by Major Nelson) with a temporary 50-percent price reduction. After dropping to 400 ($5) for the week of February 1, 'Splosion Man should prove more challenging to blow off than up. Other highlights include Chime, February 3's non-profit Xbox Live Arcade release from Zoe Mode and OneBigGame, the Halo 3 Mythic 2 Map Pack, and the first part of Assassin's Creed 2 downloadable content, "Battle of Forli." Expect a Joystiq review on that closer to its January 28 launch.
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2009: 'Splosion Man
When Twisted Pixel first announced 'Splosion Man, we all thought it was a joke. The press release, received on April Fools' Day, described a man made of explosions. Specifically, the release noted, "Yeah, lots of 'splosions ... like a guy made out of 'splosions, and he'd be like 'splode 'splode 'splode! and then things die," and it continued, "He'll 'splode people, and they'll blow up into big steaks and ribeyes and stuff." The Joystiq team dismissed this announcement as a prank, which seemed appropriate for the studio that brought us The Maw. The following day, Twisted Pixel sent Joystiq another press release, assuring us that 'Splosion Man was indeed real. And from that ridiculous premise came one of the best 2D platformers in years. 'Splosion Man has just one button, the 'Splode Button, which accomplishes all tasks in the game. It's 'Splosion Man's attack, his action and, most importantly, his triple jump. Sending this point home, players can attempt to customize the controls from the options menu, only to find that every face button is mapped to the 'splode function. (You actually get an Achievement for trying to remap the controls.) Using this very simple control scheme, players 'splode enemies, solve puzzles and plow through fiendishly clever racing sections. Throw in a brilliant, four-player co-op mode that literally has everyone jumping off one another and 'Splosion Man easily becomes one of the most refreshing experiences of 2009. Oh, and don't forget the donut song:
'Splosion Man Avatar awards unlocked; delicious steaks to be distributed
We've got good news all around for fans of Twisted Pixel's 'Splosion Man, as well as advocates for tender red meat. The developer has announced that a title update has fixed laggy online multiplayer sessions and added those unlockable Avatar awards to the highly combustible Xbox Live Arcade platformer. To unlock all four shirts seen above (two for female Avatars and two for males), you must accomplish two feats: break a single pane of glass (easy!) and beat the entire co-op campaign (considerably less easy). Oh, right, the meat thing. In one of the greatest nonsensical partnerships in the history of civilization, Omaha Steaks has teamed up with Twisted Pixel to give away "hundreds of top-quality steak filets" to 'sploders across the nation. To register for the giveaway, just download and equip a special 'Splosion Man gamerpic, and then play a few online multiplayer matches before November 22. If you win, you get steaks. If you're vegan, you give them to us. Source – Title Update for Splosion Man [PDF]
PAX 2009: Twisted Pixel reveals new game: Comic Jumper
It must be fun working at Twisted Pixel, where you have games featuring a hungry, purple blob, a man who travels via combustion and now, an over-muscled hero with a giant smiley face for a head. Twisted Pixel just announced Comic Jumper, its newest downloadable title. The platforms are still unannounced and the game is likely "more than a year away," according to Twisted Pixel Games co-founder Mike Wilford.You play as Captain Smiley, along with his cohort Star -- who is, umm, stuck to the Captain's chest. They're bonded together, but they hate each other! Sounds like the perfect way to expose gamers to sticky situations and witty dialogue, no? The game will have you sending Captain Smiley into different levels within assorted comic books, with the art style (and possibly gameplay) changing with each jump into a new book. "This is something that Josh [Bear, another co-founder, the third being Frank Wilson] has had in his mind since high school," Wilford said. We're wondering what it was doing in there for so long ... and what will happen once it escapes.
Xbox Live Top 10 dominated by Shadow Complex, CoD: World at War
Major Nelson has revealed the latest figures for Xbox Live activity, which once again sees Call of Duty: World at War being the most played Xbox 360 Live title. That's not to say it's all business as usual, as the Lost Planet 2 co-op demo managed to claw its way onto the list, along with a new Xbox Live Arcade pair, Shadow Complex and Trials HD.Both titles made it onto the top two spots on XBLA's most played list, with Chair's Metroid-inspired adventure making its debut in first place. The remainder is comprised of usual suspects Battlefield 1943, Marvel vs Capcom 2 and 'Splosion Man.
'Splosion Man Avatar Awards revealed
Twisted Pixel has officially revealed the Avatar Awards that are set to appear in 'Splosion Man in the near future. Even better, the developer even told us the requirements to unlock the two awards. The first award is a men's T-shirt and a women's hoodie. To unlock it, simply break your first pane of glass in 'Splosion Man. The second one, however, is just a bit more difficult. To unlock the Big Science T-shirt and dress, you'll have to complete the entire co-op campaign. Yeah, the whole thing. Finally, we've got one other bit of good news. If you've already accomplished these tasks, the items will automatically unlock. Unfortunately, we still don't know when the Avatar Awards will be available, but you can bet we'll be all over them -- and they will be all over our Avatars -- when they release.
Xbox Live Top 10: There can be only 1 (17)
Major Nelson's latest battle report comes as a bit of a surprise as Halo 3 was the most-played retail game of last week. With all of the new Gears of War 2 content, we were sure that game would be at the top, but Epic's title only managed to claw its way to fourth place yet again. It was bested by the usual double dose of Call of Duty action in Call of Duty 4 and Call of Duty: World at War.On the XBLA side, the frenetic tag-based combat of Marvel vs Capcom 2 was too much for the competition. Capcom's brawler enjoyed top placement, finally bumping down Battlefield 1943 to second place. Coming in at third was none other than 'Splosion Man, Twisted Pixel's excellent follow-up to previous Arcade hit, The Maw.
Review: 'Splosion Man
At first, I actually thought 'Splosion Man was a joke -- as did much of the Joystiq staff. Twisted Pixel, the crew behind charming 3D platformer The Maw, put out its first press release for 'Splosion Man on April Fools' Day. The press release detailed a game more or less distilled purely from gaming stereotypes, about a man that not only created explosions, but was actually made of explosions -- or 'splosions, to be more precise -- and when he 'sploded hapless baddies, they would 'splode into various meat products (steaks, hams, etc.). One day later, Twisted Pixel sent out another press release to clarify that 'Splosion Man was no joke. I'm here to tell you that 'Splosion Man is definitely not a joke. It's one of the best 2D platformers in recent memory. %Gallery-49189%
Microsoft will give you $10! (For spending $70 on Xbox Live)
So, here's an interesting promotion. A press release just hit the ol' Joystiq inbox, claiming that those who buy all of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade titles will be treated to 800, also known as $10 in Microsoft's funny money. This calls for copy and paste! July 22: 'Splosion Man 800 ($10) July 29: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 1200 ($15) August 5: TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled 1200 ($15) August 12: Trials HD 1200 ($15) August 19: Shadow Complex 1200 ($15) Just adding those up -- carry the one --- that's a free $10 for spending $70 on Xbox Live. Keep in mind it's $10 you can only spend on Xbox Live (or Zune Marketplace). While the deal might seem silly at first glance, it does essentially boil down to five XBLA games for $60, the price of one retail game. And, as another Joystiq editor pointed out, that retail game could never be 'Splosion Man. It's a nice bonus if you already plan to pick up all the games. If you don't, you'll be saving money anyway. Everybody wins!
'Splosion Man could detonate on PS3, Wii
Frank Wilson, co-founder and CTO of Twisted Pixel, said his studio's library of recent downloadable titles could potentially see life on other platforms. Just yesterday, Twisted Pixel unleashed the XBLA title 'Splosion Man, blasting the humorous hero and Xbox owners into Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion. In an interview with Endsights, Wilson said the small developer is not tied to any specific platform and the studio would consider a PlayStation Network and WiiWare release of 'Splosion Man and the studio's adorable adventure title, The Maw, if it "found the right arrangement." So, other platforms could be in the cards, but Twisted Pixel is happy with what it's been able to achieve on the Xbox platform, so far. "We're getting pretty skilled with the Xbox 360, so it's definitely easiest for us to stick with it," Wilson said. Wilson's words aren't confirmation that either title will see life on other platforms, but at least we've cleared the air of any existing Microsoft money-hats.
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: 'Splosion Man
It's time for another explosive edition of XBLA in Brief, Joystiq's weekly look at the latest Xbox Live Arcade games. This week, we take a look at 'Splosion Man, Twisted Pixel's first foray onto XBLA since releasing The Maw earlier this year. The game has plenty to offer for platforming fans, so check out the video above and see if 800 ($10) will be 'sploding out of your wallet.Download the trial version of 'Splosion Man[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly.[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
This Wednesday: 'Splosion Man blowing up XBLA
Wow, this is awkward. Sure, we're excited that 'Splosion Man 800 ($10) is coming to the XBLA this Wednesday. But pre-SoA shuffle, this was to be the week of the turtles' return with TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled. The bad thing is that we completely forgot to cancel the order for our turtle-celebrating supplies, and the FedEx guy just arrived.So, if you happen to spy us playing 'Splosion Man while we rock out to our mint condition Coming Out of Their Shells Tour cassette and eat the TMNT Pudding Pies recently discovered in a New Mexico warehouse, try not to judge, OK?%Gallery-49189%
XBLA's 'Summer of Arcade' lineup reshuffled
As if this Friday wasn't freaky enough, Xbox Live's Major Nelson has alerted us to a schedule swap occurring within the "Summer of Arcade" lineup. 'Splosion Man has taken the July 22nd spot previously held by TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled, which will now release on August 5th. The full Xbox Live Arcade release list -- excluding next week's Monkey Island revamp -- is as follows: July 22: 'Splosion Man 800 ($10) July 29: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 1200 ($15) August 5: TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled 1200 ($15) August 12: Trials HD 1200 ($15) August 19: Shadow Complex 1200 ($15) We're happy to experience Twisted Pixel's self-destructive efforts sooner, if only to ease us gently into a rather extravagant spending spree.
XBLA 'Summer of Arcade' 2009 release schedule announced
Microsoft's Major Nelson has revealed the full details of this year's "Summer of Arcade" ... and it's going to be mighty expensive if you're interested in the whole kaboodle. July 22: TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled 1200 ($15) 'Splosion Man 800 ($10) July 29: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 1200 ($15) August 5: 'Splosion Man 800 ($10) TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled 1200 ($15) August 12: Trials HD 1200 ($15) August 19: Shadow Complex 1200 ($15) The only difference from this list and the previously announced lineup is the absence of Monkey Island Special Edition, which is scheduled for release next week on July 15. [Update: Release schedule revised!]
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
Summer of Arcade returns; includes Marvel vs. Capcom 2, TMNT, Monkey Island
The "Summer of Arcade" returns this year to bring you more of the XBLA games that'll keep you out of that nasty cancer-causing sun. The titles slated are: 'Splosion Man Shadow Complex TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Monkey Island Special Edition Trials HD Of course, you'd like to know when the festivities kick off. And we'd love to tell you, but there's currently "nothing to announce" about dates. So sad.
