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November 2 is BurgerTime on XBLA
Are you hungry for burgers? How about giant burgers on which a chef and some magically animated food have repeatedly trampled? Burgers which live only within your Xbox? Probably not, no. But if you want to play a game about said burgers, you'll be able to do so on November 2. MonkeyPaw Games announced today that BurgerTime World Tour will arrive on XBLA that day, with the PSN, PC, and WiiWare releases of the reimagined Data East classic to come later that year. Above, enjoy a pre-BurgerTime appetizer in the form of a new trailer.%Gallery-136459%
Burgertime World Tour delayed for multiplayer testing
In the interest of making BurgerTime World Tour a more filling meal, publisher MonkeyPaw Games announced a delay of the downloadable reimagination of the Data East classic. Once announced for summer, it's staying in the kitchen until "a late October/early November date." MonkeyPaw said in a Facebook note that it wants BurgerTime World Tour to have "a fresh new multiplayer experience, including competitive online play and leaderboards." Features like these require a lot of QA, and therefore the publisher is holding off on the release until everything is stable. Then, of course, it has to work with Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to figure out when they all want the game to go up on their respective storefronts. [Thanks, Steve.]
BurgerTime World Tour trailer tours the world of BurgerTime
MonkeyPaw Games' refresh of the arcade classic BurgerTime has a new name. BurgerTime HD is out -- likely due to the existence of a Wii version -- in favor of BurgerTime World Tour. Along with the new name, MonkeyPaw released some new assets, including a trailer after the break. Not only do you get to see the bizarre cylindrical environments in which you build giant burgers -- you'll also, for the first time ever, get to see inside Peter Pepper's apartment. How thrilling!%Gallery-124540%
First real and fake BurgerTime HD trailers
MonkeyPaw Games is going back to the kitchen to create a new serving of BurgerTime -- which is a good idea, considering the original burgers are now 29 years old, and that's disgusting. For those of you interested in sampling BurgerTime HD's new recipe, you'll find a trailer after the break. Also after the break is MonkeyPaw's heartbreaking April Fools' Day joke, a trailer for the "Delicious Edition" DLC, which replaces Peter Pepper with Burger King's eponymous, creepy monarch. It was a joke, but ... we would have been totally into playing as the King. So much so that we would have walked into a Burger King and purchased Burger King food to make that happen. We were willing to go that far.
BurgerTime HD coming to PSN, XBLA, PC & WiiWare this summer
After showing the game at GDC, MonkeyPaw Games has officially announced BurgerTime HD, its first experiment in "evolving" a retro game as opposed to merely re-releasing it. The announcement adds lots of meaty information to the, uh, news ... wich. The updated version of Data East's classic burger-stacking platformer is being developed by Frozen Codebase, and it's coming to XBLA, PSN, PC and WiiWare "early this summer," according to MonkeyPaw president John Greiner. A peck of Peter Peppers will be able to play together, since the game now includes four-player online multiplayer, along with split-screen local multiplayer. Leaderboards, DLC and chat will help add a modern flavor to this culinary concoction. We'll let MonkeyPaw describe the updated gameplay, since we don't know if we'd ever be able to generate a sentence this wonderful on our own: "A unique cylindrical playing field reinvigorates the familiar classic gameplay of creating enormous hamburgers while fending off wieners, condiments and spices." The enlarged 3D landscapes offer "numerous paths of burger creation." Screens of all three console versions are available after the break.
Jam City Rollergirls rolling out on WiiWare later this year
A game based on roller derby is something that never occurred to us, but it seems incredibly obvious now that someone's doing it. Frozen Codebase announced Jam City Rollergirls, a WiiWare game based on women's flat track roller derby and featuring real roller derby leagues. This is the second "official," licensed WiiWare game for an unconventional sport that we can think of, and it's far less disgusting than its contemporary. Frozen Codebase plans to release the circular skating and violence sim in the fourth quarter of this year. Jam City Rollergirls will also be at PAX this weekend for the curious to give it a spin.
Metalocalypse: Dethgame bangs its head no more
Sad news for fans of the animated series Metalocalypse, as Siliconera reports that Adult Swim "pulled the license" on Metalocalypse: Dethgame. Originally under development at Frozen Codebase, the beat-'em-up was set to appear on Xbox Live and PSN at the tail-end of 2009, courtesy of Konami. So much for that. We've followed up with Konami to confirm, but it looks like Dethgame ain't happening. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a Hatredcopter to board and a target to attack that has nothing to do with this news. Nope, nothing whatsoever.
European PSN releases for May 5
Our world's been flipped, turned upside-down! Yes, European PSN updates are now going to take place on Wednesday, which means we're going to have to find something else in Thursday to get excited about. As we ponder this dilemma, check out some of the new stuff that drops this week, including Modern Warfare 2's "Stimulus Package," Kick-Ass: The Game, Feeding Frenzy 2, and ... the soundtrack for Flower? Yeah, okay. Sure. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
European PSN releases for April 15
This week's European PSN update caters to a wide variety of interests. Fan of humorous adventure games? Check out the first episode of Sam & Max - The Devil's Playhouse. Looking to revisit an timeless classic? You should pick up Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. Wanna know what this Kick-Ass business is all about? You can grab the entire comic series on the PSP's Digital Comics Reader. Can't get enough of Britney Spear's impossibly catchy "Toxic?" Guess what -- it's on Karaoke Revolution now. You're welcome! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Kick-Ass pummels PSN on April 29 for $15
The bewildering movie-to-game adaptation of Kick-Ass has been re-dated and priced. Now scheduled for a worldwide April 29 release, the beat-'em-up will cost $14.99 on PSN. Presumably, the iPhone version will cost a bit less than that. In addition to Facebook connectivity, the PS3 version of Kick-Ass will feature couch co-op play, bonus levels, arena mode, extreme mode, an unlockable comic, and clips from the movie. However, all the fluff in the world isn't going to make up for quality gameplay (or lack thereof). Let's see if Kick-Ass can deliver. %Gallery-90492%
The violent, vulgar first trailer for Kick-Ass: The Game
Update: Looks like we weren't the only ones who thought this trailer was a little over-the-top -- WHA Entertainment has been asked by the ESRB to rework it, so we've gone ahead and put the brakes on the video until WHA provides us with the revised edit. Nearly everything about Kick-Ass: The Game is bewildering. Like its movie and comic counterpart, it features young, everyday kids killing bad guys in graphically violent ways. It's a bit startling to see a game with such vulgar language appear on Apple's iPhone platform, and how bizarrely random is a simultaneous release on iPhone and PS3 (via PSN)? Less unexpected is the apparent "budget" quality of Kick-Ass: The Game, as featured in the trailer. Predictably, the game looks to be a rather standard beat-em-up, with the kind of low production values we've come to expect from simple, movie tie-in games. We do see mention of Facebook connectivity in this trailer, but it's hard to gauge the precise functionality of the feature. Still, if both the PS3 and iPhone versions of the game are priced right, Kick Ass may be worth checking out, especially for fans of the franchise. Kick-Ass: The Game will launch simultaneously on PSN and iPhone on April 15. %Gallery-88715%
Kick-Ass: The Game coming to PS3 and iPhone
The not-so-super heroes of the upcoming movie, Kick-Ass, are brawling their way to two platforms: iPhone and PlayStation 3. Like the movie, the game adaptation follows the adventures of ordinary people who decide to dress up in costumes and fight crime ... in the goriest way possible. While we're getting a Watchmen: The End is Nigh vibe from the entire project, Kick-Ass does bring some innovation to the table. The press release promises an "unsurpassed integration of Facebook and Twitter to the PSN Network," making it the first game ever announced to take advantage of PS3's Facebook feature in a way that's more meaningful than syncing your Trophies and PlayStation Store purchases. It appears Facebook will play a vital role in the game, with the official site promising "Facebook missions." Kick-Ass: The Game is expected to release on April 15th, the same day as the film. You can check a trailer for the movie after the break -- and if you're not at work, you can catch the uncensored red band trailer on Youtube.
Dethgame rocks out Q4 2009, Titmouse clarifies involvement
Hot on the heels of its revelation in the Wall Street Journal, Konami and Cartoon Network have officially announced Metalocalypse: Dethgame, the XBLA and PSN title based on the Metalocalypse television series. The press release sheds a few new details about the game, first and foremost that it's scheduled to release in Q4 2009. The game is set to the music of Dethklok, including songs from Dethklok: The Dethalbum and some from the upcoming Dethklok 2. The release also mentions that players will "Fight mutants, explore the rooms and dungeons of Mordhaus and protect the METAL faithful." Oh, and there are mini-games too. According to the show's creator, Brendon Small, Dethgame will be "the most successful downloadable cartoon death metal game in recorded history." Joystiq also reached out to Titmouse, the animation studio behind Metalocalypse, for clarification on why development was handed to Frozen Codebase and not Titmouse Games. Titmouse's Sam Schoemann informed us that planning for Dethgame began before the creation of Titmouse Games, though the animation studio has consulted on the project. He notes that one of Metalocalypse's directors, Jon Schnepp, and Titmouse creative director Antonio Canobbio, have "provided input and art direction" in order to "maintain consistency" with the series.
Frozen Codebase: Zombie Wranglers on XBLA May 6
The long-shambling release story of Zombie Wranglers may finally conclude if it releases on May 6, as is currently planned. Zombie Wranglers' original intention of releasing last year was kept at bay with shotguns, due to some behind-the-scenes drama following Sierra's "integration" into Activision Blizzard.We spoke with Ben Geisler at developer Frozen Codebase, who told us he believes the current release date should stick this time. As always, we'll have to see if Microsoft makes the release "official" during the game's alleged release week. For now, the only thing we're sure about is the developer believes its game will release on the scheduled date -- and Samoas are delicious, we're sure about that too. Check out some new screenshots of the title below.%Gallery-50897%[Via GamerBytes]
Wii Fanboy Review: Sandy Beach
While not all of Hudson's WiiWare offerings are necessarily successful in terms of sales or critical response, they've been responsible for some of the best, and best-selling, games on the service. And even when they don't do so well, effort is evident. So why can't Hudson's parent company, Konami, take a lesson from their subsidiary? Since the launch of the service, they've released only two games: Critter Round-Up and this. So they've released, like, one and a quarter games.Sandy Beach is a baffling release -- in that I can't fathom how Konami saw this and decided there was enough game to be worth releasing. It's really two games, but the sum fails to provide enough value for the 500 Wii Point cost. %Gallery-31918%
Konami digs up screens of WiiWare's Sandy Beach
Nobody likes crabs. In various contexts, they're just a pain. So, perhaps Konami and developer Frozen Codebase are tapping into some perfect hatred here with WiiWare title Sandy Beach. Beyond the screenshots (found in the gallery below), we did get in touch with the game's producer, Eric Francksen. He tells us there are two modes in the game: One is just "free play" where players build their own castles, while the other is "crab battle." Sandy Beach's crab battle game is reminiscent of Rampart or Defend Your Castle. Players are tasked with surviving waves of pirate crabs, then rebuilding and adding defenses between waves. We were told that Konami will reveal a release date at a later time.%Gallery-31937%
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Elements of Destruction and Sea Life Safari
XBLA in Brief examines two unusual Xbox Live Arcade titles this week. First up is Elements of Destruction which has players essentially playing as nature itself, using tornadoes, earthquakes, and lightning to destroy everything in sight. Sea Life Safari on the other hand, is a game about taking pictures of fish. See? Kind of different for XBLA, isn't it? Watch the new episode and decide if either is worth your hardearned MS Points.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
An XBLA Twofer: Elements of Destruction and Sea Life Safari
It's going to be an "interesting" Xbox Live Arcade release this week as we're being treated to an XBLA twofer this Wednesday, June 18th with the release of both Elements of Destruction and Sea Life Safari.Frozen Codebase's 800 Microsoft point Elements of Destruction is a destruction sim, where your goal is to destroy, blow up and "kablam!" as many things as possible. With two player online and local multiplayer, versus or cooperative and the feeling of having god-like powers, Elements of Destruction may be something to check out.The other XBLA release this week is Wanako's Sea Life Safari (also 800 MS points) where the goal is to explore the ocean and take pictures of underwater creatures. No joke. Now, we aren't going to pre-judge Sea Life Safari (though we really, really want to), but we have a feeling that a sea creature photography game is a very niche gaming experience. Anyhoo, check out all the new XBLA screenshot goodness in the galleries below.%Gallery-25263%%Gallery-25265%
Frozen Codebase, Vicious Engine liplock over Elements of Destruction
The bottle no longer spinning, its narrow mouth points squarely at Vicious Cycle as the company's middleware solution is taken in hand by developer Frozen Codebase to the closet for a little lovin'. The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based studio selected Vicious Cycle's increasingly popular (not to mention educational) Vicious Engine to power its upcoming XBLA title Elements of Destruction. As the title suggests, Elements of Destruction will focus heavily on blowin' stuff up using "spectacularly destructive powers of nature." The game follows last year's Screwjumper and marks the second XBLA release from the studio, which was founded by industry veteran Ben Geisler and is staffed by vets from such companies as Raven Software, Radical Entertainment, and GarageGames. As with Screwjumper, Elements of Destruction will be released by THQ -- as soon as they can get that closet door open.
Elements of Destruction makes carnage of its trailer
We don't think we can top the two hilariously horrible DS game trailers we showed you last week, but this one comes pretty close.The premise behind the XBLA port Elements of Destruction is simple enough: you play as a force of nature and destroy a bunch of stuff. It's reminiscent of those times in Sim City when you'd send a bunch of natural disasters (and Godzilla) to mess up your town (you sick bastard), only this time you actually control the disasters.Not only does the game look, well, bad, but the trailer just makes everything worse with its EXTREME!!! effects. You can't even see anything because flames, lightning, and tornadoes keep interfering with the screen. Maybe the team behind this trailer should have taken notes from the people who did the Crossfire commercial.Check after the break to see some Elements screens, or we'll make sure the next meteor shower hits your mother's town.
