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Report: Details and images of canned Justice League game pop up
The Justice League and its members have shown up in a variety of different games on the current-gen consoles as well as PC, but we've yet to see a straight up Justice League video game for 360 and PS3. That doesn't mean that one was never in production, of course – former Double Helix art director and lead level artist Jon Gwyn reveals one such now canceled work-in-progress on his personal portfolio site, as discovered by Superannuation."The Justice League" was apparently a tie-in with George Miller's now-defunct Justice League film. The game project continued for another two years before being shut down as well. Few details about the game itself are available, but the images show a variety of superhero locales (Gotham, Metropolis) and Gwyn describes it as a "third-person brawler." A proposed versus mode was also included which put together a quartet of half good guys / half bad guys into an arena for a street fight.Despite the cancelation, Gwyn says that "the team was brought onto another superhero project" rather than being canned – that project appears to be the Green Lantern game from Double Helix that was released in June of last year. Additionally, despite project similarities, no assets from the Justice League project transferred to the Green Lantern one.Gwyn is currently working at Rockstar San Diego as a senior artist on a "confidential AAA title." Unfortunately, between the time it took to write this piece and ping Mr. Gwyn, he's password protected the images. If you'd like to share any information or assets regarding the Justice League game, don't hesitate to get in contact with us.
Shinobi 3DS clip looks back, sees ninjas
Ninja Gaiden isn't the only series about a head-scarfed sword swinger fighting off crazy beasts. Check out this Shinobi retrospective that features many silly demons from the ninja series' past.
A fistful of new Shinobi 3DS screens
Griptonite's wall crawling, kunai hurling, shuriken throwing ninja action homage Shinobi looked pretty dang good back at E3, and these new screenshots, hot from the Gamescom oven, are making us hungry for more.
Resume reveals Griptonite working on 'Shinobi' for 3DS
It's been quite some time since Sega's arcade-born ninja series Shinobi sliced up fools on consoles, but a recently discovered resume listing indicates that he may be making a return on Nintendo's 3DS. Griptonite Games environmental artist Branden Brushett explains his work on the unannounced title in detail, noting he "created whole levels for 'Shinobi' on the Nintendo 3DS, including many props for use in a variety of environments." Unfortunately, aside from the news of the game existing, not much else is known -- the publishing rights holder, Sega, has yet to respond to a request for comment, nor had Mr. Brushett. And other than the news that the game will likely feature "hand painted and photo referenced textures," the resume doesn't illuminate anything else about the game. You might say that information about Shinobi 3DS is hiding in the shadows, like a ninja, waiting to strike. And considering how strong our ninja detecting skills are, we'd wager E3 is a likely time for that strike. The "strike," likely, will just be a press release, so don't worry. Update: Sega told us it isn't offering a comment at this time.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions DS Preview: Hand not held
At a recent preview event for Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Activision had all versions of the game playable but, for the life of me, I just couldn't put the DS game down. Developed by Griptonite, the DS version is heavy on the exploration and features a light, fluid combat system. The DS game features only three different dimensions: Amazing, Noir and 2099. Lacking the Ultimate realm, the game also puts less emphasis on the differences between each dimension. Spidey's abilities at the outset of entering each dimension are a tad different, but the mix of climbing and combat remains the same. %Gallery-100781%
Review: Reiner Knizia's Poison a fun way to kill (a few minutes)
One of the criticisms launched against prolific game designer Reiner Knizia is that his games get their the theme pasted on. This means that whatever the players are trying to accomplish through the game's mechanics really doesn't have much to do with the graphics and the box description. He has at least 200 published games – and might have another one thought up by the time you're done reading this review – so we understand that they can't all be perfect matches. Knizia's card game Poison, first released for the table top in 2005, is a perfect example of this. The game could almost be played with standard cards – the deck includes three colors/suits (each with three 1s, two fours and one each of 2, 5 and 7) and eight "poison" cards worth 4 each – but the company that released the game, Playroom Entertainment, printed it with a magician/warlock/witch theme. It was later rebranded and slightly tweaked to include donuts as the game Baker's Dozen in 2008. The iPhone and iPod touch version of the game (US$2.99) uses the earlier Poison graphics, and it's a gorgeous looking little translation. The app was released 2009 by Griptonite Games and we honestly wish they'd have updated a few nagging items by now. Read on to find out what is good, and what could be improved, in this clever card game. %Gallery-85823%
Assassin's Creed II: Discovery confirmed for DS, will use DSi camera
Seeing how the game was already rated by the ESRB and shown in playable form on iPhone, today's announcement via press release of Assassin's Creed II: Discovery for Nintendo DS/DSi is hardly a surprise -- at least not as much as a guy in white popping out of a haystack and stabbing someone. Slated for a November 17 release, the game is a side-scroller that supports the DSi's built-in cameras for placing photos of yourself (or, well, anything really) onto "wanted" posters plastered across Spain, where it takes place -- just as can be done in the iPhone version. Griptonite Games is developing AC2: Discovery, which is a very good thing, given how impressed we were recently with its other portable AC title, Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines for PSP.
Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines' PS3 connectivity, new gameplay detailed
Aside from showing off a mess of impressive gameplay from Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, a recent PlayStation.Blog interview with Bloodlines producer Dominic Lefrançois and senior producer Dan McAuliffe revealed some interesting facts about the interactivity between the PSP game and its PS3 sibling. A handful of moves have transferred over from Assassin's Creed 2, though Lefrançois would only mention the ledge grab you see above. Additionally, "Templar coins" and weapons earned through assassinations in Bloodlines will transfer to AC2, while health from the codecs in AC2 will transfer to Bloodlines. It certainly sounds like a great incentive to purchase both games on both pla -- hey! We're on to you, Ubisoft!%Gallery-68095%
Foundation 9 closes Fizz Factor studio, cuts back at Double Helix
We had just grown accustomed to laying off gratuitous use of our dreadful "layoffs" tag, but alas, an unhappy economy continues to produce unhappy stories such as this one. In a move first reported by VentureBeat, Foundation 9 Entertainment has announced several cost-cutting measures to its employees. The company is currently working on various versions of G.I. Joe (pictured), Where the Wild Things Are and the PSP entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise.The group's Austin, Texas-based Fizz Factor studio will be closed, while the Amaze and Griptonite teams (both based in Kirkland) will be merged under the leadership of the latter's studio head, J.C. Connors. According to a statement released by Foundation 9, "Having separate 'console' and 'handheld' studios under the same roof simply didn't make sense in light of the convergence in capabilities of modern game hardware!" Exclamation point.Foundation 9 will also be implementing cutbacks at Double Helix, the Californian studio responsible for Konami's Xbox 360 and PS3 stab at survival-horror, Silent Hill Homecoming.
DS Fanboy Interview: Neopets Puzzle Adventure's Griptonite Games
The last time we spoke to Griptonite Games, they were adapting a huge franchise with massive expectations onto the DS. Now, with Neopets Puzzle Adventure, two big series are in their hands: Infinite Interactive's narrative puzzle game series (Puzzle Quest, etc.), and the Neopets franchise. The version of Neopets Puzzle Adventure that they're making for the DS features mostly the same gameplay as the PC and Wii versions, has been tweaked by Griptonite for handheld play. We spoke to producer Sean Epperson about the process of adapting Infinite Interactive's Othello-based puzzle game to the small screens.What other gameplay/mechanics ideas were considered, when looking for an idea for a Neopets game (e.g. collectible card game, pet sim, etc.)?When Capcom came to us, a good portion of the PC and Wii game had already been designed. We ran with those core ideas, leveraged what would work well on the DS platform, and made some changes where things wouldn't have worked as well. This also allowed us to create a different experience on the DS, which gives players a real reason to try out all the versions of the game.%Gallery-34221%
DS Fanboy Interview: Griptonite's J.C. Connors on Spore Creatures and more
Spore has been much more than a game over the years - years! -- that we've been talking about it, and it's tough to produce a companion piece in the shadow of such an epic project. From the reception of Spore and the DS crony, it's sadly clear the two were destined to sink or swim together. But Spore Creatures deserves its own time in the sun, despite what you may have heard; for a handheld title, it's certainly ambitious, and the amazing development team at Griptonite Games has done more with less. Griptonite Games has worn several nametags in the past few years. When last we spoke with them, they were Amaze Entertainment, and their own identity as Griptonite was shelved. Now, Amaze is a part of Foundation 9 and the Griptonite name has been dusted off. In all the chaos of nomenclature, one thing has remained a constant: this little corner of the development world has been responsible for some real gems. We recently sat down with studio head J.C. Connors to discuss Spore Creatures, our Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA) withdrawals, and the unexpected excellence of Disney Friends (yeah, man, Disney Friends).DS Fanboy: Spore Creatures is an interesting companion to the main title. What can you tell us about the best aspects of the DS game?J.C. Connors: Hands down, the creature creator. It's one of the coolest features ever seen on the DS. Gallery: Spore Creatures #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 >>
Age Of Mythical Creatures All Up In This Piece
THQ wasn't exaggerating when it promised giant mythological beasts for Age of Empires: Mythologies, the turn-based strategy follow-up to 2006's DS sleeper hit The Age of Kings. The only legendary creature missing from the above trailer is the elusive Phelddagrif.Gone are the days of filling your army's ranks with pikemen and samurai; now you're more likely to rely on sphinxes and centaurs. Personally, we would have preferred to stick with more traditional units, but we understand that there are a bunch of you out there who prefer to play with pegasi! Are you a strategy nut? Check out our coverage on titles like Fire Emblem and Advance Wars! We even put together a collection of strategy recommendations for crazies like you!
E308: Age of Empires trailer, now with less developer
If you feel a twinge of déjà vu while watching this Age of Empires: Mythologies trailer, then let us explain -- this "new" presentation actually contains the exact same commentary from Project Manager George Collins as in the developer diary that we previously posted. This time, however, there's a lot less Gordon on camera, and a lot more game footage, which is how we prefer it. No offence intended, Gordon. You're perfectly presentable! A fine figure of a man. We'd much rather look at the game than watch you talking is all.We're just going to shut up now.
THQ reveals Age of Empires sequel
Taking the reins from Majesco, THQ has announced its plans to release a follow-up to 2006's turn-based-strategy sleeper hit, Age of Empires: The Age of Kings, this fall. Titled Age of Empires: Mythologies, the game hasn't just exchanged publisher hands, as Age of Kings studio Backbone Entertainment has also passed its development duties and original engine to Griptonite Games (Spore Creatures, The Sims 2 for DS).Interestingly, according to initial reports, Mythologies will only feature three playable campaigns and civilizations -- Egyptians, Greeks, and Norse -- compared to Age of Kings' five. To make up for that limited selection, Griptonite has added onto the original's formula with online play, a new "active combat system," a revamped graphics engine, single-cart download play, and a new skirmish mode. Also unlike Age of Kings, Mythologies will focus on " epic myths of the ancient world," rather than Asian/European history. In addition to standard troops and giant mythological beasts, players will be able to command Hero units, such as Ramses ("Let my people go!") and Mycenae-founder Perseus, blessed with special abilities. Jump past the post break for a video introduction to the sequel from THQ as well as in-game clips of the strategy title.
