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Another XBLA twofer: Schizoid and Golf: Tee It Up!
Hey fanboys, we have some sploderific news to share! This week Microsoft is treating us to an Xbox Live Arcade twofer as Golf: Tee It Up! and the long awaited, highly anticipated and co-op friendly Schizoid make their release to the Arcade this Wednesday, July 9th. Huzzah!For 800 Microsoft points, you can grab Torpex Games' Schizoid, a cooperative, explosive, color coded adventure featuring 120 levels of craziness, online co-op and an Uberschizoid mode where one player takes command of both ships. Yikes! We don't have to tell you that we're a tad bit excited to play Schizoid, so you can all but guarantee we'll be giving it a test drive this Wednesday and earning the coveted Sploderific achievement. Also releasing for 800 point this week is the cartoonified golfing game Golf: Tee It Up! where eighteen holes of online golfing competition with up to four players awaits. Unfashionable golf shorts not included. Check the screenshots below and drool over the Schizoid greatness.%Gallery-14316%%Gallery-23112%
HouseMarque's XBLA game: Golf Tee it Up
That crow's for us. We really thought that HouseMarque had a snowboarding game up their sleeves. Too bad too, a new game in the vein of 1080 Snowboarding could've been great. Still, this does mean that the Live Arcade now has a proper golf game, rather than just a mini-golf one. Team Xbox posted some screens of the game a little early and the first look reveals a light-hearted take on the graphics not unlike Hot Shots Golf. While not for everyone a niche title like this does have its place and should hopefully add to the list of games that appeal to the so-called casual player.%Gallery-23112%[Via xblah]
Joystiq hands-on: Super Stardust HD Versus mode
Click for high-resolution image. Super Stardust HD received its first expansion pack last month, one that was very well received by players and critics alike. The second, multiplayer add-on promises to do the same, judging by the time we spent with at Sony's recently PlayStation Day 2008. The "Team Pack" adds a Co-op Split Screen mode as well as the incredible Versus Mode. While the concept of Versus Mode remains very simple, the menus add depth and a huge amount of variety to the experience. At your disposal are several gameplay modes, similar to many other multiplayer games' gameplay arsenal, including deathmatch, king of the hill and grab-and-run. This whole mode has been built specifically with party gaming in mind.Up to four players can play against each other on the same planet, but the "layout" of the planet can be changed before the game commences. This allows you to overlay a maze of rocks onto the planet's surface in various shapes which players will need to navigate through. These rocks can be destroyed and, depending on the options settings, can either harm players who come too close or simply ignore them. For people who prefer a less restricted battlefield, there's an option for a clear level layout too.Gallery: Super Stardust HD
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Super Stardust HD Versus mode
Click for high resolution image. Super Stardust HD received its first expansion pack last month, to much praise from the Stardust community. The Solo Pack added several different modes, and the upcoming multiplayer add-on promises to do the same. We had an opportunity to try it out during PlayStation Day and we loved what we saw.The "Team Pack" adds a Co-op split-screen mode, as well as the incredible Versus Mode. Within Versus Mode, you can partake in a number of different challenges, similar to the offering found in many other multiplayer games: there's Deathmatch, King of the Hill, and Grab and Run. This whole mode has been built specifically with party gaming in mind.Up to four players can play against each other on the same planet, but the "layout" of the planet can be changed before the game commences. This allows you to overlay a maze of rocks onto the planet's surface in various shapes which players will need to navigate through. These rocks can be destroyed and, depending on the options settings, can or cannot harm players who come too close. For people who prefer a less restricted battlefield, there's an option for a clear level layout too.%Gallery-3208%
SuperStardust HD devs planning split-screen multiplayer update
Our affection for SuperStardust HD just got a shot in the arm with news that Finnish dev Housemarque is putting the finishing touches on a multiplayer-focused update to the twin-stick PSN shooter. Following the already available "solo" add-on, this new "team pack" update will introduce several additions, from split-screen versus and co-op modes, to a skill balancer, ship editor, trophies, and a "true" 5.1 orchestral soundtrack. MTV's Stephen Totilo recently grilled Housemarque co-founder Ilari Kuittinen on the update, who commented that "a majority" of the development time spent on the update was focused on the new versus mode, which will feature "our 'sub' game modes and plenty of options so each gamer can tune the mode to suite their tastes." Even more interesting, Kuittinen adds that the team has been "experimenting with a game mode we call "Twin gun" mode (not disclosing specifics at the moment, maybe you can guess?) and how to make music generated levels, etc." It sounds like someone has spending a lot of time with Audiosurf, an addiction to which we can certainly relate. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Upcoming Stardust HD update includes trophies, 5.1 orchestral soundtrack
The guys at Housemarque have just finished their next Super Stardust HD expansion. The "solo pack" will be followed by the "team pack," which features a number of additions. Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder Housemarque, explained to MTV Multiplayer: "It features a split screen Versus Match and Co-Op, ship editor, a true 5.1 orchestral soundtrack, and trophies."We're already excited for these new additions, but what we're even more intrigued by are the upcoming additions the Housemarque team is looking into. "We have been experimenting with a game mode we call "Twin gun" mode (not disclosing specifics at the moment, maybe you can guess?) and how to make music generated levels, etc." A Mizuguchi-inspired version of Stardust sounds like it would be a blast.
Rumor: Snowboarding game coming to XBLA
The GameTap service is known for their subscription-based, unlimited game access, style of content. When you think of them, announcements of XBLA games from Scandinavian devs is not what comes to mind. Still that is exactly the case here, with the dev being Housemarque (creators of the PSN title Super StarDust HD) and the game being an "unnamed XBLA sports title." Now if those devs or the writer of the article truly knew how crazy we on the tubes are, they would have known not even to give that tidbit of news. As a check into the background of the company will reveal, the only genre of sports title that they've ever done before is snowboarding, bringing out Transworld Snowboarding for Xbox and Boarder Zone for the PC. And while their are a few rumblings that Housemarque is working on a golf game (and that is of course entirely possible) it seems likely given the company's past experience that XBLA is going to be getting it's first "extreme sports" game.
PS3 Fanboy interview: Zafro, the Stardust superstar
One game has caused the entire PS Fanboy team a lot of lost sleep: Super Stardust HD. This PSN downloadable title is far more addictive than any of us could have possibly guessed ... and although we're trying to beat each other's top scores, none of us can even match the incredible scores of the people at the very top of the Rankings. Zafro is one of those leaders, and we took some time to talk to him about mastering Stardust. How did you first find out about Super Stardust HD? What made it so appealing? My first impression of Super Stardust HD was from the trailer made available through the PlayStation Store. What stuck with me the most was the music, but the game looked great fun as well. The appeal to me is that I am a fan of shooters, such as Gradius, R-Type, Ikaruga, etc. I always keep my eyes open for games like this, so Stardust appealed to me greatly. Although not exactly the same style, a top down fast-paced shooter will almost always win me over.
PS3 Fanboy review: Super Stardust HD
There have been many dual-analog space shooters in the past. Geometry Wars popularized the genre on Xbox, and Sony attempted a similar effort with Blast Factor. What makes the newly released Super Stardust HD so much better than its genre predecessors? It's easy to see, literally. Super Stardust HD looks eons better than any of its competitors. But, not only does it feature good looks ... it features easy-to-understand gameplay and a great deal of subtle complexity that will appeal to casual and hardcore gamers alike. The basic concept of the game is simple. You control a spaceship with an infinite supply of destructive capabilities. The left analog stick controls movement of the ship, while the right analog stick controls the direction of your weapon. Using swift maneuvering and careful aim, players will have to destroy a seemingly endless onslaught of meteors and alien space craft. Meteors will fall towards a planet, and players will have to traverse the globe, trying to defend the planet. Each Armageddon-sized rock will splinter into smaller pieces of debris in a beautiful and chaotic spectacle. As players progress through the various stages, an even greater amount of objects will fall from the sky, providing players will a daunting challenge that borders on the insurmountable. Thankfully, players have a number of tools at their disposal.
Super Stardust HD shoots up PSN today
You're a spaceship destroying bad guys and asteroids -- it's been a time-honored tradition from Space War all the way to Geometry Wars and now crash landing on the US PlayStation Network as Super Stardust HD, an ancestor to descendant of [update: you have your concept of the direction of time and I have mine] the 1993 game Stardust with 1080p visuals. The shooter was released in Europe on June 15, receiving a glowing review from Eurogamer. Super Stardust HD should be available today for US PlayStation 3 owners for $7.99. %Gallery-2813%
Super Stardust HD interview is super starry
We're not very secretive about it: the latest selection of PS Store games are lackluster. While it's nice for the two people who actually want to download classic arcade titles, we'd all like to see some new, original games that actually benefit from a high definition experience. One such title, we anticipate with cautious optimism, is Super Stardust HD. The guys at Housemarque sat down for a very lengthy interview, perhaps too lengthy for a downloadable title. With that in mind, we'll summarize for you. You should already know what the game's about. If not, let us educate you on the basics. The temptation to put the title on the PSN instead of a budget PS2 title was too great! Online distribution, the developers claim, is so much more efficient for these types of games. We can see their point. As with most virgin PS3 projects, Housemarque had trouble programming for the PS3 from the PC version, but after hacking away and not giving up (see F.E.A.R., Splinter Cell: Double Agent), they got the hang of it and are pleased with the console and their results. What does the Cell bring to the table? Glad you asked: "the physics, collisions and particle effects run natively on Cell ... We are able to get over 10,000 active objects with physics and collisions and over 75,000 particles simulated and drawn @60fps." Wow! You can have real friends play with you! A shared-screen co-op mode will be available. No word on future downloadable content for the game, but we've got a feeling we'll see something. We have been assured that we won't be disappointed with this game and heaven help us, we believe them. The game is due out by the end of June, but we'll be having dreams about it every now and then. If our brains can actually dream up "over 10,000 active objects with physics and collisions and over 75,000 particles simulated and drawn @60fps." That would be a challenge.
SGD '07: Super Stardust HD gallery shows how planets survive
How do planets survive, you ask? Well, you shoot a rocketship into orbit and force it to fly around your planet and shoot a bunch of rocks, debris, intruders, and other assortments of material to keep it safe and sound. That's basically the premise of Super Stardust HD and while simple on the surface, the gallery we've got shows that there's actually a lot going on on-screen at any time. We're excited for this one, because while Blast Factor was fun, it just didn't deliver on the Asteroids-style game we truly wanted. Maybe this will. %Gallery-3208%
Two new PSN games: Snakeball & Super Stardust HD
We've covered the upcoming Super Stardust HD before, so we're not going to focus on that one quite as much as the newly announced Snakeball game for the PlayStation Network. The former, SSHD, features the systematic annihilation of asteroids, avoidance of the resulting debris, and the destruction of enemy units who want to stop you from annihilating asteroids. Just look at it! It looks pretty fun, but will it deliver what Blast Factor wasn't quite able to? Let's find out in June. Snakeball seems pretty cool. It's like... bumper cars meets Snake meets rugby meets children minus the children. It makes more sense if you check out our gallery. You glide across a funky disco flooring, collect colored balls to increase the length of your snake car thing, and slap other players with your tail or some kind of weaponry. Along with the recently announced PlayStation Eye, you can map your own face onto a rider to get a more unique experience. There are three modes of play which we'll paraphrase: make your snake as long as you can, master the different arena challenges, or play against 8 other people online. It's coming in July. [Via Joystiq]
Nordic Game will unveil new PSN title -- vikings and Odin optional
Norse mythology is by far the coolest mythos to get into -- not just because of two fantastic games based on it (Lost Vikings and Valkyrie Profile... one moreso than the other), but because it's just plain fun to read. Seriously. I'd recommend some books, but that's silly and most of you won't care. Anyway, at the Nordic Game show/conference/thing, new first-party developer Housemarque will introduce the world to a new, exclusive game they're working on for the PlayStation Network.The game is somewhat of a mystery, but it's being developed for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe -- so Europe should expect the title first. If Housemarque's previous titles are any indication (Stardust, Alien Incident, The Reap, Transworld Snowboarding), we have... no real idea what to expect. Maybe the game actually will be Norse in origin? We'd like to know what to expect. Especially if it's a brand new IP.
