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Golem to follow Omen's lead onto Killer Instinct roster
Following a reveal earlier this month, developer Iron Galaxy has issued a proper trailer for Omen that, like past Killer Instinct character trailers, is nearly overshadowed by a cameo at the end. The walking mass of rocks and shrubs that crashes onto camera and squishes Orchid is named Golem. Whether or not words can hurt you is irrelevant, as Golem brings both sticks and stones - two items notorious for bone trauma - to the Xbox One-exclusive fight. Unfortunately, beyond that brief footage, none-too-surprising name and the pun about sticks and stones, we know nothing about this new fighter. Outside of this brief footage, Iron Galaxy has yet to reveal any useful information on Golem. We can tell you, however, that Omen will join Killer Instinct later this week. On January 30, the character will be available for owners of Killer Instinct Ultra Edition, while those with Killer Instinct Combo Breaker Edition will be waiting until February 5. [Image: Microsoft]
Killer Instinct's character roster foresees an Omen
Killer Instinct for Xbox One is about to receive its next fighter: Omen, the spirit of rage, corruption and shadow energy. Players familiar with Killer Instinct's lore may recognize Omen as the spirit that turns Jago into Shadow Jago, a dark and twisted version of the warrior monk. According to developer Iron Galaxy, Omen has accrued enough energy through his battles as Shadow Jago to take physical form of his own. What does said physical form look like, you ask? Well, it wouldn't be a Killer Instinct character reveal without a tease before the proper unveiling. All there is to see so far are the bat-like wing and fingertips crackling with blue energy pictured above. Omen is also a bonus character, meaning he will not be sold individually, nor will he have his own Story mode. Players who have purchased either the Season 2 Combo Breaker Add-On or Season 2 Ultra Edition will receive Omen for free later this month. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins leaving online storefronts soon
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is retiring from online storefronts later this year, in the hopes of living a normal life free from superpowers, arch-villains and all that fun stuff. Capcom announced the crossover compilation goes off sale from PSN on December 23 and XBLA on December 31. The publisher didn't explain why it's delisting the Xbox 360 and PS3 game, but expired licensing wouldn't be a giant leap of speculation.
Killer Instinct update 2.2 brings raptors and reindeer
Killer Instinct for Xbox One is about to get a cup of Christmas cheer with patch 2.2, which will bring holiday-themed costumes for fighters TJ Combo, Orchid and Sabrewulf, as well as the re-introduction of Riptor, a fighter from the game's original 1994 release. Players who own Orchid or play as her when she is part of the free character rotation will be able to do battle decked in holly jolly red-and-green stockings. Those who have purchased the Ultra edition of Killer Instinct's Season One will also be able to equip Orchid with oversized candy canes, as well as place reindeer antlers and a red nose on Sabrewulf's adorable face. If you own the Ultra edition of Season Two, you'll be able to give TJ Combo a white beard and Santa hat. As for the return of Riptor, developer Iron Galaxy states on the Killer Instinct forums that they are aiming to release her from captivity on December 17 for Ultra edition owners, and December 23 for Combo edition owners. "Full transparency: we hit an issue in Cert that paused us long enough to put the date in slight risk. SLIGHT," creative director at Microsoft Studios Adam Isgreen wrote. "We are all good to land it as long as there are no further hiccups." The cybernetic dinosaur will also receive a trailer to show off her unique talents on Monday, but just looking at her, we have no doubts about her lethality. Sheesh, where's Chris Pratt when you need him? [Image: Microsoft]
Killer Instinct's next fighter to be a 'trap grappler'
As Killer Instinct fans await the arrival of Season 2's first new character, Microsoft creative director Adam Isgreen stopped by the Ultra Combo forums to offer a few hints on what the mystery combatant will bring to the fight. "He's a zoner ... with a ranged grapple ... and great (situational) mobility ... and traps ... oh, and curses too," Isgreen wrote. "Internally we call him a 'trap grappler,' but I don't even know if that's the best way to describe him." Despite Isgreen's difficulties in explaining the unnamed character, he notes that the fighter scored very well among players in recent Killer Instinct locations tests held in Chicago and Orlando. As for a name, Isgreen remains mum, though he points out that despite the bandages and decrepit flesh we've seen in teaser images, the character is not a mummy. Fans will have to wait until his official reveal trailer debuts in November to find out what sort of creature will join the Xbox One fighting game. [Image: Microsoft]
PSA: Divekick out this week on PS4, Xbox One
Two-button, no-joystick fighter Divekick will hit the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this week with the launch of a newly expanded port, developer Iron Galaxy Studios announced. Divekick Addition Edition+ includes all features and combatants found in previous versions of Iron Galaxy's one-hit-kill fighting game, and adds Saints Row star Johnny Gat as a playable character. The new features will make their way to the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of Divekick Addition Edition next week as part of a free update. Divekick Addition Edition+ will launch for the PlayStation 4 in North America later today, and will premiere via PSN in Europe and worldwide on the Xbox One on October 8. [Image: Iron Galaxy Studios]
Killer Instinct hits retail with bonus Season 2 fighter
Come September 23, Xbox One-exclusive fighter Killer Instinct will make its debut on retail shelves as the "Killer Instinct: Combo Breaker Pack." Included in the $20 Pack are the eight fighters currently available in Killer Instinct: Jago, Orchid, Sadira, Sabrewulf, Fulgore, Thunder, Glacius and Spinal. The retail package also includes a code for TJ Combo, an additional fighter slated to appear in the imminent second season of Killer Instinct DLC releases. For comparison, the digital Combo Breaker Pack, which includes only the eight Season One characters and no access to TJ Combo still features an identical $20 price tag, while the free-to-play, one-character version of Killer Instinct asks players to spend $5 for each additional fighter. [Image: Microsoft]
Saints Row's Johnny Gat signed up for Divekick: Addition Edition
In why-the-hell-not news, Johnny Gat of Saints Row fame is the newest combatant to join the ranks of Divekick: Addition Edition. The Steelport gangster first arrives in the two-button fighter's PS4 and Xbox One versions, before cruising "shortly after" onto PS3, Vita and Steam. There remains no word, dive or kick on a release date for PS4 and Xbox One. Iron Galaxy released the Addition Update for those original platforms last week, bringing a swathe of tweaks to the existing roster along with various other features including blind selection for ranked matches and d-pad input for the menus (yep, really). Finally, If you've got to get your Gat on ASAP, the good news is you can take him for a spin on the PAX East showfloor in Boston this weekend. [Image: Iron Galaxy]
Divekick dev Iron Galaxy to continue work on Killer Instinct
Amazon's acquisition of Double Helix won't end development on Killer Instinct. Instead, developer Iron Galaxy has been tapped to pick up where Double Helix left off. Though not as prominent a name as Capcom or Bandai Namco, Iron Galaxy does have solid fighting game credentials backing this decision. The developer's most prominent, original work was on polarizing fighter Divekick, though it's also had a hand in games such as Marvel Vs Capcom: Origins, Darkstalkers Resurrection and Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition. That said, Killer Instinct is easily the studio's most notable project to date. "This is an amazing opportunity to work on a game and a genre we are super passionate about," said Iron Galaxy CEO Dave Lang in an interview with Polygon. "Before we were ever talking about this, I was a fan of the game. And to get to now take it over and start with this great base, and expand it and put new stuff on top of it, everyone in the company is super pumped up, and we can't wait to show people what we're going to be doing down the road." Before Iron Galaxy takes the reins, Double Helix still has one last burst of content in store for Killer Instinct fans. Come April 9, fan-favorite cyborg Fulgore will join the cast and to properly whet your appetites, Killer Instinct publisher Microsoft has issued the trailer you see above. [Image: Microsoft]
Divekick review: Members only
When it comes to designing games, a single good idea goes a long way. Just look at PopCap Games' Peggle. It has only a single button and is effectively just pachinko with a cartoon aesthetic and occasional power-ups. Despite this, it's one of the most addictive games in the history of the medium. Iron Galaxy's Divekick is likewise superficially a very simple title with huge aspirations, though unfortunately for those who bought into the game's pre-release hype, Divekick is less "quality game" and more "baffling proof of concept." If you were to spend a few hours watching professional-level competitive fighting game players duke it out, you'd quickly notice that beyond all the spectacle of flashy super attacks and finger-melting combos, there's a metagame being played that is often more important than who can throw the bigger fireball. The key to success for really talented players lies in being able to read your opponent's intentions before he or she launches an assault, and then being able to set traps they might be likely to fall into. At particularly high levels of play, fighting games evolve into battles of the mind. Yes, it's impressive to land a 100-hit super combo, but even more impressive is a player who can trick his or her foe into using the wrong attack, or frustrate their opponent until they begin to play foolishly. This is the real draw of the competitive fighting game scene but, unfortunately, with most games there's a pretty sizable learning curve to climb before one can attempt to screw with other people's heads. That's where Divekick comes in.
Divekick gets August 20 release date and Cross Buy support
Divekick, Iron Galaxy's two-button fighting game, will launch on August 20, as announced during a Twitch broadcast at EVO 2013. The game will cost $10. Divekick will also support Sony's "Cross Buy" functionality on PSN, so players that own a PS3 and Vita only need to buy the game once to download it to both systems. Iron Galaxy is still working on bringing the brawler to Steam through Greenlight.
Daily iPhone App: Ms. Splosion Man splodes out onto iOS
I'm a big fan of developer Twisted Pixel -- their console games are always terrific, with the original Splosion Man being one of my favorites. Now, the company has teamed up with developer Iron Galaxy and publisher Microsoft to bring the sequel to that one, Ms. Splosion Man, to iOS, and the result is a really impressive port. In fact, I don't know if "port" is even the right word for this one. If you'd never heard Ms. Splosion Man was released on Xbox before it arrived on the iPhone, this could just be one of the best platformers on the App Store. The idea here is that you play a very silly creature that can "splode" whenever you touch the screen, which allows you to destroy objects and jump all in one explosive movement. You can "splode" up to three times before you need to touch the ground again, so essentially the game is a pretty twitchy triple jump platformer, challenging you to navigate Ms. Splosion Man through fifty different levels. Just looking at the game itself, Ms. Splosion Man is great -- it takes Twisted Pixel's original Splosion Man idea, and improves on it with huge boss fights, perfectly designed levels, and lots of new mechanics, like rotating cannons and a very active camera. As a port, however, this title is even more impressive. I am not sure how Iron Galaxy was able to make the game look and run this well, but they did it -- the title looks like it was lifted straight from the Xbox, and it runs just as smoothly on my iPhone. There are some new additions, too, like challenges to complete for "Fame" as you play, and even full AirPlay support. My one complaint here is that the touchscreen controls sometimes cover up the action, but that's not a huge issue, especially considering the rest of the app's quality. Ms. Splosion Man is a great game already, and it's been delivered to the App Store with panache here. You can pick it up there now for just $2.99.
Divekick preview: The two-button brawler
Iron Galaxy Studios' Divekick, which started out as a purely independent Kickstarter success story, pokes fun at the aspects of the fighting genre that people both love and loathe. It competes well in the genre it trivializes, and it does so with both hands in its pockets.The build I played at PAX East used a fight stick with two buttons slightly larger than the palms of my hands. That underscores the key ingredient to Divekick: it introduces an appropriate level of depth for a fighter that only uses two forms of input. Smacking one button down would tell my character to jump in the air, while the other had them hopping backwards. Combinations of these buttons resulted in jumping in the air and kicking downward at an angle, or activating a character-specific ability when the "kick meter" filled up. Successfully kicking my opponent just once in the cat-and-mouse fighter won a round, with the match going to the first character to win five rounds.Instead of memorizing button combinations, the playing field is leveled for all combatants, as timing is everything in this game. I found myself adopting familiar fighting game strategies, attempting to lure my opponent in before nailing them with a quick hop and kick. Other times, I would close the gap between us with a high vertical jump and kick, a risky proposition given the amount of time available for my enemy to counter. Kicking my opponent in the head wasn't just satisfying, it was a tactic that carried over to the next round, as the player suffering the blow began the first four seconds of the round in a daze. The daze slowed their movements, giving me a clear, but not absolute advantage. %Gallery-184112%
Capcom announces Darkstalkers Resurrection at NYCC [Update: Now with trailer and screenshots]
Capcom has just announced Darkstalkers Resurrection, an PSN/XBLA Darkstalkers collection expected to release early next year at $14.99/1,600 1,200 MS Points. The game, announced during a Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Panel at New York Comic Con, is under development at Iron Galaxy Studios and will bundle the arcade versions of Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge and Darkstalkers 3 together as a single downloadable title, ala Marvel vs. Capcom Origins.Both games will run on GGPO and will include the standard Ranked Match/Player Match online setup standard to Capcom re-releases. Replay sharing and YouTube functionality are also present, as are HD filters and a gallery of unlockable art assets and bonuses, including the work of Udon and custom artwork by Stanley Lao.When the time came to choose which Darkstalkers game would receive the HD treatment, the decision to release two games as a bundle was one of necessity, according to Capcom producer Derek Neal."We were agonizing over which to release," Neal told us shortly after the game's announcement. "They're the two most popular, fan-favorite games of the people who have played Darkstalkers way back when and loved it. There's a group that loves Darkstalkers 2 and a group that loves Darkstalkers 3."Eventually, Capcom concluded that the only way to keep everyone happy was to release both games as a double-pack.Update: Capcom has informed us that the XBLA price point of 1,600 MS Points listed in the press release after the break is incorrect, and that the game will in fact be available for 1,200 MS Points.%Gallery-168192%
'Avatar Famestar' introduces persistent, cross-game rewards to XBLA
When Iron Galaxy's Wreckateer is launched next week – the second game in Microsoft's Summer of Arcade annual promotion – it'll include a brand new feature that will show up in several upcoming XBLA games: Avatar Famestars. We first heard the name back in February when a trademark popped up for the phrase, but what exactly is it?"Avatar Famestars is a new program from Microsoft Studios and is part of a select group of games that delivers new and exciting ways to play online with your friends and compete for social recognition," says Microsoft. Okay, what does that mean? A variety of in-game challenges (think: "get a perfect score five times on this game mode") are included in Avatar Famestar-supported games, and you'll earn rewards based on earning Famestar points (think: Avatar stuff).Those rewards will cross from game to game, as will your point total. It's kind of like Ubisoft's UPlay program, but less ubiquitous – for now, Avatar Famestars is locked to your Xbox 360, though we wouldn't be shocked to hear about it heading to Surface, Windows 8, and Windows Phones in due time.Beyond Wreckateer, Microsoft's adding Avatar Famestar support to already released games Full House Poker, and A World of Keflings, and several upcoming games: Fire Pro Wrestling, Homerun Stars, and Avatar Motocross Madness. Unfortunately, it's not clear when any of the already available games will get the update, but we expect upcoming games will simply debut with the functionality. Wreckateer launches next Wednesday on Xbox Live Arcade, and it'll be the first game on Xbox with Avatar Famestar support. Keep an eye out for our review early next week.%Gallery-160806%
Wreckateer smashing up XBLA this spring, and it's totally your fault
Ever since you stormed -- and consequently destroyed -- your first sandcastle, you've relished the perverse joy in the destruction of inconsequential structures. And for you, oddly specific sufferer, Iron Galaxy Studios is crafting a great outlet for that particular fetish with Wreckateer. First revealed by various international rating associations, Wreckateer was finally officially announced last week during a San Francisco press event.Heading to Xbox Live Arcade exclusively, Wreckateer employs Kinect as the sole controller and represents players in-game with their XBL Avatar. Players grab rocks of various types in a ballista (read: extra large slingshot), step back to take aim, and let loose to take down castles in as few shots as possible. "When we originally pitched it, we pitched as Angry Birds meets Boom Blox with some Burnout Crash Mode sprinkled in," Iron Galaxy's Dave Lang told us during a recent demo.The latter part of his description plays out in mid-air, as the ball hurtles toward said castle -- players can add English to the ball or alter its trajectory by waving their hands, and some ammo types allow for other effects. One such ball splits into three separate, smaller balls attached by a string, allowing for bigger point chains and higher scores. At its core, Wreckateer is a high score game based around a singular, effective concept: throwing rocks at stuff. Microsoft Studios is publishing the game, and it's expected some time in "Spring 2012." So, like, soon.
