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Ivy the Kiwi? springs onto iOS, free and paid versions available now
Ivy the Kiwi?, the Wii and DS game by Sonic creator Yuji Naka, is now available on iOS. The iOS port of PROPE's chirpy platfomer arrived on the App Store today in paid and free versions. The paid version is on sale for a limited time, slashed from $4.99 to $2.99.Naka's game came to Wii and DS as a perpetual motion platformer, so an iOS port makes total sense. As before, the startled newborn sprints forward of her own accord, so it's up to players to guide her safely to her destination. This is done by drawing vines across the screen, done via a simple swipe. Vines can be used as ramps and bridges, and they can also be twanged to catapult the flightless chick through the air.There are 50 levels in the iOS version of Ivy the Kiwi?, the same as the DSiWare 'Mini' edition released two years ago. The retail Wii and DS versions have 100 levels. The free version of the iOS release comes with ads and has a limited number of levels. As the above video shows, the game is compatible with iOS 6's Game Center challenges.
NintendoWare Weekly: Sonic 4, Ivy the Kiwi Mini
It's sort of a Yuji Naka day on the Wii and DSi shops today, with Naka's old game series (Sonic the Hedgehog) receiving a new entry WiiWare, and his latest series (Ivy the Kiwi?) marching onto DSiWare. Also on DSiWare this week: games about protecting the world as a superhero, and protecting information as a data-gathering robot. Sonic is also joined on WiiWare by a trio of jumping sports.%Gallery-104757%
Review: Ivy the Kiwi? (Wii)
Prope's Ivy the Kiwi? is a simple game. It has a simple story: a newborn chick, still half-stuck in an egg, searches for her mother. It has simple gameplay: draw vines on the screen to propel Ivy through mazes, avoiding enemies and hazards. But despite (or maybe thanks to) its simplicity, it thrives: the presentation is almost unfairly charming, and Ivy is just plain fun to manipulate in the world. Besides, for such a simple game, it's not easy.%Gallery-100202%
Interview: Yuji Naka on Ivy the Kiwi and life after Sonic
Yuji Naka grew to fame within the game industry as one of the founders of Sega's Sonic Team, the core group of designers and programmers that created the Sonic the Hedgehog series. In his tenure at Sega, Naka produced titles like Phantasy Star Online, Chu Chu Rocket, and Samba de Amigo. He has since left Sega and formed his own company, Prope, who immediately began developing games to be published by ... Sega. Now, with Ivy the Kiwi?, Naka has emerged from the grasp of the great blue hedgehog, with a game published in Japan by Namco Bandai and in America by XSEED. We spoke to Naka about the design of the game, side-scrollers, and the unique circumstances behind seeing your own game on display in someone else's booth.
Preview: Ivy the Kiwi?
For some reason, I thought of Prope's Ivy the Kiwi? as a mellow title, a generally relaxing and lightweight game -- at least that's what I thought before actually playing the game. To my surprise, I was presented with a challenging, often chaotic arcade game instead of a frothy, low-impact diversion. It's just the kind of game I seek out, actually -- a game whose challenge comes from mastering a single, unique gameplay mechanic. %Gallery-95742%
Yuji Naka talks Ivy the Kiwi, teases new action game
In a Gamasutra interview, Prope founder and former Sonic Team head Yuji Naka mentioned that his new company is at work on a new action game -- but not the "game like Sonic" on which the studio was once working. "Unfortunately, we had to stop development for the time being for the 'Sonic-like platform game,'" Naka said. "However, we are in the process of developing another action game right now." As for the company's latest game, the DS- and Wii-bound Ivy the Kiwi?, it came from an experiment by some Prope staffers. "I really felt some great potential in the concept as a game so we decided to make it as a company project and it evolved into Ivy the Kiwi." The project was first released on Windows Phone in Japan, Naka explains, because its touch screen was more stylus-friendly than the iPhone's. "However, Windows phones now have electrostatic type touch panels too and users ended up playing Ivy with their fingers anyways, so maybe we should release it on iPhone as well." %Gallery-92221%%Gallery-92220%
XSEED publishing Prope's 'Ivy the Kiwi?' this summer
click to see more screens?XSEED has acquired the North American publishing rights to Ivy the Kiwi? for Wii and DS, the latest game from Yuji Naka's post-Sega studio, Prope. The puzzle game, presented in a unique "storybook" art style, stars a baby kiwi trying to navigate her way back to her mother. The player uses the stylus or pointer to stretch vines to bounce Ivy through levels and around obstacles. Along the way, players can attempt to pick up optional orange feathers for extra challenge -- that is, if they don't mind keeping a baby bird separated from her mother even longer, the monsters. In Japan, the game was originally released on Windows Phone, with console releases published by Namco Bandai. XSEED is planning a "summer 2010" release -- there's still a question mark on the specific date. %Gallery-92221%%Gallery-92220%
Japanese Nintendo downloads: Ivy the Kiwi, Fatal Fury 3
We thought it was odd when Prope's Windows Phone game Ivy the Kiwi was ported to DS and Wii as retail games rather than downloads, given its mobile origins. Well, now there are downloadable versions as well, on both DS and Wii. But at 1,000 points, it's one of the most expensive DSiWare games yet. Speaking of expensive games, Fatal Fury 3 -- once an expensive Neo Geo cart -- is now available on the Virtual Console. Other interesting games include the retro cave-exploring game Fall in the Dark, and the cute hamster platformer Ike! Ike! Hamster on DSiWare. Fatal Fury 3 (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) Ivy the Kiwi? mini (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points) World Amusing Party Game (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) Almost-Daily Health Notebook (DSiWare, free) At Enter Taisen Igo (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) At Enter Block Kuzushi (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Ike! Ike! Hamster (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Fall in the Dark (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Ivy the Kiwi? mini (DSiWare, 1 player, 1,000 DSi Points)
Wii and DS versions of Ivy the Kiwi? revealed
Prope and publisher Bandai Namco sent out the first screens and footage (after the break) of the new Wii and DS versions of the once-Windows Mobile exclusive Ivy the Kiwi?, thus forcing us to fill another post with question marks? Okay, we didn't need that one. The presentation on the console versions of the game is identical to the original, with the unusual sepia-tone color scheme and hand-drawn backgrounds. Both new versions double the number of levels, bringing the game up to a total of 100. And both new versions have multiplayer: local download play on DS and splitscreen on Wii. And, of course, the DS has a map screen. Why not?
Prope's Ivy the Kiwi? migrating to Wii and DS
In November, Yuji Naka's studio, Prope, revealed a new original IP, Ivy the Kiwi? ... for Windows Mobile. The latest Famitsu reveals that the developer is porting the game to some game consoles! Namely, DS and Wii. Namco Bandai will release Ivy the Kiwi in Japan on April 22 -- it's the first Prope game to be published by someone other than Sega or (in the case of the Windows Mobile version) Prope itself. However, despite its origins as a mobile game, and its simple pick-up-and-play gameplay (which involves stretching and bouncing drawn lines to move a bird through a maze), Ivy the Kiwi is destined for retail on consoles, at a price of ¥3,990 ($43). %Gallery-78174%
Prope announces Ivy the Kiwi? for Windows Mobile?
This could be really big news. Yuji Naka's studio, Prope, revealed what is likely to be the "Sonic-like" game mentioned last year. And Ivy the Kiwi?, the studio's new game (the question mark is part of the title), has some interesting mechanics: the game uses drawn lines to propel a character, sort of like Kirby's Canvas Curse or Wireway, but lets players anchor one side of the line and move the other endpoint around while Ivy's on it, for finer control of the character's movement. However, it's for Windows Mobile (or, as the platform is being called in Japan, Windows Phone). Not what you'd typically think of as a major gaming platform. This game is part of a move to change that -- it's a launch title for Japan's Windows Mobile Marketplace and will be out in December. %Gallery-78174%
