Majesco
Latest
Interview: Wicked Studios president Yves Bordeleau on Dawn of Heroes (DS)
Dawn of Heroes is a tactical RPG from Wicked Studios and Majesco. You'll be able to check it out for yourself when it releases next month, but Majesco was kind enough to offer us a preview build, as long as a brief interview on the with Wicked Studios president (and executive producer on Dawn of Heroes) Yves Borderleau. While we're still hammering out our preview (look for it tomorrow!), have a look at our Q&A session after the break.%Gallery-77827%
Joyswag: Cooking Mama 3 and Cake Mania 3 (DS) [update]
Update: That's it, folks -- the contest has come to a close! Keep an eye on your email's inbox to see if you won! In our latest Joyswag, we're hooking one lucky reader up with a pair of new Majesco DS titles: Cooking Mama 3 and Cake Mania 3. Keep 'em to yourself or pass 'em along as a gift this holiday season. See how you can enter to win below: Leave a comment telling us whether you prefer to bake or cook You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person per day This entry period ends at 2:59PM ET on Tuesday, November 10 At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive Cooking Mama 3 for the Nintendo DS ($30 ARV) and Cake Mania 3 for the Nintendo DS ($20 ARV) For a list of complete rules, click here
Majesco publishing DSi augmented reality game 'Ghostwire' in late 2010
Ghostwire, A Different Game's DSi-only title that uses the camera to fill players' real surroundings with virtual ghosts, looked quite promising when it was unveiled. The only problem: without a publisher, it was nothing but an apparition of a game. Today, Majesco announced that it is publishing the augmented reality title (which was originally intended for Nokia phones) with a projected late 2010 release date, under the title Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal.Using the mic and camera on the DSi, as well as in-game tools like the "EMF tuner," players search around them for hidden ghosts, and then attempt to give them peace by solving puzzles. Some ghosts will require items before they appear and interact with you, and some will apparently be malevolent and less receptive to your efforts. At which point, we assume, you have to solve their problems despite their lack of help, instead of just leaving them to go about their ghostly business.
Review: A Boy and His Blob
A Boy and His Blob tells the story of an extra-terrestrial, amorphous lifeform and his young handler as they combat an evil emperor, hellbent on doing what all evil emperors want to do: kill most and rule over what's left. The only thing standing in this extreme evildoer's way is the boy's willingness to feed the Blob different jellybeans, which cause him -- it? -- to transform into different shapes, thereby overcoming the game's many obstacles. After playing the game for a bit, it became clear that I was going to have to give up my need to solve the game's puzzles unsupervised. See, A Boy and His Blob thought that I would be far better off if it held my hand. %Gallery-46747% [Note: This review also comes with this "complimentary" video. Enjoy!]
New Serious Sam HD trailer is anything but serious
If you were to ask us to what sort of modes we expected to see in Serious Sam HD, "Super Happy Fun Time Mode" wouldn't even be on the list. Much like the first time you heard the bewildered Mortal Kombat announcer utter the word "Friendship," the video above is likely to fill you with unexpected glee. Don't be surprised if you emit giggles, chuckles or maybe even a guffaw or two. Of course, we still have to wait and see if Serious Sam's punishing gameplay has withstood the test of time. For now, just enjoy the video.
A Boy and His Blob gameplay video is remarkably huggable
You know what more games need to have? A hug button. This inspiring innovation is introduced in the gameplay demonstration for A Boy and His Blob seen above. Okay, so maybe an "embrace command" wouldn't pan out too well in, oh, say, Gears of War. Perhaps hugs are rarely appropriate in a video game context, requiring the presence of anthropomorphic gobs of slime to be considered acceptable. We don't really care about all that stuff -- all we know is that our hearts have been warmed to a point where eggs could be scrambled on our bare chests.
Cooking Mama 3 trailer, fresh from the oven
Majesco's first trailer for Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop features one aspect of the Cooking Mama series we don't expect to see in the actual DS game: the voice acting, which is as endearing as ever. The trailer features the first look at the game's new shopping mode, which appears as a top-down RPG-style presentation. It also features flashes of the familiar cooking gameplay, including the return of the most ridiculous recipe from Mamas past -- instant ramen. Really? For the most part, it looks like Cooking Mama, which we've yet to become tired of, so we don't mind. And now with the addition of food with faces, we don't think we will ever get tired of it.
A Boy and His Boy-Shaped Blob in a new trailer
WayForward has done something fairly magical with its gorgeous remake of A Boy and His Blob -- it's made the game look appealing even to someone who has played the NES game recently enough to remember the abject frustration, untinged by nostalgia. In fact, we think this game is lovely enough to attract players who don't even know there was another game. This 'launch' trailer (though the game isn't out until October) includes some animated story sequences, the use of which shouldn't be much of a surprise in a hand-drawn game. It also includes a quick look at some delightful jellybean-granted Blob abilities, like a mech and some kind of "boy" shape.
ESRB reveals Data East arcade collection on Wii and more
A bit of a news roundup from the ESRB today. First off, the ratings board revealed a collection of Data East arcade games for Wii, called Data East Arcade Classics, containing Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja (!), Burger Time, Caveman Ninja, Street Slam, Secret Agent, Magical Drop III, and more, published by Majesco. It would appear that Data East (or G-mode, the company that holds the rights to Data East's games) doesn't feel like charging 8 bucks for each game on the Virtual Console Arcade.Other surprises include Crash 'N The Boyz: Street Challenge (which was known as Crash 'N The Boys: Street Challenge on the NES), the Kunio (River City Ransom) sports game, and Tomena Sanner, the intriguingly quirky-looking one-button WiiWare running game from Konami! [Image credit]
Preorder A Boy and His Blob, get a blob
Now here's a novel idea: Preorder A Boy and His Blob at GameStop and receive ... a blob. Well, at least something that looks like the blob from the game's title. In actuality, it's one of those foam rubber stress-relief balls. Only shaped like a the blob -- and far more cute. Note that -- thankfully -- the bonus is just the blob and does not include a boy, foam rubber or otherwise. Girls who preorder the game also get the blob, but are able to claim they're "a girl and her blob," which would probably make a good title for the sequel. A Boy and His Blob is out on October 13 and looks gorgeous.
Majesco bringing more Tetris to DS and Wii
Tetris is currently available on the Wii in the form of Tetris Party, and sort of available on DS (if you don't mind eBay) as Tetris DS. Today, Majesco announced that it will add to the Tetris selection with the release of new Tetris games for Nintendo platforms in spring 2010. No specific details or media have been released, so we don't know about any theme or gameplay variations that may be included -- though we can be quite certain that it won't be based on classic Nintendo characters. Tetris Online, Inc. is working with Majesco, suggesting that these are downloadable releases.Between the release of Tetris on iPhone and announcement of a PSP mini Tetris game from EA, and these two upcoming releases from Majesco, it's suddenly a wonderful time to like Tetris. Which is just a different way of saying it's a wonderful time to be anyone on the planet Earth.
Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop your troubles away
Today, Majesco released new screens and the box art for Cooking Mama 3, revealing the subtitle Shop & Chop. Unfortunately for us, that subtitle, meant to reflect the new grocery shopping element in the minigame sequel, sounds kind of like "Slap Chop," and now we've got the "Rap Chop" remix stuck in our heads. We're going to be in a great mood all day, apparently! The "Let's Shop" game, in which players dodge distractions to pick up ingredients at a grocery store, leads to the other new mode, "Combine and Create," which somehow allows players to invent their own recipes based on ingredients used in existing in-game recipes. It's an iterative upgrade, sure, but here's a secret: Cooking Mama continues to be fun even when it's just new recipes. %Gallery-70003%
Get your one-liner in Serious Sam HD by using Twitter
(click to Sam-size) Here's the thing -- we already told you pretty much everything you need to know in the headline up top. Sure, we could expand on it a bit and tell you that the company producing Serious Sam HD, Devolver Digital, will be accepting entries via its Twitter account from July 15 to July 30. We could remind you that the producers are Gamecock and Gathering of Developers veterans Mike Wilson and Harry Miller -- known for storming Ken Levine and spawning Hail to the Chimp. We could even let you know that the only way to find out if your one-liner is going to be voiced by Serious Sam voice actor John J. Dick is to follow the aforementioned Devolver Twitter account or the game's publisher's account, Majesco, in "early August." But why would we do all that?... Dammit!%Gallery-66818%
The Shorts DS game draws our attention
Normally, a DS game based on a kids' movie wouldn't attract our notice -- they're as common as rocks, and tend to be less fun to play with. But the DS game based on Robert Rodriguez's Shorts, a movie about a neighborhood of kids who find some kind of wish-granting rock, appropriates one of our favorite new trends in side-scrolling games: drawing platforms.Kirby Canvas Curse started it, but in the last year there has been an explosion of games that mix traditional platforming with user-created platforms. The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity did it, and the upcoming Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter, MarkerMan Adventures (also published by Shorts publisher Majesco), and, outside of the DS, Crayon Physics, Drawn to Life on Wii, Max and the Magic Marker on WiiWare, and Trine allow players to make platforms by drawing shapes.And, as it turns out, we are extremely receptive to this idea, even when it is in a game in which you control a character named Loogie. See the trailer after the break.
Croteam seriously remaking Serious Sam for XBLA [update: It's coming to PC too]
The Xbox 360 is, of course, a great system for new first-person-shooters, but with XBLA re-releases of games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, and Duke Nukem 3D, it's also becoming the system of choice for classic FPS games. Now Croteam is working on an XBLA version of Serious Sam, called, unsurprisingly, Serious Sam HD. Publisher Majesco told Eurogamer that the remake, which will "re-imagine The First Encounter," will be available on XBLA late this summer for 1,200 Microsoft Points. The new version will include four-player online co-op. Though we look forward to blowing up stuff with abandon, we are a bit concerned that this news could mean that the "next Serious Sam FPS game" to which Croteam's CEO referred is actually the first one again. Update: cdv Software Entertainment AG has confirmed to VideoGamer that the game will also be appearing on PC. %Gallery-66818%
Mad Dog McCree blasts his way to Wii with the Gunslinger Pack
That Gamefly listing for Mad Dog McCree was spot on, apparently, as the title has shipped to retail. Majesco just sent us a press release revealing the company will be bringing a few of Digital Leisure's live-action light-gun classics to a Wii near you, pricing this compilation at a very reasonable $19.99 MSRP. Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack features three classics: Mad Dog McCree; Mad Dog 2: The Lost Gold; and The Last Bounty Hunter.You won't be forced to go it alone in each of these adventures either, as this compilation also adds a bit of multiplayer flair. There will be both Posse and Rebel modes, the former allowing up to four players to work side-by-side for a high score, and the latter allows up to four players to work independently, shooting things to gain the highest score of the bunch.
Majesco revenues up 60% for second quarter (Thanks, Jillian Michaels, Cooking Mama ... again)
Majesco announced gloated yesterday about its earnings for the second quarter of 2009 (ending April 30, 2009). The company reported net revenues increased 60.8% to $20.5 million over the $12.8 million earned in the same period last year. Majesco attributes the massive increase of revenue to strong software sales for Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009, Cooking Mama titles and Gardening Mama, which hit retailers in March.Last quarter, Majesco's revenues kicked up 75% with its good fortunes also attributed to the same games with Jillian Michaels' Ultimatum selling more than half a million copies. It's then not surprising that Majesco is expanding the brand, bringing out Ultimatum 2010 for Wii and Jillian Michaels Pocket Trainer 2010 on DS next year.
Gauntlet DS found on ESRB website with Majesco as publisher
After being potentially canceled as of a few months ago, Gauntlet DS has re-emerged from purgatory with a new publisher in Majesco. At very least, that's our best guess based on an ESRB rating for the game found by a Gauntlet-lovin' GoNintendo reader.Once announced as being developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by now Square Enix-owned Eidos, the title was delisted from GameStop's website as well as Amazon back in February. Does this mean we'll finally be able to try our very best not to shoot food on the DS in the near future? One can only dream.
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010: Not just last year's game with a new number
Majesco could have easily coasted through two or three yearly installments of Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum based on the success of the first one. It could have chosen to stick a few new challenges in the same engine, bring Ms. Michaels in to record a few new lines and profit off of its minimal investment. But according to Michaels, Majesco went beyond that for the sequel to the game you probably ... know someone who played."We went with a different developer this time around," the Biggest Loser star told USA Today's Game Hunters blog, "and now it's much easier to get around the interface, it looks much better and if you like, I can now train you, too." Ultimatum 2010 also includes a Spanish-language option and new multiplayer modes. "Other new features include the option to play in English and Spanish, multiplayer competitions and using a training calendar to set various fitness goals (be it weight loss, toning or strengthening). "The biggest thing I'm excited about is the fact it's now a 'game,'" Michaels said. "It feels like an adventure as you're on a remote island and must compete in boot camp-like activities and traverse through dangerous obstacle courses."While we're not going to take statements from the person whose name is on the game at face value, it does sound like Majesco is putting actual effort into this sequel. Whatever you think of this kind of product (we know), at least it's not as much of a cash-in as ... it could be.
Hands-on: Flip's Twisted World
Frozen North Production and Majesco's upcoming Wii platformer Flip's Twisted World is obviously going to draw direct comparisons to Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy. And it's for good reason, as Majesco's game does a lot of what that game does, albeit to a lesser extent. Think of it as drinking a Diet Coke. Sure, it tastes fine, but most of the time, you're just going to wish you were drinking that regular Coke.
