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Portabliss: VVVVVV (3DS eShop)
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: VVVVVV. VVVVVV for 3DS is the best version of Terry Cavanagh's insanely difficult platform game I've ever played. But that's only because I don't have a good controller for my computer. As far as I can tell, the 3DS version is identical to the PC release in almost every way: the same C64-style graphics, featuring monochrome smiley-face people against (optional) flashing geometric backgrounds; the same fully explorable world of vast expanses of space, impossible mazes, and so many spikes; the same brilliant chiptune soundtrack. The differences include, on the downside, the lack of a level editor (though Nicalis has said it is considering adding that), and, on the upside, 3D. Other than that, it's the familiar gauntlet of physically impossible rooms that you really should have played already. Though the specifics of the nostalgia element elude me (not being a C64 person), the style of gameplay is absolutely perfect for me: a series of self-contained platforming challenges that require both dexterity and forethought. Oh, and lots and lots of patience with repeated failure. Though the level editor isn't present, a selection of user-created levels is included in the download, including the giant "Dimension 333333" by Sendy and a level by Minecraft creator Notch. So when you get through the main game, and collect all 20 of the "trinkets," then you won't have to use those wizard powers you apparently have to generate new content. VVVVVV is available for $7.99 on the 3DS eShop. We're always looking for new distractions. Want to submit your game for Portabliss consideration? You can reach us at portabliss aat joystiq dawt com.
VVVVVV arrives on the 3DS eShop on December 29
Terry Cavanagh's great platformer VVVVVV is heading to a 3DS near you as promised: The game has been set for release on the Nintendo eShop next week. Starting December 29, you'll be able to grab the game (published by Nicalis, the company behind Cave Story and its various iterations) for a price of $7.99 on your 3DS, and take on the game's many frustrating yet ingenious challenges for yourself. Or, if you've never played the title before, you could go try out the free Flash version, or play it on PC or Mac as you wish. It's a great and well-made experience for sure, but bring all of the patience you have. You'll need it.%Gallery-136044%
Deja Review: Cave Story 3D
Not even a semi-controversial visual makeover can keep me from loving Cave Story. I admit to being a bit worried upon seeing the first screens of the new 3DS remake, Cave Story 3D, developed by Nicalis in conjunction with original creator Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya. And I admit now that the new polygonal graphics lack the extreme charm of the original pixels. But Cave Story is a wonderful game on any platform, in any configuration. Those new graphics are there to sell the game to non-"core" gamers who see 2D art as archaic, and who have no pre-existing knowledge of the indie game scene or of Cave Story. The game still works with its new look. Besides, I was really, honestly impressed with the redone art in several areas. I enjoyed seeing the game reinterpreted, after seeing the original so, so many times.
VVVVVV coming to 3DS in late 2011
Terry Cavanagh's topsy-turvy challenge, VVVVVV, is coming to the Nintendo 3DS courtesy of Nicalis. It'll be available on the 3DS eShop later this year, complete with "full 3D awesomeness." VVVVVV's cheerful 8-bit aesthetic will stretch across two screens now, with a real-time map on the bottom screen offering some direction in the action platformer that takes great pleasure in eschewing basic navigational rules. The 3DS version will also feature new levels and "future content updates." If you want to play VVVVVV's new incarnation before it launches, head to the ongoing Indiecade in Culver City, California, and ... track down Terry Cavanagh. Remember, it's pronounced with six Vs.%Gallery-136044%
Cave Story 3D screens come in all dimensional varieties
What're you looking for, folks? Screens of Cave Story 3D's titular three-dimensional display, complete with left-right screen splitting? We have those. Want some slightly less complicated images of the game's spritely 2D mode? You know we got your back. (And we always will.)
'Cave Story+' now available on Mac App Store, with new content
If you want to try out the updated version of Cave Story that hit WiiWare in 2009 -- but, like, on a computer -- you can do so right this second. Developer Nicalis has released Cave Story+ on the Mac App Store. Of course, Cave Story was originally a freeware game for PC, so why buy a computer version, beyond the positive feeling of giving Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya some compensation for his delightful game? This version includes the (optional) updated graphics and music from the WiiWare release, as well as a new "Wind Fortress" level designed by Amaya, with promises of more content updates in the future. Wind Fortress is "kind of tough, but features new enemies no one has seen," Nicalis producer Tyrone Rodriguez told Joystiq. A Steam version for PC will follow soon, the press release notes. And, of course, a fully 3D remake of Cave Story -- completely different from this 2D update -- is due for 3DS in November.%Gallery-132997%
Nicalis bringing NightSky to 3DS eShop, in 2D
Cave Story developer Nicalis revealed on Twitter that it's working on a 3DS port of NightSky, the puzzle platform game it released on PC and Mac earlier this year. Later, the developer followed up with a note that it'll be on eShop, making the 3DS version of Nifflas's game one of the rare non-Game Boy, non-DSiWare downloadable games on 3DS. "We literally just started working on it last week," Nicalis "Producer and Janitor" Tyrone Rodriguez told Joystiq in an interview today. "I'd like to have it done before Christmas and out." Even though work is still early, "it looks perfect on the 3DS." As if the status as an eShop game didn't confer enough novelty status, NightSky on 3DS will not display in 3D. "I feel that it would distract from the game," he explained. NightSky is flat silhouettes against sky, so we aren't even sure how 3D would work there. Nicalis is still deciding whether to implement motion controls. "We'll probably add that as an option," Rodriguez said. "If it feels right, then we'll definitely do it." Nicalis has another eShop game planned, which it's not ready to announce just yet.
Cave Story 3D includes 'expanded' stages and Prinny, but not original game
In an interview with Siliconera, NIS America producer Jack Niida hinted at a Prinny crossover in Cave Story 3D. "You can probably expect our most popular character in there. Aside from that, you might see him as an item, as well." Prinny is a shoo-in for NIS's most popular character, and it's been used in Cave Story 3D teaser images before (see above), so that's probably the dood in question. Niida also offered a bit more info about the expanded content in the 3D version, which Nicalis hinted at during our preview. "For the old time fans of Cave Story, there aren't brand new stages," he said, "but what we did for these stages is we expanded it. So, there is more to it than there was before. There are new areas to explore; long time fans will definitely see the difference." What won't be in Cave Story 3D is the original Cave Story. "That's one thing we were talking about too," he said, "but the problem was the amount of space on the card size. We sort of squeezed everything in and at this point we don't have enough space for it."
Cave Story 3D delayed until November
What's the opposite of "Huzzah"? Cave Story 3D, Nicalis's radical reinterpretation of the indie classic, won't make its appointed August 9 release date. Publisher NIS America confirmed to Joystiq today that the 3DS remake has been pushed back to November, putting its official release date in line with the date on GameStop's website. An NIS rep told us that the company would offer more detail about the delay in a press release, expected today. In the meantime, we suggest ameliorating the wait for Cave Story with ... the other version of Cave Story, on DSiWare or WiiWare. You know, to get you ready for Cave Story (3D).%Gallery-127295% Update: the press release is after the break, specifying a November 8 release. Producer Jack Niida says that the changes being made to Cave Story 3D are " in the small details, but in order to satisfy both the fans and the new players we need to make sure the game is done right."
Cave Story 3D preview: Pixel goes polygonal
I'll admit it: my excitement about a new version of Cave Story to play on the 3DS was tempered a bit by fears that it wouldn't turn out right. To put it more directly, my excitement was tempered by the first screenshots of Cave Story 3D. But upon playing the remake, it was immediately evident that developer Nicalis had been paying attention to the reaction to those first images, and is working to make something that reinterprets the environments of the retro-style original in a more palatable -- and more parsable -- way. It is not ruined by the 3D graphics.%Gallery-126407%
La-Mulana explores Japanese WiiWare this month
This year's big Nicalis-published, retro-inspired, cave-exploring WiiWare remake is La-Mulana. It's a side-scrolling platformer that stars a whip-wielding archaeologist who keeps his laptop handy at all times. Developer Asterizm announced today that the WiiWare remake will be released in Japan on June 21. " To our fans" in other regions, "you just have to wait a tiny big longer." Publisher Nicalis tweeted that it will announce the North American release date after E3.
Steam discounts NightSky, Tom Clancy games
If you're looking to spend your long weekend in a quiet, relaxing way, you could do worse than to check out NightSky, the meditative rolling-ball platformer by Knytt creator Nifflas. And now's a good day for it, because Steam has reduced the price to five bucks through 1PM tomorrow. If you're in the mood for less tranquility and more Tom Clancity, the ongoing Ubisoft sale continues today, with 66% discounts on pretty much every Tom Clancy game ever, including various Splinter Cells, Ghost Recons, Rainbow Sixes, and HAWX ... es.
Cave Story 3D to feature dimension-defying 2D sprite mode
Torn between your love of the original Cave Story's beautifully pixel-drawn sprites and your excitement for Cave Story 3D's complete reinvention of the game's hovering island-world? You can now have your cave and eat it too: NIS America recently announced the game's 2D sprite mode, which takes the original, flat characters and enemies and places them in remodeled 3D environments, Paper Mario-style. Destructoid managed to get its hands on a pair of images of this double-dimensioned mode, one of which is posted above. Personally, we think it looks pretty gosh darn neat, though now we're going to have to worry about poor little Quote slipping through crevices in the cave floor. Guess it still beats getting squished by the wizard-king of Hell, but ... um, not by much.
Cave Story 3D dated once again, coming August 9
We saw one Cave Story 3D release date before, on Nintendo's quarterly release schedule, but that turns out to have been inaccurate -- or the game has been delayed since then. In any case, scratch out the "Cave Story day!!!" note you put on your calendar's June 19 box and rewrite it under August 9. NIS will release the game in Europe sometime in September. Along with announcing the date, NIS America released the box art image above, featuring protagonists Quote and Curly Brace checking out the 3DS logo on the side. The publisher also released a set of screenshots, each with a note that the game is "under development."%Gallery-122526%
Interview: Cave Story's salaryman designer, Daisuke 'Pixel' Amaya
Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya is one of just a few Japanese names in the indie gaming pantheon, after developing 2004's Cave Story entirely on his own as a labor of love. This year, he came to the Game Developers Conference to present a long-overdue postmortem about the development of Cave Story and to promote the upcoming 3DS remake, which he's working on with developer Nicalis and publisher NIS America. During this presentation, Amaya showed never-before-seen footage of a beta version of Cave Story, including locations, characters, and enemies that didn't make it into the beloved indie game. Soon after the presentation, we sat down with the game designer, and found out that despite the popularity of Cave Story, he still has a day job. For now. " I still work full time as a salaryman," Amaya told Joystiq, "but from April I'm going to be a full time developer." He explained that he planned to leave his job as a programmer for large-scale printing equipment a year ago, but "everybody was like 'are you really okay with developing games?' They weren't really sure if I could support myself." As he also had to train his replacement, his transition to full-time game designer was delayed. " I have a wife, I have kids, so [his co-workers] were a bit worried. It's not like they doubt my skill."
Cave Story's Balrog shot in the butt -- in 3D
Okay, so it's not really stereoscopic 3D yet, but this teaser video is a really detailed look at the polygonal character models from Nicalis and NIS America's new Cave Story 3D -- some of whom are shot in the butt during the course of the video.
Cave Story 3D is a 'fully reconstructed' port for 3DS [update: coming this summer]
NIS America has announced it'll publish Cave Story 3D, a "fully reconstructed in 3D" version of Studio Pixel's shooter, on the Nintendo 3DS -- Nicalis will be handling development duties. This means that there will be polygons and, utilizing the tech of the 3DS, certain environments will have a kind of curvature introduced. "This curvature can be accomplished by defining a 3D spline that directly and uniquely maps to the 2D grid that the game is actually aware of," says a preliminary fact sheet for the game. So, in layman's terms, it's still 2D, but projectiles and characters will move around these curvature points as if it were a 3D space. Everything else about the game is still pretty much the same: you explore; you shoot guys; you get experience and upgrade stuff. We weren't given a launch date for this latest port (Cave Story is currently available on the PC, WiiWare and DSiWare), but we've got a gallery of concept art you're free to peruse. Update: NIS America announced a summer 2011 release date for this 3DS remake.%Gallery-116273%
PSA: Nicalis' NightSky rolls onto PC today
Nicalis, developer of the excellent WiiWare and DSiWare updates of indie action-platformer Cave Story, has announced that its latest offering has arrived for the PC today. NightSky (formerly titled Night Game) is now available through the studio's site for the oddball price of $7.20. NightSky sees the player navigating a sphere over, under and through all manner of 2D obstacles set in a beautiful, dusky world. It's a strange concept to be sure, but considering Nicalis' most popular game features gun-toting robots caught in the middle of a rabbit war, it's actually kind of par for the course. NightSky is also planned for future release on WiiWare.
Nicalis' NightSky coming to Windows on January 6
Nicalis, best known for releasing Daisuke Amaya's Cave Story on the Wii and DSi, has announced that it will be bringing the 2D physics-based platformer NightSky to Windows on January 6. The title, by Sweden's Nifflas, was originally scheduled for release on WiiWare as well. Nicalis says it hasn't "given up on consoles" for the game, but the PC and Mac releases will arrive first. The game looks intriguing -- you can see a short launch trailer after the break. There's no word on price yet (or where you'll be able to get it, other than the official website), but assuming the game arrives as planned, those who want to get their hands on this 2009 IGF finalist will finally be able to do so.
Cave Story comes to PAL WiiWare on December 10
. You know, we really feel for you guys across the pond. Since March, we've had ample time to explore Cave Story on WiiWare. Patiently, you guys waited, and today we're glad to report that there's finally an end in sight to your longing: December 10. Or is that 10 December? Developer Nicalis offered solace via Twitter, informing inquiring Europeans of the Cave Story launch date. In a later tweet, Nicalis clarified that the December 10 date applies to the entirety of the PAL territory, including New Zealand and Australia -- the game will set players back 1,000 Wii Points. %Gallery-33743%
