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The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Party of Sin
Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Crankshaft Games' Daniel Menard talks about his PC co-op puzzle-platformer about breaking out of Hell and storming Heaven, Party of Sin. What's your game and what's it about?Our game is called Party of Sin. It's a puzzle-platformer where you get to embody the Seven Deadly Sins. The Sins are locked in a prison deep in hell after an angel sting operation lead by the arch-angel Michael. You must use the Sins' seven unique powers to solve puzzles and battle your way out of hell and take the fight to the angels in Heaven. You can swap sins at any time (much like Lost Vikings or Trine) and must combine their powers in interesting ways to overcome the challenges that await.The game also has a coop mode, and in coop the Sins can directly interact with each other. They can use their to help the team, or fall to the other side of morality and backstab / grief each other. Two players can't have the same sins, so there is a lot of social interaction involved in solving the puzzles.%Gallery-167543%
Cliff Bleszinski quits Epic Games, leaves us with an Unreal feeling
Fall must be the season for sea changes in the game industry. Just weeks after BioWare's founders retired, key Epic Games veteran and Design Director Cliff Bleszinski (known to many as just CliffyB) is hanging up his hat. He simply describes it as taking a "much needed break," which makes sense when you see his development experience: he joined Epic's crew with Dare to Dream Volume One in 1993 and has nurtured virtually every major (and often minor) game franchise at the company since, including the Jazz Jackrabbit platformers, untold numbers of games in the Unreal line and most recently the Gears of War series. Bleszinski hasn't said where he's headed next, although it's hard to imagine him switching professions like the two BioWare doctors -- for many, he's synonymous with certain eras of first- and third-person shooters. Wherever he goes, we wish him the best of success.
The Daily Grind: Do jumping puzzles belong in MMOs?
Among the many map locations Guild Wars 2 entices its players to explore are vistas, and let's not kid ourselves: Vistas are jumping puzzles. Some are easier than others, of course, and some don't require much jumping at all (like those that ask you to take a leap of faith into an Asura gate or dive deep into a lagoon). But most of the time, your spacebar skills will be tested. Though I am no platforming champion, Guild Wars 2's jumping puzzles have seemed very doable for me. A few have been frustrating enough to annoy me, especially those that require a few minutes of set-up so easily spoiled by a single overshot. But I like that MMO developers are bringing in new gameplay elements that both challenge and reward us and aren't just another round of "click here to make the foozle go." What do you think -- do jumping puzzles belong in MMOs? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Mutant Mudds coming to PC on August 30, starting at $7.99
Renegade Kid's indie platformer Mutant Mudds has gotten itself a PC launch trailer, a price ($7.99 as an introductory discount, usually $9.99), and a PC launch date, according to the official website. The game was previously seen on the 3DS eShop, and will arrive on the PC on August 30, with that introductory price lasting until September 5.On the 3DS, Mutant Mudds made copious use of the 3D screen to transfer its hero in between the various platform levels, but on the PC version, there's an elegant blur effect instead. The retro graphics and tunes are still there, however. You'll be able to grab the game directly from Renegade Kid, or on Good Old Games, Gamers Gate, or Desura at the end of the month.
New Beck songs get visualized, inspire musical platforming
Beck's latest album won't debut on the shelves of your local brick-and-mortar retailer. Instead, Cities, as its called, will roll out on Sound Shapes for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. The platformer's song-inspired stages transform the record's three tunes, Cities, Touch the People and Spiral Staircase, into interactive music videos, with original art and lyrics inserted into the environment. If traipsing through the included soundscapes -- not all of which are Beck-centric -- isn't enough to please, the developers are gifting gamers with the tools needed to build levels of their own. As a cross-play game, the $14.99 price tag nets both the console and portable versions of the downloadable title. Sound Shape won't hit digital shelves until August 7th, but you can catch a sneak peak (and a quick listen) after the break.
Deadlight story trailer explains the saving powers of fear
"The only thing we have to fear is to fear yourself." We're pretty sure that's what president Franklin D. Roosevelt said to galvanize the American public when he took office in 1933, in the thick of the Great Depression. Nothing says "We can do it!" quite like "You're a monster!"Thankfully Deadlight, which uses the tagline "Fear yourself" in its latest story trailer, isn't a historical-reenactment title, though it may be a simulator of potential future circumstances. If so, we may have a bit more to fear than metabolic reactions or mere humans.Deadlight is set to launch this summer on XBLA.
Free for All: Free-to-play MMO versions of your favorite Nintendo games
I have to be honest -- I wasn't the biggest Nintendo fan. I grew up right as the whole thing was really smashing and keeping kids glued to their TVs, but I generally went outside and played more than stayed inside and played games. (Odd, huh?) Still, I had my fun with certain titles. Contra rocked my boat, along with Kid Icarus and a bit of Mario Brothers. My friends, on the other hand, were full members of the Nintendo nation. They subcribed to the magazine, played the same games for hours and hours, and generally acted as though the fate of the real world hung in the balance as they attacked that last boss monster. Stylistically, the games have left a mark on the genre. Many of those same titles still sell as well, some of them reaching so many variations that I lost track a long, long time ago. I thought it might be fun to list off some free-to-play MMOs that remind me of those old classics. See what you think, and leave any suggestions in the comments section!
Daily iPhone App: Tobe & Friends Hookshot Escape catches sweet air
I've already suggested that you buy Tobe & Friends: Hookshot Escape in passing, and after playing with it for a few days, my advice hasn't changed. It's a remarkably cute and well-made game, with some interesting ideas about platforming, incredible music and graphics, and a lot of retro pixelated fun. Tobe & Friends: Hookshot Escape is an endless platformer. You jump your way up a series of platforms as the screen moves faster and faster. The terrain says pretty much the same as you progress, unlike many "endless" games. It sounds repetitive but it works, as the repetition helps you learn the layout. There are many unlockables (you earn currency as you travel along), the most important of which are other characters. Tobe, the main character, uses a hookshot to travel along, while others use a hammer, a dragon punch, or even a feather cape to fly through a level (check them out in the game's incredible trailer). I have two issues with the game. The first is with the controls. My thumbs occasionally slide off of them, making me miss a precise jump. The trailer originally made the game look like it was a one-button tapping affair, using tilt to move right and left, and I wonder if that scheme wouldn't work a little better. Secondly, the game isn't yet available on the iPad. While that's obviously not a gamebreaker, I wish I could see the graphics running in full, bright color on Apple's tablet screen. Both of those complaints are minor. Tobe & Friends: Hookshot Escape is a beautiful, action-packed game that's tough to put down. It's US$1.99 on the App Store right now, and worth every penny.
Daily iPad App: Paper Monsters
I've found that iOS isn't the best platform (so to speak) for platformers. I love games like Mario and Sonic, where you drive a little character around, jumping between platforms and collecting goodies. The lack of physical buttons on Apple's touch screens (and let's face it: cheaper production values) make it hard to pull off a great platformer. Often times developers are forced to cut corners or really stretch to generate new ideas. Not so with Paper Monsters (US$.0.99, universal). Crescent Moon's latest is a traditional platform game (complete with double jumps and warp pipes), and it plays that role perfectly. The little box-headed character can navigate the colorful and nicely-designed environments with skill thanks to some well-turned controls. The whole experience shines through the iOS platform right back to the classic days of 2D platforming. There are some new tricks, too. At times, the action feels more like Little Big Planet than Mario's old adventures, with solid 3D graphics and some interesting twists, like playing in the background scenery. Paper Monsters is a lot of fun, and there's plenty to keep you engaged through all 16 levels. It's available as a universal version right now for just 99 cents.
Daily iPad App: Run Roo Run HD
5th Cell is the developer behind the very popular Scribblenauts (which was released on iOS to great acclaim last year, and just had a new level pack update), and it recently brought a new title to the App Store called Run Roo Run. 2D platforming is a genre that's almost as old as videogames themselves (Mario, who you may know, is the grandfather of jumping around on 2D platforms), and as far as I'm concerned, Run Roo Run is a master class in 2D platforming design. It also has the added benefit of being a running title of sorts, and a puzzle game as well. The idea is that you, as Roo, a very cute Australian kangaroo, have lost a little blue buddy, and it's your job to jump across the Aussie landscape, over and around various obstacles, to save your friend. But your run is broken up into a series of stages that consist of one screen each, and so the goal is to keep the constantly running Roo jumping at just the right times to make it to the end of the screen and onto the next one. The action starts simple, but soon double jumps are added, and then the ability to slow Roo down or speed him up, and then you can swing on things, and just like Cut the Rope, a series of relatively simple elements can be combined into some very ingenious puzzles. Also like Cut the Rope, all of the action is crystal clear to see and understand, and the colorful graphics (especially on the iPad's HD version) and very chill Aussie soundtrack make this one a pleasure to play through. It's well polished, excellently designed, and for a 2D platforming fan like myself, every new stage is like another dish at an all-you-can-eat jumping buffet. And every level is timed and rewarded with gold, silver, or bronze medals, so there's lots of drive, even once you've conquered a simple one, to go back and do it perfectly the first time around. Run Roo Run is a great title, and shows that 5th Cell has really fallen in love with Apple's platform (of course, the big sales from Scribblenauts probably didn't hurt that emotion, either). It's available for 99 cents on iPhone, or for $1.99 on the iPad, with over 420 levels included, more showing up every week, and the option to buy some extra power-ups or convenience items via in-app purchase. Don't pass this one up, whatever you do.
Daily iPad App: Super Crate Box
Super Crate Box appeared on iOS today (even though it's already packed with players), and I'm willing to say that it's the first great game of 2012. Especially on the iPad, where the virtual controls are a little bigger and the graphics are a little easier to see, this is a really slick and well-done arcade platformer. Sure, has its moments of frustration, but stays addictive throughout. The game's been available as a PC download from developer Vlambeer for a little while already, but I think it works better as an iOS game. To play, you run around a one-screen 2D level trying to collect as many crates as you can, while avoiding enemies who resemble surreal skulls. The action is fast and crazy, as just one hit will kill your character and end your game. But that frenetic, temporary action works -- games are short and fast enough that even when one ends, you're usually ready to jump back in for another one right away. The only other issue is with the virtual controls. Super Crate Box just begs for an old-school NES-style controller with every part of its being. Unfortunately iOS only offers the touch screen. It works well enough, but every once in a while, you'll miss a jump or a shot just because you couldn't find the little button area on the iPad's glass. That's not really the developers' fault, in my estimation, but man is it frustrating, especially when you are rolling along to what you're sure is a high score. All of that said, Super Crate Box is an excellent little game, with crisp, frenetic gameplay and more depth than it should really have. Game Center integration, leaderboards, and some really excellent chiptune music all pad out the package -- the app is available in a universal version right now for just 99 cents.
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%
Daily iPhone App: Inertia: Escape Velocity HD
Inertia is a really amazing platformer for the iPhone that uses a mechanic I haven't seen in any game in recent memory. It's a platformer, so you control a little spaceman that can walk left and right and jump from platform to platform. But Intertia adds another button that essentially will keep you moving at whatever speed and direction you're currently moving, sans gravity, when you press it. If that sounds confusing, it is, and fortunately, the game has quite a few levels of tutorials to really get you used to how the inertia button moves and plays. If you're rocketing up and you press the button, you'll keep rocketing up. If you're falling down at an angle, you'll keep falling, at exactly that angle. Once you figure it out, it's quite fun. And that very original movement also opens up all kinds of cool levels, where your little spaceman bounces around through 2D environments collecting various scrap pieces and running time trials. There are 35 levels to go through, and the game uses OpenFeint (not Game Center, though) for leaderboards and achievements. The lite version is well worth the download to check out the mechanic if nothing else, and you can buy a universal HD version for $3.99. I'm really impressed with this one -- the iPhone isn't always the best device to play a platformer on (given that movement really needs to be precise sometimes), but this inertia mechanic really opens up some new elements of a very old, well-traveled genre.
Trine 2 will be available for Mac on Dec. 7
Puzzle-based action/platformer Trine 2 is coming out this week, and developer Frozenbyte has announced that the Mac version will drop alongside the Windows version on Steam. If you want to get a copy outside of the Steam system, you'll have to wait until sometime next year, but even with the "DRM," Steam is usually a good choice to go with, even on a Mac. Frozenbyte is of course no stranger to Mac gaming, having just recently released a solid bundle for the Mac (as well as other platforms like Windows and Linux -- which is actually getting Trine 2 later on anyway). Trine 2 is looking like a really terrific game, expanding on the first title in the series by adding in new puzzles and puzzle types, making the lush graphics look even better, and including full online or local co-op gameplay. Trine 2 will be unlocked on December 7 -- it's $15 for the standard game, or $24.99 for a collector's edition that includes an art book and soundtrack. [via MacNN]
Blossom Minds teases 'Walter,' a platformer starring ... liquid?!
Indie studio Blossom Minds has ecology on the brain with its new game, "Walter." The titular protagonist appears to be composed of two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen and a pair of eager-looking eyeballs. Walter's "uneven fight against an evil oil company" takes the form of a vibrant platformer. No further details have been announced, but we do know that Blossom Minds is targeting PSN, XBLA and Steam for its games. "It's a technically advanced game and can only be done on those platforms," studio co-founder Jérôme Braune told us in July. "We are not making games for phones or Facebook. Nothing can beat the feeling of having a gamepad in hand." Hey, that didn't stop us from befriending a courageous dolphin in EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus, did it?
Daily iPhone App: GoatUp
GoatUp is a surreal game made by Jeff Minter, the game developer behind Xbox Live's Space Giraffe and a number of other colorful (and often abstract) retro games over the years. GoatUp has you, as a goat, jumping up a series of platforms while eating grass and collecting various items. The gameplay is often wild, as the series of worlds you go through features homages to the various ages of platforming games. It's always crisp and interesting, with excellent retro graphics, finely tuned controls, and a fun set of mechanics. Everything is backed up by a plethora of gaming references, from the silly to the extremely subtle. GoatUp is a simple title, but it's a lot of fun, and it shows just how much joy the iOS platform seems to inspire in a very experienced developer like Minter. The game features both OpenFeint and Game Center integration, and it's available from the App Store as a universal app right now for US$1.99.
Daily iPhone App: Roboto
Roboto is a solid platformer for iOS that features you controlling a little robot around a series of levels, 30 in all. Gameplay is pretty strictly action/exploration based, very much in the vein of Super Mario Bros., though the robot has a few extra movies that Mario didn't have. Specifically, he can glide for a short amount of time, as well as switch gravity as certain points, which adds a little more complexity to your search for golden gears throughout the game. Other than that, this one plays as you'd expect, and the general polish and quality makes it stand out among the many various platformers available on iOS. The one issue I had was with the on-screen thumbstick -- it's almost too close to the left edge of the iPhone's screen, so whenever I headed left, it would drop off and stop my movement, sometimes right over a gap. Other than that, though, controls are precise and intuitive, which is what you want in a platformer like this. Roboto is available in an HD version that's universal across iPhone and iPad, complete with OpenFeint and Game Center integration, and a whole bunch of minigames and unlockable powerups and weapons. It's a solid buy, even at the current price of $3.99.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Continuity 2
Continuity 2 is another fun puzzle/platformer that the iPhone has inherited from Flash -- the original title also had you sliding various parts of puzzles around in order to get a little stick figure from one side of the level to the other. But Continuity 2 ups the ante, introducing new mechanics like switches, power sources that need to be hooked up to work, and even gravity flipping, sending your little guy caroming around the level while trying to reach the exit. This game is everything a great puzzle game should be -- it offers up a number of simple mechanics, and then slowly tweaks up the complexity over time, asking you to constantly use the various mechanics in new and surprising ways. There are over 50 levels to play through, and full Game Center integration means if you want to, you'll be playing this one for a while. Continuity 2: The Continuation is available on the iPhone as a universal app for just US 99 cents, or you can grab the lite version to check out the gameplay first if you'd rather do that. It is, however, an excellent puzzle game with lots of great ideas, so if that sounds like your thing, look it up.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Blobster
I got to see Blobster in action earlier this year at both GDC and E3, and both times it impressed me with its wacky premise and followthrough. It's a platformer, but unlike any you've ever played before. Instead of jumping around, you're instead flinging a little blob of goo around, pushing him through various obstacles, and making him heavier or lighter by combining or removing mass to and from him. There's a number of powerups to find across the game's 40 different levels, and lots of other twists and turns to explore as well. Blobster is a really fun title with some nice innovation, and some really solid platforming action depicted in a way I haven't really seen before. Chillingo's got it priced at a steal right now, just US 99 cents for the iPhone version, and $1.99 for Blobster HD on the iPad. I've been watching for this one since earlier this year, so now that it's finally out, make sure to give it a look yourself.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: To-Fu: The Trials of Chi
This is a good one. To-Fu: The Trials of Chi is what's probably best described as a physics platformer, where you play, yes, a little piece of tofu. This To-Fu is much spicier than the actual thing, however -- you tap and drag on him to jump around a series of levels, and his jumps always go basically gravity-free in the same direction, so eventually you're bouncing off of walls, judging angles, and avoiding spikes and other dangers while bouncing from platform to platform. It's actually a pretty big challenge, but that's tempered a little bit by the fact that your basic goal is just getting through the level. There are quite a few collectibles to pick up, but you don't need them on a basic playthrough. Later, you can go back and replay the levels, picking up some of the tougher collectibles. To-Fu is a really solid game -- the presentation is excellent, the controls are precise and innovative, and there's lots of content to go through, along with full Game Center integration. This is also Apple's Game of the Week, and that notice is well-deserved. You can play a trial version for free, or buy the iPhone version for US 99 cents, or the HD iPad version for $1.99.
