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Rash, Zitz, Pimple: Who's ready for new Battletoads?
Phil Spencer, ever the scamp, gave old school Rare fans a case of the vapors when he wore a Battletoads t-shirt during Wednesday's Windows 10 press conference. Who cares, right? Lots of people wear Battletoads t-shirts. It's what the kids wear, haute couture around the Orange Julius. Not really, of course, but old Phil does have a habit of dropping hints at upcoming Xbox games using his wardrobe like when he sported a Crackdown t-shirt on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in 2013. A resurrected Rare brawler may well be in the cards if history's anything to go by. Are you into it? It's been 21 years since the last Battletoads game even came out. Series creators Tim and Chris Stamper, founders of Rare itself, left the studio eight years ago. Then again, who doesn't love it when bipedal amphibians punch rats in the face? New Battletoads?
Unboxed: Sony's 20th Anniversary Edition PlayStation 4 is gorgeous, rare and sold out
Nostalgia is a powerful tool and Sony knows exactly how to wield it. You need only glimpse the 20th Anniversary Edition PlayStation 4 in real life to fully comprehend that. The limited edition console, which comes with an "original gray" paint job, patterned faceplate and colorful PS logo that hearkens back to the original PlayStation from 1994, is a rare issue -- only 12,300 exist in the world. And, not to rub it in, but we have one of our very own (no. 8,262 to be exact). What's more, if you didn't lock in a pre-order for one this past Saturday, December 6th, your chances of getting it now are pretty much slim to none. That's it. Game over. Suck it up and move on. After all, it's only a fancy paint job, right? (Yeah, keep telling yourself that.) Oh sure, you could probably find one up for re-sale online for the simple price of your soul, your unborn child's soul and several of your nearest and dearests' souls... and then maybe toss in the souls of a few innocent bystanders and your mailman's for good measure. But the point is, unless you're an obsessive collector that regularly swan dives into a money bin and has three anthropomorphic ducks as nephews, you'll just have to make due with a plain white or black PS4. Them's the breaks, folks. So why not deal with the disappointment by watching us unwrap the golden ticket that is this 20th Anniversary Edition console? It'll ease the pain. Promise.
Bandcamp houses complete Banjo-Kazooie soundtrack
There's probably no amount of reminiscing that can return the Banjo-Kazooie series back to its 3D platforming glory at this point, but at least now you can give kudos to the man behind the series' musical beginnings. Grant Kirkhope, composer of Banjo-Kazooie's soundtrack and longtime contributor to Rare's portfolio, is offering the sounds that backed the bird and bear's debut to those willing to name their own price. The exhaustive 164-file collection includes tracks, sound bites and a few unused beta tracks, all of which take us right back to searching for notes, Jiggles and Jinjos in the 1998 platformer. As a general Bandcamp reminder, you can take a thorough dose of nostalgia in MP3, FLAC or other formats, and those that pay will earn unlimited streaming through the Bandcamp app. If sampling the tracks has made you miss exploring themed worlds and Kazooie's general disdain for every other character, ports of both Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie are still on Xbox Live Arcade for $14.99 each. We imagine those ports will retain their usefulness to collectathon fans in the coming years, considering the cancelation of the series' spiritual successor. [Image: Microsoft]
No Mr. Brosnan, we expected you to die in GoldenEye 007
If you have former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan on your late night chat show, the only right thing to do is to put a N64 controller in his hands and make him play himself in GoldenEye 007, however terrible he is at the multiplayer. And he really is terrible at it. [Image: Nintendo]
Spencer: 'I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports'
Xbox head Phil Spencer has some encouraging words to fans of GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie development studio Rare. Speaking to CVG at Gamescom, Spencer said that the company is developing a new game - a new "Rare game." "I think it's about them thinking about the next game that's going to be the next 'Rare game' and really stand for what they are," Spencer said. "I know they've got some great ideas. I've not been up to Twycross for maybe six months, but I'm planning on getting up there this fall and seeing bits for the new game. But I know they're hard at work and Phil Harrison has been up talking to them." Rare was under evaluation earlier this year, after Microsoft revealed a Kinect-free Xbox One. Rare was the developer behind the Kinect Sports series, and with no more guaranteed Kinect, the studio's future seemed questionable. However, Spencer assured CVG that Rare was an "important" part of Xbox's future. "I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports," Spencer said. "The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that." [Image: Microsoft]
This tattooed HTC One M8 is the company's latest Limited Edition
Of the many phone makers in the world, HTC is one of the best (if not the best) at churning out Limited Edition collector's items that focus on unique design and features. The latest in a long series of such products (most of which are highlighted in the gallery below) is a collaborative effort with Singapore-based design collective Phunk Studios, in which the group made a specially designed HTC One M8 with its own unique packaging. Only 64 of them were created (32 in gold, 32 in silver), and they're being used as a sneak preview of the collective's upcoming Wonderment exhibition. As you might expect, these unique devices won't be for sale, but HTC will be providing Engadget with one of them to give away to a lucky reader. That giveaway will take place in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for it!
One-man band covers Banjo-Kazooie theme, all instruments included
Covering the intro theme from the Nintendo 64 platformer classic Banjo-Kazooie is a daunting task for any group of musicians. For one thing, it uses a million instruments -- aside from the obvious banjo and kazoo parts, other sections of the melody employ the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, violin, and piccolo, along with various percussive surfaces and cartoonish bear grunts. YouTuber SquidPhysics has assembled the necessary musical arsenal for the one-man performance above, and the results are as impressive as you might expect. Guh-huh! [Image: SquidPhysics]
Xbox 360 strums a tooie-in-one Banjo bundle, available now
It's been a while since the last bundle on the Xbox 360 store, but it looks like Microsoft's found the duct tape again. Rare-developed platformers Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooei are newly stuck together in a 2-in-1 bundle, and you can grab it now for $15 or £12/15 euros. The two N64 games were released on Xbox Live five years ago, and Rarely seem to make their way onto sales. So, what's effectively a half-price bundle is perhaps a decent deal if you've yet to check them out. After all, Banjo Kazooie and Tooie are widely regarded as two of the strongest early examples of 3D platforming. Also, it's not like you're going to get that Banjo Kazooie spiritual successor anytime soon... [Image: Microsoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Battlefield 4's launch, an Entwined review, E3 previews and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Joystiq celebrated its tenth anniversary of existence this week, which means ... we're teetering on that edge of middle school angst? No, no, we're thankfully immune to that. What it does mean is that we're still alive, and we think being alive is pretty okay! While the site has presumably made it this far because of its content, quality isn't sustainable on its own – we've been able to write news, produce videos, record podcasts and talk about video games for years because of all of you. Whether you stop in every day, have only read a single breaking news story from us, or you've just fallen down an impressive wrong turn on the Internet and have no idea why you're here: Thank you. Your patronage is a huge part of why we get to cover this industry, and we look forward to creating compelling content for you for another 10 years. Speaking of content, there's a ton of it this week: EA CEO Andrew Wilson addressed Battlefield 4's launch, we have reviews for Entwined and Pushmo World, and there's an avalanche of written previews and video interviews from E3, all waiting for you in a neat pile of bulletpoints. Dive in after the break, right after you drop off our presents next to the cake.
Rare and Lionhead remain 'crown jewels' for Microsoft
Microsoft reaffirmed its commitment to its Rare and Lionhead studios this week, assuring that both are "crown jewels" in its Microsoft Studios division as multiple games from the developers continue to take shape. Speaking to Eurogamer, Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison noted that development at Rare continues unabated after a round of layoffs hit the studio last month. "We are very fortunate in having Rare and Lionhead in the UK as crown jewels of Microsoft Studios," Harrison said. "Rare is working on a couple of things at the moment, which we will announce at the right time. But I'm really excited by the things they're doing and I believe you will be as well when you hear about them." Harrison continued: "Rare is an incredible talent and they have some very very ambitious plans for the future and we're supporting them in every way we can." Lionhead, meanwhile, has assembled an eight-person team to tackle a new intellectual property, which will serve as a follow-up to the studio's current project Fable Legends. [Image: Microsoft / Rare]
Layoffs at Rare, 16 employees reportedly let go
Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark studio Rare has been hit with layoffs, with reports putting the figure at around 16 employees losing jobs. According to Eurogamer and CVG sources, the layoffs affect a number of high-profile staff, while Eurogamer adds 150 people worked on the team's most recent release, Kinect Sports Rivals. "At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social and interactive entertainment experiences," a Microsoft spokesperson told Joystiq. "As part of Rare's commitment to this goal, we have made a decision to change our development process and methodology at Rare to best support our future projects, this has led to us reviewing the skills and the makeup of our development teams in our business." According to CVG, the layoffs include studio Battletoads lead programmer Chris Sutherland and 15-year company veteran Gavin Price. According to Price's LinkedIn profile, he moved on from Rare this month and joined Priceless Pixels as an independent design consultant. The news comes just a few days after an interview with Phil Spencer, in which the Xbox boss discussed how Rare's evaluating what it wants to do next. The UK studio's last game, Kinect Sports Rivals on Xbox One, failed to set critical pulses racing, while in Rare's home nation it entered the charts at 14th before disappearing from the top 40 five weeks later. Rare has been a major proponent of Microsoft's motion-sensing tech, making it one of the developers most affected by last week's announcement of a Kinect-less Xbox One. [Image: Microsoft]
Microsoft working with Rare to determine what's next
Touring Rare's history is pretty great, considering the company's standouts include Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day and Banjo-Kazooie. After Microsoft purchased Rare, the studio still had a traditionally-controlled highlight in the Viva Piñata series, but Rare's more recent focus has been on supporting the Kinect with the Kinect Sports games. Now that Microsoft has conceded their Xbox One pack-in strategy for the peripheral, questions have arisen concerning Rare's next step as a studio, some of which were addressed in a Total Xbox interview with Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. "They're in the process of evaluating what they want to do next, and we're working closely with them to see what their new project will be," Spencer said. "And I've also laughed when people have tried to use the word, what I 'force' them to do," he added, explaining that trying to force "independent-minded" studios like Rare to do something is "never a successful equation." We're well aware that games need to be profitable and that a studio's team changes with time. However, if Rare isn't being forced to support the Kinect and we get another rough Kinect Sports game instead of a new Viva Piñata, we'll join the ranks of the Sour troublemakers and start wrecking havoc in the nearest garden. [Image: Rare]
Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor canceled, composer says
A proposed spiritual successor to Rare's Nintendo 64 platformer Banjo-Kazooie has been called off, series composer Grant Kirkhope confirmed in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" post this week. "The other guys actually had a secret meeting in a pub near Rare and we even got as far as having a character drawn up and a demo level type thing but it all fell to bits .... everyone's got other jobs, etc.," Kirkhope said. Developed by a team of ex-Rare staffers, the "Mingy Jongo" project promised to retain the detailed environments and googly-eyed characters of its N64 inspiration. The team's Twitter account went dark in December 2012, and a proposed Kickstarter project failed to materialize. [Image: Rare]
Joystiq Streams: Picking a fight with Kinect Sports Rivals [Update: Never mind!]
Joystiq's Jess Conditt did not much care for Kinect Sports Rivals. "The biggest challenge in gameplay is often hassling with the Kinect," chided Jess in her two-star review, "Overall, the games themselves are insultingly simple." Everything's worth a second look, though! In the interests of due diligence, entertainment, and a desire to do something with that fancy Xbox One Kinect, Jess will return the Kinect Sports Rivals on Joystiq Streams at 4PM EST today on the Joystiq Twitch channel. Marvel as she tries to see if there's a way to actually get a gutter ball in bowling! Be confused as we all try to figure out why David Tennant is narrating the action. Mike Suszek will be hanging out in the chat, feeding your questions to Jess as she plays. Joystiq Streams broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST. Update: It looks like our efforts to stream Kinect Sports Rivals were fruitless. We'll be back next week with a new, functional stream after we take it in to the shop for a tune-up! [Images: Microsoft]
Kinect Sports Rivals review: The crowd goes mild
Kinect Sports Rivals looks like a mobile game for the new, hit reality sports show that all of your friends will be watching, according to its prime time commercials. The game is crowded with bright colors, an excitable narrator, a hard-ass trainer, prompts to buy perks for your character and ads for State Farm. It differs from a tie-in mobile game in a couple of important ways: It's on the big screen and is designed to use Xbox One's Kinect for every interaction. The entire game can be controlled with voice and hand motions, in theory. That theory breaks down if your pets are running around and confusing the Kinect as you play, or if your friends all want to sit on the couch behind you, or if you happen to be 10 years old, like my little brother, and miss important instructions among all the banter and color explosions.
This one-of-a-kind 3DS has your name on it, proves you're a Pokemon Master
You wanted to be the very best? (Like no-one ever was?) Here's the proof that you made it. Japan's annual Pokemon tournament kicked off this week, with the grand prize (aside from proving that it was worth all those hours of walking around in grass) of a limited edition, well there's only one, 3DS XL. With a Mega-Charizard sticker design on the front, and the victor's name engraved on the back, it's likely the ideal prize for whoever earns it -- and maybe even a nice little nest egg waiting to mature.
David Tennant is the 'voice of God' in Kinect Sports Rivals
Former Doctor Who star David Tennant is providing Kinect Sports Rivals with his hearty Scottish lilt - officially he's the game's narrator, but we prefer the actor's own description of the "voice of God." If you've only heard Tennant in his role as television's greatest time-traveler - sorry, Sam Beckett - then yes, that Scottish accent he put on in the episode with Queen Victoria is closer to the real thing. Tennant says it's the first video game he's provided voice work for, and that's surprising given how the BBC likes to pump out Doctor Who games. Luckily for Tennant, by the time puzzle-platformer The Eternity Clock arrived in 2012 he'd jumped ship, leaving poor Matt Smith to fend for himself. As for Kinect Sports Rivals, Rare's new collection of motion-controlled mini-games is coming to North America, Australia and New Zealand on April 8 and Europe on April 11. Sportsball fans can take on tennis, bowling, soccer, target shooting, climbing, and wave racing in the Xbox One game. [Image: Microsoft]
Canceled Diddy Kong Racing sequel details emerge
Diddy Kong Racing, developer Rare's take on the kart, hovercraft and airplane-racing genre, is fondly remembered by many Nintendo 64 fans. Unfortunately the game's canceled successor, Donkey Kong Racing, never had a chance at earning the same sort of reputation. It's always interesting to learn more about projects that never reached the public though, and Nintendo Life's recent interview with Donkey Kong Racing Lead Designer Lee Musgrave shares details on what the game began and ended as. Musgrave explained that Donkey Kong Racing swapped out standard vehicles for animals, which the above trailer suggests included Rambi the Rhino, Engaurde the Swordish and Ellie the Elephant from the Donkey Kong Country series. Players could swap out animals mid-race, which would let the player smash through obstacles or offer better handling depending on the animal's size. When Rare was purchased by Microsoft, Musgrave said the Donkey Kong license was dropped as Rare made the racer an "open-world game with Tamagotchi-style features, in which nurturing your animal became a key mechanic." Musgrave explained that the animal-raising mechanic eventually became the game's main feature, resulting in a "cute version of Grand Theft Auto set in Africa." This open-world adaption of Donkey Kong Racing was called Sabreman Stampede, but its development "went off into the woods a little bit," Musgrave explained. Sabreman Stampede was never released, but Musgrave added that despite the effort put into its development, he feels the final product would not have been worth the resources. [Image: Nintendo]
Kinect Sports Rivals gets pumped for April showdown
The finish line is finally in sight for Kinect Sports Rivals, after Microsoft announced the Xbox One game hits North America on April 8. Rare's collection of sporting mini-games comes to Australia and New Zealand on the same day, while Europe signs up on April 11. Kinect Sports Rivals was an Xbox One launch game originally, but Microsoft delayed the motion-control showpiece to give Rare a little more time to spruce it up. In the meantime, a "preseason trial" has been available since launch, letting players take to the waves for free with the wake racing mini-game. The full Rivals experience adds tennis, bowling, soccer, target shooting, and climbing, as showcased in a new trailer. Going by the video, there's something of a Hunger Games vibe to the whole thing, what with the rival teams and their fancy pants get-ups. True, it doesn't look as violent as Suzanne Collins' dystopian YA sensation, but you never know. [Image: Microsoft]
No bones about it, Spinal joins Killer Instinct cast
Spinal, the first downloadable addition to the Killer Instinct roster has arrived, lending the anemic fighting game a bit more depth - or at least a few more bones to break. While the Xbox One Killer Instinct is extremely light on backstory, the first two Killer Instinct games claim that Spinal is the reanimated skeleton of a long-dead warrior. Ultratech, the firm responsible for funding the Killer Instinct tournaments, revived the skeletonic fighter to serve as something of an undead goon, wreaking havoc in the tournament and ensuring that Ultratech's wishes were carried out. According to Xbox Wire, this new design for the character draws inspiration from classic Harryhausen adventure film Jason and the Argonauts, which is fitting given that the ending of the original Killer Instinct claimed that Spinal eventually left the world of combat sports in favor of a career as an Oscar-nominated actor. Those who purchased the Killer Instinct Ultra Edition bundle or Combo Breaker Pack are now able to download Spinal at no additional charge. Everyone else will need to pony up $5 for the calcified revenant.
