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First Moon explorations were on the Game Boy Color
GamesRadar interviewed Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham about the company's upcoming DS sci-fi first-person shooter thing Moon, and about the DS in general. The Dementium creator, like other developers, sees too many cheap me-too DS games being thrown into the market, calling it "the inevitable cash-cow-console catastrophe." One bright spot in recent DS releases? Contra 4. When the subject turns away from the awesome Contra 4 and toward Moon, Watsham reveals that Moon has been in the works in one form or another for a long time. It began its life as a Game Boy Color game, before going through "many changes since that original idea" and ending up as an FPS built on the technology used to create Dementium. Technology that other companies want, and that Renegade Kid is considering licensing.While you're reading, you can also have a look at GamesRadar's new screens -- including a very special codec moment.%Gallery-20245%
Dementium gets under Japanese skin
Renegade Kid's Dementium: The Ward is something you know we enjoyed. It was a very unique title on the DS, striving to provide a moody atmosphere full of scares. We think it succeeded, overall, and apparently so did Gamecock, as the title was chosen to release in Japan.Now, the game's Japanese site has launched and it's an incredibly effective platform for advertising the title. Just checking out the site makes you think J-horror, in the likes of Silent Hill and Fatal Frame. It's a great way to market the title, we believe, so be sure to hit up the site for the goods.[Via Insert Credit]
Moon footage is out of this world
Just as with Dementium: The Ward, Renegade Kid is all about letting us see every aspect of their games, and when we're getting a peek at something that looks as awesome as Moon, we appreciate it. Creative Director Jools Watsham updated his blog at IGN with a short video that features some low quality footage of the game, and even through a pokey webcam, it looks incredible. He pauses on the screenshot to the right, so we've included it for comparison. Check out the video after the break to see the gorgeous base in full motion!%Gallery-20245%
Japan gets demented this summer
Fans of Dementium (see: uh, DS Fanboy), you should pay attention. The game is headed to Japan in a few months, as it will see a release to the region on June 26th. It will retail for a price of 5,040 Yen. Other than that, Japanese gamers should pretty much know what they're in for. The game was, in our eyes, an under-appreciated gem and a very competent FPS on a system lacking them. We can't wait to see what Renegade Kid has in store for us with their next game.%Gallery-4929%
Renegade Kid says Moon will rock harder than Dementium
You all know we dug Dementiunm. It was a fine title and a decent FPS on a handheld that is seriously lacking in that department. Now, Renegade Kid is preparing their second FPS for Nintendo's handheld in Moon. What should we expect?Well, Renegade Kid's owner and creative director, Jools Watsham, spoke with Joystiq about the new project and reassured us it's going to be something we'll want to play. It's a pretty interesting read, if we may say so. Head on over and check it out already!%Gallery-20245%
Joystiq interview: Renegade Kid versus the Moon
When independent developer Renegade Kid first announced its follow up title to last year's Dementium: the Ward, few details were offered as to what it was exactly that the studio was up to. Titled simply Moon, the game was said to again be played from the first-person, but beyond the vantage and supposed setting, we were left wondering. It didn't take us long to tire of the guessing game however, so we arranged to speak with Renegade Kid's owner and creative director Jools Watsham to find out more about the company's latest offspring, how it differs from Dementium, and why the studio opted to go with a different publisher, in this case Mastiff, rather than Dementium publisher Gamecock. Read on to see what he had to say.%Gallery-20326%
Renegade Kid calls Moon 'more ambitious' than Dementium
Dementium: The Ward, developer Renegade Kid's debut release for the Nintendo DS, certainly pushed the frontier of what we expect from handheld gaming, but it was far from perfect. Company co-owner Jools Watsham conceded as much to us during a recent interview, but added that Renegade Kid's next project, the recently announced DS title Moon, will be even "more ambitious" than the studio's freshman effort."We're being much more ambitious with the environments, particle effects, enemies and cinematic cut-scenes," commented Watsham. "Even though we pushed the DS with Demenitum, we were still being slightly cautious due to our time frame and growing experience with the platform. This time around with Moon, we are being a little less cautious while still be expressive and ambitious."He also took a moment to reflect back on Dementium, noting that the survival horror title's save system was a particular sticking point among those who played the game. "Most people hated the save system in Dementium... Moon is structured very differently than Dementium. The game is presented in episodes, and within each episode there are checkpoints that save your progress."For more from Renegade Kid's Watsham on Moon, including Moon's possible future for the Wii and why the company's decision to go with publisher Mastiff instead of Dementium pub Gamecock is really much ado about nothing, check out our full interview on Monday and the first screens from the game below.%Gallery-20326%
Moon interview sheds some light on past mistakes
First, Renegade Kid did horror. Next up is science fiction for the burgeoning studio, with Moon, a first-person adventure with a trailer featuring a distinct John Carpenter vibe. Jools Watsham, director and producer on Moon, recently spoke with IGN regarding their plans for this title. While most of the interview covers the basics of the game, there are some interesting moments focused on Dementium's flaws and how they're trying to deal with those issues with the development of Moon. Dementium fans will be happy to hear that the save system is being addressed, and it sounds as though the similarity of the level designs from is also much on their minds. From the sound of it, we may be treated to an even better experience this time around -- which would truly be something to see.%Gallery-20245%
Moon on collision course with DS [Update: First trailer]
Renegade Kid, they of Dementium: The Ward fame, have whipped the covers off of their next DS project. Moon is a series of minigames centered entirely around revealing one's backside in an assortment of hilarious scenarios is the new name for the game formerly known as "Project M," and will take the form of a first-person, sci-fi, action-adventure set in 2058.Featuring isolated lunar bases and mysterious alien hatches, publisher Mastiff describes the experience as "dark, twisted, heart-pounding, frequently violent and always disturbing." We like! Incidentally, Moon will be built on the same engine that powered Dementium. That's good news, because for all of its flaws, Dementium was one heck of a technical achievement.Update: The first Moon trailer just touched down in our inboxes. We've embedded it for your viewing pleasure above.[Via press release]
Renegade Kid's Project M revealed as DS action title 'Moon'
From the fetid halls of Dementium to the vacuous surface of the moon, developer Renegade Kid has proven that it isn't shy about taking its first two projects into uncharted territories. Publisher Mastiff has revealed that the dev's second project, previously known as "Project M," is in fact a futuristic action title for the Nintendo DS simply called Moon.While we'll continue to wait for a simulation of that timeless Saturday night ritual of flashing our bare posteriors to cars on the freeway, Moon instead will take us to the lunar surface in 2058 for a first-person adventure that according to Mastiff's hilariously titled "Head Woof" Bill Swartz is "frequently violent" and "always disturbing." We'll have to take his word for it, as neither screens nor a release date have been released, leaving us to replay Dementium and squint at the screen while mentally replacing crazed mental patients with equally crazed aliens -- we should do all of our previews this way.
Five gifts that PAL gamers should import this Christmas
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Five_gifts_that_PAL_gamers_should_import_this_Christmas'; Gaming sites are inundated with holiday gift guides at the end of the year, listing the best and most popular games that everyone pretty much already has (or knows about). Well, we're not going in for that this year. Our gift guide will help you find the best gifts in categories the other sites won't cover -- because we just made them up. Nintendo's indifference towards PAL regions is infamous, but there's arguably less room for complaining when it comes to the DS. See, the DS is (and we do not use this phrase lightly) an importer's dream. It doesn't faff around with region-specific software, there's a huge library of diverse and interesting NTSC-only titles, and the games themselves are cheap. As in, cheaper than they'll be when they arrive in the UK/Europe/Australia six months from now. Frankly, we can't think of a good reason for you not to import. Which brings us to our latest anti-guide, featuring the five DS-related gifts that PAL regions won't be seeing until 2008 at the earliest -- if ever. All deserve to be imported without hesitation, so read on fellow PAL folk, and prep that credit card!
DS Fanboy Review: Dementium: The Ward
If there's one thing Dementium: The Ward delivers on, it's atmosphere. From the audio -- which is truly something special in the DS library -- to the overall mystery of the story of Redmoor Hospital, Dementium provides exactly what it promises: a survival horror/FPS fusion that you can take with you.What it's not is perfect. Of course, no game is, but Dementium is peppered with a few looming frustrations that bring down the game experience. It is developer Renegade Kid's first effort, and at times it shows, and it's a somewhat clichéd game from a genre built on the power of cliché. The good news is that none of those frustrations are terribly huge. The bad news, however, is that some of those flaws may be just the sort that keep certain types of gamers away. %Gallery-4929%
WRUP: Getting Demented edition
There is really only one game that came up on our radar of releases this week and it's none other than Dementium: The Ward. We like the survival-horror genre as it is, not to mention that this looks like the first engaging FPS game on the DS (not to say that Metroid Prime Hunters wasn't engaging, but the single-player was a bit lacking). We haven't a had a chance to pick the game up yet, but you can bet that we will be doing so immediately.What about you all? Are you planning on picking up the game or are you playing something else?
Mastiff to publish Renegade Kid's next game
Mastiff, publisher of games like Gurumin, La Pucelle: Tactics, and the totally excellent Technic Beat, has made a deal with Renegade Kid to publish their next game, codenamed Project M. This announcement comes immediately following the release of Renegade Kid's first game, Dementium: The Ward. The most obviously positive bit of news to take away from this announcement, of course, is that Renegade Kid is making a new game. According to the press release, the game will be in 3D, using the existing Dementium engine. Dementium looks great, and we certainly wouldn't want poor, tiny Renegade Kid to blow any unnecessary resources, so good for them.All we can do now is speculate about what Project M is. The long-awaited Mork and Mindy game? A megaphone simulator in which you yell into the DS and your voice is amplified and distorted by the tiny speakers (in 3D)? Or are we assuming the wrong word stress for "Project", obscuring the game's true identity as an adventure in which your goal is to run around town turning on projectors in order to project the letter M? [Via press release]
Dementium: Sneaky Torsos, Vomiting Maws, and some simple strategy
Facing off against terrifying, ungodly beasts can be a little traumatic, but not knowing how to defend yourself against those abominations is even more frightening. When you tear open your copy of Dementium (perhaps obtained gratis from us), how will you proceed? DS Fanboy is here to help. This guide should be just what you need to gain a slight edge in learning how to deal with some of the more unpleasant residents of The Ward in a quick and painless (well, at least for you) manner. Of course, nothing beats experience -- but for now, settle back for a little spooky Halloween strategizing. %Gallery-4929%
Mastiff to publish Renegade Kid's Dementium followup: 'Project M'
Timed to coincide with today's release of the Gamecock-published horror FPS Dementium: The Ward, publisher Mastiff has announced that they'll be taking over the publishing role for developer Renegade Kid's sophomore effort.We still don't know much about the followup, except that it will also be on Nintendo DS, will use the same 3D engine as Dementium, and goes by the ominous working title "Project M." Will it be another M-rated scare fest, or does that 'M' stand for something far less frightening ... maybe Project Mittens or Project Milk (and cookies)? Oh, who are we kidding, look at that skull in their logo! It's probably Project Manhunticide.
Scares and heartwarming fan letters at the Dementium launch party
Gamecock held the launch party for their first title, Renegade Kid's Dementium: The Ward last night in Austin, Texas, and we (knew some people who) were on the scene to report on the creepy goings-on. Did any gruesome monster attacks take place? You'll have to wait until the end of this sentence to find out (they didn't)!Apparently people are so eager for a DS horror game that they've been writing in to Gamecock to share their excitement. According to chief executive Mike Wilson, an industry veteran since Doom days, the amount of mail received is unusual for an unreleased game-- which bodes well for consumer interest.The party continued with a short film and a performance by The Unbearables, and nobody fell into the hellish depths of madness or anything. Check out the Joystiq link for video and a gallery! And hit the Unbearables link above for some free music!
DS Fanswag: Check into The Ward
We've been talking about it forever, and now you've got a chance to win it -- a copy of Dementium: The Ward, valued at $29.99, will land in the lap of one lucky reader. Want it? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post talking about the scariest moment you've ever had playing a horror game. Did someone happen to slip up behind you while you were sneaking past Bad Things? We want to hear about it. Never been scared? Flex your anti-horror muscles all you want. Just leave a comment -- and remember, you can only enter once per day -- between now and Sunday, November 4, because at 11:59 EST, we'll be closing down the contest. Monday, November 5, we'll toss everyone into the random drawing and choose one winner, who'll receive a spankin' new copy of the game. There are, of course, a few caveats. Winners must be both U.S. citizens and over the age of 18. You can check out the full official rules here.
Fan-made Dementium trailer creeps us out
There's not much to say about this trailer, except that it's full of understated brilliance. Dementium: The Ward videos have all (successfully) tried to scare the crap out of us, but somehow this one is the most disturbing. At the very least, it's certainly the most comical. Interestingly enough, this video is fan-made. Gamecock fanatic Regie Miller sent his videos to Destructoid and told them, "Whether it was Gamecock's plucky chutzpah or the Je ne sais quoi charm of a man in a rooster mask I'll never know, but one way or another this starry-eyed idea machine found its way into my heart and there it stayed and laid eggs." Oh ... okay, then.It's unclear as to whether Gamecock bought the rights to Miller's trailer, but it certainly looks that way. Since we couldn't find it at the official Dementium and Gamecock websites, however, we can't be sure.
Renegade Kid on Dementium and the limits of the DS
Last week, we spoke with Renegade Kid's Creative Director, Jools Watsham, about some of the more general challenges the fledgling developer faced when bringing survival horror to the handheld, and today we'd like to get a little more specific. Good survival horror on a handheld? Sounds like quite an undertaking, and from some of what Watsham told us, a lot of effort went into bringing a traditionally home-based experience to a portable format. From the look of horror to the sound of fear, Renegade Kid had their work cut out for them with Dementium: The Ward.%Gallery-4929%
