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Wii's Sam & Max Season 1 premieres on Oct. 7
Telltale Games continues to display respectable business acumen by releasing the first season of its episodic adventure, Sam & Max: Freelance Police, on the Wii. You can expect to find the lovable doggy detective and his demonstrably deranged bunny thing in North American stores on October 7th, complete with newfangled "widescreen" support and a tutorial. Remember, point ... then click.If you consider yourself of a fan of the highly untrained duo, you'll want to investigate a pre-order offer from Gamestop, which sweetens the $30 deal with a bonus CD (see: behind-the-scenes "making of" featurette, trailers, concept art, a soundtrack sampler, and desktop wallpapers). Nice, though we would have preferred a Prismatology book.%Gallery-32134%
ScummVM now has limited GameCube and Wii support
The homebrew community is the best. Not only have they allowed us to do things that we never thought possible on the Wii (like play GoldenEye 007 and watch our favorite movies), but now they're hard at work coming up with ways for us to enjoy classic point-and-click adventure games on the platform. While we won't be able to, say, play Sam & Max Hit the Road yet, the current release (version 0.12.0) has support for 5 games. These include: The Legend of Kyrandia: Book Two: Hand of Fate The Legend of Kyrandia: Book Three: Malcolm's Revenge Lost in Time The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble Drascula: The Vampire Strikes Back Sure, it's no Secret of Monkey Island or anything, but progress is being made so that we need not rely entirely upon Telltale for our point-and-click fix. We're excited for a future where we can enjoy all of those classics on our Wii. [Via Slashdot] The homebrew community has been hard at work creating wonderful experiences for you to enjoy with your Wii. Did you know about homebrew game Masteroids? Or how about the shmup OpenTyrian? Outside of games, people have been using the Balance Board to come up with some really neat stuff. Keep up with the homebrew scene by staying current with our Homebrew category!
Born for Wii: Sam & Max Hit the Road
In 1987 Lucasfilm Games (now better known as Lucasarts) released a little game called Maniac Mansion. And while Maniac Mansion is a great game in its own right, the effects of its creation were considerably more significant -- it kicked off more than a decade of Lucasarts adventure games, launched the SCUMM engine that would form the framework for each adventure, and inadvertently led to the production of some of the best PC games of all time. One of those games was Sam & Max Hit the Road.Arguably released at the height of the adventure game's popularity in 1993, Sam & Max Hit the Road is possibly the zaniest of Lucasarts's adventure titles. The titular characters were originally created for a comic book by artist/writer Steve Purcell, but they eventually found their way into Lucasarts when Purcell began working on games such as The Secret of Monkey Island. Sam, the leader of the pair, is a canine gumshoe decked out in the traditional film noir suit and tie. Max is a lagomorph, though he's often referred to as a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing" who has a penchant for violence. Together, they are the freelance police, and their original 1993 adventure outing is the perfect opportunity for the Wii to catch a classic. #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >> %Gallery-30959% Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Power Stone 2, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
Joystiq talks with Telltale about Wii and the future
No, they aren't predicting the apocalypse or anything, but their future on the Wii seems almost certain. When asked if SBCG4AP sold more on the PC or Wii, they were quick to note that performance on Nintendo's system beat the PC. How was it to work with Nintendo? "Working with Nintendo's been pretty good," commented designer Mark Darin. "All the help that Nintendo's been giving us and allowing us the opportunity to be on WiiWare has been great for our company and great for getting titles like SBCG4AP out there to a new audience who maybe isn't used to Adventure games. It's been a great partnership with Nintendo so far." Telltale also goes on to talk about the system's hardware and what challenges that presented, as well as Sam & Max on the console. So be sure to read the full interview over at Joystiq.
PAX 2008: TellTale talks Wii, IP licensing and the future
TellTale, purveyors of all things pointy and clicky, were kind enough to have a natter with us on the PAX show floor. Designer, Mark Darin, and PR Manager, Emily Morgant, chat to us regarding developing for the Wii, how deals for the Sam and Max, Homestar Runner and Wallace and Gromit franchises came about and plans for the future. Hint: we won't be finding out about any more TellTale products for a little while. Are there any plans to bring any of TellTale's properties on to XBLA or PSN?Mark: Start with the hard questions! I don't really have too many answers to that. I know that we're looking to get on as many platforms as we can. We're talking to people about opportunities but no solid plans right now. Emily: I would add to that that when we announced that we coming out with a WiiWare game and it was already in production and that it would be coming out a few months later, everybody was very surprised. We do things and don't talk about them.How has your experience been with Nintendo's platform versus the PC?Mark: Working with Nintendo's been pretty good. Actually our production process is kind of streamlined and our TellTale Tool is created to work well with multiple systems. So for us there's really no bottleneck, it's the same as working on the PC environment. All the help that Nintendo's been giving us and allowing us the opportunity to be on WiiWare has been great for our company and great for getting titles like SBCG4AP out there to a new audience who maybe isn't used to Adventure games. It's been a great partnership with Nintendo so far.
Wii releases this week: Sam and Max edition
This week, we've got a bunch of new games releasing on the Wii. Seriously, there are plenty of options this week if gamers are looking for something fun to play on the Wii. If you can only snag one thing, we'd suggest Sam & Max: Season One. There is some seriously awesome content in that one.This week's Wii releases are: MLB Power Pros 2008 SNK Arcade Classics V.1 King of Clubs Mini Golf Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge Sam & Max: Season One Ford Racing Off Road Are you picking up something new this week?%Gallery-23759%
Play it again, Sam ... and Max
While the first Wii media for the upcoming Sam and Max: Season One wasn't particularly enlightening, it was pretty funny -- a staple of the S&M (wow, bet Telltale didn't think that one through) series. That has all changed with the latest trailer, as the titular characters give us a sneak peek at their entire adventure catalogue.Many gamers may have missed out on the comedy duo's episodic capers during its run on the PC, so the chance to pick up the entire first season on the adventure-capable Wii is a no-brainer. You'll find noir-style music, wisecrackin' rats and beating up old people in the promising video, so there's no reason it won't be totally awesome. Look out for Reality 2.0 in Q3 2008.%Gallery-23759%
E308: Finding clues in Sam & Max screens
Not a PC gamer, eh? Don't worry -- one of the best (and funniest) PC adventure games is heading Wii-ward this August. There's not much that Telltale or Dreamcatcher can reveal about Sam & Max: Season One, considering it's a port and all. To make up for it, though, they tossed in some fresh screens for adventure fiends to check out.They're in our gallery below, so hit that up for new pics.%Gallery-23759%
Pushing buttons in Sam & Max
IGN had some hands-on time with the Wii version of Telltale's Sam & Max: Season One and found the experience pleasing. This should come as no surprise, since the game has been out and good on the PC for a couple of years now. But at least it doesn't sound like a disastrous port!The report describes the experience of using the Wiimote instead of a mouse -- specifically how Telltale mapped the controls. In addition to basic point-and-click movement, Telltale has implemented a feature from the PC Season Two that causes Sam to walk more quickly to a spot when the A button is tapped twice. The Wiimote can be used in two ways in the game's driving segments: either to steer the car or to shoot at stuff using the pointer.If you're using the Internet Channel, we suggest using its unique point-and-click navigation system to maneuver to IGN's screenshots. Or just the mouse, if you're on a normal old computer.%Gallery-23759%
LucasArts' PC adventures possible on DS, stalled by size limitations
To this day, it baffles us that LucasArts still hasn't re-released its library of adventure titles, if only so our non-gaming friends can believe us when we tell them the developer "doesn't just make Star Wars games." Speaking to Eurogamer, Fracture assistant producer Jeffrey Gullett said it's something they've looked into it but that there's an issue of size limitations for a DS version. Said Gullet, "The cart size of the DS makes it impossible to put out ports of any of our old graphic adventures ... There's literally not enough room on those carts to put the games out." The standard DS cart supports up to 256MB (but with slower data transfer speeds), while the DS version of ScummVM is just over 7MB. We're not sure if Gullet meant the entire LucasArts adventure library wouldn't fit on a cart, but we're willing to bet you could at least get the first three Monkey Islands under 128MB.
Sam and Max in motion
While some of you are still enjoying the beauty of those rad Sam and Max screens from yesterday, the more cunning fans have happened upon a new technology, where pictures actually move! Yeah, it's something else! We're thinking of caling it "Non-Stationary Speedy Image Rearrangement."The first trailer for the Wii release of Sam and Max: Season One has just hit the web, and it's looking mighty fine. We look forward to sinking our teeth into another adventure game for the Wii (after a certain, ah, resounding success), and August can't come quickly enough. Perhaps some kind of Non-Stationary Time Manipulation Device is in order ...%Gallery-23759%[Via GoNintendo]
New Sam & Max screens require no puzzle-solving to view
Click for larger image Unless you consider clicking on one of the thumbnails at the bottom of this post a puzzle, consider these new screens from the upcoming Wii adaptation of the episodic PC title on the house. All we ask is that you give them a good home and care for them as much as we have. It took quite a bit of effort to get Sam & Max Season One onto the Wii, so don't go wasting that effort by ignoring delicious new screens.So, hit up the gallery below and then tell us how you're handling the wait for the game!%Gallery-23759%
Sam & Max to release this August
Adventure game fans, take note: Sam & Max: Season One will be hitting Wii's this August. Those looking forward to solving crimes and revealing conspiracies with a six-foot tall canine and his violence-loving rabbit partner (read: us) are probably champing at the bit right now. Since Telltale was being so coy about Sam & Max coming to the Wii in the first place, we're surprised that the game is hitting retail so soon!Season One and Season Two are already available in full for the PC, but this will be the duo's first console outing. [Via Shacknews]
Telltale talks about Strong Bad, Sam & Max
The folks at Telltale Games have been talking up Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, as well as the upcoming Wii port of Sam & Max, to TheBBPS. Aside from what was said to Joystiq last week, the team at Telltale Games revealed that the Strong Bad game will be running on the same engine that powers Sam & Max. Also revealed about Strong Bad is the inclusion of a "bizarre 'edutainment' title" in one of the upcoming episodes.In regards to Sam & Max, the decision to go with a retail product made more sense, but they aren't ruling out the possibility of hitting up WiiWare.%Gallery-20307%[Via X3F]
TellTale Games wants Sam and Max on your PS3
In a recent interview with THEBBPS, TellTale Games' Emily Morganti made it very clear that there are no limits to the company's imagination when it comes to distribution methods for TellTale's games. Currently Sam and Max is only available on the PC via the TellTale website or Valve's PC gaming platform, Steam. This will soon change as the anthropomorphised crime fighting duo are making an appearance on the Wii this Fall. Then where? Morganti reiterated their desire to release content on the XBL Marketplace, adding that they're "not ruling out other platforms in the future. We're interested in PlayStation, also... we want our games to be everywhere!" Everywhere eh? How about looking into making some of your titles Mac compatible? With Sony's increased interest in episodic entertainment, TellTale's current software library would be a perfect fit for the PSN -- not to mention upcoming titles like Strong Bad's Awesome Game For Attractive People. We can't stress enough how much we would love to see this happen. [Via our pals at X3F]
Sam & Max Season 3 coming early 2009, Telltale interested in XBLA, PS3
Holy sandpaper grinding against the rough side of cactus on the fourth Friday of the month! In an interview with The BBPS, Telltale's Emily Morganti confirms that Season 3 of Sam & Max isn't due out until 2009. The previous two seasons were released 387 days apart, so it comes as a bummer to all of us who had already marked our calendars (with a permanent marker, no less!) for Sunday, November 31, 2008.Morganti also said that the company is interested in bringing Sam & Max to the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 in addition to the already-announced Wii-lease. "Our tools currently allow us to develop for PC, Xbox 360, and Wii," she said, later adding, "We're interested in PlayStation, also... we want our games to be everywhere!" Morganti also answered a question about Sam & Max's chances of coming to the Mac ... but the answer is just too painful for us to write about.[Via X3F]
Telltale still looking to bring Sam & Max to XBLA
If the world was ruled by Telltale Games everyone would respect talking animals and Sam & Max would be on the Xbox Live Arcade, the second part at least is the word from Telltale's Emily Morganti. In an interview with Jim Squires from THEBBPS, Morganti confirmed the developer still wants Sam & Max to visit the Arcade."We'd still like to do it. Our tools currently allow us to develop for PC, Xbox 360, and Wii," Morganti said. "We're not ruling out other platforms in the future. We're interested in PlayStation, also... we want our games to be everywhere!"Sam & Max has been a popular series for Telltale as the episodic adventure series has found success releasing exclusively with GameTap's online service-- a PC version of Sam & Max: Season One was recently released to retail.With the recent release of Penny Arcade Adventures' first episode on Xbox Live Arcade and the recent increase of file size for downloadable games, we're hoping Sam & Max can find a home on the Xbox 360 in the very near future.
Telltale speaks about Sam & Max, Wii
We don't have to tell you longtime readers of the site how excited we are for Sam & Max on the Wii. No longer will those of us who don't have the desire or hardware specs to download the game on our PC be left without an option to play these undoubtedly great episodes (not to mention Strong Bad, which we have high hopes for). Sad to say, though, that this doesn't mean the episodes from Season Two will see a simultaneous release on the Wii.This, and more, were said in an interview with CVG. Telltale's Emily Morganti and Dave Grossman took time out of their day to explain a bit about the Wii version of Sam & Max, as well as comment on what they think it takes to make a successful adventure game. Their secret? Mountain lions.
Reminder: You can still win Sam & Max Season 2!
"Holy rollerblading geriatrics on a steeply inclined lido deck, Max! The deadline for our Season 2 giveaway is set to pounce tomorrow at 5PM EST!""Dead lion, Sam? I thought we adopted a strictly enforced ban on ferocious, undead felines in the office.""You crack me up, little buddy. Who did you name as your favorite adventure game character in the giveaway post, anyway? Was it ... me?""None of your damn business, Sam."
Telltale brings Strong Bad to attractive people
Wow, we never thought we'd be writing about Strong Bad twice in one week on a Wii blog. Yet, Telltale finally announced their oh-so-secret WiiWare game, which will feature everyone's favorite Homestar Runner mascot. Titled Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, this series will consist of five episodes that will come out on a monthly basis. (As it turns out, the "actual gameplay footage" at the end of the Strong Bad Gameways video is actual gameplay footage!)Like Sam & Max, this game will be in the adventure genre, involving humor, puzzles, and point-and-click goodness. Telltale has also added some neat time-wasting extras, like checking Strong Bad's emails, making prank phone calls, and playing arcade games styled after the ones on Homestar Runner's site.Between bringing this and Sam & Max to the Wii, we're so in love with Telltale right now. If you're excited, too, make sure to check out the official webpage for SBCG4AP, which just went live (and has a gameplay trailer!).(Note: Sorry for the delay in putting this news up; we were waiting for Telltale to release assets for the game first, to make this post as thorough as possible.)%Gallery-20307%[Via press release; also, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
