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StillAliveDS update adds in-game level editor
While Nintendo is busy hampering the momentum of homebrew developers on the Wii, it's business as usual for the scene with the Nintendo DS. Programmer T4ils has put out a v1.1 update for StillAliveDS, his popular 2D remake of Valve's first-person action/puzzler, Portal.In addition to general improvements and bug fixes, the indie game now features an in-game level editor! The video above demonstrates how easy it is to lay out and test your own stage. After you've saved your map, you can even upload it to the online Custom Game Directory from your DS!It's strange to see a homebrew title implementing such a relatively advanced feature (for the DS) that only a few commercial games support -- Picross DS, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, N+, Steal Princess, and Bangai-O (sort of). If you have the tools necessary for loading homebrew games on your DS, you should be playing this!%Gallery-24064%
No joke, it's Portal's 'Still Alive' in Japanese
Nearly every fanboy knows about Portal's hit song "Still Alive". A Jonathan Coulton original song performed by Aperture Science's artificial intelligence GLaDOS that has been so popular, it made its way onto Rock Band. Well, now Japanese and not so Japanese Portal fans can experience "Still Alive" a new way, translated into Japanese and sung by Hatsune Miku, a character voice that's included as part of the Vocaloid software package. What more can we say? It's "Still Alive", it's Japanese, it's odd and it's hella' entertaining.
StillAliveDS: Portable 2D Portal for DS [update]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/StillAliveDS_Portable_2D_Portal_for_DS'; Following on the heels of Homebrew Week, our coverage of the DS's indie development scene, programmer T4ils has released StillAliveDS, a fantastic 2D remake of Valve's first-person action/puzzler, Portal. Much like the PC game, players must rely on their wits (and a portal gun) to transport themselves around each stage, aiming shots with their stylus and grabbing pieces of cake along the way. It might not have the graphics of the original, but it definitely has the feel and charm. Hit the screenshots in the gallery below to see what we mean.Along with the maps included with the game, T4ils has also released an editor for players to create their own levels. We haven't tried it out yet, but there's even some built-in functionality for sharing and downloading maps right from your DS. And it's all free for you to download and play!Not sure about how to get started with playing homebrew games on your Nintendo DS? Luckily for you, we've written up a (Semi) Ultimate Homebrew Guide with information on the hardware you'll need and how to set it all up! How awesome of us! [Update: For those of you having trouble getting past the menu screen, walk up to the box in the middle of the room and try to grab it with your stylus. This may take a few tries, unfortunately, but we found it easier if you're just a few pixels away from the box. After you grab the box, carry it over to the "Story" box. ]See also: Show and Tell: Lies, damned lies, and DS Lites%Gallery-24064%[via Dev-fr]
Harmonix confirms 'Still Alive' will be free 'indefinitely'
Let them eat cake! A Harmonix representative has confirmed to Joystiq that the delicious download of Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" is planned to be at "no charge indefinitely."Major Nelson noted that the download would be forever gratuit on his Twitter, but on this high holy day of foolery we just wanted to double triple quadruple check with the source. So all the procrastinators out there can take their sweet time picking up the song on XBM and PSN users -- who won't get the song until April 17 -- don't need to worry they'll somehow miss the free period.[Via X3F]
Rock Band 'Still Alive' DLC will always be free
Just in case you were worried about not being able to grab the new "Still Alive" Rock Band downloadable content for free before it's promotional period (you procrastinating bum), you can rest easy now. Major Nelson just confirmed that Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" will forever be a free DLC download off the XBLM. That means future Rock Band purchasers will be able to get their GLaDOS fix for free, whenever they get around to downloading it. Applause to Microsoft, EA, Harmonix and Valve for working together to make this happen. Teamwork FTW!
Rock Band: 'Still Alive' DLC tomorrow ... for FREE!
We have super, fantastic, amazing, glorious, superb and geeky Rock Band news for you today. Hmxsean just announced tomorrow's Rock Band downloadable content (seeing that it wasn't announced last Friday) and folks, it's finally here. Revealed back during GDC, Portal's hit song "Still Alive" by Jonathan Coulton will be available for download tomorrow off the XBLM for (get this) 0 Microsoft points. Yes sir, they're offering the "Still Alive" Rock Band DLC for FREE! And even though it's April Fool's day tomorrow, we don't expect this announcement to be a fool. Because, if it were, Harmonix employees would have to fear for their lives. We just have to say it again, but this time in caps ... "STILL ALIVE" WILL BE A FREE ROCK BAND DOWNLOAD TOMORROW! W00T!Also, just to fuel the fanboy fires, the rockers over on the Playstation 3 will have to wait a few weeks to get their "Still Alive" DLC fix. Mwahahaha, enjoy![Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Rock Band Weekly: 'Still Alive' free now on XBM, April 17 for PSN
[Update 7:30pm ET: Our poker buddies at X3F let us know that the extremely impatient amongst you need wait no longer. That's right, "Still Alive" is available on Xbox 360 right now; unfortunately, PS3 owners still have to wait until April 17th. Go get it!] var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Still_Alive_the_Portal_Song_FREE_this_week_on_Rock_Band'; This is a triumph! And, of course, by "triumph" we really mean "not an April Fool's joke." Harmonix has just announced availability and pricing details for the Rock Band release of Jonathan Coulton's cult hit "Still Alive": it's dropping tomorrow for the low, low price of $0.00.Individual song "Still Alive" - Jonathan Coulton (0 MS points/ $0) Video for this week's Rock Band DLC is after the break (including our own vid of Coulton performing the song in Rock Band live!). We're going to warn you now that the song is a spoiler for Portal, but if you haven't spent the three hours to finish Joystiq's GOTY by this point ... well, we're sorry. "Still Alive" will be available tomorrow on Xbox Live and on April 17 for PSN due to the store update.
Video: Coulton performs Rock Band DLC 'Still Alive'
Our Joystiq pals just posted a video of Jonathan Coulton's Friday night performance of (recently announced as Rock Band DLC) "Still Alive" at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall. Coulton brought a few folks on stage including tech guy Leo Laporte and Mahalo's Veronica Belmont to participate in the "Still Alive" performance. Their Rock Band skills are lukewarm at best, but we get the general idea and can't wait to sing to "Still Alive" from the comforts of our Rock Band setup at home. And in even more exciting news, Joystiq got a chance to chat with a few Harmonix employees who attended the concert and learned that currently (though subject to change) the "Still Alive" DLC single will be downloadable for $.99. For that price, no true Rock Band'er or Portal'er should be without GLaDOS' mega-hit.
Video: Jonathan Coulton performing 'Still Alive' Rock Band DLC
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Video_Jonathan_Coulton_performing_Still_Alive_in_Rock_Ban'; On Friday night we were lucky enough to witness a pretty special event: geek-rock troubadour Jonathan Coulton performing his song "Still Alive" at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall. There's nothing new about that, he's been performing it since Portal's release last year. What is new is that he was playing it in Rock Band, where it's due to be released as downloadable content, and we just so happened to get it all on camera. Unfortunately, most of Coulton's Rock Band band wasn't quite up to his level, with the lone exception of ... hey, it's Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont, who you should recognize from her GDC videos here on Joystiq. One of the Harmonix folks there told us the track was only in production for an unusually short six weeks, thanks in no small part to Valve's willingness (you might even call it eagerness) to license the song. They also said that, though nothing has been finalized yet, they're expecting the track to be attractively priced at $0.99 leaving you no reason to avoid it. High-def video embedded after the break.
GDC08: Jonathan Coulton scores 95% vocals on Rock Band's Still Alive
It's hard not to love Jonathan Coulton (or JoCo), especially if you're a fan of Valve's Portal. The recent news that Still Alive will be coming to Rock Band as downloadable content was accompanied by JoCo's appearance at Valve's party on Wednesday. Mr. Coulton posted to his personal blog about the experience yesterday, noting that he 'only' got 95% vocals on the song he created. The question we've been asking ourselves is: who is singing the song on the track - Coulton or GLaDOS?He also noted that Portal snagged the Game of the Year, Best Game Design, and the Innovation Award nods from the GDCAs. Coulton observed that BioShock had won the GDCA award for Best Writing, a merit he thinks should have gone to Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw's work on that quirky game about tests, thinking, and cake. Luckily for Wolpaw and Faliszek, they're the first winners of the (soon to be coveted) Jonathan Coulton award; maybe the GDCAs should rename the prize for Best Audio?
GDC08: Portal's "Still Alive" to be Rock Band DLC
Filed under news that'll make Portal fans squeal with joy, Rock Band's hmxsean just confirmed that the Portal hit "Still Alive" by GLaDOS will be releasing as Rock Band DLC in the near future. And that deserves a w00tacular! The news was revealed last night at Harmonix's GDC party where the man behind "Still Alive", Jonathan Coulton took the stage to make the announcement and play through the song with a few Harmonix developers. We guess this time the cake ended up not being a lie. Sweet.[Via Joystiq]
GDC08: Still Alive coming to Rock Band
There are plenty of parties here at the conference, and they're usually not the best source of news. So imagine our surprise when we read this morning that Valve used their party on Wednesday night to let it slip that Jonathan Coulton's brilliant song "Still Alive" would be available as DLC on Rock Band.As if that weren't face-meltingly cool enough, the announcement was made by Harmonix staffers who took to the stage to play the song on their Rock Band instruments alongside Coulton himself. When is it coming? We don't know. Will it been soon enough? No. It will not.
See the Top 12 covers of Portal's 'Still Alive'
We've mentioned before that we worry the internet is close to killing the golden goose of Portal references, with no small amount of help from your friends at Joystiq. That doesn't mean, of course, that we're in any way tired of the game's big finale, Jonathan Coulton's brilliant song "Still Alive." YouTubers are just as smitten as us apparently, with enough covers popping up on the service for GameSetWatch to compile a Top 12 list.We think their #1 pick is pretty much irrefutably awesome, leaving us to debate only which cover makes us the most uncomfortable. We have selected the video above, a heart-melting salvo of earnest warbling and ... props. Don't worry, sweetheart. It's called an awkward phase because it will, eventually, end.[Hey visitors from Jonathan Coulton's blog! As Coulton himself pointed out, you probably shouldn't be mean to this young lady for sharing her song with the internet. She seems like she could be the world's sweetest human, and karma can be a real pain about stuff like that.]
Orange Box game, soundtrack, on sale online and in-store this weekend
Continuing our mission to help everyone acquire The Orange Box regardless of financial means, we deliver the following news. If that last-minute Steam sale just isn't for you – who knows, maybe you don't game on a PC, or don't have a credit card, or don't have broadband, or don't have a roof over your head – Valve just let us know that "leading online and retail outlets around the world" will be discounting the gaming superpack this weekend. So if you've got gift cards to blow and/or you're looking for a console version, check out GameUK in the uh, UK or Best Buy in the States.Maybe you've already got the game, but just can't get the sound of it out of your head. If so, consider the official soundtrack, on sale at Amazon in delicious un-DMRed MP3 format for the new low price of $7.99. if you're into just the hot new hit single "Still Alive," snag just that for $0.89. Oh, and speaking of "Still Alive" peep this recent interview with the mad scientist behind the song, Jonathan Coulton. Referring to his understanding of GLaDOS, Coulton says, "It helps that my own personal conflict resolution techniques rely heavily on passive-aggressive behavior." Hey, us too! We expect Coulton to contribute some more video game tunes in the future -- at least if he wants us to keep writing about him.
Bowser is still annoyed with Mario
This may be our second reference to "Still Alive" (aka "that song from Portal") in as many weeks, but some things can't be helped. This time the song is parodied by Rob Balder, and tells the woes of an end boss that Nintendo fans might be more familiar with. That's right, the song features none other than Bowser, and he's not too pleased with Mario. Check after the break to listen to the parody, which is aptly called "Still Annoyed."
Jonathan Coulton sings Portal's 'Still Alive'
If you haven't gotten the note about Portal yet, well, it was a HUGE SUCCESS. We can't really overstate our satisfaction and for those who would like to hear the song from the finale sung by the original creator, Jonathan Coulton, we've got one video above and another after the break. Just to reiterate, the song does give away plot points -- but seriously, finish Portal already, it's done in an afternoon.The video above is from a concert in Atlanta and the one after the break is from the AT&T channel when they visited Coulton at his home studio in Brooklyn. Spoiler Alert: Oh, the AT&T people also feed Coulton cake, but there's something wrong with it -- and, no, it's not a lie.
