Terry Cavanagh
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‘VVVVVV’ creator Terry Cavanagh’s new game only exists inside ‘Roblox’
Terry Cavanagh, best known for his work on VVVVVV and Super Hexagon, has released a free new game you can play inside of Roblox.
This is VVVVVV on iPad, dev says mobile, Vita ports imminent
Gravity-twisting platformer VVVVVV should arrive on iOS and Android soon, after creator Terry Cavanagh said the mobile ports are "ready to submit any day now." According to Cavanagh, the Nicalis-developed Vita port is "imminent" too. Aside from its roaring chiptune soundtrack, VVVVVV is known for its challenging, twitchy platforming. Players have to move quickly while flipping the direction of gravity if they hope to navigate its mazey landscapes. It sounds like a tough thing to translate well to touchscreens, but Cavanagh reckons he's done just that. The Super Hexagon creator admitted gamepad controls are always going to be better for the kind of game VVVVVV is, but he added the swipe-and-hold controls he's implemented "are feeling really nice." Cavanagh posted a video of him navigating one of the game's hardest sequences on iPad, but don't be fooled into thinking you'll find it just as easy. The man is a beast at his own games, even relative to most devs; watch him play Super Hexagon if you don't believe us. [Image: Terry Cavanagh]
If you haven't played Don't Look Back, today's the day to change that
Don't Look Back is a very brief, very challenging game made by Terry Cavanagh, who is better known for popular titles Super Hexagon and VVVVVV. The game is free on the App Store, and it can be beaten in a lunch break. It also happens to be one of the most thought-provoking experiences you can have on your iPhone or iPad. The game starts out with you, a nameless, faceless character standing before a grave. Nothing about the story is explained for the entirety of the game, but you're immediately able to move forward and explore. You soon find a gun, as well as a variety of fast-moving enemies. You'll shoot the various living threats -- which include snakes, bats, and spiders -- and avoid traps to survive as you push forward for seemingly no reason. The entire adventure is so short that I really don't want to spoil the mid-game twist for you, but suffice it to say that the reason for the game's name becomes immediately apparent once you've crossed the halfway point. The game ends sooner than you expect, which ends up leaving you with more questions than answers, and you're left to draw your own conclusions about who you are, and who it was that lies below that mysterious gravestone. Don't Look Back has been available on the App Store for over a year, but it's never really received the recognition that it deserves. It's totally free, there's no in-app purchases, no achievements, and only the hollow shell of a plot, but it remains one of finest examples of experimental game design on the App Store. Play it.
Flappy Jam launches in support of Flappy Bird dev, Fall Out Boy joins the party
Flappy Bird may have flown the coop, but indie developers are banding together in support of the dangerously addictive app with Flappy Jam, an open-invitation challenge to design difficult, avian-themed games in the vein of Flappy Bird. One popular entry emerging from the event is Terry Cavanagh's Maverick Bird, a refined take on Flappy Bird's formula featuring aesthetic elements similar to Cavanagh's Super Hexagon. Developer Adam Saltsman joins the friendly competition with Flappybalt, a reworked version of his genre-defining endless runner Canabalt. An unlikely (and perhaps unwitting) entry comes from pop punk band Fall Out Boy, which plans to release its own version of Flappy Bird for Android and iOS devices later this week, according to BBC News. "Rome wasn't built in a day, but this game was," the band posted on its official website. "We bring you Fall Out Bird. [C]oming this week to Google Play and the App Store (as soon it's approved)." "Shoutout to the OG Flappy Bird," the band adds. "RIP." [Image: Terry Cavanagh]
VVVVVV sets a course for PS Vita, iOS, Android and Ouya
Indie puzzle platformer VVVVVV will launch on PS Vita, iOS, Android and Ouya this year, creator Terry Cavanagh has announced. VVVVVV follows Captain Viridian, lost in arguably the most dangerous alternate dimension ever conceived, as he searches for his missing crew. In a blog post welcoming in the new year, Cavanagh reveals he's had "an incomplete iOS version of the game working for over a year now," but that other projects got in the way of him finishing it up. He spent time trying to wrap up the iOS port over the holidays, however, and adds he'd "really like to get that out soon, though." The PS Vita port has been in development at Nicalis since last year and is based on the 3DS version of VVVVVVV. Cavanagh says the ports "will very likely be the last thing I ever do with VVVVVV."
TuneCore explains music-based YouTube claims
Following music-related copyright claims on Terry Cavanagh's trailer for his own game, VVVVVV, as well as composer Magnus Pålsson's discovery that he was getting copyright claims on his own music, music distributor TuneCore has released an explanation for its role in the situation. Both Cavanagh and Pålsson stated that the claims were made by YouTube music network INDMUSIC, which Tune Core has partnered with to license music involved in its publishing deals. TuneCore's post explains that when artists sign a publishing deal with TuneCore, they are granted "the right to collect the royalties [their] compositions earn when they're downloaded, streamed, and used around the world." This includes usage on services like Spotify and YouTube. The same post offers a step-by-step walkthrough for artists that wish to have their channel whitelisted so that it's not monetized by TuneCore and INDMUSIC. However, TuneCore notes that even if artists whitelist their personal accounts, "TuneCore and INDMUSIC will still monetize other people's videos on YouTube that use your music, and you'll collect that money. Unfortunately, it sounds like Pålsson's desire to allow Let's Plays and reviewers to use his music without collecting revenue isn't compatible with TuneCore's publishing deal, even if he whitelists his own channel.
Super Hexagon shrinks to 16kb in Commodore 64 demake
Terry Cavanagh's endlessly vexing action game Super Hexagon travels back a few decades for its latest port, arriving mostly intact on the Commodore 64 via the fan-made tribute Micro Hexagon. Homebrew enthusiasts Paul Koller and Mikkel Hastrup created 8-bit version of Super Hexagon as part of this year's RGCD C64 Cartridge Development Competition, following up on Koller's previous C64 ports of Super Crate Box and Canabalt. It's an impressive piece of work considering the hardware (dig that rotation effect!), and comes complete with a SID rendition of the original game's thumping soundtrack. Micro Hexagon is available as a free download, and is playable on emulators and original C64 hardware.
Super Hexagon creator unveils free browser-based puzzler Naya's Quest
Terry Cavanagh recently released a new flash-based game, Naya's Quest. The enjoyable little adventure game has players traversing through an abandoned town to "the edge," an isometric world full of puzzling rooms. The attractive, challenging platformer also has a catchy soundtrack, which Cavanagh created and released on BandCamp. Cavanagh is best known for crafting VVVVVV and Super Hexagon. Naya's Quest is one of six free games listed on Cavanagh's site, and one that you should probably spend time with right now.
VVVVVV heading to VVVVVVita
Terry Cavanagh's challenging platformer VVVVVV is heading to PlayStation Vita, Sony announced during its PlayStation Indie Arcade event at PAX Prime. VVVVVV first launched on PC in January 2010, then showed up on the 3DS eShop in December 2011. No release date was given for the Vita version of the gravity-flipping, chiptune-infested game.
Experiment 12 has 12 cooks in the kitchen
Indie games are a common source of experimental ideas that are free to run in the unrestricted fields of self-publishing. Experiment 12 should be a mindmelt then, because it stands as a 12-chapter collaboration between 12 different indie developers. Chapters switch between genres and art styles, moving from retro, side-scrolling platformers to three-dimensional, first-person explorers. Michael Brough, Jasper Byrne, Terry Cavanagh, Jake Clover, Alan Hazelden, Jack King-Spooner, Richard Perrin, Benn Powell, Ian Snyder, TheBlackMask, Robert Yang and Zaratustra all contributed to Experiment 12. The result is a cross-genre game that resonates the strength of each developer in their respective chapter. Players can immediately skip to their favorite developer's chapter at the cost of ruining the game's narrative for themselves. Experiment 12 is available for Windows here, but Terry Cavanagh's website says a Mac version will be available "soonish." It's also free, so what excuse is there to pass it up?
More unfinished business: Cavanagh's vectorized tongues and the RPG that doesn't exist
This is the second half of a two-part series chronicling the unfinished works of seasoned indie developer Terry Cavanagh. For the first half, click all up on this. Terry Cavanagh's next confessionary Vine of unfinished projects started with a psychedelic look at his most recently abandoned idea, a first-person exploration game. "The idea was that'd be some way to manipulate your position in the game and access areas that were outside the game world; procedurally generated noise places of some sort," Cavanagh told us. "I liked the idea of randomly filling a world with information and abilities and letting the player figure it out by just poking around in areas I hadn't specifically designed for them – making a genuine playable minus world. Anyway, I was working on this before GDC, and when I was there I saw another game that was basically doing the same thing but better, so I scrapped my game. It happens, no big deal."
Terry Cavanagh picks up 'proper, meaty puzzle game,' Halting Problem
Terry Cavanagh throws a ton of game ideas into the online hive mind, and it looks like he found one that sticks with Halting Problem (tentative title). Last week Cavanagh posted a set of Vines – "Pushing a block" and "Fistbump" – and this weekend he wrote in his blog that Halting Problem will probably be his "main focus for a while." "A proper, meaty puzzle game is something I've wanted to make for ages, and I'm having lots of fun just messing around with the mechanics for this one and seeing what I can make out of them," Cavanagh said. It's inspired by DROD, but also things like Qrostar games, Zachtronic games, and my flatmate Increpare's games." Cavanagh said he's really excited about this one – and so is that happy little sprite.
Unfinished Business: Super Hexagon creator reveals his abandonware
This Vine represents eight of VVVVVV and Super Hexagon creator Terry Cavanagh's unfinished projects – the first of three like it recently posted to the game designer's Twitter account. There's a hell of a lot of information contained within those flashing, garbled clips, but thankfully Cavanagh was willing to take our hand and guide us through each and every incomplete game he posted. Some represent ideas still to come, while others serve as bittersweet reminders of projects that will likely never see the light of day.%Gallery-187182%
Super Hexagon now on Linux, Steam alternatives now also available
Super Hexagon is now available on Linux, both through Steam and directly from its official website. PC and OSX versions of the game are also now available directly through the site, should you prefer to acquire your games straight from the tap.Like the recently ported Linux version of VVVVVV, Super Hexagon requires Ubuntu version 12.04 LTS, or "Precise Pangolin" for you codename types, a 2 GHz processor and 32 megs of hard drive space. By bringing the game to Linux, Super Hexagon has successfully made it to "all the platforms that it's ever likely to be on," creator Terry Cavanagh said on his official blog, which means we can probably stop holding out for a Game Boy Advance version.
PSA: VVVVVV now flipping around Linux via Steam
Terry Cavanagh's reorientation-oriented platformer VVVVVV is now available on Linux by way of Steam, Cavanagh announced earlier today. The port requires Ubuntu version 12.04 LTS (aka "Precise Pangolin") running on a machine only slightly more advanced than a George Foreman grill, so chances are good that your box can handle it.Cavanagh recently revealed that testing has begun on an iOS version of VVVVVV, though its release shouldn't be expected anytime soon. Meanwhile, our desperate pleas to have Xbox 360 controller support patched into the PC version of the game have thus far gone unanswered. Sources familiar with our deepest desires inform us that we'd be prepared to offer Cavanagh upwards of five dollars and a sizable baguette in exchange for this functionality.
Super Hexagon brings concentric chiptune madness to BlackBerry 10
File this one under "things we definitely weren't expecting today:" Terry Cavanagh's Super Hexagon is now available on the days-old BlackBerry 10 operating system. Currently, the only device that runs BlackBerry 10 is the BlackBerry Z10, which is available in the UK and Canada, but won't make it to carriers in the United States until March."This wasn't originally something I had lined up," Cavanagh writes. "Laurence Muller, who ported the C++ openFrameworks version of the game to Android, has an interest in BlackBerry – he maintains the unofficial Blackberry port of openFrameworks. So when Blackberry came along and asked us to do the port, we figured, let's give it a shot!"The game can be purchased from BlackBerry World, either on the Z10 or online, for $2.99. Now all we need are PlayStation Vita and 3DS ports, and Cavanagh's mobile market saturation will be absolute.
Terry Cavanagh testing VVVVVV on iPhone, not launching anytime soon
The iOS port of Terry Cavanagh's flipping-centric platformer VVVVVV is running,undergoing testing by the man himself, though that shouldn't be taken as evidence of its impending release.Cavanagh revealed via Twitter that while the game technically works, at least well enough to get two thirds of the way through without dying (above), the controls are only "acceptable" and the game won't be available to the public "for AGES." Real buttons are always the preferred control mechanism, Cavanagh added, but that he's hoping to "make it good enough to play."
Super Hexagon out on Android, temporarily $1
Terry Cavanagh's concentric chiptune masterpiece Super Hexagon is now available on most Android devices running Froyo or newer, provided said device has access to Google Play and runs hardware on par with (or better than) an iPhone 3GS.Sadly, the port's issues with the Nexus 7 have yet to be resolved, and therefore the game won't run on Google's flagship tablet. "We're going keep an eye on the situation with the Nexus 7," Cavanagh said on his official blog. "If it ever improves, you can be sure we'll make it available on that device too."To celebrate its release, the game is on sale for $0.99, though how long this promotional pricing will last remains a mystery. Seeing as Super Hexagon was our fifth favorite game of 2012, you should probably jump on that offer while it stands.
Super Hexagon on Android is 'basically done,' Nexus 7 owners out of luck
There's good news and bad news. The good news is that the Android port of Super Hexagon is "basically done," Terry Cavanagh wrote in an update on the game's progress. The bad news is that Cavanagh and Laurence Muller, who is actually coding the port, have run into a rather serious bug. The sort of goodish news is that the bug only seems to affect Google's Nexus 7 tablet.Specifically, testing on the Nexus 7 has shown a bit of input lag, meaning that player movement is registered slightly after the screen is pressed. Not a huge problem for most games, but a very big problem for Super Hexagon. As Cavanagh puts it, "even a slight control responsiveness issue like this basically kills Super Hexagon – every single touch overshoots." It's possible to play earlier levels, but the higher levels are "unplayable," which makes the game "unreleaseable" on Nexus 7.The next step for the duo is to test other Android devices for similar issues. Once that's done, the game should be released "very soon for any Android device that can handle it." Sadly, it looks like that won't include the Nexus 7.
Terry Cavanagh halts development on Nexus City and Selma's Story
Terry Cavanagh, the developer behind VVVVVV and Super Hexagon, has scrapped two projects he's been working on for two years, Nexus City and its spin-off, Selma's Story. Cavanagh began working Nexus City with writer Jonas Kyratzes in 2010, and from humble beginnings it spun out of control, until it began getting in the way of other projects, Cavanagh writes."Promising games would come along, and I'd stop myself from getting too deep into them, because I had to finish Nexus City first," he says. "Everything became a big ordered list of what I could work on and when, how long I could spend on it. It's only when a project like Super Hexagon came along, and forced itself on me – became too much to ignore, that I was able to turn that part of my head off. And I could do it, but even then I constantly had that pressure – when this is done, I need to get back to Nexus City."I don't think that's creatively healthy."With the weight of Nexus City and Selma's Story off his mind and a fairly successful year of development under his belt, Cavanagh plans to start 2013 with some time off. He's "very excited" about that, and we plan to live vicariously through him as he walks the beaches of Waikiki, plays the slots, or whatever people do while on vacation.
