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WayForward's Mighty Flip Champs out tomorrow
WayForward -- creator of the upcoming A Boy and His Blob -- has announced that its new puzzle game, Mighty Flip Champs, will release for DSiWare this week. The game has players guiding the main character, Alta, through a series of mazes, which can be flipped like pages from one screen to the other. We still haven't seen the game in action, but given WayForward's pedigree, we're hoping for good things. Mighty Flip Champs will be available June 1 for 800 points.
Where the Wild Things Are: on every console this year
Though it has yet to be announced, a few completely believable sources have spilled the e-beans about the existence of a tie-in game for the upcoming Spike Jonze-directed Where the Wild Things Are movie. Amaze Entertainment's website, in its "Company Culture" area, lists some of the games the developer has made, "as well as two titles due out later this year: Where The Wild Things Are on all console platforms and Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings for PSP."The LinkedIn profile for Jeromy Stroh, formerly of Amaze, lists both the Wild Things game, expected in October, and an "Undisclosed Disney Project" due out in December. According to the resume of animator Sun Moon, WayForward has been working on the DS version of the game since 2007. Unfortunately, we have yet to find any resumes or early documents that tell us if the game will be good or if it will be a by-the-numbers children's movie game.[Via Superannuation]
Joystiq interview: Majesco, WayForward spill the jelly beans on A Boy and His Blob
Every child wants a pet, be it a dog, cat, goldfish, or in the case of industry luminary David Crane's 1989 slice of Americana, A Boy an His Blob, a space alien with a hankering for sweets. Unlike E.T., however, Crane's extra terrestrial's fixation wasn't Reese's Pieces, but jelly beans of nearly every flavor imaginable, both delicious and gross. Not even Jelly Belly has a ketchup flavor in its confectionery arsenal, not that that's any reason to boast. Now twenty years on A Boy and His Blob is set to make its return. We recently caught up with Majesco exec Joe Sutton as well as WayForward director Sean Velasco -- and managed to even talk producer Robb Alvey down off a roller coaster to join the conversation -- to discover just what flavor of adventure we can expect out of the jelly bean-munching amoeba's hop onto the Wii. %Gallery-46747%
WayForward's new IP is DSiWare's Mighty Flip Champs
WayForward's new IP, teased last week in its newsletter, has been revealed: a DSiWare game called Mighty Flip Champs! Matt Bozon, director of Shantae and Contra 4, is in charge of the new puzzle game, which faintly evokes Away: Shuffle Dungeon.In Mighty Flip Champs, protagonist Alta navigates a series of mazes that flip from one to another like pages. Alta must position herself in one room such that she'll be in a safe position in the next (shown on the bottom screen). She then uses her Magical Warp Wand (which we are guessing represents the stylus) to trigger the flip.WayForward has yet to release the details of Mighty Flip Champs, like the pricing or date. Of course, Nintendo has yet to discuss the price structure for North American DSiWare games, so that will have to happen first.
A Boy and His Blob dev working on new IP
WayForward is exposing more of its ... way forward. Having just been revealed as the developer of the amazing-looking a boy and his blob remake for Wii, the maker of such games as Contra 4 and LIT is working on yet another new title based on an original IP, according to N-Europe. The news come via the company's official newsletter, which teases an original character named Atla (pictured), a scepter-wielding heroine who's the "champion of truth, justice and athletic shorts." There's also info on ... oh, wait, that was it. Anyway, we're not going out on a limb in speculating Atla -- seen in full here -- will don her athletic shorts on a Nintendo platform. Whether it's DS, WiiWare or a full-on Wii retail release, we're anxious to know more about this talented dev's next effort.
Video: A Boy and His Blob in action
Another gush of a boy and his blob assets has been released, this time in the form of gameplay footage. After serving up a few screenshots that had us swooning for more, two direct-feed videos are available from IGN. If the style and polish of the screenshots blew your top off, tape down a shirt and check out this impressive (and beautiful) gameplay footage. You can check out a boy (and his blob) navigating through the world -- using tactics we still recall from our childhood -- after the break. [via NintendoEverything] %Gallery-46747%
A Boy and His Blob: surprisingly sharp graphics for an amorphous character
We knew from the Nintendo Power preview that WayForward's new version of A Boy and His Blob (officially called a boy and his blob -- lower case -- for some reason) was pretty. But after looking at these direct-feed shots in full resolution, we are upgrading our estimation from "pretty" to "an absolute dream." Nobody can say anything bad about the Wii's graphical capabilities ever again. Well, they can and will, but they will be even more wrong than before. This game looks amazing. Even more screens at IGN show that a boy and his blob will feature widescreen capabilities. We'd be quite thrilled with the new game even in ugly polygons, though of course we prefer these incredibly beautiful sprites! %Gallery-46747%
A Boy and His Blob detailed in latest Nintendo Power
Remember earlier today when we revealed the first image of A Boy and His Blob from Nintendo Power's exclusive story? Well, we lied a little bit when we said that the pixelated image you saw then wasn't going to be revealed until March 5. No folks, we got the full details (well, the first full page of details at least) early from our good buddies at Nintendo Power, and are happy to report that A Boy and His Blob looks to recreate all the enjoyment you had with the original. Jellybean-related gameplay and the game's story are back for a second run in the Majesco-published, WayForward-developed Wii game and it's set to hit retailers this Fall, according to the NP piece. WayForward, known for recent WiiWare horror/puzzler LIT and technologically impressive Shantae for Game Boy Color, will be hand-drawing all the (yes, 2D) visuals. It's also adding to the original's defensive and puzzle-solving jellybeanery with beans that turn your blob into various offensive items (some examples given are anvil dropping and ground removing). If you want more details (and an interview with the game's director) you'll just have to wait until you get your grubby little mitts on the April issue of Nintendo Power.
A Boy and His Blob bouncing to Wii on a tangerine trampoline
We've suddenly been hit with a jellybean craving, thanks to Nintendo Power's reveal of a Boy and His Blob "reinvention" for Wii. The magazine teases an upcoming Wii preview with a pixelated image of the article, to be revealed March 5. The table of contents, however, features the unobscured Boy and His Blob artwork seen here. We can only hope that this Wii reimagining of the classic David Crane-designed puzzle-adventure will fare better than the heartbreakingly cancelled DS game. The single piece of art is already more promising than the admittedly garish look of the DS game, at least. [Via GoNintendo]
Wiikly Wares: LIT and MERCS
Just as anticipated, this week marks the release of WiiWare title LIT, as well as one new Virtual Console game in Wolf of the Battlefield: MERCS. Each title will be available for download after 12pm ET. Keep an eye on Joystiq Nintendo for our video wrap-up of MERCS later today, if you're into that sort of thing. And now, the details:WiIWareLIT (WayForward Technologies, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Violence, 800 Wii Points): Dark creatures have taken over Jake's high school, and it's up to you to guide him through each classroom in order to be reunited with his girlfriend Rachael. Existing light sources must be used smartly to create bridges of light for Jake to cross. One false step and Jake gets pulled into the darkness. Along the way he'll encounter twisted versions of his school's faculty, which must be battled in order to advance. LIT is a horror/puzzle game that requires the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers. It contains 30 levels, five boss battles, replay modes and several unlockables, including multiple endings, Dark Mode timed challenges and an unlockable character.Virtual ConsoleWolf of the Battlefield: MERCS (SEGA GENESIS, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Violence, 800 Wii Points): Following a rash of terrorism outbreaks and increasing opposition from guerilla fighters, the U.S. government has decided to hire a group of professional mercenaries to undergo secret missions, battling through enemy lines to go where no ordinary soldier would dare to go. Based on the popular arcade game, the SEGA GENESIS version of MERCS lets you play as a MERC and also adds an original mode, allowing players to choose from five different characters. Take no prisoners as you shoot, drive jeeps and tanks, and clash against huge bosses to accomplish your mission. Gallery: LIT
February 9th: the LIT release date at the end of the tunnel
WayForward Technologies has announced a North American release date and price point for their horror action puzzler LIT. One week from today (barring any interference from Nintendo, of course), on February 9th, the 3D WiiWare title will be available for just eight dollars. That's right, 800 Wii Points, the same amount you could pay for Pong Toss: Frat Party Games, for an original action game from the developers of Contra 4. We won't expect Contra 4 levels of awesomenes -- but the level designs were extremely well-thought-out in that game, which bodes well for this title's puzzle setups. And if this game turns out as hard as Contra 4, you can justify your tears by saying that you're roleplaying the emo protagonist!According to the website, LIT features "light puzzling" as well as "5 boss battles against dark faculty members, an unlockable challenge mode, multiple endings, level select mode, and a second playable character." That sounds like an awful lot of content for a relatively cheap downloadable game. %Gallery-39965%[Via WiiWare World]
LIT media generates heat
The website for Wayforward Technologies' WiiWare action/puzzle game LIT is now open and loaded with media, including the gameplay footage seen here. LIT follows Jake, a high school student stuck in a haunted school, who must create a contiguous path of light in order to escape from each room and find his girlfriend Rachel. We're glad to see that the game looks so good (especially for WiiWare) because our devotion to WayForward would have driven us to buy this anyway. Also available at the website: nice concept art, and, in what is becoming our favorite game-promotion trend of 2008, a free downloadable soundtrack. Check out the screenshots in our gallery, and marvel at how something can look so much like Silent Hill and yet not be horribly frightening.%Gallery-39965%[Via WiiWare-World]
Born for Wii: Contra
As gaming moves forward, the perpetual improvement of technology naturally leads to the Gears of War 2 creed: "Bigger, Better, and More Badass." Unfortunately, the trend of increasingly film-like 3D games leads to fewer and fewer 2D titles finding their way to home consoles. Many series, such as Zelda and Mario, have successfully transitioned to 3D. But others never quite recovered after the jump, and were always in their prime in the 2D era. Take Contra, for example. This weekend, upon curling up with my DS -- a handy shield against things such as responsibility and obligation -- and spending a few hours being brutalized by Contra 4, I realized two things. The first was that I suck at Contra. But the second was that, in spite of suffering several emasculating deaths every minute 10 seconds, I was still having a blast. The game perfectly captures the feel of the series and is a worthy successor to the incredible Contra III, which is now 16 years old (so I guess it's about time, eh?). But the experience isn't quite perfect -- the DS's tiny screens only makes a difficult game harder, and the divide between them compounds the problem. It's been six years since the last sidescrolling Contra made an appearance on a console, and if Capcom's Mega Man 9 is any indication, a classic series like Contra has a home on the Wii. This week Born for Wii attacks aggressively with Bill and Lance. #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: Contra 4 DS 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, Grim Fandango, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
ESRB rates Metal Slug 2, A Boy and His Blob
According to two new ESRB listings, camel-riding run-and-gun sensation Metal Slug 2 and the fabulous A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia will be coming to the Virtual Console at some point in the future. Either that, or they'll both hang around on that depressing list of games that get rated and never seem to come out. Feed your Blob a punch-flavored jelly bean to descend past the break and see some Metal Slug 2 footage!
Bury the Shovelware: Ping Pals
While the response to last week's inaugural column was universally appreciated, the very first comment was particularly intriguing. The reader brought up an excellent point: definitively labeling a developer as poor because of one bad game is very narrow-minded. After all, good developers and bad games are not always mutually exclusive. In order to prove this idea, one should start with an incredible game. Fortunately, the DS has plenty of those. Then, the developer's catalog should be searched for any traces of shovelware. And when talking about good games on the DS, one need not look further than the only title to receive a perfect 10 from DS Fanboy: Contra 4. It is awesome. For any other game, that wouldn't be enough for a "review," but with Contra 4, nothing else is necessary. WayForward Technologies' 2007 masterpiece was about as close to perfect as a game can be. Thus, the California-based developer was a perfect candidate for closet searching. And was there ever a skeleton to be found inside! Ping Pals, which is well known as being one of the DS's earliest atrocities, was the first game WayForward developed for the DS. At face value, the tween-focused chat utility appears to be nothing more than a glitter-coated PictoChat used to discuss iCarly and Webkinz. Released mere weeks after the launch of the DS, it was universally censured by both critics and love-to-hate gamers. Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "An abysmal failure," and IGN -- who employs Mark Bozon, brother of WayForward's creative director Matt Bozon -- pulled no punches when stating that "Ping Pals is easily the most unnecessary product for the system." Ouch. Clearly, somewhere between Ping Pals and Contra 4 lies the purest definition of shovelware.
Top 5: Anticipated WiiWare Games
Every Monday, Wii Fanboy brings you the Top 5. Inspired by sages such as David Letterman and John Cusack, the Top 5 will give us a chance to share our opinions on the numerous facets of a vast video game culture. And after all, who doesn't like reading these kinds of lists (and then bitching about them afterwards)? So jump right in, agree or disagree, and maybe leave a comment with your own personal Top 5. The first batch of WiiWare was released awhile ago, and there have been high-profile releases, as well as a few future cult-classics. Despite the plentiful start, there are still many more titles on the horizon. Here's a look at what we are anticipating the most. 5. Bomberman - Since 1983, not much has changed in the Bomberman universe. This has its pros and cons. It's good because the basic Bomberman formula is not one that needs tinkering with. It's bad because, well, it's a little ridiculous to shell out full retail price for the same game generation after generation. Then along comes Bomberman for WiiWare. Nintendo's downloadable service is the perfect platform for a game such as this. With online multiplayer for 2 - 8 players, this release should be everything we need out of Bomberman: simple, classic gameplay for a reasonable price. The reduced cost should be wonderful news for wallets that were unfortunate enough to weather Bomberman, Super Bomberman, Bomberman 64, and Bomberman Generation.
Contra prompts military hearings
We usually have to suspend our disbelief when playing video games, but what if such insane situations were based on real events? Take, for example, Contra, a game in which two marines -- two -- must stop the Red Falcon invasion. Without shirts. Running with this idea, popular comic book blogger Chris Sims took it upon himself to record "The Contra Hearings". Not only does this hilarious take on Contra make us realize how ridiculous the game's scenario really is, but these faux hearings also remind us that the series is so awesomely badass. An excerpt: "SENATOR ARTHUR WEATHERTON (R, NM): With all due respect, Lieutenant, I fail to see how the failure to equip two Marines necessitates a Congressional investigation. Why haven't we heard from the rest of the soldiers involved in the operation? LT. RIZER: Because Lance and I were the total forces committed to the Red Falcon conflict, Senator. SEN. WEATHERTON: ... Oh. Carry on. LT. RIZER: Right. Now, I know that at the time of our deployment, resources were already committed to providing support for the Bionic Commando project, but sending two men to fight an entire army of technologically advanced aliens... I can't imagine that America needed to close the grapple-arm gap that badly. And our equipment was... well, it was sub-par." In case you didn't know, you can unlock the original NES game (and Super C) in Contra 4 for the DS -- which is perfect in its own right. So, we expect you to man up and buy it while it's on sale.
Contra 4 now owning faces for only $20
We understand that there might have been a number of reasons why you haven't picked up Contra 4 yet: you're not a fan of run-and-gun titles you can't handle tough games exploding bridges hindered you from getting to a game store it's too expensive! While there's not much we can to help you with the first three problems, we do have a solution for the fourth -- buy it from Amazon, where the game is now listed for only $19.99. Actually, this could also be a fix for that whole "exploding bridges" dilemma, too. Whoever delivers the game might not appreciate having to risk their life to drop off your package, but that's their problem, now.%Gallery-4738%See also: DS Fanboy Review: Contra 4[Via CAG]
Contra: Dual Promoters
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Contra_trades_bad_dudes_for_chicks_in_Japan_PICS'; Contra 4 has really undergone some serious changes for its Japanese release and it's getting less manly by the moment. In fact, these people promoting the game don't seem to have a single chest hair. There's nary a headband in sight. Those muscles are absolutely pitiful. What have you done, Konami? This is the last straw! Someone needs to draw mustaches on these girls and maybe whip up a couple of protein shakes immediately. Where's Nintendo Power? They know what Contra is really all about: pure, undiluted beefcakery. Accept no substitute.%Gallery-18181%
Survival horror puzzler LIT coming to WiiWare
The genre "survival horror puzzler" sounds like an unholy union of Professor Layton and Resident Evil, and we'll admit that it's enough to get us interested. WayForward Technologies -- developers of the acclaimed Shantae on Game Boy Color -- have just announced LIT, a 3D horror title currently under development exclusively for WiiWare.According to the press release, LIT follows the story of Jake, who is trapped in a high school overrun with evil creatures, trying to find his girlfriend, Rachael. WayForward's first original IP since Shantae, LIT will feature horror elements, boss battles, and lofty expectations from its developers, who are excited to be working once again with internally-developed properties. Check out some more slick concept art in the gallery below.[Via Wii Fanboy] %Gallery-17816%
