Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Alien Breed looks awesome!!!
There are 12 achievements with a total of 200 points.
Speed Matcher 10
Make 5 quick-matches in a row (any mode).
Mega Matcher 15
Match 2,000 sets of tiles (any mode).
Finite Infinity 20
Complete 100 unique layouts in Infinity mode.
Builder 15
Create 20 tile sets in the Infinity level editor.
Wisdom 20
Complete all 5 stories in Tales mode.
Bonus Bonanza 20
Score 25,000 remaining tiles points in Tales mode.
Look, No Hands 10
Complete a story in Tales mode without using hints.
Look, No Feet 20
Complete Tales mode without using hints.
Dragon Keeper 10
Complete all levels in Motion mode.
Recycler 15
Finish Motion mode without throwing any tiles into the trash.
My Own Power 20
Complete 5 levels of Motion Mode without using bombs, cannons, ice or magic wands.
Motion Master 25
Complete Motion mode without losing a life.
According to Amazon, Konami will be bringing two Xbox LIVE Arcade game complications to retail this month.
Konami Classics Volume 1 will feature Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Frogger, and Super Contra. The second disc, Konami Classics Volume 2, will feature Contra, Rush'n Attack, and Track and Field. Both volumes will cost $19.99.
As Gamerbytes points out, the pricing seems a bit lop-sided. While the price of Volume 1 is equal to what you'd pay for the three titles on Xbox LIVE Arcade (and let's face it, twenty-bucks for Symphony of the Night alone would be worth it), the second collection does not. In fact, it means you'll be paying $5 more dollars than you would with the digital downloads.
Bringing XBLA games to retail on a compilation disc is nothing new, but it usually means it's priced in line with the digital releases. Being able to grab Symphony of the Night is great news for anyone who doesn't have Internet access, but let's be real -- who's going to pay $20 to get the original Contra, Rush'n Attack, and Track and Field?
December 8, 2009 - Polar Panic is an arcade action game in the style f the SEGA classic, Pengo. In order to create many of the stages the developers first created real world counterparts out of cardboard. James Boulton of developer Eiconic Games shares the process with us below.
Our aim with Polar Panic was to develop a game in the tradition of our favorite classic arcade games with the looks of a modern next-gen title and enough depth and hidden features to keep the most hardened gamer involved long into the night. It has already been publicized that the game has 50 story mode and 50 puzzle mode levels, but it is worth pointing out that the story mode has 4 levels of difficulty (easy to insane) and both modes have an A,B,C score rating. To finish all the modes of the game on the hardest setting with an "A" rating is a challenge indeed. Added to that are the single-player survivor mode and the multiplayer games, which means there is a lot of game here for the money.
The 'secret' of making a game like this is simply that we started playing the game as soon as we could, using 'cardboard counters' for the characters (before we had modeled the trappers) and we developed the game from there. We believe it is easy to tell which games have been played a lot while they were made and which have not.
Working in this way meant we could try out all our ideas for the levels (the blocks and the trappers were all tested in 'cardboard') then lock down all their features before modeling and animating them. There was very little wastage anywhere on Polar Panic. A good example is we realized that while the 2D character designs are great, we needed to reshape them in 3D, as everything in the game needs to fit into a grid -- you will notice the flamethrower trapper became a chubby round fella rather than the more flamboyant character of the illustrations.
Cardboard cutouts of Polar Panic's enemies
With a limited budget to work with we decided to use 2D illustrations for the story mode and instruction panels -- see images for a sequence of the double trapper squash. These also create a great storybook style and add a real warmth and character to the game.
How to squash a trapper.
The environments were sized out, filled with props, tested, played on, tweaked, changed, then when we were happy with them we modeled them up to the detail you will see in the screenshots.
The level progressions are similar to those in the early Super Mario and Sonic games, starting out at a nice easy pace and then becoming both more hectic and industrialized as the game progresses. Every tenth level is then a boss battle against Mr. Big himself.
We introduced the Ice Truck and the Boat to vary the pace and the settings on the game. The boat rocks as it bounces over the waves -- again this was a feature we were unsure of until we prototyped it (see image). The rocking action coupled with the rolling oil barrels makes it one of the most popular (and tricky) levels in the game.
The puzzle levels are a blend of Sokoban block pushing, logic puzzles and a few things unique to Polar.
It was pushed to January.Neuromancer said:Whatever happened to Serious Sam in December? =(
Neuromancer said:Whatever happened to Serious Sam in December? =(
DagnabitPolk said:It was pushed to January.
Yeah I know, don't actually own a PC though. I'll just have to wait I guess.LocoMrPollock said:Pretty sure the PC version is out, if you're so inclined.
The second disc, Konami Classics Volume 2, will feature Contra, Rush'n Attack, and Track and Field. Both volumes will cost $19.99.
Konami Classics Volume 1 will feature Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Frogger, and Super Contra. The second disc, Konami Classics Volume 2, will feature Contra, Rush'n Attack, and Track and Field. Both volumes will cost $19.99.
t has been hinted that EA Sports will be announcing a new game in January, but no other details were made available. Or were they?
Working off of a tip from one of our readers, Ponza, we were able to make a few educated guesses and believe that EA Sports will be announcing a FIFA Arcade game next month to kick off the New Year. Now before we go any further, let me emphasize that this is only a rumor as of now, but these are the facts:
* EA Sports will be announcing a new game in January [via Twitter]
* The announcement comes the EA Sports Community Manager from Vancouver
o The same studio that developed NHL 10 and FIFA 10
o The same studio that released an Arcade version of NHL with the game NHL 3 vs. 3
* 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is coming soon
Lastly, here is a survey that EA Sports was conducting, paying attention to what most of the questions relate to, downloadable games and soccer.
Is this worldwide or Japan only?Jonnyram said:0 day Attack on Earth
23 December
1200 points
I had never heard of this before so I just watched a youtube trailer...and the music is stuck in my head :|. Looks pretty interesting gameplay wise. I'm still wrapping up Puzzlequest from when it went on sale for 400 points though.Shard said:http://twitter.com/PiecesInt
Puzzlegeddon coming out for XBLA on Dec 16th, and PSN on Dec 17th! Make it an early christmas present, you deserve it!
Thanks. Co-op gameplay probably already has me sold but I'll wait for the demo to go up.Shard said:Worldwide.
PERFECT DARK OMGOSHmujun said:So next week is Alien Breed & Puzzlegeddon.
The following week (23rd) is 0 Day Attack on Earth.
Any idea what else is in December Shard?
Nah, it's probably just...RedStep said:Did I get ripped off...
Oh, yeah, probably yeah you did.RedStep said:... by Taito?
They've been doing focus tests every week for the past month or two for some soccer titles. I'm pretty sure one of them was about an arcade-style game. I'd say it's highly likely.Shard said:Rumor: EA Sports Announcing New Game.. FIFA Arcade?
http://www.360sync.com/2009/12/09/rumor-ea-sports-announcing-new-game-fifa-arcade
RedStep said:I purchased Qix yesterday due to its apparent wealth of content. The "Help and Options" screen mentions several different game modes. However, I can't access anything except 16 "Standard" levels (in Single Player).
Did I get ripped off by Taito? There can't possibly be only 16 30-second stages, can there?
Associate Producer Robby Zinchak Talks Final Fight: Double Impact
December 10, 2009 | 2:40 PM PST
As we all know by now, Final Fight (and Magic Sword) is on its way to the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade, and that can only mean one thing: IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!! (wait, is that right? Nevermind.)
Anyway, there are naturally going to be some questions about the game and its transition to the wide world of high-definition television video game consoles, and 2D-X decided to wrangle Associate Producer Robby Zinchak down for a spell in order to get the skinny on the kind of impact we can expect this release to have, double or otherwise.
One question people are no doubt wondering about is the odd title/inclusion of Magic Sword. With the game being called "Final Fight: Double Impact," it seems as though one of the game's sequels would be a better fit.
The reason for that, Zinchak explains, is because he is hoping that users will then be able to discover some of Capcom's classic titles. And while Magic Sword may be another genre, it still has the same core beat-em-up gameplay that Final Fight does.
"In fact," he elaborates, "Magic Sword offers some more advanced features for its era, like Captives, who you can rescue and will fight by your side. It's even got a character leveling system. So, this is a really good opportunity for fans to play one of their old arcade favorites alongside a great one they might have missed."
As for the games themselves, they remain the same at their core, but now have "goodies" ("original concept art, professional Udon artwork, a Final Fight animation, and even artwork created by fans") that can be unlocked by accomplishing certain feats.
"We've also added HD filters so you can optionally play the game in beautiful high definition. There's some really cool optional effects as well: the game can be embedded inside an arcade monitor bezel, complete with CRT-style scanlines and phosphor burn. Multiple options for the HD Filters are provided and it can all be toggled to your preference (even to disable everything and play 'pure')."
Rare today revealed that a port of their popular Nintendo 64 shooter, Perfect Dark, will hit Xbox Live Arcade in early 2010.
Perfect Dark should arrive sometime before April, and feature revamped HD graphics that run at 60 fps in 1080p. Online multiplayer will be included as will achievements.
Introversion (Uplink, DEFCON) expects to make its console debut early next year with the long-coming Xbox Live Arcade edition of its 2005 PC strategy title Darwinia, the independent developer has revealed via Twitter.
"Expect Darwinia+ early next year," reads the update. "We're just ironing out the last few bugs now." Along with the single-player portion of Darwinia, the Xbox Live Arcade edition will also pack the multiplayer modes of 2008's Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest.
Pricing details for Xbox 360 download have yet to be announced. Until we hear more, please enjoy this haiku from Introversion that attempts to explain the game:
Retro fractal globe
Evil virus run amok
Save green sprite from death!
One of the most important aspects of a game is its soundtrack, but working collaboratively and effectively with composers can be a challenge.
Twisted Pixel co-founder Josh Bear and freelance composer Joshua Mosley talked to Gamasutra about their collaboration, which resulted in the soundtrack for recent XBLA hit Splosion Man, from inspiration to production.
"Character design is really important for us here at Twisted Pixel," says Bear, "so when creating Splosion Man, I knew we needed the right type of soundtrack to go along with the characters, especially Splosion Man himself. I had met Joshua Mosley at a GDC party some years back and had been waiting for the right game to work with him on. Based on his demo tracks and personality, I thought he would be perfect for the game."
Mosely found the project as appealing as Bear suspected he would. "When Josh told me the concept of their new title, I knew right away that I had to do the music for it," he said. "Very early on, Josh knew the direction he wanted to go in, so based on our initial conversation I submitted a theme and he loved it."
The Creative Process
Bringing him in "very early in the development cycle", says Mosely, gave him a chance to into the process to get a sense of the character and game at the same time the developers were making those realizations allowed him the best creative latitude. "They were still in the concept art phase, and I believe they had one rough animatic to show how the gameplay would look. Our next conversation was a journey into the mind and character of Splosion Man. He has no concept of right or wrong, he is just happy to have been created and desperate to be free. The more I listened the more I began to hear the musical voice of the character emerge.
Bear says, "When I was originally figuring out what I wanted to do with the music in the game, I knew it might be difficult to describe through just email or even over the phone. Joshua didn't even have a build of the game to play, so it was very important that our collaboration together could hold together through not just phone calls, but with example pieces of music from all types of media. Instead of just coming up with very specific directions, we would both talk it out with each other and figure out what it was going to be."
Says Mosley, "Other than the few pieces of concept art and some of Josh Bear's direction, I was on my own. I began to move forward with the score. I really wanted to get the coloring and tone right for this game so I went back to all the character traits of Splosion Man; what was going through his mind, what makes him 'tick'."
Fortunately, this give-and-take process had good results, says Bear. "I learned that Joshua could take direction and do his best to create what I wanted, but also add his own touch so it would make it something personal for him. I would recommend that developers working with a composer should give specific direction and inspiration, but let that composer do what they do best and add to that direction so it becomes theirs.
"The fact that Joshua was excited and eager to create something awesome, even though Splosion Man was a small downloadable game, made it that much easier. We never once thought of it that way... the music just needed to be fun to listen to and reflect the style and humor of the characters in the game, regardless of the overall scope and length."
The Source of Inspiration
Mosley says that it comes down to character. "I decided I wanted this score to be driven by our lovable and manic main character. This is all not too common in games. There were so many possibilities and it was great because Josh gave me some excellent direction but also a lot of free reign.
Says Mosley, "Overall I wanted to take the gamer places that you wouldn't quite expect. For instance, you will have a guitar riff going, that transitions you into big choirs 'ahhs', then a jazz vocal scat to big epic horns. This score is very eclectic in that sense. And I wanted to do that on purpose as to personify Splosion Man. He is a very 'freeform' sort of character with no set rules or guidelines.
"I did have some great creative references of some old titles for instrumentation ideas. When approaching the color and orchestration for the score, I wanted to bring something of a fusion of instruments and styles to the palette. Josh and I both agreed we didn't want a Looney Tunes 'cartoony' sound. I drew inspiration from current works like Michael Giachinno's Incredibles score, Thomas Newman's Wall-E and older pieces like Peter Gunn and the old great spy shows of the '60s.
"The music had to capture the chaotic nature of the character as well as a sense of escape and adventure. It also had to be driving. So along with utilizing the full spectrum of the orchestra I wanted to have some 'glitchy' drones and drums, some rock grooves, and some techno beats to send it in forward motion.
"If Splosion Man had an instrument of choice, it would definitely be the electric guitar. So I also wanted to make sure that was used liberally throughout the score. Splosion Man's theme became centered around a 6 note riff and an ostinato figure of a minor 2nd intervals."
Moving into Production
Bear notes that the Xbox Live Arcade size limit increase between development of The Maw and Splosion Man gave them room to work with -- but there was a bigger issue, he says. "Even though memory wasn't as big of an issue as it could have been, budget was. The budget for a downloadable title is much smaller than a retail game, and Joshua and I had to be smart in how much we could create for the game with the budget I had.
"Part of the creative process was to develop 45 second looping themes that could be repeated over and over without the player getting bored or annoyed by hearing the same thing. This in itself is a difficult thing to do and takes a lot of time and talent. Joshua was up for it though and spent a lot of time planning out tracks before fully fleshing them out, so we knew what would work before he got too far ahead."
Says Mosley, "After we got the theme and tone of the score locked, in I continued on to one cue after the next. I actually started from Level 1, writing each cue in sequence. Twisted Pixel gave me three major milestones; one for each stage. It was a three month long process. I began in February and wrapped in April. I would turn in each cue as I finished them.
"The three stages in the game have slightly different environments. Since the entire game takes place making your way out of Big Science Laboratories, I wanted to music to be reflective of the subtle changes in the environment and send you into a different feeling.
The 45 second looping cues didn't make this easy, says Mosley. "To accomplish this there definitely needed to be a lot of melodic movement and some solid riffs. Every eight bars or so in each cue, I made sure to change textures as well as introduce new riffs and state the themes in variation. Finally the end of each cue always lands on a dominant or leading tone so you don't feel its resolve until the beginning of each cue. That was really my only limitation on the score."
"Josh and I talked a lot about how real instruments could add a lot to the music, and why it was important, even for a downloadable game like Splosion Man," says Mosley. "I was excited they were on board with using live players. At the end of each stage I would send all cues to be approved by Twisted Pixel. The feedback on every cue was positive. This is a composer's dream, of course. No revisions!
"I thought 'This is going a little too well. Something is going to come up,' but it didn't. I know it had a lot to do with being in sync from the beginning by laying a good foundation. After I was given the green light to record, I would part out the charts for the flutists, send stems out to the guitarist and bassist, and conduct the vocalist at my studio. I did the same process after every stage. It went very smooth and helped streamline the process."
"The budget on downloadable games for live players is obviously smaller, but we made it work. Thankfully I was set up to track the players and vocalist so I didn't have to hire a studio and engineer. I made sure to manage session time with the live players wisely. We managed to cram each stage into two hour sessions. It was a challenge that they all definitely met. In total I was able to bring on five vocalists, two flutists, a guitarist, a bassist, a sax player and I actually covered all the trumpet work." Using friends and family -- and playing the trumpet himself -- helped, says Mosley.
The Final Result
You can listen to the entire Splosion Man soundtrack on its official YouTube channel.
Both Mosley and Bear wanted the music to be a key element in the game -- usually, they say, the music in downloadable titles isn't often or noticed by players.
Says Bear, "Something that was really important to me from the get-go was that we use real instruments. Not that going entirely synthesized is a bad thing, but I love the sound of real instruments and I thought it would go a long way to make the game sound better than most downloadable titles."
"Another great idea from Josh was to have an interactive element to the score," says Mosley. "The idea was to have a guitar layer trigger, playing the leading line whenever Splosion Man sploded. It turned out great and I believe it enhanced the gaming experience. It was not just background music.
"If I had to pick a favorite cue it would have to be 'Go to Light Speed'. It was for one of the levels where you are trying to escape the rising nitroglycerin. It has a little of everything, and great performances by the flutist, sax player and jazz vocalist," Mosley says.
You can download the whole score, including John Deborde's and Matt Chaney's contributions, at . You can also visit Mosley's official site.
iconoclast said:Before April?! But I want it now.
The Xbox Live Arcade version of Serious Sam HD will arrive with guns blazing on Januray 13, 2010.
This XBLA version will feature fifteen levels and four-player online co-op play. The PC version of the same game, which is already out, features a whopping 16 player co-op play for a price of $20.
Though the Xbox 360 version will offer 12 fewer co-op players, it will also cost $5 less, coming in at $15.
As small developers find new venues to bring their games to wider audiences, the definition of "indie" is getting fuzzy, but that's okay, says Derek Yu, an indie figurehead and developer of the game Spelunky.
The procedurally generated platfomer Spelunky originated on PC, but now Yu is bringing it to Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade. Although the game is now aligned with the immense conglomerate Microsoft, Yu doesn't feel like such a partnership compromises the indie spirit, as long as the artist's vision is still strong.
"I personally don't feel like that [working with Microsoft] is something that needs to be reconciled unless I'm totally bending over for them," he explained in a Gamasutra feature interview. "If they say, 'I want you to put a Toyota Yaris in Spelunky' and I do it, then yeah, that's something I have to reconcile."
"They're just providing a platform in there. They're just helping me put the game on their system and providing the marketing and the distribution for my idea and work. I don't have any problem with that."
But there are some indies that aren't as concerned with commercialization of their games -- maybe these are the "uber-indies?" There is a difference, but Yu says that both can co-exist under the "indie" banner.
"I feel like from here on out, there are always going to be those two sides [commercial versus art games]. I feel like both are really necessary. I think, yeah, it's definitely going to get really fuzzy, and some people are just going to feel like if you put a game on Xbox Live or something like that or that if you work with a publisher, you're not indie."
"That's totally fine. I'm very happy with it being kind of gray. I don't know if a new name is really necessary. I mean, Spelunky started out as a free game, not a 'fuck you,' [to the status quo] but more just something that I wanted to [make]."
And, Yu says, just because an independent developer wants to release a commercial game doesn't mean that he or she can't also create more abstract pieces. "That's kind of the nice thing about being independent, that I think you can jump back and forth between those two sides, you know? I think it's great that guys are being successful kind of doing their own thing."
Shard said:
The German USK rating system has revealed a new game coming to the Xbox Live Arcade - Lazy Raiders.
Absolutely nothing is known about the game, can't find anything outside of this, but from the looks of it Microsoft are publishing it, so it'll be an exclusive game.
You can't even get an idea of the game out of the title. Lazy Raiders? The story of bored World Of Warcraft players? The story of the Oakland Raiders rise to fame? Probably not.
RedStep said:I purchased Qix yesterday due to its apparent wealth of content. The "Help and Options" screen mentions several different game modes. However, I can't access anything except 16 "Standard" levels (in Single Player).
Did I get ripped off by Taito? There can't possibly be only 16 30-second stages, can there?
Good read and I can't wait for Spelunky XBLA.Shard said:Spelunky's Derek Yu On The 'Fuzzy' Definition Of 'Indie'
This is why I won't buy any Taito game for any platform in the future. Their XBLA releases are rip-offs with false advertising. The game menus often present features in the trial that you can not access in the full game.Arpharmd B said:It's their DLC model.
When Taito releases a game, it's basically a 15$ game disquised as a 10$ one, but you got plenty of content for 10$. Qix was a bit rip off if you ask me.
Plasma said:Wonder if they'll do another Spring XBLA promotion with Perfect Dark as the main release.
Methinks it's more Square-Enix's grimy spoon stirring up this tomfoolery than Taito. Geomancer also had DLC up on day one, and I'll bet 0 Day Attack on Earth does, too.Nasreddin said:This is why I won't buy any Taito game for any platform in the future. Their XBLA releases are rip-offs with false advertising. The game menus often present features in the trial that you can not access in the full game.
I bought Arkanoid and contacted Microsoft Germany because half of the presented levels were only palyable via DLC. The customer service said that they would understand my problem and anger but there would be no way to do a refund. There are no plans to do something against these fraud game offers.
It is a shame. Taito ripps of customers on Xbox Live marketplace and Microsoft supports them.
There are 12 achievements with a total of 200 points.
Hungry Bottom 10
Complete the "Savory Salutations" movie level.
Ticking Bottom 10
Complete the "The Ticking Tarts" movie level.
Burnt Bottom 10
Complete the "Dangerously Delicious!" movie level.
Soggy Bottom 10
Complete the "Spelunking for Sweets" movie level.
Stuffed Bottom 50
Complete all 5 movie levels.
Hot Pie Bottom 10
Steal 10 pies.
Thinking Bottom 10
Complete 10 recording challenges in the bonus shorts.
Smacked Bottom 10
Complete 10 time challenges in the bonus shorts.
Conservative Bottom 15
Complete 20 recording challenges in the bonus shorts.
Swift Bottom 15
Complete 20 time challenges in the bonus shorts.
Greedy Bottom 40
Complete all recording and time challenges in the bonus shorts.
Evil Bottom 10
Burn, smash, or erase 50 clones.
Shig said:Methinks it's more Square-Enix's grimy spoon stirring up this tomfoolery than Taito. Geomancer also had DLC up on day one, and I'll bet 0 Day Attack on Earth does, too.
Shig said:Methinks it's more Square-Enix's grimy spoon stirring up this tomfoolery than Taito. Geomancer also had DLC up on day one, and I'll bet 0 Day Attack on Earth does, too.