Support NeoGAF

[Community Forum]

Puzzle Quest watch - September edition continues for another week.

:lol

Unless Microsoft pulls another surprise release this Wednesday.

yes please

 

[supermackem]

Where the hell is swos.

 

[Gowans]

Where the hell is swos.

YES YES YES

 

[beelzebozo]

i had never played puzzle fighter until 2 days ago.
this is amaaaaaaaazing

 

[LakeEarth]

Where the hell is swos.

Last page:

http://community.codemasters.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3037316&postcount=8

As some of you might recall the Xbox Live Arcade revival of Sensible World Of Soccer was supposed to get released back on August 29, well, obviously that didn't happen for one reason or another. (something fishy went down that week but it gave us Streets of Rage 2 so it worked out in the end) At any rate, some digging into the Codemasters forums website has yielded this post and it looks like the delay is going to last a little longer as the title has shifted out of Summer 2007(which doesn't officially end until September 21) in to the nebulous TBA slot. One "Rubbergenius" of the Codemasters forums assures the readers of his word that the title has not been pushed back to like December and seems to be hinting that the real reason for the delay is they are waiting for Microsoft to give them a weekend, but that is just speculation on my part.

 

[traveler]

Any idea what is supposed to hit this week?

 

[Gowans]

A weekend for SWOS???

 

[bryehn]

Any idea what is supposed to hit this week?

Sonic 2

 

[Shard]

http://www.xblarcade.com/node/1136

Details on the upcoming Band of Bugs DLC.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Has anyone on here actually brought Band of Bugs?

I sort of feel sorry for Ninja Bee because I loved Cloning Clyde, and yet haven't even tried Band of Bugs. And I fell a lot of people are in the same boat.

 

[arne]

Has anyone on here actually brought Band of Bugs?

I sort of feel sorry for Ninja Bee because I loved Cloning Clyde, and yet haven't even tried Band of Bugs. And I fell a lot of people are in the same boat.

I have, but I haven't played it all that much -- definitely not the retail release unfortunately. It's good though.

sad.

 

[Grecco]

Sonic 2

Just Sonic? lame. :lol

 

[Jonnyram]

Seems Minter is unable to let any ounce of criticism roll off his back. The game's getting lots of praise, instead he focuses on the negative things (and what game doesn't get at least a little of that?). When I made a dig at Space Giraffe on a blog last year he freaked and made me enemy #1 on his messageboard and blog.

I think he's just really into his work, and takes criticism too personally. I know a bunch of people like that.

 

[SapientWolf]

Wake me when Undertow and Poker Smash come out.

 

[EnjoyIncubus]

Sonic 2

Ugh, you can get these old genesis games they've been releasing in the Sega Genesis Collection for about $20.

 

[Stabby McSter]

Ugh, you can get these old genesis games they've been releasing in the Sega Genesis Collection for about $20.

but... but... achievements!

Spoiler

however, you are right. bohica, hooray.

 

[Icarus]

Has anyone on here actually brought Band of Bugs?

I sort of feel sorry for Ninja Bee because I loved Cloning Clyde, and yet haven't even tried Band of Bugs. And I fell a lot of people are in the same boat.

I tried the demo, but FF Tactics it is not so buy I did not.

 

[Wario64]

I hope they're sneaking another game this Wednesday like Streets of Rage 2.

 

[<nu>faust]

I think he's just really into his work, and takes criticism too personally.

yep, even he acknowledges that himself

Just to clarify a bit - of course I don't mean that people can't discuss SG - all I mean is that I will likely stay out of such discussions simply because I absolutely need to. I've got too close to SG, to the point where I care about it too much, and that has I admit made me tetchy when people have been discussing its flaws. Until I can put a decent emotional distance between myself and the 'raffe then it's best I simply stay out of the discussions I think, not out of any desire to be elusive, just so that i don't end up pissing people off.

 

[Shard]

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/screwjumperxboxlivearcade/
New Xbox.com splash page found: Screwjumper!

Joystick interview with Metanet over N+

Joystick interviews Metanet's Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns


After we played the excellent pre-alpha DS version of N+, we were asked by the game's producer, David Geudelekian, if we wanted to meet Metanet, the creators of the original N. It's sort of a strange feeling, to play a game and then be escorted directly to the people responsible for it, by another person responsible for it. Or, at least, it would have been, had Metanet's Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns, as well as David, not been so genial. Metanet was at PAX promoting the Xbox Live Arcade N+, which they are developing along with Slick Entertainment.

Metanet's N+ booth, hidden behind Atari's in the corner of the exhibition hall, was as indie as the game, featuring a custom-built 360 display unit accessible only after a series of wall jumps and guarded by automated machine gun turrets; Mare and Raigan took a break from challenging convention-goers to multiplayer N+ (victors got t-shirts) to take part in an impromptu chat about the new multiplatform adaptation of their Independent Games Festival Audience Award-winning Flash game, its platforming influences, and even about their mysterious new game, Robotology. The interview continued via email afterward, when we weren't in one of the world's loudest places.

Could you tell me again about the genesis of Metanet and the N project?

Metanet began when Mare and Raigan met in first year Java class in University. They quickly discovered that they shared a love of video games, programming and the arts, and decided to combine their talents and efforts into a game-developing powerhouse. We're still working on that powerhouse part N was a game we wanted to play, but which did not yet exist -- a classic, old-school 2D platformer with an injection of modern physics. We started playing around with physics and collision, and eventually developed the NinjaEngine, from which N soon blossomed.

Do you think N is well-suited to handheld play?

Yes, absolutely. We've always wanted to play N while travelling, on something more convenient than a laptop. We were concerned for a while that the graphics wouldn't scale down well, and we still don't think it would work on cell phones, but for the DS and PSP it should be fine.

Do the mechanics feel the same to you in all the versions? Obviously DS and PSP are early. But if anyone could spot the differences, it would be you.

The Xbox Live Arcade version is, as you say, much farther along in development than the DS and PSP versions. And it's fantastic -- it's absolutely spot on. It required many tweaks along the way, to really perfect the collision and physics, but N+ XBLA is at a point we feel is very N.

The DS and PSP versions are definitely harder to gauge -- actually, we haven't played a PSP build at all yet. It's our understanding that it's even less developed than the DS version, which is currently pre-Alpha. At this point, it's too hard to say... we do know that the gameplay on handhelds is intended to be identical to that of the PC version, so while they don't currently, the mechanics will eventually feel the same.

I read on the Metanet blog that each version of N+ has its own levels. Is there overlap? Are the contest winners included in any or all versions? Were there differences in the level designs based on the strengths of the display or interface for any of the systems?

Yep, each platform has it's own unique levels. Metanet Software designed all the single player levels (with only a few exceptions other than the SUBLiME levels) and the multiplayer levels for the XBLA version. The multiplayer levels for the DS/PSP versions are being handled by the developer.

The entrants of SUBLiME, the Submit Unique and Brilliant Levels in to Metanet Event, each submitted levels designed for specific platforms. So the winning levels will only appear on the platform for which they were originally intended.

The interface of each platform is the same -- the only difference between each platform is the dimensions of the level. The PSP is wide but short, DS is more square, and the amazing XBLA version can handle maps of just about any dimension. It's phenomenal for level design, because that gives us so much freedom!

Both of you are obviously steeped in tile-based level design; what are your favorite tile-based games? Do you feel that they've influenced N?

We're huge fans of the Mario games, of course, but what gamer isn't Lode Runner is the most obvious of N's influences, but we also took inspiration from more modern freeware games, like Super Bubble Blob, Zone Runner and Puchi. We love the simplicity and engaging gameplay of Studio Pixel's games, but those weren't so much inspirational as they were motivational: easy examples of awesome 2D platformers.


Was N designed with user-created levels in mind, or did that come later?

Many of our favourite classic games came with level editors, so it seemed fairly obvious -- it's something we've always enjoyed.

As soon as we'd developed the level editor (and there were many long days hand-coding levels before that -- ouch!), we knew it should be released with the game. We didn't think it would be as popular as it is, though!

Any details about release estimates or platform for Robotology (Metanet's second game)?

Ah, Robotology. It's taking forever, and has been delayed by N+, which has required more time and work than we thought. But we should be able to get back to it shortly, and are planning to enter it in next year's IGF.

It'll be released on Mac/PC first, but we're not sure where it'll go from there.

Robotology uses a grappling hook. Generally, platform games involving grappling have been awesome (Bionic Commando, Super Castlevania 4, etc.) What do you think it is about the grapple mechanic that elevates a game?

Games with a grappling hook enable the player to move with a certain fluidity we've always enjoyed... but then again, we've never been quite satisfied with the mechanics. They still feel a little too clunky, which is what we're trying to avoid in Robotology.

Grappling is just another way of interacting, but in a physics-based setting they make perfect sense: it's like an extension of pushing and pulling, and it works really well .

Are you done done done with N after this, or do you foresee a return to the project after Robotology?

Well, we're planning on releasing an official web-playable version of N in the near future, and there's still an update to N for PC that needs to be done... and when we're done those, it'll probably be just about time to get started on N^2, or NN, or whatever the sequel will be called... so yes, probably, but first we have a few other game ideas we need to get finished!

Since you challenged me to N+ (and I chickened out), what kinds of multiplayer options will be available in the Xbox version? And do you feel that this changes the experience of the game beyond, you know, having another person there?

There are three flavours of multiplayer: one cooperative and two competitive (survival and race). Multiplayer mode isn't *too* different from sinleplayer mode, gameplay-wise, but it certainly has some interesting new gameplay mechanics. For example, cooperative mode: in some levels your "roles" are not identical. You can either distract the enemies while your friend unlocks the exit, or you can make the treacherous journey to the exit yourself, while your friend holds off the robot hordes. You have to have flexible skills, and be ready to change direction immediately if necessary.

How many people did end up beating one of you?


Well, we sort of lost count. They were long and well-played battles though, on both sides.

What are some of the things that you have been able to do on the XBLA version that haven't been implemented in the others?


We're hoping that, aside from the differences in level dimension and rich HD goodness of XBLA, the answer to this question is "nothing". There are trivial differences such as interface design, modes of multiplayer and enemy types, but the core gameplay will be identical across platforms.

Have you had contact with the other console companies?


We've been in touch with other console companies, yeah. We're still considering the future of Robotology, after all.

Are your games aimed at hardcore N lovers or new players? Or was N+ designed with both in mind?


N+ was definitely designed with both in mind. First we leveled out the learning curve and added a bunch of very easy/tutorial levels so new players wouldn't feel so intimidated. For the hardcore N fans we made some creative levels that can be traversed using either beginner or advanced methods, so they won't be completely bored by the easier levels. We also added a "hardcore" unlockable for those that want more, and more difficult levels, once they've beaten the game.

 

[pswii60]

Ugh, you can get these old genesis games they've been releasing in the Sega Genesis Collection for about $20.

Yup, and you don't have to buy it. 100k+ others will, though.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Ugh, you can get these old genesis games they've been releasing in the Sega Genesis Collection for about $20.

Do you get enhanced graphics, leaderboards, achievements and online play in the package too?

 

[Chiaroscuro]

Does anyone have a clue about how much Puzzle Quest will cost?

I have 1300 pts in my account and was thinking in getting Sonic 2 tomorrow, but only if I still have points for PQ. I will be fine if it costs 800 pts, I hope it is not 1200.

 

[Shard]

Does anyone have a clue about how much Puzzle Quest will cost?

I have 1300 pts in my account and was thinking in getting Sonic 2 tomorrow, but only if I still have points for PQ. I will be fine if it costs 800 pts, I hope it is not 1200.

TBA on price right now.

 

[svenuce]

My bet is 1600 points... and it'd be worth every penny.

There's almost zero chance it would be 800 points. It'll be 1200 or more almost for sure. The game is $30 at retail, no way they could sell it for less than $15 and probably not less than $20 and not jeopardize their retail distribution on other SKUs.

 

[D3VI0US]

Considering the DS and PSP games go for $30 I'd be happy to pay $15 and even $20 would be fair, that's just a bit pricey so I'd really have to dig it. Still if the game is as good as people say it's right up my alley. Unfortunately my gf loves puzzle games too and with Bioshock, Halo 3, and Eternal Sonata coming out soon I don't really need her cutting into my game time. :lol

 

[Chiaroscuro]

I can see the DS and PSP version to cost $30, but then there is the actual cartridge/UMD cost, packing, distribution and store space. Lots of costs that aren't present on digital distribution. Sure, most devs are simple abusing the digital distribution with the same prices, but I cannot believe that after the Lumines fiasco anyone will try to go for more than 1200 pts ($ 15).

Don't get me wrong, Lumines is a great game, I bought the base pack + 2 other packages (I think I spend more than $ 30 on it but now I barely play it). And I bet that if Lumines was $15 as a whole its sales and profits would have been much more. A lot of people stayed away from it because of the price controversy.

Now back to Puzzle Quest: 800 pts would have been a wonderful steal, 1200 pts is still pretty good, 1600 tops what they can charge, and surely not many people will buy it.

 

[sankao]

I can't believe how addictive Super Puzzle Fighter is. I have just played the demo for 3 hours. I really need to call MS to fix my account and be able to buy MS points again.

 

[beelzebozo]

I can't believe how addictive Super Puzzle Fighter is. I have just played the demo for 3 hours. I really need to call MS to fix my account and be able to buy MS points again.

for real. i played the demo for two minutes and bought it immediately. i'm usually let down when i get around to playing renowned puzzle games, but this is an exception. very cool.

streets of rage 2 is way deeper than i remember, too.

 

[D3VI0US]

For Lumines didn't it have to get split up cause of size limitations?

 

[TerryLee81]

For those people who recently got a 360: buy Assault Heroes, or at least download the demo!

Played this again yesterday, still a great game.

 

[Shard]

http://www.daking240.com/?p=348

Achivements have been discovered for the upcoming game Tetris Splash.

Clearr 5 Lines
Clear five or more lines during one Single Player or Online Multiplayer game.
10

Reach Level 5
Reach or exceed level five in a Single Player game of Marathon.
10

Tetris!
Clear four lines at once.
10


T-Spin
Rotate the T-Tetrimino into a T-Slot to perform a one or two line clear.
10


Rainbow
Use at least one Mino from each of the seven Tetriminos to clear a single line.
10

Combo
Clear one or more lines with successive pieces to increase your Combo count above eight.
20


Online Rookie
Win a “Free for All” match in Online Multiplayer.
20


Online Back-to-Back
Score a Back-to-Back Tetris in Online Multiplayer.
20


Online Expert
Accumulate at least ten hours of Online Multiplayer game play.
20


All-in-One
Perform a Single, Double, Triple, Tetris, T-Spin Single, T-Spin Double, and 8 Combo in one game!
20


Speedster
Complete a Single Player game of Marathon in 20 minutes or less.
25


Old School
Complete a Single Player game of Marathon without using the Hold Queue.
25

 

[Shard]

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=83113

For those of you wondering what is up with the release of Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, well, I got some bad news for you. Eurogamer reports that the game had been, surprise surprise, delayed from it original month of August and in not expected to see release until at least mid-October.

 

[Shard]

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/achievements.php?gameID=446

More achievements have been discovered, this time for the upcoming game Yaris.

Speed Limit
10
Complete a track having reached a speed of at least 250 mph.

Can't Touch This
20
Race all 8 tracks in one sitting and complete the final track with full shields.

Full Arsenal
15
Obtain all weapons at least once before exiting the game.

Lead Foot Jr.
10
Complete a course in 3 minutes or less.

Lead Foot
20
Complete all 8 courses in under 40 minutes. Only your best career times from each track are used.
Arachnosplat!
10
Successfully finish track 4 by killing the Giant Spider boss.

Bot in the City
25
Successfully finish track 8 by killing the City Transformer.

You Maniacs!
50
Finish track 8 in any multiplayer game and kill the City Transformer.

Leader of the Pack
15
Save up to 1 million coins.

Money Bags
5
Collect 1000 coins.

Tentacled and Dangerous
15
Create or join a multiplayer ranked match and achieve the highest score.

Plays Well with Others
5
Win or lose, finish a race with another player online.

 

[Community Forum]

Yaris?

As in, the car?

How did I miss that announcement?

 

[Shard]

Yaris?

As in, the car?

How did I miss that announcement?

It was a hard to pay attention type of thing.

 

[Shard]

http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8378962&publicUserId=4549175


Rez coming to the XBLA.

 

[Shard]

Rez HD shots

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3162732

 

[Shard]

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/819/819365p1.html

Ikaruga officially announced along with some other games that we already knew about.

 

[CajoleJuice]

Jesus Christ, XBLA is insane.

 

[thanks]

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/819/819365p1.html

Ikaruga officially announced along with some other games that we already knew about.

Do we know when Ikaruga, Trigger Heart Exelica, Rez, and Every Extend Extra are hitting live?

 

[Shard]

Do we know when Ikaruga, Trigger Heart Exelica, Rez, and Every Extend Extra are hitting live?

Not at the moment.

 

[thanks]

Not at the moment.

Thanks for the quick response, couldn't think of anyone better to man this thread.

XBLA fever! GOT IT!

It's more exciting now more than ever to be in on this. When I first got a 360, I didn't really see the draw in XBLA. Now I know I was stupid for not seeing the potential.

 

[Shard]

Rez HD PR


Cult Classic Shooter Rez™ Comes Back To Life
On the Xbox LIVE® Arcade

Tokyo, Japan (Sept. 12, 2007) – Tokyo-based video game developer Q Entertainment, Inc. today announced that the critically acclaimed video game title “Rez” is being developed for the Xbox LIVE Arcade with a target release date of Q1 2008. Originally released by SEGA in Japan in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, followed by a North American release only for the PlayStation 2 and European release on both platforms in early 2002, Rez was developed by SEGA’s United Game Artists (“UGA”) division. Tetsuya Mizuguchi, former president of UGA and current chief creative officer of Q Entertainment, conceptualized and produced the fast-action shooter, which is known to be one of the most unique, offbeat and eccentric games ever released.

“We are excited to announce that Rez will be given a new life, this time in digital form,” said Mizuguchi. “The game will be presented in hi-definition and will be accessible to those who did not have a chance to experience Rez the first time around. Personally, Rez has been and will always be a lifelong concept. I hope to take what I learned from the experience of creating the original game and look forward to taking it to a whole new level in the future.”

Carrying the slogan “Rez will open your senses…let’s go to synaesthesia,” the dynamic, total integration of visual presentation, sound and player’s input provided a rich aesthetic experience that was difficult to describe in words. While the basic gameplay was simple, critics called Rez “the ultimate audiovisual experience” and emphasized that “it must be seen and heard to be fully understood.” The old-school vector style graphics, sensory response and beat synchronization presented by the game set aside the title apart from the rest of the games that were released during that time.

Rez consisted of five different levels, each with its own unique visual theme and style, musical track and a boss battle at the end. The game also featured several different modes and plenty of unlockable elements, giving it a higher replay value. To further enhance the Rez experience, artists including Coldcut, Adam Freeland, Joujouka, Ken Ishii and Keiichi Sugiyama (SEGA’s Wave Master) contributed tracks to the game.

Rez HD (title pending) for the Xbox LIVE Arcade will be a direct port of the original, delivered in hi-definition and 5.1 surround sound. Further details on Rez HD for the Xbox LIVE Arcade including pricing will be revealed at a later date.

About Q ENTERTAINMENT, Inc.
Formed in 2003, Tokyo-based Q ENTERTAINMENT, Inc. creates, produces, and consults in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units. It is best known for their critically acclaimed music and luminary action puzzle game series “Lumines,” which was released worldwide in 2004/2005 for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and has now developed into mobile (“Lumines Mobile”), Xbox Live Arcade (“Lumines Live!”) and PlayStation®2 (“Lumines Plus”) platforms. Q ENTERTAINMENT’s impressive line-up also includes the action puzzle title “Meteos” for the Nintendo DS™ and fantasy action title “Ninety-Nine Nights” for the Xbox 360™.

Founded by principal game creator and Chief Creative Officer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and industry veteran and Chief Executive Officer Shuji Utsumi (Sony Computer Entertainment America, SEGA, Disney), Q ENTERTAINMENT is comprised of experienced designers, programmers, and producers. Q ENTERTAINMENT collaborates with other creators, artists and development studios in Japan and overseas. With a large network and enthusiasm, Q ENTERTAINMENT is always on the “Quest for the future entertainment,” anticipating the trends and changes in times to come and brings new value to the game industry with fresh new content. More information can be found on the Internet at http://www.qentertainment.com.

© Q Entertainment Inc. © SEGA
Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
“PSP”, “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Nintendo DS is a registered trademark of Nintendo. Meteos and Lumines are trademarks of Q Entertainment Inc. and/or Bandai Namco Games. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.

 

[Mario]

Rez HD

Yay. My 3rd favourite game of all time behind Dungeon Master and ICO.

Must make sure I have an HD tv by the time this drops.

 

[Wario64]

http://www.xbox.com/en-us/community/news/2007/0911-blockbusterlineup.htm

Other exciting Xbox LIVE Arcade games available in the coming months include these:

* Braid (Number None Inc.): Arriving in early 2008 on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Braid is a platformer/puzzle game. Journey across seven worlds to rescue a princess—in each world, time behaves in its own peculiar way. Cleverly manipulate the flow of time to solve puzzles. Braid aims to provide a mind-expanding, filler-free experience.
* Castlecrashers (The Behemoth): Arriving in early 2008 on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Castlecrashers is the second title currently in development by award-winning independent developer the Behemoth. The four-player RPG adventure lets you hack, slash, and smash your way to victory. Castlecrashers delivers unique high-resolution illustrated visuals, including memorably hand-drawn characters that are cute and menacing at the same time. Play with up to three friends locally or over Xbox LIVE and discover mind-boggling magic and mystery in the amazing world of Castlecrashers.
* Schizoid (Torpex Games LLC):Schizoid, from independent studio Torpex Games, is the first Xbox LIVE Arcade game to be created with XNA™ Game Studio. Debuting on Xbox LIVE Arcade later this year, Schizoid is an action-packed game focused on co-op gameplay where you smash barrages of glowing enemies while cooperating closely to protect each other.

 

[FightyF]

Braid! NICE!

Good job MS for allowing this to happen!

 

[Community Forum]

So what are the chances of a "stealth release" tonight along with Sonic 2?

 

[SickBoy]

Woah. Rez HD... as long as it's within the standard pricing structure, I'll buy it (yeah, that means 1200, too... although I'd rather see it at 400... but I'd settle for 800).

I'd been toying with the idea of picking it up again for the PS2. Now I can forget about it

 

[Aaron]

Braid! NICE!

Good job MS for allowing this to happen!

Woot. Great game. Should do well on XBLA.