Super Mario Crossover creator has Kickstarted development of an original game

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Andrew Rainnie

There are so many Kickstarter game projects these days that it is becoming harder and harder to choose which ones to support.

Exploding Rabbit, led by Jay Pavlian, has been making games for a while now, most famously Super Mario Bros Crossover. While that game was fun, it was also ripping off a number of character’s other people had created. Thankfully, Exploding Rabbit has taken what they love about retro gaming and made it into something fresh – Super Retro Squad.

The 2D scrolling platformer will feature eight original characters, although each is heavily inspired by historical characters from the heyday of 8-bit games. The game features over 40 levels stretched across eight worlds, each of which is based on one of the playable characters. As well as implementing an equipment and upgrade system, the game will include a story that tells the tale of these eight heroes.

As Exploding Rabbit is working for free, they are looking for donations to upgrade their development software, as well as equipment that will allow them to develop the game for Android and Apple systems. Rewards for pledging are as simple as a copy of the game to being able all the way to being able to write dialogue for NPCs.

Posted in News, PC |

Far Cry 3 delayed three months, just in time for Christmas

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Andrew Rainnie

Ubisoft has pushed back the release date of Far Cry 3 by three months, meaning it is now pencilled in to launch on November 29 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with the North American release a few days later on December 4. While delays are almost always never a good sign, Ubisoft has been in top form recently, and producer Dan Hay stressed the delay was to perfect the game:

“We’re taking more time to create the best possible gameplay experience, Far Cry 3 is a huge offering and we want every element of this insane, action-packed adventure to be of the highest possible quality for the players.”

The game is powered by the brand new Dunia 2 engine. The engine has also powered recently released footage from the game, which features the luscious environments of the mysterious tropical island that protagonist Jason Brody finds himself surviving on. And, of course, it also renders Brody’s impressive mohawk.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Complete contents of the Journey: Collector’s Edition revealed

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Andrew Rainnie

Thatgamecompany has officially unveiled their first disc-based release, and while the title is Journey: Collector’s Edition, the Blu-ray disc will come bundled with both of the developer’s other games, Flow and Flower, previously only available as digital downloads via the PlayStation Network.

Not only that, but the disc is going to be stuffed, crammed and jammed with special bonus features, including three mini-games born out of a tradition at thatgamecompany known as the 24hr Game Jam, where games are created in the space of a day. Usually only playable in the company’s offices, players will be able to experience Gravediggers, Duke War!!, and Nostril Shot and see what 24 hours of creativity and hard graft looks like.

On top of this, there will be an array of additional bonus features including PSN avatars, soundtracks for all three games, developer diaries and making of documentaries. As if that wasn’t enough, players will also be able to experience optional live commentary during their playing experience, hearing from the talented individuals that were involved in the creative process.

“We are particularly excited about the Creator Commentary playthroughs of all three games, because we get to share with players insights about Flow, Flower, and Journey straight from the minds of the designers, artists, engineers and composers who worked together to make these games so special,” Studio Manager Sunni Pavlovic said.

Journey: Collector’s Edition looks to be an absolute steal at $29.99 when it’s released on August 28 in North America.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged , ,

Activision announces Wreck-It Ralph tie-in game

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Andrew Rainnie

Normally, when Activision announces they’re producing a video game tied to a film, I shrug with a certain sadness. It is a shrug that says “Haven’t they given up the ghost?”

But Wreck-It Ralph managed to stop me mid-shrug, because the concept of the Disney film may work in the game’s favour. In a nutshell, Ralph is an arcade bad-guy, who sets out to prove that he can be a good guy. The game itself will take the form of a 2D side-scrolling beat’em up in a similar fashion to classics like Double Dragon or the recent game based on cult comic film adaptation Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. Activison Publishing Executive VP David Oxford certainly sees it that way:

“Wreck-It Ralph, as a brand entity, is perfectly suited for video game stardom. With the fantastic characters and creative atmosphere envisioned by Walt Disney Animation Studios, we know fans are going to love seeing their newfound favorite characters embark on an all-new side scrolling adventure.”

The company is clearly targeting the film’s audience, choosing to release Wreck-It Ralph exclusively on Nintendo systems (DS, 3DS, and Wii). The game will take place after the events of the film, with the Wii version offering a classic two-player co-op mode, with Ralph’s friend Fix-It Felix as the other character. The game will hit stores around November 2, when the film is rampaging into cinemas.

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii | Tagged

Spec Ops: The Line Interview: Crossing the Narrative Desert With Lead Writer Walt Williams

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Warp Zoned Staff

Spec Ops: The Line, which takes players on a military operation inside Dubai after a post-apocalyptic sandstorm, will be available on store shelves tomorrow. We recently had a chance to talk with Walt Williams, the game’s very verbose Lead Writer.

During our interview, we got him to open up about what inspired the team at Yager Development and how moral choices play into the narrative, as well as Dubai’s status as a “city that shouldn’t be” and how that made it the perfect place to set a game.

Take a walk into the eye of the storm with us after the break.

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Posted in Features, Interviews, PC, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Skyrim expansion “Dawnguard” will be available tomorrow

Posted on June 25, 2012 by John Scalzo

Bethesda has announced that Dawnguard, the first downloadable expansion for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, will be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow. Priced at 1600 Microsoft Points ($20), Dawnguard will feature “an all new faction questline, new locations, weapons, creatures and more.”

How much more? How about a Burnsian plot to blot out the sun…

The Vampire Lord Harkon has returned to power. Using the Elder Scrolls, he seeks to do the unthinkable – to end the sun itself. Will you join the ancient order of the Dawnguard and stop him, or will you yourself become a Vampire Lord?

While the expansion is exclusive to the Xbox 360 for now, PC and PS3 players will get their chance to play Dawnguard “soon.”

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Daily Scoop: June 25, 2012 – Just another manic Monday

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Nicole Kline

I keep defeating Mondays, but they just keep appearing. Is there a machine spawning them? Can I kill it? Please? I want to kill it dead. Maybe I could find the machine that spawns Saturdays and hack it…

Amazon’s got a bunch of all-new weekly deals, at least! Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge for the Xbox 360 is on sale for $29.48, and Men In Black: Alien Crisis is $39.99 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and $39.96 for the Wii. Also on sale is iCarly: Groovy Foodie! for the Nintendo DS (you know you want it) and the Dragon Age Pack download is just $9.99. Yowza. Scoop ’em up!

Two video-game related shirts on the daily sites today:

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Posted in Daily Scoop, DS, Etcetera, News, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 |

Doom 3: BFG Edition will include “original mode”

Posted on June 25, 2012 by John Scalzo

Doom 3: BFG Edition is bringing plenty of new features to the classic game including 3D display support, Achievements/Trophies, an “always-on” flashlight, and many more. But gamers looking to replay the game as it was originally back in 2004 will also get their chance, thanks to the aptly named “Original Mode.”

The game’s producer, Eric Webb, let this awesome news slip during an interview with the PlayStation Blog:

PlayStation Blog: How do you balance staying true to the original game with making improvements?

Eric Webb: Your first inclination is to make big sweeping changes because it’s something that you’ve looked at for a long time, so it doesn’t feel fresh anymore. We’ve really focused on keeping the core experience there. From talking to people on the show floor, a lot of them weren’t too happy with the idea of the flashlight as something separate. So integrating the flashlight into your main weapon seemed like a no-brainer, yet even then we still had people say they wanted to play the original way.

Another piece of feedback we had was that the game was too dark, so we’ve lit it some more here and there and tried to lead the player’s eye a little more. So there’ll be two modes – the original, unchanged version of Doom 3 and the updated one.

Doom 3: BFG Edition will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on October 16.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged