Joystiq

Lumines Supernova to fall this fall on PSN

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:57:00 EST

We're doubtful the release of Lumines Supernova on PSN this fall will be met with the sort of stellar explosion the game's title implies, but a revered action puzzler -- with "block-dropping beats" to back it up -- can only be a good thing for PlayStation 3's downloadable games service. Still, there's not much about Supernova that could justify a purchase for current owners of one (or more!) of the franchise's iterations aside from a pair of new modes:

Dig Down Mode: Using the falling blocks, erase squares from a playfield already filled with blocks as you dig down to the bottom. Show off your digging skills as your completion time is ranked based on clearing 20 consecutive stages.
Sequencer Mode: Create your own background music using the sound loops provided in the "Sound Bank" -- drums, bass, synthesizer 1, synthesizer 2, and effects each come with 20 different loops.

In addition, Supernova will feature 40 unlockable skins in Challenge Mode, plus Skin Edit, Time Attack, and Puzzle / Mission modes, and a 2-player versus mode. Q Entertainment has yet to set a firm release date or price for Lumines Supernova, but it does appear to be a more complete game than the core experience on Xbox Live Arcade.
%Gallery-31089%

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

PAX 2008: Count all the pretty pieces in the tabletop gaming gallery

Kevin Kelly — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Puzzle, RPGs, Strategy, Casual

One of the best things about PAX is that it's not just all about video games. There are legions of people who still enjoy doing it old school, and that includes board games, tabletoppers, and RPGs. We witnessed people playing everything from the massive, sprawling, plastic-fest of Twilight Imperium to the simple wordplay of Apples to Apples. Heck, even the final elimination round of the Omegathon was a Jenga showdown.

Check out the gallery below that's filled with people who still love how a pair of dice feels in their hands. To those about to roll, we salute you.
%Gallery-30902%

Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX 2008: Omeganaut shows us his special Jenga move

Kevin Kelly — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Puzzle, Strategy, Casual

Ben Gray, aka MNC Dover from Monday Night Crew, was eliminated from the Omegathon on Saturday, but they were nice enough to let him pass along his words of wisdom, and his ultra-secret Jenga move. If you want to know how to get a leg up on the competition, check out the video above.

One thing's for sure, if you use this move you'll never get invited to play Jenga ever again. Which might be exactly what you're looking for.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GameTap Thursday: Grimm dirties another tale, Puzzle Quest drops some runes

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Action, Puzzle, RPGs, Strategy

American McGee's Grimm continues on GameTap this week with The Girl Without Hands -- yup, it's getting darker. Same as every week, the episode is free to non-subscribers for the first 24 hours after release. The service also gets into the drug trade by adding the addictive Puzzle Quest.

Grimm: The Girl Without Hands (Windows) - Katamari Grimm-acy do your thing!
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of Warlords (Windows) - It's time to finally play this game if you've somehow missed out on it.

There aren't any additions to GameTap's gratis games lineup this week, but the full list of free-to-play titles can be found after the break.

Continue reading GameTap Thursday: Grimm dirties another tale, Puzzle Quest drops some runes

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Meteos Wars to shower XBLA [update]

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Online, Puzzle

Q Entertainment is bringing an utterly unstylistic version of its two-times-released (well, maybe we shouldn't count the Disnied version) DS puzzler, Meteos, to Xbox Live Arcade. Dubbed, Meteos Wars, the console port will include a new multiplayer experience. The game will feature a two-player versus mode where each player has a gauge that fills as sets of blocks are launched and enemy attacks are thwarted. Filling the gauge unlocks a special attack that predictably spells disaster for the opposing player.

Meteos Wars will also include a few added extras, like customizable characters. It's due in Japan this October~~, but has yet to be confirmed for release elsewhere~~. Wouldn't this be the perfect tie-on for that rumored motion controller...? (We're just sayin'.)

Update: Q Entertainment just shot us word confirming Meteos Wars for US release in October, priced at 800 ($10). Check out first screenshots of the game in our gallery below.
%Gallery-30632%

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Counting Rupees: Sustainable Indies

Jeff Engel — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:09:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:

Braid was released just over two weeks ago to critical raves and a few complaints regarding its slightly higher than "standard" price of $15. Despite Jonathan Blow, the creator of the game, having to defend the price for essentially a full week bracketing its release, Blow has now confirmed via his blog that his Braid will probably make back enough money to allow him to work on his next game. This is certainly great news, as Braid is one of the best games to be released on Xbox Live Arcade, or if you use Metacritic, the 8th best game to be released so far on the Xbox 360. Jonathan Blow certainly deserves the chance to follow up his brilliant effort, but something about his post regarding the success of his game actually revealed a warning sign to me for indie games overall.

Continue reading Counting Rupees: Sustainable Indies

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Myst + iPhone = iMyst, cue iGag over iNaming iScheme

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, PC, Portable, Sony PSP, Adventure, Puzzle, Casual

Oh Myst, whatever happened to you? We loved you when you were original, and we loved you even more when Riven came out. Then we were rudely slapped in the face when the game left Cyan and Ubisoft released Myst III: Exile and later Myst IV: Ages of Revelation. We tried to be chipper when you went back to Cyan and Myst V: End of Ages came out, but honestly too much water had passed under the bridge. Maybe because of the Uru: Ages Beyond Myst / Myst Online: Uru Live debacle.

But... what's this? You're coming to the iPhone? And you're being developed by Cyan? Well, glory be. However, you promised as a PSP version, and we're still waiting on that. It came out in Europe in 2006, so what gives? We know your DS version came out recently, but it is not being universally loved.

We know you might be too busy and Hollywood now, with your movie deal and iPhone announcement. But, we're still smarting from our past experiences. We'll give you another chance, but you'll need to hurry along while we're still smitten with the iPhone. And please, don't call it iMyst. Myst will do just fine. You wouldn't want us to get Pyst all over again.

[Update: We just heard from one of the gents working on the game (Yeah, that's the kind of pull we have) and they tell us "I'm pretty darn sure we're only calling it iMyst internally as a goofy moniker. I really doubt you've got anything to worry about with regards to rebranding of the game. Who knows, maybe if it does well, other Cyan games will follow." Good news all around!]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

X08: Hands-on Portal: Still Alive (XBLA)

Xav de Matos — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Puzzle

A buzzing noise fills the room as you are shaken awake. Bright lights bounce off the windowed walls of your 4 foot by 5 foot holding cell, making them twice as bright. As you rise from your bed and adjust your eyes a timer clicks from beyond your transparent walls and immediately you can't help but to fear you've seen this all before.

Portal: Still Alive is the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title based on the critically acclaimed original found in The Orange Box from Valve. Those who were unfortunate enough to never play the original Portal are in luck as Portal: Still Alive is essentially the exact same experience but with a few added bonuses.

Continue reading X08: Hands-on Portal: Still Alive (XBLA)

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GC 2008: The first trailer for LocoRoco 2

Justin McElroy — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PSP, Puzzle

Do us a favor, just for safety's sake: If you've recently been eating sugary foods (Blueberry Muffintop cereal springs to mind) do not watch this Leipzig Games Convention trailer for LocoRoco 2, which is so adorably, pinchably sweet that combining it with other glucose-rich product is a one way ticket to diabetes.

We don't learn much from the trailer, just that it looks like LocoRoco 2 will be sporting a lot more gameplay variety ... oh, and that we'll never ever get that song out of our heads.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Joystiq hands-on: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)

Zack Stern — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Features, Puzzle, Rhythm, Galleries

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure combines a block-matching, DS puzzle game--think Panel de Pon/Planet Puzzle League--with a side-scrolling platformer. This puzzling mash-up keeps the blocks on the bottom screen, Hatsworth jumping up top, and you toggling between each to maintain progress. We recently played this stylish title, due at the beginning of 2009. With so many small things to get right, we're uncertain that the puzzle-platformer will work, but we're impressed by its potential.

%Gallery-29502%

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blow considers rewinding time, removing Braid bugs

Justin McElroy — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle

Whether or not we think Braid is brilliant (and we do) no game is too angelic to escape our probing eye. We dig deep to find the real dirt that the big boys don't want you to know about, like bugs. We've used our investigative skills to find out about two from a secret source who ... oh, who are we kidding? They came from Jonathan Blow, the guy who created the game.

The bugs are a bit too specific to fully explain here, suffice it to say that if they hit you it's going to mean a fair amount of backtracking. They don't seem to be especially common, but they're serious for those who've been afflicted. The good news? While Jonathan Blow is spilling the beans he's also working with Microsoft on solutions.

Update: Blow's posted a few temporary fixes for one of the bugs.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Joystiq hands-on: IndieCade games galore

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Features, PC, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Online, Puzzle, Strategy, E3, Casual, Galleries

One of the things we made sure to do at E3 this year was to spend a significant amount of time with the IndieCade folks. Then we sat on that info long enough for some of these games to get picked up, have a successful release, come out with sequels, spawn movies, novels, comic books, become part of the general pop culture bloodstream, and then fade into nostalgia, and for that we apologize. Actually, I'll apologize, I did it.

But in all seriousness, a lot of the more fun and innovative stuff we saw at E3 wasn't actually being churned out by big studios and publishers, but being worked on by small groups with tiny budgets and just a love of gaming. Read on to find out all about the IndieCade games that we saw on display, and why you'll want to be playing them now.
%Gallery-28162%

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: IndieCade games galore

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jonathan Blow: Microsoft made Braid demo shorter

Jason Dobson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure, Puzzle

Jonathan Blow's masterwork, Braid, has quickly become the water-colored poster child for indie game development. However, while both critics and players alike have been singing the game's praises since it was released a week ago, there are some things that Blow wishes would have turned out differently. Specifically the XBLA demo, which he originally wanted to represent a larger portion of the full game, a bubble that Microsoft was only too happy to burst.

"There was one little issue at the very end of development when [Microsoft] wanted me to make the trial version shorter than it was," recalled Blow in an interview with SavyGamer, adding belief that "it's ok to give people a significant portion of the game because if they like it, they'll want to play the rest." Nevertheless, this apparently didn't jibe with Braid's publishing overlords, as Blow noted that he and Microsoft argued back and forth over the demo's length before settling on the teaser we have today. So, tell us, was the result enough to make your virtual wallet 1200 MS points lighter?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EA reveals Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure for DS

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:26:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Action, Puzzle

Neat hat on a clever noggin news now, with EA announcing Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (working title), a platformer/puzzler for the Nintendo DS. Developed by an EA Tiburon team under the publisher's Casual Entertainment label, Hatsworth hopes to fuse the "action of an adventure game with the challenge of a puzzle game," with players switching between "action-platform" screens and "the increasingly challenging puzzle world."

EA promises over 30 levels and five "exotic" worlds for the geriatric genius to explore, complete with power ups, enemies and "outrageous world-ending bosses." The game's executive producer, Scott Walker, describes it as "an incredibly unique game" that you "won't want to put down" once it ships in 2009 -- which either means it's very good, or it has some sort of explosive detonator strapped to the back of the cartridge.
%Gallery-29502%

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Braid: tearing up Metacritic; one of the top XBLA launches

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle

Jonathan Blow's Braid is drowning in critical acclaim, just now hitting an average of 93 on Metacritic and becoming the 8th highest-rated Xbox 360 game on the console. The official Braid Blog takes the opportunity to point out that indie developers don't need to make cheap PopCap clones to be successful; if they do something different, their work can be recognized. Yeah? Well, this industry is all about sales so ... how's the game selling on XBLA?

Blow cites VGChartz's ballpark figure of 28.5k copies sold and estimates that the number "seems to be in the right neighborhood" as of last Saturday. Does that mean his struggle with the game's pricing has paid off in a big way? Apparently not. Blow contends that Braid will need to sell a lot more to be profitable but "things are looking promising now." We'll say! Let's put that estimate up against the top XBLA launch figures in a thoroughly unscientific breakdown*:

Braid, ~28.5k units
Rez HD, 25k units
Ikaruga, 22.5k units
Penny Arcade Adventures Episode 1, 16.5k units
N+, 13k units

*(Figures represent sales gathered from the first three days of availability. Blow's ballpark figure was posted on Saturday, three days after Braid's Wednesday launch).

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sega pleased by 'substantial' iPhone Super Monkey Ball sales

Randy Nelson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wireless, Puzzle, Business, Mobile

Talk about some serious monkey business. According to the Wall Street Journal, Sega's debut effort on the iPhone App Store, Super Monkey Ball, has racked up 300,000 downloads since it debuted on the service June 11.

At $9.99 a pop, that means the game has brought in just about $3 million for Sega, with Apple taking its 30% "upkeep" share off the top to the tune of $899k. Both parties must be quite pleased. Sega certainly is. Based on what SOA prez Simon Jeffery told the WSJ, the future looks to be full of iPhone games from the publisher. Speaking on the sizable sales of SMB, Jeffrey said, "That's a substantial business," adding, "It gives iPhone a justifiable claim to being a viable gaming platform."

It's worth noting that these purchases, unlike those via XBLA or PSN, were made sight-unseen, as the App Store does not offer a SMB trial version. Now, if Sega would just release a patch to allow calibration of the iPhone's accelerometer so we can play SMB without staring straight down at it ... that'd be bananas.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Joystiq Free Game Club: Fantastic Contraption

Justin McElroy — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Puzzle

Your first reaction to Fantastic Contraption is going to be one of complete befuddlement. Not only will you not understand the game, you won't be able to comprehend why we selected it for the FGC. But trust us: Hang in there. Because once the game's intricate mechanics reveal themselves to you, we predict you're going to have a really hard time stopping.

The idea is, at its core, simple. You're trying to build a contraption that can get a pink ball to a pink square. You don't even have that many tools to work with, just a few different types of wheels and rods. The challenge (and the joy) is figuring out how those components all work together in-game.

If we have a problem with FC, it's that the tutorial could be a bit better. But at the same time, we can understand why playing with the physics is probably a lot easier than trying to get someone to understand them. Give it a spin and let us know what you think.

[Thanks, BitPicnic]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

X3F rallies around Braid, demands your consideration

Ross Miller — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle

Braid is good, but the biggest hurdle seems to be its pricing (frequently discussed lately by creator Jonathan Blow). With most of the Joystiq staff too busy playing the XBLA time-bender this weekend, our cohorts at X3F (the blog formerly known as Xbox 360 Fanboy) have stepped in to lay out the reasons why you should really care about Braid. Click here and get edumucated.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Portable N+ subtracts $10, adds delay

Randy Nelson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Action, Puzzle

The inevitable "Is that a ninja in your pocket?" jokes will have to wait a little while longer - two weeks, to be exact - as Atari has announced a release date set-back for the DS and PSP versions of N+. The games, which both include features, puzzles, and even screen-scrolling schemes exclusive to their respective platforms, will sneak onto shelves August 26. They were originally slated for August 12.

They say "good things come to those who wait," and in this case the "good thing" isn't just take-anywhere ninja magic ... it's $10 off the original $29.99 price point for both versions. Whether you're planning to stealthily snatch up the DS or PSP version of N+ (or both) they'll only set you back $19.99. Arigato, Atari!

Source - DS Fanboy
Source - PSP Fanboy

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jonathan Blow talks Braid pricing

Justin McElroy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle

There's a really interesting discussion going on in the comments section at Braid designer Jonathan Blow's official blog, as he attempts to explain why he's a bit disappointed the game has to arrive for 1200 ($15), rather than the 800 ($10) points he would have preferred.

Though he says Microsoft pushed the $15 price point, he admits he's also got his own financial concerns to consider that make the price a lot more palatable. Blow also says he's worried about ending up like Jeff Minter, who wanted his game Space Giraffe affordably priced but didn't recoup enough as a result. It's a surprisingly frank discussion, and one well worth checking out.
%Gallery-5074%

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments