Anodyne is one of the most compelling games I've played in quite some time. Every time I mull over what game to play next, Anodyne lulls me back. Its a very uniquely paced game and as such mixes in some really surprising elements. For instance, Anodyne contains some very cool art for certain levels that really does harken back to an older Super Nintendo era. Each dungeon has a hook to it, like the old Zelda dungeons from Link to the Past onward. For instance, in one dungeon you must master a series of jump puzzles that gets a bit fiddly, but once you learn the ropes it isn't too bad.
Anodyne has a story that may be hard to follow but that doesn't mean I don't... Read All
Anodyne is one of the most compelling games I've played in quite some time. Every time I mull over what game to play next, Anodyne lulls me back. Its a very uniquely paced game and as such mixes in some really surprising elements. For instance, Anodyne contains some very cool art for certain levels that really does harken back to an older Super Nintendo era. Each dungeon has a hook to it, like the old Zelda dungeons from Link to the Past onward. For instance, in one dungeon you must master a series of jump puzzles that gets a bit fiddly, but once you learn the ropes it isn't too bad.
Anodyne has a story that may be hard to follow but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it. Sometimes the game dialog and story go a particular direction and then in another beat some joke changes the flow which can be a bit odd. In a way, I appreciate how disjointed Anodyne is and if you are expecting it to hand you the narrative simply, this isn't your jam. I believe that games and life even is a journey which can incorporate multiple elements in story, art, music and overall feel of how it mixes together. The fact that Anodyne has a less accessible story doesn't bother me as I am really drawn into the journey of the game more than yet another retelling of Star Wars or The Iliad.
After a few play sessions I would say I am about 70% through the game and am looking forward to completing it. Anodyne is one of those games that has fantastic art and these are a few shots I took of it:
I just got this game and so far I am enjoying it immensely.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 04/06/2013 at 02:58am
Yeah, its totally awesome! Did you get it on Steam or from their site? I picked it up before it was on Steam though the Humble Store and they just recently allowed everyone a free Steam Key! WOOT!
But, for people that are cheap like me and wanting to get this awesome game, it's currently in the Groupees Bundle with some other excellent titles at http://groupees.com/retro !
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Dungeon Defenders 2 pre-alpha footage was released and is embedded above. Fun to see early builds of games, I wonder how well this will stack up to the final release?
An awesome gamer is porting Doom to Half-Life 2's Garry's Mod. Yes, you heard right a mod is getting modded, now if I could mod the doom mod on the mod...
Blizzard likes to release bits of the Starcraft and Diablo universe in the form of short stories and art. They just dropped the latest short story "Just an Overlord" for you to read on BattleNet as well a free PDF download.
An awesome gamer is porting Doom to Half-Life 2's Garry's Mod. Yes, you heard right a mod is getting modded, now if I could mod the doom mod on the mod...
Blizzard likes to release bits of the Starcraft and Diablo universe in the form of short stories and art. They just dropped the latest short story "Just an Overlord" for you to read on BattleNet as well a free PDF download.
"Set out on a grand adventure in this turn-based retro style pixel-art RPG, inspired by the great titles of the 90's, where players take on the roles of in-game players taking on the roles of their characters in a traditional pen and paper RPG session.
Players are able to control both the playing characters AND the dungeon master, and they choose which battles to fight. Put together a bunch of monsters to make for a challenging fight, your efforts will be equally rewarded!"
Knights of Pen and Paper looks really interesting. It boasts launch support on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS which is pretty awesome. Having someone play AS the Dungeon Master that facilitates... Read All
"Set out on a grand adventure in this turn-based retro style pixel-art RPG, inspired by the great titles of the 90's, where players take on the roles of in-game players taking on the roles of their characters in a traditional pen and paper RPG session.
Players are able to control both the playing characters AND the dungeon master, and they choose which battles to fight. Put together a bunch of monsters to make for a challenging fight, your efforts will be equally rewarded!"
Knights of Pen and Paper looks really interesting. It boasts launch support on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS which is pretty awesome. Having someone play AS the Dungeon Master that facilitates the game sounds very cool. I would be very interested in getting people together to play this online after it drops if its fun.
Let me share with you all my favorite thing about this game. Since the original Deus Ex well over a decade ago, the main draw of the series has been the ability to choose your route through any given area. I pride myself on my (admittedly lackluster) stealth skills, and as such, made a point of taking on the terrorist mission early in the game (The one where you had to rescue the hostages and defuse the bomb) with a decidedly low-profile approach. I had some difficulty navigating the room just outside the hostages without being spotted, and eventually just paused and walked away in frustration. My wife asks me to run around the corner to pick her up a snack from our... Read All
Let me share with you all my favorite thing about this game. Since the original Deus Ex well over a decade ago, the main draw of the series has been the ability to choose your route through any given area. I pride myself on my (admittedly lackluster) stealth skills, and as such, made a point of taking on the terrorist mission early in the game (The one where you had to rescue the hostages and defuse the bomb) with a decidedly low-profile approach. I had some difficulty navigating the room just outside the hostages without being spotted, and eventually just paused and walked away in frustration. My wife asks me to run around the corner to pick her up a snack from our nearby 7-11, and I gladly took the opportunity to get some fresh air and get my wits back about me. I'm sure my controller appreciated not being thrown across the room.
I return a few moments later, chips and a slurpee in hand, only to see a mission complete gracing my screen. Confused, I track my wife down in the other room, and see if she knows anything about it.
"Babe? Any Idea why my game is telling me Mission Complete?"
"Oh? Yeah. I took care of it."
"How? I was stuck for half an hour."
"Grenades."
"Grenades?"
"Yep. Grenades."
"And the Terrorist Leader?"
"Throat Punch."
This is the woman I married. And I'm strangely proud of her for this.
Sharing passions, or even just being able to communicate and understand those passions, is a valuable thing in any relationship. Very cool that you have this!
Some of the coolest moments in gaming happened during my play sessions with Half-Life 2 and Portal 2 playing on the couch with my wife beside me reading or doing a puzzle. Her reactions to the game were pretty awesome.
I recently ran through the Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm BluRay and watched all the cinematics and she was really interested in the story and how it turned out. She seemed to dig Kerrigan and Jim's story too. LEGACY OF THE VOID CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH!
Just last night I was at my girlfriend's house, and we were going to watch The Golden Girls (something I'd never thought I'd say, but check it out, it's pretty fantastically funny) and before we did, I threw in her copy of Grand Theft Auto 4. We had a blast just running around the city, punching people's cars and causing a riot. Gaming with a partner can be a ton of fun!
I suppose that should be obvious to me, looking back at my childhood. Gaming with friends is what every day revolved around. I remember putting my Super Nintendo in my backpack after school and biking to my friend's house so we could play games together. Not to mention all the Super Street Fighter 2 and Killer Instincts battles I had with my brother :)
I wish my boyfriend was awesome like that. We play WoW together but if it's any other game, if I get stuck, he just laughs at me. He never helps or will even hint about how to get around something. *grumblegrumble*
And Golden Girls is awesome! I wanna be like them, when I grow up. =)
Gaming as a couple is awesome! My wife and I use to play MMO's together, but now we mostly stick to co-op console games like Borderlands. We're still working on Borderlands 2, but our gaming time together is a little more rare now that kid #3 is here. :)
Nick_Donahoo Post Author
wrote on 03/28/2013 at 07:08pm
Ooh. tempted to get the wife interested in Borderlands. Hadn't thought of that before. I think I have the first one somewhere. Wonder if she'll dig playing Lilith.
We launched a revamp to everyones Profile page as per the list of features we had slated to release this month. The new design is much more distinct than the old one and highlights certain things the old profile page didn't. If you are new to the site, this might be what you are used to, but for people that have been on the site for longer this will be a pretty big departure.
We also now have a much better feedback form now. The old one was simply a Google Doc Form that backended to a... Read All
We launched a revamp to everyones Profile page as per the list of features we had slated to release this month. The new design is much more distinct than the old one and highlights certain things the old profile page didn't. If you are new to the site, this might be what you are used to, but for people that have been on the site for longer this will be a pretty big departure.
We also now have a much better feedback form now. The old one was simply a Google Doc Form that backended to a spreadsheet, this one has the style of the site and is much simpler to use. It also gives feedback much more visibility to Travis and I, which is always a good thing.
Thumbs up. The difference is subtle, but I like it. Anything that makes this sleeker and sexier gets my approval.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/27/2013 at 03:54pm
Yeah, awesome! Travis and I are both remaking certain things all in the name of simplicity and are trying to end up in a better spot. I think the site started fairly simply, but where it is now is so much better :D
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Hello, *Insert Test Subject Name Here*, and welcome to the Aperture Labs Modular Testing Facility. You are no doubt the pride of *Insert Test Subject's Hometown Here*. For this next test, we have replaced the defective test facility with a live fire course designed for military androids.
A few days ago, I made the discovery that my wife had never experienced the majesty that was the original Portal. A few dollars on steam later, we set about remedying this unfortunate oversight. "So, what the heck is this? A First-Person Puzzle game?" She asked me, a bit incredulous. "That sounds kind of dumb:"
Having not steered her wrong on games before, she was willing to give me... Read All
Hello, *Insert Test Subject Name Here*, and welcome to the Aperture Labs Modular Testing Facility. You are no doubt the pride of *Insert Test Subject's Hometown Here*. For this next test, we have replaced the defective test facility with a live fire course designed for military androids.
A few days ago, I made the discovery that my wife had never experienced the majesty that was the original Portal. A few dollars on steam later, we set about remedying this unfortunate oversight. "So, what the heck is this? A First-Person Puzzle game?" She asked me, a bit incredulous. "That sounds kind of dumb:"
Having not steered her wrong on games before, she was willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. She delved into Aperture Labs, oblivious to the trials and tribulations ahead of her. She hears the calming tones of GLaDOS pushing her along, encouraging her to continue testing. She laughed as she realized lining up a pair of portals on the ceiling and floor makes for a lot of speed, and the right portal afterwards sends her ceiling-bound. Promises of cake kept her moving to the next test chamber,
Then came the Rattman. She stumbled upon a broken section of wall, and curiosity got the better of her. "What's this?" She wondered aloud. "The Cake Is A Lie? But she promised!" Suddenly, that wide-eyed joy was replaced with a hint of concern. She wondered who to trust. The dulcet tones that have led her every step of the way so far, or the hasty, erratic graffiti obviously scrawled by a desperate, if not mad man. We moved on, a bit uneasier, but still completely enthralled.
By now, we've met most of the cast. GLaDOS has been whispering in our ear the entire time, and the Rattman has left his mark on our test chambers. As she stepped out of the elevator, our last cast member introduced itself. Muck like our beloved Chell, it is silent, resilient, reliable, and a little bit adorable. The Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube has found its way into our lives, and she couldn't be happier. As she smiles and hops along with her new friend, I'm filled with an increasing sense of dread, knowing what comes next...
For sure. When I lost the companion cube I remember my wife was in the room and she was like "Hey, wait what, YOU DIDNT HAVE TO DO THAT!" I was like, "yeah I think I did." Funny how nearly everyone reacts badly to that scene.
Have you played Portal before?
Nick_Donahoo Post Author
wrote on 03/27/2013 at 12:42am
I played it years ago. I was surprise when I realized she hadn't. I was watching her more than the game, It's kind of a surreal experience knowing the twists when the other person doesn't.
For sure. Before Portal 2 came out I played the original again. It was still very fun and enjoyed myself.
Have you played Portal 2?
Nick_Donahoo Post Author
wrote on 03/27/2013 at 01:14am
*ahem* I'm in SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!
Um, yes. I have. It was a masterpiece. And half of it was voiced by Nolan North, who you might recognize as the voice of EVERYTHING. I have a thing for good voice acting, and this was incredibly well done. Absolutely everything was right about it. I should be doing a write up of my wife's first playthrough. Heck, that might just become a thing. "My Wife Plays ____" The story of a gamer sharing his lifelong passion with his until recently non-gamer wife.
Its a well written piece and he brings up several points I want to highlight.
“We are closing in on 2 million sales and assuming a 10% piracy to sales ratio does not seem unreasonable. As a forward thinking developer who exists in the present, I realize and accept that a pirated copy of a digital game does not equate to money being taken out of my pocket.”
He goes on to say...
“In the digital world, you don't have a set inventory. Your game is infinitely replicable at a negligible or zero cost (the cost... Read All
Recently Tommy Refenes posted on IndieGames.com about Piracy and DRM and you really should read it.
Its a well written piece and he brings up several points I want to highlight.
“We are closing in on 2 million sales and assuming a 10% piracy to sales ratio does not seem unreasonable. As a forward thinking developer who exists in the present, I realize and accept that a pirated copy of a digital game does not equate to money being taken out of my pocket.”
He goes on to say...
“In the digital world, you don't have a set inventory. Your game is infinitely replicable at a negligible or zero cost (the cost bandwidth off your own site or nothing if you're on a portal like Steam, eShop, etc). Digital inventory has no value. Your company isn't worth an infinite amount because you have infinite copies of your game. As such, calculating worth and loss based on infinite inventory is impossible. If you have infinite stock, and someone steals one unit from that stock, you still have infinite stock.”
I think his points are apt considering the recent SimCity 5 single player always on DRM fiasco. Basically, the launch of SimCity 5 saw many people not able to play the game due to the always online requirement. This led to many returns and a ton of bad press for EA. Refenes comments on this as well.
“After the frustrations with SimCity I asked Origin for a refund and received one. This was money they had and then lost a few days later. Applying our earlier conversation about calculable loss, there is a loss that is quantifiable, that will show up in accounting spreadsheets and does take away from profit. That loss is the return, and it is much more dangerous than someone stealing your game.”
His point is that its worse to have a refund than a lost sale to piracy. This is an interesting point because its not one I had considered before and after thinking about it more tend to agree with him. I come from the “all DRM is bad” camp and don’t enjoy any form of it. Some I tolerate, but most of the time I don’t buy things if the DRM is annoying. But shouldn’t DRM as a thing be totally dead in the game industry by now? I mean what customer is asking for DRM?
And really, DRM should be dead by now. I mean wasn’t Gabe talking about DRM being lame back in 2008? Oh right, seems he was.
“I get fairly frustrated when I hear how the issue is framed in a lot of cases. To us it seems pretty obvious that people always want to treat it as a pricing issue, that people are doing this because they can get it for free and so we just need to create these draconian DRM systems or anti-piracy systems, and that just really doesn’t match up with the data. As a customer, I want to be able to access my stuff wherever I am, and if you put in place a system that makes me wonder if I’ll be able to get it then you’ve significantly decreased the value of it.”
I figure “DRM thinking” is limited to older companies like EA only, but that doesn’t seem to be the case as seen in this recent “Ask Slashdot” post.
“I'm an indie developer about to release a small ($5 — $10 range) utility for graphic designers. I'd like to employ at least a basic deterrent to pirates, but with the recent SimCity disaster, I'm wondering: what is a reasonable way to deter piracy without ruining things for legitimate users? A simple serial number? Online activation? Encrypted binaries? Please share your thoughts.”
Doing a simple serial key check is fine but doing much more than that is a waste of bandwidth because if your thing is popular enough, piracy will happen no matter what you do. Its hard enough building something awesome, don’t split your bandwidth doing things that in the long run will never get you what you want.
This is just a strange topic that shouldn’t really be a thing in 2013. I think the best thing we can do is make choices that put money in the hands of people that build things we want. That means if you get a game with crap DRM, ask for a refund. And likewise, buy games that respect you and your time. For instance, all games on GOGcom are DRM free. As are all the games that come out as part as the Humble Indie Bundles. Because, really its 2013 and publishers and developers need to understand that treating their legitimate customers like criminals isn’t the way to ship awesome.
This is good stuff. I like Tommy's article. The argument that piracy equals lost sales never made sense to me. Value and respect go hand in hand, and the idea of creating something valuable, rather than creating a product that you put a value on, is an essential concept. Radiohead experienced a similar thing with their pay-what-you-like digital release of In Rainbows:
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/27/2013 at 12:02am
I picked up that Radiohead album and for me, yeah it brought with it a new way of thinking about buying stuff. They should have tagged it better and added album art BUT it opened peoples eyes to a new way to delivering the rad.
I think people in the ivory towers of mega-videogame-corp-o-tron don't understand that paying customers are not evil. I don't pirate software but I have a shitload of Steam titles. You can't invent DRM that works with me cause I don't pirate games, I buy them. I have met people that pirate as a way of life, they just want free stuff, no amount of coaxing will get them to think otherwise.
I'm OK with certain DRM. Steam is fine. It's something that you have to be logged into, or have logged into in the somewhat recent past, in order to play. It's totally unobtrusive and doesn't put up roadblocks every step of the way.
But like you and everyone else has said, if it's good enough, it's going to be broken and spread all over the net. They aren't punishing pirates in any way, they're punishing paying customers.
If I download a movie I open it and it starts playing. If I buy one it takes at least a minute or so to get through all the crap to get to my movie.
If piracy is providing a better product than you are, you're doing something wrong and need to change your model.
"If piracy is providing a better product than you are, you're doing something wrong and need to change your model."
That is exactly true.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/27/2013 at 04:03pm
@Travis: I think there is a difference between "always online DRM for single player games," "online multiplayer games" and Steam.
* Always online DRM: Must be online to start start and play single player game. * Multiplayer Online Game: Games like WoW and DoTA 2, must be online to play, kind of the point of the game. * Steam: Must download game before you play it. Can play most games offline unless its like DoTA 2 or some other online multiplayer game.
Just because you need to download something before you play it doesn't mean its DRM, that's like saying Firefox is DRM'ed too. Does Cheerful Ghost employ DRM because you have to be online to use it? :D
No, Steam is DRM because you have to sign into Steam in order to play most of the games you have purchased. There's a significant difference between always online DRM and Steam, I wasn't trying to equate the two, but Steam *is* a kind of DRM. Or I guess more correctly, DRM is a part of Steamworks. It isn't just a download manager for your games, it provides its own DRM for publishers to use. This is most notable in (for me) its only downside-- If you've signed out incorrectly or if you've failed to install an update and sign in once afterwards, you can't use Steam offline and you are locked out of your games.
"Steam's DRM solution (called "CEG" by Valve) is just one of many Steamworks components game developers may use, alongside achievements, cloud saving, the workshop, matchmaking network code etc.; just like with all the others, implementing it is not required to distribute a game on Steam. A game can use the other Steamworks features and still remain DRM-free."
But in effect, the list of games that choose not to use it is very small.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/27/2013 at 04:38pm
Huh. Well, I didn't know they did that. So yeah, apparently it is. It seems just like a download manager to me and I have played offline to boot.
Yeah I've played offline a bunch, in fact I may have once or twice... heard about... a friend... sharing accounts with people to and after signing in blocking Steam via the Windows firewall to force it offline so two people could play single player games on the same account. But it requires that sign-in, and if Steam ends abruptly or thinks it needs to do something you're screwed until you sign back in.
I think you have to sign in once every 60 or 90 days for offline mode to continue to work as well. Can't remember the cutoff.
BUT! I think it speaks volumes about Steam's DRM implementation that it was so unobtrusive you were unaware that there was any DRM there. It's DRM done right. At this point DRM is still a necessary evil if we want games from most publishers, and Steam has a way to do it almost transparently and without being detrimental to the customer.
For some reason it just now, more than a day later, occurred to me that my previous comment could be taken like "haha you didn't know Steam had drm you stupid head." That wasn't my intention at all- just pointing out how well that Steam had implemented it, so that it's almost entirely transparent to the user.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/29/2013 at 03:39am
I didn't take it that way :)
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First off, congrats to our winner on SteamGifts! That winner isn't online at the moment, but once all the dust has settled from that giveaway and it's delivered, I'll edit this post for proper congratulations.
Now, what you've all been waiting for! This has been the hardest contest to judge. It came down to two entries. We were in agreement on who the top two were, but we agreed that both were equally awesome. So we decided to flip a coin to pick. BUT THEN we decided to throw that coin out the window and just buy a second copy!
Congrats to our two winners, Sparklepop and Nick_Donahoo!
Nick's post was beautifully written, and anyone who had yet to play the game could get... Read All
First off, congrats to our winner on SteamGifts! That winner isn't online at the moment, but once all the dust has settled from that giveaway and it's delivered, I'll edit this post for proper congratulations.
Now, what you've all been waiting for! This has been the hardest contest to judge. It came down to two entries. We were in agreement on who the top two were, but we agreed that both were equally awesome. So we decided to flip a coin to pick. BUT THEN we decided to throw that coin out the window and just buy a second copy!
Congrats to our two winners, Sparklepop and Nick_Donahoo!
Nick's post was beautifully written, and anyone who had yet to play the game could get a good feeling of Rapture from his amazing descriptions. The detail was amazing, and the analysis of the player being the monster in the Big Daddy's eyes was very poignant. http://cheerfulghost.com/Nick_Donahoo/posts/1133
Sparklepop's post, on the other hand, was very personal and demonstrated why the game has the effect it does on people. She described the awe and wonder we all felt, and I think we can all relate to wanting to stay up to all hours of the night playing a highly anticipated game. http://cheerfulghost.com/Sparklepop/posts/1124
So, congrats to both of you! You're both awesome, and we're glad to have you!
To all the other contestants, we greatly appreciate your entries, and we're sorry we don't have a stack of 50 of these things to hand out.
@Nick_Donahoo: Hahahaha, well you know if you did it would be cool because its the Internet and its not like anyone would know unless you said... oh wait. :D
many thanks to everyone with their kind words. I doubted I was going to stand a chance, and I still feel like SparklePop trumped me, so the generosity of the folks that run this site is absolutely astounding. Ask my wife, I was still doing a silly dance about it this morning.
This is one of my favorite games ever and if you haven't played it yet, read no further, get it, and give it a play through.
Bastion (Supergiant Games) can be played on just about everything, from Xbox/PC to Google Chrome and I wish more people have played this game. There are so many things to say about it, where do I even start? From the beginning, I suppose.
Upon starting the game, you wake up in your bed as "The Kid" in the aftermath of the Calamity that has ripped your world apart. And it's up to you to create a world where you and the people you meet along the way can start a new life.
The entire play-through is narrated by a man named Rucks who will help to guide... Read All This is one of my favorite games ever and if you haven't played it yet, read no further, get it, and give it a play through.
Bastion (Supergiant Games) can be played on just about everything, from Xbox/PC to Google Chrome and I wish more people have played this game. There are so many things to say about it, where do I even start? From the beginning, I suppose.
Upon starting the game, you wake up in your bed as "The Kid" in the aftermath of the Calamity that has ripped your world apart. And it's up to you to create a world where you and the people you meet along the way can start a new life.
The entire play-through is narrated by a man named Rucks who will help to guide you. It may seem like having your every action narrated would be more of a hindrance than help, but it is done so in a way that adds so much to feeling of Bastion (and it doesn't help that the voice over actor has a voice like lemonade on a hot summer's day, lol). The game tells such a beautiful story, full of hope and perseverance. I probably would have played this game even if it didn't include such awesome everything else. ("It's frightening to think how much the human voice has done to distance Bastion from the crowd." - Edge [9/10])
One of the biggest points for this game, at least for me, is how Supergiant Games knew that a well placed song or melody can add volumes of depth and emotion to a game or a cut scene. The music selected for Bastion is spot on, managing to evoke a range of emotions and serve in pulling you deeper and deeper into the world of Caelondia (the city in which the game takes place). If you can get your hands on a copy of the game that includes the soundtrack, I highly recommend it (it really is worth the few extra bucks).
Combined with all this are absolutely beautiful graphics, detailed and very colorful. Had Bastion not been done in it's cartoon-y style, being so colorful would have been an eyesore. But the way they managed to pull it off, every "zone" is something out of a fairytale,
With 2 different difficulties to play on with an arsenal full of weapons, you can really play this RPG in a way that best suits you (don't forget the Proving Grounds to try out each of your weapons and hone your skill!).
Give it a try and you won't believe that this game only took 2 years to complete with only 7 people working on it (yes, 7, that's not a typo)! I already can't wait for the new title from Supergiant Games, Transistor, set to release in 2014.
This game is a true treasure and shows that much of the hope for gaming's future, in my mind, is with the indie devs. There's real innovation coming from small teams that we haven't seen in years.
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Shovel Knight is a new game coming out later this year for PC, Wii U, and 3DS. It's being headed up by Sean Velasco, who is responsible in part for Contra 4, the new A Boy and His Blob, and Double Dragon Neon. This guy knows retro games.
Shovel Knight looks like a perfect amalgam of Mega Man, Duck Tales, and Castlevania. It obeys the NES color pallet for that authentic 8-bit feel, but you can tell the NES may not have been able to push this.
Everything about this trailer screams awesomeness to me. The music is perfect, the graphics are gorgeous, and the gameplay looks incredibly fun, if tricky.
Shovel Knight is a new game coming out later this year for PC, Wii U, and 3DS. It's being headed up by Sean Velasco, who is responsible in part for Contra 4, the new A Boy and His Blob, and Double Dragon Neon. This guy knows retro games.
Shovel Knight looks like a perfect amalgam of Mega Man, Duck Tales, and Castlevania. It obeys the NES color pallet for that authentic 8-bit feel, but you can tell the NES may not have been able to push this.
Everything about this trailer screams awesomeness to me. The music is perfect, the graphics are gorgeous, and the gameplay looks incredibly fun, if tricky.
High hopes for this. Was a big fan of the old-school feel of Scott Pilgrim, and was utterly disappointed by Retro City Rampage. Hope this hits the nostalgia spots right.
I wanted the trailer again after showing it to a friend and just can't get over the fact that his weapon is a shovel. Did you happen to see anything on a release date?
I'm in if the price is right and the difficulty doesn't kill me. As I get older my tolerance for hard games is close to zero - that said I did awesome with Super Meat Boy. Off-topic: I am pleased to see your site on mobile is pleasant and useable!
Travis Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/26/2013 at 12:58am
Brandon-- yeah mobile is a big deal, we (well, Jon) designed it so that mobile users didn't get shafted.
And I'm ok with really stupid-hard games as long as they're fair. I think Super Meat Boy is fair. It's one of the hardest games I've played, but you know it's your fault when you die in that game, and that you can work it out. And there's no better satisfaction than getting a level right after dying 50 times.
Exactly SMB taught me from my mistakes and it never cheesed me - when I died it was MY fault (mostly). SMB is the perfect example of how a game can be hard yet rewarding. It's actually an amazing example of how to slowly train players to be better at the game and learn it's mechanics (portal is another)
This game looks epic. I really like the Duck Tales feel of this one. No idea what the price point will settle at, but this looks to be a day one purchase for me.
@Brandon_Waters: Glad the site works well on your mobile device. Its been a design goal since day one and I am going to keep that going forward.
Did you get hit by a boulder on the way up?
Ha, no. At least, I don't remember seeing any boulder.
Where can you get that game, and what platform(s) is it on?
Wait nevermind, I see that it's on PC. :P But does it run on Mac?
It's on Steam now and runs on PC, Mac and Linux.
Played it on both the PC and Mac.
I just got this game and so far I am enjoying it immensely.
Yeah, its totally awesome! Did you get it on Steam or from their site? I picked it up before it was on Steam though the Humble Store and they just recently allowed everyone a free Steam Key! WOOT!
Love it when people do the right thing.
I got it on Steam a few days ago for my birthday.
But, for people that are cheap like me and wanting to get this awesome game, it's currently in the Groupees Bundle with some other excellent titles at http://groupees.com/retro !