Our first round of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet demos is now completed and the reactions from all publishers were overwhelmingly positive. Not only was the esthetic of our game praised but everyone was amazed at the game play as well. Of course, our intention is not only to make a beautiful game but to create a memorable gaming experience. I’m glad this is coming through.
This game’s nothing too special. I don’t even know if it’s technically indie, either. I just wanted to draw your attention to the cartoon it’s based on, a series of shorts made for MTV Japan about two rabbits trapped in a Russian prison.
Season Two of Telltale Games’s Sam n’ Max started last week, with the first episode, “Ice Station Santa,” made available on Gametap and the Telltale website.
If you haven’t tried it out yet and you’re wondering whether it’s good – yes, what I’ve played so far is good! I was a huge fan of the original game, and these games seem like a true enough follow-up to that classic. Definitely take it for a test drive, at least. The fourth episode of Season One, “Abe Lincoln Must Die,” is now free, and you can get it here.
Steve Purcell, the creator of Sam n’ Max, also has an S&M (snicker) webcomic on the Telltale site, and the darn thing was nominated for an Eisner award this year.
I’m all over Sam n’ Max like stripes on a candy cane.
I really like games that have a simple theme and stick to making me feel like I’m really doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Nikujin makes me feel like a ninja, Death Worm makes me feel like a great big ol’ sandworm, Star Wars Episode VII makes me feel like a Jedi…
And Jugglin’ makes me feel like I’m jugglin’, yo! Not only that, but it lets you create your own tricks (e.g. “Holy Shit I am Good,” my amazing 13-ball trick, shown on your left!). And the loose, no-pressure structure makes the game frustration-free. Which is one aspect that is definitely not like real juggling.
I’m always surprised by how independent developers are able to get at the essence behind an idea and really distill what’s fun about it!
(Jim McGinley, the creator of Jugglin’, also entered the awesome “Mario Inna Space” into our B-Game Competition. He also happens to possess the uncommon mind which is behind the hilarious “Mister Happy Bigpants” comics.)
Hope all you American TIGSource readers had a great Labor Day weekend! I got to hang out with some old friends, which was great.
But enough about me, eh? I wanted to bring to your attention the blogs of two artists and game designers that I have severe mancrushes on. The first one is from Cryptic Sea, home of Alex Austin and Edmund McMillen, the creators of Gish. Now, I was already VERY excited about Gish 2. (From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be Gish, but bigger, better, yadda yadda.) But after seeing this teaser image, well… I’m at “pee pee pants” level of excitement. And that’s a very high level.
I really loved Edmund’s previous work, but it’s obvious that he’s getting better and better! He’s a hilarious dude, too, and incredibly genuine. I wish the best for him.
Which brings me to Niklas Jansson, the artist for Cortex Command. He’s a talented technical artist, to be sure, but what I love about Niklas is his broad understanding of game design. Whereas any artist can take an old design and “modernize” it by making it dark, overwrought, and angry (coughBomberman: Act Zerocough), Niklas stays true to the original essence of the old school. If only the games that he designed made it beyond the conceptual stage!
In his new blog, which supplements his portfolio site, Niklas shares his artwork and his thoughts on games, old and new. It’s fascinating stuff, so check it out!
...along with the PC, Mac, and Linux! Not sure if it’s a simultaneous release, however.
Still rather ambivalent about this one, but it’s looking better all the time. One thing that still irks me is how brown the screenshots are, compared to the colorfulness of the comic strip. I understand that they’re going for a steampunk/noir vibe but… okay, I’m going to stop complaining until the game is released! I’m sure it’ll be fun and funny regardless.
Matt Hammill, the illustrator and creator of Gesundheit, has released a fun little toy called Comic Dice that generates a random comic. Not really a game, per se, but I found it quite fun! Wish there was an option to roll all three dice with one click.
