What to expect from us at PAX East
Find out what developers and publishers the XBLA Fans team will meet with at PAX East
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XBLAFancast Episode 55 – Minecraft, May 9th, 1600 MSP
This week join myself, Perry, Todd and Andrew as we discuss the latest XBLA releases. Kicking things off with a lengthy discussion of Sine Mora which everyone but me played, and mostly enjoyed. Myself and Andrew briefly touch on Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havok, but we both agree if you want a Rayman platforming fix, track down Rayman Origins.
Then it’s onto an especially raucous edition of the news segment with Perry. To say we go off on some tangents might be an understatement, but we still deliver lots of newsy goodness for you guys so don’t fret!
Todd Talk tackles promotions, do they help or hinder the games in and around them? Andrew finishes things up with Crews’ Community Corner, with a couple of interesting twitter questions and the Remember the days game. Be sure to play Alien Hominid HD this week and let us know what you think on twitter.
Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast on iTunes. We appreciate it! Check us out on twitter (@XBLAFans) where you can win codes for games, give us feedback or just ask a question. We are also now on Stitcher, so you can stream the show on your smartphone, give it a go!
Big thanks to Chris Green for the awesome theme music, be sure to check out his site BlurredEdge and why not follow him on twitter too @BlurredEdge.
[podcast]https://xblafans.com/xblafancast/XBLAFancastEp55.mp3[/podcast]
Weekly Roundup: March 24
Weekly Roundup compiles all the biggest news stories, reviews, and releases from the week into one handy post on the weekends
XBLA Fans Monthly Roundup (February 2012)
We totally missed January, but the Monthly Recap is back for February! Yaaay. There’s an immense amount of news this month because for some reason February is XBLA month. There’s roughly a million game announcements and DLC as well. I suggest hitting CTRL + F and searching for the copious news about your favorite game. Or games. Or just read all the news, because that’s a good idea.
Beyond the “things that happened”, there’s also several Friday Top Fives and Most Wanted’s this month as we continue to beef up our feature repertoire. Our chief feature, A Year In Review (2011) is definitely worth checking out for some insight into the fluctuations in XBLA cost versus review scores. Lastly, amongst the five podcasts is our Music Special which showcases some of the best XBLA soundtrack tunes since its inception.
Without further ado, welcome to February all over again! Read More
How Microsoft derailed Nintendo
It’s no secret that Nintendo isn’t in the best shape right now. After finding great success with the Nintendo DS, the Wii launched and got the masses talking about Nintendo once again. Then something happened. The Wii’s sales plummeted, the Nintendo 3DS launched poorly, and investors are questioning Nintendo’s direction with their next console, the Wii-U. Nintendo is desperately trying to gain back momentum. What happened to Nintendo’s mojo? Well, Microsoft, the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade all have something to do with it.
To truly understand what’s at play here, we have to first consider why Nintendo has historically been a successful company. Nintendo has always excelled at making games that appeal to the masses. Nintendo makes games that anyone can pick up and play. Mario has been a part of our living room since 1983 because Mario games have always been easily approachable for anyone who wants to sit down and play. Whether it’s you, your little sister, your best buddy or your dead beat uncle, Nintendo makes products for everyone. When Nintendo is succeeding, it has always been the case. So why are the tables turning?
Awesomenauts announce and detail first Awesomenaut
Awesomenauts, 2D MOBA-styled platformer from Ronimo Games, has finally announced the details on the first of their six character roster, Froggy G. Froggy G’s tale tells of a checkered past:
The amphibious B.I.G., also known as Nate Frogg or Froggy G, comes straight out of the marsh pond ghetto’s of planet Ribit IV. Growing up in the baddest part of town, struggle and incarceration surrounded Froggy from an early age. Taking part in his first swim-by shoot out as a tadpole, Froggy seemed destined for a life of crime and prison. After a bloody gang war with the neighboring Toad-unit posse ended in a 5 year jail sentence, Froggy G vowed to end his gangsta ways. Instead, Froggy G started earning his keep as a beatboxing streetdancer and rapper, hoping to be picked up by a major record label. Unfortunately, his tracks, titled “Pond Pimpin'”, “Froggin’ Dirty” and “Motherfrogger Bounce!” didn’t earn him much. In order to make some money, and then make some mo’, Froggy G became a hired gun. Combining his shoot-out experiences with lethal watery dance-moves and beatboxing techniques, Froggy G now spins and dashes across intergalactic battlefields.
Each character in Awesomenauts has four moves that make them unique, as well as various upgrades allowing players to customize their playstyle. Froggy G’s moveset suggests he might be a “Carry”, or a character whose abilities make him valuable at the end of the game. His basics consist of a fish that shoots water bullets and a jump-pack he can charge, allowing for varying jump heights to get out of or into battles. Froggy G is also equipped with a Whirlwind (you’d think it’d be a whirlpool) ability which when activated damages all enemies around him for as long as the ability lasts, and a Dash ability which is omni-directional, damaging and stunning enemies caught in its watery wake. Some upgrades included in the reveal suggest both statistical and functional improvements, for instance the Hammer Pants give the Dash a “ground pound” feature when aimed into the ground, whereas the Mutant Worm Cartridges simply increase the firing rate on Froggy G’s fish-gun.
Anxious to see Froggy G in action? Check out the Awesomenauts Froggy G Spotlight after the jump and stay tuned to see the upcoming character reveals. If the site ordering is any indicator, perhaps Lonestar, the dynamite-hurling sheriff, will be next. Not sure what Awesomenauts is still? Check out our interview with co-founder of Ronimo Games, Jasper Koning, on the details of Awesomenauts. Read More
Retrocade: Datastream Y2K600 review (XBLIG)
Retrocade: Datastream Y2K600 was developed by QuimbyRBG and was released April 4th, 2011 for 80MSP. A copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.
Most games today often try to change what we think about gaming, but there’s still a widespread community that lives and breathes retro games. That was the thinking behind Retrocade: Datastream Y2K600, to offer classic gaming with multitudes of different games all behind one idea: simple retro fun. Does it have what it takes to bring back the classic sensibilities or are the retro ideas simply outgrown for people today? Has it gone too retro?
Brawler Week: Retro City Rampage Hands On Preview
One of the beauties of being an indie studio is the ability to experiment; there is a freedom to development as there are no true limitations. The game can become a total fan service to the developers themselves. Brian Provinciano of VBlank Entertainment took the time to sit down with us recently and discuss this very fact. His title Retro City Rampage is a culmination of various pop culture references and game design mash-ups that merge into a totally unique game. We were given the opportunity to test it out and loved what we saw.
For the uninitiated, Retro City Rampage parodies the open-world action genre combining dozens of game mechanics into an 8-bit game. The game has a beautiful sense of humor, lampooning an entire era of movies, games and pop culture. Players take on the role of THE PLAYER, an anti-hero, who signs up as a henchman for a local crime syndicate. But things go chronically awry and he must soon defeat the EVIL GOOD GUYS, who will stop at nothing to end his RAMPAGE OF DOOM.