Platformer

Two friends are on an adventure, one finds a gem and one finds a hat. But Hatty wants the gem, so his unnamed friend gives it to him and Hatty starts to cry. Everyone wonders why. The confusion is interrupted by giant cat guards that arrive to send the unnamed friend to prison. Oh, and we’re in a theater. On an island. That’s the setup for Behemoth’s upcoming game, Battleblock Theater.

Battleblock Theater will be a 2D platform puzzle action game, otherwise known as a plactuzzleformer, featuring four player couch and online co-op as well as an online arena for adversarial play. Players can also play solo, but the game is definitely intended as a co-op experience. Levels scale to fit the amount of players to ensure that the difficulty is always appropriate as you advance the story. On the multiplayer side, there will be plenty of different gametypes, ranging from the casual to the hardcore (five have been announced and there are more to come).

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It’s been three weeks since Ronimo Games released details on their first Awesomenaut mercenary, Froggy G. Well the jig is up, because there’s a new sheriff in town: Sheriff …
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Ms. Splosion Man came out last week to huge praise from everywhere including ourselves. Twisted Pixel decided to be extra sweet by offering the entire soundtrack to the game …
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Is it possible for a game to both sound like it’s from the 50s and have the ability to throw your co-op partner around the level? The Behemoth seem …
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Remember the MaXplosion fiasco where Capcom basically ripped off ‘Splosion Man for iOS? Well, Twisted Pixel sure didn’t forget. There’s a little dig at Capcom in Ms. Splosion Man …
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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

Avatars Don’t Bleed was developed by SoGameSoftware and retails for 80 Microsoft Points.

Drawing upon the mechanics and minimalism of games like N+ and the floaty physics of Super Meat Boy, Avatars Don’t Bleed is a running, jumping, wall-clinging, avoid spike-based-deathing platformer. As with a growing number of solid XBLIG titles, Avatars Don’t Bleed features the player’s avatar as the main star of the action, and for only 80 Microsoft points.  For fans of the genre, it would appear that Avatars Don’t Bleed should be a no-brainer of a purchase. Alas, appearances often find themselves impaled, repeatedly, on the sharp spike walls of reality.

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Earlier this month, we posted a story about a little title called Shuggy but now it’s got a far better and more adventurous title. The Adventures of Shuggy is …
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Moon Diver was developed by feelplus and published by Square Enix. It was released on May 4th for 1200 MSP.

In the late 80’s there was a little game known as Strider, the development of which was lead by Koichi Yotsui. Yotsui draws back on that experience to direct Moon Diver, a side-scrolling platformer with enough style, action and frustration to blow up a planet. Ironically, that’s essentially the story to Moon Diver — Earth’s days are numbered and the Moon Divers have to come reclaim it from evil mechanical beings.

Players choose from multiple divers, each with different stat growth patterns. As they progress through the story mode characters gain stat points and MCs, or Moonsault Combinations, which manifest themselves as a variety spells and skills. Four players can jump in together offline or online, but only one player per box can join in the online experience. Read More

Outland was developed by Housemarque, and published by Ubisoft. It was released April 27, 2011 for 800 MSP.

Developer Housemarque has made a name for themselves with their previously PSN-exclusive titles Super Stardust HD and Dead Nation. It is nice to see them bring their next title, Outland over the the Xbox Live Arcade. The story focuses on the spirits of Chaos and Balance, who wage war with each other. A hero comes along to help protect the would against this universal divide. You play as that hero, and will need to skillfully maneuver through the changing world. So, is the adventure worth while or is it just a puzzling mess? Here’s our review.

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