WWDC09: HANDS ON WITH NGMOCO’S ROLANDO 2, TOUCH PETS: DOGS, LIVEFIRE
Following the release of their Star Defense alongside Apple’s WWDC keynote, iPhone publisher Ngmoco recently held a showcase of their upcoming games in the pipeline at the W’s XYZ bar, including Rolando 2, Touch Pets: Dogs, and their still-unnamed touch-and-shoot FPS.
Peering over Simon Oliver of Hand Circus’ shoulder, I watched as he demonstrated some of the newfangled treats coming to the much anticipated Rolando 2. Expanding upon its original cast to include a colorful bunch that range in character and physicality, the game has teamed up with writer Micah Wright (scriptwriter behind the Destroy All Humans series, and, interestingly enough, a handful of episodes of the 90’s Nickelodeon show The Angry Beavers) to bring a more developed narrative with quirkier character personalities.
Oliver simulated how girthier Rolandos will be of great use in some of the new water-oriented puzzles (whereas smaller Rolandos bob helplessly at the water’s surface) and gas-filled Rolandos take to the levels floating instead of rolling for a unique range of physic-based puzzles. New power-up fruits will provide a variety of abilities, and new vehicles like the revenge-fueled “Spikey Death Ball” will allow players to obliterate level enemies when they couldn’t do so before. Aside from the “Boom Finger”, which upon charging allows players to tap-bomb pathway obstructions, it would be a shame to spoil too many of the terrific goodies in Rolando 2, due for a release sometime soon this summer. (more…)
See more posts about: Hand Circus, Offworld Originals, Rolando
SOFT HARDWARE: MARINE BELOIR’S DS LITE, GAME BOY HUGGABLE HANDHELDS
There comes a time and a place when we feel the need to give a little affection to our handhelds. But while glass plated touchscreens and rounded hardware corners are a little tough to love, the hand-made plush consoles of French crafter Marine Beloir are made for embracing.
To choose a favorite between the colorfully embroidered New Super Mario Bros. scene on her DS plush and the tiny stitched green Tetris blocks falling across her Game Boy is difficult at best, and naturally it would be hard to imagine any Apple fan not wanting to dotingly push the felt app buttons of her iPhone.
But beyond the soft hardware, Marine’s plush works are quirky, adorable, and deserved of attention, regardless of whether or not Zombie Cat actually actually sneaks a debut mutant appearance into House of the Dead: Overkill.
Les doudoux [Marine Beloir]
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See more posts about: Art, Offworld Originals
TENTACLE YARN: CUTELY CRAFTED DAY OF THE TENTACLE, SAM & MAX AMIGURUMI
[Guest blogger Tiff Chow has dabbled in games journalism, graphic design and illustration, but now spends most of her time making the blog-world a better place at Six Apart. She can also be found at her personal blog, making regular appearances on Area5’s video podcast CO-OP, or stretching and coiling her worm-like body around various objects.]
Every once and a while it’s well worth it to dip your toes into the Flickr photo pools of geek and videogame crafts. Browsing today to see if Perler bead fan art had taken its post-impressionistic course, I was instead thrilled to find snorkmaiden‘s tiny crocheted Day of the Tentacle amigurumi. Crafted with keen detail, take note that Purple Tentacle is properly poised with two arms and a unibrow in opposition to his much less mutated Green Tentacle comrade.
As long as it’s a good day for LucasArts craft work, don’t miss out on karaimame‘s intricately designed Max amigurumi, which looks just as four-fingered and maniacal as the original hyperkinetic rabbit thingy himself.
Green and Purple Tentacle and Amigurumi Max [flickr, via Sprite Stitch, thanks John!]
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See more posts about: Offworld Originals
