The mug was formerly sold (and continually sold out) at 2008’s Tokyo Game Show, but Capcom is giving it wider release via its e-Capcom store on April 16th, where it (with any luck) will make it to the usual import retailers.
If the reference is lost on you, I highly recommend making the acquaintance of all of the games in the series — they’re the best case anyone’s made (hyuk) for the interactive novel-type genre that’s for the most part stayed locked away in the East, with some of the sharpest writing and localization in recent memory.
More Meggy goodness from Darius Kazemi, creator of the DIY handheld gaming kit’s first Rogue-like, this time a handheld synth that would do Tenori-On creator Toshio Iwai proud. After you’re friendly with the concept, also have a look at Kazemi’s just posted second video jamming the MeggySynth with an iPhone beat-maker.
Kazemi hasn’t stopped progressing with the TinyRogue, either, as seen in this video demonstrating newly added multiple dungeon map support, rhythmic battles and more.
Thought you were only getting one dose of invaded music videos this week, didn’t you? Sorry to disappoint: above is the latest from LCD Soundsystem/Air/Moby remixer Kris Menace and Ninja Tune videoholics Hexstatic, doing the hyper-color arcade mashup ‘Invader’.
See also: Hexstatic’s Street Fighter II video remix done in celebration of the recent release of Capcom’s Street Fighter IV.
Fantastic news over at Maxis, where they’ve just opened the Spore API to let developers create their own Flash / php / Python / Processing / Mathematica / anything apps utilizing their database of creature creations:
Here at Maxis, we’re working on some features to help the community create their own Spore applications. We’re collecting these features into a web-based Spore API. Using simple web services, you can access our huge database of creations and creators. Check out the gallery to see apps made with the Spore API. The documentation section has reference sheets and samples to get you started.
Currently on display: a creature aquarium, friend activity monitor, Google gadget and Kittenwar-esque Creature Battle for cute supremacy. They’ve also just opened the first API contest to win Nvidia cards and copies of the game and its forthcoming Galactic Adventures expansion.
Fully aware that the real story here should be the first localized video footage of Sony’s upcoming sequel to brilliant rhythm/warfare PSP game Patapon, I still can’t take my eyes off of these monocular Sackboys that will be coming soon to LittleBigPlanet to celebrate Patapon 2‘s stateside release.
I’m almost tempted to say owning the digital version might just make up for not having been able to get my hands on the original Patapon Be@rbrick used as a promotional tool for the first game.
But either way, let’s also have a look at that trailer:
This does have potential to be a brilliant year for the PSP, doesn’t it.
Just when I was beginning to worry this year’s SXSW might not repeat the last 8Bitpeoples showcase, local favorite theater chain Alamo Drafthouse has just announced Data Pop 09 party, a free ‘celebration of the Gameboy music movement ‘ that will bring together Bit Shifter, Nullsleep, IAYD, Anamanaguchi, 8Bk OK, Graffiti Monsters, and Sievert for a March 18th show.
Finally easing the frustration I’ve had in trying to capture what’s going to make Nicalis’s forthcoming WiiWare platformer Night Game unique, the first trailer has come online that perfectly captures all its serene charm: no enemies apart from physics and friction, just the simple joy of exploration.
As previously noted, the game is up for both the design excellence and grand prize awards at this year’s Independent Games Festival, and shares more than a passing resemblance to freeware hit Knytt Stories, both games having been created by Nicalis’s Nicklas ‘Nifflas’ Nygren.
For a cleaner version of the trailer, head over to GoNintendo, who got the exclusive on this first video footage.
As they’ve done with their more traditional design challenges, NeoGAF forum users have banded together and created something similarly amazing: an eight-stage note-for-note reproduction of classic Konami shooter Contra in LittleBig-form, straight down to using the Gradius remake‘s Sackboy-less puppetry for its alternating “behind-the-back” levels.
Just spotted this video from the June 2008 ‘This Happened‘ London interaction design meetup, with 20 minutes of Hand Circus‘s Simon Oliver discussing his inspiration for his iPhone hit Rolando.
Oliver shows off the failed attempts that got him to the place where he could create the game, reveals how Ico/Shadow of the Colossus inspired its design, and gets big bonus points for referencing David Lynch’s excellent book Catching the Big Fish in showing where he gets his inspiration (here, physically, a swimming pool).
It may not be exactly portable, as in the usual work of master console-innards-reshuffler Ben Heck, but YouTube user ‘logicdb‘s Dreamcast and G3 iMac mashup is every bit as gorgeous.
Its only downfall is the slightly inelegant disc changing, which works somewhat clumsily via a removed panel on its side, but it’s otherwise completely self contained and entirely desirable.
