Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in: I honestly thought last time would be the last Noby Noby Boy post until its official release next week, but I should’ve guessed that the ‘1’ in o–1–o would signify a series, and so it did.

This one’s even more stark than the last, but I can’t help but be continually utterly transfixed.

o–o [Namco]

Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Noby Noby Boy stretches further into February – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
It don't mean a thing: another last look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld

THIS WEEK ON ‘THE HILL’: GARRY’S MOD MADNESS

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2.11.2009

Brandon Boyer

1 Reply

In which Heather and friends seek out that last hidden Mui Mui in Loco Roco 2.

This one, as well as the similar Silent Hill snowball battle and Pyramid Head pop-lock dance off come via NeoGAF — where the fine art of ripping game models from non-Valve games to import them into Garry’s Mod and let madness ensue is explained — comes roundabout via our first look at what the characters from Grasshopper Manufacture’s Offworld-20 ranking Wii game No More Heroes would look like minus the cell shading.

The answer to that, coincidentally, is: fantastic (linking to Travis because he’s the safest for work). The full excruciating process is laid out here.

No More Cel-Shading Heroes [NeoGAF]

Like Hatsworth below, Sega/PlatinumGames’ Wii brawler MadWorld is another upcoming Nintendo-related game that instantly pushed itself to the top of my watchlist, not so much for the brutal ultraviolence, but for the deeply tongue-in-cheek ‘Running Man’ parody that lies underneath.

Platinum’s latest trailer captures most of that in style, with running Sports Night commentary accompanying the duo-tone madness behind, and director Shigenori Nishikawa (formerly part of Capcom’s Resident Evil and Dino Crisis team) recently talked at length on Platinum’s own blog about striking that balance, blithely quipping, “the first element that I put into the game was shoving a sign through an enemy’s head.”

MadWorld blog [Platinum]

Previously:
Painting Varrigan City red: fan-made MadWorld ad – Offworld
Nintendo's Wii/DS outlook: The Offworld view – Offworld

As I mentioned in early December, one of my most anticipated games from EA’s new-found mandate to provide as much boutique new IP as it relies on its hit franchises is Henry Hatsworth In The Puzzling Adventure, the forthcoming DS game designer Kyle Gray — one of the Experimental Gameplay grads that also spawned World of Goo Kyle Gabler.

While for some time we’ve known that it’ll use its dual screens to concurrently provide both a lower-screen match-3 puzzle as you take the ol’ chap Hatsworth on a platforming adventure above, just how, exactly, was somewhat of a mystery.

But EA have just published this latest trailer that explains exactly what the life of one of those monster blocks entails, and does it brilliantly in mock educational-film style: giving you all you need to know to see why it’s at the top of our DS lists.

Henry Hatsworth [EA]

Previously:
Nintendo's Wii/DS outlook: The Offworld view – Offworld
Henry Hatsworth: The Pompous Adventurer's Theme Tunes – Offworld

RAGDOLL METAPHYSICS: GOOD GRIEF, THE VICTORY OF EVE’S SPACE GOONS

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2.11.2009

Jim Rossignol

20 Replies

Something Awful’s Eve Online wing, GoonSwarm, has claimed what will likely go down in internet history as its greatest victory. It was an event described in a Metafilter headline thus: “It’s as if Apple dissolved Microsoft“.

That’s an incredibly accurate diagnosis of the events of last week. Thanks to a brutal betrayal of trust by an Eve player, the Something Awful superpower has used the game’s strange organisational mechanisms to take their arch-rival’s name away from them. Band Of Brothers (BoB), once the most feared of alliances, is now gone for good. The Goon victory wasn’t a great battle, nor a tremendous war brought to an end. Instead it was an inspired defector that led to the dissolution of one of Eve‘s most significant brands. It was a classic instance of underhand warfare tactics from the real world: sabotage by a traitor, trashing vital infrastructure, and leaving the gates of the fortress unlocked.

So what does it all mean? And how did it all come to pass? What it means is that upwards of several million man hours of work have been instantly obliterated, and a relatively peaceful region of Eve Online has been plunged into fresh war. The equivalent real-world costs are almost incalculable, given the sheer number of factors involved, and the thousands of people who have contributed to BoB. But it’s safe to say that we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars in virtual investment put at risk. (more…)

The latest in artist Dan Paladin’s video showcases looking behind the screen at how Castle Crashers‘ big boss battles were born, this time, “the Necromancer… [his] level, his resurrection attack, and flying animation.”

Necromancer Development [Behemoth devblog]

Previously:
Behemoth now building a better Frost King – Offworld
Behemoth show how to build a better Undead Cyclops – Offworld
The Behemoth talk Castle Crashers balance, ladies – Offworld
Castle Crashers gets Kinged – Offworld

BOING BOING GADGETS PONDERS THE PSP2

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2.11.2009

Brandon Boyer

1 Reply

Over at Boing Boing Gadgets, Joel’s done a fantastic job looking both back and forward at the fate of the PSP from a nuts and bolts perspective, which really hots up in its recommendations for what Sony needs to do with the PSP2.

The saddest part, though? So much of what Joel recommends (the GPS, the browser, the camera, the over-air downloadable games store) has been hinted at, hacked together and somewhat available over the PSP’s lifespan across its various iterations (we’re up to the 3000 now), but Sony seemingly continually lack the internal clarity and singular focus (especially across its various regions) to say, “This is it, this is everything it can do, and it does it all beautifully,” as Apple was able to do.

I do still think that, particularly with the addition of the on-device PSN, that the PSP now has the best chance it ever had to reinvent itself and make itself indispensable, so long as it can continue to find third party support from developers other than the RPG hardcore (currently the device’s last holdouts).

BLINKY & PINKY & INKY & CLYDE

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2.11.2009

Brandon Boyer

4 Replies

Finally, something legitimate to nip at with your official Pac-Man potholder, a set of four ghost lamps from Brazilian product designer Anderson Horta… or not, as it seems these either never made it to, or have since sold out of online retailer Bazar Design, as with Horta’s other clever work.

80’s Ghost [Anderson Horta, via VG Arts]

Previously:
Get hotted up over Pac-Man oven mitts – Offworld

VALVE: LEFT 4 DEAD DLC TO BE AVAILABLE FOR FREE

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2.11.2009

Brandon Boyer

2 Replies

Heading off any backlash that Left 4 Dead‘s upcoming DLC might have under-delivered with a promise to “simply” unlock the two remaining campaigns that aren’t currently playable in Versus mode (alongside it’s still not quite transparent Survival mode), Valve has just sent word that — like the continuing evolution of its Team Fortress 2 — the new modes will be free for both PC and Xbox 360.

First announced last week, the DLC will contain the extra multiplayer modes and that Survival mode which, to date, we only know will see your team struggling to survive as long as you can against a continual undead onslaught “across 12 maps.”

The spring release of the DLC will also see a new ‘Critic’s Choice’ retail package containing the original game and its new modes, and a PC SDK to let the mod community create new maps and custom game campaigns.

Left 4 Dead home [Valve]

Previously:
Valve announce first Left 4 Dead DLC – Offworld
'Detailed' is a stretch: more on the Left 4 Dead DLC – Offworld
Another dimension: Left 4 Dead in true 3D – Offworld
Why Left 4 Dead has the best tutorial ever… and why you never …
Ragdoll Metaphysics: Left 4 Dead, The Thinking Man's Braindead …

THE OFFWORLD GUIDE TO SONY’S SPRING PSN LINEUP

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2.11.2009

Brandon Boyer

4 Replies

As I lamented in early January, the future of the PSN was essentially off-limits from prying eyes outside a few notable exceptions (including thatgamecompany’s just-released Flower [more on that soon]), but
Sony have just let loose with a number of upcoming game announcements that will see us through the end of Spring.

There’s the obvious ones: I’m sure I don’t need to reiterate that Keita Takahashi’s Noby Noby Boy is due for a release in less than a week after endlessly pumping videos through the site for the past several days. There’s also the self-explanatory ones — Jeopardy needs little introduction — and the ones announced well ahead of time: Capcom’s brilliant looking Flock (YouTube) and multiplayer arena shooter The Punisher: No Mercy from Zen Studios.

And then there’s the rest, which I’ll break down here. (more…)