'Retro' Matt Hazard game for XBLA and PSN this summer

by Randy Nelson { Feb 18th 2009 at 10:15PM }

D3Publisher is working on a retro-style side-scrolling XBLA and PSN action game intended to fill in the backstory of Matt Hazard, the lead character of Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. It's planned for release sometime this summer. (Eat Lead launches against Halo Wars on March 3.)

If you're not hip to Eat Lead's "hook," it's supposed to be the latest game in a long-running series, and Matt Hazard is supposed to be a "video game icon." Only it isn't and he's not. The downloadable game is ostensibly one of his past titles being made available for the first time in years. Only it's not. Get it?

We'd hazard a guess that this game could do well -- if the synthetic nostalgia and in-jokes of Eat Lead aren't lost on the larger gaming audience.

Tags: eat-lead-the-return-of-matt-hazard, matt-hazard, psn, xbla

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ahmedz @ Feb 18th 2009 10:31PM

Interesting.....

wait for it.......

Richards | PSN: F4WMR @ Feb 18th 2009 10:31PM

Bloody hell?

Also, why doesn't my avatar pic show it, it's tiny in size but never comes up no matter how many times I upload it. >.

slycooper_rocker @ Feb 18th 2009 11:03PM

make sure it's 64x64. and joystiq is really picky with avatars. none of my sly cooper avatars ever uploaded no matter how hard i tried but my pedobear avatar uploaded on the first try. but now it come and goes as it pleases. so sometimes i have the default mario, sometimes i have pedobear. i got used to it.

Richards | PSN: F4WMR @ Feb 18th 2009 11:30PM

thanks for the tip mate

aristokrat @ Feb 19th 2009 10:41AM

If you successfully upload 2 different avatars, you'll actually switch between them (instead of switching back to Mario). I've been alternating between stupid sexy snake and fight the flood for the past 2 months. Even odder, on days that my posts get one icon attached, my profile page will frequently display the other one!

samuraidino @ Feb 18th 2009 10:41PM

I have a funny feeling the side scroller will be better than the full game.

Don't get me wrong the concept is great and the cutscene involving the JRPG character was pretty damn funny,but the gameplay looks meh at best,and down right awfull at the worst.

Its a real shame to have such a great idea more than likely ruined by a poor execution.

rohan @ Feb 18th 2009 10:43PM

true but u cannot be too quick to dismiss the game, i think it will be a nice change of pace from all the other games coming out. Doubt it will put huge sale figures but it will put good rental numbers

SpikeDelight @ Feb 18th 2009 10:45PM

I love the way Eat Lead is being so straight-faced about its fake backstory. They never actually tell you that it isn't an established series, unless you know it already. This is really cool and I hope it turns out good so I can get it!

MowDownJoe @ Feb 18th 2009 10:48PM

It's called "putting the joke on the users".

rohan @ Feb 18th 2009 11:02PM

well that is only if u know gaming history, to the average person they will think he is someone huge in the gaming world

Bluemanrule @ Feb 19th 2009 10:07AM

The marketing for this game is extremely smart and interesting. I think that it could have been bigger though. But, marketing budgets continue to shrink in step with the economy. But, I hope it intelligently pokes fun at today's gaming conventions and forces the industry to re-evaluate itselt. The voice acting will be good and it's looked okay thus far.

The XBLA game will, more than likely, be fun, yet derivative.

Levi @ Feb 18th 2009 10:56PM

Honestly, although I might not have the money for the full game right away, I can't wait to play it- and this makes it even more awesome! Plus I'd probably buy the sidescroller without the full game. I bet they'll both get bad reviews but I'll like em both. Just like Kirtor's Edge. Ah, my life.

Levi @ Feb 18th 2009 10:59PM

Kirtor's? Mirror's.. iPhone! Sucks, but I found out today that it's better than the Blackberry Storm at least. Unrelated much?

Levi @ Feb 19th 2009 11:44AM

You had me scratching my head for a second there. I thought Kirtor's Edge was some Mirror's Edge parody that I was unaware of.

AnthonyGalindoX @ Feb 18th 2009 11:02PM

I really like the concept the Matt Hazard franchise. Let's hope the games live up to the clever concept.

Mal F4cti0n @ Feb 18th 2009 11:17PM

What will be lost on gamers?

I don't remember this guy. What game franchise was Matt Hazard in anyway?

/sarcasm

dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Feb 19th 2009 12:40AM

Sadly, I've met enough incredibly fucking stupid gamers that I fear this will be common...

Levi (God Hand Defense Force) @ Feb 19th 2009 5:13PM

Which makes the joke even funnier dark_inchworm!

Imagine that, there are actually people in this day an age that can't do a Google search.

Mal F4cti0n @ Feb 19th 2009 11:16PM

Its like when people want to rent Leonard Parts one through five because of Bill Cosby's Leonard Part Six. Or Mel Brook's History of the World Part II.

Zach Adams @ Feb 18th 2009 11:54PM

Anyone else have that old Sentry comic with Matt Hazard? Great stuff.

(Also: this game is currently sitting at #1 on my Gamefly queue for no good reason other than the presence of Will Arnett and Neil Patrick Harris, and the awesomeness of the concept.)

arrness @ Feb 19th 2009 12:16AM

im feeling this game will be pretty fun,

im not talking about the side scrollers

ill see reviews, but i probably wont buy it new

j.howlett @ Feb 19th 2009 2:13AM

i'm looking forward to getting to play this game. sounds like it'll be fun and funny, and the game play vids i saw only reinforce that. reminds me of duke nukem

Strategy_Panda @ Feb 19th 2009 2:19AM

I have the sneaking suspicion that the final Matt Hazard game is going to end up being the game Duke Nukem Forever want's to be

OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Feb 19th 2009 2:33AM

This looks like yet another case of million dollar idea and dimestore execution.

In that "fight" against the JRPG hero, it didn't even look like it was POSSIBLE to lose.

Shoot. Duck. Win.

DJcube @ Feb 19th 2009 4:02AM

I doubt it'll be as good as Klungo Saves The World. That game was awesome. Especially the music.

I hope the full title is a budget one (£20...which is actually how much the last few new games I've gotten were just weeks after release) rather than full priced...I can't see myself spending £35-£40 on a parody game.

ChewyDogg @ Feb 19th 2009 4:08AM

Great idea, hope it doesn't suck.

Deone @ Feb 19th 2009 5:34AM

I haven't rented a game in over a couple of years, but I'm renting this one. If the gameplay sucks, hopefully it will be easy and well written (ie-funny). If the gameplay rocks, hopefully it will be challenging and well written.

This thing is coming in under the radar for the most part, not a lot of media saturation anyway. I'm looking forward to it.

anththejackass @ Feb 19th 2009 8:01AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=csAW54aXOec mass effect trailer

Gonzo @ Feb 19th 2009 10:01AM

I guess they're really beating this dead horse.
I've seen some of the Return of MH game and it looks awful. I know it's supposed to and that just pisses me off kind of like how the minigames in No More Heroes were supposed to be tedious.

If they want to do something like this, they have to do it with an actual gaming icon instead of making up some generic cliche which probably took them 5 seconds.

iFester @ Feb 19th 2009 11:44AM

The fact they can make a game like this faster than Duke Nukem Forever is the real joke.

Levi @ Feb 19th 2009 12:19PM

Dude, you're totally missing the point. The fact that it is a fictional character is half of the concept. His character and fake back story make up the foundation of the concept. I lol'ed when I saw the kart racing game XD but it just wouldn't be the same if they took like, Lara Croft and threw her into a game like this.

Gonzo @ Feb 19th 2009 2:08PM

I actually don't even care about the character.
What I'm getting sick of are these intentionally crappy games like Mat Hazard and No More Heroes; though that's the excuse the fans give, it could just be Suda51 is incompetent.
If you're going to make an intentionally crappy game, at least have it at a budget price.

CJLopez @ Feb 19th 2009 12:42PM

Wow

EatLead comes out on march 3??? seriously????

I'm sooooooooooooooooo broke!!!!!!!!!!!!

Deck @ Feb 19th 2009 3:48PM

From the videos and trailers I have seen, this is looking like it may be really funny. Kind of like a Tropic Thunder to the game industry. Though actually funny. (I didn't like Tropic Thunder much, except Tom Cruise's character really).

The thing I am waiting to see though is if it holds up throughout the game, or they just picked the good parts to show.

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