Joystiq

Minecraft's latest snapshot has a witchy woman

Mike Schramm — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 00:30:00 EST

Minecraft is getting a Halloween-related update in October, and among a slew of other changes (including updated sounds) a new creature is being added to the game. She's a witch! Mojang developer Nathan "Dinnerbone" Adams said the witch will be a ranged attacker, and will use the "Testificate" humanoid model, along with a polygonal nose that will wiggle and twitch.

Dinnerbone also hinted at a new animal type, while YouTuber Martyn (aka InTheLittleWood) posted a new video, which shows NPC bats are on their way to Minecraft. They'll spawn not only outside at night, but in any area, under or above ground, if there's a big enough space. They'll also hang upside down, rather creepily.

The new update should be out next month, so get your candy bags ready for then.

Minecraft's latest snapshot has a witchy woman originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Merry Christmas, here's a frog playing video games

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST

We can't help but feel sorry for the little guy, to be honest. There he is, thinkin' he's about the receive a delicious buggy treat, only to have his enthusiastic face smushed against the cold, unforgiving capacitive touchscreen of his owner's nondescript Android device. Don't get us wrong, we love watching animals play video games as much as the next guy, but we'd be lying if we said that thumb didn't get what was coming to it.

Merry Christmas, here's a frog playing video games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 art team working on a menagerie of animals

Mike Schramm — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:00:00 EST

You may not have been too disappointed by Fable 2's lack of animals (filthy, stinking animals), but Lionhead's Lead Artist John McCormack was, and he tells Beauty of Games that he's making up for it with the next game. "The lack of animals in the Fable franchise is always something that has bothered me," he says, and so in Fable 3, "we've built bats, crows, rabbits, ducks, robins, vultures, lizards, rats, butterflies, moths, insect swarms, dogs, fireflies, geese and we even started on a cow."

Rest assured that animals won't be the only new part of the experience, though -- McCormack also says his team is hard at work on incorporating the new Industrial aesthetic into the game's buildings, morphed weapons and NPCs as well. He's not sure whether all of those animals will eventually make it into the finished product, but we hope so -- vultures need to be Touched, too.

Fable 3 art team working on a menagerie of animals originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mama has skills: Taito trademarks Pet Shop Mama

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors

Oh Mama, is there nothing you can't turn your versatile hand to? With Mama cooking games now out on DS and Wii, and a gardening game due out this winter on the handheld, Japanese publisher Taito isn't done milking the money-printing franchise.

Last week, the company trademarked Pet Shop Mama, which seems self-explanatory. There's no hint of what platform this will release on, or even if it will end up being a real game (our bet: it will), but Mama's past cosy relationship with the DS makes it an obvious favorite. Our minds boggle at the potential minigames for this: will we be balancing hats on cats? Brushing dog teeth? Fending off fuming PETA campaigners armed with disturbing parody games?

Gallery: Show and Tell: Making Mama

Mama has skills: Taito trademarks Pet Shop Mama originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Classic control scheme for High Voltage's other game

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, WiiWare

The Conduit, The Conduit, The Conduit -- that's all we media types bang on about when it comes to High Voltage. But the Illinois-based studio also has a WiiWare game in the pipeline: the scarcely covered Animales de la Muerte, a bloodthirsty shooter set in a Mexican zoo that has been overrun by zombie animals. Let's say that again, shall we: a Mexican zoo that has been overrun by zombie animals. It looks a bit like Samba de Amigo crossed with the gore of MadWorld, and if that's not potential GOTY material, we have no idea what is.

And it gets better. High Voltage's Micah Skaritka just confirmed to WiiWare World that Animales would feature Classic Controller support, allowing players to move with the left analog stick and fire with the right, a configuration that Skaritka compares to Smash TV (but which also reminded us of Geometry Wars or Robotron: 2084). Meanwhile, actions that would usually require a shake of the Wiimote (Whip, Throw, Rescue, and Activate) have been mapped to buttons. A welcome addition!

[Via Go Nintendo]

Classic control scheme for High Voltage's other game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E308: Namco Bandai's Panda game dated for U.S.

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Screens

The first English-language screens of Namco Bandai's National Geographic Panda have emerged from E3, as well as a North American release window of this fall. We also received a smattering of gameplay details, listed beneath the almost unforgivable title of "It's PANDA-MONIUM!"

According to these, the aim of the game is simply to rear your own Baby Panda or Giant Panda (you can tickle and play with them via the touchscreen, as you would a Nintendog), keeping them fed, clean, and happy during their time in Panda Park (which, incidentally, changes depending on whether you play at day or night).

To do this, you'll get a daily allowance which can be used for panda food or toys (such as ... gherkin-shaped see-saws?), and as you play more, further Baby Pandas will gradually begin to "move" into Panda Park, which is probably just Namco Bandai's way of avoiding the whole panda sex thing. Probably for the best.

[Via press release]

E308: Namco Bandai's Panda game dated for U.S. originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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National Geographic Pandas are no slackers

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Screens, Imports

We simply can't fault Namco Bandai's inspired decision to develop a game based on panda bears. When it comes to pandas, there is no universal divide in opinion (as there is with dogs and cats) -- everybody is a panda person. That kind of popularity can only be gained from being extremely cute and extremely rare.

Launching in Japan on July 31st, purchased copies of Panda-San Nikki (National Geographic Panda) will probably be anything but rare. That's because this game is freakin' adorable, as the latest screenshots in our gallery demonstrate. There are more pandas on see-saws, pandas trying to roll on a ball, pandas using a slide, pandas in hats -- in fact, Game Watch reckons there are over 800 animations (pandamations?) on display here. We always thought these wonderful creatures just sort of sat around, but they seem to be rather active!

National Geographic Pandas are no slackers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Animals in Paradise, again

Phil Larsen — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Nintendo attracts cute animals like nobody's business. If it isn't Nintendogs, it's Animal Crossing. If it isn't that, it's this. And if it isn't any of those -- it's Animal Paradise 2. As if pets aren't celebrated enough in video games, we need to give them a paradise. How about Blogger Paradise 2?

The original game isn't even out in North America yet, and the release for AP2 only mentions a European release date. That's Q2 2009, a long time from now, and an even longer time for the rest of the world. The game focuses on managing a park (read: paradise) filled with an array of Hanadeka animals. That's way too much cute for any one person to take, so waiting a while before it comes out is probably good for the heart.

[Via press release]

Animals in Paradise, again originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Animales de la Muerte set for WiiWare

Candace Savino — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, WiiWare

It generally doesn't take much more than a "zombie" descriptor to pique our interest in a game, but High Voltage Software (the folks behind The Conduit) went even further than that for Animales de la Muerte. Not only are they making a WiiWare game about the undead, which they aim to release in September, but even better (or at least, different) -- it's about zombie animals in a Mexican zoo.

High Voltage summed up the premise of this cartoonishly zany game more cleverly than we could by saying, "Now, wandering freely through the zoo, the rotting beasts are no longer content with eating visitor scraps they get tossed into their cages -- instead they prefer to eat the whole visitor."

Not only do you have to kill the zombified animals, but you also have to save the poor creatures that have not yet succumbed to the outbreak. Funnily enough, the undead animals drop pesos when you kill them, which can be used to upgrade your weapons. As for the controls, the game is essentially a point-and-shoot action title, putting the Wiimote to good use. There's also a co-op mode where you can play with up to four people, if you're not shut-ins like us.

We posted some goodies after the break, including a hilarious trailer, so make sure to take a look.

Continue reading Animales de la Muerte set for WiiWare

Animales de la Muerte set for WiiWare originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PETA's fur-hating, law-skirting, super-cute animal game

Kyle Orland — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, PC, Online, Casual

Spurred on by the apparent success of anti-KFC game Super Chick Sisters, PETA is once again entering the Flash-based interactive activism arena with Bloody Burberry: The Fur Fighters. This time, the action focuses on controlling cute animal critters who are trying to raise awareness of the cruel, fur-coat-selling ways of the Burberry clothing stores. They complete this goal by freeing caged bunnies, protesting at fashion shows and spray-painting coats, all while avoiding some shadowy, black-clad security agents.

You might think a game that encourages spray-painting private property might be a little irresponsible for an activist group, but an in-game disclaimer notes that it's all right because the animal characters are "not subject to human laws." It's like the ultimate diplomatic immunity! This gives us an idea for a crime spree involving trained penguins that the courts can't touch ... but perhaps we've already said too much ....

PETA's fur-hating, law-skirting, super-cute animal game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On safari with Amazing Animals

Chris Greenhough — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Screens

Amazing Animals may sound like another slice of god-awful Wii shovelware, but the first screens hint at something more promising. Based on a Japanese TV show about animal tricks, Amazing Animals (or Doubutsu Kisou Tengai as it's known in its homeland) sees players don their best khaki and take to the plains of a freshly discovered, totally uncharted island near to Japan, accompanied by a robot as a guide (visible in the screens after the break).

Things become a bit murky from this point onwards, though Siliconera recently speculated that photography could be involved, or that players become the animals in a series of minigames. That last one sounds a little too close to Wild Earth: African Safari for our liking, and there's only room for one totally ludicrous animal-themed minigame series in our collection! Follow the post-break trail for more shots.

Continue reading On safari with Amazing Animals

On safari with Amazing Animals originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chimpanzee plays Ms. Pac-Man, gets eaten by ghost

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:55:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture

There are a plethora of reasons for teaching a banana-munching mammal how to play a classic game such as Ms. Pac-Man. A plethora. The prime one, of course, being that it's an excellent and completely unpredictable strategy in obtaining complete world domination. The world's defences would have little choice but to collapse in the face of an army of chimpanzees highly skilled at traversing mazes, collecting various fruits and evading ghosts. Evil dictators and mad scientists would be well advised to watch the YouTube clip (embedded after the break) and see exactly how it's done.

Another reason could be to provide commentary on the game's depth (even a chimp can play it!), the chimp's intelligence (he pwn3d my high score!) or the sheer irritation caused by a backseat gamer fingering your screen and telling you which pellet to go after. Whatever the reason, we're glad someone did it.

Next week: Hedgehog plays Sonic the Hedgehog, researcher loses eye.

[Thanks Franco!]

Continue reading Chimpanzee plays Ms. Pac-Man, gets eaten by ghost

Chimpanzee plays Ms. Pac-Man, gets eaten by ghost originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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