Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[XBLA sale: Mark of the Ninja, Trials and more cheap until Apr. 9]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/xbla-sale-mark-of-the-ninja-trials-and-more-cheap-until-apr-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/xbla-sale-mark-of-the-ninja-trials-and-more-cheap-until-apr-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/xbla-sale-mark-of-the-ninja-trials-and-more-cheap-until-apr-9/#comments Another sale has spread across Xbox Live Arcade, running until April 9. The sale's highlight is 50% off Mark of the Ninja from Klei Entertainment - one of Joystiq's favorite games of 2012 - bringing it down to 600 MS Points ($7.50).

Other cheap contenders include Trials Evolution for 800 MS Points ($10) and some discounted Pinball FX 2 tables. There's also Dust: An Elysian Tale and Deadlight for 600 MS Points ($7.50) to consider.

On top of this promotion highlighting Microsoft Studios games, there's also the ongoing Xbox Live Arcade Deal of the Week sale. Retro City Rampage has been knocked down to 600 MS Points ($7.50) and Quarrel is 200 MS Points ($2.50). The full list of both sales can be seen through the source links below.

JoystiqXBLA sale: Mark of the Ninja, Trials and more cheap until Apr. 9 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deadlightdeal-of-the-weekdust-an-elysian-tailmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftmicrosoft-studios-saleretro-city-rampagetrials-evolutiontrials-hdxblaxboxxbox-live-arcadeTue, 02 Apr 2013 23:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark of the Ninja 'Special Edition' DLC adds flashback level, new play style]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/mark-of-the-ninja-special-edition-dlc-adds-flashback-level-ne/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/mark-of-the-ninja-special-edition-dlc-adds-flashback-level-ne/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/mark-of-the-ninja-special-edition-dlc-adds-flashback-level-ne/#comments
Klei Entertainment is adding to its delightful 2D stealth game Mark of the Ninja with a "Special Edition" DLC meant to evoke a "Criterion Collection" release of the original. The DLC, due this summer for a mysteriously invisible price, adds a flashback level starring the tattoo artist Dosan, a new equippable play style including a "nonlethal takedown ability," a new stealth-focused item, and a "more direct" new item.

As a "Criterion Collection" addition, Klei also recorded developer commentary, which can be accessed at "commentary nodes" throughout the game, in six different languages.

If you successfully infiltrate PAX East, you'll be able to get a sneaking peek at the Special Edition at Klei's booth. It will be released on both Steam and XBLA.

Continue reading Mark of the Ninja 'Special Edition' DLC adds flashback level, new play style

JoystiqMark of the Ninja 'Special Edition' DLC adds flashback level, new play style originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlcklei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftpax-eastspecial-editionxboxTue, 19 Mar 2013 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark of the Ninja slashed to $5 on Steam this weekend]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/mark-of-the-ninja-slashed-to-5-on-steam-this-weekend/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/mark-of-the-ninja-slashed-to-5-on-steam-this-weekend/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/mark-of-the-ninja-slashed-to-5-on-steam-this-weekend/#comments One of Joystiq's favorite games of 2012, Mark of the Ninja, is on sale on Steam this weekend. From now until 10am PT Monday morning, you can snag the 2D stealth game for just five bucks. Now you can spend all that extra scratch on some new caltrops. Or tacos. You know, ninja tacos.

JoystiqMark of the Ninja slashed to $5 on Steam this weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjapcFri, 01 Mar 2013 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Top 10 of 2012: Mark of the Ninja]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2012-mark-of-the-ninja/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2012-mark-of-the-ninja/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2012-mark-of-the-ninja/#comments Traditionally, being a "ninja" in a video game means you have supernatural speed and strength, and as such you feel confident running down a street in broad daylight, slicing through anything in your path. Role models like Joe Musashi and Ryu Hayabusa exemplify the video game ninja, a super-strong, invincible monster who feels no compulsion to seek shadows, unless those shadows are full of still-unperforated alien monsters.

In Mark of the Ninja, you're just as supernaturally capable as any NES-era ninja, able to cling to almost any wall and grapple from vantage point to vantage point instantly. But Klei Entertainment built this ninja game around the stealth you'd expect from the profession, and did so in a way that feels every bit as natural as Ryu tossing a column of flame at an eagle.

Continue reading Joystiq Top 10 of 2012: Mark of the Ninja

JoystiqJoystiq Top 10 of 2012: Mark of the Ninja originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Best-of-2012Game-of-the-Year-2012joystiq-best-of-2012klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftpcxboxTue, 01 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: Mark of the Ninja now on Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/16/psa-mark-of-the-ninja-now-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/16/psa-mark-of-the-ninja-now-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/16/psa-mark-of-the-ninja-now-on-steam/#comments

Klei Entertainment's Mark of the Ninja is now live on Steam, completely in the open and totally unguarded against online purchases of $14.99. As for the trailer, it certainly isn't helping the 2D stealth game stay undetected.

Incidentally, Klei isn't resting its laurels after sending Mark of the Ninja on its way. The developer's next project is Don't Starve, described as "an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic." So, a bit like Half-Life 2 then? Oh wait, we've just seen the video, never mind.

JoystiqPSA: Mark of the Ninja now on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjapcsteamTue, 16 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark of the Ninja creeps onto Steam October 16]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/24/mark-of-the-ninja-creeps-onto-steam-october-16/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/24/mark-of-the-ninja-creeps-onto-steam-october-16/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/24/mark-of-the-ninja-creeps-onto-steam-october-16/#comments Mark of the Ninja creeps onto Steam October 16Mark of the Ninja is coming to Steam next month, arriving on October 16 priced at $14.99. Klei Entertainment told Rock Paper Shotgun about the PC port's details, including that Games for Windows Live won't be a part of it.

Klei's 2D stealth-a-lot came to Xbox Live Arcade earlier this month. Mark of the Ninja certainly made an impression on Ludwig of the Joystiq, with his review saying the game "shines a light on the stealth genre, revealing the qualities you knew were there but couldn't quite see."

JoystiqMark of the Ninja creeps onto Steam October 16 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjapcrelease-datesteamMon, 24 Sep 2012 08:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark of the Ninja review: Kneel in the shadows]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/mark-of-the-ninja-review-kneel-in-the-shadows/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/mark-of-the-ninja-review-kneel-in-the-shadows/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/mark-of-the-ninja-review-kneel-in-the-shadows/#comments Stealth games are really about a guy trapped in a temporal loop, forced to repeat his actions until he can shake off the mysterious clumsiness that has overridden years of tip-toeing experience. "Why would I just roll into that spotlight like an idiot?" wonders the grizzled agent, now on his fifth run through a secret terrorist compound. "Crap, landing on that grate was much louder than I thought." Cue alarms and a return to the last save point.

Mark of the Ninja makes it awfully hard to be an oaf dressed in black. No, it hasn't been streamlined to the point of auto-play, and the inherent challenge of avoiding detection hasn't been crushed into a pulp to please the plebes. Rather, developer Klei Entertainment has flattened the genre into a legible, two-dimensional blueprint. That's why things are more likely to go according to plan.

Gallery: Mark of the Ninja (E3 2012)

Continue reading Mark of the Ninja review: Kneel in the shadows

JoystiqMark of the Ninja review: Kneel in the shadows originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftstealthXBLAxboxThu, 13 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark of the Ninja not-so-sneakily arrives on XBLM today]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/07/mark-of-the-ninja-not-so-sneakily-arrives-on-xblm-later-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/07/mark-of-the-ninja-not-so-sneakily-arrives-on-xblm-later-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/07/mark-of-the-ninja-not-so-sneakily-arrives-on-xblm-later-today/#comments Mark of the Ninja not-so-sneakily hits XBLM later today
Mark of the Ninja sneaks onto Xbox Live Marketplace today for 1200 MSP. Not that it's any good at sneaking, as Klei Entertainment just broadcasted the side-scrolling stealth game's arrival with a new trailer.

Joystiq's head ninja spoke with Klei's Nels Anderson this week, focusing on how the team wants strong, flexible play while avoiding the frustration stealth games can cultivate.
"I thought the abundance of outlines threatened to make this an easy game, but my early takeaway is that your actions are easier to read, predict and eventually master. Understanding how the game and its systems work shouldn't remove the danger, just the "gotcha" of trial-and-error learning. 'Even though we try to make things very clear and very explicit,' Anderson says, 'we still want to facilitate people being able to be experimental and feel that they can safely take risks, without giant chunks of their progress being held hostage.'"

JoystiqMark of the Ninja not-so-sneakily arrives on XBLM today originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosofttrailerXBLAXBLMxboxFri, 07 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[To Poke and Perturb: The Explicit Stealth in Mark of the Ninja]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/05/to-poke-and-perturb-the-explicit-stealth-in-mark-of-the-ninja/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/05/to-poke-and-perturb-the-explicit-stealth-in-mark-of-the-ninja/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/05/to-poke-and-perturb-the-explicit-stealth-in-mark-of-the-ninja/#comments Stealth games have a creepy cousin in the survival-horror genre. The relation manifests in an oppressive environment, which isn't clearly designed or signposted to let the player succeed as easily as he would in a spectacle-driven action game. But while horror is really about conserving quantifiable resources within the claustrophobic confines of an inhospitable world, stealth games expect you to wisely expend your movements and other reckless displays of presence. When it comes to guard patrols and impenetrable installations, as you'll see in XBLA's Mark of the Ninja, your currency is quieter and more abstract.

"In a stealth game you're fundamentally undetected. The world is just kind of running and it's on the player to poke and perturb it after observing it for a bit, and you can just do a lot more interesting things there," says Nels Anderson, Technical Designer at Klei Entertainment. To think of the world as an unpredictable beast, one that might bite off your finger if you prod it in the wrong place at the wrong time, might be a good way to understand the polarized, frustrated relationship some players have with the stealth genre.

According to Anderson, "the power dynamic that almost always falls out of that, to make that work, is that interplay between strength and weakness." Having the chance to study the environment and enemies is a huge advantage, but acting on that information can lead to failure. There's an expectation of perfection - I was spotted, so I have to revisit the last save and do it right! - yet a severe punishment of practice. Anderson thinks of it as a "gulf of execution," one that he thinks Mark of the Ninja can fill.

Gallery: Mark of the Ninja (E3 2012)

Continue reading To Poke and Perturb: The Explicit Stealth in Mark of the Ninja

JoystiqTo Poke and Perturb: The Explicit Stealth in Mark of the Ninja originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftnels-andersonribcage-violencestealthxboxWed, 05 Sep 2012 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark your calendars: Mark of the Ninja coming Sept. 7]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/mark-your-calendars-mark-of-the-ninja-coming-sept-7/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/mark-your-calendars-mark-of-the-ninja-coming-sept-7/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/mark-your-calendars-mark-of-the-ninja-coming-sept-7/#comments Mark your calendars Mark of the Ninja Summer of Arcade ends with Dust: An Elysian Tail, but cool XBLA releases continue after the promotion. Klei Entertainment's Mark of the Ninja, a unique side-scrolling stealth-action game, will launch on September 7.

Klei "really wants" to follow the XBLA release with a PC version, the developer tweeted. However, no definite announcements have been made toward that goal, so XBLA is currently the only place to hide in a vent, shoot out a spotlight with a shuriken, and then silently dispose of nearby guards. Legally, anyway.

JoystiqMark your calendars: Mark of the Ninja coming Sept. 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftrelease-datexblaxboxTue, 14 Aug 2012 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark of the Ninja snuck some E3 assets into our galleries]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/11/mark-of-the-ninja-snuck-some-e3-assets-into-our-galleries/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/11/mark-of-the-ninja-snuck-some-e3-assets-into-our-galleries/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/11/mark-of-the-ninja-snuck-some-e3-assets-into-our-galleries/#comments
Mark of the Ninja E3 media
Mark of the Ninja, the shadowy, stealthy ninja title from Klei Entertainment, is set to launch this summer on XBLA, and the above E3 trailer shows why you should be so excited for it. Well, not too excited - at least try to keep the noise down. There's no reason to make it easy for the ninjas to find you.

Gallery: Mark of the Ninja (E3 2012)

JoystiqMark of the Ninja snuck some E3 assets into our galleries originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2012klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftXBLAxboxMon, 11 Jun 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Klei Entertainment teases XBLA 'Mark of the Ninja' with text adventure]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/klei-entertainment-teases-xbla-mark-of-the-ninja-with-text-adv/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/klei-entertainment-teases-xbla-mark-of-the-ninja-with-text-adv/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/klei-entertainment-teases-xbla-mark-of-the-ninja-with-text-adv/#comments If you can make the right choices in this interactive text adventure, you too can see a teaser video for Klei Entertainment's upcoming Xbox game Mark of the Ninja.

Due this summer, Mark of the Ninja is a side-scrolling "stealth ninja game" with heavily stylized graphics, that involves reticle-targeted ninja devices like a grappling hook, caltrops, and throwing knives. Judging by the clip (and the preceding text game), the goal is to set up traps for unsuspecting enemies, and kill them undetected.

The video suggests that Mark of the Ninja is a Microsoft Studios-published game, which, combined with the release window, makes it a very likely candidate for a Summer of Arcade promotion.

JoystiqKlei Entertainment teases XBLA 'Mark of the Ninja' with text adventure originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>klei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftsummer-2012xblaxboxMon, 27 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST