Joystiq

Chasm brings 'Metroidvania' action to Kickstarter

Mike Suszek — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST

Discord Games recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring its upcoming 2D "Metroidvania-styled" game Chasm to Windows, Mac and Linux. The developer plans to take its inspiration from games such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and The Legend of Zelda series to new heights by building procedurally-generated dungeons in six different areas into the game.

In Chasm, players will control a soldier that enters a mining town coping with a reawakened ancient evil force. Along the way, players will equip weapons and spellbooks, as well as learn new abilities to reach previously-inaccessible areas. The game will include both normal and hardcore difficulty modes, as well as leaderboards that track stats such as quickest times and damage taken.

Discord Games is seeking $150,000 in funding by May 12 to make Chasm a reality. The developer is already offering playable demo to fans, which is available to download through its Kickstarter page. The game is also on Steam's Greenlight service, awaiting fan approval to make it to the platform.

Chasm brings 'Metroidvania' action to Kickstarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Castlevania 'Harmony of Despair' is 2D, 6-player XBLA game

JC Fletcher — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST

A trusted source has told Joystiq that "Harmony of Despair," the title of a recent European trademark, is indeed a Castlevania game. Our source indicates that the game will be a 2D multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade title, featuring six-player co-op and a versus, fighter-style survival mode.

These details follow a recently-pulled post on never know tech, which purported to showcase screenshots of Harmony of Despair. The site described the game as a "Metroidvania" side-scroller, featuring characters from recent Castlevania games. The characters, however, appeared to be rendered as tiny GBA/DS-esque sprites, and the game camera is apparently capable of being zoomed out to reveal entire levels (presumably in place of a map screen; or to show multiple characters in different rooms).

So it looks like we might be getting the long-awaited 2D "high-definition" Castlevania, after all. Although, "just make the GBA sprites really small on the screen" isn't exactly the technique we were hoping for.

Rumor: Castlevania 'Harmony of Despair' is 2D, 6-player XBLA game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC: 'Designing Shadow Complex' (or: zig when they zag)

Christopher Grant — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST

While Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto may not have played Shadow Complex, the XBLA darling's creators definitely played Metroid. During a panel titled "Designing Shadow Complex," Chair Entertainment Creative Director Donald Mustard encouraged the audience of prospective downloadable game makers to embrace genre limitations. "So, genre is one of your limitations because you aren't just competing against other games that are released in the downloadable space," Mustard said, pacing across the stage. "You really are competing against Gears of War, Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2. That is the real competition and you need to find a way to differentiate yourself from those kinds of games. And that is an awesome opportunity."

For Mustard, that meant moving "orthogonally" from what the "big $60 retail games" are doing. Mustard said, "For us, what that ultimately meant is target an old and abandoned genre. Which to us was kind of this Metroidvania side scroller adventure genre that had been abandoned. No one was making games in this genre. And we said, 'What if we took that genre and fused that with some of the modern sensibilities that had come out; some of the modern ideas of AI and physics and graphics? That would be a really cool combination.'

Continue reading GDC: 'Designing Shadow Complex' (or: zig when they zag)

GDC: 'Designing Shadow Complex' (or: zig when they zag) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie title 'Capsized' shows off gameplay; tipping onto XBLA, PC in 2010

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST

Indie developer Alientrap's Capsized has certainly captured our attention with its art style. IndieGames took note of the title and its early footage, which is giving off an Exile and Metroid vibe, but its lush setting and arcade-like action appears to separate it from that pack. The game is planned for a 2010 launch on Steam and XBLA.

We're currently following up with Alientrap for more details about the game, which is currently seeking play testers on PC. Check out the first trailer, which isn't shy on the gameplay footage, after the break.

[Via GameSetWatch]

Gallery: Capsized

Continue reading Indie title 'Capsized' shows off gameplay; tipping onto XBLA, PC in 2010

Indie title 'Capsized' shows off gameplay; tipping onto XBLA, PC in 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These Metroidvania games are neither Metroid nor Vania

JC Fletcher — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST

"Metroidvania" is a term used to describe side-scrolling games with large, open worlds, new areas of which are accessible only with certain items or powerups. Take away the side-scrolling element, and you've got Zelda; take away the powerups, and you've got Pitfall. It's named after the two most famous series to make use of the format, Metroid and (later) Castlevania.

Shadow Complex has suddenly thrown the Metroidvania genre back into mainstream gamers' attention, thanks to its fancy graphics and being an Xbox 360 game. It isn't the first game that isn't a Metroid or Castlevania to apply this formula -- in fact, many developers stumbled upon the Metroidvania formula or a close variant even before Symphony of the Night.

Join us on a brisk tour of some notable free-roaming games. If you are overcome by Metroidvania fever, you can read more detailed writeups of many of the games in GameSpite's ToastyWiki.

Click here to start your adventure!

These Metroidvania games are neither Metroid nor Vania originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shadow Complex Achievements arrive with a handful of screens, new trailer

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST

Will Shadow Complex be this year's Bionic Commando: Rearmed -- ya know, minus all that direct nostalgia? Between the 2D platforming, arsenal of weapons, huge bosses, and frosted camera lens, it's getting harder and harder for us not to draw the comparison. One thing the new gameplay you see above features that BC:R lacked? Jumping! (Thankfully!)

An Achievement for melee kills (find the whole list after the break) helps to assuage our concerns of, well, not having a robot arm -- though anyone with half a brain knows that third-party human being parts beat out melee weapons every time. Hopefully the extra $5 for Shadow Complex over BC:R means those weapons are really sharp when you check them out on August 19.

Gallery: Shadow Complex (7/21/09)

Continue reading Shadow Complex Achievements arrive with a handful of screens, new trailer

Shadow Complex Achievements arrive with a handful of screens, new trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shadow Complex: Metroid meets Contra and HAS A BABY

David Hinkle — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST

When Epic's Cliff Bleszinski hit the stage sans Lancer at Microsoft's E3 keynote, many at both the Microsoft keynote and here at the Joystiq mobile HQ wondered what Epic was up to. Then, we noticed he was accompanied by Chair Entertainment's Donald Mustard, and we caught our first glimpse of Shadow Complex, a game with heavy amounts of influence from 2D titles such as Metroid and Contra, with a splash of its own unique 3D action, making this a project all its own. For an XBLA title, it has an incredible amount of polish, and we're sure the price will reflect that when it releases this summer.

Gallery: Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex: Metroid meets Contra and HAS A BABY originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaming to Go: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Matthew Madeiro — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Gaming to Go

Surprised? The Castlevania series typically isn't associated with speedy, high-intensity gaming, so I can say with utter honesty that I had no intention of writing about IGA's latest delicious Metroidvania whenever I finally got my hands on Order of Ecclesia. The game has surprised so far in being pretty different from its immediate predecessors in both combat and environments, the combination of which is like a clean, refreshing punch in the face.

It's hard, guys. Really hard, in fact, but with the kind of irresistible challenge that'll have you firing up your DS at every free moment to try and beat that next boss or just make it through the next level without failing too miserably. In that regard Order of Ecclesia is surprisingly well-suited for this week's edition of Gaming to Go, as in at least the first half of the game you'll encounter numerous levels which can be run through and completed without losing vast amounts of time. Whether you'll make it to the end of that level alive is an entirely different matter, mind you, but that's half the fun! Want to hear more? Click the big button down there and see why masochism is good.

NEXT >>

Gaming to Go: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TGS08: Castlevania: Order of Awesome Trailer

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video

With Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia due out in Japan and the U.S. later this month, the Tokyo Game Show represents the last major event at which Konami can show the game off; and shown it off they have, with this spectacular trailer.

The first minute and thirteen seconds consists of Order of Ecclesia character/location art, so if it's gameplay you're after, you'll want to skip to around one-third of the way through. Though why you'd want to skip Castlevania art is utterly beyond us.

Like Castlevania? We do -- to an embarrassing degree. Check out our impressions of Order of Ecclesia from E3, settle in for a trailer, or go Behind the Boxart with a Konami graphic designer. But enough talk -- have at you!

TGS08: Castlevania: Order of Awesome Trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cave Story has optional new music, graphics

JC Fletcher — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: News, WiiWare

GoNintendo spoke to Tyrone Rodriguez of Nicalis, the developer responsible for the new WiiWare version of Cave Story, and got a lot of very good news. Yes, there will be remixed music, from Yann van der Cruyssen, aka Nurykabe. There will also be some kind of graphical upgrade. That's great, but it's not the good news.

The good news is that you can turn that stuff off if it turns out not to be as good as classic Cave Story. "Yes, the old music and graphics will both be retained via a switch," Rodriguez said. "You'll also be able to mix-and-match audio and visuals."

There's even better news, in fact. Pixel is involved with this project! He even answered a couple of questions. About the project: "Working on this project is like a dream come true; sometimes it feels like it's too good to be true. And I feel very lucky because Cave Story has the support of such a strong fanbase."

[Screen via Kombo]

Cave Story has optional new music, graphics originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huzzah? Cave Story may be headed to WiiWare [update]

JC Fletcher — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors

This is definitely the best possibly-fake news we've heard in a while. Apparently, Doukutsu Monogatari (Cave Story) creator Pixel has asked everyone developing ports of his masterpiece (including the PlayStation 3 Linux version) to stop their work.

According to Amigaworld.net, who reported on the cancellation of the Amiga OS4 version, the reason for the cutoff of port projects is that Cave Story is planned for release on WiiWare. The implication here is that this version of Cave Story will be official and Pixel-approved (or, ideally, Pixel-developed). We hope this is true, because we would love to play Cave Story on the Wii, and we'd love to give Pixel some money for the privilege.

[Update: Amigaworld redacted the previous statement. Apparently it's all some kind of misunderstanding.]

[Via Indie Games]

Huzzah? Cave Story may be headed to WiiWare [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 5: Things We Won't See at E3

Kaes Delgrego — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Top Five

This week sees the commencement of E3, the Super Bowl for gamers. On Tuesday, Nintendo will announce all of its big plans for the rest of the year, sending fanboys and fangirls alike into a frenzy. And while others choose to give us predictions of what we will see, here is the much more important information: things that we won't be seeing.

5. The Game Boy Ultra - Around the time that the DS was first announced, Nintendo made a point to clarify that the new dual-screened portable was more of a "third pillar" than the next installment in the Game Boy line. But then the DS started printing money ... lots and lots of it. Regardless, in an effort to stay true to their word (as they always do), Nintendo will unveil the Game Boy Ultra. The sleek handheld will feature a small but crisp widescreen display showcasing wonderful GameCube-esque graphics. In fact, it will be backwards-compatible with all GameCube games, using the same 8cm discs as Nintendo's last-gen console. Also, similar to the PSP's remote play, the Game Boy Ultra will connect to the Wii and allow data transfers to an SD card. This will allow Virtual Console and select WiiWare games to be played on the go. And since Nintendo plans to keep DS owners in agony by not announcing New Super Mario Bros. 2, they will reveal that the Game Boy Ultra will ship packaged with a free copy of Super Mario Bros. Ultra.

Survey Says: Not necessary; Contra 4 removes the need for any other portable game or system.

Continue reading Top 5: Things We Won't See at E3

Top 5: Things We Won't See at E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Basically, Order of Ecclesia looks rad

Eric Caoili — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video

There's a lot of truth to the complaints many have made about producer Koji Igarashi's direction with the Castlevania series -- mainly that every new entry seems like a slight update to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's (1997) template -- but we've never let that get in the way of us taking in every bit of vampire-slaying media each new Castlevania title.

As a team focused on digging up news on Nintendo DS games, we sift through dozens of videos and screenshots, glossing over most of them. With IGN's hands-on impressions and direct-feed clips for Order of Ecclesia, however, we took in every word, every second of animation. They're all embedded past the post break for you to do the same, of course!

And, for those of you who are still grumpy about Order of Ecclesia possibly feeling too much like previous installments, you'll be happy to hear this bit from IGN's preview: "Between the glyph system's reliance on magic, the 'out of the castle' feel of the game, and the all new enemies, this is the first time since Symphony of the Night that a free-roaming version of the game hasn't felt like a direct clone of Symphony of the Night."

Continue reading Basically, Order of Ecclesia looks rad

Basically, Order of Ecclesia looks rad originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia trailer has some bite

Eric Caoili — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:45:00 EST

Filed under: Video

If you've sworn off Igarashi's Castlevania titles, frustrated with rehashes of the same Metroidvania formula, stay away from this Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia video! It might be enough to bring you back! You'll see some reused sprites, and the general format doesn't look too different from previous entries, but the art direction in the first cinematic half is, as we've noted before, all the way live.

As for the in-game clips, there's plenty to keep you interested, like action scenes with the Manges Glyph, a field that envelopes female lead Shanoa and can be used to cling to metal rods or fling the heroine across the screen. One of the boss fights also seems to herald the return of ... Mr. Crabs?! Back from the dead!

So, are you excited yet?

[Via NeoGAF]

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia trailer has some bite originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 May 2008 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The dirt on Cave Story DS, Cave Story-engraved DS

Eric Caoili — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Homebrew, Imports

Praised by almost everyone who's played the freeware PC title, Cave Story is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the "Metroidvania" genre, a polished action platformer embellished with endearing characters and a catchy soundtrack. No matter how many times we're reminded of the fact, it always astounds us that the game was designed and developed by a single programmer, Daisuke Amaya, or Pixel, as he's more commonly known.

As you might should know, homebrew developer Ravenworks has been working on a DS port for Cave Story. As it turns out, however, Pixel doesn't own a Nintendo DS, so it would be unlikely that he'd be able to play the port once it's completed. In fact, he hasn't owned a handheld or home console since the Nintendo 64! Isn't it a crime nowadays for gamers in Japan to not own a Nintendo DS?

To keep Pixel out of jail, Ravenworks and the rest of the "All Things Studio Pixel (ATSP)" LiveJournal community raised $410 and put together a care package of handheld treats as a "thank you" for the DS-less developer's work. Here's everything the group purchased and sent:

Onyx Nintendo DS Lite system (laser engraved with Cave Story characters and a message that reads, "Thank you")
R4 cart with 2 GB microSD (for playing Cave Story DS! and perhaps DS development one day?)
DS carrying case
Mother 3
Game Center CX

So, how did Pixel take to the package? You can read his reaction, as well as the community's reasons for picking those two particular games for their offering, past the post break! We also used this effort as an excuse to catch up with Ravenworks on Cave Story DS's progress.

Gallery: Pixel's Cave Story-engraved DS

Continue reading The dirt on Cave Story DS, Cave Story-engraved DS

The dirt on Cave Story DS, Cave Story-engraved DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 May 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virtually Overlooked: Rygar

JC Fletcher — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Virtually Overlooked

Rygar is absolutely one of the best side-scrolling action games on the NES. It's also popular enough to have spawned one and a half sequels on the PS2 and Wii. It shouldn't be much of a surprise that I love the game, since my enjoyment of "Metroidvanias" is well-documented. I expect that everyone in the Virtually Overlooked crowd is at least familiar with the wonderful NES game, if not also the arcade game. So I won't waste any time outlining the basics of the game.

Instead, I'd like to present a list of five of my favorite things (that I could think of) about Rygar.

Continue reading Virtually Overlooked: Rygar

Virtually Overlooked: Rygar originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cave Story demo released for PSP, DS

John Bardinelli — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Hacks, Sony PSP, Casual

Two homebrew programmers have just released demos for DS and PSP versions of the freeware PC game Cave Story. A previous attempt by Variant Interactive to publish the game commercially has apparently fallen through, though the company has not officially confirmed this. Fortunately for us, dedicated homebrew programmers aren't content to let the masterpiece remain computer-bound.

Ufo_z, working on the PSP incarnation, has received approval from Pixel and has finished coding up through the first boss encounter. Working on the DS game is ravenworks who has taken a slightly different approach and is re-writing the game to fit the DS system's hardware. Both attempts show a lot of promise and run well on the actual systems or an emulator. Download the DS demo and PSP demo.

Cave Story demo released for PSP, DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cave Story patch allows you to switch main characters

John Bardinelli — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:56:00 EST

Filed under: Hacks, Mac, PC, Casual

A new patch by Efraim Siounis for the freeware platform adventure Cave Story lets you play as one of nine different characters from the game. Simply grab the pbm file from Efraim's site, rename it to "MyChar.pbm", and drop it in the /data directory under the Cave Story folder. When you start the game all main character sprites will be magically switched. Currently you can play as Curly, Toroko, Jenka, Sue, King, Crown, Booster, or a dog. It doesn't change the game much, but you'll have something new to stare at as you discover another excuse to play through the game ... again.

Cave Story patch allows you to switch main characters originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Early look at exploration-based indie adventure Aquaria

John Bardinelli — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Casual

The gorgeous non-linear side-scrolling exploration game Aquaria (winner of the IGF Seumas McNally Grand Prize) has the indie community all atwitter anticipating its looming release. The Ambrosia Times recently got its hands on a build of the game and had nothing but praise to lavish upon it.

You play as Naija, a lonely sea creature who uses songs to affect the environment, gain temporary abilities, and interact with the creatures around you. Levels are vast with tunnels, caves, and hidden areas to explore for hours on end. Bit-Blot has been silent about a firm release date, but talk from the game's co-creator and artist Derek Yu suggests it's in the final polishing stages and could hit in just a few months.

Gallery: Aquaria

Early look at exploration-based indie adventure Aquaria originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virtually Overlooked: Cave Story

JC Fletcher — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:49:00 EST

Filed under: Virtual Console, Features, Virtually Overlooked

Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative.

Doukutsu Monogatari (Cave Story) is a free-roaming side-scrolling action adventure game developed over five years by a Japanese designer who goes by Pixel. You can download Cave Story right now and play it on the computer on which you're reading this article, PC or Mac. It's completely free. We have a copy on our own computer that we've played through many times. So why do we want to pay money to play it on the Wii? Because it's that good.

Continue reading Virtually Overlooked: Cave Story

Virtually Overlooked: Cave Story originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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