Archive for April 1st, 2007
Puzzle Quest debug menu just a prank, nude heroes not real
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Casual
Infinite Interactive released a cheat code yesterday to give players a little help in the PSP and DS versions of Puzzle Quest. The code is a long sequence of buttons pressed quickly or held for half a second. Once entered, a menu will appear that will allow you to turn off AI cheating, play the secret cow level, activate all spells, and turn on nude hero sprites (!).
Now this is what an April Fools prank should be like. No outlandish promises for games we know will never exist, no half-baked Photoshopped images, and for the love of grilled cheese sandwiches, no ridiculous claims of Sony buying Nintendo. Just a good old fashioned joke that you believe at first but quickly realize you’ve been hoodwinked. Furthering the prankocity of the cheat, the sequence spells “I AM A NOOB” in Morse code!
We can’t help but wonder how many Puzzle Quest fans dove for their system to try it out. You know, to turn off AI cheating. Not that nude hero thing.
[Via DS Fanboy]
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XYZZY interactive fiction awards dispensed
Filed under: Retro
The annual XYZZY awards have been announced, flaunting the gobs of creativity still flowing from the interactive fiction community. Overall best game went to Eric Eve’s The Elysium Enigma, a science fiction story that casts you as an Imperial officer charged with contacting a technophobic settlement on a remote planet. Best setting and NPCs went to Floatpoint (which also won the 2006 Interactive Fiction Competition), Emily Short’s deep and mysterious story about a human settlement on a far planet in desperate trouble.
Notice a sci-fi theme with remote planets this year? A dozen other categories were also voted on, so check the winners list for the complete collection.
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USA Today: Harmonix announces Rock Band for Xbox 360, PS3 [update 1]
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm
The article notes that while EA is publishing the game, creative and financial support is provided by new Harmonix owner, MTV. As a result, the game’s licensed tunes are expected to come from the original artists. “We’ll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between,” assures Harmonix co-founder, Alex Rigopulos. Once the game arrives, it is likely that more songs will be made available for purchase and download online.
With Guitar Hero II arriving on the Xbox 360 tomorrow (6 April in Europe) and Rock Band slated for the end of the year, how long until exhausted gamer bodies hit the flo?
[Update: The official press release reveals the list of music labels contributing master recordings: EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment.]
See also: Guitar Hero Effects Pedal confirmed in 360 instructions
[Thanks, FranX]
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Q-Games’ PixelJunk, as seen in Famitsu
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Online, Casual
This week’s issue of Weekly Famitsu has an interview with Dylan Cuthbert of Kyoto-based developer Q-Games. The double-page spread reveals Q-Games’ latest project, PixelJunk, which is being designed as a series of “casual games” for download from the PS3’s PlayStation Store. We’ve taken some shots of the first PixelJunk images, as seen on the pages Famitsu, for your perusal. Pictured are three titles in the very early stages of development, including what looks like a static-screen top-down racer and another game that has Lemmingsy overtones. Q-Games is in talks with SCEA to bring PixelJunk to the West.
Gallery: Q-Games’ PixelJunk
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NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams confirmed for Wii this winter
Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action
Yes.
According to Famitsu, Sonic Team USA will have its sequel to legendary Saturn title NiGHTS ready for a Wii release this winter. NiGHTS 2 will now be known as NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (although that name isn’t confirmed for the Japanese market). Famitsu explains that the main attraction of Journey of Dreams is how it provides gameplay with the Wii Remote, where you can glide, drift, ascend, and loop-the-loop without even thinking about the controls. Takashi Izuka of Sonic Team USA is Producer of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. He leaves Famitsu, and the rest of the weeping-with-tears-of-joy world, with this comment:
“In 1996, we created the NiGHTS character to achieve a concept of ‘being refreshed from being able to fly in the sky’. 11 years later, at last, we have broken our silence. NiGHTS will now fly in a new dream world: new stages, new story, and on the new Wii platform. Please look forward to NiGHTS and friends exploring this brand new adventure.”
Yes.
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More English Training (necessary) on DS
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Casual
The sequel to last year’s successful Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training (translation: DS Training for Adults who Struggle with English) has just been released in Japan. Nintendo is promoting More English Training, the new title, with a TV ad campaign that shows how dangerous it can be to keep on saying “yes.” You could end up with a mega-deluxe-super-whopper, or worse. Click for the clip. (And for this story in reverse, don’t forget to level-up your Japanese!)
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Screen Update: Halo 2
Screens of the 2 new downloadable maps, originally from Halo!
Feature: Miyamoto: I was worried about US Wii launch
In an exclusive interview, Shigeru Miyamoto, director and general manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Design, shares his thoughts about the Wii generation so far.
News: Miyamoto: I was worried about US Wii launch
In an exclusive interview, Shigeru Miyamoto, director and general manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Design, shares his thoughts about the Wii generation so far.
Cheats: TMNT - Turtle Goodies!
Get the “goodies” in TMNT by doing the following!
Cheats: TMNT - Turtle Goodies!
Get the “goodies” in TMNT by doing the following!
News: GTA IV’s setting sparks outrage in NYC for being too close-to-home
From the looks of it, Grand Theft Auto IV looks to resemble New York City more than ever before, but NYC officials aren’t exactly happy about that.
Hands-On: First Impressions of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
I can sum up my first hands-on impressions on Enemy Territories: Quake Wars with one question — when can I play more?
Cheats: TMNT - Turtle Goodies!
Get the “goodies” in TMNT by doing the following!
Cheats: TMNT - Turtle Goodies!
Get the “goodies” in TMNT by doing the following!
Hands-On: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
I can sum up my first hands-on impressions on Enemy Territories: Quake Wars with one question — when can I play more?
Screen Update: Final Fantasy XI
Run, chocobo, run!
Feature: GP Q&A: id Software’s Kevin Cloud on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
GamePro’s Vicious Sid speaks one-on-one with Kevin Cloud, id Software’s lead artist and co-owner, about his work on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, as well as id Software’s next game.
News: GP Q&A: id Software’s Kevin Cloud on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
GamePro’s Vicious Sid speaks one-on-one with Kevin Cloud, id Software’s lead artist and co-owner, about his work on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, as well as id Software’s next game.
Cheats: TMNT - Turtle Goodies!
Get the “goodies” in TMNT by doing the following!
