Archive for May 5th, 2007
Arcade Flyer Art Saturday: Arcade Flyer Art Saturday: Tattoo Assassins
Tattoo Assassins is the stuff that legends are made of. Created by Data East in 1994, Tattoo Assassins was a blatant rip of of the Mortal Kombat series complete with “photo realistic” digitized fighters and fatalities. Rumor has it that the game was so terrible that it never actually saw the light of day.
In the beginning it seemed that Tattoo Assassins was the perfect project. Data East had signed on Bob Gale, the creator of the Back to the Future franchise to help out by creating the characters and the story line and a lot of money was put into filming the various actors and their moves. The premise revolved around a group of fighters who were all tattooed with a magical ink that would allow the tattoos to come to life and help in battle.
As with most fighting games, each character had a back story that worked in to the plot of the game. Tattoo Assassins character list was diverse including a revenge seeking stripper, an Indian, a rock star, a tribal warrior, a Yakuza assassin, a former Navy seal and a Nancy Kerrigan rip off to name but a few. The range of fatalities was also quite large featuring over 200 special endings such as a falling Delorian, octopus attack and more. Delightful special moves included explosive diarrhea and vomiting.
The game was pretty much hated by everyone who worked on it and no actual cabinets were ever made, save one which allegedly lives in the Data East office building to this very day. The “art” on this flyer is rather dull, but it does feature two of the characters from the game, Kholdan who is the big boss and Hannah, the afore mentioned stripper on a revenge trip. The most striking thing though is Hannah’s outfit which has got to be one of the ugliest things i have ever seen. it also looks like it’s missing a few pieces.
For a complete history of this game including input from a tester and and a member of the game’s programming team, check out Dan’s Tattoo Assassins page.
Collection: A Game Collection For The Ages
Kotakuite, Tristan recently cleaned out his game closet and assembled his collection for all to see. Covering over twenty different systems, his collection is quite impressive. It always warms the cockles of my heart to see games all gathered in one place and not be an auction on eBay. Guard your treasure trove well, Tristan, in another 75- 80 years some of those will be bona fide antiques which you can then present on Antiques Roadshow for a tidy sum.
Spiderman 3: Clip: PS3 Spiderman 3 Game Intro
Still not sure if you’re going to buy the Spiderman 3 game? Well here’s a clip that will either repel or attract you depending on your opinion of the character models. There is something inherently creepy about 3D characters modeled after real life people, especially celebrities since we are so used to what they look like. The models always seem.. I don’t know.. off somehow.
I am, however, intrigued by the gang of flouncy skirted dames jumping off the roof of a building Mary Poppins style with their parasols aloft. I think I might have to buy the game just so I can see what they’re all about.
Resident Evil 4: Wii Resident Evil 4 Priced To Move
Don’t you just hate it when an old game comes out on a new system for the same price or more than it was on the original system? Apparently, Capcom understands your feelings and have priced the Wii version of Resident Evil 4 at a reasonable $29.99, cutting fanboy flame emails off at the pass. It’s good to see Capcom not trying to leech every penny out of us for a port, even if it is a remake of one of the best games in the RE franchise.
Resident Evil® 4 Wii Edition [Capcom]
[via Evil avatar]
Sony: Sony’s Home Beta To Get A Second Round
If you were tardy and didn’t get to join in on Sony’s Home beta test, don’t fret, it may not be too late. Kotakuite, Zach, received this email missive and was good enough to send it in for our perusal. It seems that there will be several more rounds of beta tests happening with new testers added on a weekly basis.
So dry your eyes, little gamer, there’s still some hope left.
Lasers!: Laser Dance Matrix - Don’t Call It A Pad
I had to play DDR with a boring, run of the mill pad that slipped all over the place on my hardwood floors - irritating and perhaps dangerous. But someone has a solution for that problem with the “laser dance matrix” - not a pad - that functions with (duh) lasers. It’s designed to work with any game that will support a USB input, and the designers want to know if people would be interested in purchasing a matrix or a kit to you get to assemble yourself, for you DIY types.
In addition to pointing out that the matrix-in-use won’t come with nifty red beams (”Contrary to popular belief … laser beams cannot be seen from the side unless they are reflecting off of something like fog or dust.”), they explain, “The full name ‘Laser Dance Matrix’ arose from the fact that there is actually no “pad” or other playing surface included with the device. The matrix part is also somewhat accurate in reference to linear algebra.” Geeks are so endearing sometimes.
The Laser Dance Pad [Applied Science via Hack a Day]
Crafts: Crafty Mario Question Block
You’ve seen the coasters, now see what happens if you glue six of them together in cube form! This perlerbead Mario Question Box was created by artist Lostmitten and can be yours for a mere $10.
I just love the look of this thing. It reminds me of church craft bazaars and my Grandma if my Grandma really loved Mario. But, Grandma was really more of a Doom kind of gal.
Nintendo Super Mario Bros Perler Bead Decoration [Etsy]
[via Wonderland]
China: China’s Gaming Future
Gamasutra has a great Q & A up with Lisa Cosmas Hanson, director of Niko Partners - who just released a study a study entitled “2007 Chinese Video Game Market Annual Review & Forecast Report.” 2006 saw huge leaps in the revenue and market share of online games, but Hanson talks mostly about where China’s going, not where it’s been. Will China produce a WoW like hit in the next decade? What companies are benefitting from the huge growth of the industry? And what about that pesky pirating problem?
She’s got some interesting things to say on the free to play model, the future of consoles in China (which have traditionally lagged behind PC based games), and the challenges faced by Western companies wanting to break into the market.
Q&A: Niko’s Hanson On China’s Gaming Future [Gamasutra]
Pillow Fight: I Can See Your Dirty Pillows… On My Phone!
If you ever wanted to watch two digital girls pillow fight each other’s clothes off on your cell phone, now is your chance. This month, I-Play is releasing their newest game, Pillow Fight , on to a phone near you.
You can choose a fighter and her opponent as well as their saucy outfits and then let em rip! You can boost up your pillow power by winning matches which will allow you to add more feathers or filling to your fluffy weapon. Bigger pillows mean stronger impact and thus more wins for you. Winning matches will also allow you to customize your Cheerleader or French maid’s costumes.
There is also an I-Play Lounge where players can compete against other users and post their high scores. and receive “downloadable rewards.” One can only imagine what these rewards will be, but I’m sure they will be Sex-ay!
Pillowfight: the new mobile game from I-play [Gadget Candy]
[via Gizmodude]
Valve: Valve Gets Into Skill-Based Gaming For Cash
UK-based tournament.com has announced a deal with Valve Software to be the provider for play-for-cash/skill-based tournaments for Half-Life 2 and Counter-strike, following two formats: “a 6 player tournament where players each put in $3.60 and an $18 pot is split between the three top finishers” and “an open, continuous tournament where players win $1 if they kill someone and lose $1 if they are killed ….”
PlayNoEvil has an interesting analysis up on the potential problems with this format - and points out that cheating gets a whole new purpose: “Cheating is different when money is involved. While hackers may share cheats for these games in online forums when it is ‘just for fun’. The rules change once money is involved. The value of attacking the game goes from being an ego-boost to money in your pocket.”
TAFA: TAFA Opens The Curtain On Two New Archives
A few weeks back I brought you news of The Arcade Flyer Archive and their effort to launch two new archives, one for Pinball Flyers and another for non video game Arcade Game Flyers. On April 30th TAFA opened it’s two new archives both of which can be accessed from their main page. The two new sections have been supplemented with over 400 new flyers each in addition to the many that they already had in the mix. Also present is a fancy new logo and streamlined navigation system.
If you are a fan of these old arcade treasures, do yourself a favor and check out the new archives. The art is great and these guys deserve our support. Without them, there would be no weekly Arcade Flyer Art Saturday not to mention that a huge portion of arcade history would be lost to the ages.
The Arcade Flyer Archive [TAFA]
KartRider: KartRider Comes To North America
Another week, another Korean MMO heading to foreign shores: this time, it’s South Korean company Nexon’s Mario Kart knock-off, KartRider. A casual racing game, it follows the free to download, free to play model that’s popular in Asia, making money off the assumption that people will purchase upgrades and modifications to their vehicle. The North American closed beta launched on 1 May.
Nexon announced a few months ago that they wanted to propel two of their characters to worldwide Mario-esque popularity levels using games like KartRider. I’ll believe they can do it when I see it.
Nexon America to Launch Global Online Game KartRider in North America [via PlayNoEvil]
Nooooooooooo!: StarCraft MMO Coming, Say Sources
According to CVG, Blizzard will reveal a World of StarCraft-style massively multiplayer online title in Korea next month at the Blizzard World Invitational. While many fans of the original StarCraft were probably expecting a proper real-time strategy game to be unveiled, if CVG’s “well placed US sources” are to be believed, they’re out of luck.
Blizzard previously confirmed that they are indeed announcing a new product in Korea this month and listed open positions for work on an “next-gen MMO.”
With the announcement exactly two weeks away from today, we won’t have long to wait to see if dreams of an RTS sequel to StarCraft have been dashed. The only thing keeping the fanboy tears from shooting out of my ducts with the force of a hydrant is the delusional hope that Blizzard will be announcing two products next month, one being an RTS. See, I’m not an MMO kind of guy.
StarCraft MMO blasts into orbit! [CVG]
Video Games Live: Video Games Live To Perform At E For All
E For all is really starting to become a force to be reckoned with. First came the announcement of Nintendo as an anchor exhibitor, then Sony got in to the mix and now Video Games Live will be making a special appearance at the new expo. Video Games Live will be the first event to take place at the Nokia Theater in LA’s all new “LA Live“, an entertainment hub which is being described as the “Times Square of the West.”
Tickets for the October 19th event will go on sale July 1st through Ticketmaster.
VGL to be first ever performance at Nokia Theatre, LA Live, in Los Angeles on October 19th. [Music4Games]
History Is Cool!: This Day in Gaming, May 5th
1992: Apogee Software releases Wolfenstein 3D for PC in the US. It might not have been the first FPS, but it’s inarguably the game that sparked the genre. You are BJ Blazkowicz, an American escaping a Nazi fortress, kicking ass the way we only know how this side of the Atlantic (or Pacific…the world is round after all). Not only is the game huge—it’s shareware—meaning that most of us played a good chunk of it for free.
But the best part? The violence is OK because you are killing Nazis. Really…why else do you think WWII games have taken off so well?
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
Sheeplings: Baa Baa Sheeplings, Have You Any Wool?
A new casual puzzle game called Sheeplings is out and it looks abso-freaking-lutely adorable. I admit to have a fondness for the wooly creatures, finding them cuter and less hell raising than some of their other barnyard counterparts, and the game sounds like a good way to waste a few hours:
Assume the role of Windsor the sheepdog as you encounter logic puzzles, stubborn sheep that need to be moved, hidden powerups, hungry eagles, bothersome bandits, and much much more in this non-linear adventure.
The website has screenshots and a short game play clip. Baaaaaa.
Sheeplings [via GameSetWatch]
Simpsons: Mysterious Simpsons Countdown Site
It seems that EA is putting out a new Simpsons game in what I can only assume will be a tie in with the upcoming movie. Going to this page on EA’s website, we are presented with a classic Simpson’s yellow screen featuring the title “XXII” done in a mock GTA IV style. Underneath is a counter using the now famous Matt Groening font that is counting down the time, which at the writing of this article was down to exactly four days. So, by Wednesday afternoon we should be treated to some kind of announcement having to do with this mysterious game.
This better not be some sort of Island of Rhodes fiasco where on Wednesday the clock just rolls over to add two more days on. Although, if that did happen it would be pretty damned funny and I’m sure I would laugh heartily after throwing my laptop across the room.
[Thanks, Sean]
Ludology: The Nine Basic Types of Gamers - Maybe
Chris Bateman at Only a Game has an interesting - if jargon heavy - post up on his nine hypothetical types of gamers, broken down by patterns of play, emotions, and skills. What’s his purpose for putting such a list together? He’s trying to design a survey that could lead to answering a couple of questions: “What are the basic types of player? Can we uncover a comprehensive inventory of play styles? What would this teach us about games and game design?”
If you’re up for following his links and dealing with some heavy sledding, it’s a thought provoking read. What’s your style?
The Nine Basic Players (Maybe) [Only a Game]
Colecovision: Clip: Colecovision and ADAM Commercials
This is a pretty interesting collection of four commercials from Coleco pushing their hi-tech ADAM computer and Colecovision system. Apparently they were pretty desperate to get rid of these things as they offer not only a Cabbage Patch Doll to purchasers of the Colecovision, but if you buy an ADAM they will give your kid a $500 scholarship for college! $500! Now that’s a scholarship any kid can be proud of. Personally, I would have taken the cabbage patch doll so I could avoid the bands of marauding mothers ready to tear my throat out for the sake of some floppy haired moppet. Ah, the Eighties…
Original: Kotaku Originals: From Goat Guts to Kicked Out Kases
Another Saturday, another week chock full of Kotaku originals! Sony ruffled some feathers with their goat shenanigans, Phantom Jocks loses again and Fahey takes on a second life.
- Boogie Hands-On, New Screens
- Gallery: Monster Hunter Art
- DJ Max Portable In The House
- Second Life Claims Another Victim
- Ashcraft At Monster Hunter Rally
- Nintendo Financial Results Q&A: Iwata’s Cranky Pants
- Kondo Speaks, Miyamoto Sleeps
- Judge Kicks Jack’s Kotaku Kase to the Kurb
- Devil May Cry 4 Hands-on
- PSP Camera Dated For Europe, Australia
- Drought-Breaking Pac Man Chalk Art
- The Mystery Of Lara’s Blue Plaque
- Feature: 1Up’s Luke Gets An Extra Life
- Charitii Auction Wraps Up Today
- Goatgate: Sony’s Side Of The Story
- Sony: 35% Of Australian PS3s Online
