March 30 will be a pretty grin-filled day for fans of super-cool HD reissues of classic PSP games. Er, given that the ONLY game coming out on that day that fits that description is Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure on Steam, that’s the game I just so happen to be writing about in this post. Actually, I’ll let you click on that link above and check the game out for yourself. Gurumin was and is one of my favorite PSP games, so it’s excellent to see it coming to PC all gussied up in HD and packing a bunch of Steam bonuses such as Achievements, Trading Cards and the like. Anyway, I’m supposed to be “off” today, so that’s all you’ll get from me. Go check out the game trailer and screens on Steam and if you like what you see, you know what to do…
When I think “Trash TV”, it’s usually any modern reality show or anything well-aged that I used to watch that was more of a guilty pleasure more than anything “educational.” Thanks to indie developer Lawrence Russell and publisher Reverb Triple XP, Trash TV means something entirely different and a hell of a lot more fun.
This inspired “retro” platformer/shooter is now available on Steam for $4.99, 30% off the list price. That’s a short-term sale, folks (in case you didn’t realize this yet). You have to love a game where you play as an old cathode ray tube TV on the hunt for its lost remote so it can get back to functioning as it’s used to. Hey, watch that game trailer and I bet you’re grinning quite a bit. I also bet that you won’t see some flimsy flat screen TV trying any of those acrobatics and surviving more than a few seconds. They built a lot of those old sets link tanks, people. I still have one here that’s used for games from the NES to PlayStation era and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Well, that’s because it keeps threatening me when I try to unplug it, but you don’t need to know this. *Ahem.*
Want to know how tough it is to set up a trade show booth? Well, let busy as heck indie developer tinyBuild Games show you how it’s done (sort of). Their PAX South booth setup video is pretty amusing stuff for cheering up a chilly Monday. I most likely won’t be at the show at all (too much work here to do plus there’s some more apartment maintenance coming – boo!), but as a veteran of many behind the scenes setup routines from circus tents to game demo stations, I can safely say that you’re getting an education of sorts here. Now that you’re just that little bit smarter, I say you should pop on over to tinyBuild’s site and perhaps check out some of their fun games.
Yes, it’s been so hectic here that I’ve missed out on a few bundle stories, but that doesn’t mean you need to go without some entertainment this weekend. Got a thing for wordplay and other light entertainment? Boogie on over to Bundle Stars and nab the Puzzle Bundle for $2.49. You get a ton of great word games, some hybrids and even a slot-machine simulator that will make you wish your PC or laptop could pay out when you win! Don’t blame me if you get hooked, though.
Humble Bundle has a few cool deals this cold weekend including the Humble Square Enix Bundle 2, a nice selection of mostly AAA titles you can have for $15 or less. I’d go for the $15, as more games will be added to the deal shortly and it’s already a great purchase.
Or you can grab a friend and get the Humble Weekly Bundle Co-op 2, where $10 gets you seven games designed for more than one player. Sure, you can play them by yourself if you like. But where’s the fun in that when it’s nicer to share the wealth. Especially if you make your friend pay for this deal. Then you’ll HAVE to share even if you’re just showing some non-gamer the ropes.
Meanwhile, over at IndieGala, the Friday Special Bundle offers up two deals that are hard to pass up. Get four Steam games for a buck or shell out $3.49 for ten more. The page is a tiny bit confusing, but even if you paid $4.49 for all 14 games there, it’s still a phenomenal deal you don’t want to miss.
IndieRoyale doesn’t want you to feel left out, as they have The Debut 24 Bundle up, currently at a mere $1.87 for nine titles. There’s a nice mixture here as well of stuff to play in complete to not so complete forms. Everything is good in this budget bundle, but if you’re into fantasy-themed games, it’s all about Witches,Heroes and Magic. WHAM is more or less an homage to the Might & Magic strategy series, but played as a fast-paced action game with loads more challenge. Ride big monsters, command troops and most of all, try not to let your character get killed, as perma-death is in the house here.
Okay, that’s it for now – feel free to poke around each site’s online shop, as there should be even MORE deals to be had and perhaps even a free game or two if you know where to look.
If ever a game needed to be played, it’s this one. Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball was created by one guy and although it’s been in Steam’s Early Access program for a while, the quality of the game was astounding. Yes, it’s got that silly and catchy title working that hammer on your head, but once you actually see and then PLAY the game, it becomes hard to stop. Whether in solo play or online with friends or soon to be enemies, Disco Dodgeball is a total hoot. It’s only one of a handful of games I’ve played this month (hey, it’s been a BUSY February what with Toy Fair and a few other events), but it’s one that’s been stuck in my head since. Must be the disco tunes or something. And the visuals. And the gameplay.
Anyway, go get this NOW on Steam (it’s 20% off for a week!), then ring up a few friends and tell them to get it as well. That’s not quite a review, but it IS a recommendation.
Holy cats. As I was hoping, the Humble Star Wars Bundle went from “Must Buy!” to “Oh, you’d BETTER Buy It NOW!” status. As you can see (well, once you pop your eyeballs back in from looking at the selection of games), the roster of titles got bumped up so that even if you pay the lowest possible price (a dollar a game), it’s a STEAL even a Corellian would pay for. Yow. Even if you skip that $12 tier and the three games that make up the deal, you’re getting enough games to keep you busy for months. As in you’ll probably still be playing by the time the new Star Wars movie hits theaters in December.
Yup, you know what you need to do, right? Force grab that wallet and force choke out that debit card, folks. Get enough games to zonk anyone into a digital coma and help charities in the process. You don’t need to be Yoda to realize this is a wise deal, Padawans. Now, get to it! You’ve got a galxy far, far away to save. or ruin, if that’s your thing. Anyway, this deal ONLY lasts until next Tuesday, so don’t wait (or pray that it’s altered any further, you cheapskates out there). Jump on this like it’s the last ship leaving Hoth or else you’ll regret it. Or at least your backlog will!
So, in the middle of a too stupidly busy day, I get ANOTHER copyright strike from YouTube courtesy of the overzealous idiots at Rico Management. Wonderful. Now that I’m boiling with rage over some bullshit (again, I have done nothing illegal here – I just posted videos I was sent to post to help promote the film I reviewed, so thanks go to for nothing but grief to a few people at this point), I still have to be polite here and tell you about this fine deal over at IndieGala.
Five games for two bucks may not seem like such a solid deal after the bigger bundles they’ve offered in the past. But there’s quite a lot of gameplay for the money and you’re helping fund a charity or few. So, pipe down and go take your medicine, I say. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go scream at someone and go take that dumb-ass Copyright School test AGAIN. Grrrr. I hate this sort of irresponsible behavior by faceless entities who need to sat out of the lives of people like me who stay on the decent path in life. But I guess these jerks need a lesson in knowing we’re all not thieves and pirates or whatever.
Unless you’re the sort of person who’s been around gaming for a while, maybe follows a bit of industry news and happens to read game credits all the way to the end, you may not know who Rod Humble is. Hopefully you’ve clicked that link and did some fast reading, because through his new company, multimedia studio Chaphat he’s got a new game coming soon that’s going to most likely get a lot of people talking and hopefully playing solo or against each other in once they give it a try.
Cults & Daggers is “a sprawling and complex strategy game set in the Hellenistic era between the death of Buddha and the birth of Christ.” If that wasn’t intriguing enough, the press release continues: “As the Old Gods plot to destroy a planet they can no longer rule, players are tasked with creating their own religion to fight a secret war for the soul of the world.” Reading that made me think of a little Lovecraftian undercurrent at play. But as I still need to try out a demo, I’ll hold out on any over-speculation as to exactly where the game goes.
As your head is spinning around that heady description and the screenshot gallery below is piquing your curiosity, the power of “cripes” compels you to read on for more info. On one hand, Cults & Daggers is a turn-based strategy game that’s decidedly very old school in terms of presentation and gameplay modes. but this is exactly the sort of game that will appeal to a wide range of players young and old who like the challenge found here. As you can see, this isn’t a graphics card showpiece at all, but more of a designer’s dream project. The board game-like layout, simple menus, creative use of artwork and plenty of lovely fonts all show off a game you won’t mistake for something else on the market.
Granted, bringing up religion in almost any context that may be seen as “negative” by its more core followers is a tricky thing to do. That said, Cults & Daggers appeals to the imagination in a “What if?” and looks to spin its web around your curious side as it hooks you into its world. The best historical strategy games are those where you can hop in for hours immersed in the gameplay and this one looks like it’s going to be up there with the classics of the genre.
Here’s what to expect in the final version of the game:
Features
Secretly manipulate the rise and fall of great cities throughout 400 years of history
Gain influence by building temples, performing sacrifices, preaching, recruiting noble families, etc.
Weaken opponents through blasphemy, assassination, robbery and subversion
Destroy evil places of power to thwart the Old Gods and earn grand rewards
Disciple skills include teaching, killing, hiding, performing spells & curses, preaching and more!
Carefully manage your religion’s Faith and Hope levels in order to gain power and influence
Spend Faith and Occult to cast spells, and bring curses and miracles to the world
Extensive Single player with procedurally generated disciples and city data
Multiplayer for up to 4 via Multiplayer Hot Seat and Play-By-E-Mail (PBEM)
Procedurally generated technology tree and adventure system
In-depth modeled spying system allows for deep subterfuge
Game includes free Cults & Daggers ambient music album
With all that in store for those who hop on the Cults & Daggers bandwagon, it’s clear that Humble and Chaphat want this game to be one of those “evergreen” titles that people can pick up and play for years without ever growing tired of it. The deep complexity and lack of flashy visuals will most likely keep this off of anything but home computers or laptops. On the other hand, who knows that will happen if this one takes off and gets a cult following (pun intended). As usual, we shall see.
Well, if you call your latest deal the FPS Bulletproof Bundle and it’s all about shooting stuff up, that’s kind of misleading, isn’t it, Bundle Stars? Well, yes and no. Sure, you’ll get eight different FPS games from companies small to large as well as two downloads that let you create your own shooters (or other types of games) all for a measly $3.49. As you’re shutting up and buying this deal of the day, you’ll probably realize that that “bulletproof” in the title isn’t a lie at all. In fact, as games can’t kill you no matter how many digital bullets, lasers, bombs and other ordinance fly your way, you can rest easy knowing you’re safe in your own home while playing any of these titles.
As you can see from these trailers (and the rest on the game page), the selection ranges from quirky to scary and you’ll even get a dose of action movie “realism” in some games. As for Axis Game Factory’s AGFPRO v2, it’s probably a decent way for would be game makers to get some hands-on time with what looks like a simple to use set of tools. You probably won’t make the next Half-Life or anything close to it with, but you’ll certainly see that making games isn’t as “easy” as you may think even with a program this flexible.
But hey, perhaps you’ll prove me wrong and make a game that blows anyone who plays it out of the water. Stranger things have happened, for sure. Anyway, go make this the best $3.49 you’ve ever spent on anything playable, I say.
Nope, not at all. In fact, there’s a very good chance you’re jumping on this link and slapping down the twelve dollars to unlock all nine titles as well as the surprise bonus games coming next week. The two Knights of the Old Republic games are worth that price and Republic Commando was and is very underrated gem that’s a solid FPS as well as fairly amusing in spots thanks to a snappy scripting job. The rest of the lot (so far) is an interesting selection of genres from straight up action to real-time strategy without the resource gathering and makes for an excellent deal for the money.
As for what those upcoming additions to the bundle are, it’s tough to say. It would be nice to see more Jedi Knight games make it into the bundle, as both Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II with the Mysteries of the Sith expansion and Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast were pretty impressive for their respective times. Jedi Academy is okay and fun to play, but those two other game were sweet spot central, bumping up the visual quality and gameplay to nice heights.
Given that it looks as if whatever games Disney comes up with in the future will be meant to replace these mostly classic Star Wars experiences, this bundle comes not only recommended, but also comes with the recommendation that you give it as a gift to anyone tho know who’s a fan of the films (and has a decent gaming PC). That, and a portion of those Republic Credits you spend on this deal will go to two charities: Star Wars: Force for Change and Unicef’s US Fund. Already, over 191,000 of this bundle have flown out of the Humble Bundle site, meaning a lot of people out there know a fantastic deal when they see it. Anyway, you know what to do, Padawans, so I’ll let you get to it.
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 