New Release: Cannon Dancer - Osman

An enhanced edition of a bombastic arcade actioner, from Mitchell Corporation and ININ Games

New Release: Hazard Saviour

An open world platformer inspired by Crazy Taxi, from Sinclair Strange

New Release: Ginsha

An open world action-adventure that takes place across multiple planets, from PolarityFlow

New Release: Haunted Lands: Burial Grounds

A tough and bloody DOS-style shooter, from Alexey Goryachev

New Release: Curse of the Sea Rats

An open world action-adventure featuring 2D animation and 3D environments, from Petoons Studio

April 30, 2015

New Blip: Moon Hunters

Kitfox Games presents Moon Hunters, an action-RPG for 1-4 players – with multiple character classes to choose from – that moves between fast-paced combat and slow-paced NPC interactions. Your adventures will push you into the boundaries of the known world to discover new territory and new landmarks in a randomly-generated environment.

Your actions in the world and interactions with NPC’s will determine how you are remembered, and your character’s legend carries over from one play session to the next. Sessions are designed to last only a couple of hours, but repeated play reveals more about the game world and allows the player to establish himself within the various tribes’ belief systems and mythologies. Steam versions are planned to support online co-op (in addition to a solo and local co-op), whereas online co-op is currently TBD on Sony platforms.

Moon Hunters is coming in February 2016 to PC and Mac via Steam, as well as PS4 and Vita via PSN.




April 28, 2015

Target Acquired: Environmental Station Alpha

Environmental Station Alpha, from Arvi “Hempuli” Teikari, is a heavily Metroid-influenced title, featuring nonlinear exploration through a number of lo-fi pixelated environments. The player takes on the role of a robot who must explore Environmental Station Alpha, a station used to house natural environments and unique species as a means of preservation, but which was abandoned decades prior. A number of dangerous mechanisms and creatures await you, as well as no small number of bosses. Abilities include grappling, dashing, and underwater travel, as well as a number of weapon upgrades.

Environmental Station Alpha is now available for PC and Mac via Steam, although there is no gamepad support on the Mac version, so dust off those pearly white keys.


April 25, 2015

Signal Lost: In the Dark

In the Dark has been left in the dark, apparently, and is no longer on our 2D RADAR. The developer's Twitter page hasn't been updated since 2012 and their website no longer exists. Here's what we originally had to say about the game:


In the Dark | PC, Mac, and Linux | Release Date TBD
In the world of In the Dark, developer Escapement Studios explains why monsters hate the light. For a monster, light is a solid object, and getting caught in direct light traps them and eventually causes them to disappear. However, one monster, a cat/bunny-like creature named Bump, makes use of this quality to navigate the environments and defeat other monsters. As Bump shoves objects around, beams of light can be blocked or broken, allowing him to make progress. He can even run along beams of light as if they were solid surfaces, allowing him to reach new areas while avoiding dangers like swinging lamps and light sources that turn on and off intermittently.




April 23, 2015

Test Flight: Not a Hero

Roll7, the developer behind OlliOlli, is taking their stylish skating mechanics and translating them into stylish shooting mechanics with Not a Hero. The game mixes the face-blasting shooty shooty with a cover system that lets you jump to cover fashionably by diving or sliding into place and dodging enemy fire along the way. Nine non-heroes are available, each with their own weapons and playstyles that promise a different experience when going in with blazing pistols or a swinging katana. Oh, and there's something about a giant purple bunny and political corruption.

The game is headed to PC via Steam on May 7, but you can take a test flight now by downloading the demo from the game's Steam page. Also, preordering the game nets you a free copy of OlliOlli... so vote for BunnyLord early.




April 21, 2015

Test Flight: Ronin

Developer Tomasz WacÅ‚awek describes Ronin (site) as a turn-based action platformer, which seems like a contradiction in terms… But players are able to sneak around in real-time to get the drop on their opponents, and plan out a turn-based series of attacks to work toward a killing blow. The game stars a masked heroine who is seeking revenge against several members of a corporation. She must employ stealth and plan out her moves in order to sneak up on her opponents across 15 levels and deliver swift vengeance. The game looks strongly reminiscent of Gunpoint in its presentation and stealth-based navigation, but with less switch-flippery and more ninja-swordery.

Ronin is headed to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam in May. The game is up for preorder now, and the developer has released a 3-level demo on their Steam page if you want to give it a go for yourself.




April 18, 2015

Proximity Alert: Crypt of the NecroDancer

Crypt of the NecroDancer, from Brace Yourself Games, is set to rise from Steam Early Access on April 23 for PC, Mac, and Linux. The game offers an unlikely pairing of roguelike and rhythm action, as the protagonist hops along space by space while slashing enemies, grabbing loot, buying items, finding weapons, and running away from the occasional toothed treasure chest.

As the tempo of the music increases, so too does the pace, as all movement is tied to the rhythm, and keeping your multiplier going requires that you move along with the pace of the music as well. You also have a few spells at your disposal, including health restoration, a freeze spell that stops monsters in their tracks, and a fire spell that can blast through a row of enemies. Music for the game is being provided by Danny Baranowsky, of Super Meat Boy fame, although you can provide your own music as well to further tailor the experience. Just be mindful of the fact that faster music means faster gameplay as well.

You can even play the game with a DDR mat… if you’re not prone to heart problems.



April 16, 2015

Arrival Delayed: 6 Games You'll Have to Wait For

You can expect a number of "Release Date TBD" and generic "2015" dates on the Master List for a while... It seems that a number of games have missed their early 2015 release dates. Some of these games have new release windows, while others have gone dark, hopefully to reappear once more:

  • Aegis Defenders has retreated to Q4 2015
  • Chasm has plummeted to Q3 2015
  • Dead Pixels II: Straight to Video has missed its announced Q1 2015 date (and its original "late 2014" date) for an as-yet-to-be-determined release... and hopefully not "Straight to 2016"
  • Echoes of Eridu has not only bypassed its planned January release, but the game has also changed its name to 20XX... and hopefully the developer will be somewhat more specific with its actual release date
  • Still Time still needs some more development time, apparently, and has no new date
  • Development of Treasurenauts was put on hold so that the studio could work on Xeodrifter in order to stay in business and keep the treasure coming in, but it does not yet have a new announced date

April 14, 2015

New Blip: Noct

Developer Chris “c3sk” Eskins presents Noct, a top-down multiplayer survival horror game with a gritty greyscale aesthetic mimicking an aerial thermal vision camera. For reasons unknown, Earth has been plunged into darkness, and terrible creatures known as the Nocturnal now roam the land. Players must blast away these monstrosities with weapons and ammo scavenged in the environment, as well as survive life in the wasteland by ransacking vacant buildings to seek out food and other useful items. While the game is played from a top-down perspective, players are only able to see what is directly in the line of sight for their character, meaning that a lurking terror might be lying in wait around the next corner. The game may be played online with other players or as a solo campaign.

Noct is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam later this year.




April 11, 2015

New Blip: Hollow Knight

Team Cherry presents Hollow Knight, an action-adventure platformer set in the ancient subterranean land of Hallownest. The horned knight must traverse a large nonlinear world and battle dark insect-based foes with his trusty sword-like nail as he uncovers the mysteries of the land and searches for artifacts and treasure. Artifacts grant new attack abilities, including air dashes, energy blasts, and area effect attacks. Traditional action-RPG trappings are in place, with townsfolk requiring assistance, as well as a shop and a blacksmith.

Hollow Knight is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam, as well as the Wii U eShop in mid 2015.




April 9, 2015

New Blip: Greedy Guns

Greedy Guns, from developer Tio Atum, is an action platformer inspired by fast-paced high action games such as Gunstar Heroes and Contra, combined with Metroidvania exploration elements. Players may go alone or team up with another player in 2P co-op to blast away baddies on alien planets. Players are able to move and aim independently with full 360 degree control of their shooting, allowing for shooting while dodging, fast strafing, and the tried-and-true method of running away and screaming while shooting at the bad guys running up behind you.

Explosions?
Check.

Double jump?
Check.

Enemies bursting into piles of spinning gold coins when they are destroyed?
Checkaroonie.

Greedy Guns is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam in mid 2015.




April 7, 2015

News: 3 Games Get the Deluxe Treatment

In the cartridge-based days, it was rare to see anything along the lines of a deluxe edition. Sure, we had Super Mario All-Stars and a kajillion versions of Street Fighter II, but for the most part, the classic games remained untouched, with modern releases appearing only in the form of emulated ports. When a developer did go back to a previous game, it was generally released as an enhanced sequel, such as Super Castlevania IV or Super Punch-Out!!.

But times have changed... Developers have many more avenues through which to distribute their games, and sometimes they want to take advantage of an entirely different hardware set. Here are three games that are getting the deluxe treatment and moving to a new platform in the process:



Curse of the Crescent Isle DX
Lots of great games (and great developers) got their start on Xbox Live Indie Games, although they may have been a bit hard to find. The service originally launched in 2010 exclusively for the Xbox 360, and saw the release of thousands of games in its lifetime. Since then, Steam has become the king of digital distribution for indie developers, and many of the good games from XBLIG have made their way to the new platform. One of these gems, Curse of the Crescent Isle, is coming back as Curse of the Crescent Isle DX. The game is coming for PC, Mac, and Linux and currently has a Steam Greenlight campaign. The original game was already solid, with lots of unique enemies that could be repurposed as environmental navigation tools, but the deluxe edition has improved visuals, a better physics system, and 2P local co-op, as well as boss rush and speedrun modes.




Scram Kitty DX
Scram Kitty DX, from developer Dakko Dakko, has been announced for PS4 and Vita. The game was originally released as Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails, a Wii U-exclusive. The PSN version adds trophy support, as well as an improved Challenge Mode, and online leaderboards. The short trailer (below) shows the game in action with a cat rolling around the edges of the environment and blasting away evil mice on some kid of orbital laboratory. This game has already been released and is available on the PlayStation Store.



Monster Tale Ultimate
Monster Tale Ultimate is coming soon from Dreamrift, a studio founded by the developers of the quirky action/puzzler hybrid Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure. The game is a follow-up to the studio's Nintendo DS release Monster Tale, a metroidvania platformer with virtual pet elements, starring a girl named Ellie and her monster pal, Chomp. The original game took advantage of the system's dual screen technology to have Chomp take care of simulator-style stuff on the bottom screen while Ellie took to action on the top screen, occasionally calling Chomp up for support. The new game is coming for 3DS with some visual improvements (and stereoscopic 3D), a new soundtrack, some new rooms, and shortcuts to reduce the amount of backtracking. The game is expected to release this spring.

April 4, 2015

Test Flight: Titan Souls

Titan Souls is almost upon us, and developer Acid Nerve would like to remind you how far they've come... The game was originally created in the Ludum Dare 28 competition, where the theme was "you only get one". This premise led to the development of a game where the hero has only one arrow, which he must use strategically to take down giant titans -- inspired by Shadow of the Colossus -- but the arrow must be retrieved between throws. In 2013, the prototype version of the game was released as a demo here.

Two years have passed, and a lot more work has been done on the game. To show off the changes and improvements, the developer is re-releasing the prototype as a downloadable demo via Steam. Of course, they'd also like to remind you that the game releases on April 14 for PC, Mac, PS4, and Vita.

Check out the trailer below showing the changes from the original prototype to the final product.