Gameplay Footage for Oddworld Remake Released

Just Add Water have released new footage for their upcoming Oddworld remake. 

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New N' Tasty is a HD, revamped version of Abe's Oddysee, a well loved PS1 title. Not only have the graphics had an upgrade, but Just Add Water have also added new dialogue and puzzles. 

The game will be getting a 2013 release for PSN (on both PS3 and Vita), XBLA and PC. I loved the original, so personally I'm quite excited about this one!

Check out the gameplay footage below:

Jet Set Radio Release Date Confirmed

SEGA's revamp of the classic Dreamcast game Jet Set Radio has been given a release date and price. 

This high definition revamp will be released on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade and PS3's Playstation Network on the 19th September 2012. The game will be priced at 800 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360, whilst it is £7.99 on the PS3. 

Jet Set Radio combines cel-shaded art with plenty of futuristic skating action...all set to a brilliant soundtrack. It's definitely worth checking out if you haven't played it before!

Trials: Evolution Reveals Babel Rising Track

To coincide with the release of Babel Rising on XBLA yesterday, Trails now has a track designed to tie in with the game's theme.  The track has you driving up a circular tower with the usual truck load of hazards, jumps and explosions.


This is a free download that became available today for anyone that has purchased Trails Evolution.

Written by Anna Harris

Minecraft Patch for Xbox 360 Released

Minecraft 360 Edition now has a patch on XBL.  


As of today, this patch introduces an autosave feature, some splitscreen options and some bug fixes. Check out the full details of the patch below.

Features:

• Added an autosave, and the ability to turn autosave off, or set it from 15 minutes up to 2 hours in 15 minute steps.
• Split the sensitivity controls into an in-game sensitivity and an in-menu sensitivity.
• Added an Interface Opacity slider in the settings for plasma screen users.
• Added a gamertag display in splitscreen, and the ability to enable/disable it in the settings.
• Added an option in the settings menu to enable/disable in-game hints.
• Added an option in the settings menu to enable/disable tooltips.
• Added a co-ordinate display to the in-game map.
• Added new sections in the How To Play on Multiplayer, Sharing Screenshots, and What's New.
• Added a warning message when attempting to place lava near the spawn area.

Fixes:

• Fix for the leaderboard crash when toggling between filters/leaderboards.
• Fix for server disconnect message appearing when offline or in leaderboards.
• Fix for issue where posting a screenshot to Facebook caused a back out to the main menu.
• Fix for clay generation.
• Fix for 'Awaiting Approval' showing all the time on some signs.
• Various crafting menu fixes.
• Fix for being able to stand on sugarcane.
• Fix for intermittent crash on saving.
• Fix for duplication bug with the furnace and dispenser.
• Fix for not being able to place water near the spawn area.
• Fix for intermittent problem on entering the Nether putting the player above the Nether world.
• Fix for frame-rate drop around the edge of the world.
• Fix for intermittent problem where some achievements were not being awarded.
• Fix for graphical issue with stairs.
• Fix for issue with enemies spawning inside a house when they shouldn't.
• Fix for Zombie Pigmen not being counted for leaderboard scores.

Written by Anna Harris

Xbox Live Arcade Titles Get A Bigger Gamerscore

According to Xbox 360 Achievements, Microsoft is raising the Gamerscore cap for Xbox Live Arcade titles on the 1st April. Game developers can choose to adopt this new system, or keep with the old one, until the 1st June, when the new changes will be officially instated. 


The changes will allow a gamerscore of up to 400 points which can be spread across 30 achievements. DLC will allow for an extra 100 gamerscore, and 8 achievements. In total, Xbox Live Arcade totals can reach a gamerscore of up to 800, which will bring these titles near the 1,000G mark that the big games currently carry. 


What do you think about these changes?

An Interview with Jonathan Blow (Braid)

Many of you may know Jonathan Blow as the brains behind Braid, a beautiful Xbox 360  arcade, Playstation Network and PC release that saw gamers experiment with time in a variety of puzzle-platformer levels. Jonathan is now currently working on his next game, The Witness, and I thought it was a good time to pitch some questions to him about it all.

Q: Hey Jonathan! Now we know you've created Braid, and you're currently working on this years The Witness, but how did your gaming development career start out for you?

A: Way back in the 6th grade when I was lucky enough to be at a school with a computer class, I started making game-like things in a hobby kind of way.  Eventually, when I was 24 years old, I started my first company with a friend from college.  I've been working in games one way or another since that time: 16 years!

Q. Braid is an outstanding game. Not only for the gameplay itself, but for the beautiful music and visuals. Where did the idea come about originally, and what made you decide to make a puzzle style game like this? Also, did you expect such a positive reaction upon it's release?

A: There were many threads for the idea (wanting to do a game with unlimited rewind, wanting to do a game in the tradition of books like Calvino's "Invisible Cities" and Alan Lightman's "Einstein's Dreams", wanting to do a game that was not trying to be 'mere' entertainment.)  These all came together at the right time to form the seed for what you see now.

I personally thought the game was good but I didn't know what to expect.  In retrospect I am surprised that critical reception was as unanimous as it was.  I thought some percentage of critics would hate the game.  I was also surprised by how many people out there in the gaming world were interested!

Q. Braid experiments a lot with the notion of playing with time, which I think really enhances the gameplay. Was there any significance of toying with time in relation to the story? 

A: Yes, there is a connection there.  But the story is told in a way that provides a lot of space for interpretation; I don't want to mess with that by filling the space with too many of my own comments.

Q. You're currently developing The Witness. Can you tell us a little bit more about this, and when should we expect to see a release?

A: It'll be released "when it's done"!  It's a first-person puzzle game, with a mood and setting inspired by games like Myst, but with gameplay that is very different from those games.  It's coming along very well -- there is some very good stuff in it, and every day now I am excited by what I get to do when working on it.

Q. After you've finished work on The Witness, is there anything else that you're wishing to get cracking on? 

A: I have about 100 ideas for other games; I'm not sure which we will do!  I'll probably start thinking about that seriously only after The Witness is done.

Sega Officially Announces Jet Set Radio HD

After quite some speculations from fans and game sites, SEGA have officially announced today that yes, Jet Set Radio will be getting a re-release. 


Originally released in 2000 for the Dreamcast, the sequel, Jet Set Radio Future, hit the Xbox two years later. Jet Set Radio saw DJ Professor K, Beat, Gum and the rest race through a futuristic Toyko and spraying their graffiti  tags across the area. 


The game will be upgraded to HD and will be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network and Windows PC as a digital download sometime this summer. Jet Set Radio has an excellent art style which I'm sure would look fantastic in high definition. 


As well as this news, SEGA also announced that they are holding a contest for UK and USA fans of the game to design their own graffiti. When the contest is over, 18 entries will make it into the finished game. Many more prizes are also up for grabs!For more details, check out the SEGA website. 

South Park: The Game Screens

Obsidian, THQ and South Park Digital Studios have joined forces to release South Park: The Game. An RPG title, South Park: The Game has the shows creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone overseeing the game, whilst fans should expect to see a whole bunch of the shows characters, such as Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman, as well as Mr. Hankey, Timmy, Butters, and much more.


As shown in the screens below, South Park: The Game allows players to play as one of the shows memorable characters, and will feature RPG and hack n' slash style gameplay. I'm hoping that Manbearpig makes an appearance. 

Gotham City Imposters Release Delayed

Gotham City Imposters was originally supposed to be released on the 10th January, but now Warner Bros. Games have announced today that the XBLA multiplayer shooter will now be launching sometime this February instead.


Gotham City Imposters allows players to choose to join either the Bats or the Jokerz, and then battle it out against the opposing team online. Players will be able to create their own Bats or Jokerz character, with a whole range of weapons, gadgets and customisation options at their disposal. 


This February release will cost 1200 Microsoft Points to purchase. 

Joe Danger Free Christmas DLC

Joe Danger: Special Edition is getting in the Christmas spirit with a free Santa DLC pack, set to be released on XBLA tomorrow (21st December). 


The Santa DLC trailer shows Joe, complete in a Santa outfit, traversing through a course of snow and presents on a brand new Quadbike. The DLC is only available until Christmas, so get it before it disappears!

Plants vs. Zombies Gains "iZombie" Mode

The 15th December brought a new update to the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad versions of Popcap's hit zombie tower-defence game, Plants vs. Zombies. The update adds the ability to play as zombies in the game, a new free level and some festive themed goodies (such as hats) to get in the Christmas spirit.


The mode, entitled I,Zombie, is already available for the PC, Mac and XBLA and DS versions of the game. This update also adds eight additional levels, and a brand new endless mode. Achievement hunters may also be pleased to know that the new update brings with it four new achievements to unlock on the GameCenter. 

Sonic CD Released Tomorrow

Sonic is back once again on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade and Playstation Network from tomorrow, with a re-release of Sonic CD.

Presented as a downloadable game, Sonic CD showcases retro Sonic in one of his best adventures. Originally a 1993 Sonic title for the Sega Mega-CD, Sonic CD is on a mission to retrieve time zones from his arch-nemesis Dr. Robotnik in order to save Little Planet. Along the way, Sonic will have to contend with Metal Sonic, rescue pink hedgehog Amy Rose, collect the usual golden rings, and fight plenty of enemies.

Sonic CD is available to download from tomorrow (the 14th December) for 400 Microsoft points on the Xbox 360 or £3.23 on the Playstation Network. Check out the trailer below to get a taste of what to expect from tomorrow.

New Duke Nukem Forever DLC On It's Way

Duke Nukem Forever may have not been the hit that Gearbox and 2K were anticipating, but it appears that they have life left in this title yet. A new set of DLC is planned, which allows for additional single player campaign content, and new maps for the multi-player modes.

The DLC is entitled "The Doctor Who Cloned Me", and is set for a release on the Xbox 360 Marketplace and PSN at some point this week. The single player section of the DLC is set in the mysterious desert alien base, Area 51, where a doctor by the name of Dr. Proton  is contemplating an evil plan. Area 51 will pitch Duke against aliens, clones, robots and more as he once again has to save the world. 

The DLC also brings new weapons, enemy types and bosses, and a few new achievements/trophies. 

Three new multi-player maps are included to add a bit more variety to the online gameplay. These are the offices of Pooty Inc. (complete with aliens), an EDF command centre, and the Breston Nuclear Power Plant.

Duke Nukem Forever's "The Doctor Who Cloned Me" is estimated for a release later on this week. It shall be available for an estimated price of 800 Microsoft Points, and about $9.99 (about £6.40) on the Playstation Network. 

Xbox360achievements.org have a great selection of screen-caps to browse through, but here is one of them:

Simpsons Arcade Coming to XBLA

It appears that The Simpsons arcade game is coming to the XBLA marketplace, according to a rating on the Australian Classification Board

The developer, Backbone Entertainment will be handling the game if the listing can be believed.  This would mean another collaboration between Konami and Backbone, which previously released X-Men Arcade on the XBLA.  


I'm sure more details will become announced soon enough.