Metal Slug x Paul Robertson x Tribute Games = Mercenary Kings

Although I've long appreciated run-and-gunners like Contra, Gunstar Heroes and Metal Slug, they don't often find their way into my busy, game-playing schedule.

Still, whenever a run-and-gun game with an interesting hook or look is announced, it tends to catch my attention.

Case in point: Tribute Games' in-the-works PC release, Mercenary Kings.

The crew at Tribute Games previously created both Ninja Senki and Wizorb, so you know Mercenary Kings is going to be boss, too--especially with artist and animator Paul Robertson (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game) on board.



As is so often the case these days, you and I and everyone else can help bring Mercenary Kings to market thanks to a rather well-supported Kickstarter campaign--which has raised about two-thirds of its $75,000 goal thus far, with 23 days to go.

I'd totally pledge $250 or more to the effort, by the way, if the folks at Tribute Games not only offered a physical copy of Mercenary Kings, but a physical copy of Wizorb, too. (I'm sure that sounds like a strange request, but they're already giving digital copies of the latter release to those who donate $15 or more.)

(Via tinycartridge.com)

FYI: Wizorb is now available via PSN

Not only that, but this "retro-flavored Breakout clone with a dash of RPG folded into it" is playable on PS3, PSP and Vita, as far as I'm aware.

I know for sure that it's playable on PSP, though, since I just bought it. Yes, that means I now own four "copies" of Wizorb--one each for my Mac, PC, PSP and Xbox 360.

A word of warning to those of you who are about to race to your PSPs and download this puppy: A bit of "frame-rate chug" weaseled its way into this particular version.



It doesn't ruin the experience--or at least it hasn't yet ruined it for me--but it is noticeable, not to mention a tad annoying, especially if you've spent some time with the Mac, PC or Xbox 360 releases.

Hopefully no such "chug" rears its ugly head while playing the game on a PS3 or Vita. Since I don't own either of those systems, though, I currently can't tell you if that's the case or not.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Wizorb (PC and XBLIG)' and 'Ten questions with the guys who created Wizorb'

Cyrus and his magic rod are coming to PS3, PSP and Vita

OK, so the header above is a bit childish. Sorry about that. I have a good reason for coming up with and using it, though--with that reason being that I wanted this post to grab the attention of as many people as possible.

Why is that? Well, it's because this post is about Wizorb, a game that I believe has not received nearly enough attention since it was released last September.

As for why I'm writing about it again (yeah, I've written about it a few times already): This Breakout-with-a-smidge-of-RPG is going to be made available to PS3, PSP and Vita owers--as a PS Mini--sometime this June.

Oh, and according to the fine gents at tinycartridge.com, this version of Wizorb will be sold for the entirely reasonable (in my opinion) price of $3.99.

News flash (or maybe not, given all the love I've showered onto this title thus far): I'll be picking this up day one, despite the fact that I already have copies of Wizorb sitting on my Xbox 360, PC and (I think) Mac.

(Via tinycartridge.com)

Five XBLIG games you should have played, but probably didn't

To those of you wondering why I'm not including retail or even XBLA releases in this post: I'm not including the former because I have just one such game (Deadly Premonition) and I'm not including the latter because pretty much all of the XBLA titles I've purchased thus far are high-profile ones, and I'm trying to focus on under-appreciated releases in this series of posts. (Here's one that focuses on DS games you should have played, but probably didn't, and here's one that focuses on Wii games.)

1. Arkedo Series: 03 Pixel!--Can a more charming platformer be found via the XBLIG service? If so, I've yet to come across it. Even if one were to present itself to me, it wouldn't cause me to change my mind about the fact that Arkedo Series: 03 Pixel! is more charming than it has any right to be. How else would you describe a run-and-jump title that puts you in the, er, paws of a big-headed cat who has to--you guessed it--run and jump his way though a bunch of beautifully rendered (in blue and white) stages while avoiding assorted baddies. Admittedly, Pixel! won't win any awards for uniqueness (although it incorporates occasional mini-games in a rather clever manner), nor will it win any awards for length or difficulty, but who really cares when the overall experience is this tight, simple and fun?

2. Escape Goat--If you're looking to pick up a great puzzler-platformer via XBLIG, Escape Goat is your game. Why? It looks like a Genesis game--a good one, mind you--for starters. (It kind of sounds like one, too, now that I'm thinking of it.) I can't say it plays like one because, well, I don't believe I ever played a puzzler-platformer on Sega's 16-bit system. Regardless, this one is a joy to play. In part that's because controlling the main character--the titular goat--feels great, which makes traversing the game's many obstacles (it is a puzzler, after all) a snap, and in part it's because everything--the gameplay, graphics and music--comes together to produce a most captivating experience.

And the winners of the Wizorb Steam codes are ...

Notice how I said "winners" and "codes" as opposed to "code" and "winner"? That's because the gracious guys at Tribute Games gave me a total of three download codes for the Steam release of their brilliant Breakout homage, Wizorb.

Illustration by Yannick Belzil

How did I decide who will receive said download codes? I wrote all of your names on a piece of paper, cut them out, folded them up, tossed them into a hat and then had my husband draw the winners, that's how.

As for which names he pulled from my hat, here you go:

* diaglyph
* Kevin
* Marcus

Congrats, you three!

When you have a chance, let me know in the comments section below where I should send your code. If you'd rather not share your e-mail address here, feel free to contact me at bochalla(at) yahoo(dot)com.

To all of you who didn't win: Thank you for participating. Also, if you have any interest at all in Wizorb, I would highly recommend buying it. It's only $3 and it's packed with content that will keep you busy (and happy) for many hours.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Wizorb (PC and XBLIG)'

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Wizorb Edition

So, I received a rather surprising e-mail from Tribute Games' Justin Cyr last night. In said e-mail, Cyr let me know that PC and Mac versions of his company's maiden release, Wizorb, could now be bought, downloaded and played via Steam.

Cyr also sent me a promo code for this three-parts-Breakout-to-one-part-Zelda game, but since I already own both the PC and Mac versions of Wizorb (yes, I enjoyed it that much) I thought I'd give the code to someone who has yet to experience its excellence.



What do you have to do to be the someone who receives said promo code (which will allow you to download Wizorb from Steam for free)? Not much, really. Just leave a comment below between now and 9 pm PST on Sunday, March 18. On Monday morning, I'll toss all of the accumulated names into a hat and pull out the winner.

See also: Previous Wizorb posts

My five favorite games of 2011

While reading through the following list, please keep in mind that I've yet to play a number of games that are sure to take up space on similar lists that appear on other blogs and sites--games like Batman: Arkham City, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Mario Kart 7 and Uncharted 3.

Really, though, my lack of experience with the aforementioned games shouldn't matter much to those looking to add a few interesting, exciting or fun titles to their collections, since I'm not presenting the games below as "the best of 2011." Rather, I'm presenting them as the ones that provided me with the most enjoyment this past year.

1. Cladun x2 (PSP)--I know I have yet to write about this game as much as I wrote about its predecessor, but don't take that to mean I liked it less. On the contrary, I prefer Cladun x2 to the original Cladun in pretty much every way--and that's saying something, because I really enjoyed the first one. My favorite aspects of this sequel, though, are its insane customization options and its wider variety of, well, everything--characters, enemies, locales and weapons. If you own a PSP and you're at all into dungeon crawlers or roguelikes, this game is for you.

2. Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii)--A blogger pal of mine recently said via Twitter that this game "is everything that is right about video games." I was skeptical of that comment until I actually obtained and played the game myself. Now I see why he said that, as Kirby's Return to Dream Land is pure joy from start to finish. Yes, it's fairly easy--just like nearly every other Kirby game that came before it--but that's not really the point. What is the point is that everything about it is fun--from the music to the graphics to the gameplay. I especially love obtaining and using Kirby's super abilities, which, in general, allow the little pink puff to wreak havoc on an entire screen's worth of enemies at once.

3. LaserCat (Xbox 360)--I've been sitting on a half-finished "somewhat gay review" of this XBLIG title ever since I beat it earlier in the year. That's a crying shame because I absolutely adored every minute I spent playing it. As for why that is: Well, it kind of reminds me of Metroid without any enemies and with a collect-a-bunch-of-keys-to-save-your-friend element thrown in for good measure. That's a rather simplistic description of this deliciously Day-Glo game, of course, but what else can you expect from a write-up that's just 100 words in length?

4. Sugar Shooter (PC)-- Admittedly, this came out in 2010, but it was at the very end of 2010 (Dec. 20, to be exact). Also, I only got my hands on it a few months ago. So, I'm including it here. What else can I say about this download-only, Windows-based game (unless you decide to spring for the boxed Japanese version) that I haven't said in previous posts? Not much, other than if you like shoot 'em ups and you aren't squeamish about seeing a bunch of manga-styled bears stripping and, er, sexin' it up, you're sure to get your money's worth out of Sugar Shooter.

5. Wizorb (Mac, PC, Xbox 360)--I spent a long time looking forward to playing this Tribute Games release and you know what? It was well worth the wait--especially given its $3 price tag. So much goodness is packed into this Breakout-meets-Zelda game that I feel bad that the guys at Tribute earned so little for all their effort. Really, I would have paid $40 for this had it been released for the Genesis back in the day. (Actually, I'd pay that now if it were released on cartridge and came with a full-color manual and box.) You don't have to love brick-breakers to find this appealing, by the way--all you have to do is love having fun.

Honorable mention: Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (PS3, Xbox 360). Why didn't this downloadable game make the cut? As much as I love all of the options that were added to the original Pac-Man CE, I much prefer the first release's gameplay to that found in this buffed-up sequel.

See also: Past 'favorite games of the year' posts

A somewhat gay review of Wizorb (PC and XBLIG)

Game: Wizorb

Genre: Brick-breaker

Developer: Tribute Games

Publisher: Tribute Games

System(s): PC, Xbox 360

Release date: 2011

In pretty much every post I've published about Wizorb thus far, I've described it as "Breakout with a smidge of an RPG." After spending some quality time with this downloadable title over the last week or so, though, I've come to the conclusion that I should have been calling it a Legend of Zelda-inspired brick-breaker instead.

Why? Because while the bulk of Wizorb's gameplay brings to mind titles like the aforementioned Atari release, its graphics, setting--named, ahem, "Kingdom of Gorudo"--and soundtrack bring to mind the game that's known in Japan as The Hyrule Fantasy: Zeruda no Densetsu. Wizorb's main town/hub area, the decimated Tarot Village--which the player can help rebuild by donating gathered gold--also recalls that Nintendo classic. (Said village is the only location players are able to explore freely, by the way. The game's five other locations, each of which houses 13 block-busting stages, are accessed via a board-game-esque world map.)

At the end of the day, though, this basically is a gussied-up Arkanoid clone, so how does its bat-and-ball action stand up to its predecessors-cum-competitors in that particular genre? Pretty darn well. Although Wizorb features a par-for-the-course paddle--although here it's supposed to be a wizard's magic wand--and ball, players can do more with the former than they can in most such games. For example: clicking the left mouse button (while enjoying the PC version, obviously) launches a fireball into the play area, while clicking the right one produces a gust of wind that blows the ball in the direction of the wand. Also, though most destroyed blocks drop coins, gems and potions that refill your magic gauge, some drop curses that shrink your wand or slow it to a crawl.

Another of Wizorb's inventive additions to the brick-breaker oeuvre: many of its stages include bonus rooms and shops that more often than not prove to be life-savers. All in all, Tribute Games' maiden release is refreshing, remarkably polished and well worth the price of admission (a measly $3) whether or not you're bonkers for Breakout and its ilk.

See also: Previous 'somewhat gay' reviews and previous Wizorb posts

PC version of Wizorb available now

OK, class. Raise your hands if you didn't buy Tribute Game's fantastic, Breakout-with-a-smidge-of-an-RPG XBLIG title, Wizorb, because you don't have an Xbox 360.

Great. Now, keep your hands up if you would have bought the game if it had been released for Windows-based PCs, too.

Well, I have good news for you guys and gals: A PC version of Wizorb is, as of today, available for purchase via GamersGate.com.



Those of you who didn't keep your hands up dropped them because you're waiting for Linux and Mac versions to be released, right?

Ah, I have good news for you, too! The guys at Tribute Games expect to release Linux and Mac versions of Wizorb in the next two or three weeks.

Don't worry, class, I'll let you know when they're available. Also, expect to receive a special homework assignment from me soon (as in, hopefully by the end of the week)--one that involves reading my long-time-in-comin review of this wonderfully retro game.

See also: Previous Wizorb posts

Ten questions with the guys who created Wizorb

While playing Wizorb, the RPG-tinged Breakout clone that hit the Xbox Live Indies Game service two weeks ago, it's easy to forget you're in 2011.

I say that in a positive way, as this three-dollar title brings to mind a number of things that I believe have been missing from games since the mid- to late-1990s.

For instance, it features beautiful, pixel-based graphics that bring to mind the best that the Sega Genesis had to offer. It also features a bouncy, blippy soundtrack that brings to mind the tunes that filled our ears while playing games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

What prompted the guys at Tribute Games to create such a retrotastic title, and when can we expect it to hit other platforms (if ever)? I recently asked Justin Cyr, Jonathan Lavigne and Jean-François Major those very questions. Read on to hear their responses.

The Gay Gamer: What prompted the three of you to come together and make this game (and also form Tribute Games)?

Jonathan Lavigne: I've been serious about going indie since 2005, but it was only a matter of timing for us to make it offical this year. Just before the three of us started working on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, I was already working with Jean-François on Wizorb in our spare time. At first, it was only supposed to be a small project that would allow Jean-François to develop his game engine. Six months ago, I had just finished Ninja Senki while both Justin and Jean-François finished working on productions at Ubisoft and Eidos, so we decided it was time to join forces and finish Wizorb.

Justin Cyr: We're doing this entirely out of our own pockets, so it took a while to save enough money to allow ourselves enough time to make something good. It's always a little intimidating to give up that kind of security, but I think if we didn't make the jump when we did the moment would have passed us by.

Jean-François Major: We've always gotten along and had pretty similar tastes in games. Going indie really gives us this freedom to create the games we've always dreamed of playing.

TGG: Whose idea was it to make a game that combines elements of Breakout with those of an RPG?

Jonathan: I came up with the idea first, but it grew into something bigger [when] Justin and Jean-François added their own personal touches to it.

Jean-François: When we realized the game had great potential, we wanted to add a way to tell a story and give a bit more life to the game. We wish we could have fleshed out [the game's RPG elements] a bit more. Maybe we'll keep some room for improvement for a sequel?

All you really need to know about Wizorb (XBLIG): Breakout (gameplay) + Genesis (graphics) + The Legend of Zelda (music)

Oh, and it costs just 240 Microsoft Points ($3) and is available now on the the Xbox Live Indies Game service.

Not only is Wizorb--which was made by Justin Cyr, Jonathan Lavigne and Jean-François Major (who recently joined forces to form Tribute Games)--look, sound and play like a dream, but it's backed by a silly story, too.

Here's the gist of it, in case you're curious: The once-peaceful Kingdom of Gorudo is threatened by an evil presence. The only hope for salvation is Cyrus, a wizard versed in a secret magic art called Wizorb!

Wizorb is more than a Breakout clone covered with a cute, somewhat-clichéd, RPG-ish coat of paint, by the way. For starters, there are boss battles. Also, Cyrus' can call on magic spells that affect his "magic wand" (aka his Arkanoid-ish paddle) and/or the stage that surrounds it. Finally, keys can be collected and then used to unlock doors--which lead to bonus items and even Zelda-esque shops--that are located at the back of certain levels.

As cool as I'm guessing that sounds in theory, I can guarantee--after spending a good amount of time with the game last night--that it's even cooler in practice. Honestly, if this were a boxed-and-available-at-retail Genesis/Mega Drive title, I'd pick it up in a heartbeat regardless of the price tag affixed to it. It's that beautiful, charming and fun.

See also: 'Get your Xboxes ready, Breakout fans: Wizorb hits XBLIG on Thursday' and 'Wizorb has awesome box art'

Get your Xboxes ready, Breakout fans: Wizorb hits XBLIG on Thursday

What's Wizorb, you ask? Why, it's the Breakout-clone-slash-RPG that Justin Cyr, Jonathan Lavigne--of Ninja Senki and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game fame--and Jean-François Major have been working on for the past six months.

For those of you who haven't seen it already, here's the game's "debut trailer," which Lavigne shared with the world (via his blog, pixeltao.ca) a few months ago:



As the headline above suggests, the Xbox Live Indie Games version of Wizorb will be released this Thursday via Tribute Games. (A PC version is in the works, too, although its release date has yet to be announced.)

Here's hoping I can either secure a review copy of the game shortly after it's released or scrounge up enough dough to pay for it. Otherwise, it'll probably have to wait until my birthday (which is two months away).

See also: Wizorb has awesome box art

Wizorb has awesome box art

Which is funny, because this Jonathan Lavigne-developed Breakout-clone-slash-RPG is--or will be, once it's finally released--a download-only (for Xbox 360, via XBLIG) affair.

Sadly, Wizorb doesn't yet have a release date. It does, however, have a rather scintillating-looking trailer, which can be viewed on Lavigne's blog, pixeltao.ca.