Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for October, 2019

15 October, 2019 – Ahead of its showfloor debut at this week’s EGX event at London’s Excel, publisher Big Sugar and developer 2 Ton Studios are delighted to share a brand new trailer for Unto The End, the upcoming combat-adventure coming to PC and consoles in 2020, including as a day one Game Pass title on Xbox One.

Anyone heading to EGX later this week or at the weekend will be able to try Unto The End for themselves. The game’s appearance at the show will be the first time it’s been publicly playable anywhere, and 2 Ton Studio’s husband and wife team, Stephen Danton and Sara Kitamura, will be on the stand (Booth RZ9) and happy to talk about the development of Unto.

“Our goal for Unto The End was to build something from the ground up that makes the most of our 2D side-on view, breaks from convention and challenges genre expectations,” explains game designer and animator, Danton. “We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved and super excited to have players give the first ever public demo a go at EGX.”

About the game

Unto The End is a challenging, handcrafted combat-adventure. Alone and outmatched, a humble father must endure a desperate journey to get back to his family. Armed with a sword, a dagger, and his wits, he must outfight and outsmart the creatures he encounters as he treks through unfamiliar lands, where every step brings him closer to home but is fraught with untold dangers.

Key features

• Read-React Combat: One of a kind combat system focused on skill and mastery, designed and built from the ground up specifically for 2D. Fight intelligently and strike tactically with your sword and range weapons in fierce one-on-one and group battles
• Handcrafted Nuanced Encounters: The adventure unfolds through carefully crafted encounters, each featuring intelligent, worthy opponents, all with their own motivations and place in the world
• Player-Skill Focused: A challenging single-player experience with minimal handholding. All the father’s abilities are available from the outset and mastery of those skills, as well as keen observation of your surroundings, are key to survival and success
• Unforgiving Terrain: From cavernous underground ruins to harsh mountain peaks, overcome environmental challenges and deadly traps as you travel through a world of meticulously crafted landscapes

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif., – October 15, 2019 – Rolling all the way from Green Hill Zone to Monkey Island, Sonic the Hedgehog joins the cast of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD! For the first time ever, Sonic joins the cast of Super Monkey Ball when the latest game in the series launches on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 29, 2019!

Sonic the Hedgehog is available as a hidden, unlockable character in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD. Playing as the world’s fastest hedgehog comes with some unique effects. In addition to boasting incredible speed (obviously), selecting Sonic automatically changes all stages’ bananas to golden rings, complete with nostalgic, classic SFX!

Sonic isn’t the only hidden secret available in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD; skilled simian sphere-rollers will unlock a selection of costumes for every monkey in the base cast – just in time for Halloween!

Get a first look at Sonic the Hedgehog and AiAi and friends’ new costumes in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD in the official announcement trailer and get ready to roll fast when the game launches on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 29, 2019!

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD Release Information

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD launches on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 29, 2019. Physical pre-orders are now available at all major retailers; all physical editions come with sticker sheets featuring AiAi and friends!

For fans who don’t want to monkey around with a physical copy, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD will be available on each platforms’ digital store as well; just stay tuned for more information!

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD revitalizes this classic title with updated graphics (480p > 1080p at 60fps) and optimized controls for each platform. Motion controls from the original Banana Blitz have been removed in favor of tightened analog controls, making it a breeze to jump in and start rolling through the game’s 100 levels.

About Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD:

• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is Back in HD: Originally released on the Wii in 2006, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD reinvigorates the original game with 100 single-player stages, 10 multi-player mini-games, revamped control schemes, updated graphics, and more.
• Online Leaderboards: A first for the series, players can now compete with others around the world through online leaderboards for single-player Time Attack and the all-new Mini-Game Decathlon Score Attack modes.
• No Monkey Business – Play Your Way: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. With uniquely optimized control schemes for each platform, everyone from first-time rollers to world-record holders can jump right in to the fun.

Source: PR Email

CHICAGO — Oct. 11, 2019 — Killer Queen Black, the strategic eight-player action platformer from Liquid Bit and BumbleBear Games, triumphantly soars out of arcades and onto Nintendo Switch and PC via Discord and Steam today. The ultimate arcade eSport with millions of play sessions is finally home.

Combining sports and combat into a thrilling 16-bit competition Killer Queen Black displays on a single screen like the games of the arcade golden era. Each of the six maps are symmetrical to level the playing field. Both teams have their own hive and the maps are filled with berries, upgrade gates, and a single Snail in the center. Matches place two squads of four against one another, each with three Workers and one Queen.

Workers start off defenseless but specialize in adaptability. Fill up the team’s hive with berries to secure an Economic victory or hop onto a saddled Snail to creep into the goalposts and score a sneaky Snail victory. Or take a berry to an upgrade gate and transform into a Warrior capable of flight and wielding weapons including Swords, Morningstars, and Laser Rifles. Kill the opposing Queen three times to win a Military victory. The first to three victories of any variety wins.

Queens can fly and attack from the start, but they only have three lives. Take the fight to the other Queen directly and try to out-duel her. Defend the hive from pesky Workers aiming for Economic or Snail victories. Capture upgrade gates to stop the other team from transforming their Workers into Warriors.

Play locally with up to four players on either PC or Switch and battle teams online. Connect two Switches in Local Wireless Play and have the ultimate eight-player experience, all in one room. Learn the basics in Tutorial mode, then practice in Unranked mode, where AI opponents will help fill out exhibition matches that don’t affect rank. When ready, play Ranked mode either solo or with three friends (online or local) to climb all the way up to Obsidian rank.

Soon after launch, the best team at any given time will become the Black team, replete with coveted glowing outfits. Every Black team match will be streamed so it’s easy to watch the top competition and learn their techniques. Strive for the top with cross-platform play and chat powered by Vivox, leaderboards, and Spectate mode. And if all that isn’t enough, rock out to a soundtrack courtesy of Powerglove.

“We’ve had eager fans asking where Killer Queen Black was all year, and the reason is that it kept growing and growing,” said Matt Tesch, co-founder of Liquid Bit. ”As fans of the original games ourselves, we wanted to make absolutely sure we did it justice!”

Killer Queen Black is available now in English for $19.99 on the Nintendo eShop, Steam, the Humble Store, Discord and is free for Discord Nitro Subscribers*. A Switch physical edition created by Nighthawk Interactive includes Nintendo Switch controller skins, a cartridge, exclusive game art on the box and will be available October 25 for $29.99. Physical pre-orders are available at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop. Killer Queen Black will be available on Xbox One at a later date.

*Available for subscribers with the $9.99 Nitro plan while supplies last

Source: PR Email

10 October, 2019 – The wait is over. The time to rip the galaxy a new wormhole is now. Publisher Big Sugar and developer Steel Mantis are thrilled to announce that Valfaris, the gloriously over-the-top and riotously relentless heavy metal action-platformer, launches today for Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam, GOG, Humble).

Valfaris is priced $24.99 and will be available with a 10% launch discount for a limited time.

In addition to the regular version, a Valfaris: Digital Deluxe Edition is available to download for PC that includes the game, original soundtrack and digital art book.

• Digital Art Book: From concept sketches to final in-game imagery, this collection showcases the work of Valfaris developer Steel Mantis. Get a closer look at weapon, enemy, and environment art, as well as previously unseen – and unused! – designs.
• Original Soundtrack: Composed and recorded by former Celtic Frost guitarist Curt Victor Bryant, enjoy the savage sounds of Valfaris. The OST features 20 original tracks, including ‘Extreme Vehemence’ and ‘Chronic Dissolution’.

The Valfaris: Digital Deluxe Edition is priced $35.97 and will be available with a 10% launch discount for a limited time.

And the good news doesn’t stop there. We can also announce that developer Steel Mantis is currently working on a New Game+ mode for Valfaris called ‘Full Metal Mode’, which will be released as a free update across all versions at a still-to-be-confirmed date.

Full Metal Mode will unlock upon completion of the game, or will be unlocked straight away when installed if a ‘Game Clear’ file is present.

Here’s a brief summary of Full Metal Mode:

• All weapons, upgrades, and upgrade items will be carried over
• Enemies and bosses will be more aggressive
• Player will take more damage
• Players will have access to an additional Destroyer class weapon

We’ll share more details of Full Metal Mode soon.

Source: PR Email

Hong Kong – October 10th, 2019, Eastasiasoft Limited today announced that the fruity action ballistics puzzle platformer, Family Tree, has released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch™ priced at US$7.99 / EUR7.99 / £6.99 / 800 JPY with a 20% launch discount available through to October 23rd.

In Family Tree, protagonists Mr and Mrs Fruits have gone to bed, leaving their fruit babies chilling outside playing. All of a sudden, an evil drum ‘n bass loving sugar skull named Pedro appeared and sucked all of the babies into a wormhole and scatters them throughout the forest. Now it’s up for Mr and Mrs Fruits to find all of their babies and bring them safely back home where they belong.

Take control of Mrs or Mr Fruits and aim a ballistic arc which shows the projected trajectory, then jump, landing where the trajectory arc predicts. Gameplay involves the player starting each level at the bottom of a tree with the simple aim of finding the goal, collecting as many fruits as possible, whilst avoiding fiendish enemies and obstacles. Once collected, the fruits turn back into adorable fruit-babies!

Game Features:

• A brilliantly bonkers pinball-platform puzzler (it’s a real thing!).
• Over 120 lovingly handcrafted levels to master.
• Mirror mode for those that want to up the ante.
• 32 bonus game levels in case the 128 main levels weren’t enough.
• 1-4 player endless climb mode.
• Pick from either Mrs or Mr Fruit to play as on your daring adventure.
• A ton of unlockables including game modes, multiplayer characters and power-ups.
• Head-bobbing soundtrack to keep the tempo going.

Source: PR Email

London, UK – October 9, 2019 – Rising Star Games and Koch Media are happy to announce that  Harvest Moon: Mad Dash will be released digitally on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 across Europe on October 29 – with a physical version following November 15!

Go solo or take a few friends along for the frenzy! Harvest, fish, milk, and more as you fulfil orders to complete each level! Things may start out easy, but you’ll hit the beach, the farm, and even the Underworld as you progress through the game! Have you ever tried to grow crops with molten lava falling on them?! That and other obstacles await you as you and your friends try to clear all the levels to restore the broken lighthouse!

Key features

• Fast-paced action means quick decisions are key!

• Multiplayer madness requires communication to succeed!

• Take on the farm, beach, Underworld, and Skyworld levels!

• Use Harvest Sprite Powers to unlock special support skills!

Source: PR Email

Set forth in The Alliance Alive HD Remastered, available TODAY on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in North America, October 11th in Europe, and October 18th in Oceania!

A thousand years ago, the world of Humans was invaded by Daemons. Several centuries have passed since then. The Daemons rule over a stratified world…however, no matter how much time flows on, it cannot extinguish the flames of rebellion that burn in the hearts of Humanity!

Source: PR Email

Warsaw, Poland – Oct 7, 2019 — Developer Dead Mage and Publisher 11 bit studios are announcing today the delay of Children of Morta for Nintendo Switch. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions will release as planned on Oct. 15, 2019, while the Switch version is being pushed ahead to Nov. 20, 2019. Not willing to compromise the quality of the game or release a product to paying customers that’s half-baked, the team made the difficult decision to delay and allow developers the extra time they needed. In an open letter to players, 11 bit studios and Dead Mage had this to say:

To the players and our fans,

Spending 5 years creating a game is exhausting. Spending 5 years creating a game and then having to delay it — that’s just brutal — but when you’re aiming for excellence and you know it’s within your grasp, you just do it. Such is the case with Children of Morta on the Nintendo Switch. We still have a couple of kinks to work out and are pushing for quality over anything else. The community may forgive us for the delay, but forgiveness won’t come so easily if we release a game that’s not working perfectly. As delivering the best performance is our highest priority, we are simply delaying the game to November 20th to allow ourselves the time we need. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 releases are going as planned on the 15th of October.

At 11 bit studios, there is no space for compromise when it comes to quality. For players, it means a bit more of a wait. For us, a bit more hard work which we’re glad to do because, in the end, we all have the same goal — a fantastic game.

Kind regards,

Dead Mage & 11 bit studios

Source: PR Email

TOKYO – Oct, 7, 2019 – The Pixel Game Maker MV Game Development Challenge, a contest seeking talented developers using the intuitive yet fully-featured 2D game engine from Playism and Kadokawa Corporation, is now underway.

Taking place until March 30, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. PT, the competition offers a grand prize award of ¥1,000,000 JPY (approx. $9,332 USD) and opportunities to be among the first Pixel Game Maker MV creations published on Nintendo Switch. In addition to the grand prize, there are award categories for side view, top view, multiplayer games, and more. Winning entries may also be adapted into books, comics, and more.

Sister software to RPG Maker, which sold more than 2,000,000 copies worldwide, Pixel Game Maker MV puts 2D game development in the hands of first-time developers with no programming knowledge while maintaining the flexibility, power, and depth required by long-time game creators through extensible scripting.

Featuring native physics and local multiplayer support as well as 20 sample games and a host of modern, sci-fi, and fantasy assets, Pixel Game Maker MV makes it easy to get started prototyping. Developers can carry their games through to completion using the assets to hand or import their own to create top-down or sidescrolling action games in any genre.

“If you can imagine it, you can create it with Pixel Game Maker MV,” said Noboru Mogami, producer, Kadokawa Corporation. “With this contest, we’re hoping to find amazing talents to highlight and nurture. We’ve already seen some truly wonderful things come out of our community so far and we’re looking forward to the delights our creators still have in store for us.”

Pixel Game Maker MV is available now on Steam in Japanese, English and Simplified Chinese for $84.99 USD/€71.99.

The full official rules can be found on the Pixel Game Maker MV Game Development Challenge page.

Source: PR Email