6 hours ago - 1:00 AM on 05.16.2012
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Holly Green
How many of you don't own the mega indie hit Castle Crashers yet, show of hands? Ok now take your raised hand, k? And slap yourself with it. This is one of the best games ever and you should already own it. But if you don't, now would be a good time to get on it.
The Behemoth is offering a great deal on Castle Crashers this week, hacking and slashing the price on the XBLA version right in half. From now through May 21, you can pick up the full version for 600 MS Points. Oh and while you're there, don't forget to pick up the Pink Knight, which is still goin' for free.
Castle Crashers Sale On Xbox LIVE Arcade! [The Behemoth Dev Blog]
7 hours ago - 11:59 PM on 05.15.2012
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Steven Hansen
Today, Jayson Napolitano released the second installment of his wonderful Noteworthy series, Jonathan Holmes talked to Joakim "Konjak" Sandberg about videogame design, as well as the new Adventure Time game, a bunch of rad community stuff went down, and more!
Destructoid Original:
Podtoid records today, you little idiots!Note Worthy 002: Fez, Ridge Racer, Silent Hill, and moreTeam Fortress 2sdays: Diablo comes out this week
Live show: Playing Diablo III, so go help some kids!Talking Adventure Time and game design with Konjak
Community:Community blogs of 5/15Forum thread of the day: Minecraft: 360 EditionIntroducing Artists Wanted, the community art project!
An erotic Minecraft Podtoid tribute to Jonathan Holmes
Dtoid Playdate: Who's up for some Max Payne 3?
7 hours ago - 11:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Kyle MacGregor
Q-Games has certainly crafted some interesting experiences with their critically-acclaimed PixelJunk series. From shooters to racers, tower-defense to puzzle platformers, Q's PlayStation downloadables seem to know no bounds. Their newest release seems to take that idea and push it one step further.
PixelJunk 4am isn't so much a game as it is an interactive musical experience. Revolving around the electronic music of Japanese artist Baiyon, players are tasked with harnessing the power of the PlayStation Move controller to incorporate a set of rhythmic tools with a base melody to create a unique song. The idea certainly sounds promising.
If you'd like to give it a try PixelJunk 4am has a demo available on PSN right now, with the full game going for $9.99. Alternatively, should you just wish to listen to the creative efforts of others, there is a free application that allows PlayStation Network users to stream performances from PixelJunk DJ's the world over.
8 hours ago - 10:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Jonathan Holmes
This is one of those stories that insults every other potential videogame news story in existence by finding it's way into forefront of my mind despite its relative lack of importance. There are at least ten other news items I'd love to be writing about at the moment, but I just have to write about this thing first. I can't help it.
That's partially due to the time sensitive nature of this story. Ron Paul could drop out of the race at any second, taking whatever relevance that this re-imagined version of the Pokemon theme song has to the world along with him. I'm also fascinated with the idea of equating Ron Paul's effort to "catch all" the delegates to one's effort to capture an army of imaginary pocket monsters. It's a brilliant metaphor. Catching a Pokemon gives a poke-fan the feeling that they're doing something important, but in reality, they've accomplished nothing of practical value. Is that the kind of spirit of imagination that keeps Ron Paul's campaign alive at this point in the race?
On a less analytically aggressive front, it's just awesome to hear someone sing-scream the words "RON PAUL" with this level gravitas and intensity. I'll be singing this song in the shower all week because it makes me feel like a lion. For more of this type of joy, check out Tim Heidecker's Songs in the Key of Cain and Sugar Kane by Sonic Youth, two loving tributes to that other Presidential candidate with a Pokemon connection.
Random Time! - Original Pokemon theme song singer belts out Ron Paul remix [GoNintendo]
9 hours ago - 9:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Patrick Hancock
First of all, don't get confused. The upcoming action-MOBA title SMITE is still free-to-play. However, you can now plunk down twenty of your hard-earned dollars and not only be guaranteed beta access, but you'll get an extra ten heroes to play. You can also decide to unlock extra heroes with time played, just as you would in Hi-Rez's other free-to-play title, Tribes: Ascend. From the looks of it, this is only a limited-time offer and eventually it'll go up to $30. Oh, and there's a beta countdown timer as well, which will hit zero in about 16 days! You can check out the pre-order information here.
I played SMITE back at PAX East and had a pretty great time. My favorite part was definitely the option to auto-buy your items, since I think that will allow newer players to ease into the game better. Are you MOBA fiends looking forward to adding another game to your list? Or will you be passing up on SMITE?
10 hours ago - 8:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Jordan Devore
The second beta weekend event for The Secret World is almost here. It'll run from Friday, May 18 at 9:00am Pacific to Sunday, May 20 at 11:59pm Pacific. Those of you who participated in the prior beta can continue to use your same character from before.
This new event will expand what's happening in Kingsmouth with additional characters and missions. For specifics, head over to Funcom's blog post which includes a brief summary of the playable content.
I'm not sure how it took me so long to realize that limited-time access to MMOs ahead of their full release is a dangerous way to accidentally spend an entire weekend in front of a computer, but Guild Wars 2 might have had something to do with it. Between The Secret World and Diablo III, it sounds like many of you PC gamers will have your weekend made.
11 hours ago - 7:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Jonathan Holmes
[Destructoid's Director of Communications Hamza Aziz asked Jonathan Holmes to make a show called 'Sup, Holmes?' so that Destructoid could later sell a t-shirt that says 'Sup, Holmes?' on it. This is that show. Subscribe to the audio podcast feed and find more episodes here. Sup, Holmes? airs live, Sundays, 1pm Pacific on Dtoid.tv]
It was a genuine shock to to discover mid-interview that Joakim "Konjak" Sandberg was working on WayForward's upcoming Adventure Time game. It was even more surprising to hear that to Konjak, the Adventure Time gig was just another job. Don't work folks, his casual attitude towards his amazing work did nothing dampen my excitement. Joakim is one of my favorite sprite animators ever. His work on Noitu Love 2 and The Iconoclasts is nothing short of classic. To know he'll be helping to bring Jake and Finn to the small screen has me all the more confident that Adventure Time will be one of my favorite games of the year.
We also got a little into game design priorities, and one of Joakim's ideas for an... ice skating game? It all made a lot more sense in context. You can check out the full episode here, or grab it in Podcast form here. For listening.
Thanks again to Joakim for being on the show, and be sure to check out this Sunday's show, featuring Rami Ismail from Vlambeer, developer of Super Crate Box and Ridiculous Fishing. It should be a hoot!
12 hours ago - 7:00 PM on 05.15.2012
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Conrad Zimmerman
Ah ha! Oh, sometimes it's just irresistible.
The latest trailer for n-Space's Heroes of Ruin for 3DS focuses on the title's multiplayer, which will allow for up to four players to team up locally or online to take on the game's challenges. Dale was rather positive about the game last year at E3, noting the ambition that team has in making a true multiplayer fantasy adventure for the handheld.
We'll find out if they succeeded when Heroes of Ruin releases in Europe on June 15, followed by the North American launch on June 26.
12 hours ago - 6:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Jordan Devore
This probably goes without saying, but, December isn't exactly right around the corner. As such, the wait for Hawken has and continues to be a test of my patience. Cloud gaming service Gaikai has reached an agreement with Meteor Entertainment to offer the mech game before its official 12/12/12 launch.
As you are probably aware by now, Hawken will be free to play, so this seems like a smart partnership. We get to play a title we're hyped for early at not cost to us, and Gaikai gets a bunch of new users while, presumably, selling them on the concept of cloud-based gaming as a viable alternative.
I'd also like to point out that the official website for Hawken has a release-day countdown. Only 210 days to go, people! This almost feels like satire.
13 hours ago - 6:00 PM on 05.15.2012
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Mr Andy Dixon
Remember that insanely awesome pixel art poster we showed you recently? Well that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to artistic talent within the Dtoid community. Realizing this, Jonathan Holmes came up with a fantastic idea that made the rest of us all slap our foreheads in unison: let's assign a monthly art project for the community! So starting in May, we'll be hosting a month-long call for submissions to make sure all you fledgling Bob Ross-types get the attention you so deserve!
For our first month, your assignment is TRUE NATURE. Create something that explores a videogame's (or videogame character's) true meaning -- its essence, if you will. Remember, this should be a personal interpretation! Go back and read the recent promoted blog by Captain Carrion. See how he explored the creepier side of Dig Dug and exposed it as a horror title? That's the sort of thing we're talking about!
To see your art appear on the front page, just write a Community Blog and title it "True Nature: [Title]"! Then just post your art (and a bit about the process that went into making it) and tag it with the "Artists Wanted" tag. At the end of the month we'll gather them all up and put them on the front page!
I can't wait to see what you people come up with. Now get creating!
13 hours ago - 5:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Bill Zoeker
It's the big day! Diablo III is finally out, and King Foom is ready to rock it on Mash Tactics today. We're not just goofing around with loot drops today, though. While we play games, we want you to go help some sick kids who need it. The fine folks at The Fighters Alliance are holding a couple of marathons to raise money for Child's Play Charity, and we want to help out! Go check out T3 TV and Aaron Solon as they stream to raise money for this noble cause.
Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4p.m. Pacific on Dtoid.TV. Watch King Foom play a variety of games, each day with its own theme. With a heavy focus on community and viewer interaction, you can be as much a part of the show as anything else.
14 hours ago - 5:00 PM on 05.15.2012
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Jordan Devore
Pokémon Dream Radar and the Pokédex 3D Pro have been confirmed for North America and are set to launch on the 3DS eShop later this fall. Sounds about right, given the not-so-distant upcoming release of Pokemon Black/White Version 2.
If you enjoy using the various system features of the 3DS, Pokémon Dream Radar might be of interest. In it, you capture Pokémon against an augmented-reality backdrop. The Pokédex 3D Pro, on the other hand, is an expanded version of the free non-pro Pokédex app that has 600+ Pocket Monsters and loads of info you'd otherwise need to look up on a wiki.
Did you ever get around to using the Pokédex 3D? I thought it served as a cool little tech demo for the 3DS, but probably wouldn't have gotten the app had it not been free. Nintendo has yet to list prices for either of these new apps, so we'll have to wait and see what they can get away with charging.
14 hours ago - 4:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Mr Andy Dixon
Max Payne 3 is out and the reviews are in: this game kicks ass!
The campaign sounds fantastic, but for you multiplayer-focused gamers the highlight of the package has to be the new Crew system in the Rockstar Social Club. Joining a Crew makes pairing up with friends and like-minded strangers easier than ever, and it adds a whole new layer to Max Payne 3's already robust multiplayer offerings in the form of Feuds. Battle a rival Crew multiple times? The game will remember that and give you specific targets in-game to take out! Awesome!
Our official Destructoid Crew is 700-members strong as of this morning, so I think it's high time we hop online and start some Feuds of our own! It looks like some of you have already started getting your hands dirty; time for the rest of us to get in on the fun!
I'll be booting up and kicking ass tonight about 10 Pacific, but there's no reason for the rest of you to wait that long! Hell, you can hop on right now if you want! Either way, we'll see you online!
15 hours ago - 4:00 PM on 05.15.2012
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Jayson NapolitanoAs promised, we're back with another installment of Note Worthy, Destructoid's newest feature that digs deep into the music from some of the latest games as well as older ones that deserve some attention. This month we take a look at Fez, Ridge Racer (Vita), TERA, Silent Hill: Downpour, and Skullgirls along with some oldies, and my surprise favorite of the month, Black Ocean by IMERUAT.
So read up, listen to some samples courtesy of Destructoid's Soundcloud page, and let us know what you think of this month's offerings.
15 hours ago - 3:30 PM on 05.15.2012
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Spencer Hayes
Every Tuesday a bunch of us Dtoiders get together and hop online to play some Team Fortress 2 on the official Destructoid server! You should join us!
I'm not sure if you guys heard but some game called Diablo III came out today. Apparently it's got item grinding and friendship, but you know what it doesn't have? Hats! Wait, it does? Hmmm, well if you're not up to your waist in the bodies of demons we would love to have you over for some Team Fortress 2sdays!
16 hours ago - 3:00 PM on 05.15.2012
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Holly Green
Refreshing the barren wasteland that is Android mobile gaming, critic and fan favorite Machinarium is now available through Google Play. The quirky indie hit, originally released in 2009 on PC, will also debut on Kindle Fire, NOOK Color and NOOK Tablet sometime this week, with an Amazon Appstore for Android debut to follow later this month. Pick it up for $3.99.
Hype
