937 replies to this topic

[dan_tm]

No thread for this then?

I'm sure I was singing its praises on here when the first trailer/walkthrough came out, if my avatar wasn't enough. Maybe all the chat was resigned to the indie game thread or something...

Anyway, the original trailer from GDC 2008 is here for those who haven't got a clue what it is yet. The new trailer shown at GDC this year can be found here.



Apart from the actual game, I'm also looking forward to hearing more of their chiptune backing tracks...

Can't wait.

[bcass]

I remember seeing the original trailer last year. It looks excellent. What platform(s) and when?

[son_of_helvetica]

Wasn't there a rumour it was coming to XBLA? I think I saw a green A on one of the screenshots as a tease...

[Majora]

Looks like Super Paper Mario done right.

[Joyrex-J9]

If this doesn't come to XBLA or PSN I will cry. Cry big salty man tears
Maybe.

[bcass]

Looks like Super Paper Mario done right.

I thought it was more of a logical extension of (the much earlier) Nebulus.

[Comrade]

I mean, it looks OK, but frankly I think the press are getting in a tizzy about it merely because it's an indie game. I've seen plenty of of blogs fawning over the guy who made this despite the fact that he has still to actually release a game. And the game is extremely derivative: they've ripped off the visual style of Cave Story and then strapped that to the gameplay of Super Paper Mario/Crush/Echochrome.

I really think the games press needs to get their collective faces out of the indie game scene's collective arses. See also the iPhone game scene.

[kloid]

First thing that came to my mind when I saw the 3D<->2D mechanic was that PSP game Crush.

Except Crush left a rather pissy taste in my mouth, whereas this smells absolutely de-fucking-licious.

[tssk]

On a related note...should there be a seperate topic for indy games? I keep thinking if I post in general discussion topics on indy games will be lost in a see of Wii/Fallout 3/Street Fighter 4 threads.

[zektbach]

I mean, it looks OK, but frankly I think the press are getting in a tizzy about it merely because it's an indie game. I've seen plenty of of blogs fawning over the guy who made this despite the fact that he has still to actually release a game. And the game is extremely derivative: they've ripped off the visual style of Cave Story and then strapped that to the gameplay of Super Paper Mario/Crush/Echochrome.

I really think the games press needs to get their collective faces out of the indie game scene's collective arses. See also the iPhone game scene.

[bcass]

I mean, it looks OK, but frankly I think the press are getting in a tizzy about it merely because it's an indie game. I've seen plenty of of blogs fawning over the guy who made this despite the fact that he has still to actually release a game. And the game is extremely derivative: they've ripped off the visual style of Cave Story and then strapped that to the gameplay of Super Paper Mario/Crush/Echochrome.

I really think the games press needs to get their collective faces out of the indie game scene's collective arses. See also the iPhone game scene.

In my eyes, most of the really interesting stuff coming out these days is from the indie devs, so I think you couldn't be more wrong. What's wrong with giving the little guys some exposure?

[Bocuma]

I mean, it looks OK, but frankly I think the press are getting in a tizzy about it merely because it's an indie game. I've seen plenty of of blogs fawning over the guy who made this despite the fact that he has still to actually release a game. And the game is extremely derivative: they've ripped off the visual style of Cave Story and then strapped that to the gameplay of Super Paper Mario/Crush/Echochrome.

I really think the games press needs to get their collective faces out of the indie game scene's collective arses. See also the iPhone game scene.

"Some people are excited about a game? Sounds like a good opportunity for a whinge!"

[bradigor]

Looks like the game Crush should of been. Hope it gets onto XBLA would love to give it a go.

[Sketch]

I really think the games press needs to get their collective faces out of the indie game scene's collective arses.

You could not be more wrong.

Considering how I only seem to like indie games these days, I hope the games press dons wetsuits and dives ever deeper.

2009 will be the year of the indies I hope. Mainstream games just do not interest me anymore.

Anyway, I've been following Fez since it was first announced, love the look of it, and Halverson's PLAY magazine says it's going to be ported to "one or more" undisclosed consoles.

[dan_tm]

I believe it's being developed using the XNA framework, so a port to the 360 would be likely - if they even plan to release on the PC.

They could easily just release it on the Community Games channel if they liked, without having to go through any sort of certification, but somehow I expect Microsoft are aware of the project and might want to "do a Braid" with it.

[Comrade]

My problem with Fez is just that it's just completely uncreative. As I said, its art style is stolen wholesale from Cave Story, and it revolves around a now well-worn play mechanic. I don't see why people are excited by it.

As for indie games in general, don't get me wrong - I love a good indie game. I mentioned Cave Story already (the hardcorest indie game from when indie games were unfashionable), and I was just today completing World Of Goo for the second time. There's some some great stuff out there. But there's some not so great stuff out there, and a lot of pure shit out there too. And it annoys me because certain sectors of the game press are so desperate to look cool that they will throw themselves at anyone who made a game by themselves whether they're 2D Boy or the creator of Gimmick-Based 2d Platformer 9 who can't even get the platforming basics right. The fact that the Fez guy is so much of a darling to many of these types is an excellent example as he 1) Has yet to actually make a game, and 2) What we have seen of his game is incredibly derivative. Another example is this post from (the ridiculous) Boing Boing Offworld regarding a video some idiots made about some lecture Jonathan Blow gave. The whole thing treats the lecture like it was a world-shattering event, and not the fairly mundane opinions of a guy who made a pretty good game, which it was.

As I said though, it's not just indie games that are getting this treatment. iPhone games are probably even worse at the moment - the fact that Ngcomo has failed to get completey shat on for the fact that their FPS looks unbelivably awful ($0.99 for a rocket launcher??! EA or Activision would be roasted alive for that shit) is a fucking joke.

[Bocuma]

My problem with Fez is just that it's just completely uncreative. As I said, it's the art style is stolen wholesale from Cave Story, and it revolves around a now well-worn play mechanic. I don't see why people are excited by it.

Because it's a mechanic that none of those games have executed to it's full potential.

[Sprite Machine]

a now well-worn play mechanic.

Two (three?) games using it in some capacity is hardly "well-worn". Although I have my doubts about how flexible this particular one is (the main problem with Crush is that the puzzles will invariably solve themselves, accidentally, since there's only so many directions you can flatten in).

[Keyboard Koala]

Man, I so hope this gets a PSP release. It'd be the perfect platform for it!

... the main problem with Crush is that the artwork is shit

Corrected

[bcass]

No, XBLA would be the perfect platform for this. Don't make me have to dig out the PSP just for one game! To be honest, if it's already coded using XNA then a 360 release is a no-brainer.

[Disciple]

...jus like that?

[Gabe]

As I said though, it's not just indie games that are getting this treatment. iPhone games are probably even worse at the moment - the fact that Ngcomo has failed to get completey shat on for the fact that their FPS looks unbelivably awful ($0.99 for a rocket launcher??! EA or Activision would be roasted alive for that shit) is a fucking joke.

Neil Young, one of the Ngcomo guys, has said that "...It's clear the quality of iPhone games is eclipsing its console counterparts,", as an aside.

[FargalEX]

My problem with Fez is just that it's just completely uncreative. As I said, its art style is stolen wholesale from Cave Story, and it revolves around a now well-worn play mechanic. I don't see why people are excited by it.

The art style isn't "stolen wholesale" from Cave Story. Like Cave Story itself Fez has been influenced by the look of many 8/16-bit games - I don't see any other connection to Cave Story other than it's a modern 2D platformer with pixelly graphics.

Also Phil Fish has made at least one game prior to this, I played a music based game he made for that "GAMMA" event but I don't remember what it was called..

[Compass]

I mean, it looks OK, but frankly I think the press are getting in a tizzy about it merely because it's an indie game. I've seen plenty of of blogs fawning over the guy who made this despite the fact that he has still to actually release a game. And the game is extremely derivative: they've ripped off the visual style of Cave Story and then strapped that to the gameplay of Super Paper Mario/Crush/Echochrome.

I really think the games press needs to get their collective faces out of the indie game scene's collective arses. See also the iPhone game scene.

I agree some of the attention it's getting is due to it being an indie game, but I'm pretty sure it'd be getting a fair amount of press regardless, just because it looks like a fun game, and uses a relatively unique art and playstyle. If we can't get excited about that, and when it's being created on a no-doubt shoestring budget, what *are* we supposed to rate?

[K.P.]

IIRC the soundtrack was being done by 6955, so that - at least - should be awesome.

[Comrade]

The art style isn't "stolen wholesale" from Cave Story. Like Cave Story itself Fez has been influenced by the look of many 8/16-bit games - I don't see any other connection to Cave Story other than it's a modern 2D platformer with pixelly graphics.

http://www.rllmukfor...st-numbered.gif
Seriously? You can't tell me that the first thing you thought when you saw the graphics wasn't "Cave Story". If you told me that the little blokey in YaWdiB's avatar was in a secret level of Cave Story or something I'd 100% believe you. There is no way these guys didn't take Cave Story as a clear inspiration for the visual style.

[Comrade]

Neil Young, one of the Ngcomo guys, has said that "...It's clear the quality of iPhone games is eclipsing its console counterparts,", as an aside.

What a fucking joke. I've yet to see a single iPhone game that I'd buy on a DS. Again though, I don't want to slag off iPhone games in general, but it infuriates me that just like indie games, the games press just loses all of their critical faculties when dealing with them.

[Captain Toss]

This is clearly going to be rubbish, because I e-mailed the devs a while back asking about preview code and they NEVER REPLIED. So I hate them and their stupid game.

Also it looks lovely and I really want to play it.

[dan_tm]

I only just noticed that in the new 2nd trailer it actually seems to be a normal run-through of a level...

With the drastic environment changes shown I thought they were just cutting around to different sections of the game to show off other bits of art design, but the environment seems to change when you rotate "through" different doors.

[FargalEX]

http://www.rllmukfor...st-numbered.gif

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