Incredibly Strange Games

This will not end well...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:42:00 -0700

Home is an old school adventure with pixelized graphics and some disturbing ideas. I just pre-ordered the box version with tons of goodies for $20, but the game itself is available for $2. No clue what I’m getting, but I’m prepared to be horror-fied.

This was one of my favorite covers of Next Gen ever. Sold like...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:02 -0700

This was one of my favorite covers of Next Gen ever. Sold like crazy. Also, it was a pretty good feature on the promise of indie/hobbiest development on console. And look, the first look at Parappa! (And a violation of the NG style guide on the cover — should read the #1 Computer and Video Game Authority). Click on the photo to see the great Gamasutra article on the system.

Awesome history of the first Indie console: Net Yaroze

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:53:33 -0700

Awesome history of the first Indie console: Net Yaroze:

Fun fact: Next Generation magazine’s cover story on the Net Yaroze was one of our top selling issues ever.

Tokyo Jungle

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:17:49 -0700

I want this game to come out in America so much I can’t stand it.

Sometime in the near future humanity has vanished, leaving their cities to decay and the animal to inherent the Earth. Specifically Tokyo.

Through the eyes of a sweet pomeranian, you must adapt, survive in the true urban jungle, and just maybe find out what happened to your master and the rest of the two legged horde. There’s also apparently a sub-plot about a thoroughbred race horse looking to round up some of his old rivals for old last race through the streets.

That alone is enough for an instant classic, but there’s also a multiplayer PvP survival mode featuring something like 80 animals to choose from. You can herd-up with your prey bros for survival assistance, or go on offense, alone, as an alpha predator.

The game should be out in Japan in June, and will hopefully come to America immediately afterwards, so I don’t have to buy a Japanese PS3 at TGS.

Also, dear videogame tie-in gods, please let someone make a manga of this.

Bear Game Website in Rename Shocker!

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:06:00 -0700

The recently formed “Bear Video Games” site has had its name changed, less than 96 hours after launch!

After famous videogame designer Ron Gilbert erroneously tweeted that the site was called “Video Games That Have Bears in Them” the site’s founder decided that the publicity was too great, and rather than correct Gilbert, simply changed its name.

The site can still be found at http://beargames.tumblr.com/ — for now!

(In other news, never have I been so glad that I postponed a tattoo parlor appointment.)

beargames: This is Kuma Uta, which translates to “Bear Song.”...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:52:21 -0700

beargames:

This is Kuma Uta, which translates to “Bear Song.” Obviously.

Awesome new website!

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:47:41 -0700

There’s an awesome new site you need to visit: Bear Video Games, which features stories about videogames about bears.

If you check out Thurston Roscoe’s site you will buy every...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:46:11 -0700

If you check out Thurston Roscoe’s site you will buy every single thing he sells. That’s all I can say!

Tapes! Bad news is technical difficulties with the printer means...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:37:54 -0800

Tapes! Bad news is technical difficulties with the printer means only about 1/3 of the zines planned are making it to GDC. :( If you want one, buy it day one I think. I may try and do a reprint for Pax East and for mail-order though!

The tapes are here! There’s a cool chat with Frank Cifaldi...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:46:00 -0800

The tapes are here! There’s a cool chat with Frank Cifaldi of Lost Levels and Brandon Sheffield of uh… well, you’ll have to listen to it and see. Plus great music by MEGADRIVER and The Four Eyes.

Incredibly Strange Games Issue Four goes on sale next week in San Francisco at the GDC Bookstore at Moscone Center! (You don’t need a GDC pass to go in and grab one.)

UPDATE: I was hoping to keep this a surprise, but the news has been spreading like crazy, so I’ll just confirm it. The first 100 issues of Incredibly Strange Games Issue Four will have “Green Screen Green” staples, rendering them impossibly collectible.

UPDATE 2: In partnership with my local craft store, certain random copies of Issue Four will have extremely-rare “Hedgehog Blue” staples. These “Hedgehog Blue” issues of Incredibly Strange Games will be randomly inserted into the mix. Also, “Hedgehog Blue” issues will be stapled with three staples, as opposed to the usual two staples.

Analog Wipeout

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:00:06 -0800

You know what happens when you put too many smart German designers together? They form a design collective and make an analog version of a videogame. You know, like electromechanical Pong, or Tetris in building lights.

Or, in this case, they take one of the coolest games of its age, Wipeout, and take it analog.

Behold Racer — an arcade racing game with a distinct analog twist.

Racer - analogue/digital video game mashup - Installation views from sputnic on Vimeo.

Incredibly Strange Games #3 News: I’m excited to announce...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:45:00 -0800

Incredibly Strange Games #3 News:

I’m excited to announce that thanks to the savings we realized by cancelling our fax newsletter, we’ll be including a BONUS cover-mounted cassette tape with the next issue of Incredibly Strange Games!
The tape will include a cassette-cast featuring Necrosoft’s Brandon Sheffield and Frank Cifaldi of Lost Levels b/w some incredibly strange game music, including the debut of international game developer super group Thee Developers.
It should be available at the GDC Bookstore in early March for your purchasing pleasure!
Oh and we’ll have an exclusive play-through of one of the 90’s oddest CD-ROM adventures, Re-Elect JFK! (Assuming our friends at Brookins Lawn and Ornamental Spraying Service, Inc. come through with the delivery…)

Yorda and Ico getting ready to ride Space Mountain.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:34:29 -0800

Yorda and Ico getting ready to ride Space Mountain.

Valet Parking 1989. No other words are needed.

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:18:07 -0800

Valet Parking 1989. No other words are needed.

Chip music with a 2600? Pretty cool.

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:03:05 -0800

Chip music with a 2600? Pretty cool.

Sadly, it’s no Ninja Golf, with Lee Travino taking on...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:01:00 -0800

Sadly, it’s no Ninja Golf, with Lee Travino taking on demons or Payne Stewart, it’s just a bog-standard NES golf game with an inexplicably cool name.

Real life Wip3Out!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:49:20 -0800

Real life Wip3Out!

End of the line for Incredibly Strange Games fax...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:29:00 -0800

End of the line for Incredibly Strange Games fax newsletter… (click to enlarge by the way)

Merry Christmas! (via @garywhitta)

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:56:05 -0800

Merry Christmas! (via @garywhitta)

Ms. Pac-Man tournament 3! Details! Come by!

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:23:53 -0800

Ms. Pac-Man tournament 3! Details! Come by!