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Capcom have released new trailers and a batch of new screenshots for DuckTales Remastered, featuring Transylvania and the Amazon Jungle.

Read Scrooge Gets Generous With Two New DuckTales Remastered Trailers on Siliconera!

eShop’s Every Extend Extra-ish Chain Blaster

Releasing next week in Japan, G-Style’s Chain Blaster is an odd-looking shooter that’s —as it’s name suggests — focused on pulling off chain attacks on enemies while dodging all the bullets meandering across the screen. It’s only $7 too, which doesn’t seem expensive if this kind of thing is your deal.

Also releasing to eShop next week in Japan: Jupiter’s Picross E3! This will be like the fourth one of these released over there. Guess how many are out in the U.S.?

BUY Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL consoles, upcoming games

curtwoodward writes "Amazon has been delivering groceries to people in its hometown of Seattle for a half-dozen years, but the experiment has never spread any further. But this year, rumors about Amazon Fresh expanding to new cities are coming out every month — Reuters just reported that Amazon could start the service in L.A. within a week, and in San Francisco in the coming months. What gives? Why expand now? Look no further than Amazon's long-running battle with state and federal governments over sales tax policy. After more than a decade of resistance, Amazon has spent the last two years cutting deals to collect sales taxes in states all over the country. And it's pushing for a national online sales-tax system, which appears to be within reach. That's the last obstacle to Amazon getting into the grocery-delivery game — a step that should worry not only grocers, but UPS and FedEx, too."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Mine O’Mine just registered four different trademarks for Shaq Fu, the name of the ’90s fighting game where Shaq travels to Japan and gets sucked into another dimension.

Read Multiple Shaq Fu Trademarks Filed By Shaq.Com Owner on Siliconera!

Postmortem is an indie game where you have one goal—to take the life of a single person, in order to change the world for the better. Just who that person is, is left up to you.

Read You Are Death Incarnate, Tasked With Taking The Life Of A Single Person on Siliconera!

Mighty Switch Force 2 releases next week

You won’t have to wait long to play the eShop puzzle-platformer — WayForward is releasing it in the U.S. on June 13, and in Europe on June 27.

So, even if E3 turns out to be a bust next week, at least we still have this to look forward to.

BUY Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL consoles, upcoming games

We're not joking with that title - this really is the biggest shmup ever developed, with a Hyper-High-Definition (HHD) of 3200 x 800 pixels. Not even the original triple-monitor version of Darius was not this big! As you'll see though, it's not just a gimmick. This 2D shooter makes some rather clever use of its incredible length.


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We usually champion the unknown on Hardcore Gaming 101, and this is no exception. I want you all to at least try the demo for this.

I was actually chatting with Mikito Ichikawa - AKA: Albert G Mickey - about my up-and-coming book on Japanese developers. He founded and is head of Mindware, which has a rather interesting history. He brought up Super Chain Crusher Horizon which, given my love of shmups, instantly fascinated me (plus it's on sale for around €9 on Desura).

He also mentioned it was currently going through Steam Greenlight, which instantly caught my attention. Everything I've read about Steam Greenlight, on websites such as Gamasutra, proves to me it's basically no better than a high school popularity contest meets an ancient Roman amphitheatre. You pour months of your life into a cool project, making a great game, and then you have to stand on stage while some random, unimportant unknowns get to decide your fate. They take a brief look at you, your graphics, music and social clique, and then arbitrarily raise or lower their thumbs. Do you continue to exist, or are you thrown to the lions? Are you cool enough to be in their hip club?

This is why I dislike democracy. As soon as the apathetic outnumber the good, all that is right begins to fall asunder.

I paused our conversation and instantly logged in to vote YES - I had to stem the tide of anyone who possibly voted no. I didn't even need to play the demo. It got my YES vote without question - and my comment is plainly visible on the page from 1st of June.

This game deserves a chance.


As its promotional material shows, it has a longer horizontal resolution that any commonly available hardware. If possible, it's recommended you connect two high-resolution PC monitors to get the best effect. Though you can play with just the one monitor.

The game can be played one of two ways. Standard Mode allows you to fire rapidly, but each shot knocks you back slightly, and if you touch the far left side you die. The far more interesting option is Mono Shot mode, where you only have one shot at a time, but you can let it charge up R-Type style and - if you connect with an enemy - create a massive chain-reaction inducing explosion.



This is where things get interesting (open each image in a new tab for a full size view), because each chained kill increases the score received. Each enemy is worth 1 point plus whatever the length of the chain is. In the above screenshot it starts with 4, increasing up to 676 for the final enemy in a 25 hit chain. In a 31 hit chain a single regular enemy's values shoots from 1 up to 1024.

The chaining mechanic isn't simply for higher scores, it's integral to winning. Bosses can't be damaged with normal shots, they're only damaged by chained explosions, requiring you to make expert use of the tiny regular enemies - or "zako" as they're known in Japanese.

  

Failure to destroy the enemies results in them piling up on the left hand side, where they become a deadly obstruction. However, this debris can only be removed by a Boss or Mini-Boss crashing into them. The set-up produces a fun dynamic of holding back on destroying the enemies so as to maximise your chain count, while risking a deadly build-up on the left side.

There's also a variety of "High Score Challenge SPECIAL MISSIONS", with special mechanics, such as not being able to fire any shot at all, and needing to maximise your score by crashing into enemies.


It also has a cool simultaneous 2-player mode, where the second player can use the mouse to lay mines and help the first player. This always reminds me of a discussion I read, espousing the design philosophy where a second (possibly younger) player can join the fun, but have an easier time of things. A great example is Tails in Sonic 2, where the second player could feel involved and help out. With SCCH the second player's ship can be destroyed, but it creates an enormous explosion which helps the first player, and is basically penalty free. At least for the first player.



Adding to what is already genuinely unique, Mikito Ichikawa is developing a new kind of online leaderboard called GamersUniverse. Currently it allows you to upload high-scores, but he intends to enable trophies, friends, and of course the leaderboards. Plus he envisions a future for it where developers can set up a game's profile, players can click to buy it, and it will take them to the official site. In effect, an external shell which allows players to purchase games directly from developers, while enabling all the benefits found on other services. I've not signed up for an account, but if this comes to fruition, it sounds pretty cool.




What worries me about this game, is that it was announced last year August, and only now have I heard about it. And not from a news website or magazine, but the creator himself!

Do you like shmups? Try the demo, tell a friend, log in to Steam and vote YES on Super Chain Crusher Horizon. If you like what you see in the demo, it's also on sale, with 30% off.
 
My only complaint? My graphics card isn’t good enough to run it. ;_;

Check out this awesome video below.



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Hi, my name is Klaus Lyngeled and I am running a small game studio called Zoink! in Sweden. We have been working on something really special and I am so happy I can finally announce our game: Stick It to The Man!

In short, it’s a mind-reading game set in a paper and sticker universe. I know… that sounds insane, but you’ll understand once you watch our announcement trailer.

As you may have noticed, it’s a mix of platforming and adventure games.

The story is about this poor guy called Ray, who ends up in coma and wakes up with a 16-foot pink spaghetti arm sticking out of his head. The arm gives him the power to actually listen to anyone’s thoughts, which he hears as an inner monologue. But that’s not all — he can also put thoughts into people’s heads, change what they think about, and even pull objects out from peoples thoughts.

As you can imagine, this power is pretty useful. Soon enough, Ray finds himself being chased down by strange agents and a mysterious character called The Man.

The game has over 100 characters and each character can be mind-read. We had to record more than 10 hours of voice acting. That was actually really fun.

The dialogue is written by Adventure Time writer Ryan North and I bet you’ll laugh playing the game… if not, well you might actually be dead. Ehhm..Sorry!

At any point in the game you can activate something we call mega-pulsating-brain-mode (we could also call it mind-reading mode, but that didn’t sound as cool). All characters on screen (even animals and the occasional ghost) will reveal their brains and you can then slap The Arm into their brain. This will enable you to listen to their most inner thoughts. You’ll get all the juicy details and whacky thoughts. What is the doctor really thinking when examining you? Is the old lady on the bus an alien? What or who did the crocodile eat for breakfast?

I am particularly proud of the script and the characters you get to meet. We have some really interesting characters in the game, how about a disco dancing mafia Don that isn’t shy of getting the competition “taken care of”, a balding Yeti with a love crush on her hairy guard, a psychiatric warden with a split personality disorder and even good old Santa makes a short visit. We have it all! It’s like Christmas, but stranger!

Last week we had a small sneak preview of the game at the Nordic Game Conference and we were overwhelmed with the amazing feedback we got. People really seemed to love it. We can’t wait to let everyone play it.

We are now finishing up the last chapters of the game and then we need a couple of months to polish it up. The game will be released later this year on PS3 and PS Vita and we’ll have plenty more stuff to share with you before then.

Until then, keep sticking it to the man! And follow the game on Facebook and let us know your thoughts.

Holy. Crap.

Michael Birken lays out, in detail, a method for teaching a computer to draw arbitrary 8-bit images by playing Tetris, strategically deploying blocks of various colors to cause exactly the picture you want to emerge. The method is (as you'd imagine), starkly terrifying in its complexity, but the video speaks for itself.

The algorithm converts pixels from a source image into squares in the Tetris playfield, one row at a time from the bottom up. To generate an individual square, the algorithm assembles a structure consisting of a rectangular region fully supported by a single square protruding from the bottom. When the rectangular region is completed, its rows are cleared, leaving behind the protruding square. Three examples of the process appear below.

The algorithm can also generate multiple squares with a single structure as shown below.

During construction of a row, all of the squares produced by this method must be supported. In the images above, the generated squares are supported by the floor of the playfield. However, if an arbitrary row contains holes, it may not provide the support necessary for the construction of the row above it. The algorithm solves this problem by constructing a flat platform on top of the row with holes. In the animation below, a platform is built above a row comprising of a single red square. The platform is a temporary structure and inserting the final piece removes it.

Tetris Printer Algorithm (via Hacker News)

Another Udon art book for a popular game is headed to the U.S. this Fall—Dark Souls: Design Works.

Read Dark Souls: Design Works Art Book Headed To The U.S. on Siliconera!

Club Nintendo USA has revealed four new digital rewards that will be available throughout the month of June.

Read F-Zero X And Super Mario Bros. 3 Free On Club Nintendo USA on Siliconera!

judgecorp writes "IBM is using robots based on iRobot Create, a customizable version of the Roomba vacuum cleaner, to measure temperature and humidity in data centers. The robot looks for cold zones (where cold air may be going to waste instead of being directed to the servers) and hotspots (where the air circulation may be breaking down. IBM is putting the robots to commercial use at partners — while EMC is at an early stage on a strikingly similar project."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Nicole sez, "Fans of Adventure Time so look forward to seeing the gorgeous and imaginative artwork that appears at the top of each new episode in the title cards. Now, these beautiful designs featuring Finn, Jake, and the many off the wall inhabitants of the Land of Ooo are available as framable art prints from WeLoveFine.com. Eleven are available so far, including fan-favorite episodes 'The Creeps' and 'It Came From the Nightosphere'; all are 18 x 24, printed to order on high-quality ARTA paper and are $25 each. Some of the designs are also available as t-shirt variants, also $25 each."

Adventure Time Episode Title Card Designs! (Thanks, Nicole!)

Additionally, The Denpa Men 2: Beyond the Waves is available on the 3DS eShop as well.

Read Mega Man X Reaches Wii U, 3DS eShop Gets Zelda: Oracle Games on Siliconera!

Never thought the day would come that I would be reposting a comic from Dinosaur Comics on Dueling Analogs. What’s next, Homestuck?

Badass cyberpunk Game Boy mask

This is some dystopian gaming survival apparatus type of shit. Like you’re about to hook up your face to the Neuronet and drop some zero-days on megacorp mainframes. It’s the kind of thing you wear while blasting El-P and doing drive-bys in a floating whip system, yelling out “Tetsuooooooo!” before draining a 40-watt phased plasma rifle into a gang of Com-Bots.

It’s also the showpiece of Tsuyoshi Morita’s Game Boy inspired collection, Thunderbox, which Tokyo Telephone has lots of great photos from — I’m forever in love with that Konami Hyper Boy.

BUY Game Boy games, upcoming releases

"Wishes" appears on the Beach House album Bloom. Music video directed by Eric Wareheim. Ray Wise, who you may recall from Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job, stars as the Coach.

* Update: BB contributor Amy Seidenwurm blogged this earlier—I was on the road, and missed it. Worth a second look for those who, like me, didn't catch it the first time around.

Redditor Underdog106 found a huge beehive in his attic and called for a beekeeper to help him with it. Before the keeper arrived, the hive actually fell through the attic into his bathroom below -- the previous owners had used 1/4" sheetrock for the bathroom ceiling -- and split open. The accompanying photoset documents the sad and weird business of trying to save the colony and get it packed for shipping, amid a great ooze of honey and comb spread all over the bathroom.

Jerry the bee keeper was supposed to come today at 5pm. It was a very warm day in Columbia. The bee hive was heavy and the structure detached and fell through the ceiling. It turns out the old owners of the house used 1/4 inch sheet rock for the ceiling in the bathroom. Which is absurd and ridiculous. Jerry came as soon as he could, and he drove an entire hour to get here. The hive fell 3 hours before he was supposed to come today. What are the odds? Seriously. What are the F%^$KING ODDS. But all is well.

Most of the hive fell. As you can see. But we were still able to save around 12,000 out of the estimated 30,000 bee hive.

I have been noticing bees in my apartment for a few weeks now. Finally decided to check the attic. And yes. That is a full on colony. It was a huge adrenaline rush when I recognized what I was looking at. [UPDATE] And seriously, you will not believe this. (imgur.com)

Ricky sez, "At Spooky Emipre's May-Hem convention in Orlando this weekend, Pat Carroll, the original and only voice of Disney's Ursula, read from The Haunted Mansion script that the Paul Frees originally spoke as the ride's ghost host. Of course, she perfectly performed it as her famous 'The Little Mermaid' character, complete with spine-chilling cackles."

Ursula voice Pat Carroll does The Haunted Mansion Ghost Host lines at Spooky Empire's May-Hem (Thanks, Ricky!)

First look at Treasurenauts

Here’s the next eShop platformer from Renegade Kid, the the Austin studio that brought Mutant Mudds. Slated for a fourth quarter release this year, Treasurenauts features local multiplayer (with download play), a Super Mario World-esque world map, and it looks like at least eight playable characters.

The treasure you pick up act as your health (you lose some when you’re hit, Sonic-style), and you can get different endings depending on how much you hoard. The latest issue of Nintendo Force has more details on Treasurenauts.

BUY Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL consoles, upcoming releases

All games for Microsoft’s Xbox One must be installed to the game’s hard drive before they can be played, according to a Wired report.

Read Report: Xbox One Requires A Fee To Use Your Discs Under A Different Account on Siliconera!

The bestest kid costume yet: tiny, female Stan Lee!

Little girl's cosplay of Stan Lee (i.imgur.com)