Naughty Bear is 505 Games new IP set to bring back fun, cartoon violence in games. Everyone’s seen the amusing parody trailers of Naughty Bear reenacting iconic scenes from films. What gamers don’t know is how the game plays out.

Not one trailer explains the backdrop or objective of the game, leaving gamers to ponder. Which begs the question is Naughty Bear worth another gander or should it be brushed under the carpet?

The inhabitants of the game are bears who live in the woods which is basically the theme of every level. In short Naughty Bear is the protagonist who doesn’t receive an invite to someone’s birthday party.

After trying to play nice by sending that person a gift anyway, he becomes the laughing stock of the party. Naughty Bear is now on a rampage to make everyone pay for their actions and guarantees there will be fluff. In terms of the story that’s about it, that’s as dense as it gets.

The objective of the game is to earn points as fast as you can in a level. Points couldn’t be earned any easier; all you’re required to do is kill/scare the bears and destroy objects in the environment. Read More  »

Every once in a while a game comes along that revolutionises gaming. A title of monumental proportions that changes how the latest technology is used, how developers approach making games and what we, the gamers, can expect in the future. Shadow Complex is one of those games, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. Developed by Chair Entertainment (with a little help from the gears’ heads at Epic Games), Shadow Complex is an Xbox Live Arcade (or XBLA) title that not only surpasses all of its downloadable peers, in terms of presentation and gameplay, but can hold its head high amongst many of the full price releases of this year.

Set within the explosive, espionage filled universe of author Orson Scott Cards’ novel “Empire” the game tells the story of Jason Flemming, an average Joe that stumbles upon a hidden paramilitary base whilst out hiking with love interest Claire. Cue gun fights; explosions; jetpacks and killer mechs along with the realisation that Jason (Is there only one name for super spies?) may not be that average after all. Read More  »

Emerging from the deepest depths of Korea for European consumption in 2007, Maplestory is a massively popular MMORPG, with over fifty million players worldwide.Inspiring everything from Anime and fan art to a range of snacks. Whilst being extremely popular, the game is also very different from its online siblings, boasting unique visuals and side scrolling gameplay, while retaining many of the classic elements that make the genre so popular. With the recent release of the expansion pack, Knights of Cygnus, the time seemed right to look at what makes the game such a fan favourite.

After the initial, coma inducing tedium that comes with installing any downloadable PC game, it quickly becomes apparent that Maplestory is much more, and in some cases much less, than an ordinary MMORPG title. Visually the game looks like a cross between an upscale anime and the psychedelic imaginings of an overactive twelve year old splattered across the monitor. Colourful players roam across 2D backgrounds reminiscent of an early Megadrive title, interacting with surprisingly detailed characters and items, while a retro digital soundtrack will either serenade them or drive them insane. This style will instantly put a lot of more mature gamers off, but for those willing to look past Maplestory’s out of retirement presentation, a deep and engrossing MMORPG experience awaits. Read More  »

There was a varied array of games on display at the annual Independent Games Festival Awards and this is a short review of the winners. The IGFA rewards innovation and originality in the many independent games made each year, with this years IGFA showcasing over two hundred new and innovative games.
 
The top award of $30,000 Seamus McNally award was given to the fantasy based game Blueberry Garden, created by Swedish games designer Erik Svedang with the unique point that all frames from the exploration game were hand drawn in their entirety which gives Blueberry Garden a very distinctive look from other games. A preview of the game can be viewed here. The award for the Excellence in Audio was awarded to developer Digital Eel's Brainpipe, with the audio being described as "ear tickling sound effects and immersive dreamscape music.” This was particularly interesting for me as I have always had a keen interest in the audio behind video games and believe this constant pushing of boundaries is an excellent way forward.
 
There were two awards for Data Realm's Cortex Command with the game taking away the Technical Excellence award and the much vaunted Audience award. The Point and Click category was won by another game featuring hand drawn frames in the Czech developed Machinarium. Read More  »

Got a few thousand Wii Points to spend? It’s worth investing them in the enchantingly odd (and odd-titled) Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People. The first two episodes of the game series that defines acronymic awkwardness are now available on WiiWare, and provide welcome resuscitation for the sporadically dead genre of yore: the Point and Click Adventure.

Based on the long running online animated cartoon Homestar Runner, S.B’s.C.G.F.A.P focuses on the Macho Libre figure of Strong Bad and his frequent attempts to make Homestar’s life a misery. The first episode sees him, among other things, ruining Homestar’s attempt to win The Free Country Tri-Annual Race to the End of the Race, using a metal detector to find buried treasure, and chain-sawing bushes to death in order to gather their precious branches. It’s all madly surreal stuff, brilliantly written and spoken in wonderfully self-mocking internet idiom. And it might remind you of such classics as…such classics as…DAY OF THE TENTACLE! Read More  »