Real talk: even though it’s a collectathon, Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie is easily one of my favorite N64 games. The expansive worlds (for the time), the humorous characters, the amazing music, it all made a game I got lost in for days. After Microsoft purchased Rare, they became a shell of their former selves, so any hope for a true sequel from the original developers is gone. But a bunch of former Rare developers are now at Playtonic, and they’ve announced Project Ukulele, a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie. Playtonic says the game is going to be released regardless, but crowd-funding would allow it to be even bigger. The Kickstarter will go up in May, but I’m already dreaming about what a current-gen Banjo-Kazooie-like game could look like. Read more…
Before Harmonix took music gaming by storm with Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Central, they were putting out other, smaller games that were no less interesting. One fan-favorite (and personal favorite) was Amplitude, a 2003 sequel to a 2001 game (FreQuency) about “mixing” electronic music by switching between various instrument tracks to fill in the song. It was a direct precursor to Guitar Hero, which would put the focus on one track with more notes (or one track per player in Rock Band), though Harmonix has revisited the core gameplay with Rock Band Unplugged on PSP and Rock Band Blitz on digital platforms. Now, there’s a chance of a full sequel! Read more…
Sony likes to often interview indie devs that are bringing games to Playstation platforms and post about it on their blog. Recently, they interviewed Heart Machine, the group of devs behind Hyper Light Drifter, the wildly successful Kickstarter game (PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Vita). As part of their post on the Playstation Blog, they’ve also uploaded a new trailer that features gameplay and a plethora of gorgeous pixelated visuals. I love the sharp, colorful art style that Hyper Light Drifter has — and the ruins of a war gone by are a great setting. There’s more details about how the game will play out and what their plans are here. And check out the trailer below! Read more…
Frog Fractions was one of my favorite experiences from last year. It appeared to be simple on the surface, but after a little prodding, revealed a grandiose labyrinth of hidden gameplay and bizarre content that made you yell at the screen is disbelief. It’s really hard to describe, so if you haven’t played it, go do so now, it’s free. Anyway, this brings us to a Kickstarter for Frog Fractions 2. The trick is, you’re paying for a surprise. The release date for the game will not be announced. It’ll just come out at some point, and people will have to find it. The developer says, “It will not be called ‘Frog Fractions 2.’It will probably be called something like ‘Lost Kingdom: Reckoning,’ by Fork Bomb LLC or ‘Turbo Finance 2015’ by Vespenta Holdings. Does that Russian flight sim on Desura look suspicious to you? Better play it just to make sure!” Amazing. Watch the equally amazing announcement video below and then pledge here. Read more…
Here’s something I never thought I’d be writing about: a sequel to Shaq Fu. The infamous SNES/Genesis game is returning, thanks to the man himself, Shaquille O’Neal. They’re crowdfunding it on IndieGoGo, and in addition to soliciting money from fans, Shaq is pouring much of his own money into it too. It looks suitably crazy in the promotional video, but given that it’s all CGI, I’m not sure if you can use it to predict how the final game will look (and there’s only 2 screenshots). At least the concept art is neat! Still, I’m a little hesitant about it, despite its hilarious nature, mainly because we don’t know any of the devs behind it. The best part is definitely Shaq in a mocap outfit, though. Check out the videos below and the IndieGoGo page here. Read more…
La-Mulana was a great retro-inspired 2D game with lots of exploration and secrets to uncover. (In fact, you can buy it on Steam for only $1.49 if you get it quickly!) Indie developer Nigoro wants to make a sequel that doesn’t require you to have played the original, and it needs your help to kickstart it on Kickstarter. In La-Mulana 2, you’ll play as the previous protagonist’s daughter, though it looks like her father is still in the game. There will be new monsters to fight in new ruins called Eg-Lana. Nigoro needs to raise $200,000 in funds by February 22, which seems totally doable, but there are of course tantalizing stretch goals to make the game even better. This is something any retro-enthusiast should want to exist! Read more…
Kickstarter! How dare you fulfill young designer’s dreams to finally make the game they’ve always wanted! Yes, Rain World is on Kickstarter. This new indie game stars an adorable little cat-slug creature as it tries to survive in a desolate, possibly post-apocalyptic world. Given that you’re part cat and slug, clambering up pipes, across thin ledges, and through tights spaces in your favorite way to travel. Creepy-crawlies will hunt you, so you must do everything to protect yourself — and your eventual catslug family! They’ve already hit their goal, but you can still pledge if you’d like. Check out some images below, too! Read more…
After a series of heated votes, a heroine design has been picked for the Mighty No. 9, Keiji Inafune’s wildly successful Kickstarter video game. They had been leaving voting to the community to determine the most popular design for Call, the heroine of the game, and after a heated session, they’ve picked the above design. Granted, she looks pretty similar to Roll from Megaman, but given that this game is a spiritual successor to that series, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Check the second and third place designs below! Read more…
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 28, 2013 in Cinema, Fandom
Alright, I know what you’re gonna say: another Kickstarter? But this one’s good. And with so many people using it, it really has become less of a novelty and more a legitimate pathway to funding your project. Kung Fury is an 80s-themed live-action movie by David Sandberg. It features vikings, Norse Gods, dinosaurs, guns, neon lights, and renegade time-travelling kung fu cops out to kill Hitler (the Kung Führer, of course). It looks suitably insane and has the look down pat. You can watch the trailer below made up of their existing footage, and then head over to their Kickstarter page to find out all the juicy details! Read more…
Oh no, it’s another video game Kickstarter! You’ve got to have some really creative to make people pay attention nowadays… it’s seems SCALE might have that spark. SCALE is an adventure and puzzle game in a first-person perspective — but the hook is that anything can be made larger or smaller with your device. You can shrink a house so you can pick it up and toss it, or make an animal so large you can escape via its digestive system. The in-game story seems equally crazy: you play as inventor Penny Prince who has been arrested for 9,322,591 counts of Depraved Heart Murder for accidentally destroying the east coast. And they’ve confiscated her cat. Now it’s time to escape and rescue her cat! Watch the pitch video below. Read more…
Every once in a while, something catches your eyes just via the art. Hyper Light Drifter is a game just like that. A new Kickstarter from Alex Preston, Beau Blyth (Samurai Gunn), Will Wiesenfeld, and Disasterpeace, which combines a Link to the Past and Diablo into one neon-lit fantasy 2D action RPG. They mention Miyazaki as a significant influence, which is always a plus in my book. PC is the primary platform and will be aimed to release in June 2014. At time of this writing, they’ve already double their $27,000 goal, and look to be continuing upward. Check out the trailer below or go here to back the project if it tickles your fancy! Read more…
Kickstarter seems like a good fit for indie developer WayForward. Though they’ve worked on some big titles like DuckTales Remastered, Contra 4, and Adventure Time, it seems like they always wanted to do more with some of their original ideas. WayForward has created a Kickstarter for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, to develop the game and bring it to every current console (except Wii), next-gen console, and Steam. If you’re into obscure games, you might recognize the game’s name from the critically-acclaimed, but very rare Game Boy Color game. A DSiWare sequel came out a few years ago, with a 3DS eShop sequel also on the way. But this is an all-new, HD game for consoles! Read more…
I have to really respect Keiji Inafune, he really seems to love what he does. And he really wants to make a new Mega Man, but since he’s no longer at Capcom that’s not possible. But what about a spiritual successor to Mega Man? That’s where his new Kickstarter for Mighty No. 9 comes in. It’s a side-scrolling action game where you play as Beck, the 9th robot in a series, who can pick up enemy weapons and abilities to enhance his arsenal. A lot of the staff working with Inafune are Mega Man veterans, with music done by Manami Matsumae and localization by 8-4! They’re asking for $900,000, which at time of this writing is already up to almost $600,000. I have no doubt Inafune will reach his budget and more. If you’re interested in backing it, click here, or check out the amazing pitch video below. Read more…
Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes is one of the best newspaper comics ever, up there with the likes of Peanuts. The Kickstarter-funded documentary Dear Mr. Watterson examines the comic with the help of fellow comic creators and notable fans, including Seth Green and Foxtrot‘s Bill Amend. And now, you’ll be able to see it in theaters come November 15! Check out the latest trailer and then look for more updates on the website. Read more…
Double Fine was the game company to put Kickstarters on the map as a viable way to complete a game. Broken Age, and its accompanying documentary, however, are still ongoing and the game itself has not come out yet (although it should arrive before the end of the year). So some may react with some apprehension to Double Fine’s newest Kickstarter game, Massive Chalice. It looks to be a creative take on the tactical strategy game like Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, but your army and warriors age over time, and the next in line of their family takes over. How cool you are with the overabundance of Kickstarters might affect what you think of this game, but at least watch the fantastic promotional video made by Double Fine for the project. Read more…
By now you have probably heard about Shovel Knight and its Kickstarter: the game is to be a pixelated love letter to 8-bit games, made by ex-Wayforward Studios staff. They’re some good people, and folks love classic games, so the chance to help support a new 8-bit game really caught the internet’s attention. Yacht Club Games asked for $75,000 to complete the game and has completed the Kickstarter with a massive $311,502. They’ve added tons of bonuses and stretch goals to the project and have met every single one. If you still want to pledge or pre-order the game, you can do so via PayPal. The game is set to release this winter. However, it still needs to be voted up on Steam Greenlight to get on the digital distribution service. Read more…
It seems a lot of you out there are still hardcore Veronica Mars fans. On March 13th Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell posted a Kickstarter for a Veronica Mars movie – with the blessing of Warner Bros. too. By the time 24 hours was up, all 2 million dollars that they asked for had been fulfilled. In case you’re wondering, yes, all the rewards are insane, and whoever paid $10,000 to be a waiter in one scene with one line… well, god speed. I hope it’s worth it. Check out their promotional trailer for the Kickstarter below, and if you still want to contribute, click here to head to their page. Read more…
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 13, 2012 in Cinema, Fandom
You may remember that awesome proof-of-concept trailer for The Goon way back at Comic-con 2010. If you were like me, you got excited about seeing such a cool comic coming alive on the big screen – but nothing ever materialized. The movie never got the funding it needed and was dropped. However, David Fincher, Eric Powell, and the gang at BLUR Studios really want to make this film. So they’re running a Kickstarter to finance the full-length story reel – aka, the rough edit of the storyboards. It’ll have music, sound effects, and the like, but be aware it’s not “making” the CGI film you’re supporting. Will that make Hollywood take another look at The Goon? I’m not sure, but you have to admire the sheer willpower of the creators! Read more…
If you’re like me, you like to work and move around with music on your iPod, but hate when your headphone cables get tangled in your arms or on a stray bush. The Turtle Shell by Outdoor Tech seems to target this exact problem, and it solves it by simply getting rid of the cord. It wirelessly connects via Bluetooth to your phone or iPod, and can be attached to your bike handle, clipped onto your waistband, or connect to a stroller. ‘Hands-free’ is the buzzword here, and it looks to be a solid piece of equipment, although perhaps a one-trick pony. If you like it, you can help Kickstart it here! Read more…
Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but here’s another really fascinating Kickstarter: Castle Story. While we may be flooded with way too many Kickstarters, I have to say, I love that people are embracing them! Castle Story is a strategy game that revolves around sending your chubby yellow minions to gather supplies on your floating island world. With these, you can build up your castle and defend yourself against an onslaught of enemies. A little Minecraft, a little RTS, mixed in with real-time physics and this game is looking pretty neat! Support them on their Kickstarter page, here.
When we first mentioned Marc Zicree’s Space Command kickstarter back in June, the project had already hit its goal of $75,000. I knew early on that the project would prove popular but I didn’t expect the fundraiser to be quite this successful. By the time the kickstarter came to its conclusion, Zicree had managed to collect nearly three times that amount for a total of $221,267 — a rousing success to say the least. Not only will they be producing the first film, but hopefully this outpouring of support will allow them to continue to create more down the line. Now, all we have to do is hope they deliver what we’ve all come to expect — a task Zicree and his team are more than suited for. For more information on the project, check out their kickstarter page or click here.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 25, 2012 in Tech, Videogames
As a rule, I usually avoid game-oriented Kickstarter projects, but seeing as this is for an tangible product with some rather impressive applications, I figured it’d be worth mentioning. Introducing the Ringbow Controller — an attachable d-pad designed to interface with tablets and other touch-based devices. The Ringbow was designed specifically to give players accurate control without compromising the ability to touch the interface with your fingers. It just so happens that the controller would also enable developers to map the controls to whatever they way, be it an action, cursor, or event within their game or application. The only draw back being that developers would have to design their games specifically to interface with the device, or at least support it on some level for it to work. The project has a stated goal of $100,000, and is nearly half way there with a full 27 days to go. If you’re still interested in supporting it, a donation of $45 will snag you one of your own when they begin mass production.
I try not to share too many Kickstarters, if only for the fact that most are pie-in-the-sky dream ideas with poor planning or bad concepts. There are still plenty of good ones (ie, Double Fine) that have had success, but as always, remember: you are donating. Anyway, enough from me – instead, here’s a solid-looking Kickstarter called Pebble. It’s an e-paper watch with bluetooth support to hook up to your smartphone, and thus can run useful apps and display notifications (it vibrates, too). Another neat fact: the battery lasts roughly 7 days – not bad! Read more…
