Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
Hot off the heels of releasing Super Crush KO earliest this year, Toronto developer Vertex Pop will be releasing their first game WE ARE DOOMED on the Nintendo Switch on August 13th.
Read MoreStill on the fence about Vertex Pop’s shoot em up? Well now there is a demo available on Switch you can try out. The game is also on sale for 30% making the decision even easier if you should pick it up (you should). You can head to the e-shop right now to download the demo and pick up the game.
And as a friendly reminder, Vertex Pop is still working away at Super Crush KO, which we should see on Switch and PC next year.
Skillfully pilot the advanced Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM) fighter while blasting swarms of crystalline enemies with your ludicrously overpowered quad-weapon array! Lost in deep space, you'll shoot, dash and combo your way through jewel-hued alien worlds, fighting to find a way home. Learn More About Graceful Explosion Machine!
Published by Noodlecake, and developed by FaceIT, the previous Mobile/Steam game Summer Catchers will be hitting the Nintendo Switch tomorrow (February 11th)
Reptoid Games (@reptoidgames), the developer behind 2018’s Fossil Hunters, announced their next game Fire Tonight, a narrative puzzle game “about two people trying to find their way back together in a city on fire”.
Toronto-based Vertex Pop have announced their next game following 2017's Graceful Explosion Machine. Super Crush KO is a brawler/shooter platforming hybrid that has players saving humanity from an AI apocalypse. Features:
You can check out the trailer below. We don't have a release date yet, we just know it'll be next year and come out on Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
Wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/907670/Super_Crush_KO More info: http://supercrushko.com Super Crush KO is a fast-paced brawler / shoot-em-up hybrid set in a vibrant, near-future city. Take control of a neon-wearing, robot-stomping, stylish-as-heck hero and save humanity from an AI apocalypse!
Vertex Pop Announces Super Crush KO
Creators of Graceful Explosion Machine return with stylish brawler / shooter hybrid
Toronto, ON. August 10th, 2018. Toronto indie developer Vertex Pop today announced Super Crush KO, a fast-paced mix between beat ‘em up and shoot ‘em up, coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam in 2019. The game was announced as part of this year’s Indie Megabooth titles at PAX West, and will be playable for the first time at the Seattle event. From the official press kit:
Super Crush KO is a fast-paced brawler / shoot-em-up hybrid set in a vibrant, near-future city. Take control of a neon-wearing, robot-stomping, stylish-as-heck hero and save humanity from an AI apocalypse!
Online leaderboards and ranking systems will keep you coming back to S-Rank dozens of levels.
The game seamlessly blends close-quarters brawler with long-range shooter and was designed with enemy juggling in mind. Launch enemies into the air and blast them out of the sky in this unique, genre-bending action title.
About Vertex Pop:
Vertex Pop is a Toronto-based indie game development studio run by Mobeen Fikree, striving to make fun, colourful, and intuitive action games. Their last title, Graceful Explosion Machine, debuted on the Nintendo Switch to great commercial and critical success.
Cat couple owner slash game dev studio Max Inferno announced a 2nd DLC pack for their tidy puzzler.
Halifax-based devs Max Inferno have released Cupboards & Drawers DLC for their 2022 puzzler A Little to the Left.
Vancouver-based indie powerhouse Brace Yourself Games (@BYG_Vancouver) announced their upcoming rhythm game spinoff will be released on Nintendo Switch as well as Steam.
Toronto-based Drinkbox Studios’ Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack will be getting printed on a cart.
Montréal-based game dev Johan Vinet has partnered with Limited Run Games to release physical copies of his upcoming 2D cinematic platformer LUNARK for PlayStation 4, 5 and Nintendo Switch- set to release later this week.
Vancouver-based Daniel Mullin Games is working with Special Reserve Games to release a physical edition of his 2021 roguelite deck-builder Inscryption for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
Toronto-based indie powerhouse Vagabond Dog is releasing a physical copy of their cult classic 2014 RPG maker title Always Sometimes Monsters in partnership with Limited Run Games.
Cuphead is celebrating its initial launch on PC and Xbox One 5 years ago today, September 29, with the announcement of a physical copy of the game coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.
Tribes of Midgard Season 3 drops later this month which comes with a slew of free updates, including a new Saga Boss, a revamped survival mode, new weapons, enemies, armors, and more.
Sea of Stars, the Sabotage Studio follow-up to The Messenger has been delayed into 2023. Originally announced in 2020 with an extremely successful Kickstarter for a 2022 release date, the team has pushed it to next year citing two main priorities: quality of life for their team, and the quality of the finished product.
Nintendo recently updated the Switch to allow video capturing, and slowly games have been patched to allow it. We can now add Vertex Pop's Graceful Explosion Machine to the list - the game has been patched to add functionality.
"We have a small (but pretty cool!) update out for Graceful Explosion Machine today which adds Video Capture support for Nintendo Switch. Now when you pull of a particularly gracefulrun, you can just hold down the capture button and share.
We’re excited to check out all the cool videos you post, so please make sure to share them with us on Twitter!"
Vertex Pop was kind enough to give me a code for Graceful Explosion Machine on Switch so I wanted to do a quick video on my thoughts - in short - I'm really digging it! There will be an actual review on www.torontogamedevs.com - so look forward to that!
The new studio founded by ex-BioWare devs Humanoid Origin is looking to fill multiple roles.
After gracing the Nintendo Switch in April as a launch window game, Vertex Pop's Graceful Explosion Machine will be making its way to PlayStation 4, and Steam next month.
“Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM, for short) goes light on story and all-in on intense action gameplay. Sure, you’ll face an overwhelming swarm of enemies, but to help you out you have access to four unique and devastatingly powerful weapons at all times.
Each weapon is mapped to a face button, so switching between them is instant and effortless. Before you know it, you’ll be chaining weapons attacks together, building stylish combos, and racking up huge scores.”
Graceful Explosion Machine is coming to Steam and PlayStation 4 on August 8th, 2017. http://vertexpop.com/gem
There was a few more tibits information in the announcement. The game will be coming to Japan thanks to Kakehashi Games, and there will be an update that speeds up the loading times, and introduces some changes to the scoring system, and sharing:
“We started by redesigning the score screen to give a clearer breakdown of your score, weapon usage, and additional stats that better reflect your play style. It’s both fun and functional.
We also wanted to make it easier to capture and share those clutch GEM moments. Once you’re in the zone, we know it’s hard to stop the game even for a few seconds to grab a screenshot, so we had to come up with a really creative solution.
Or, more accurately, a really technical one: We designed an AI system to pinpoint the most exciting moment of your run, which we then automagically screenshot and display on the score screen. You can fullscreen it, add it to your Album, share it, etc.”
That patch is out now on Switch, and will be available on PlayStation 4 and Steam when the game launches August 8th.
Toronto-based indie studio Vertex Pop (@vertexpop) has partnered with Super Rare Games (@SuperRareGames) to release a limited 4,000 copy physical release of their 2017 shoot 'em up Graceful Explosion Machine.
We were big fans of Vertex Pop's Graceful Explosion Machine when it launched on Nintendo Switch back in April. We talked about it on the podcast, and did a few Youtube videos playing it.
One of the biggest criticisms with the game was you couldn't uploaded scores if you weren't online, even at a later date. With the Switch being a very portable system, it was kind of a bummer.
Vertex Pop has changed that with Graceful Explosion Machine v1.0.2 which adds the ability to add a high score later, as well as reducing the screenshaking.
"We’ve heard from people playing GEM on trains, buses, at work, etc. who get really great high scores, but can’t upload them because they aren’t online. This breaks our collective developer hearts, so for v1.0.2 we’ve added Upload Score Later.
From the Score Screen, choose “Later” instead of “Submit Score” to save your score for uploading later. Then, when you’re back online, go to the main menu and select “Upload Scores” (by pressing X) to upload all the pending scores. (And don’t worry, if it fails to upload you can retry later!)
We also added the option to reduce or disable the Screenshake effect. If you have motion sickness related concerns, this should really help. It may not be perfect (our options are limited given what a fast-paced game GEM is), but it’s definitely an improvement!"
They also mentioned they snuck in some "smaller" fixes as well. You can check out Graceful Explosion Machine on Switch.
Cat couple owner slash game dev studio Max Inferno announced a 2nd DLC pack for their tidy puzzler.
Halifax-based devs Max Inferno have released Cupboards & Drawers DLC for their 2022 puzzler A Little to the Left.
Vancouver-based indie powerhouse Brace Yourself Games (@BYG_Vancouver) announced their upcoming rhythm game spinoff will be released on Nintendo Switch as well as Steam.
Kitchener-based indie studio Fluxscopic have released their 2021 puzzle-loaded action adventure game Mayhem in Single Valley on consoles.
Toronto-based indie powerhouse Vagabond Dog is releasing a physical copy of their cult classic 2014 RPG maker title Always Sometimes Monsters in partnership with Limited Run Games.
Cuphead is celebrating its initial launch on PC and Xbox One 5 years ago today, September 29, with the announcement of a physical copy of the game coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.
Vancouver-based Next Level Games are releasing a 2nd free content update for their wacky sports game released earlier this year, published by Nintendo.
Vancouver-based live service game devs Phoenix Labs (@PhoenixLabs), best known for Dauntless, have announced their new project Fae Farm (@fae_farm) in today’s Nintendo Direct- which will launch exclusively on Switch in Spring 2023.
Halifax-based indie dev @dicey announced in today’s Nintendo Direct that TUNIC (@tunicgame), his action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world, is coming to Nintendo Switch at the end of this month.
There’s a new physical edition (including a collector’s edition version) for Toronto-based Adam Robinson-Yu (@adamgryu)’s delightful 2019 park-platformer A Short Hike.
Chris and I are back! Make sure to subscribe on YouTube!
Remember to subscribe and leave a comment! Graceful Explosion Machine is out on Nintendo Switch, and we sit down to play through the first few levels! Remember to subscribe! Website: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/torontogamedevs Patreon: patreon.com/torontogamedevs Store: designbyhumans.com/shop/TorontoGameDevs
Cat couple owner slash game dev studio Max Inferno announced a 2nd DLC pack for their tidy puzzler.
Halifax-based devs Max Inferno have released Cupboards & Drawers DLC for their 2022 puzzler A Little to the Left.
Vancouver-based indie powerhouse Brace Yourself Games (@BYG_Vancouver) announced their upcoming rhythm game spinoff will be released on Nintendo Switch as well as Steam.
Kitchener-based indie studio Fluxscopic have released their 2021 puzzle-loaded action adventure game Mayhem in Single Valley on consoles.
Toronto-based indie powerhouse Vagabond Dog is releasing a physical copy of their cult classic 2014 RPG maker title Always Sometimes Monsters in partnership with Limited Run Games.
Cuphead is celebrating its initial launch on PC and Xbox One 5 years ago today, September 29, with the announcement of a physical copy of the game coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.
Vancouver-based Next Level Games are releasing a 2nd free content update for their wacky sports game released earlier this year, published by Nintendo.
Vancouver-based live service game devs Phoenix Labs (@PhoenixLabs), best known for Dauntless, have announced their new project Fae Farm (@fae_farm) in today’s Nintendo Direct- which will launch exclusively on Switch in Spring 2023.
Halifax-based indie dev @dicey announced in today’s Nintendo Direct that TUNIC (@tunicgame), his action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world, is coming to Nintendo Switch at the end of this month.
There’s a new physical edition (including a collector’s edition version) for Toronto-based Adam Robinson-Yu (@adamgryu)’s delightful 2019 park-platformer A Short Hike.
As previously announced, Graceful Explosion Machine is out now on Nintendo Switch. The Vertex Pop shooter was previously announced last year, and then later confirmed for a Switch launch window release later. You can pick it up on your Switch right now for $13.99 CAD.
We'll have a full review for the game sometime in the next week, but until then you can check out my general thoughts below (it's really good):
Vertex Pop was kind enough to give me a code for Graceful Explosion Machine on Switch so I wanted to do a quick video on my thoughts - in short - I'm really digging it! There will be an actual review on www.torontogamedevs.com - so look forward to that!
🚀🚀🚀 WE HAVE LIFT-OFF#GracefulExplosionMachine is OUT NOW on #NintendoSwitch
— vertex pop (@vertexpop) April 6, 2017
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/yPOuktv2Zo
Solo indie dev expert and longtime friend-of-the-site Devon Wiersma joins us to talk their latest release Centauri Dark, working across AAA, mid-sized and solo indie dev and how to fix this goshdarn industry.
David B joins us from the west coast best coast to talk about the upcoming Quiver Games Incubator!
Bizdev extraordinaire Eric Beer joins us to give his Hades II impressions and chat v-bucks subsidized game preservation.
We break down Baldur Gate 3's unprecedented success & the knock-on effects it'll have on the industry and how we make games moving forward. We also speak to Ontario-based indie game devs Twinolli about their upcoming action-puzzler Highlighters which just got a (Dad Deck-verified) Steam demo!
We speak to Québécois game dev Dragon Slumber, creator of Tech Support, Aethernaut and many more!
We reveal the winners of our ‘23 Community Awards poll and discuss Drinkbox’s latest teaser for their next project- and more!
This week thousands more game developers join Stephan in the "terminated by evil, stupid people" camp as layoffs hit tons of studios all over Canada and the world. We discuss Sonic as well. Sonic supports Unionizing your Workplace!
Stephan got terminated but that’s okay he just has more time to cover Canadian games now.
Vertex Pop announced on their Twitter page today that Graceful Explosion Machine will be available on Nintendo Switch on April 6, 2017 for $12.99. Last week we posted about how this game was doing at PAX East, so it's great to have an official date!
The new studio founded by ex-BioWare devs Humanoid Origin is looking to fill multiple roles.
Graceful Explosion Machine by Vertex Pop is set to release in April, and check out all the love that it’s getting on Reddit from its’ appearance at PAX East. There is definitely hype growing for this game, and I can't wait to play it myself on the Switch and see all the combo variations.
Graceful Explosion Machine is a side-scrolling shooter. You are the pilot of the Graceful Explosion Machine; a fighter ship battling your way to get home. Your ship has four weapons with combos and you can travel over 30 levels across four unique worlds.
Graceful Explosion Machine is coming soon to Nintendo Switch™ http://vertexpop.com/gem
Nintendo had an indie game showcase for upcoming indie games coming to Switch, and Toronto's own Graceful Explosion Machine was shown.. It was also confirmed that the game, while previous just noted as "launch window" has been given an April timeframe. It was also confirmed that the game will support HD Rumble. Once we have the final date, we'll let you know!
Discover some of the unique and innovative experiences world-class indie developers have in store for Nintendo Switch during the Nindies Showcase. 00:10 - SteamWorld Dig 2 02:05 - What the Nindies Are All About 02:52 - Yooka-Laylee 04:09 - Overcooked!
The debut game from a new Western Canada indie dev duo was revealed during Day of the Devs 2024.
Cat couple owner slash game dev studio Max Inferno announced a 2nd DLC pack for their tidy puzzler.
Gears of War: E-Day was announced during Xbox’s Game Showcase, marking the second prequel in the Gears of War franchise.
Vancouver-based Company of Heroes 3 developer Relic Entertainment has secured funding from UK investment firm Emona Capital after laying off almost 200 staff since May 2023.
Victoria-based indie devs Hololabs have released their mobile AR game Sky Haven: AR Merge Adventure for iOS.
NetEase Games has announced the opening of a new game studio in Canada, named Bad Brain Games, to work on an "ambitious new franchise," which will be a story-driven open-world action-adventure game.
Bloom Digital Media have released a demo for their upcoming visual novel game Long Story 2, which is a sequel to the 2017 game.
Cococucumber have released the third and final game in their self-described “Cococucumber Voxel Trilogy.” Ravenlok is now available for Xbox, PC, Game Pass and the Epic Games Store,
Vancouver-based indie powerhouse Brace Yourself Games (@BYG_Vancouver) announced their upcoming rhythm game spinoff will be released on Nintendo Switch as well as Steam.
Open-world, dragon-flying game Ayre and the Crystal Comet is out now on consoles.
Hey everyone! Another Friday, another Youtube video. remember to subscribe!
This time, we're still playing We Are Doomed, but this time talking about Day One (or early) DLC, and is it bad. Remember to subscribe and leave a comment! Website: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/torontogamedevs Patreon: patreon.com/torontogamedevs Store: designbyhumans.com/shop/TorontoGameDevs/
With Vertex Pop making Graceful Explosion Machine on Switch, decided to go back and check out We Are Doomed. Make sure to subscribe on Youtube!
This time we're play We Are Doomed. The developer, Vertex Pop announced Graceful Explosion Machine on Nintendo Switch the other week. Remember to subscribe and leave a comment! Website: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/torontogamedevs Patreon: patreon.com/torontogamedevs Store: designbyhumans.com/shop/TorontoGameDevs/
We officially have our first Toronto-developed Nintendo Switch game! This one comes from Vertex Pop, in Gracefull Explosion Machine (GEM). A game we've talked about before.
Skillfully pilot the advanced Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM) fighter while blasting swarms of crystalline enemies with your ludicrously overpowered quad-weapon array! Lost in deep space, you'll shoot, dash and combo your way through jewel-hued alien worlds, fighting to find a way home.
You can check out the game trailer below. GEM is expected to come out this Spring during the Nintendo Switch launch window. While the game is still expected to hit other platforms, the Nintendo Switch will be the debut console for GEM.
Graceful Explosion Machine is coming soon to Nintendo Switch™ http://vertexpop.com/gem
You can also check out the full press release below.
Graceful Explosion Machine Debuts on Nintendo Switch! Action-packed shooter hits Nintendo’s new console during its launch window this Spring!
Toronto, Canada: Vertex Pop, an indie game developer specializing in focused arcade-style games, announced that they’re bringing their dazzlingly intense shoot-em-up, Graceful Explosion Machine, to Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch™.
Graceful Explosion Machine has already made waves at the Indie MegaBooth at both PAX East and PAX West in 2016, as well as PlayStation Experience this past December.
“The Nintendo Switch’s responsive controls and beautiful display means you can play Graceful Explosion Machine anywhere”, says Vertex Pop’s founder Mobeen Fikree. “It’s perfect for short, intense sessions on the go or for long high-score runs on the big-screen.
“Graceful Explosion Machine fits perfectly as a premiere indie game in our launch window lineup,” says Nintendo of America Indie Game Manager Kirk Scott. “It reflects the diversity and breadth of the kinds of top-notch games we’re looking for on the Nintendo Switch system.”
For all media inquiries, please e-mail media@vertexpop.com.
PressKit: http://www.vertexpop.com/presskit/sheet.php?p=graceful_explosion_machine
Site: http://www.vertexpop.com/gem
Graceful Explosion Machine Nintendo Switch Announcement Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCiMciOjDC0
About Graceful Explosion Machine: Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM) is a side-scrolling arcade shooter where you blast crystalline enemies with your GEM’s ludicrously overpowered quad-weapon array. Lost in deep space, you’ll shoot, dash and combo your way through neon alien worlds, fighting to find a way home.
About Vertex Pop: Vertex Pop is an independent videogames development company run by Mobeen Fikree. Concerned with elegant design for their minimalistic videogames, they focus primarily on mechanics, game feel and responsive controls. Graceful Explosion Machine is a followup to their cult-favorite, multiplatform arena shooter, WE ARE DOOMED.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 696 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.
Solo indie dev expert and longtime friend-of-the-site Devon Wiersma joins us to talk their latest release Centauri Dark, working across AAA, mid-sized and solo indie dev and how to fix this goshdarn industry.
David B joins us from the west coast best coast to talk about the upcoming Quiver Games Incubator!
Bizdev extraordinaire Eric Beer joins us to give his Hades II impressions and chat v-bucks subsidized game preservation.
We break down Baldur Gate 3's unprecedented success & the knock-on effects it'll have on the industry and how we make games moving forward. We also speak to Ontario-based indie game devs Twinolli about their upcoming action-puzzler Highlighters which just got a (Dad Deck-verified) Steam demo!
We speak to Québécois game dev Dragon Slumber, creator of Tech Support, Aethernaut and many more!
We reveal the winners of our ‘23 Community Awards poll and discuss Drinkbox’s latest teaser for their next project- and more!
This week thousands more game developers join Stephan in the "terminated by evil, stupid people" camp as layoffs hit tons of studios all over Canada and the world. We discuss Sonic as well. Sonic supports Unionizing your Workplace!
Stephan got terminated but that’s okay he just has more time to cover Canadian games now.
Toronto developer Vertex Pop have released a few more screenshots for their upcoming shooter, Graceful Explosion Machine
Read More
After launching on Steam last year, St Catharines based Rocketship Park will be porting their puzzle story-driven adventure game LOVE to Nintendo Switch “soon”.