Kotaku Interviews Co-Creator of Cuphead

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I found out about Studio MDHR this last E3 when Cuphead was shown off at Microsoft's Press Conference.  Since then I've been eating up everything about the game, I might just need to get an Xbox One for it.  

Co-Creator Chad Moldenhauer dropped by ID@Xbox and Kotaku to discuss the game:

"This game is about 70% bosses and currently we have plans for about 30% platforming levels, like the traditional sidescrolling Gunstar Heroes/Contra 3 style of levels. We are still creating them and deciding which ones are staying and which ones aren’t. Because we definitely do not like filler in our games, everything we put in is, in our minds at least, the best of the ideas we have, so we’re shooting for about 30% of platformer levels."

You can check out the rest of the article over at Kotaku.  Make sure to also follow the developer on Twitter, and stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest.

The Vita Lounge Interviews DrinkBox Studios About Severed

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Our friends over at The Vita Lounge interviewed Chris McQuinn from DrinkBox Studios about their upcoming touch based dungeon crawler, Severed.

"As we noted earlier, we loved Guacamelee! Can we expect a sequel at some point? If so do you already have some ideas of where this could go?

At the moment the studio needs a Guacamelee! break. If (when?) we do return to that world it should only be under the pretext that the entire team is enthusiastic about doing so. From a creativity standpoint sometimes you just need to walk away for a little while and let new ideas subconsciously seed themselves in your brain somewhere. The last thing we want to do is force a sequel. Forced sequels can be a real let down to fans.

Mutant Blobs is another of your noted series, do you have any plans to revisit this in the future?

Well, this is much more divisive in the office. There are two camps in the studio, one who want to do a new Mutant Blobs game, and the other camp (we call them the no fun camp). Who knows what the future holds, but rest assured there are people here always pushing for it (this includes me)."

You can check out the rest of the interview here, and make sure to follow the studio on Twitter. Personally I'm very excited for Severed, and can't wait to play the game when it comes out this Summer. 

Ubisoft Toronto Working On A New IP

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IGN recently wrote that based on some job postings, it looks like Ubisoft Toronto is working on a new IP.  The studio was lead developer on Splinter Cell: Blacklist and helped with Far Cry 4, and Assassins Creed: Unity.

You can check out the full job posting here, and article from IGN.  Make sure to follow Ubisoft Toronto on Twitter, and stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest on all the game developed in Toronto.

N++ Release Date Announced

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Developer Metanet Software announced today an official release date for their upcoming ninja platformer, N++.  The developer also released a fun trailer showing how many pieces of gold are in the game, and how much coffee they drank.

It's finally time to reveal when you can get your hands on N++ for PS4! Check out all the stats on N++ in this awesome trailer featuring Richard E. Flanagan's slick mograph, and get excited. http://www.nplusplus.org © Metanet Software Inc.

"We are so excited N++ is finally ready for release and we can’t wait for you all to finally get your hands on it — it is challenging, satisfying, and bursting with surprises. I can tell you with complete and enthusiastic confidence, N++ is the masterpiece we set out to make. It has turned out even better than we expected it to, and partly because of the N++ Beta we ran over the past few weeks."

A possible Vita release was teased if the PS4 version sells well, as well as a update that will double the size of the game.  You can check out the full PlayStation blog post here.  

N++ is scheduled for release on July 28th for PS4. PlayStation Plus members get a 20% discount at launch.  Stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest on the game.

Gastrobots From XMG Studios Releases Next Month

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Developer XMG Studios have announced that their upcoming game GastroBots will release August 20th on iPhone.

Description from the official site:

"Gastrobots is a cute lil' arcade puzzle game where you, an adorable space-robo-cowboy, save the Food Galaxy from being eaten by greedy space-robo-critters the only way you know how... Wranglin'!"

Make sure to follow XMG Studios on Twitter for the latest info, and stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for all the latest on game developed in Toronto.

PlayStation Underground - Super Time Force Ultra

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Ryan Clements from the PlayStation blog had Kenneth Yeung from Capy Games on their show PlayStation Underground where they played and discussed the upcoming 2D shooter: Super Time Force Ultra.  Lots of great footage, including gameplay of PlayStation centric characters including Shuhei Yoshida, and the hooded traveller from Journey, and Sir Galahad from The Order: 1886.

"On today’s episode, Ken showcases the crazy action, robots, dinosaurs, and — of course — time travel that make up the pixelated backbone of Super Time Force Ultra on PS4. As an added bonus, Ken breaks down each of the PlayStation-exclusive characters, including our friend and President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida. Yes, Shu is a character. Rejoice!"

Today we host the time-traveling designer Kenneth Yeung from Capy Games. And in the spirit of time travel, we're sharing this Super Time Force Ultra episode that we recorded AGES ago. Thematic consistency! On today's episode, Ken showcases the crazy action, robots, dinosaurs, and -- of course -- time travel that make up the pixelated backbone of Super Time Force Ultra on PS4.

There is no release date yet for Super Time Force Ultra, but the game will be coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita "soon".  Make sure to follow the developers on Twitter and stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest on all games developed in Toronto.

MK-Ultra Games Announces Knight & Damsel On Steam Alongside Ouya

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Toronto developer MK-ULTRA Games announced yesterday that their upcoming "uncooperative" multiplayer game Knights & Damsel will be coming to Steam and Humble Store alongside the Ouya release.

"Knight and Damsel is a two-player competitive puzzle platformer with a neat little twist: The Damsel isn’t just waiting to get rescued by the Knight, she can handle herself! It’s all about getting to decide who gets to rescue the Damsel: the Knight, or the Damsel herself? (Or will she rescue the Knight?)"

Knight & Damsel is a two-player "uncooperative" couch multiplayer game coming for OUYA and PC on Steam and Humble Store in 2015. Steam link: http://store.steampowered.com/app/361680 http://www.knightanddamsel.com http://mkultragames.com http://playouya.com

Make sure to check out all the details of the game on the developers website, and follow them on Twitter.  Make sure to stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest.

Toronto App Strategy Workshop Features Local Developers

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We've already posted about the upcoming App Strategy Workshop, but wanted to dedicate a post to it.  The upcoming event will go over creating mobile apps and will be really useful for any students or people interested in making apps:

"Building a great app is difficult, but turning it into a profitable business can be even more of a challenge. Join industry experts, innovative startups, publishers, and developers to explore strategies to turn your app into a profitable business. Audience members will have the opportunity to tweet photos, questions, and feedback throughout the event. One participant's tweet will be randomly selected and the lucky attendee will win a Nexus 9 tablet!"

The event will feature some local Toronto developers including Andy Smith from XMG Studios, Ken Seto from Massive Damage Inc, Al Zebian from Play Puddle, Rob Segal from Get Set Games, and more.

The event is on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 from 5:30pm to 9pm at One Eleven.  You can check out all the details, and register for the event here.  Make sure to follow the organization on Twitter here, and stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest.

Shwip Xbox One Announcement Trailer

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I spoke about Shwip, and Jamhammer Games late last month, and the developer let me know on Twitter that an Announcement Trailer for Xbox One was released as well! You can check out the full trailer below:

Shwip is straight up twin-stick action, with a whip. Get that daily fix of pixel induced-destruction with devastating weapons & abilities the military would be jealous of. Evade, outlast, and play with style in three invigorating game modes. Unlock achievements, compete against friends in local-multiplayer, and show the world who's number one on Shwip's online leader-boards.

Shwip is the first twin stick shooter where you have a whip, and is scheduled for release this fall.

Researching Squids For Severed

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I'll take any and all opportunities to talk about DrinkBox Studios.  Case in point, this funny little post that goes over a developers mission to understand squids for Severed:

"In the end, I noticed these creatures had a push and glide mechanism, so decided to go with a logic that used a sine wave function as it’s velocity. This seemed to be a nice replication of the jellyfish movement that can be seen in-game below:"

You can check out the full post here, and follow DrinkBox Studios on Twitter here. Make sure to keep an eye on TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest on the Toronto game developer scene.

5 Days of Quench Updates

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With Bit Bazaar later this week, developer Axon Interactive has started showing off more details for their upcoming puzzle game Quench.  

Day one focused on Shaman who is a "young elephant who has the power to commune with the natural world," and Smokebeasts:

"Quench begins with Shaman’s first pilgrimage, during which she must prove that she can lead her Tribe and the other animals with Shepherd’s help.....Smokebeasts take the form of ancient and somewhat monstrous animals shrouded in black smoke and seem to be found most often near caves and holes in the earth. The smoke that covers these creatures is noxious, and normal animals begin choking and coughing if they come too close. In certain circumstances, the smokebeasts emit a black sludge that coats the ground and prevents any life from growing there."

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Day two focused on characters Headlong, Scout, and Springbok.  You can check out all the details and more on their tumblr page.  Make sure to check them out at Bit Bazaar this weekend, and be sure to keep it to TorontoGameDevs.com for all the latest.

Bit Bazaar Summer 2015 Lineup Announced

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Bit Bazaar #5 was only a couple of months ago, and it was a great way to see some of the awesome game developers in Toronto.  I also came home with a lot of swag.  Bento Miso has announced the summer line up of the event, which this time will be hosted at Ontario's Celebration Zone at Harbourfront Centre.  The line up is a little bit of the same as last time, but some new ones like Quench, and Runbow.

LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS SPACETIME Asteroid Base

FATE TECTONICS Golden Gear Games

SEVERED DrinkBox Studios

PLANET OF THE EYES Cococucumber

CRYPTARK Alientrap

ARCADE SKIDADDLE Numizmatic

QUENCH Axon Interactive

SHUTSHIMI: SERIOUSLY SWOLE Neon Deity Games

OUTER EARTH Mailbox Games

RUNBOW 13AM Games

JOB LOZENGE From Smiling

ZA VAS (TO YOU) F'n Overachievers

PITFALL PLANET Bonfire Games

CHESH Damian Sommer

FEMMEPOCALYPSE altopunk

I'll be there! Be sure to say hi. Who is going? Make sure to stay tuned to www.torontogamedevs.com for the latest on all these games and more.

Deals: Bloxiq On Sale For Android And iOS

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Blot Interactive's unique puzzler Bloxiq is currently on sale on Android and iOS devices for only 99 cents.

You can download the game on iOS right here. I tried to find the game on the Google Play store, but can't, but I did download it on my phone a few hours ago.  The game is also available on PlayStation Vita if that is more your style.

Keep your eye on TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest deals on Toronto developed video games.

13AM Games Looking For Playtesters For Runbow

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Indie developer 13AM Games is asking for playtesters for their upcoming party platformer Runbow.  13AM Games' studio is located at 341 King St. E in Toronto.

Runbow was recently promoted as part of Nintendo focus on indies at E3, a demo released during the trade show guaranteed a 15% discount when the game comes out.  A single player and online mode was also announced.  Make sure to sign up for the playtests here, and stay turned to TorontoGameDevs.com for the latest on the game.

Toronto GameDev: Jamhammer Games

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Indie developer Jamhammer Games Inc is a two person team working on Shwip, the only twin switcher shooter with a whip:

"Satisfy your daily pixel-induced fix by blowing up enemies with an arsenal of weapons and abilities the military would be jealous of. Outmaneuver your enemies with tight controls that make setting traps, disabling and boosting your way to safety light and responsive. Go brute force in arcade or show off your new skills in style, then; gear up for a tense checkpoint romp though an active minefield. Did we mention Shwip has global leader-boards and local multi-player? Compete against friends or random internet strangers and reach for the top, soldier."

The game will feature a variety of modes like Arcade and Style, as well weapons like the Quickshot and Magnet.  The game is schedule for release on Steam sometime this year.  Checkout below for the trailer and screenshots.

Watch the second trailer for our first game Shwip. Check out our Steam Greenlight page: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=93006616 And our website - http://jamhammer.ca Music: I Remember by Tristam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX90dr8ldSw

Make sure to check out everything there is about Shwip on the developers website, and follow them on Twitter.  Stay tuned to TorontoGameDevs.com for all the latest.