Video Games News Time Daily - April 24th 2017

Trying out something new for our YouTube page - quick news! 3-4 times a week I'll do short 1-2 minute videos on something going on in Toronto, and elsewhere. This week we talk a bit about N++ and Overwatch. Remember to subscribe!

A new show here at TorontoGameDevs.com - News Time Daily (I'm terrible with names). Quick 1-2 minute videos just giving you a glimpse of the news happening in Toronto, and elsewhere. This week: N++ Ultimate Edition: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/blog/n-ultimate-edition-out-now-on-steam-coming-soon-to-ps4 Overwatch Getting 3 New Maps: http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/04/24/overwatch-three-new-maps-in-the-works Remember that TorontoGameDevs.com is fan funded, so check out our Patreon.

Graceful Explosion Machine And Nintendo Switch Review

We give a (very quick) review of Graceful Explosion Machine as well as our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch roughly 7 weeks in since launch. Remember to subscribe!

We're back playing Graceful Explosion Machine from Vertex Pop. We give a very quick general review, while also talking our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch so far. Website: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/torontogamedevs Patreon: patreon.com/torontogamedevs Store: designbyhumans.com/shop/TorontoGameDevs

Shoot Shoot Mega Pack Coming April 27th

Actual Humans' upcoming multiplayer minimalist shooter SSMP (Shoot Shoot Mega Pack) has been given a release date, and players can expect the game April 27th on Steam.

In Shoot Shoot Mega Pack you and up to three friends can duke it out head-to-head in any of four 2D shooters, each one focusing on its own core mechanic! Push each other into walls that expand with every shot in zoom, thrust and shoot together in sync, avoid a barrage of black holes in void, or carefully try to find your invisible friends before they find you in fade!

For the tinkerers out there, mix and match rules however you want in custom mode! Try 'em once or mark them as your faves and come back to them whenever you want! Finding all these options too overwhelming? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Take a load off and let the party gods choose for you in party mode or take your chances with an endless stream of randomly generated rulesets in chaos mode!

Shoot Shoot Mega Pack is a party game about rules, friendship, and also shooting. Coming to Steam April 27th 2017! Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/467470/ Website: http://ssmpgame.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/ssmpgame Twitter: http://twitter.com/ssmpgame

N++ Ultimate Edition Out Now On Steam - Coming Soon To PS4

As previously announced late last year, the free update to N++ labeled the "Ultimate Edition" is out now on Steam, and will be coming soon to PlayStation 4.  The update is a huge content boost to the ninja platformer, doubling the available levels to the game and also provides a new "Hardcore" mode.

"Hardcore was designed for fans and especially highscore competitions -- in contrast to the regular Solo mode, in Hardcore the clock is always ticking and every death counts."

The World's Best Platformer Just Got Better. Buy N PLUS PLUS (N++) now on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/230270 Click SHOW MORE to see details: N++ is a fast-paced, momentum-based platformer where you get to play as a badass parkour-loving ninja, narrowly escaping enemies and collecting gold in sci-fi landscapes. What's new in the Ultimate Edition?

You can pick up N++ on Steam right now which is enjoying a 50% discount at the time of writing - the Ultimate Edition comes with the base game now. The update will hit PlayStation 4 "soon".

If you're looking for more on N++, check out our review, and Let's Plays.

Cuzzle Now Available on iOS

Our friends at Galactic Thumb have released Cuzzle, now available free on iOS.  From Galactic Thumb:

Cuzzle is a Sokoban style puzzle game. Get all the white blocks in position to unlock the portal. 4 unique stages each introducing a new mechanic.

Features: • Undo move button • 90 complex levels • Calming music • Minimalistic aesthetics • Leaderboards • Haptic Feedback for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Check out the trailer below, and download free today.

https://itunes.apple.com/app/cuzzle/id1185407542 Cuzzle is a Sokoban style puzzle game. Get all the white blocks in position to unlock the portal. 4 unique stages each introducing a new mechanic.

Cuzzle game by Galactic Thumb

PULL - Year End Show by George Brown College

The School of Design at George Brown College is hosting a year end event, PULL, to showcase the talent of their 2017 graduating class.  The graduates are from not only the Game Design and Game Development programs, but also from Concept Art for Entertainment, Graphic Design, and more.  It's a great opportunity for recruiters looking for new talent, to play video games created by the students, and check out the art that their creative graduates can offer.

PULL by George Brown College
PULL — Year End Show 2017
School of Design, George Brown College
230 Richmond St E

Please join us for the School of Design Year End Show!

PULL celebrates the talent and diversity of students across nine School of Design programs:
- Art and Design Foundation
- Concept Art for Entertainment
- Design Management
- Game Design
- Game Development
- Graphic Design
- Interaction Design & Development
- Interactive Media Management
- Interdisciplinary Design Strategy

Highlights of this year’s show include:
- Three whole floors! The School of Design, along with the newly formed School of Media and Performing Arts, will occupy all floors of 230 Richmond Street East for the first time
- Live mural painting and video games featuring work by students in Game Design, Game Development, Game Programming, and the brand new Concept Art for Entertainment post-grad program
- Reboot Detroit, a series of themed immersive environments brought to you by the second year Interaction Design students
- Beyond the Edge: an inside look into a year at the Institute without Boundaries and the future of Toronto’s Waterfront

Pull is part of ShowGBC, a series of events showcasing talent from the 2017 graduating students across George Brown’s Centre for Arts, Design and Information Technology.

Schoolofdesign.ca/yearendshow
ShowGBC.ca

@designgbc
#yespull
#SHOWGBC17
PULL student showcase George Brown College School of Design

You can RSVP for the event here.  The reception will be on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 from 6pm to 9pm. at 230 Richmond St E.  Don't forget to check out our events page to keep up with the gaming events happening in the Toronto area.  See you there!

Dashy Square Is Free For 1 Week On iOS And Android

To celebrate the launch of the Level Editor, @KasSanity has made Dashy Square free on iOS and Android. You can check out the trailer, and links to download below.

iOS Download

Android Download

The full version of Dashy Square is currently absolutely FREE for mobile (iOS and Android) for 1 Week! I know there are people that cannot afford the game ... so here it is! =) PLEASE leave a rating/review! It actually helps a lot!

Mirage: Arcane Warefare Beta Walkthrough And Map Details

Our friends over at Torn Banner Studios have released a few videos for their beta of Mirage: Arcane Warefare.  They've also been tweeting a lot of other Youtubers playing the Beta. You can check out some of the videos below, and if players want to get in the Beta for Mirage all they have to do is preorder the game on Steam.

Pre-order Mirage on Steam to play the Beta - on NOW! http://store.steampowered.com/app/368420 Get 10% off of all Mirage pre-orders if you own Chivalry: Medieval Warfare on Steam. Pre-orders grant Beta access for you - and a friend too! Mirage: Arcane Warfare is $29.99 USD and will release May 23, 2017.

Pre-order Mirage on Steam to play the Beta - on NOW! http://store.steampowered.com/app/368420 Get 10% off of all Mirage pre-orders if you own Chivalry: Medieval Warfare on Steam. Pre-orders grant Beta access for you - and a friend too! Mirage: Arcane Warfare is $29.99 USD and will release in full on May 23, 2017.

Pre-order Mirage on Steam to play the Beta - on NOW! http://store.steampowered.com/app/368420 Get 10% off of all Mirage pre-orders if you own Chivalry: Medieval Warfare on Steam. Pre-orders grant Beta access for you - and a friend too! Mirage: Arcane Warfare is $29.99 USD and will release in full on May 23, 2017.

Valley now 60% off on Steam!

Valley by Blue Isle Studios is now 60% off on Steam.

Graceful Explosion Machine Soundtrack Coming April 13th

With Graceful Explosion Machine coming out last week on Switch - it's time to preorder the excellent soundtrack from Robby Duguay.

You can pick up the soundtrack for 7 dollars (US), with preordering getting you 3 tracks early. For 21 dollars (US) you get all 10 of Robby Duguay's releases. You can check out the details here, while also watching the video below on my thoughts on Graceful Explosion Machine.

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!

Get A First Look At Fossil Hunters From Reptoid Games

Indie developer Reptoid Games released a first-look video of their upcoming game Fossil Hunters, which actually won Ubisoft's Indie Series funding earlier this year.

Fossil Hunters is an action-adventure game in which you dig deep into a mysterious underground world to uncover fossils and match them together in countless combinations. Uncover never before seen creatures and survive this exciting realm as new friends and rivals compete to get hold of your discoveries. Will you sell your fossils for cash? Or will you donate them to research, push the boundaries of scientific discovery and become the world’s greatest Fossil Hunter?

Fossil Hunters is an action-adventure game in which you dig deep into a mysterious underground world to uncover fossils and match them together in countless combinations. Uncover never before seen creatures and survive this exciting realm as new friends and rivals compete to get hold of your discoveries.

No release date yet for Fossil Hunters, but you can keep up to date on the game by following them on FaceBook and Twitter.

 

 

Graceful Explosion Machine Out Now On Nintendo Switch

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!

One last LevelUP TO Preview: Interview with Livius Grosu

One last preview as Levelup TO is today, at the Design Exchange (234 Bay St.) from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.  I interviewed Livius Grosu, a Ryerson University student in Computer Science.  He has created a VR horror game that he will be showing today at LevelUP TO.

TGD: Tell me a bit about yourself. (Is this your first experience at LevelUP? Have you created games in the past?)

Livius Grosu: I'm currently attending Ryerson University for Computer Science and I plan on breaking into the game dev field.  I've had an interest in making games ever since I got my hands on it!  From gamer maker studio to the latest version of Unity, I've been making games ever since.  This LevelUp that I'm attending will be my first and I'm super excited about it!

TGD: What is your game for LevelUP TO this year?

L.G:  This year I'm submitting a VR horror game called MK.  My goal for this game is to create a dark/sinister world with unwelcoming 'inhabitants'.

MK LevelUP Toronto Game from Ryerson University Student

TGD: What did you get your inspirations for this game?

L.G:  The VR horror games theme stems from the games Amnesia, Penumbra, and Thief the Dark Project.  Ever since I played those games, I always wanted to mimic the horror and tension atmosphere that those games created.  Amnesia and Penumbra helped me understand different types of horror.  What those games really tried to emphasize was the horror of the unknown, which in my opinion, is the best kind of horror as it pulls through the core of what horror is.  Thief had tension between the player and the environment such as hiding in the shadows while a guard is nose hair away from you.  I wanted that kind of tension in my game to emphasize the fear and horror that a player might encounter.

TGD:  What are you most excited to show off about MK, and about LevelUP?

L.G:  We're excited to show off how the game can bring out the fear in a player.  Every asset from sound, models, lighting, and more, pushes this principle and it all ties nicely into a horrifying bundle.  I'm also excited to talk to members from Unity, AMD, and Ubisoft and get a slice of how the game dev field works!

Thanks again to Livius for taking the time to interview.  We'll see everyone tonight at LevelUP TO!

User Your Words Out Now On PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam

Funny party game Use Your Words is officially out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam.  Use Your Words is developed by Toronto based Smiling Buddha Games, and has players playing a variety of minigames using their smart phones, or tablets. You can check out the official trailer below, the game is also expected to hit Wii U "soon".

Coming Spring 2017, it's Use Your Words! The party game for funny people and their unfunny friends! Get more info at http://useyourwords.lol Pre-order it for Steam at https://store.useyourwordsgame.com Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/useyourwords And like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/useyourwordsgameSBG

Interview with 5 Horsemen Games - LevelUP TO Preview

I did an interview via Skype with 5 Horsemen Games, a group of Sheridan College students.  Their game Unspokin is a story about a young woman who cannot speak, and a blind bear, who work together to replenish their environment.

5 Horsemen Games includes:

Katherine Elliott: Art Director, QA Lead

Eirik Murbraech: Level Artist 

Danielle Rainey: Producer, Project Manager, 3D Artist 

Filipe Seabra: UIDdesigner, Programmer

PJ Tremblay: Audio Artist, Narrative lead

Here is our interview.  Enjoy!

5 Horsemen Games will be at LevelUP TO and Digifest 2017.  Check them out on Twitter @5horsemengames, and you can email them at 5horsemengames.info@gmail.com.