Fractal is back, you guys. You know, the enchanting musical puzzle game from Philly’s own award winning Cipher Prime, makers of such fine pieces of electronic entertainment as Auditorium and Pulse: Volume 1.

For those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of playing any of the  team’s games yet (and honestly, where have you been?) now is the perfect time to jump in.

Well, almost perfect. You see, there was recently a bit of trouble with the  game on the App Store, but the fellas have everything all cleared up now and it’s back up under the Cipher Prime banner ready for your hot little hands. It was FREE until last Friday… which has passed,  obviously. But think about it like this: For a meager $2.99 (for the iOS version) you can support a great local studio and still get your hands  on a fantastic experience that Bitmob calls “a living, breathing world  that reacts to your every move.” (more…)

Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy gets possessed by a malevolent being , kills a bunch of dudes, and ends up having to watch girl die before he can save her. Boy takes revenge.

So that was pretty much the original Darkness in a nutshell, as recapped by a handy “Previously on the Darkness” video right at the outset of the Darkness 2. That boy is Jackie Estacado, and in the two years that have elapsed since the original game, Jackie has kept the Darkness tucked away inside himself, vowing to never use its powers again. You can probably imagine how that works out… the second installment isn’t a kart racing game.

The Darkness 2 takes a lot of story beats directly from its predecessor, but is easy enough to pick up and dive right in. The game starts off with a bang and leads you down an exciting,, ultra-violent mob revenge tale with just the right amount of mystic mumbo-jumbo. But boy, is it violent. Fans of the first game will remember using Jackie’s Darkness tentacles to great effect slicing, dicing, and dismembering anyone unfortunate enough to get in the way.

The second game turns that up a few notches and gives you greater control of the beasties to really get things done. A new “quad-wielding” mechanic allows you to dual wield guns (or use one heavy weapon) while controlling each of the over-the-shoulder death dealers with the bumpers (or R1 and R2 for you poor saps with PS3s). This creates some great combat possibilities, especially when combined with Jackie’s other abilities, that go a long way towards making you feel like a total boss. Fitting really, since Jackie is the Don now. (more…)

Philadelphia is a sports oriented city. We’ve got hockey, baseball, basketball, and football (both kinds). We even have a freaking lacrosse team and an arena football team! It would seem that the City of Brotherly Love has the sports scene covered. Sports fanatics can drop by pretty much any bar and watch the local team on the big screen while knocking back a few lagers.

But if you ask any geeky gamer, Philadelphia is devoid of one of a particular spectator sport, Starcraft II. Dennis Scoleri hopes to change that by bringing the broadcasts of Starcraft II tournaments to some Philadelphia sports bars. Hold onto your butts. Philly Barcraft is here.

Starcraft II is a sequel to a popular real time strategy game. Three races offer different playing styles and tactics. The Protoss are technically advanced humanoids, the Zerg are insect-like swarmers, and the Terran are human descendants with great defenses. Players race to establish their bases, build units, and manage resources to overpower their opponents. This isn’t a button masher. It’s the thinking man’s video game. (more…)

You know, for all the stories about gamers ignoring their significant others for their consoles and keyboards, there are some great examples of gamer geeks going above and beyond to profess their love for one another. Need a little inspiration or digital courage this Valentine’s Day? Check out some of the best video game related proposals below.

5. Comic Con Halo Proposal (Above): When you and your lady are in the habit of reenacting scenes from popular Halo machinima Red vs. Blue, having an audience at Comic Con is no big deal. Besides, you’ve got helmets on, right?

But what happens when our partner goes off script and decides to make things a little more… personal?

4. Super Mario Proposal: There’s something to be said for knowing what the love of your life really enjoys. Super Mario Brothers, for example. This guy really nails it.

You always want to make sure you work out the logistics though… I mean, what would’ve happened if he hadn’t caught the ring? What if it turned out there was a fire flower in there?

3. Chrono Trigger Custom Hack: As you may or may not know, Chrono Trigger is pretty much the best game ever. How can you make it better? Hacking in a marriage proposal, obviously.

The couple’s story is interwoven into a brand new storyline in the game centered around a mountain that represents something special to the pair. The custom quest culminates at the top of the mountain with something very special for the intrepid adventurer. (more…)

8 Static returns this weekend at Studio 34. The chip-tune guru’s have quite a show planned for this month with a lineup that will have you dancing like a Dalek. They do the Brisbane Shuffle inside their tin can skirt.

If you like your chip-tunes a bit more experimental with songs like “My Girlfriend Left Me For a Tentacle Monster,” then be sure to catch SKGB. Their latest album “CondomTune” is being sold via digital download code printed on packages of multicolored glow-in-the-dark condoms. Hopefully they have enough for the tentacle monster if he shows is his ugly mug.

Rounding out the bill is a quirky duo called D&D Sluggers. Armed with a Super Nintendo, a keyboard with a strap, and a guitar, these guys are able to turn out some unbearably catchy songs. They were recently at Raleigh’s Hopscotch Festival, alongside acts like The Flaming Lips and Drive-By Truckers.

Philly’s own Animal Style is back in the seat behind the projector to delight your eyes and compliment the melodies pouring out of that old video game hardware. Warning, welding goggles might be necessary cause Animal Style’s visuals are so hot they might scorch your corneas.

To top it all off, Kitsch Bend has kindly offered up for raffle some sweet bits and bobs for the budding chip-tune composer/fan. They also have some incredible gear up for sale on their site like some custom GameBoy Advance and custom circuit cases.

Sadly, after three years of rocking West Philly, 8 Static is moving out of Studio 34. Lets be sure to pack the house for this stellar lineup and give the place a sendoff like it’s never heard before! Be sure to RSVP because this show is sure to be one the geeks will talk about for ages.

As always, tickets are $8 and $5 with and RSVP. The raffle tickets are going for $1 for 1 ticket, $5 for 8 tickets, $10 for 14 tickets.

Stay tuned and we’ll keep up to date with whats going on with 8 Static and where the next show will be.

Console online marketplaces are chock full of shiny new ports of old video game titles from yesteryear. On XBLA you can snag a copy of Banjo Kazooie. On the Wii’s Virtual Console, you can download tons of games from Super Mario RPG to The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. The PS Store is no exception. One of the newest additions is a rather strange one though. “Odd” if you will.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is solid title that oozes the otherworldly charm of those goofy cartoonish games we all played before Call of Duty busted in with clouds of debris and iron sights.

You play as a bounty hunter simply called Stranger in an old west-style town populated by talking chickens. Stranger is sick and pulling in ogre-looking outlaws that have been plaguing the sentient fowl is his way of earning enough “Moolah” to get his life-saving operation. Amidst all of this, Stranger gets wind of a town of creatures called Grubbs who are being terrorized by some sort of demon. He sets off to the town looking to solve the mystery of the monster and possibly his own origin.

Stranger’s Wrath allows you to lightly bounce back and forth between 1st person shooter and 3rd person platformer. The platforming sections are little more than enjoyable obstacles between sections of blasting outlaws with critters you pick up from the landscape. That’s right, the wildlife buzzing and jumping around are ammunition you need to hunt in order to replenish your stash.

There’s nine critters that Stranger can use in his double-barreled crossbow and each have their own unique attributes. The ammo ranges from the “Zappfly,” which look like a glowing wasp that shoots electricity like an insect stun gun, to “Fuzzles,” that are little more than toothy Tribbles. It’s quite satisfying when you lure a yammering outlaw into a trap of Fuzzles then zap him into the nearby lake.

It’s evident that a lot of care has gone into the update to the graphics and gameplay. It looks and feels crisp and clean. The artistic style of the game is a wonderful break from anything realistic and the voice acting is so delightfully over the top that you may let out a snort at some of the silly dialogue. The chickens sputter around in a high pitched southern drawl while Stranger sounds like if Mongo from Blazing Saddles was gargling gravel.

Whether you are a fan of the original game or just looking for something fun to shake off the realistic-shooter dust that’s been accumulating on your console, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is definitely worth a look.

Or, you can just go back to sucking at Call of Duty.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is available on PSN for $14.99
An upcoming update will feature stereoscopic 3D and PS Move support.

Philadelphia is proud to be participating in its third Global Game Jam this year. The Philly Chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) will be hosting two locations to Jam in – one in IndyHall in Old City, and the other at Camden county College in Blackwood, New Jersey. It will run from Friday, January 27 at 5pm until Sunday, January 29 at 5pm.

Global Game Jam is the world’s largest Game Jam, with the Philly and South Jersey sites being just two of over 220 locations this year. The Jam is open to anyone who is interested in making games – video, board, or card games – no matter their skill level or experience.

Whether you’re a programmer, a musician, or an avid board gamer, you’re welcome to come team up and make a game. Who knows? Maybe you could be like last year’s Jammers who created LangGuini, whose Kickstarter campaign just successfully ended.

Interested? More information and registration info can be found at the IGDA Philadelphia page  as well as the Global Game Jam site.

Center City Location
Hosted by IndyHall
22 North 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

South Jersey Location
Hosted by Camden County College
311 College Drive, Blackwood, NJ 08021

Tomorrow, tickets will go on sale for the epic musical event for the sophisticated gamer. The Legend of Zelda: The Symphony of the Goddesses features music that spans 25 years of the Zelda games and showcases Nintendo composer and sound director Koji Kondo’s vast work. A full orchestra will perform 4 complete symphony movements with a cinematic video presentation synced to the music.

Every previous performance has sold out so act fast! Tickets have a wide price range from $19.50 (for lawn/terrace) up to $95.00 and go on sale this at 10am. Don’t miss out on your chance to witness this truly unique concert experience!

For more information, visit the Mann Center’s official website. And list to a track in the video after the jump!

You may not know the name Nick Murphy but if you are an avid reader of the site or just into video games in general you are more than aware of his handiwork. Nick won a Geek Award last year for his trailers for Zelda (1987) and Indie God of War, and he has now tackled the game that seems to come on every electronic device from Nooks to microwave ovens these days… Angry Birds.

I spoke with him about directing his newest trailer and what goes into creating these little viral masterpieces. You can check out his newest parody at the end of the interview.

So how did you get started doing these game parodies?

I got hired working for the company Gamervision, they were setup already and they were like a video game news site and they had some web video content. They had this idea of combining Mario Brothers, but as Inglourious Basterds since the film was to come out.

So a friend of mine worked there and was like, I know my friend is a filmmaker lets bring him on. So they brought me in and I did it and it got like 300,000 or 400,000 views so it got passed all over the place and went pretty viral.

So right after that, they paid me for my time working on that, and they were like we want to hire you full time. So we kept making shorts.

It started there and we tried to keep that momentum going. It was a lot of fun.  I love it but it is such a niche thing. I am always trying to find that guy that loves video games, but loves movies the way I do too.

What do you think goes into a good video game mash-up trailer?

It’s hard because someone else did an Angry Birds thing and it has like 11 million views. But they did it in a way where it is super over the top. It’s like Michael Bay doing it. There was this government program that manufacture these birds to fight these pigs, who are the enemy.

For us that was an easy joke. We wanted to challenge ourselves and try and incorporated it into the real world. They came out with this Mortal Kombat realistic, gritty web series, so we thought if they can come out with something like that we can make Angry Birds gritty and visceral I guess. That is what I wanted, could this be a real thing?

(more…)

Reboot your auditory sensor modules with 8 Static.

The year has been reformatted and a new operating system has been installed. Your robot ears are in need of some nourishment. Don’t worry, 8 Static is back to reboot your brain with some amazing chiptunes. On January 14th, 8 Static will once again be vibrating the floors of Studio 34 with the rumble of 8-bit rocking.

This month features the audible stylings of Burnkit2600, a trio guys that compliment their circuit bent silicon instruments with drums, bass, and occasionally a flute. They bring a mash up of funk and psychedelic sensibilities to delight of your aural receptors.

Ever wonder who is straddling the chasm between punk and chiptune? Ponder no more because Graffiti Monsters are will be here to rock your face off with some classic 8-bit sounds wrapped up in a punk rock duvet. A duvet is punk right?

Maybe you prefer your 8-bit music a bit more thunderous, frenetic, and only made with a Gameboy Color. Enter Kool Skull. With nothing but a Gameboy, this guy will rattle your positronic brain within that bone casing you call a skull. And you will like it.

To delight your eyeballs, local artist and 8 Static veteran visual magician, enso will be on hand to provide an amazing light show.

As always, each show is preceded by a workshop showing you how to bend vintage hardware to your musical will and generally become a chip tune hero. This month’s is being presented by our friend Paul Weinstein AKA Chipocrite who created a rockin’ version of the Game of Thrones theme for The Philly Geek Awards. Before the show, he’ll show you some live Gameboy performance techniques.

Hopefully that will include how to play The Legend of Zelda theme behind your head with your eyes closed.

8 Static
Saturday, January 14th, 2012
7:00pm at Studio 34 – all ages!
$8 / $5 with RSVP right here!

For this week’s Geek of the Week, we talk to Matt Campana, local musician and composer. His work includes an arrangement for the Video Games Live orchestral show, and music cues for Drexel University.

I hope the name of this Drexel U and Berklee College of Music alum sounds familiar to you, as we posted about him back in September.

You’re known for your work in music, how did you get into it?

I started piano lessons in Kindergarten and I took them until 4th grade when we could no longer afford them. That hardship was actually a blessing in disguise. I didn’t play piano for a little because of this, but that’s when I began to develop my “ear” for music.

I started taking lessons again in high school. Due to my ear training any my lessons, I can hear music and play it almost verbatim as to what’s in my head. So, when I hear music it is easy to record it out on the keyboard, edit it, and eventually create a score from it.

At this point, how many instruments can you play?

I play the piano as my primary instrument. I realized that this would be my instrument when someone showed me you could digitally play other instruments using computer software. That’s how I achieve such epic sounds in my music.

However, I also love playing the guitar. I used to carry my guitar around campus so that my friends and I could jam. I was in the Filipino Intercultural Society at Drexel University (FISDU) for all four years of college. Guitar is a staple of FISDU hangouts. It helped me make friends.

I also know enough violin and drums to compose for it and enough drum technique to program for it when recording my music.

Tell me more about your work with Video Games Live. What did you do? I went to VGL once in Anaheim, CA at BlizzCon. Do you know any sweet Blizzard tracks?

I have worked with Video Games Live for 40+ shows. For the show, I have done everything from running a pre-show Guitar Hero competition, managing volunteers to actually intro MC-ing the show in front of 3,200+ people on Broadway. The largest credit I received was for my stage production work with them on their PBS national broadcast Blu-ray release. I helped in the setup and flow of the live event, ensuring on-stage events happened on time. It went beautifully and it’s available on iTunes!

Speaking of Blizzard, I was once backstage when three-time Emmy award-winning composer, Russel Brower (WoW/SC composer) walked over. He had his laptop with him and proceeded to show my boss, Tommy Tallarico, the then-unreleased theme of StarCraft II. I almost died, I was so glad I brought a change of pants. It was the “Wings of Liberty” title track; it’s incredibly intricate. That was definitely a highlight. (more…)

I caused the end of an established franchise, but I wasn’t that bad guys!

Alright, let me start this off by saying these aren’t the best games of 2011. In fact, they are far from it. When I think about the best games of the year, titles like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Gears of War 3, Fallout: New Vegas, L.A. Noire, Dead Space 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, etc.

The games I’m about to ramble about? These are the best, tragically underplayed games. The titles you ignored because they got poor reviews or were released in the wake of large blockbuster titles (some in the midst of several). Games that had immediate price drops on Amazon and made you suspicious of their quality. Games that I actually enjoyed.

So read on, and feel free to hate. And if I missed a game you think should be included, leave it in the comments. I’m always looking for new games to play. Especially underrated ones.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Like I said in my review of this title back in September, Space Marine was the biggest gaming surprise of the Summer, end of story. And now that 2011 is coming to a close, I can say that it was the surprise of the year, at least for me. When THQ asked me if I wanted a review copy of this game, I scooped it up with intentions of just writing up a quick giveaway with some brief impressions (sorry guys!). I really didn’t think I’d end up playing it all the way through, as I assumed it was going to be… well, bad.

Man, was I surprised.

An intense third person shooter, Space Marine delivered a surprisingly engaging narrative (despite me not understanding much of the Warhammer lore), beautiful, albeit very dark and dreary landscapes, and voice acting that was shockingly decent. I poured a lot of time into the title, and tried to nab every achievement I could. The multiplayer was a little meh, but the single player campaign was engrossing enough to forgive that fact. And if you’re like me and seldom bother with multiplayer, it’s a moot point anyway. (more…)