PixelJunk SideScroller is not far from your hands! Yes, it has kind of crept up upon us, but the release date is 2nd of November in Europe. I really can’t emphasize enough how really, really good old school fun SideScroller has turned out to be. I’m sure some of you have played the “bonus” stage in PixelJunk Shooter 2 called “The Road to Dawn”, well that is what gave us the urge to make an entire side scrolling shoot-em-up game! Back in the day I used to love games such as R-Type and Darius, and going even further back there were games such as Scramble and Defender that inspired me as a child. So… we decided to dip our toes in and see what PixelJunk could bring to the side-scroller world.

We used the same engine as for the two Shooter titles, but the game itself is entirely different. To begin with this is a single-stick controlled game rather than the dual-stick control we had in Shooter, which makes it even more addictive and easy to control. And of course, you can only face to the right as you fly your craft! The only similarity really is that a handful of enemies from Shooter have been “re-imagined” for SideScroller, but to add to them we created a whole slew of new enemies and bosses for you to try to destroy also.

The back-story of the game is that SideScroller is the game the pilot of PixelJunk Shooter is playing on his old computer console in his ship on the way home to Earth after the ending of Shooter 2. This explains the cool “retro” look we have designed with the curved CRT (cathode ray tube) screen and the monochrome look of the interface. However, during its orbit of Apoxus Prime perhaps the computer has been infected.. a little?

Some people reckon PixelJunk games are a little tough, and well.. yes, they are a little because I think games should be a challenge. However, what we’ve done this time is scattered loads of checkpoints so even if you do die you’ll restart really close, and we also give you the option to downgrade your difficulty setting if you get a Game Over too. We’ve created 4 difficulty levels so everyone is catered for (I hope!).

Oh and did I mention, the bosses are AWESOME! Maybe I should mention that again…

I’ve got to head off and start finishing off PixelJunk 4am, so I’m going to leave you with this really cool trailer for SideScroller we created. Definitely check it out, because you might be able to spot one of the AWESOME bosses in there!

Remember everyone – Oct 26th!

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So here we are creeping up onto yet another Tokyo Game Show and we have a big announcement to make, and an unusual one at that! We are announcing a name change – I’m sure many of you have seen information about PixelJunk Lifelike over the past year or so, including some live demo performances we did during E3, and a few of you might have noticed how much the core concept of Lifelike expanded and shifted since it was first announced as we explored more and more ideas. Well, after long deliberation we are changing the name to “PixelJunk 4am” to better match the atmosphere we are trying to create… and for more information about that I have asked some questions and translated Baiyon’s answers for you:

Why the name change?

Baiyon: PixelJunk lifelike was originally conceived as an extension of the PixelJunk Eden world. Our idea was to create a kind of living speaker for people to play their music through, using natural imagery and taking strong visual cues from Eden. There wasn’t even the concept of a “player”. We’ve since moved far beyond that simple idea to new and uncharted waters both visually and musically. The style has evolved now into something that is really quite different from anything we’ve ever made before. It was only natural we’d want to chase this new concept and capture it with a new title.

Why 4am?

Baiyon: 4am represents the exact mood and feeling we’ve captured. 4am is that deep night hour. In clubs, the music drifts to a new level entering a deepened state that often seems removed from reality. Whether you’re in a club or not, 4am always feels like the night has gone on forever, where there’s still a little time left before dawn. This late night feel better represents our current visual and musical style.

So what can we expect now?

Baiyon: PixelJunk 4am is something unique that has never been tried before, so we’re treading in new territory. We’re using the PlayStation Move in truly experimental ways to give people control of making their own style of music. Being able to stream your music live on PSN also gives people the chance to broadcast a new kind of online performance. We can’t wait to see people playing 4am deep into the early morning hours.

So there you have it, from the horse’s mouth so to speak, and to get an even better sense of this “4am” atmosphere Baiyon is talking about check out the brand new trailer we made below and see Baiyon himself creating an awesome track.

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You saw us delve into the totally twisted minds of real life survivors in PixelJunk Shooter 2: The Survivor Files (on a YouTube docking station near you!). In the next installment of PixelJunk Shooter 2 video goodness, Q-Games presents a unique, documentary-style twist to the tutorial formula in our new PixelJunk Shooter 2 Online Battle Tutorial: Frolicking with Fleck!

Who here as been hesitant to hop into the PixelJunk Shooter 2 multiplayer fray? Are you too afraid to get your tail kicked by the hardcore vets? Well, join “Dustin Fleck,” our esteemed narrator and battling expert, as he takes you back to Online Battle Basics. With great panache and verve, he’ll show you how to hone the twitch reflexes you’ll need to succeed in battle. And since the (free!) Shooter 2 multiplayer demo has been released, I’m sure there’s plenty of fresh blood for you to take advantage of. You’ll be an online battling stud in minutes!

Having fun playing Shooter 2′s Online Battle? Share your favorite Online Battle moments by sending an e-mail to podcast@q-games.com. If they’re up to snuff, we’ll read them on our podcast, PixelJunk Radio. Click here for details on how to subscribe.

With that, I leave you one deep and profound observation: better THAT than an eggplant up the nose, kid! Just watch the video. You’ll understand what I mean when you see it for yourself.

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Hey everyone!I am happy to announce a patch for PixelJunk Shooter 2. We’ve changed a few things. Read on for the full list:

1. There was a bug where some enemies would spawn right on top of you giving you that awesome “insta-death” you really don’t want in a game… well, we fixed it!
2. The online connectivity has been tuned to allow you to hook up with other players much more easily. Try it out!
3. If you get matched against a higher ranking player you get a nice large cash bonus (Q space bucks of course) if you win! This gives you a big incentive to challenge yourself more when you get matched up against someone who seems better than you. Hint: stay calm and use strategy, you can definitely take them!
4. We added an option to the pause screen that lets you take a break in the middle of a stage and come back later to finish it off. So when your mom calls you to the dinner table just choose that option, go eat your dinner *and* be nice to the environment by switching off your PS3!
5. Even if you kill a few survivors and get a game over screen you can “continue” – your score will be reset, but if you are just exploring and trying to get as far as you can this feature stops you from being thrown back to the start of a stage just because a few puny survivors happen to have gotten in the way of your missiles.
6. A message on the pause screen lets you know if there are any diamonds still hidden in the current screen. This is very handy when you are searching out that last diamond in order to unlock the awesomely cool secret last stage!
7. Acid walls aren’t as nasty anymore – we gave the giant alien whose insides you are exploring some antacid and he’s feeling a lot better now!

We have another PixelJunk announcement or two for over the next few weeks, so stay tuned…and enjoy the new-and-improved PixelJunk Shooter 2.

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So, the wait is almost over, the sequel to the technically and critically acclaimed PixelJunk Shooter will be with us tomorrow! It continues from where the original left off, leaving you trapped in the deep dark bowels of an enormous alien entity. Fight through the backwash and encounter the weird and terrible monsters that are living in the alien’s gut… force your way through putrid stomach acid and strange slippery bubbly stuff and be totally grossed out by thousands of iddy-biddy insects that come pouring out of strange pulsating larvae when you mix water with it.

Yes, this is a game you probably want to avoid playing immediately after eating, and you might feel a little queasy the next time you are staring down Sparrow-on-a-stick (a Kyoto traditional cruisine).

But wait… Shooter 2 isn’t all about dieting and worm control! It has vast new worlds to explore that aren’t part of an organism’s digestive track, and new technologies too, such as the Hungry Suit and the Light Suit and a whole load more. Use the new R3 spin-attack to wipe out chains of enemies at a time and revel in the destructive mayhem you can dish out with the upgraded charged missile! But all this wanton damage is for a good cause as those survivors still need rescuing and only YOU can save them!

On top of all this fun, we have added a completely new online versus mode which I have gone over in a previous post, but let me tell you, it’s just oozing with “addictability”; with twenty unique wonderful weapons to earn and use in the battles, I really hope everyone gives it a go. It’s not overly aggressive and is a bit of cute cat-and-mouse fun, so even those PixelJunk fans out there who have never played online before, I urge you to give it a few tries (besides, one of the trophies requires you to go up at least one league in the online mode so that should be a good enough lure).

Anyway, I shouldn’t keep you too long, you’ve got PSN wallets to fill… See you online! (my ID’s PixelMeister so if you encounter me in your league battling, be kind and let me destroy you!)

PS. there is something extra special for those of you who collect all the treasure… I shan’t spoil it though, last one there’s a ninny!

Over an out! …now where did I place that damn magma ball blaster…

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