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The forty-second trailer released late last year showed little of Capybara's upcoming iPhone release Sword & Sworcery, but now we have two new clips that demonstrate gameplay elements from the IGF Mobile Achievement in Art award winner. The gorgeous pixel art is supplied by Craig "Superbrothers" Adam, while the music is composed by singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie.

A video showcasing the Punch Out-style combat in the game can be found in the extended. (source: GameSetWatch) Continue reading

REDDER is a game by Anna Anthropy / Auntie Pixelante, with music by Amon26. It’s an exploration platformer focused around an alternating green/red block switch mechanic, similar to the mechanic used in the third pendent dungeon in the SNES classic A Link to the Past.

I found the colors very nice (even though the backgrounds are often just gradients, there’s a lot that can be done with just gradients of color), and the exploration of a fairly large world excellent. In a few ways the game resembles VVVVVV, but only in basic structure: a world of screen-sized rooms, numerous checkpoints, things to collect, but is more non-linear, slower-paced, and not as focused on challenge (you won’t die very often if you’re decent at platformers).

I’ve played through many of her other games (When Pig’s Fly, Calamity Annie, Calamity Annie, Invader), and so far this one’s by far my favorite; maybe you guys will agree. Continue reading

In Redder you play as an astronaut forced to make an emergency landing on an alien planet after finding out that she has run out of crystals to power her ship. This 2D platformer features a world map, regular checkpoint locations, and an unlimited number of retries to assist players who are unaccustomed to difficult challenges.

The game takes about an hour to play through, and thankfully there are no additional fluffs like Time Attack or One Try modes included just to bulk up the achievements in Anna's latest browser-based effort. Continue reading

With Final Fantasy I and II recently released through the App Store, Square Enix is continuing its push to bring the marquee RPG series to the iPhone with a new Final Fantasy XIII app. This new project, unfortunately, isn't very game-like, as it's merely a photo gallery with high resolution images from the new PS3/Xbox 360 title.

The photos are so high in resolution that you can actually zoom in for a close-up on characters's eyes, according to a report from Japanese gaming news site Famitsu translated by Andriasang. You can even set one of the images as a background for a clock and calendar on your iPhone/iPod touch.

Square Enix hasn't revealed pricing or a firm date for the Final Fantasy XIII app's release, but it expects to make the gallery available worldwide simultaneously.

Granted that these screenshots are still a work in progress and may look different at a later date, but the new images posted up on Spelunky World today does show what kind of art direction that Derek is going for in the upcoming XBLA version of Spelunky.

The game is still scheduled for a release on the Xbox Live Arcade service sometime in 2010. Derek will also be participating in an hour-long IGS panel on the subject of art this year together with Edmund McMillen (Super Meat Boy), David Hellman (Braid) and Ben Ruiz (Aztez), so if you're attending GDC don't miss the session which happens on Wednesday, March 10th. Continue reading

After three games of hanging out in the background of the WiiWare series, CommanderVideo is finally the centerpiece of a Bit.Trip title, this time a rhythm-based action platformer. Gaijin Games released this first trailer for Bit.Trip Runner, and the game somehow looks even more amazing than its first screenshots.

The developer says Bit.Trip Runner will feature NES-style controls allowing CommanderVideo to jump over, slide under, and kick obstacles/enemies, all timed with the chiptune soundtrack (running is automatic). Along the way, he'll collect beats (represented as gold bars), fight robot bosses, and meet new friends -- if you watch closely, you'll see a meaty cameo.

Also, as mentioned previously, chip music group Anamanaguchi will provide a couple songs for the soundtrack. At the end of the trailer, you can hear the band's first track off Dawn Metropolis, which you can listen to for free here.

[Via @nintendaan]

Eastern Mind is continuing its crusade to promote Acquire's Patchwork Heroes (or One Million Ton Bara Bara) to Western gamers by posting another humorous comic set online; this time, though, instead of sharing a fan-made piece, EM has translated and uploaded a series of strips originally published on the PSP title's Japanese site.

The 4-koma strips feature Patchwork Heroes's charming characters, whom you can more of in this story trailer. If you're still unsure what the game's about, it has you jumping onto giant airships, rescuing prisoners, and breaking the craft apart by sawing away sections in a Qix-like fashion.

You can read the comic strips as an online mini-book here. Make sure to also check out Eastern Mind's collection of Patchwork Heroes PSP backgrounds/themes grabbed from the Japanese PSN store (examples after the break)!