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Peggle (iPhone/iPod Touch) only $1 for a limited time

by David Hinkle { Jun 11th 2009 at 3:45PM }

Look, guys and gals, there is a crazy sale going on right now. If you're observant and like to read post titles before you dive right in to the meaty body of text you're reading right this second, then you already know the score: Peggle on the iPhone is only $1 for a limited time. Seriously, it's only a buck up until midnight, June 14. We're talking about one of the most addictive game experiences ever, for only $1. That's like ... we can't even compare it to anything, because, dude, Peggle is only $1. That's like ordering some chicken fingers and the server hands you some filet mignon, too.

Act fast, though. The sale is only going on for a couple more days.

[Via Shacknews]

Download Peggle for iPhone/iPod Touch -

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box: new trailer for the short wait

by JC Fletcher { Jun 3rd 2009 at 11:35AM }

After years of literally hearing nothing from Nintendo about the release of any of the Professor Layton sequels, it's got a release date: August 24. A two-month wait for the North American release of Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box doesn't seem so bad after all that agony. Not that Nintendo actually said anything about releasing the game. It was a bullet point on a list of games on the press site, and nothing more.

Like the last one, Diabolical Box will feature downloadable puzzles every week for 33 weeks. Thanks, Level-5, for the steady drip of Layton puzzles -- let's hope it doesn't run out before at least an announcement for the next one.

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

Natsume announces new cheery, squishy games

by JC Fletcher { May 28th 2009 at 1:40PM }

Natsume's E3 lineup features mostly what you would expect from Natsume (Harvest Moon and lots of it, plus the previously announced Afrika on PS3), but the company revealed a few unannounced games, some of which are even surprising.

The WiiWare Harvest Moon game, Harvest Moon Ranch Store, is being localized as Harvest Moon: My Little Shop, which is pretty adorable. The company has also announced a new cheerleading game called Cheer We Go for the DS, as well as Squishy Tank, a puzzle game about little animate tanks. If it looks familiar to you, you were probably a really attentive DS Fanboy reader: it's a localized version of Yawaraka Sensha, a licensed puzzle game released last year in Japan by Success.

Gallery: Squishy Tank (DS)

Amazon lists Professor Layton 2 for August

by Majed Athab { May 22nd 2009 at 8:00PM }

If you're the type that's inclined to believe retailer release dates, then take a look at what Amazon says about Professor Layton's second outing, The Diabolical Box. The online retailer has the game pegged down for August 24, which is just three months away.

This is a good thing, considering that, for the longest time, we've been feeling like young Luke there, glazed over and stunned, staring into that half-opened glowing box of doom. Just what new adventures lay ahead? It looks like we'll find out soon enough.

[Via GoNintendo]

Spielberg presents: Spielberg in: Boom Blox Bash Party trailer

by David Hinkle { May 21st 2009 at 9:15PM }

In the latest trailer for Boom Blox: Bash Party, the man with a plan, Steven Spielberg, gets intimate and offers details on EA's sequel to its beloved Wii puzzler. Marketing jargon is thrown around quite freely, with Spielberg admitting that Bash Party "takes Boom Blox to a new level" and that "all of the good ideas" were saved for the sequel. Yeah, right.

Thankfully, the video doesn't stray into that territory for long, as we eventually get a close look at what we all want to see: multiplayer! If that doesn't look like fun, then we must be dead.

Gallery: Boom Blox Bash Party

Groovin' Blocks heading to Groovin' disc release

by JC Fletcher { May 21st 2009 at 4:15PM }

Empty Clip Studios today announced that, thanks to the WiiWare release of its puzzle game, Groovin' Blocks, Zoo Publishing has picked up distribution rights for a disc-based version of the game. Essentially, Zoo saw the Wii game and thought, "You know what? This would make a great Wii game."

The disc release of the musical falling-block game will be expanded with new levels and music, and will be made available in both North America and in Europe, where the WiiWare version has yet to be released. In addition, Zoo will release an iPhone version of the game, which, of course, won't be on disc.

Ninjas have never been this good on PSP

by Majed Athab { May 20th 2009 at 4:30PM }

If you previously missed the chance to check out Oreike's highly stylized gameplay, then you'd best check it out right here, right now. It's got substance and style, and looks to be a refreshing change of pace from the usual fare found on the PSP. For the uninitiated, Oreike blends ninja combat with shadow puzzles for what appears to be quite a unique gameplay experience. Watch it in action in the clip above.

After the break, check out the game's intro video. There's not much action going on, but it hints at the different locales that can be visited in the game. Plus, it's got some awesome music to listen to.

Continued →

Level-5's Layton-esque 'Sloane and MacHale's Mysterious Story' launches this week in Japan

by JC Fletcher { May 18th 2009 at 6:15PM }

Last year, in the midst of a pile of news from Level-5, the company quietly announced three DS puzzle games called the Atamania series. The first game in that series comes out on May 21 in Japan, and it looks like something worth getting excited about!

Sloane and MacHale's Mysterious Story is, like Level-5's Professor Layton series, a collection of brain teasers wrapped up in an overarching mystery tale. The puzzle content in this game consists of lateral thinking puzzles from Paul Sloane and Des MacHale, presented as both animated scenarios (in a very cool silhouette style) and text. The puzzles seem to involve moving the text of the puzzle around with the stylus to make connections.

Of course, Level-5 has yet to say anything about localization on Mysterious Story. We'd say it's an obvious choice given the success of Professor Layton, but we have yet to see any of the Layton sequels!

Qruton drops puzzle blocks on PSP, PS3

by Andrew Yoon { May 11th 2009 at 11:02AM }

It's time for yet another cross-platform PlayStation Network game for both PSP and PS3. Qruton is a new puzzler hitting Japan this Summer (and later this year in America, perhaps?). The object of the game may look quite familiar: rotate blocks to get a 2x2 square of similar blocks. However, there's a big twist: when you create a 2x2 square, you'll be able to link combos by quickly rotating in new blocks into the grid. Just watch the video, and you'll see someone transform the entire screen into one massive chain. Rather impressive! It looks like fun, and you'll be able to play it in HD or on the go.

[Via Siliconera]

Vertigo tumbles into retail June 16

by JC Fletcher { May 5th 2009 at 5:15PM }

We haven't heard about Playlogic's Vertigo, the weird racing/Monkey Ball/labyrinth game, at all since last September. Today, Playlogic announced that the Balance Board-compatible "futuristic racing puzzle game" will be available on PC and Wii June 16. In a weird coincidence, this "futuristic racing puzzle game" will come out the same day as Let's Tap, Sega's "future tapping game" for Wii.

This trailer reminds us of a 3D Marble Madness more than Monkey Ball, with its future theme and precision jumping, but even that doesn't quite capture it. The levels seem a lot longer and more platformer-like.

Vertigo also features four multiplayer modes: "Time Trial, Xorb Football, Death Match, and 10-pin Xorb bowling," as well as single-player time trials. For our own sake, we hope that the time trial grades you on how quickly you fall off the side.

Gallery: Vertigo

Gamefly reveals North American box art for Space Bust-a-Move

by JC Fletcher { May 4th 2009 at 4:30PM }

It's no secret that we're big fans of Taito's DS lineup. The revamps of Taito classics have ranged from good (Arkanoid) to surprisingly great (The Legend of Kage 2) to the very best of the DS (Space Invaders Extreme). When Taito unveiled a new DS version of Puzzle Bobble (known here as Bust-a-Move), we couldn't wait to hear news of a localization.

Well, there still hasn't been any announcement, but a box art image has popped up on GameFly for what is now called Space Bust-a-Move, which is official enough for us. The Bub and Bob on the box are even competently drawn, which hasn't always been the case.

Even though previews suggest that the game didn't turn out that great, we're still too tempted by the combination of Bust-a-Move, online play, and paddle support to move this off our radar.

New Roogoo: Twisted Towers trailer shows off gameplay, sweet muzak

by Xav de Matos { Apr 9th 2009 at 1:00PM }

Roogoo: Twisted Towers is a fast, action puzzle game coming to the NIntendo Wii and DS later this month. Taking over where the original Xbox Live Arcade and PC releases left off, the game supposedly sports new modes and features, including touch and waggle. All right, maybe it's more than "supposedly" including waggle since the latest trailer actually shows the feature in action. You know what else the trailer shows? Adorable music. Okay, it doesn't show music but ... you get what we mean. Geeze. Just read our hands-on for more details and stop being like that.

Gallery: Roogoo Twisted Towers

See new ninja puzzle game Oreike in action

by Majed Athab { Apr 7th 2009 at 2:00PM }

Onore no Shinzuru Michi wo Yuke (or Oreike for short, as noted by PSP Hyper) is a new puzzle/action title about ninjas. The most captivating aspect about this new game is its interesting spin on the puzzle genre, where it utilizes shadows, or multiple copies of a player's avatar, to advance through stages. It's a concept that's borrowed from the flash game Cursor*10 and one that is better understood by watching the two clips posted after the break.

Developer From Software presents Oreike with a distinct and colorful Japanese art style, and also with staple co-op/competitive ad-hoc multiplayer modes. The game hits Japan on June 11 for ¥3,990 ($39.58), and will hopefully hit North America too. It's looking good and we need more ninja action on PSP. N+ wasn't enough!

[Via PSP Hyper]

Continued →

April ... Fools? Wii Qube and Wii Relax may be real

by JC Fletcher { Apr 1st 2009 at 7:05PM }

Last week, information started showing up online about Wii Qube and Wii Relax from a company in Italy called Pub Company. We declined to post about them, since a game in which you stick the Wiimote in a big cube and a game that uses a headset to measure your relaxation level seemed like obvious, annoying jokes, especially given their proximity to, uh, today.

Pub Company sent out a press release today assuring us it isn't an April Fools Day windup. Qube is apparently a Tetris-inspired falling-blocks puzzle game controlled by moving a big cube around. Wii Relax is a series of two games, Relax Mind and Relax Body: "'Mind" will teach you to relax your mental state whilst 'Body' will help you to relax your body and alleviate stress. Forget about Yoga lessons and expensive massages: you'll be able to have a real Zen experience in your own living room."

We're still not sure if this stuff is real.

Boom Blox Bash Viewing Party

by JC Fletcher { Mar 24th 2009 at 9:00AM }

EA finally sent out real screens of Boom Blox Bash Party, and they're mostly what you would expect from a Boom Blox game: exotic towers of colored blocks surrounded by cute, blocky characters -- including those robots. Wonderful! The characters can now be grabbed, knocked over and interacted with just like Blox, so there's more of a reason to maliciously toss stuff at them.

These latest screens show off the crazy new environments (like under the sea and in space), as well as the new paintball item! Basically, it looks like it splatters the wall with color. We're sure there will be some reason in-game that you'd want to color the wall rather than knocking it over.