Cryptic Sea has released a Mac version of their physics-based puzzler Blast Miner. Still no news about Gish 2 however. [Edmund McMillen's web site]

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the cast of Gish

DHC is currently adjusting the difficulty level for their first shareware release, Vulkaiser (which probably means adding more bullets in Japanese terms). Updated screenshots will be posted on the game information page soon, and the developers are suggesting the possilibity of co-operative play through the internet. Either that or I read the translated text wrong.

They have also stated that the game may not meet the expectations of many, which is pretty much what Pixel said before the release of Guxt. Admittedly current screenshots do little to instill confidence, but DHC had set an admirable standard with their freeware releases so it's quite unlikely that Vulkaiser will be disappointing to any extreme.

Also interesting to note that Vulkaiser was announced on the 1st of April, so it could be a two-month long joke and the final product may be totally different from what the images suggest. [DHC's web site, past projects]

Read more (translated)

Pictured left is a screenshot from the upcoming sequel to Heartland, titled Unbound. [Heartland review]

Next to it, a (possibly outdated) screenshot from Ore no Ryomi 3, subtitled King of All Cooks. [Vertigo Games web site]

Monokey has announced their participation in the latest Shmup-Dev competition, with the entire Force Majeure team reuniting and the introduction of a new member named rayraytea. Force Majeure is still set to debut as a shareware title this winter 2007.

Will the final product adapt a sketched look (like Eraser) or can we expect more pixelated eye candy? Here's hoping that we are able sample more than two levels with the induction of a another sprite artist, but the contest could be tight as X-0ut, Linley and cactus (Prototype, Excellent Bifurcation and Clean Asia) will be involved as well - all winners from previous Shmup-Dev compos. [Force Majeure download page, junkboy's pixel art]

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From this...


To this. Personally I think the art has improved

Erin Robinson has revealed more information about her involvement with Blackwell Legacy on her site, stating that it will be out in mid-August - which incidentally coincides with the release date for her freeware adventure game Nanobots.

Spooks' development team has reunited for the Nanobots project, meaning that Vince Twelve (Linus Bruckman) is in charge of scripting while Scorposer takes up the responsibility of supplying background music. [Blackwell Unbound mini-site, Spooks review]

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Krobon Station is currently working on Mogura 3 and Super Mogura Tennis. [right-click here to save gameplay video from Super Mogura Tennis, Mogura 2 review]

Alex Adventure is a cute platformer, somewhat on a par with Lyle in Cube Sector in terms of creativity used for enemies and environment. Jumping feels a little strange at first but once you get past this, the gameplay focuses on running, jumping, shooting, exploring and solving small puzzles. Fortunately the gameplay mechanics actually work quite well and the game itself has a good deal of charm.

Name: Alex Adventure
Developer: Alexandre Szybiak
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 8.3MB

Dave Gilbert's Blackwell Unbound announced. Interestingly, sprites and background art are done by Erin Robinson this time around. Due out next month. [Nanobots announcement, Spooks review]

New Metanet Software development blog launched. Description from the site:

You can expect to see a chronicling of Robotology, as well as some details on other projects, plus a whole bunch of randomness too. We'll probably review games we like and don't like, and comment on who knows what else. So get ready, in a kind of general and indiscriminate way!

A very early prototype for Robotology can be downloaded from the latest post. [original forum thread]

cly5m (the creator of seiklus) may be working on a new project entitled Avaus, pictured right. As described on the site:

In this game, you'll pilot a ship on a rescue mission in a dream world. This is a pretty large project, and I hope to have it finished in 2007.

American McGee interviewed by Tale of Tales.

Pictured below, a Dotechin tribute piece by crybringer. [Dotechin review]

Last Scenario is a game made using the popular RPGMaker XP that could possibly rival Aveyond's level of professionalism, perhaps even surpass it. Tiles, music and sound effects are standard material that is included with the package, but most of the character portraits, sprites and backgrounds seen in this release were created by the developer.

The C key is used for most interactions and menu selections. Press the X key to access the inventory screen or to cancel any choices. A medium length RPG with over a thousand rooms, side quests, a unique spellcard system and even a collectible board game, it's quite unlikely that any fan would complete this production in a couple of sittings.

Name: Last Scenario
Developer: SCF
Category: RPG
Type: Freeware
Size: 70MB

Chalk is a unique action game by Joakim Sandberg which places emphasis on drawing to solve problems that the player will face in each of the six levels.

The right mouse button controls movement, while the left is used to draw lines. Only one line of a certain length can be on screen at any time, determined by a gauge shown at the top of the window display.

Geometric shapes can be removed by drawing lines across each of the green dots on them. Enemies are destroyed by drawing a line from a purple bullet to a ship. Blue shapes can be picked up and thrown around.

Beating all six levels with A ratings unlocks the endurance challenge.

[save with all levels and endurance challenge unlocked, zip file]

Name: Chalk
Developer: Joakim Sandberg
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

DanC over at Lost Garden is issuing a challenge for all indie game programmers: take the excellent tileset that he has created, follow the game mechanic guidelines set out in the challenge, and create a "God" game.

If you do, the game will be explored and the things that are learned from it will be fed back into the "challenge".

It's a great intellectual and fun exercise for anyone interested in game development.

Sandfall is a short demo for an upcoming RPG game with a unique battle system, in which the player can only use one character throughout the entire adventure. Swords are traded for guns in this futuristic western setting, where each bullet is precious and has to be bought or discovered by searching inside boxes. Adversaries cannot be expected to drop items for the player to collect.

Shooting at enemies from a distance does not bear the usual rewards of experience or riches, since they will respawn after a short period of time. Money is rare, and cannot be acquired from enemies. A character's level does not increase automatically when experience is gained, instead it must be traded for lessons or new skills by approaching pit fighters and children on the streets.

Press the C key to execute an action, or tap the X key to access your inventory screen. Use the alt and enter key to play in full screen mode. Plenty of potential but little is showcased in this teaser, with only two cities and a small cavern to explore.

Name: Sandfall
Developer: Despain
Category: RPG
Type: Freeware
Size: 30MB

Crayon Physics is the latest experimental project by Petri Purho, showcasing a gameplay element right out of the recent arcade favorite Chalk. Draw squares to guide the red ball towards the stars to complete each stage, with challenges usually requiring the placement of bridges, weights or elevation objects around the landscape.

Press space to reset the current level, or use the alternate and F4 function key to play in full screen mode.

Name: Crayon Physics
Developer: Petri Purho
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Ishi's upcoming Pushover 2 will feature a two-player co-op mode. [Clockwiser, Pushover review]

Here's a video recording of a Ruff 'n Tumble sprite being redrawn. [original forum thread, Ruff'n Tumble teaser, preview]

NaaC updated with dual analog joypad support. [NaaC, Tubopac review]

Monty Mole is getting a 3D makeover, courtesy of Smila.

Valdis Story is a short 2D platformer with gorgeous pixel art and decent gameplay, though much of the enjoyment will be hampered by either the high resource usage or difficulty in beating certain bosses.

The Castlevania influence is visible, with double jumps, inventory screen and dash moves worked into the game seamlessly to provide a coherent exploration platforming experience. Use the space key to leap, or press the D key repeatedly to attack once a weapon is acquired.

Featuring completely original artwork and programmed using Game Maker. The demo contains two playable stages only. Does not work for Vista.

Name:Valdis Story
Developer: Endless Fluff
Category: Platformer
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: click here
Gameplay Video: watch

Balloon is a decent action game by N.I which involves a little bit of planning and strategy. The objective in each level is to guide the balloon to the top of the screen while searching for extra lives, invincibility or bonus items hidden in some of the blocks.

Use the Z or X key to shoot in either direction. Press the C key to place a bomb. If the down arrow key is held, your balloon will hover in place until the button is released. Tap the P key to pause, or use the F1 function key to reset the game.

Name: Balloon
Developer: N.I
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB