DodoGo! Robo for the Nintendo DSiWare

Lead the Dodo resistance! against multiple death-defying hazards in a new robo-egg collecting adventure in the DodoGo! series.

Video game developer and publisher Neko Entertainment has announced, in co-production with Alien After All the launch of DodoGo! Robo developed exclusively for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service is now available from the Nintendo DSi Shop.

DodoGo! Robo is a successor to the 2010 adventure puzzle game hits DodoGo! and DodoGo! Challenge.

“The DodoGo! series has been an incredible success on DSiWare, offering players an absorbing and challenging addictive puzzle experience”, said Denis Mercier, CEO of Alien After All, “With Dodo Robo we have gone back to the future, as you take control of the robo-dodo, with new hazards to avoid as you become the hero of the resistance”.

Over 65 million years ago on Dodo Island, a robo-dodo has arrived from the future. His name is D-800 and as the leader of the Dodo resistance, he has been programmed to complete one important mission: to train each dodo to survive the death-defying hazards that the Cretaceous period has to throw at them. D-800 has one ally – robo-eggs – synthetic replicas of delicate fragile dodo eggs.

With hours of gameplay, players use their Nintendo DSi stylus to guide robo-eggs through a range of inhospitable environments whilst encountering obstacles and advanced machines. Armed with a toolbox and their creativity players manipulate the environment to lead the robo-eggs to safety by digging, filling, sawing, scraping and cutting.

Featuring an extended training mode DodoGo! Challenge is rated PEGI 3 in Europe and is now available on the Nintendo DSi Shop priced at 200 Nintendo DSi Points.

For more information about the game visit the official DodoGo! website.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is an epic original action adventure game inspired by an alternate telling of biblical mythology as narrated in the ‘heretical’ Book of Enoch, part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The game has been developed by a ‘dream team’ internal Japanese studio whose former credits include iconic multi-million selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, and Okami.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron features a disruptive next-generation combat system and stunning original direction from director Sawaki Takeyasu, previously the art director on Okami – considered by some media as ‘the most beautiful action game ever created.’

Since its first announcement at E3 in May 2010, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron has been critically acclaimed for its originality both in Japan, where it won the Japan Game Awards 2010’s Future Division award, and internationally where it is has become one of the most eagerly anticipated original releases in 2011.

For further information about this game visit the El Shaddai game site.

Dodogo!Challenge pack shot

The sequel to the 2010 adventure puzzle game Dodogo! has just been released, the latest version is called Dodogo! Challenge and has been developed by Neko Entertainment in co-production with Alien After All for the Nintendo DSiWare.

The story of DodoGo! Challenge begins in the Cretaceous period on Domo Island where the survival of the Dodo is threatened by a tidal wave that has swept away the inhabitants home, leaving their eggs treacherously scattered across a desolate rock in the middle ocean.

Featuring nearly 100 captivating missions, players using their Nintendo DSi stylus to guide eggs back to their nest through a range of inhospitable environments whilst encountering predators, obstacles and pitfalls along the way. Players are armed with a toolbox and their own creativity as they manage the environment to lead the Dodo eggs to safety undamaged. Players progress through levels interacting with their environment to progress by digging, filling, sawing, scraping and cutting.

Laurent Lichnewsky, Managing Director of Neko Entertainment said;

“DodoGo! Challenge is a Nintendo DSi stylus touch based game designed exclusively for the Nintendo DSi™ that is full of surprises and bonus levels. Whether you’re a casual player or an experienced gamer, DodoGo Challenge will keep you entertained for hours on end.”

DodoGo! Challenge is rated PEGI 3 in Europe and is now available on the Nintendo DSi Shop priced at 500 Nintendo DSi Points.

For more information about Dodogo! Challenge visit the DodoGo! website.

One of the few commonly shared passions of the archer and sorcerer is long-range combat fighting: keeping your distance makes victory a breeze. However, if you should find yourself within reaching distance of your opponent, or even find yourself cornered, your survival will be decided on a second to second basis amid the flying blades. In the long run, light armour provides very little protection so sorcerers teleport themselves outside of the danger zone at lightning speed to take another stab at it with a little more breathing space.

This is when they employ their icy lance which holds their rival at bay and freezes them to the spot. Now is when you make full use of the sorcerer’s magical potential. Using their primary weapon, the mystical disk, sorcerers channel rapid fireballs or explosion balls which release their full might at a more leisurely pace. Whether in a group or as a powerful solo fighter, opponents have little chance of survival if they don’t keep their backs covered against the sorcerer’s fiery might.

On the battlefields of TERA streaming arcane magic is channeled with meticulous precision. Whereas sorcerers rely on their mastery of the elements, archers depend solely on their training with the bow and arrow. In battle they skillfully outmanoeuvre their opponents to reach the ideal vantage point from where they can get their adversary squarely in their sights. The longer they concentrate on their target, the more accurate and devastating their strike will be.

When an archer is involved, there is no such thing as safety in numbers since their volleys of arrows can strike down even large groups of foes. In addition, their talent for setting traps is their own personal life insurance policy since the incapacitating poisons they use can keep enemies from even approaching. They are truly an excellent addition to any group of adventurers needing some powerful support.

But the choice is up to the player – both classes require high levels of concentration and engagement with the action-laden gameplay. So, whichever class wins the TERA duel you can be sure that the skills of the player were the decisive factor. For more information on the sorcerer and archer take a look at the official Tera website.

Haunted House pays homage to the classic favourite as players solve mysteries in Graves Mansion as the grandchildren of the original character, Samuel Silverspring, who disappeared without a trace in the evil mansion nearly 30 years ago.

Chased by pesky poltergeists, haunted by scary skeletons and ravenous rats, players are immersed in a goosebump-inducing adventure to explore the dark and creepy depths of Graves Mansion in search of the four lost pieces of a magical urn. The player’s goal is to reassemble the urn and defend their family’s legacy with the aid of mystical tomes, powerful light sources and mysterious artifacts.

This classic game has been remade for a new generation of gamers with enriched 3D environments, interactive objects, dynamic storylines, and new characters.  Gamers must navigate their way through 16 levels of spooky environments, find hidden treasures, solve puzzles, fight new bosses, and manipulate the environment on their way to a showdown with Zachary Graves.

For more information visit the Haunted House Atari website.

return to mysterious island - iPad screenshot

Microids, a leading publisher of adventure games for PC and Apple products have announced the launch of Return to Mysterious Island-Deluxe Edition for the Apple iPad.

A world imagined by Jules Verne now comes to life through the stunning graphics of the iPad, introducing all new content for the launch.

Based on Verne’s classic novel “The Mysterious Island”, Return to Mysterious Island – Deluxe Edition puts players’ survival skills to the test. In this first-person adventure with intuitive point-and-click navigation, players take on the role of Mina, a shipwrecked woman on a solo round-the-world sailing expedition.

Using logic, creative inventory management, and elements of the supernatural to explore recognizable locations from the famous novel including the granite house, the volcano and the Nautilus, players are tasked with one priority — escape. Sophisticated puzzle challenges and vast exploration of the lush tropical landscapes, along with splendid photorealistic pre-rendered vistas, combine for the ultimate adventure game experience.

Return to Mysterious Island also highlights Jep’s presence, a monkey that Mina will meet on the island and she can use him to reach inaccessible places. Finally, three types of interactive assistances (posters of available places or interactions with the decors) and a scoring system (obtained thanks to object combinations and the number of hours to finish the adventure) are available.

The Deluxe Edition of the game features bonus content and an enhanced user interface giving gamers more on-screen options than ever before. The extra content extends average gameplay to more than 16 hours and provides those familiar with the title with new twists and turns to explore.

The game builds upon a franchise that has sold over 850,000 copies on PC, iPhone and iPod touch to date. Return to Mysterious Island – Deluxe Edition will be available for download in the iTunes App Store for £5.99.

The UnderGarden

Atari have announced plans to release their new puzzle exploration experience for gamers who have an affinity for  solving new style puzzles, The UnderGarden is scheduled for release this Winter.

Developed by Vitamin-G, the creators of Aces of the Galaxy, The UnderGarden is set to unleash its mythical mojo this Winter and will be available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network and Windows PC Download at Atari.com.

The UnderGarden is a casual zen-like game that challenges players to explore beautiful underground caverns filled with strange life forms; physics based puzzles and plenty of hidden secrets. The world comes alive and music evolves as players get deeper into the world of The UnderGarden.

With local co-operative gameplay, players can chill out, work together to solve puzzles and explore the world. The UnderGarden offers 20 different levels of modern exploration filled with brain teasing physics and eco-friendly puzzles that evoke an emotional response to the beauty and calm of this underwater oasis.

Vice President and General Manager of Atari Europe, John Burns said; “The UnderGarden offers an imaginative and novel take on the puzzle genre. With its beautiful striking visuals, hypnotic soundtrack and taxing physics puzzles, The Undergarden is a underwater journey of triumphant discovery.”

Watch the trailer here:

For further information visit The UnderGarden website.

The trailer features Bounty Hunter Kit Ballard, part cat, part girl and completely lethal! Prepared for every eventuality, Kit has the ability to change her appearance in an instant with over 60 combinations of weapons and costumes available to her.

Blade Kitten welcomes the player to Hollow Wish, it is here in this mysterious shell planetoid filed with dark secrets and shadowy cloaked figures that Kit Ballard works as one of the best bounty hunters in the business.

She is one of the last of her species, having fled her homeland after the genocide of her people at the hands of the ancient and mystical race known as the Darques.

Kit has since made a name for herself rounding up some of the most deadly scum in the galaxy. With her unique Darque Blade hovering at her side and obeying her every command, Kit can cut through even the toughest rogue drone while hunting down soft targets. Also along for the ride is Skiffy, Kit’s laid-back little sidekick who, when needed, serves as her protector.

Join Kit, Skiffy and the Darque Blade in the all new action adventure game… Blade Kitten.

Blade Kitten is released in September 2010, the all action adventure has a 12+ rating and will be available for Xbox LIVE Arcade, Play Station Network and PC download.

runes of magic - relationship system - screenshot

Runes of Magic fans will be excited to know that the latest content update called ‘In The Depth Of The Forest’ will go live tomorrow, August 11th.

The new content update for Chapter III offers players of the role playing game a new zone with new quest lines and the opportunity to make friends through the new relationship system.

Beginners will now enjoy the company of a special virtual pet and the update includes a re-balance of a large number of the current skills in the game.

Over 100 quests will lead players through the new region of the Northern Janost Forest. Players will continue to explore the story of the third chapter of Runes of Magic by helping the Angrens defend their land against degenerated elves. If adventurers accept the challenge, they are able to reach the new level cap of 60, the final limit raise linked to Chapter III.

Apart from this new high-level content, every player will be able to enjoy a new relationship system allowing them to bind themselves together as friends, master and students or even lovers. Every relation will grant the persons involved special buffs when they are grouped with their partner. Lovers will even be able to marry their soul mate by exchanging their wedding ring in a chapel which has been built in Varanas, the most important city of Taborea.

Another new feature has been introduced by Frogster to help out beginners to discover and enjoy the game in its early stages. From now on, a special pet, taking the form of a golden pixie, gives new players hints on how to play the game and help them out by granting them special buffs or healing them when damaged.

To learn more about the update ‘In The Depth of the Forest’, visit the Runes of Magic website.

Star Trek Online screenshot

Atari have joined up with developer Cryptic Studios to announce the launch of  Season Two: Ancient Enemies, the latest content update for the Star Trek Online Universe.

Season Two: Ancient Enemies is available at no additional cost to current Star Trek Online players. The content update allows players to encounter and battle even more of Star Trek’s iconic races, and enjoy all new Episodes.

Star Trek Online’s Season Two: Ancient Enemies boasts the following new features:

• A new level cap: players can now reach level 51. (The previous level cap was 45.)  With the increase come new ranks within the Federation and Klingon factions.
• All new rewards and content: including new Tier 5 ships, high-level versions of every Special Task Force mission and Fleet Action, and Mark XI gear rewards.
• Eight brand new Episodes: tailored specifically for the Klingon Empire, these Episodes star the Fek’ihri, the fabled enemy of Kahless, founder of the Klingon Empire.  In Season Two, the Fek’ihri have returned and have again set their eyes upon Qo’noS.
• A brand new gameplay option: the Federation Diplomatic Corps. In this new system, players have the chance to meet and peacefully interact with brand new civilizations.  As players progress through the Diplomatic Corps, they earn special ranks and rewards.
• Feature Episodes: five special new Episodes will debut weekly, beginning in August. These Episodes will introduce a new neutral race: the Deferi.  Players of any level from both factions will be able to aid the Deferi against an adversary new to Star Trek Online.
• Dabo: a longtime staple of social areas in the Star Trek Universe, the casino game Dabo is coming to Star Trek Online. Players can wager energy credits to earn gold-pressed latinum, which they can exchange for special new rewards.

Season Two: Ancient Enemies also permits players to continue interaction with the Undine, venturing into their native Fluidic space to learn more about the enigmatic species and their struggle with the Borg.  The Undine story continues with five new Episodes, a Fleet Action and all new Deep Space Encounters.

Taking place in the year 2409, Star Trek Online boasts extraordinary features and lets fans both new and old experience unparalleled adventures.  Players have the opportunity to become high-ranking Starfleet officers and participate in missions that take them into the depths of space, across exotic planets and inside other starships. Star Trek Online offers total customization, from a player’s avatar to the ship he captains.

For more information visit the Star Trek Online website.