Indie Rock: Games Of E3

I’m a cool guy who enjoys independent video game development and gets all hot and bothered by the prospect of just a few people getting together and making something personal and unique. I want to help them any way that I can, nurturing an environment that rewards their work with better publicity and supportive criticism. I’m also a Leo and I’ve signed up for this dating service because I’ve been unlucky in love in the past but want to make a few new friends and see where it goes ;)

I can only do so much, though, I’m just one dude and my marketing budget is all tied up for this quarter in coffee and Tesco brioches. It’s been lovely that E3 has really stepped up the game as far as providing coverage of independent titles because it means, hey, a lot of people are gonna be aware that cool games exist! Maybe we’ll make me obsolete soon? I’m looking forward to my chance at a relaxing margarita on the beach.

Cuphead

Steamboat Willie is nearly 90 years old. That early Disney animation aesthetic (pictured above) has just been sitting there on the ground and no developer bothered to pick it up until now. I’m almost embarrassed I never pointed it out earlier. I thought everyone could see it, discarded, just waiting for someone to bring it to the Lost and Found and leave a notice on the bulletin board.

The brief moments shown off at the Xbox presser show the titular headed-cup battling against bosses and jumping on things like a Kirby/Megaman hybrid and that seems like exactly what they should do. It’s what I want from them. Just look pretty and don’t be ambitious. Someone’s gonna come along and pay your way through life.

Titan Souls

“It’s a top-down Dark Souls” I say, to get your attention. “You’re battling against giant bosses and the only weapon you have to dispatch them is a bow and a single arrow”. If you’re not excited you’ve not got your excitement hat on and you need to go get it out of your locker. And you’re gonna be doing 5 laps around the pitch when you come back in order to catch up with everyone else.

FRU

It’s a shame that so many Kinect developers are going to have difficulty now that the camera isn’t a pack-in with the full console.

FRU finally seems like the best implementation of the concept, with a silhouette of your body acting as a platform for characters you control to walk up. If only the Kinectless announcement could have been held back a few months until the game’s completion or the release could have been brought forward. Gah. A great idea cut down before it even have chance to sell.

I’m really interested in seeing a better proof of implementation here.

Threes

Just a 2048 rip-off. Have you played 2048 yet? I think it’s going to be the next Flappy Bird.

But seriously. It’s coming to Xbox One. Any way to play one of the best puzzle games ever made seems all right by me.

#IDARB

Team volleyball… right now. The thing about #IDARB is that everything about the game is subject to change over the never-ending development cycle which solely involves an idea being tweeted at the developer and it being taken on-board. It’s a team co-op game right now, but a couple months ago it was just a game where there was a red box on-screen.

I’m excited for the #IDARB of today, but I’m more excited for the #IDARB of 1000 years from now, the #IDARB of the new millenium.