For the second time Q-Games is on a mission to make their own games easier. They did it with PixelJunk Monsters, by adding difficulty settings and increasing the strength of some towers. This time it's PixelJunk Eden's turn to receive the patch treatment, which will make substantial changes to the game's difficulty.
The official site states that the patch will add a "new continue system" for when you run out of time and a new control system. You'll also have "lots more time to spare" as you make use of the "smoother multi-play camera." This patch is due to arrive on the 19th of December in Japan and Europe, with an American release "coming soon."
We're all for improving accessibility, but we get the feeling that these new features might make things a little too easy. The smoother multiplayer camera is definitely a welcome improvement, though. Hopefully now Q-Games has gone back and "fixed" both of their most recent games we'll start hearing more about new PixelJunk title soon. That'd be nice.
No one can doubt the incredible popularity of PixelJunk Monsters. That game continues to sell, months after its release. Now, the PixelJunk team wants you to try Eden, their latest game. As a bonus, they'll give you a free download of the Monsters Encore expansion. The add-on pack adds 15 new levels (and a random level generator). This should be a deal for those that love PJM and are looking for something new.
Posted Oct 1st 2008 5:30PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Sometimes one interview just isn't enough! PlayStation.Blog has posted yet another interview with the artist that brought you the music in PixelJunk Eden. The guy's name is Baiyon and he also served as the art director for the game. As a bonus, the director of the game Tominaga "Tomi" Shouichi will also be included in the interview. The guys tell you about their favorite music, their influences and even who at Q-Games resembles a little Grimp. Find out the answers to all of that and more by reading the full interview here.
Lastly, the PixelJunk Eden soundtrack will be available for download on the PSN store for $2.99 beginning tomorrow, October 2nd. The soundtrack is going for much, much more on Amazon and Play-Asia right now, so if you enjoy the game's music, this is a great buy.
Our friends at Siliconera have found the creative minds behind the musical landscapes of both PixelJunk Monsters and PixelJunk Eden. The two games are PSN hits, and have rightfully cemented their places in the hearts of PS3 fans everywhere.
Otograph was approached about Monsters. Find out more about his inspirations and how Otograph met up with Q-Games for this interesting collaboration here.
Then, check out the next interview with Baiyon, one part DJ, one part art director. Find out more about his serendipitous meeting with Dylan Cuthbert, and how he was able to create the unique presentation for this most recent Q-Games project. Read it here. You can also order the PixelJunk Eden soundtrack at Amazon or Play-Asia.
Having trouble with PixelJunk Eden? We don't blame you. Some of these trophies are pretty tough and most of them are only bronze! It hardly seems worth trying, does it? Don't be silly, we know your inner geek is screaming for more Trophies, no matter how little they add to your PSN level. Don't fret, then. We're here to help you obtain these tricky Trophies with our handy guide. Let's get started.
Kylie Prymus is the first columnist for PS Fanboy. A Ph.D candidate in philosophy, Kylie specializes in the sociology of technology. Through this new weekly column, Kylie will explore the impact of PlayStation on thought and culture.
My PSN profile tells me that I am a Trophy n00b. An abysmal 1st level collector. I've acquired most of the trophies that you averageprimate could gather with ease, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get many more. I have a paltry 8 trophies, all of them from PixelJunk Eden. That puts me at a 33% completion rate, firmly in the middle of category: l-o-s-e-r. Still, I didn't download Eden for the Trophies any more than I downloaded it hoping it would teach me to finally get my snozzberry* plants to grow. I downloaded it because it was a much lauded and quirky, not to mention exclusive, PSN title and I happen to have a soft spot for such qualities (particularly the exclusivity). Being able to collect Trophies through the game is just a bonus, a diversionary side quest that makes the whole package slightly more appealing.
As I venture for the first time into this whole trophy business I've had to ask myself why I should even bother. What is the appeal of achievements Trophies? Do they add to or take away from a game? What is it about the Trophy system that made it such a sought after addition to the PSN? Milestones? Bragging rights?
Finding the PixelJunk games frustratingly difficult? You are not alone; one of the guys over at TheBBPS wrote an open e-mail to Dylan Cuthbert, executive producer at Q-games, humorously complaining that his wife finds PixelJunk Monsters just a tad bit too overwhelming and requests difficulty settings for the game. Cuthbert acknowledges his prayers, stating that an upcoming free patch to Monsters will include the ability to make the game easier, or harder, than the default setting. Altering the difficulty will disqualify you from online ranking though, for fairness' sake.
Cuthbert also hints a similar treatment in form of a new "more namby pamby" gameplay mode for PixelJunk Eden in a future expansion pack. He feels Eden's "controls are too much fun to waste on just one set of game rules." We can't wait!
This is rather unexpected. Considering this would be a spoiler to many, we decided to put this one after the break. You'll see the last level in action, and you'll find out what really-special-feature unlocks at the end of the game. For the impatient ones, skip to 5:20. (It's best watched with full annotations, here.)
[Thanks, jimb! Amazing video captured by Tntnnbltn]
SCEE has come through for us this week. PixelJunk Eden is here, in the form of both a demo and the full game. There's also a demo of Echochrome Micro for PSP owners, a smattering of game videos and the next episode of Movement. But really, that's all secondary to Eden and the glittering trophies contained within. At £4.99 (an almost direct translation from the US price of $9.99) it's a bargain. Here's the full release list:
You simply never can tell what SCEE have planned. Deborah Mars, producer for the PixelJunk series, has stated in the comments of the recent PlayStation Blog post that Eden will be available today in Japan, Europe and America. We would love to believe her, honest we would, but until we see it with our own eyes we simply can't. SCEE has had a hard time understanding the phrase "simultaneous worldwide release" several times in the past, after all.
We'll remain hopeful and will update you with the full PSN release list as usual when it lands. In the meantime, have you tried the PixelJunk Eden demo? If so, you might want to take a look at the trophy list and get practicing. The game launches today, after all. Worldwide! Hopefully ...
The first game to launch with Trophies is almost here. Finally! This stylishly addictive puzzle/platformer/rhythm game will be available on the PSN Store in the US and Japan tomorrow. No word on Europe, but fingers crossed. We thought you might like to take a peek at the Trophy list, in preparation for the game's release.
There's a distinct lack of Gold Trophies in PixelJunk Eden, but plenty of Bronzes to get stuck into. Here's the official Trophy list for the game.
A post on PlayStation.Blog by the President of Q-games Dylan Cuthbert reveals details about PixelJunk Eden's trophy and YouTube support. You will get a bronze trophy for every "seed" in a stage. Other trophies include destroying 500 "prowlers" or collecting 15 "crystal" in a single jump. Another trophy you can only achieve in 3-player mode. We also have a list of leaked trophies, from a NeoGAF post, which seems to be accurate, after the jump.
The YouTube upload feature will allow players to record gameplay and upload it directly to YouTube within the game. The procedure is simple: push one button to start and one to end. There is also no slowdown in gameplay "thanks to the power of the PS3 and its abundance of SPU processors."
Finally, they are thinking about trophies for PixelJunk Monsters as well via a patch. If they do release a patch, it will even include XMB music and "a couple of other things." We can't wait!
Tomorrow's American PSN update is looking to be pretty big. Our good pal Alexander Sliwinski over at Joystiq has just discovered that a demo forPixelJunk Eden will be arriving tomorrow in the US, a week before the full game arrives on the 31st. Our hands are already clenched around our controllers in anticipation. Who knew that the PixelJunk series would have us on tenter-hooks for the next release? After PixelJunk Racers, not us.
There's another fairly specific reason why we're looking forward to PixelJunk Eden; we've peaked, trophy-wise. We've been desperate for another game to satisfy our growing addiction for the glittering prizes, but Eden is the first game to support them since launch. The demo almost certainly won't include any, but at least it'll give us a week headstart to get our practice in.
There's one bit of key advice we learned after out playthrough with PixelJunk Eden at E3 in Los Angeles last week. Simply close your eyes and hibernate until the end of the month -- then you'll be awake with PixelJunk Eden ready on the PSN. This upcoming downloadable title continues the trend of Q-Games' abliity to make quirky, easily accessible arcade games exclusively for PS3. While not as conceptually easy to grasp as their previous titles, Eden has such an imaginative charm that it's hard not to fall in love with it. Having so little time with the game makes us wish we can simply fast-forward time to the game's release on PSN.
Undeniably, many will want an explanation on how the game is played. It may seem unclear from the videos, but the game is rather simple. Simple press X to shoot a web and start swinging around. You'll want to collect pollen and land on various pods. If you have enough pollen, these pods will grow into brand new plants, which will give you easier access to other parts of the level. Simply swing and stick to various plants, as you make your way through the level.
Q-Games' next PSN exclusive is PixelJunk Eden, a wildly innovative title that combines the best elements of Bionic Commando and Peggle ... with co-op. With its enticing style and as-always brilliant music, this upcoming Q-Games title cannot get here soon enough. PixelJunk Eden will be available in both the US and Japan on July 31st. And yes, it will support trophies.
Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions. Until then, enjoy brand new screenshots.
