Psychonauts has been named "runner up" by Gamespy's Best of E3 article for Xbox Winners. GameSpy concludes that "Psychonauts really needs to be seen for complete understanding ? it?s that wacky, that innovative." Well said. Be sure to read their preview of this game as well.
Articles
Psychonauts has been named "runner up" by Gamespy's Best of E3 article for Xbox Winners. GameSpy concludes that "Psychonauts really needs to be seen for complete understanding ? it?s that wacky, that innovative." Well said. Be sure to read their preview of this game as well.
In summarizing the madness of E3, a few sites have begun to roll out their "Best of E3" awards. While LucasArts hasn't won any so far, Star Wars Galaxies was awarded "runner up" status from GameSpy's best PC MMOG (oh the acronyms!).
Additionally, Galaxies won runner up awards from IGN for Biggest Xbox Announcement as well as PC Game of Show. Congrats to both LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment for this honor... or runner up honor, if you will.
The Kickstand, one of our hosted Full Throttle fan pages, has relaunched with a brand new design. You may want to keep a close eye on this page in the future, due to the recent announcement of Full Throttle 2.
In addition to the redesign, the site features new content. Most noteable is the fan art page, although the webmaster is asking for people's help to fill in the gaps on who created some of the art. If you can help in any way, drop Ben_Whatshisname a line.
Are you excited about Tim Schafer's new game, Psychonauts? Or, do you hate the game but dig the art style? Then check out two of our Psychonauts desktop wallpapers that we whipped up from the E3 asset CD-ROM.
Each wallpaper is at a size of 1024x768. Just click on one of the images below. When it loads, do a right-click and "save as". That is, unless you're using a crazy Mac.
The SCUMM Bar has put up a great new article by community bigwig Remi Olsen. This feature details the whereabouts of some of the people who made the Monkey Island series happen. It's a great read, and highly informative, so check it out!
Just read on JKII.net that Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is headed for the Mac, care of Aspyr Media. Aspyr also handled the Mac ports of Escape from Monkey Island and Galactic Battlegrounds. Aspyr's Jedi Knight II page is located here.
Source: JediKnightII.net
The previous poll, "Who's brain would be the most disturbing to run through in a game of Psychonauts?" has ended. George Lucas was the most popular destination for would-be Psychonauts with 21%, with Spaff, Mr. T, and Tim Schafer neck and neck for second at around 15% each. I was fighting with Simon Jeffery for last place.
To console Mr. Jeffery for losing the poll with me, we've made the next poll all about him. Well, more appropriately, the interview we did with him at E3. The poll asks, "Of all the things Simon Jeffery vaguely talked about, which interests you most?"
As we conclude Mojo's coverage of E3 2002, we present our exclusive interview with LucasArts President Simon Jeffery. In our interview, we discuss such topics as Star Wars, original games, the 50/50 balance, Monkey Island, graphic adventures, former employees, and much more. Give it a read, won't you?
With all the E3 madness this news post is a little late but last Sunday, a new hosted site opened its doors... The Brim Stone Beach Club. This is the first hosted site of Mojo network site The SCUMM Bar and you guessed it, is about Monkey Island. :) To join the club you need to submit 5 pieces of fan art and then you and your webpage get placed on the members list. The site is currently running a wallpaper competition to win a copy of The Curse of Monkey Island (tm) so make sure to check it out.
In our latest E3 article, I take a look at the return of an old hero. Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb is the latest game to feature our favorite archeologist, but how does the game live up to previous Indy titles? Check it out.
I've tried to gather up previews other sites have written of the original titles LucasArts announced at E3 this year, as well as some coverage of Double Fine's Psychonauts. If you find any others which are actual demo or hands-on reports (not merely a paste of the official press release), leave them in the comments and we'll add them to the list.
- Psychonauts
GameSpy
Games Domain
IGN XBox
GameSpot
Gamers.com
RTX Red Rock
EuroGamer
GameSpot
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
Gamers.com
Gladius
GameSpot
IGN
Gamers.com
Penny Arcade
Full Throttle II
Game Trailer
(FTII wasn't playable at E3)
Continuing with the E3 impressions, we have Andrew's views on Hal Barwood's RTX Red Rock, an action/adventure headed for next-gen consoles. In the preview Andrew talks to Reeve Thompson, RTX's producer, and discusses how RTX might (and might not) appeal to classic adventure fans.
In what will likely be my last ever article for Mojo (because I hate writing feature stories), I've written my impressions of the upcoming vehicle-based Star Wars action game, The Clone Wars.
Though I'm obviously not the best person to write about this (or about anything at all, really), I tried to compare the demo we saw of The Clone Wars to my experiences with past LEC vehicle-based action games like Rogue Leader and Battle for Naboo. Whether or not I succeeded is unknown, but you can certainly leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Though the expo itself was last week, the Mojo coverage starts today. Over the next few days we'll be running previews and our impressions of the games shown this year both by LucasArts, and by Double Fine (Tim Schafer's company).
To start it off, we have a preview of Double Fine's XBox-bound adventure/platformer, Psychonauts written by Andrew "telarium" Langley. The preview includes screenshots and concept art you may or may not have already seen before, and quotes from Tim Schafer himself that we may or may not be sharing with Gamespot. Enjoy!
Hot on the heels (or something) of the Psychonauts preview is Sarah "invisibelle" McKeever's take on Gladius. Hilights of this preview include a vague description of the turn-based combat system, and something about the story.
Though she wasn't terribly excited by Gladius, she admits to knowing absolutely nothing about RPG's (none of us do!), so if you'd like to come to Gladius' defense, please feel free. I personally have mixed feelings about Gladius but I'm very curious nontheless.
Our next E3 preview is of LucasArts' upcoming 100% action, 100% Star Wars, Bounty Hunter. Here's a bit from the preview:
"The game's not about inventory management," the man at the Bounty Hunter display said. "It's not about finding the red, blue, and green card in order to get through the level. It's not about finding keys." And indeed that's what it appears to be. If you encounter a door, you simply use a laser cutter to weaken the door and then kick it down.While it may be fun, it's probably not every Mojo reader's cup of tea. Read if you like action games, shooting things, and kicking down doors while shooting things.
The sixth Star Wars: Galaxies developer's chat event will take place on Tuesday, the 28th of May. Here are the details pulled from the official site.
Join us Tuesday, May 28th for Dev Chat #6. Guests Raph Koster, Kevin O'Hara, Rich Vogel and Haden Blackman will talk about E3 and answer your questions about the event!If you're curious about this highly-anticipated title, you'll definitely want to stop by!
LucasArts.com is running a new poll that is very similar to one Mojo ran a few days ago: Which of the following games announced for E3 are you most excited about? You can pick from the four original titles that have been announced at E3 this year, so go vote now! (You must register an account first.)
Source: Blondebeard
The LucasArts Fan Network is proud to announce that after being open for six months, LucasForums has passed 50,000 registered members! To all the people that have registered in May, welcome to the community.
If you havn't registered yet, you should!
You can go and talk with all the crazy folks about anything under the sun... and possibly over it.
Seeing as its quite clear who our Daddy is, Full Throttle II receiving over 80% of the votes, we need a new poll.
This time we ask the following:
If in Psychonauts you run through the brains of disturbed individuals, who's brain, and therefore level in the game would be the most Horrific and/or terrifying to be inside?
IGN have posted some lovely new Star Wars Galaxies Screenshots and an 8mb Movie. Not only that but if you are a member of the IGN insider, you can check out This preview
We of course tried to prod any information we could out of Raph on the role of the Jedi in the game, but his lips were pretty tight on the subject. He did tell us that Jedi will be extremely, extremely rare, and each path to obtaining Jedi enlightenment will be different for every player, but he wouldn't give us any clues as to what that path may be. However, he was willing to spill the beans and let us know that, although powerful, Jedi will be hunted down by Darth Vader, who may even send the famous bounty hunter Boba Fett after your ass.They Also have a preview of Bounty Hunter, this time thankfully not as part of their subscription service, and Gamespot have a write up of Knights of the old Republic. Alternativley you could check out He-Man for GBA.... or my hero Mr. T!
IGN Insider has posted some more information regarding Psyconauts, the new game from Double Fine Productions.
Tim Schafer, of Grim Fandango fame, wants to apply the depth and rich story driven content of a typcial PC adventure game to the simple action of a platform game...
...Raz has to develop his psychic abilities across a variety of different disciplines and earn merit badges for each one to become a Psychonaut. The game is organized more or less in 16 levels, but each level is actually inside the mind of sixteen different disturbed individuals
For those of you without IGN insider access, You can read some more, by clicking below.<:MORENEWS:>
Tim Schafer, of Grim Fandango fame, wants to apply the depth and rich story driven content of a typcial PC adventure game to the simple action of a platform game. The result is Psychonauts a game whose looks will surely belie its extremely sophisticated humor and attitude. Psychonauts are a super elite team of psychic powered agents charged with protecting the free world.For more of the article sign up to IGN Insider or pester me to secretly steal and post it all on Mojo.
You play as Raz, an impetuous young boy who dreams of joining the elite squad one day. There's an intricate plot that explains Raz's family history and his former career as a circus performer, but when you start the game, he's just been accepted to the Psychonauts training camp where all young potential psychic warriors come to learn.
Raz has to develop his psychic abilities across a variety of different disciplines and earn merit badges for each one to become a Psychonaut. The game is organized more or less in 16 levels, but each level is actually inside the mind of sixteen different disturbed individuals. You as Raz have to enter those scrambled brains, where all of that person's delusions and paranoia are manifested as obstacles and characters that you'll have to deal with. We don't have a complete list of mental disorders but we do know there will be one guy who thinks he's Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, named Fred; an artist who only likes to paint on black velvet; a woman who's afraid of nearly every single thing under the sun; a guy who's a big conspiracy theorist and a giant lungfish monster who's actually afraid of your character Raz.
That's quite a collection of characters but the way their disorders come to life while you're running around their brains is truly something else. The black velvet artist for example is convinced that a snarling raging bull is going to be his ultimate demise, so while you're in his brain, you'll constantly have to be worried about a charging bull trying to run you down all the time. The artist also suffers from involuntary vocal spasms so you'll hear his spontaneous outbursts as they travel through his brain and out of his mouth.
The conspiracy theorist is convinced the government is out to get him so his mental delusions are manifested by a game world where all roads lead to his house and that government agents are lurking around everywhere. He thinks there's a Manchurian Candidate-style self destruct sequence waiting within in his mind and all it needs is for him to hear the right password to become activated. You actually meet the self destruct "guy" as a character simply hanging out in Conspiracy Man's head kicking back, doing nothing and waiting for that password. Indeed, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
The game certainly looks colourful, and I love the art style. Judging From this article and the concept art I saw last year this game should be a true
PsycoSchafer-BrainWrongRomp through your mind.
Well, Mojo was down for a few hours, along with much of the LFNetwork, and we apologize for not being able to bring this to you sooner.
Italian Gaming site Multiplayer.it snagged some footage from the upcoming Full Throttle trailer. Check it out here!
For those who cannot access FTP servers for any reason, check out our mirror here. Make sure you've got the newest version of DivX 5 to view this clip.
Mirrors:
- 6mb Avi - Multipayer.it - DivX5 required
- 6mb Avi - The Scummbar.com - DivX5 required
- 5mb Mpeg - Mixnmojo.com
Source: DeepThought2k
Thanks to TheForce.net I have been made aware of this article on a Japanese gaming site concernig last night's LucasArts E3 preview Screening. It is accompanied by some photos including one of the ever-Englsih Simon Jeffery.
Funnily enough all the text is in Japanese, so you might require a Translator. But if you just want to see the shiny picures... don't bother.
Are you waiting for our intrepid explorers to report all the happenings from the show floor? Whats hot, what's not and what the hell Tim Schafer has been doing?.....
Well bad luck you have to wait longer. But while you wait, you might like to read Tim's description of his game on the Double Fine Top secret Game in Development page. and then try and guess from the other information just what the hell ?Psychonauts? is going to be like... I am.
Update: RemiO has reminded me that there is a bunch of info on this game, including a movie, posted on The Scummbar.I'm going to go watch it whilst I sit here, clueless and holding the fort so to speak.
Last night, Mixnmojo had the privilege of attending a private screening hosted by LucasArts. The event, which was attended by a wide variety of industry professionals and media, began with a slide show demonstrating some LucasArts trivia. Of course, we knew all the answers, despite all the trivia being Star Wars related. The large theater was virtually filled to capacity, and there were a few familiar faces scattered around the room. We saw Tom Sarris, being his usual friendly self, and Tim Schafer was at the screening, which was a pleasant surprise.<:MORENEWS:>
Simon Jeffrey, president of LucasArts, started off the show by talking about the current focus of the company. ?At a time when the industry is standardizing,? Simon began, ?we?re aiming to go back to our roots. Highly creative, original, edgy, and thought provoking games.? After discussing the critical success of last year?s E3 lineup, he reflected on the challenges ahead. ?Our positioning is somewhat in conflict with itself in that we are striving for innovation and creative achievement, while at the same time managing one of the biggest intellectual properties in gaming.?
So what about original gaming? ?We?re showcasing eight games at E3 this year,? Simon continued. ?Four Star Wars games, and four games that aren?t Star Wars. This marks our return to original gaming; part of our legacy, part of our heritage.?
The highlight of the show for Mixnmojo was hearing the crowd reaction to different games mentioned by Jeffery. While the other games were met with half-hearted clapping, once it was revealed that Ben from Full Throttle was returning in a sequel, the crowd erupted with applause. We were then treated to projected game trailers on the movie screen for each of the new titles. Some trailers ended with enthusiastic responses from the audience, while others resulted in quiet reflection.
After the 10-minute presentation, the Episode II screening began. The crowd wasn?t nearly as enthusiastic about the movie as they were the game trailers, but it?s likely that everyone at the screening has already seen the movie. Of course, it didn?t help that the sound broke near the beginning of the movie. Oops.
We?ll be at E3 all day today and tomorrow, so expect more news directly from Los Angeles soon.
The results are in. 67% of you (including myself) really enjoyed seeing Episode II. If you still haven't seen it and are deciding on it, take a look at our reviews here. Here are the full results:
The new poll is up! Now tell us which recently announced LEC game you are looking forward to most. Most of them have trailers up so take a look at them over at LEC.com and respond to our poll question, "Who is your daddy?"
JediKnightII.net just got a sweet set of skins: Boba and Jango Fett, the infamous mandalorian bounty hunters. Included in the package is an original model, skin pack (featuring CTF skins), bot files, and custom sounds. They look great, so check them out here!
Up over at EuroGamer are a few screenshots of the X-box game "Psychonauts" and from the information on the site, it says that the developer is Double Fine Productions, Tim Schafer's company. There's no word of this on the official Double Fine site but keep checking back for possible updates. In any case, the shots are cool-looking, so check them out. :) Thanks to Kingzjester for the news.
I'm a day or three late reporting on this, but at least now I have enough spare time to make this a decent update, so here goes...
Double Fine Productions, Tim Schafer's game company, has updated their site with "information" about their top-secret title, as well as up-to-date "news" about the goings-on in the company. Have a listen:
I'm actually writing this news update on Saturday and pretending it's Friday. The problem is, I can't remember anything that happened yesterday. I don't think anything did. Oh, wait! There was a big fire in the next alley over. Lots of smoke and firetrucks and-- wait, no, that was Thursday. Yesterday I don't think I did much. Possibly, I overslept.In addition to these latest developments, Team X-Box has revealed the title of Double Fine's new slam-bang title: Psychonauts. Here's the description pulled from their site:
?Psychonauts? (Microsoft Game Studios). ?Psychonauts? is a wildly surreal action adventure game from Double Fine Productions developer Tim Schafer. It?s a game in which characters? personal paranormal powers are unlocked to plunge players into the minds of bizarre characters. Gamers journey deep into crazy worlds of infinite possibility to thwart the secret plan of an evil madman and realize the ultimate dream of joining an elite force of psychic superheroes, the Psychonauts. The game will be available spring 2003.Sounds very promising.
Source: SCUMM Bar
Today is certainly a big news day. LucasArts has updated their E3 2002 page with trailers from their upcoming titles! We also get our first glimpse of 3D Ben from Full Throttle II on the main page. Enjoy!
Some of you were wondering about the other mystery headline underneath the Full Throttle II update: Jedi Outcast Coming to GameCube and Xbox. Well that's no bull, either, and here's the proof:
LUCASARTS TO BRING BEST SELLING STAR WARS JEDI KNIGHT II: JEDI OUTCAST TO GAMECUBE AND XBOX
Latest in Critically Acclaimed Action Game Series to be Available This Winter for Two Next Generation Console Systems
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- May 21, 2002 -- Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, the popular action game predicted by many in the media as a favorite to win best PC title of 2002, will make its debut on Nintendo GameCube and Xbox this winter. Star Wars Jedi Outcast from LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC, presents the first opportunity for console game players to experience the latest chapter in one of the most enduring and popular interactive game series. Star Wars Jedi Outcast is a dynamic action experience that continues the saga of the once-powerful Jedi Knight, Kyle Katarn, as he struggles with the power - and dangers - of the Force. Through a multitude of complex and richly detailed Star Wars environments, players face a variety of powerful enemies and once again fight for the Rebel cause. Armed with the power of the Force and an arsenal of weapons, including a Jedi Knight's signature lightsaber, players hold the fate of the Star Wars galaxy and the destiny of Kyle Katarn in their hands.Star Wars Jedi Outcast for PC was developed by Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Raven Software. LucasArts and Activision will partner again on the GameCube and Xbox versions, which are being developed by Vicarious Visions.
Source: LucasConsoles
LucasArts has published the official press release for Full Throttle II.
A CLASSIC RETURNS - LUCASARTS REVS UP FULL THROTTLE FOR LONG AWAITED SEQUELLooks like Simon Jeffrey stayed true to his 50/50 policy after all!
Acclaimed Classic Adventure Roars Back to Action on Next Generation Consoles and PC in 2003
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- May 21, 2002 -- Full Throttle, one of the most loved classic adventures from LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC, returns in a long awaited action packed sequel for next generation consoles and PC in 2003. The follow up to the award winning game from 1995 will once again feature one of LucasArts' most popular and enduring characters, the swaggering outlaw biker Ben, leader of a renegade motorcycle gang called the Polecats. The free wheeling action-adventure will offer a humorous original story, furious bare knuckle fighting, and the thrill of high speed biking.
"Full Throttle is one of LucasArts' greatest and most beloved original games," says Simon Jeffery, president of LucasArts. "We can't think of a better brand or character to lead LucasArts' charge into a new era of original game development. Ben so perfectly symbolizes our legacy and yet has just the right mix of attitude and edge to appeal to a new generation of game players."
Looks like the people at LucasArts still have a few tricks up their collective sleeve, judging from the site's headlines script.
The latest update says: Ben Returns in Full Throttle II, and links to the E3 page. However, the site itself has not updated yet. Mojo will keep you posted on any developments, though!
Update: This is official. The press release is now available for all to see. Now all that's left is for the site to update :). Thanks to SirPsycho for the heads up.
That's right, your favorite adventure games site, (and mine) Adventure Gamers (formerly Adventure Gamer) has reopened its doors. After competing with Mojo for the longest downtime ever in a website, AG is back with a whole new look and several opening features. Up now are reviews of Shivers 1 & 2, Starship Titanic, and a Coming Attractions feature. Make sure to check all of these out as well as the welcoming post at AdventureGamers.com. Welcome back AG!
It's no surprise that LucasArts has issued a press release about Star Wars Galaxies just prior to E3. However, the major surprise here is the announcement that Galaxies will appear on PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles as well. This will give gamers a great chance to try out some of the upcoming multiplayer console features. Here's a quote from the press release:
Specific release dates for the Star Wars Galaxies-branded massively multiplayer games for the two next generation console platforms will be announced at a later time. This December LucasArts will release a Windows PC version of the game, developed by Sony Online Entertainment, titled Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. The Star Wars Galaxies online game series is designed to immerse literally thousands of players into the rich Star Wars universe. The series will feature dynamic role-playing adventures across multiple planets during the classic Star Wars timeframe. Game play will offer a unique combination of combat, exploration, social interaction, specialized missions, and daring quests.
I'd like to welcome aboard the newest LFNetwork affiliate, StarWarsKnights.com! They've officially opened today, with a great design and a dedicated staff of Star Wars nuts! The site focuses on the upcoming BioWare/LucasArts console release, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Check out the site, and be sure to stop by their forums.
Please ignore that headline.
Sad news on the community front, as it seems that the guys over at the Monkey Island Quake Clan have decided to close the site. Here's an excerpt from the 'farewell' post:
So this is it, I guess. After 10 astounding clan tournaments, nearly 50 members, past and present, numerous clan servers, and a grand total of 0 successful clan matches, MIQC is brought to a close.As one of the last people to join up with the MIQC, I'm very sorry that I didn't get to participate in some of the earlier activities and I wish them the best in their future ventures. Please be sure to visit the site and leave them a comment.
Alright! LucasArts.com has officially confirmed the existence of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on it's E3 2002 page. A clone trooper has filled in one of the last two remaining
Clone Wars is said to begin at the point in time that occurs at the end of Attack of the Clones. More details about the game can be found in the official press release.
The House of Mojo review of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is now available. Currently there are 3 reviews by 3 people giving different views. More will be added by other staffers at some point! Oh yeah there may be some spoilers in some of them, but not the first one :)
You can discuss Episode II, whether you've seen it or not, in the dedicated forums.
It's a Disaster... Skywalker we're after.
After going to the midnight preview of Episode II: Attack of the Clones, I can clarify that yes, it is Guff. First impressions from me and friends are mixed, but the overall decision is that it is a disappointing film with only about 30% of it worth bothering with. They attempt humour too often and the acting makes a school play seem worthy of Oscar nominations. However, some of it does actually rule.
A full review of the film, with maybe different opinions, will appear at mid-day (GMT) tomorrow, written by our old friend Narrative (Matt Shaw) who is possibly the biggest Star Wars fan I've ever met. So look forward to that.
While I hope that in time I will learn to accept this film, perhaps Episode 3 should be called "The Last Hope".
I'll leave you with these quotes from my friends:
"this film made me really cross" - Nick WalkerYou can discuss Episode 2: Attack of the Clones in our New Dedicated Forum or vote on it in the Poll!
"That was weak" - Bob Watson
"Awwwwwww, dude... CountDuckulaDukoo sucks...." - Simon Lawrence
"Overall I enjoyed myself... mostly... Natalie Portman in that white outfit is the saviour of the film" - Spaff
Update: Last night seems like a bad dream... I can't help but feel that maybe I was a bit harsh... but hey! You can't beat people's first impressions! I'll have to go and see it again to confirm or destroy my thoughts.
The LucasArts.com WebJedi has updated the E3 2002 page with the fifth game--Bounty Hunter. Jango Fett now appears alongside the rest of the "Heroes", but most people guessed it was him already anyway :).
Be sure to check out the Official Bounty Hunter Page, which has lots of great shots and concept art, as well as the teaser trailer, for those who haven't seen it yet.
In the tradition of last year's Escape from Monkey Island for PS2's re-announcement, LucasArts has announced that Knights of the Old Republic, a Star Wars RPG for PC and XBox, will be appearing at E3 this year. The game was officially announced at E3 last year, but was only shown to a couple people in a private screening room.
Knights of the Old Republic is a primarily single player game, set thousands of years before the 6 Star Wars movies. That means there are Jedi Knights roaming around in packs, which was arguably the coolest piece of Star Wars gaming I'd ever seen when it was demoed at E3 last year. The game is being developed by BioWare, makers of Baldur's Gate.
Version 0.2.0 of the popular tool ScummVM has been released. For those of you who don't know, ScummVM allows you to run the old LucasArts adventure games on a variety of platforms like Windows, Linux, PocketPCs, and even Dreamcast. Here's a quote about this version:
The 0.2.0 release of scummvm includes the usual bugfixes and new features, as well as support for the rare 256 color fmTowns version of Zak McKracken, the CD version of Loom and (although it's not from LucasArts), Simon The Sorcerer. The ScummVM team now plans to complete the (currently experimental in 0.2.0) support for Full Throttle and The Dig, before moving on to games like Maniac Mansion.ScummVM is availiable at scummvm.sourceforge.net.
So you own a copy of Jedi Knight II, want to play the extra levels from the recent demo but just cannot be bothered to get and play said demo?
Well Bluesnews have made a pack of the maps just for you lucky punters. Or you could just go and get the demo.
Another option occurs to me... go to our favourite network site, Jediknightii.net, and get the maps there, along with hundreds of other maps, models and bits.
One of the first fan-made multiplayer models for Jedi Outcast has been released at PolyCount. You can now play as Aurra Sing, a rather obscure female character from the Star Wars universe. Note that unlike some of the previous fan efforts, this is a completely new model and not just a skin. Here's a quote:
This one is the first community created model for Jk2. The authors had to figure out the model process on their own and ended up getting some assistance from Raven on some of the more particular details. As of the writing of this info page, the authors are polishing up a tutorial that will lead you through your own Jedi creation pipeline. It's a great first model for the genre. Grab it for you know you need it.Hopefully soon, someone will create a Guybrush Threepwood, Manny Calavera, or even a Max model! Don't taunt a bunny with a lightsaber. Thanks for Raptor for the news.
It's time for a new poll! After the fat skeleton guy from the CMI cutscene finally pulled ahead after days of dead heat to win 55% to 45% against Largo in the "Who's cooler? Largo or the fat skeleton guy from that one cutscene?" poll, we decided it was time for a new one.
This poll has an E3 focus, asking "Who dared to doubt Simon's 50/50 policy?" For those not in the know, Simon Jeffery, the president of LucasArts, told Mojo readers we could expect about 50% original games this year (after last year's all-Star Wars E3 extravaganza). Needless to say, many were dubious.
"Just how many were dubious," you ask? Well we intend to discover just that. To find the answer, all you need to do is cast your vote down to the right over there!
SWGalaxies DB are hosting some video footage for the upcoming game their site is dedicated to: Star Wars Galaxies. The webmaster took his camera along to 'Celebrations II' and "managed to snag awesome footage from not only the Galaxies demo, but also some testing the devs were doing beforehand"
The footage is over 20 minutes long and 40mb in size... I cant tell you whether its worth it as I've not seen it yet, but Im betting it
For more Galaxies news visit our lovely Network chums swgalaxies.net. But remember to wipe your feet on your way in.
Update:The game still looks great... I decided to write a running commentry because I'm bored at work. click 'Read More' if you are bored enough to read it.
<:MORENEWS:>
Running comments:
11:25 The Begining of the video looks to be the same areas shown off at E3 last year. The bonus is that you get a really really annoying American commenting on the footage and saying "gosh!" lots... too much
11:28 he started moaning like he was making with the sex.
11:31 Still looks like the E3 trailer, "oh my gosh!" count is up to atleast 7 now.
11:33 Bad tie fighter impression + humming along to imperial march. However the footage of this bit is of an Xwing in space... I cant remember if this was at E3 or not. looks very nice.
11:37 Screen wipes to the actual presentation part... We get to watch the same footage again now.. but with Producers commentry.
11:43 "Run forest, Run" no dear god. AT-AT's are fun I want one... still pretty much the same as E3 2001
11:45 Wookiees will only be able to talk to people who can speak Wookiee.. cool. Wookiees kickass.
11:49 He ran out of tape.. new tape.. Back to space footage.
11:51 END
What have we learned?: The footage, whilst being the same as last E3, is still beautiful. The Background commentry is pretty funny, though not intentionally.
You'll get to watch the same footage twice.. and The final "Gosh!" count was High. Watch the video, go on I dare you!
Though a bit old, you might get a kick out of this article, called "An Adventurer's Guide to Seeking Hints," which ran on JustAdventure+ back in April. It hits a little too close to home. For other people I mean, of course. I've never looked up a hint.
The demo for Jedi Outcast has been released early for all of you LucasArts Insider Subscribers. The demo includes a new, snowy level that wasn't in the original game, but was featured last year at E3. It's a bit on the brief side, but it's still great fun. Unfortunately you may have to download some little utility to obtain the demo. Click here if you're an Insider and start downloadin'!
GameSpot has published a preview of the newly announced RPG from LucasArts, Gladius. The preview doesn't offer any new screenshots, but it does give some insight into the gameplay. From the looks of things, it seems that the storytelling power of LucasArts will remain intact. Thanks to Remi for the news.
If you've been reading our E3 Forum, you might have seen this thread which contains a message from someone claiming to be a producer on the recently announced RTX Red Rock. While we haven't confirmed yet that Reeve is actually a producer, he does seem to certainly know what he's talking about. In his post, he talks a bit about the engine. Here's a quote:
RTX Red Rock is built on the Ares game engine, LucasArts' own brand new internal technology for making cutting-edge third person games. The Ares engine provides very high quality character animation, smooth gameplay, and some fantastic new graphics features. One of the rendering effects actually won the programmer the top prize in Sony's first VU coding competition.Very cool. Check out the thread to read more of what he had to say.
Update: It has been confirmed that Reeve is indeed the producer of this game. Hopefully he'll stop by the forum every now and then to give us an update.
StarWars.com has put up an interesting article that shows the Episode II stars' reactions the film, and seeing it for the first time. It also includes a bit at the end about the events in the next installment, Star Wars - Episode III:
I updated 5 minutes too soon. The website for Gladius is online, complete with seven in-game screenshots and nine pieces of nice looking concept art. The logo for Gladius is also revealed, being a big capital "GLADIUS." I would have preferred "GLADIVS" sort of, but I'm a moron.
Andrew has pointed out that the third E3 teaser LucasArts released doesn't appear on the Gladius site. Also of note: those expecting a secret 8th game because of the 8 shadows on the LucasArts E3 page, the two Gladius characters have taken up two of the shadows. Only seven games it seems. Anyhow, check out Gladius. The game is being developed entirely in-house at LucasArts, by the way.
Though the official spotlight hasn't gone up yet, LucasArts has sent out the press release for Gladius, a turn-based RPG set in the world of "Imperia," a land similar to ancient Rome. Here's a big snip from the press release:
In Gladius, players may choose to take on the role of Ursula or Valens. Ursula, from the northern land of Nordagh, is the daughter of a great barbarian king. Valens is the son of one of Imperia's greatest gladiators. A bloody conflict between their two homelands gave rise to a vengeful dark god, which nearly destroyed all of mankind. Only with the help of the revered Valkyrie was the dark god defeated, but it came at a great cost of many lives. This gave rise to an uneasy peace that has existed for decades between the two lands. Now the two young heroes must fulfill their destinies to keep the world from heading into another disastrous war. Ursula and Valens join forces and travel across many lands, competing in gladiator tournaments where they recruit a variety of warriors. They also become immersed in the evil plot to revive the dark god. Once this wicked plan is put into action, the gladiator games cease and the small band of fighters go on a challenging quest to solve the mystery of the dark god and defeat those who would bring him back to the land of the living.The game has an estimated 36 hours of gameplay, features 2 full storylines, and is set to ship for XBox, Playstation2, and Gamecube all at about the same time, Spring 2003. Click Read More for the full press release.<:MORENEWS:>
Epic Combat Role-Playing Game Expected in Spring 2003 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- May 9, 2002 -- The brutal and spectacular gladiator battles of the ancient world serve as inspiration for Gladius, a turn-based action role-playing (RPG) game from LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC. Gladius follows the grand saga of two young heroes, Ursula and Valens, as they recruit and train a team of warriors to contend in the fiercely competitive gladiator games. The game supports both single and multiplayer modes and is expected to release spring 2003 on PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. At the heart of Gladius is a unique mix of dynamc game play that requires players to develop and manage a school of gladiators who, over time, gain experience, learn new skills, improve their abilities and finally test their might in epic battles. Players fight with deadly weapons and powerful magic, learn vital combat tactics, and enhance and customize characters.
"Gladius takes action RPG to a whole new level," says Tom Byron, director of product marketing for LucasArts. "Besides signaling LucasArts' return to original game development, Gladius features a distinct style of play that is wrapped in an epic storyline. Players will experience a game that has incredible depth in terms of character development, but also has a unique layer of strategy related to how players manage and balance their team." The overall scope of Gladius is huge, offering an estimated 36 hours of play in each of the game's two story lines which take players on a challenging journey across four diverse geographical regions. Each land contains a variety of warriors that players must recruit and train. Battles occur throughout the game's 20 arenas and 12 other locations. During fights players have a high level of interaction by way of an arcade style swing meter which enhances the power of attacks. A successful fight will earn victorious players highly coveted certificates and the approval of the Emperor.
With each certificate collected, players move one step closer to unlocking the next region. Players control a school of gladiators that can come from 16 unique classes, including the powerful Imperial Legionary; the witches of the Galdr class, who can sing magical songs and chants; and the javelin throwing Peltast class. In all, the game offers more than 100 customizable character types, hundreds of skills, and over 400 unique weapons, helmets, shields, and other accessories with which to equip warriors. In Gladius, players may choose to take on the role of Ursula or Valens. Ursula, from the northern land of Nordagh, is the daughter of a great barbarian king. Valens is the son of one of Imperia's greatest gladiators. A bloody conflict between their two homelands gave rise to a vengeful dark god, which nearly destroyed all of mankind. Only with the help of the revered Valkyrie was the dark god defeated, but it came at a great cost of many lives. This gave rise to an uneasy peace that has existed for decades between the two lands. Now the two young heroes must fulfill their destinies to keep the world from heading into another disastrous war. Ursula and Valens join forces and travel across many lands, competing in gladiator tournaments where they recruit a variety of warriors. They also become immersed in the evil plot to revive the dark god. Once this wicked plan is put into action, the gladiator games cease and the small band of fighters go on a challenging quest to solve the mystery of the dark god and defeat those who would bring him back to the land of the living.
Gladius features a story mode as well as exhibition battles against computer-controlled opponents or up to four players in cooperative mode. Upon finishing the game, the tournament system remains open so players can continue to build up their characters and explore the game's four unique territories.
More crazy game rumors have been popping up, this time on the MILegend Forums, proclaiming the existence of a sequel to Maniac Mansion/DOTT. This image, scanned from some Ziff Davis magazine, says that there are Full Throttle and Maniac Mansion games headed for PS2 (and possibly other platforms) to be announced/released at an unkonwn time.
This just in: A trailer for the newly revealed Indiana Jones game: Emperor's Tomb, has been discovered on IGN along with this preview type thing
The Trailer shows elements of the gameplay and combat system, both of which look to behave exactly how an Indy game should.
Source: LucasForums (Queztone)
According to this post on LucasForums, IGN has posted an 'unnoficial' line up for all the games LucasArts will be pimping at E3
RTX Red RockSo... Another small piece of evidence to add to the growing collection that Full Throttle 2 is under production. Another thing I notice about these games is that only half of them are Star Wars.. infact you could say they were 50/50 Star Wars to non Star Wars...
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
Gladius
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars Bounty Hunter
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars Galaxies
Full Throttle
You can discuss this, along with all things E3 in our E3 Forums
Further Update: The actual page has been found with the 8 games listed above. IGN spoke with a representative from LucasArts, and they, suprisingly enough, were "unable to comment on Full Throttle and Gladius". Thanks ronaldfw.
LucasArts has unveiled their second E3 title: Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, co-developed by LucasArts and The Collective. Indy is back, obviously, this time in 1935 China after a relic called "Heart of the Dragon."
The game uses a 3rd person view like its predecessor Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, but this new title is allegedly based more around the action than block-pushing, jumping, and other "puzzles." Here's a bit from the press release:
Indy's latest adventure plays out in dramatic fashion thanks to new gameplay features such as brawling combat. This time, in addition to using his trademark whip and pistol, Indy can engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat against foes, many of whom are well-versed in martial arts. Improvised weapons such as shovels, chairs and table legs also can be used to fend off adversaries. The result is a more immersive and more Indy-like gameplay experience, set amidst spine-tingling movie-like action sequences, such as a rickshaw chase in Hong Kong and a spectacular battle atop moving gondolas in the South China Sea area.The new Indy game is expected Fall 2002 for XBox, Playstation 2, and ... wait for it... the PC. More game info and some screenshots are available at the Emperor's Tomb site. Talk about it in the E3 Forums.
The beloved Gamespot have run a preview of the oh-so-recently announced LucasArts title RTX Red Rock. The preview contains no new screenshots, but does go into the gameplay and features of the game in a bit more detail than the LucasArts site does.
E.Z Wheeler.... is it just me or is that the craziest name since Guybrush Threepwood?
The Grim Fandango Network has put up its first ever featured article (well, in recent years, that is). Charles Frederick, better known as MeddlingMonk around the GF community, has submitted four of his works of fiction, including the popular full-size Grim Fandango novel, as well as three other short stories. Check them out here!
Also be sure to look for more features from the GFN coming your way soon(ish)!
According to reader Sloth, there is a writup in this months Official Playstation Magazine which mentions some interesting goings-on with a particular beloved LEC game:
New games are announced for the future as LucasArts moves away from its Star Wars-heavy roster: Gladius and RTX: Red Rock (see Previews this month), along with a reinvention of the excellent Full Throttle franchise from 1995. Massively multiplayer Star Wars: Galaxies has everyone excited, while the world of Star Wars bounty hunters finally gets a game in the shape of the Jango-inspired Star Wars: Bounty Hunter.NOTE: They don't mention any release dates for anything at all so please trust Captain Mystery and stay calm.
The first full E3 spotlight is up at LucasArts. The game? RTX Red Rock, a sci-fi comic book-inspired 3rd person action/adventure set 100 years in the future. Here's a bit from the press release:
Action in RTX Red Rock is distinguished by Wheeler's unique mechanized abilities, granted to him through a series of medical operations to mend previous combat injuries. Wheeler's synthetic right arm is both tool and weapon, upgradeable to grappling hook, taser, grenade launcher, and more. Likewise, his synthetic left eye is sensitive to special wavelengths and can be used to locate and target hidden aliens, identify traps, and uncover power-ups throughout the game's 10 levels.The full press release as well as some very nice in-game and concept art can be found at the RTX Red Rock site. The game looks to be available Spring 2003 for PlayStation 2 and Gamecube.
Update: For those curious, RTX Red Rock is being headed up by Hal Barwood, who is known best as the project lead on Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Also, the game is being developed entirely in-house at LucasArts (versus being outsourced like many of their titles right now).
This is the first news out of these guys in a while: The Kickstand, one of Mojo's Full Throttle sites, has put up two new interviews.
The first is an incredibly short one with Bill Tiller (who is better known as the lead background artist on the Curse of Monkey Island), and the other is with Keith Karloff of The Gone Jackals. The Gone Jackals provided most of the lyrical music in Full Throttle, including the tune that plays during the game's opening credits.
Planet Gamecube has 40 digital camera grabs from LucasArts' showing of The Clone Wars from this year's Star Wars Celebration II. The gameplay looks pretty varied for a 3rd person hurt-things game.
There are shots of people on the ground, vehicles on the ground, and ships in the air. Also there appears to be a multiplayer element. Looks like a bundle of fun. Assuming it's fun, of course.
Source: Shacknews
DarthMaulUK, of GalacticBattles.com, has a copy of the upcoming Clone Campaigns expansion pack for Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, that he will be giving away in a competition. Find out the details on this thread!
The SCUMM Bar's Captain Mystery is back with a new colum called "You People Really Need To Shut Up - Why Jumping To Conclusions Ain?t Useful". In this, his third article, the Captain talks about the excessive speculation that occurs around E3 time, and goes on some side-trips to "discuss" Star Wars-haters and other smaller sects of the LEC fan world.
I'm very happy to report that the one formerly known as Captain Dread (and currently known as MetaFox) has returned to take over the best on-line Grim Fandango fan club ever, the Lost Souls Alliance.
Some of you "old school" Grim Fandango fans will remember that Dread took charge of this site back in 1999, and ran it for about a year before he left the LucasArts community. He's back now, and has also brought back his LucasArts fan site MegaMonkey, which covers many LEC titles. It's great to have him back.
LucasArts.com has redesigned its E3 2002 Warm-Up page. While it doesn't give us any new concept art or announcements, it does feature a headline graphic with silhouettes of characters that will be in the new titles. I can already recognize Jango/Boba Fett and probably Indiana Jones.
From the look of the side bar and the existing concept art, it appears that LucasArts will announce five new titles and showcase two additional titles that have already been revealed. These two titles are most likely Star Wars Galaxies and Knights of the Old Republic.
The site also links to LucasForum's "E3 - 2002" message board where you can further discuss the pending madness. LucasArts promises that they will begin formally announcing their titles "very soon."
A patch for Jedi Outcast has been released by LucasArts.com, which you can download directly here. No word yet on what exactly is fixed in this patch, but be sure to check it out. Hopefully the one-hit kill in multiplayer has been removed... ahem.
Update: A mirror to the patch as well as a full list of what it includes is available here at JediKnightII.net.
For those of you out there who (for some weird reason) haven't decided on purchasing Jedi Outcast yet, LucasArts.com will have a demo for this game on Friday, May 10th. For those of you who already have the game, you might want to check out the demo as well because it will have a whole new level. The LucasArts Game Alert had this to say:
Gameplay takes place in a COMPLETELY NEW LEVEL not found in the actual retail version of Jedi Outcast! An early version of this level originally premiered at E3 2001. Scores of fans have asked about it since then, so the team cleaned it up and added more dialogue, cutscenes, textures and doubled the size of the map.Be sure to look for the demo this Friday.
FilmJerk has posted a review of the upcoming film, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It's a great review--basically, the reviewer put it in the same league as A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, which sounds very promising.
I give Attack of the Clones an A- for effort and an A- for execution. This is the film Star Wars fans have been waiting for since 1980.Check it out for yourself here!
Source: Forest Wilson
As pointed out by daniel_amitai in this Mojo Forums thread, LucasArts is running a banner on starwars.com which features a pretty nice looking 3D Indiana Jones (holding IndysWhip?, too).
The banner also features Jango Fett and some mysterious lady. Go take a look.
The main page poll is back, finally. We don't know if anyone missed him, but he has returned under the name "El Poll Diablo." Yes, we're so hilarious it hurts my brain.
The first poll (and likely all subsequent polls) is just for fun and has no bearing on anything whatsoever. The question is: "Who's cooler? Largo or the fat skeleton guy from that one cutscene?"
The poll is located directly below the hosted site headlines to the right of this news update. You need to have a Mixnmojo account to vote.
There's a new site at Mixnmojo and that site is SCUMMBag. What is SCUMMBag? It's the pet project of Jimmi Th?gersen (Serge), author of the venerable SCUMM Revisited.
That of course means two things: 1) When a SCUMMBag program does come out it will let you do crazy things you always wanted to do, and 2) there is never a guarantee that a full SCUMMBag program will ever come out at all (so be nice when you harass Serge time and again to finish).
The SCUMMBag site only has a teaser image at the moment, but that should be rectified soon.
LucasArts has been running a playable demo of their upcoming Gamecube game "The Clone Wars" at Star Wars Celebration 2, a Star Wars fan orgy currently going on in Indianapolis, Indiana.
From the report at PlanetGamecube, The Clone Wars seems to be a ground-based action game which revolves around vehicles. The two levels demonstrated were a speeder-bike racing level, and a more combat-oriented tank level. Sounds like a (fun) version of Rogue Leader on the ground.
Update: I've been informed that The Clone Wars is more like Battlezone than anything else, if one were to draw a comparison. Don't know how they know that though...
Source: PlanetGamecube
If you view the main page on LucasArts.com, a very large man with a big sword and a shield will sometimes walk across the screen. We can only guess that this may be a teaser for either Wrath, Gladius, or some other new, non-Star Wars title. Be sure to check it out and share your thoughts.
Note: If you are not using a PC version of Internet Explorer, this animation may not appear. You can download it directly here, although it does not start to play automatically. You will have to start the player manually.
Two new-ish Star Wars products have gone gold, according to LucasArts.com. The Battlegrounds expansion pack, Clone Campaigns, has been released to manufacturers and will be in stores the week of May 13th. Plus, the level design winners for this game have been announced.
The Xbox port of Jedi Starfighter has also gone gold with a bonus Coruscant level. The new level is a 2 player head-to-head level featuring Jango Fett. This game will also be in stores the week of May 13th.
According to the Star Wars Galaxies Newsletter, the massive online RPG is approaching beta 1. Here's a quote:
Beta 1 will officially begin on July 15th, 2002. This first round of external testing will be closed and include only a handful of community members. As we head toward release, we will have additional rounds of Beta where we will invite more members.Visit the official site and sign up to be considered for a beta testing position.
LucasArts.com has posted the fifth and perhaps final concept art image for their E3 Warm-up page. The image, which you can view directly here, could be something from a new Star Wars game or it may be something from an original title. Leave a comment and post your thoughts on what this could be.
Everyone wish DJG, Mojo coder and evil mastermind, a big fat happy birthday! His age is not to be disclosed at his request, but you'd all better wish him a happy birthday or he'll delete your Mojo account. Party!
GameCube Europe has posted this scan from an E3 brochure. The scan gives us a first and small glimpse into such new LucasArts titles as Star Wars: The Clone Wars (pictured third row, far right), Star Wars Bounty Hunter (middle screen, fourth row from the bottom), and Gladius (bottom row, second from the right).
There are also many more screenshots from other interesting games that will appear at E3. Check it out! If that gets pulled there is an alternate available.
Source: TheForce.net
For those of you who have yet to check out the Mixnmojo forums, or have been out of the loop in the last week or three, there have been several updates to them in the past week.
First of all, they've been thoroughly rearranged to, hopefully, better suit the Mojo community. In addition to this, we've added some new hosted community forums, including dig.mixnmojo.com and SCUMM hacking discussion forums. There are more community forums getting hosted soon, so now is the time to stop by!
As always, we want to hear your feedback about how to serve our readers better, so be sure to post your questions and comments!
Stay tuned for more Mojo community love!
Just barely beating out the PC's Clone Campaigns expansion pack, MacNN reports that the Mac version of the original Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds [review] should be in production and shipping in two weeks time. This is good news for those who love Galactic Battlegrounds, or Macs, or both somehow.
Source: MacNN