The International House of Mojo

In a monster preview put up today, Gamespot has full biographies of all the Insecticide characters, so look at them. Included is a whole bunch of new screenshots and a video with some new gameplay footage coupled with the thoughtful input of the finest of today's youth. It also ends with the claim that you can pre-order Insecticide and get a free gift, but I can't find anything on that. See it all for yourself!

Update: The pre-order bonus is apparently some kind of "art book" that you'll get if you pre-order the game from Gamestop.

In what is arguably among the top ten Insecticide previews you're likely to read today, Hooked Gamers took a close look at Crackpot's debut title, which is still scheduled for release in February (that'd be the DS version). I can't believe I have to tell you twice.

A whole slew of new Insecticide screens from both versions of the game have been spreading across the internet over the past few weeks. If you haven't caught them yourself yet, why not check them all out in the world-renowned Mojo gallery where they were added after being unequivocally stolen provided to us by Gamecock Media's PR department?

I should also mention that the game's official web site received another design overhaul somewhat recently.

Yes, there's another new trailer for Insecticide up at GameTrailers. Check it out right here. It's also arguably the best so far.

It shows the DS version (up close for once), and shows actual adventure-gaming moments including touch-screen dialogue options and how 'detectiving' will work with the dual screens.

It also reveals that the release date (for the DS version at least) has now changed to 12th February.

GameTrailers must have some sort of shady dealing going on with Crackpot, 'cause another Insecticide trailer is now up there.

This one shows a mix of DS gameplay and PC cutscenes, and is actually looking pretty good. It includes Chrys (forgotten her name have you?) infiltrating an ocean liner, fighting giant spiders, and talking to a bug in a seedy diner - which was the interesting part for me, as this is the first indication of adventure-like gameplay we've seen.

We'll be reviewing the game when it turns up in January. I'm sure GameTrailers will have several more tantalizing videos up before that happens though.

Gamespot got to play some of the DS version of Insecticide, and they've written up their thoughts here. As in, here.

There's also apparently a pretty nice preview for Insecticide in either the current or previous issue of Game Informer. Probably worth a look.

Anyway. Insecticide.

I don't know if GameTrailers has been slipping Crackpot some notes in a briefcase, but there's a new trailer for Insecticide now up. In SD or flashy-pantsy HD. And still there's no story or dialogue, just a few shots of the main character shooting things. It's looking a mite better since last time though.

Oh, and January 8th has been confirmed as the release date for the DS version.

Still, I think they could do with some lessons in how to make a cool trailer. We haven't seen much story or coolness since that first trailer. Maybe this would help.

Check out the latest trailer for the DS version of Insecticide which has a good deal of new footage mixed in it. The end of the trailer also reveals that the DS version of the game is scheduled for a January 8th, 2008 release and shows off a box cover which, real or not, is pretty nice. And as the official site notes, you can now pre-order the DS version from Gamestop. I don't hate Insecticide coverage anymore!

GameTrailers have a short new trailer up for Insecticide, which actually shows some gameplay footage of the PC version and isn't bouncing all around the screen so you can actually tell what's happening this time. Check it out here, in SD or HD.

Man, I've been waiting to read a preview for Insecticide, that crazy action/adventure bug game that will be the debut release of Crackpot Entertainment, for quite some time now. Fortunately, 1up stepped in to shed some light on this mysterious title, which will - get this - blend adventure and action elements together in some sort of balanced mixture of hardboiled detective gameplay.

Okay, so I'm getting a bit fed up with the inordinate amount of Insecticide write-ups that keep regurgitating the exact same information we've known for months. But it should be said that 1up's take on the game circa a few weeks ago (go me!) is more in-depth than most others, so do check it out for the new screenshot (or at least a version of it comprised of more than seven pixels) and also the hint that the game could find its way onto other platforms down the line. Other than that, the content of the article isn't going to contain any revelations for the informed reader, but at least the game remains as promising as ever.

One other thing to note is that 1up has the game coming out in the fall, but considering recent reports that both versions should not be expected until next year, it may be best to assume 1up's intel is outdated, if only to avoid ruining your Christmas.

That's what I said. A pretty brief look at the game from PAX, but a bit on the the combat system is elaborated on. The preview also lists both versions of the game as coming out in early 2008 which, if true, would indicate a delay in the DS version. We shall see though.

Update: Whoops! You should also check out the impressions by Pro Game News, also from PAX.

Crackpot has given the official Insecticide web site a slight overhaul. There's nothing terribly new information-wise, but there is a lot of new art and screenshots to uncover in all the Flash heavy fun. Check it all out.

Edit: Kotaku scored itself some exclusive desktop backgrounds for Insecticide which seem to be little more than high quality stills from the trailer but are awesome nonetheless.

In what is totally not just another excuse for me to point out another Insecticide preview from pseudo-E3, I noticed that Destructoid wrote something intriguing at the end of their impressions. They say that the PC version will have a "new story line," separate from the DS version.

This forces one to question just how different the two versions will be. Seeing as the DS version will feature an exclusive multiplayer mode, and is, let's face it, an unlikely system to port a PC game to (especially when it's the only one), one might surmise that the two releases of Insecticide will be rather different beasts in more than just graphical capability. It will certainly be interesting to hear more details on the PC version, due out in early 2008, to see if there's any truth to this theory.

Anyway, be sure to read the full article while you're here. The author wasn't very enthused by what he saw as he was expecting an action game and got something more akin to an adventure, but that revelation is likely to have the opposite effect on you.

I forgot about this one other preview for Insecticide by the web site GameAlmighty. They offer their thoughts on what they saw of the game, and mention that the PC version will feature full voice acting, while the DS version won't (obviously).

Anyway, I'm sure this is the last of 'em.

Suggesting that I probably should have given Gamespot a chance to cobble together all of their Insecticide E3 coverage before reporting about it, the site has put up a well worth watching video interview with Mike Levine of Crackpot Entertainment to discuss the nuts and bolts of this increasingly intriguing action/adventure game.

A good deal of never-before-seen gameplay is presented, and Mike reveals that the game includes "20 plus" levels - half of them full action levels with platforming, shooting, and gun finding, and the other half focused on more of the deliberate, detective based stuff. All in all it sounds like the gameplay is going to be unique, well balanced, and true to the genre of its story. Mike also mentions two of the game's collectible weapons, the pollinator gun and the "amberizer," the usage of which I'll let you listen about for yourself.

This is without a doubt the most promising and exciting look I've seen of Insecticide so far, and you really get the sense that the guys making it have their priorities straight and are going to give us a really interesting and most of all, fun, game. The downloadable, PC version of the title is confirmed to be released in early 2008 (I believe that prior to this it was said that the first of the two-part download would be out by the year's end), and the DS version is reiterated to come out in November. Also, all gameplay in the DS footage shown is designated to be in pre-alpha stages, which may make you feel a bit better about how the screenshots look so far. Mojo will be keeping you up-to-date on all things Insecticide, so no worries there.

1up took a look at the game at E3. As with the others, there's little concrete information here but they do praise the art style and the dialog that they heard as very much in the LucasArts adventure game vein. They also reveal that the DS port, scheduled for a November release, is significantly further along in development than the PC version, which I find interesting. Anywho, see the whole thing.

Gamespot has put up their impressions of Insecticide from what they saw at Gamecock's expo. The write-up is quite short and details are scarce, but they do include a new screenshot. Give it your best perusal.

IGN has posted their own preview as well, this one coming with a few more screenshots and a bit of detail as to how the action and detective elements seem to work together. Give it a read as well. IGN also notes that the PC display was having problems on the show floor, so all screenshots and impressions from the event come from the DS version.

Gamespot has just put up an assortment of seven Insecticide screens. It looks to me like some concept art with two DS screenshots mixed in for good measure, but join in on the fun and guess the origins for yourself.

Gametrailers has put up a brief gameplay video of the DS version of the action/adventure Insecticide, showing Chrys gunning and platforming it up while wacky things happen on the lower screen.

Definitely an interesting peak that makes me want to see more. It also makes me wonder how similar the PC and DS versions (the latter exclusively featuring a multiplayer mode) will be.

Further proving that Mojo really has to make a Crackpot News Logo, GameTrailers have released a new 'backstory' prologue trailer for Insecticide.

Not really laugh-out-loud funny, it does nevertheless look very interesting. Beyond Good & Evil, Psychonauts, and Pixar definitely seem to be influences.

Personally what interested me most was the platform listings at the end... just PC and Nintendo DS?