PixelJunk MONSTERS + ENCORE! - Blu-ray Forum

Shin-Ra · 09-21-2007, 01:42 AM

PixelPatch: PJ Monsters Updates Incoming
+ Posted by Matt Morton // Associate Producer, SCEA-Santa Monica Studios

Hi PixelJunkies! I’m Matt Morton, Associate Producer at SCEA Santa Monica Studio and I’ve had the great fortune of working on the PixelJunk series since the very first title, PixelJunk Racers. We’ve been working hard to keep spreading the PixelJunk Love (as Deb Mars calls it) and wanted to give you a heads up on the upcoming patch for PixelJunk Monsters and PixelJunk Monsters: Encore.

The patch will be releasing VERY soon, with Japan getting the first patch release on October 23. If all goes well with final testing, you will see the patch in SCEA and SCEE territories on October 30. If there are any delays to the above mentioned dates, we will be sure to update the blog to let you know about it, so stay tuned!

The Q-Games team has been hard at work on the PixelJunk Monsters patch and has packed a TON of great features into this great game. I’ll give you a quick breakdown of some of the new features you will expect to see:

Game Difficulty settings
You can now choose between three different difficulties of gameplay! There is a Casual mode, the Regular/Ranked mode, and Hard-core mode. The great news here is that you can use any combination of difficulties to complete your progress through the islands! Is there one particular map that’s too hard? Try it in Casual mode. If you Rainbow the level, that rainbow counts and will remain on the map no matter what difficulty the other rainbows were achieved at! Only the Regular difficulty will register on the ranking boards, though.

Tower Menu selection
You can now set the default menu to appear when selecting a tower! How many times have you sold off a tower and run over to another tower to quickly upgrade it and accidentally sell it by mistake? I know I’ve done that many, many times. Now you can choose which option appears as the default, instead of the last action you selected.

Tower Balancing
Those of you who have purchased Encore know about the reduced cost on the Ice Tower, and balanced functionality of the Tesla tower. This patch applies those changes to BOTH islands, not just the Encore island.

Video Recording / YouTube Support
Ever since Q-Games included this feature into PixelJunk Eden, we knew it needed to be in Monsters as well. You will be able to record up to 10 minutes of gameplay and upload it directly to your YouTube account, or send it to your video folder on your PS3’s XMB.

XMB Custom Soundtrack Support
You can now make your own custom soundtrack to listen to as you play PixelJunk Monsters and Encore! I’ve personally been enjoying listening to the PixelJunk Eden soundtrack while I play Monsters, as well as listening to the PixelJunk Monsters soundtrack within Eden! It’s great how well those fantastic soundtracks work in other games.

With these features being added, and several other small bugs being fixed in the game, we think you’ll have a great time playing PixelJunk Monsters and Encore all over again.

I think that’s about it … But it feels like I’m missing something … Hmm … I can’t quite put my finger on what I might be forgetting. Wait a minute … I remember now …

TROPHIES
Trophies are now added for both PixelJunk Monsters and Encore. We weren’t able to retroactively apply Trophies to the previously played data, but Q-Games didn’t want to force people to play everything all over again. They came up with a great idea by creating Trophy Challenges. These challenges have specific maps with set rules or objectives that will reward you with Trophies if you complete them properly.

Recently, Jeff Rubenstein got to visit Q-Games in Kyoto (the lucky so-and-so) and shot an interview with Dylan to talk more about the patch for PixelJunk Monsters. Check it out …

[watch video on original article]

Icemage · 09-21-2007, 04:10 AM

This looks like the Tower Defense game they've been talking about. Interesting, though the visuals are a bit drab.

kknight · 09-21-2007, 04:12 AM

Is this the same company who just released that car racing game?

u_nick · 09-21-2007, 01:28 PM

Very nice. I like the name change. I'll be checking this out for sure.

slind · 10-31-2007, 12:07 AM

wow. its games like this i miss from the pc.
Like the Addon games for warcraft 3
Dota and tower defends.
This have a huge potential

Icemage · 10-31-2007, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kknight

Is this the same company who just released that car racing game?

Yes.

Rustmonsteru · 10-31-2007, 01:01 AM

Neato. I'll have to keep an eye on this one.

Blu Blur · 10-31-2007, 03:57 PM

Wow, Im not sure why but I really like the look of this one. Graphically it looks better then Pixel junk racers did (or at least presents better) but it just looks like it could be alot of fun so I will be checking this one out.

u_nick · 11-17-2007, 02:45 PM

man oh man that looks like fun.

bubs · 11-17-2007, 05:33 PM

who doesnt love HD defense games. ill buy it. whats the price?

Icemage · 11-17-2007, 05:46 PM

I love Tower Defense games. If this has half as many modes as PixelJunk Racers, this is so mine when it releases. Looks great, too!

Shin-Ra · 11-30-2007, 06:34 PM

Brand new screenshots added to the first post!

1080p originals (bit overcompressed) and game information in Japanese at GameWatch.

u_nick · 11-30-2007, 06:41 PM

Once more outstanding! So happy we are getting a tower defense game in hi def goodness.

Shin-Ra · 11-30-2007, 06:45 PM

I wasn't so keen on the RACERS demo but I've got a good feeling about this one.

Edit: the pixeljunk website now has the US release down for December rather than Dec 6th specifically like the Japanese release.

It'll cost ¥900 (same price as RACERS) and supports DUALSHOCK 3 rumble.

u_nick · 11-30-2007, 06:56 PM

The Demo for Racers really didnt do all that much for me either. It felt too limited, event though i think there were, maybe 3 races? I did however splurge and purchase it during the sale last week, and am completely happy with it. Nothing huge, but a nice time killer to turn on and mess around for a couple minutes every now and then.

Shin-Ra · 12-05-2007, 10:11 PM

Monster Madness

First English game info from Dylan Cuthbert with some very outdated screenshots.

u_nick · 12-06-2007, 02:39 PM

The line:

"PixelJunk Monsters will be available on PlayStation Network globally in January."

scares me...

Hopefully they just means it will be slowly spreading over the different territories from now till january...

Shin-Ra · 12-07-2007, 02:17 AM

Newsweek: The Dylan Cuthbert Interview, Part I

Some good information on his motives with the PixelJunk games and MONSTERS in particular.

Quote:

PixelJunk Racers had a very sleek, crisp modern art style: predominantly chrome, concrete and bright colors. Why did you decide to go with a more hand-drawn, nature-inspired art style for PixelJunk Monsters?

I really liked the style of old SNES games and I wanted to make at least one game in that style--back at that time I never got a chance to make a 2-D game, as I was always working at the forefront of 3-D technology with games like Starglider and Starfox. The PixelJunk series is a chance for me to re-live those really creative years, and also to teach the younger staff here about the raw creative ideas and output that existed back then. These days games take years to make and a lot of that energy is lost in the process.

So PixelJunk 1-2 (Monsters) is our homage to that era. As you noticed, the style is completely different to Racers, and PixelJunk 1-3 is completely different again. I want to experiment with all kinds of looks, and not just stick to one style; where's the fun in that, eh? Apart from a couple of notable exceptions, recent games have all begun to look the same, they all use the graphics hardware in the same way so they end up with similar results to each other. With PixelJunk we are trying to use the hardware in different ways by pushing 2-D and Full HD.

Shin-Ra · 12-07-2007, 05:17 PM

Exclusive: Level Up Takes On PixelJunk Monsters

Quote:

PixelJunk Monsters is the latter, where individual trees serve as points on the map where you can build the towers that will defend your base by shooting down each wave of enemies that seek to destroy the creatures you're sworn to protect. Once all of your creatures are dead, the game is over. When you take out the enemies, they leave behind gold coins, which you use to purchase additional towers, or gems, which you can use to upgrade existing towers or unlock special tower types for attacks using fire, electricity, ice and more. And as you complete one map by surviving all of its waves of enemies, new battlefields become accessible on the world map, each with its own layout and challenges.

Want this game.

Shin-Ra · 12-08-2007, 05:43 AM

http://pixeljunk.jp/

Click the butterfly - gameplay vid.

09-21-2007, 01:42 AM	#1
Shin-Ra Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Feb 2007 Blu-ray collection:5 Trading Score:1	PixelJunk MONSTERS + ENCORE! PixelPatch: PJ Monsters Updates Incoming + Posted by Matt Morton // Associate Producer, SCEA-Santa Monica Studios Hi PixelJunkies! I’m Matt Morton, Associate Producer at SCEA Santa Monica Studio and I’ve had the great fortune of working on the PixelJunk series since the very first title, PixelJunk Racers. We’ve been working hard to keep spreading the PixelJunk Love (as Deb Mars calls it) and wanted to give you a heads up on the upcoming patch for PixelJunk Monsters and PixelJunk Monsters: Encore. The patch will be releasing VERY soon, with Japan getting the first patch release on October 23. If all goes well with final testing, you will see the patch in SCEA and SCEE territories on October 30. If there are any delays to the above mentioned dates, we will be sure to update the blog to let you know about it, so stay tuned! The Q-Games team has been hard at work on the PixelJunk Monsters patch and has packed a TON of great features into this great game. I’ll give you a quick breakdown of some of the new features you will expect to see: Game Difficulty settings You can now choose between three different difficulties of gameplay! There is a Casual mode, the Regular/Ranked mode, and Hard-core mode. The great news here is that you can use any combination of difficulties to complete your progress through the islands! Is there one particular map that’s too hard? Try it in Casual mode. If you Rainbow the level, that rainbow counts and will remain on the map no matter what difficulty the other rainbows were achieved at! Only the Regular difficulty will register on the ranking boards, though. Tower Menu selection You can now set the default menu to appear when selecting a tower! How many times have you sold off a tower and run over to another tower to quickly upgrade it and accidentally sell it by mistake? I know I’ve done that many, many times. Now you can choose which option appears as the default, instead of the last action you selected. Tower Balancing Those of you who have purchased Encore know about the reduced cost on the Ice Tower, and balanced functionality of the Tesla tower. This patch applies those changes to BOTH islands, not just the Encore island. Video Recording / YouTube Support Ever since Q-Games included this feature into PixelJunk Eden, we knew it needed to be in Monsters as well. You will be able to record up to 10 minutes of gameplay and upload it directly to your YouTube account, or send it to your video folder on your PS3’s XMB. XMB Custom Soundtrack Support You can now make your own custom soundtrack to listen to as you play PixelJunk Monsters and Encore! I’ve personally been enjoying listening to the PixelJunk Eden soundtrack while I play Monsters, as well as listening to the PixelJunk Monsters soundtrack within Eden! It’s great how well those fantastic soundtracks work in other games. With these features being added, and several other small bugs being fixed in the game, we think you’ll have a great time playing PixelJunk Monsters and Encore all over again. I think that’s about it … But it feels like I’m missing something … Hmm … I can’t quite put my finger on what I might be forgetting. Wait a minute … I remember now … TROPHIES Trophies are now added for both PixelJunk Monsters and Encore. We weren’t able to retroactively apply Trophies to the previously played data, but Q-Games didn’t want to force people to play everything all over again. They came up with a great idea by creating Trophy Challenges. These challenges have specific maps with set rules or objectives that will reward you with Trophies if you complete them properly. Recently, Jeff Rubenstein got to visit Q-Games in Kyoto (the lucky so-and-so) and shot an interview with Dylan to talk more about the patch for PixelJunk Monsters. Check it out … [watch video on original article] Last edited by Shin-Ra; 10-30-2008 at 06:43 PM.

11-30-2007, 06:45 PM	#14
Shin-Ra Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Feb 2007 Blu-ray collection:5 Trading Score:1	I wasn't so keen on the RACERS demo but I've got a good feeling about this one. Edit: the pixeljunk website now has the US release down for December rather than Dec 6th specifically like the Japanese release. It'll cost ¥900 (same price as RACERS) and supports DUALSHOCK 3 rumble. Last edited by Shin-Ra; 11-30-2007 at 06:55 PM.

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09-21-2007, 04:10 AM	#2
Icemage Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007	This looks like the Tower Defense game they've been talking about. Interesting, though the visuals are a bit drab.

09-21-2007, 04:12 AM	#3
kknight Senior Member Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Minnesota Blu-ray reviews:55	Is this the same company who just released that car racing game?

09-21-2007, 01:28 PM	#4
u_nick Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2007 Location:CT, US Trading Score:27	Very nice. I like the name change. I'll be checking this out for sure.

10-31-2007, 12:07 AM	#5
slind Member Member since:Apr 2007 Location:Norway	wow. its games like this i miss from the pc. Like the Addon games for warcraft 3 Dota and tower defends. This have a huge potential

10-31-2007, 01:01 AM	#7
Rustmonsteru Expert Member Member since:Mar 2007	Neato. I'll have to keep an eye on this one.

10-31-2007, 03:57 PM	#8
Blu Blur Active Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:USA, greatest country on earth. PSN: TheBanditKing Blu-ray reviews:1	Wow, Im not sure why but I really like the look of this one. Graphically it looks better then Pixel junk racers did (or at least presents better) but it just looks like it could be alot of fun so I will be checking this one out.

11-17-2007, 02:45 PM	#9
u_nick Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2007 Location:CT, US Trading Score:27	man oh man that looks like fun.

11-17-2007, 05:33 PM	#10
bubs Active Member Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Montreal	who doesnt love HD defense games. ill buy it. whats the price?

11-17-2007, 05:46 PM	#11
Icemage Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007	I love Tower Defense games. If this has half as many modes as PixelJunk Racers, this is so mine when it releases. Looks great, too!

11-30-2007, 06:34 PM	#12
Shin-Ra Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Feb 2007 Blu-ray collection:5 Trading Score:1	Brand new screenshots added to the first post! 1080p originals (bit overcompressed) and game information in Japanese at GameWatch.

11-30-2007, 06:41 PM	#13
u_nick Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2007 Location:CT, US Trading Score:27	Once more outstanding! So happy we are getting a tower defense game in hi def goodness.

11-30-2007, 06:56 PM	#15
u_nick Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2007 Location:CT, US Trading Score:27	The Demo for Racers really didnt do all that much for me either. It felt too limited, event though i think there were, maybe 3 races? I did however splurge and purchase it during the sale last week, and am completely happy with it. Nothing huge, but a nice time killer to turn on and mess around for a couple minutes every now and then.

12-05-2007, 10:11 PM	#16
Shin-Ra Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Feb 2007 Blu-ray collection:5 Trading Score:1	Monster Madness First English game info from Dylan Cuthbert with some very outdated screenshots.

12-06-2007, 02:39 PM	#17
u_nick Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2007 Location:CT, US Trading Score:27	The line: "PixelJunk Monsters will be available on PlayStation Network globally in January." scares me... Hopefully they just means it will be slowly spreading over the different territories from now till january...

12-08-2007, 05:43 AM	#20
Shin-Ra Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Feb 2007 Blu-ray collection:5 Trading Score:1	http://pixeljunk.jp/ Click the butterfly - gameplay vid.

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