Retro/Grade blasts off August 21
24 Caret Games' backward-flowing rhythm game Retro/Grade hits the PlayStation Network on August 21, for use with DualShock or guitar peripheral. Navigate your ship across five discrete space lanes while un-firing your weapons to win a galactic battle in a borked space time continuum, set to music by Skylar McGlothlin.
Indie Games Uprising III trailer
Between September 10 and 20 the Indie Games Uprising III promotion will showcase a new Xbox Live Indie Games title each weekday, from Gateways, Sententia and City Tuesday to Xenominer, Entropy and Smooth Operators. Music for the trailer by Jonny Martyr is free to download from SoundCloud.
They Bleed Pixels to splatter PCs on Steam
Developer Spooky Squid and designer Miguel Sternberg of Toronto, Canada have announced retro platforming beat-em-up They Bleed Pixels will launch on Steam in 2012. See the newly released announcement trailer set to electronic music by DJ Finish Him (Shaun Hatton), also available to sample on Bandcamp.
Spelunky soundtrack debuts on Bandcamp
Eirik Suhrke's 62-track soundtrack to the Xbox Live Arcade platformer Spelunky is now available to stream in full on Bandcamp. Hear designer Derek Yu of Mossmouth and composer Phlogiston discuss the making of the game in an embedded GDC audio interview, accessible after the break.
Jonathan Mak makes a Sound Shapes level
Everyday Shooter creator Jonathan Mak demonstrates how to construct a level in the upcoming PlayStation Vita game Sound Shapes. The seven-minute tutorial video details the making of a basic musical platformer, featuring beats courtesy of musician deadmau5 and sprites by indie studio Pixeljam.
Emma Hooper scores SingSmash iOS app
SingSmash for iPhone and iPad resembles the arcade classic Breakout, only the game is controlled through sound. Use your voice or any other musical instrument to move your paddle and keep the ball in play, set to a soundtrack (available through Bandcamp) by Emma Hooper's solo project Waitress For The Bees.
Q&A: Martin Stig Andersen on Limbo's soundtrack
IndieGames.com and Musica Ludi speak with Playdead's Martin Stig Andersen on the soundtrack to Limbo, available through Bandcamp and iTunes. Sound for the dark PC and Xbox Live Arcade platformer received the Interactive Achievement Award for sound design from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
Chester platformer free today on Desura
Brillaint Blue-G's PC platformer Chester is free today on Desura. The indie developer has given away thousands of copies of the title since it was accepted for publication on Steam, and the offer ends soon. A seven-minute cross-fade sample of Reina Lemour's music score can be heard on SoundCloud.
Austin Wintory's Journey bonus bundle free to download on Bandcamp
Austin Wintory, composer of the score to ThatGameCompany's Journey for PlayStation 3, has made his eleven-track Journey Bonus Bundle free to download from Bandcamp. The album includes orchestral variations of music from flOw, performed by the Golden State Pops Orchestra and conducted by the composer.
Playism releases Sugar Cube: Bittersweet Factory
Korean developer Turtle Cream's Sugar Cube: Bittersweet Factory is now available through the Playism store. Guide a cute sugar cube through a treacherous cookie factory by flipping panels and traversing platforms in this brain-bending puzzle platformer. The soundtrack by Seongyi Yi is available through Bandcamp.
Beck writing three songs for Sound Shapes
Beck will be contributing three songs to Sound Shapes by Queasy Games, due out on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita on August 7. Design for the Beck levels is by the Pyramid Attack multidisciplinary design studio, while overall design for the game is by Jonathan Mak and Shaw-Han Liem of I Am Robot and Proud.
Adrien Dufond designs Famicase web visualizer
French illustrator Adrien Dufond has designed an interactive online visualizer for Meteor's collection of fictitious 8-bit Famicom cartridges, featuring background music by Tomohiro Nagasaki. My Famicase Exhibition has been organized by game culture shop owner Satoshi Sakagami annually since 2005.
Playism indie game distributor opens
Osaka-based indie game game localizer Playism has opened their official English-language website. The premiere of the homepage coincides with the PC release of adventure title La-Mulana by Rose and Camellia developer Nigoro, featuring music by Takumi Naramura and Houryu Samejima.
