The PQube Indie Project - #3 Nippon Marathon

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Pell
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PostThe PQube Indie Project - #3 Nippon Marathon
by Pell » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:03 pm

Update:


Nippon Marathon - Steam Early Access: http://store.steampowered.com/app/74694 ... _Marathon/




STAY - https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2018/01/19/ ... -xbox-one/

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Back during my journo days, it always used to bum me out that whenever I put too much indie content in the mags (particularly OPM, in fact), our readers wouldn't be happy and demanded more AAA coverage and less of everything else. It was always a tough balance for me because I was just as (and in some cases more) interested in the indie scene than many of the big studio titles - and writing about those titles was way more interesting.

So, when I joined PQube I was given a few different responsibilities, but there's one that I haven't yet talked about too much... until now: signing up a whole bunch of indie games to publish worldwide. In the last few months I've been meeting up with various indie teams who are working on some really cool projects, and I've snapped up a number of games that I believe deserve to do stupendously well. Some of them have already been bagging a few awards and nominations at various shows such as TGS this year (I honestly can't wait to unveil that one in particular!), and I know that we're putting together a cracking line-up for 2018 and 2019.


As an aside:
PQube already had a couple of indie titles on the books this year before I joined, including Cat Quest, which just launched on Switch and PS4 last week:

And our most controversial title - with a trailer featuring words from yours truly - Fight Of Gods:


Anyway, we've *just* lifted the lid on one of my first signings, a game called Street Heat. It's a four-player racer featuring deadly hazards and no respawns: think Mashed meets Super Sprint meets... Dark Souls (I jest!), with an '80s vibe and THE MOST AMAZING original soundtrack. It's from Finnish team Astalo Games, and it's coming to Early Access at the end of the month for $7.99 (and 10% off for launch). Oh, and a GR exclusive snippet: when it leaves Early Access next year complete with a bunch of extra modes and features, it'll also be targeting PS4, Xbox One and Switch. http://store.steampowered.com/app/744040/Street_Heat/


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I know GR has a few fans of Mashed (and before that, Circuit Breakers) because I spent many an evening on here/OG GR discussing those titles, so when the "Quick, to GRCade!" thought popped into my head I couldn't shake it. I can't sing its praises highly enough.

As for what comes next... *rubs hands together*

Last edited by Pell on Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:33 am, edited 6 times in total.
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Trelliz
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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by Trelliz » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:08 pm

Looks cool, i'll keep an eye out for it, thanks for the heads-up.

jawa2 wrote:Tl;dr Trelliz isn't a miserable git; he's right.
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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by jawafour » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:10 pm

I love the look and sound of Street Heat, Pell! It definitely has a Super Sprint vibe going on... and, perhaps even more so, the wonderful Super Skidmarks.

The styling is terrific and any 80s soundtrack is gonna draw me in. I'd like to give this a go if it arrives on PS4 or Switch :-) .

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by KK » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:01 pm

Mashed kinda passed me by, but in the late 90s when I was cool and had friends we used to play Circuit Breakers, Micro Machines V3 and Micro Maniacs all the time. There seemed to be a lot more of those 'in the room' multiplayer games. You'd just bounce between them all on PS1 and N64.

The music rather reminds me of the opening to Vice City.

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by The Watching Artist » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:03 pm

HOLY LIGHT!

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Pell
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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by Pell » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:21 pm

KK wrote:Mashed kinda passed me by, but in the late 90s when I was cool and had friends we used to play Circuit Breakers, Micro Machines V3 and Micro Maniacs all the time. There seemed to be a lot more of those 'in the room' multiplayer games. You'd just bounce between them all on PS1 and N64.

The music rather reminds me of the opening to Vice City.


Ha, funny you mention Micro Maniacs. There may be a future local multiplayer announcement (Street Heat is both local and online) along those lines...

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by KK » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:26 pm

Local, that was the word I was looking for. Why use the one word, when you can use 3. You can put that on the box/Store. IN THE ROOM multiplayer.

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by Pell » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:29 pm

KK wrote:Local, that was the word I was looking for. Why use the one word, when you can use 3. You can put that on the box/Store. IN THE ROOM multiplayer.


Ha! I'll bear that in mind when I write the box text on my physical versions. ;)

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by Green Gecko » Sat Nov 18, 2017 2:53 pm

It's funny you mention micro maniacs because I haven't played it but it pops up in local indie for very cheap so if anyone wants to try it it's just a few quid and is apparently a bit of a hidden gem.

I'm planning on picking up some older micro machines games at some point for md/SNES.

Edit: I just subconsciously stole that first phrase straight from Pell :slol:

"It should be common sense to just accept the message Nintendo are sending out through their actions."
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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by still » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:44 pm

That. Looks. Great!

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by Pell » Thu Nov 30, 2017 7:18 am

Drumroll...


Street Heat is now live! And the 10% launch week discount means the Early Access price is only £5.21: http://store.steampowered.com/app/744040/Street_Heat/

At launch there are four cars, ten tracks, online and offline multiplayer and the party tournaments of different lengths. During the Early Access window there will be more modes and features incoming, all leading up to a launch across PS4, Xbox One and Switch as well.

I'm pretty pleased with our launch trailer, actually! Geraint had to go pick up his dad's old Betamax player for us to make it - thank goodness he kept it in the loft.

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat
by jawafour » Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:06 am

Pell wrote:...Street Heat is now live! ...

It’s looking great! I really like that Betamax intro and the neon / black edged graphics are terrific! The gameplay really does remind me of Skidmarks and that’s a good thing.

If the game arrives on PS4 or Switch then I’ll be keen to check it out! I guess it could be better suited to the PS as the race track may appear a wee bit small for the Switch portable screen?

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat OUT NOW FOR £5.21!
by jawafour » Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:55 pm

....perhaps my question came at a good time - the game is coming to Switch in early 2018!

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat OUT NOW FOR £5.21!
by Pell » Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:50 pm

Heh, you didn't read my post above then! :P

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #2 STAY
by Pell » Fri Jan 19, 2018 5:22 pm

We have a new game!

Meet STAY: a text/graphic adventure puzzler where you're on an online message board talking with Quinn, a man who's just woken up and discovered he's been kidnapped and locked inside a basement, with no obvious way out.

It's called STAY because it also tracks the amount of time you spend playing and the amount of time you don't, and Quinn's behaviour towards you (and everything) will change accordingly.




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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #1 Street Heat OUT NOW FOR £5.21!
by jawafour » Fri Jan 19, 2018 6:07 pm

Pell wrote:Heh, you didn't read my post above then! :P

That's odd, Pell... I totally missed the PS4 and Switch info in your post! Is there any news on Street Heat in terms of further development and when it may arrive on the console formats?

Stay looks interesting; it certainly has an intriguing premise. "Chapter 1: Thalamus"... hmmn, motor and sensory information... a cool start!

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #2 STAY
by Miotornut » Sat Jan 20, 2018 8:18 am

I like this game very much. Although it is not very popular. But I think it is great and fun.

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #2 STAY
by Gemini73 » Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:38 pm

Street Heat instantly brought Super Sprint to mind. No bad thing.

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PostRe: The PQube Indie Project - #3 Nippon Marathon
by Pell » Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:32 am

We've got another indie title: Meet Nippon Marathon, a local multiplayer racer that's Takeshi's Castle meets Micro Maniacs!

We launched into Early Access last week and Japan has fallen in love with it. There's already talk of arcade versions for Japan in the future. :shock:

I simply adore this. With four players together it's an absolute riot, and the single dev Andy is adding a ton of stuff during the Early Access period ahead of the full release on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.



It's only £7.19, so, er, buy it! No other game has you being pushed off of rooftops by angry packs of Shiba Inu. :P http://store.steampowered.com/app/74694 ... _Marathon/


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