PAX East 2010 Pics and Press

PAX East is finally over and boy was it a first show! By most estimates there were nearly 60,000 people in attendance and every single one of them stopped by Mommy's Best Games' booth!
At least we'd have liked that. We did get a lot of traffic though, and Shoot 1UP thoroughly convinced many reticent gamers they still *do* like shoot 'em ups and can still enjoy them!

I've been fortunate enough to have been to E3 and GDC for many years now, but being to a fun video game convention *before* everything is setup is a little disenchanting. Fortunately once the show starts the magic begins as well and everything actually turns out looking cool.

Pre-show forklifts scour the floors indiscriminately lifting boxes and eating grown pets. Beware!

Shortly after arriving, Amy begins to construct our booth. I'm sitting in our second blue chair, watching her work.

Now we're getting somewhere! The rental TV and computers are up and rental-dude Tyler is making sure things work.

Near-complete version of the booth. The Weapon of Choice sign was deemed "too much". We put that on the back side to face the lounge area. Believe it or not--and our games not withstanding--we do have our own limits of taste and decor.

Boston, 32 stories high, first morning of the show. The rain didn't dampen (Ugghh) our spirits!

Gamers trying out Grapple Buggy and Shoot 1UP. No the game won't ship with a 5' poster of Javeya (to the right). If we sold it in a box though, we could pack it in!

Crowds formed each hour as we held the Shoot 1UP High Score contest at the show. Guy standing on the left is watching Grapple Buggy in action and literally cannot believe his eyes.

Kotaku's Mike Fahey stopped by to gross us out by hanging a Grapple Buggy grabber off his nose piercing. F'ing hardcore.

I explain to Evil Avatar's "pwnophobia" how the Natal-powered, piano bar mini-game in Grapple Buggy will work.

Here's some of the media coverage for Grapple Buggy and Shoot 1UP from the show:

Video interviews:
http://kotaku.com/5503881/bionic-commando-meets-blaster-master-meets-metroid

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109534

http://negativegamer.com/2010/04/01/paxeast-%E2%80%9810-a-short-video-interview-with-mommys-best-games/

Audio interviews:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/podcast/2010/04/racketboy-podcast-10-pax-east-retro-roundup-pt-2-indie-old-school-developers.html

http://rejectedgamer.com/2010/03/pax-east-2010-day-2/

http://negativegamer.com/2010/03/28/ngcast-special-paxeast-10/

Stuff with words: (there may be pictures!)
http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/214668/pax-east-grapple-buggy/

http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1156047

http://oneofswords.com/2010/03/pax-east-day-2/

http://gamingnexus.com/FullNews/When-Nathan-met-Nathan-Fouts/Item16914.aspx


Overall it was a great show--here's to next year!

Rage Against Charlie Sheen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDIANA, USA– April 1, 2010 – Independent developer Mommy’s Best Games prepares to deliver cathartic release and satiric humor for the Xbox 360®. Rage Against Charlie Sheen will be fighting it’s way into gamers’ homes December 2010, also allowing them to compete globally on Xbox LIVE.


Rage Against Charlie Sheen is a ludicrous new competitive fighter in which players can use their avatars to kick the smirk off his smug mug. Each time you strike him down, he returns more virile than before, eventually becoming stronger than you can possibly imagine. Face off against Charlie in 69 ignominious iterations, allowing him to grow new appendages, weapons, and new abilities. Watch out for his powerful assaults, such as the “Coke Chin Cut,” the “Roulette Ricochet,” and the “Ho Throw.” Rage Against Charlie Sheen will feature over a dozen different environments ranging from the New York financial district to the steamy jungles of Vietnam. Mommy’s Best Games will work closely with Virgin Ululations Records to create the original rap-rock soundtrack.


“We're excited to give TV watchers and movie goers the ability to fight back for the hours lost watching banal theater and chauvinistic sitcoms.” says Nathan Fouts , Mommy’s Best Games’ President, programmer and artist. He also warns, “Be prepared for the inevitable sequels to this franchise, ‘Rage Against Seth Green: Stop Motion Strike’ and ‘Rage Against Martin Sheen: Apocalyps-o Now’.”


About Mommy's Best Games:
Mommy's Best Games, Inc. is a boutique game developer founded in 2007. MBG strives to deliver games that push the edges of the medium through gameplay, art, and pie. Weapon of Choice and Shoot 1UP, both critically acclaimed, are available now on Xbox Live Indie Games.
www.mommysbestgames.com
For further game developments visit:
www.mommysbest.blogspot.com

PAX East 2010 is almost here!

It's our first public exhibition booth and we're pulling out all the stops to make sure this one really shoots the moon!

Mommy's Best fun will be the playable preview of Grapple Buggy open to the public! (Well, as public as having a pass for the show is.)

We'll also be running a Shoot 1UP High Score competition nearly every hour the expo hall is open to the public. We'll have various gameplay speeds for the contests, so check out the times and stop by often! The prize will be appropriately absurd and fitting to Shoot 1UP.
(I can't reveal it yet, but I can tell you now it's not a metal bust of lazor bewbs--sorry, maybe some day. Anyone have friends at Hot Toys? Only thing better than lazor bewbs are fully-articulated lazor bewbs! Wait.. on second thought, that's really scary.)

When at the show, we'll have a live page for your mobile through this site here: www.pax.expohud.com They've been a pleasure to work with, if you're a dev, contact them for the show (or next one).

Last but not least, we'll periodically be giving out fun swag, and will have stylish Grapple Buggy shirts for sale. Accompanying those will be most excellent Weapon of Choice posters for sale, featuring a menagerie of gruesome aliens from the award-winning game.


So how's the booth coming along?

It's in a box currently, but will ship out to Boston Thursday (along with some humans).


Behold--your PAX East gaming throne!

Okay, that's Mark I. That didn't work out so well. We're getting new, bigger ones that will actually be high enough. But still it's pretty comfy.

Those are some electronic brains we'll be using to power the cool games you'll be playing.



And here is a tiny sampling all the crazy print material we'll have at the show, tons and tons of unique stuff is on the way, getting printed, shipped, and such right now.

Don't be a stranger, come on by the booth and let's play some games!

Weapon of Choice in Guinness World Records 2010

We're proud to share that Weapon of Choice was recently entered into the Guinness Book of World Records 2010 Gamer's Edition! On page 57, on the two-page spread for Run and Gun Shooters, Weapon of Choice blasts it's way into history.


In a "Fact" section Weapon of Choice is listed as having the highest professionally rated release on the (then) Xbox Live Community Games channel, as aggregated by Metacritic. Weapon of Choice's Metacritic rating is 74.

The most exciting news comes in the form of a top ten list. I've always loved David Letterman's Top Ten lists, but never before did I imagine one of our games would be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records!

Under the heading "Ten Games You Should Play in this Genre", Weapon of Choice is number 4--above even the mighty, and legendary Contra III!

Here's a pic, and the list in full:
Ten Games You Should Play in this Genre

1. Metal Slug (1996)
2. Gunstar Heroes (1993)
3. Turrican (1990)
4. Weapon of Choice (2008)
5. Contra III (1992)
6. Green Beret (1985)
7. Vectorman (1995)
8. Bionic Commando (1987)
9. Ikari Warriors (1986)
10. Alien Soldier (1995)

Keep in mind, this game is a list covering the run'n'gun genre throughout the history of video games! (Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about it)

Can Shoot 1UP live up to this attention? Who knows, but Shoot 1UP's already got a GameRanking rating of 83%!

Shoot 1UP Now Available!

Shoot 1UP is now available for 80 MS points on your Xbox 360 in the Indie Games section right here.

日本語ファンサイト.

Are you put off by "manic" shoot 'em ups?
Even things up by bringing all your ships into battle at once! In Shoot 1UP you start with 3 ships, as expected, but they're all playable simultaneously!

Control your ships with ease using the trigger or shoulder buttons to expand and contract your formation. Stay close to weave through bullets, or expand to fire the massive plasma auger!

Choose your flight-path through six bizarre levels allowing you to bank right, fly backwards, or even fly with 360 degrees of freedom!


Massive bosses and hideous creations shower fiery death upon your forces, but you have the edge with tons of firepower, and even the option to modify the game speed!


Unleash your full fighting potential in Shoot 1UP!

• 1UPs INSTANTLY ENTER THE ACTION!
• Command over 30 ships at the SAME TIME!
• Arrange ships to charge the devastating PLASMA AUGER!
• 2 Player coop play for over 60 SIMULTANEOUS player ship INSANITY!
• 6 BIZARRE levels, with massive bosses and player path choices!
• Customize the battle, with gameplay speed control!
  
• Manic Shooting for NORMAL GAMERS!

Press
Screenshots
(individual): http://www.mommysbestgames.com/Shoot1UP_PressKit/NewShots3/
(packed): http://www.mommysbestgames.com/Shoot1UP_PressKit/NewShots3/Shoot1UP_LaunchShots.rar

Box Art: http://www.mommysbestgames.com/Shoot1UP_PressKit/NewShots3/Shoot1UP_BoxArt_girl.jpg

Mommy's Best Games, Inc. is a boutique game developer founded in 2007. We strive to deliver games that push the edges of the medium through gameplay, art, and donuts. Our first game, Weapon of Choice, is an award-winning, side-scrolling, action game now available on Xbox 360 Indie Games.

Mommy's Best Games is currently developing Grapple Buggy, promoting Shoot 1UP, and working on other secret projects to titillate your fancy.