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Superfrog HD Leaps onto PS3 and PS Vita This Year

Bethany Aston — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:01:10 +0000

You may remember that last week we published a blog piece on the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita release of Alien Breed, in which our Creative Director, Kevin Carthew, made a sneaky reference to potential future retro-revivals of other classic Team17 titles.

Today, we’re unveiling our plans to release Superfrog HD later this year, 20 years after the regal amphibian’s first appearance. Superfrog HD will feature all new graphics, and is set to make an appearance on both PS3 and PS Vita.

Debbie Bestwick, Team17’s Managing Director, says, “We’re extremely excited about bringing Superfrog HD to PS3 and PS Vita; it’s the most requested game that our fans are always requesting to see make a return. Now, with the 20th anniversary of the original Superfrog and the recent re-release of our classic survival-horror Alien Breed, we feel the timing has never been better.”

Superfrog was originally released on Amiga in 1993 and received much critical acclaim:

The One Amiga – 93% – “With Team17’s impeccable track record I was expecting Superfrog to be well above par but it’s far more than that – it’s breathtakingly good. Everything about the game, from the graphics and sound through the control to gameplay, has been honed and tweaked to gleaming perfection”

Amiga Computing – 93% – “Superfrog is quite simply Team17’s greatest release to date. It’s full to the brim with great graphics, sound, playability and addiction. You’d have to be completely potty or hopping mad to ignore it”

CU Amiga – 89% – “Superfrog is a very polished product, possibly the best that Team17 have ever produced.”

Amiga Action – 89% – “What can you say about Team17? Everything they touch these days seems to turn into gold and Superfrog is no exception. This is without a doubt the best all-out platform game on the Amiga to date”

The Pop Culture Secrets of Worms: Ultimate Mayhem

Mark Baldwin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:01:17 +0000

Worms: Ultimate Mayhem is being released later today on PlayStation Store for PS3. In contrast to the Worms games released on PSN to date, Ultimate Mayhem is a 3D version of the crazy turn-based strategy series, being a “best of” compilation of the most memorable bits of Worms 3D and Worms 4: Mayhem. The game is crammed with surreal weaponry, wacky customization options, tons of destructive single-player content and multiplayer options, Trophies, and some really cool improvements to the original games. We also added enhancements and updates to the camera, the graphics, the audio and the aiming especially.

To celebrate today’s new release, we thought it may be fun to reveal some of the many pop culture secrets that can be found within the levels and content. The game is packed to its destructive core with some affectionate, and sometimes surreal, film and pop cultural references, all scattered amongst the numerous themes and landscapes. Here are just a few that we really like — see if you can spot more! (We don’t make any apologies for the terrible puns contained below!):

Destruct and Serve

Let’s party like it’s…err… 1955! Jump back in time with an iconic time-traveling car and also enjoy the town hall inspired by a scene from a very popular 1980s classic!

Nice to Siege You

It may be Ork-less but this map is still very much in the vein of a famous siege battle scene from a notable fantasy trilogy, complete with walls, catapults and destructible weak spots. Relive the classic battle with worms…or just blow each other up with explosive sheep!

D-Day

Storm the beach in this silly spoof of the thrilling opening sequence of a critically acclaimed World War II pic!

Plaice Holder

From a familiar-sounding boat, to an aquatic predator with a canister in his mouth all the way through to a sunny beach poster, this level has plenty of jaw-dropping references to a 70s classic blockbuster!

Tree Trouble Village

Head up to the tops of the trees in this cute sci-fi village and see if you can spot the references. Maybe you can use the force to gain an unfair advantage?! That is the ‘Endor’ of the references, and I will stop ‘Jabba-ing’ on now…..

Worms: Ultimate Mayhem will hit PSN today $14.99, with PlayStation Plus subscribers receiving a launch discount.

Worms Ultimate Mayhem Obliterates PSN February 14th

Mark Baldwin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:04 +0000

We are delighted to be able to announce the U.S. release date of Worms Ultimate Mayhem is Tuesday February 14, 2012. We’d also like to introduce the game to you all and answer any questions you may have.

Can you introduce the game to us please?

Sure, Worms Ultimate Mayhem is a “best of” compilation of content from both Worms 3D and Worms 4: Mayhem, so it’s got 38 weapons, plenty of customization options (including a selection of new ones) making for 115 individual customization elements in total. There are also 60 single-player missions taken from both sources, making it a massive game. We’ve taken the opportunity to improve on what was there already too. We have made some really nice improvements to the camera and made the game even more approachable; to this end we added a new utility (the Binoculars) to help you aim, and an automatic shot assist mechanic that helps your shots find their targets in easy mode. We have also added some really cool loyalty content too.

In terms of visual improvements, we’ve brought the game up to date with a raft of enhancements. New water effects, up-scaled textures and fonts, higher polygon counts, specular materials, real-time lighting and dynamic shadows all get the game looking a little more modern while still retaining its attractive cartoon style visuals. Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the audio improvements too… we’ve a whole bunch of new music in the game, and some of the cut-scenes have been re-edited, voice-acted and lip-synched, which makes a massive difference!

What are the main gameplay features and mechanics in ‘Worms Ultimate Mayhem’?

Despite being 3D, the game is pretty much built around the same principles as all the “Worms” games. There’s the unique 3D deformable landscape and the satisfaction of destroying EVERYTHING. It’s pretty satisfying blowing things up, and that mindless destruction has always been a staple of the brand.

There’s the humour and genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, the crazy weapons (such as the Concrete Donkey, an Inflatable Scouser and a Bovine Blitz cow-themed airstrike!), the worms mugging to camera or the silly story sequences. Humour has always been an important ingredient, and it actually translates very well into 3D.

There’s customizing things: from what their worms wear and what they say to tailoring individual game settings. There’s also the ability to create your very own secret weapon, deciding how it’s launched, what effect it has and what it looks like. I think that aspect has always extended the life of the game as it allows players to make it their own.

And lastly, there’s the insane amount of content. We always try and over-deliver with the games we make, and Worms Ultimate Mayhem is no different: 60 single player missions, 8 challenges, 10 deathmatch challenges, 6 FMVs, 5 online and offline multiplayer modes, 1,000,000+ game style choices via Wormpot, 23 speech-banks, 115 customization items, 38 weapons and 5 Easter eggs. With plenty of PSN Trophies, including a Platinum, that’s a lot of game to enjoy!

Worms Ultimate Mayhem will be priced at $14.99, with an additional launch discount for PlayStation Plus subscribers; we look forward to answering any questions you may have in the comments.

Worms Crazy Golf Hits PSN October 25th

John Dennis — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:00:18 +0000

Hi everyone! With Worms Crazy Golf launching on the U.S. PlayStation Store on Tuesday, October 25th, for $9.99 (PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive a 20% launch discount for the first 2 weeks of release).

We’d like to introduce the game to you all by answering a few key questions:

Q: Can you describe how the intriguing idea of combining Worms and golf came about?

A: We started with the fact Worms is a pretty crazy and surreal game anyway, so we felt it would be ideally suited for combining with ‘crazy golf’. Coupled with the fact that both Worms and golf are both turn-based games, it seemed pretty natural to us that the two games could be mixed together into some sort of highly entertaining cocktail! And with the fun, competitive nature of both Worms and golf gameplay, we thought it would work very well in a social multi-player setting. Fortunately, I think our instincts were proven right!

Q: Can you tell us about the game. How does the world of Worms combine with golf?

A: Anyone expecting a straight golf game will be in for a bit of a surprise… it’s got a lot of the favourite aspects of Worms, including explosive sheep, grumpy old women, moles, magnets, mines, colourful environments and crazy chain reactions. It is set across three surreal 18-hole golf courses, (plus a diverse range of skill-based challenge modes), with each hole being more like a puzzle than those found on traditional golf courses. Completing each hole in par or under unlocks the next one, but there’s a bunch of things standing in your way, including increasingly challenging hole design and an array of obstacles; from castles that teleport your ball, cannons that shoot it across the landscape and even obstructive comedy bats! The game is based on the “Worms” gameplay mechanic of choosing shot power and trajectory, although “Worms Crazy Golf” is a completely new entity in itself. It’s neither a traditional golf game nor is it a traditional “Worms” game. It’s the absolute best of both worlds and we think it’s really good fun and very compelling.

When taking a shot each golfer also has a selection of unlockable special utilities they can call on such as the parachute ball, the ability to reverse gravity, or the ability to slow time down to maximise the effects of top-spin or back-spin – they are pretty funny and really encourage replay of the courses in order to get better scores. With four-player social multiplayer support, it has all the hallmarks of the “Worms” brand: the trash-talking, pressure to make the shot, terribly unhelpful ‘advice’ from your opponents, and often hilarious consequences when that risky shot that could have won the game goes terribly wrong.

Q: Do you have any plans for DLC after launch?
A: Yes, we have the Carnival Course DLC pack, which includes the surreal and colourful (very pink!) Carnival Course (a new 18 hole golf course), a selection of new challenges, a new utility (the ‘bouncy ball’) and more customization options too. This is set for release on Tuesday 1st November 2011, and best of all, it will be absolutely free!

Four New DLC Packs for Worms 2: Armageddon This Month

Mark Baldwin — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:02:48 +0000

We have some exciting news for all you PlayStation 3 Worms fans out there – over the next month we have got some action-packed DLC packs for Worms 2: Armageddon set for release. The first DLC pack we released last year was the destructive “Battle Pack”, which had a nice mix of worm-y goodness, and was very well received by our passionate fans.

We also know that different Worms 2: Armageddon players find different features of the game appealing, and people do have their favorites. For example, some players like to spend time wracking their brains over the fiendishly-designed puzzles; others really enjoy demonstrating their ‘leet’ (their word!) heavy weapons skills in fort games, while others still prefer racing each other, or against the clock, using the ninja ropes and jet-packs. We are also aware of the fondness that many fans have for the older titles that got people addicted to the wacky world of Worms in the first place. We are proud that our fans like the breadth of content that the game offers, and we hope that with these four new DLC packs we have something that will appeal to players of all tastes.

It is my pleasure to give you a rundown on the new DLC packs. The new DLC packs are as follows: The “Puzzle Pack”, The “Forts Pack”, The “Time Attack Pack” and The “Retro Pack”. As I said earlier, each of the DLC packs draw inspiration from the most popular elements of the game, adding new single-player puzzle missions, forts and fort-based missions, time-based racing missions, and reworked retro missions with really cool retro-modern visuals (check out the screenshot) respectively. Each pack also has a new landscape theme, 12 new Trophies in each pack (!), and even more customization elements into the mix, with themed hats, speech-banks and gravestones making up the content!

The Worms 2: Armageddon “Puzzle Pack” and “Forts Pack” are both set to be released digitally in the SCEA regions from PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 on Tuesday, August 9th and the price will be $4.99 for each pack.

The Worms 2: Armageddon “Time Attack Pack” and “Retro Pack” are both set to be released digitally in the SCEA regions from PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 on Tuesday, August 23rd and the price will be $4.99 for each pack.

PlayStation Plus subscribers should keep an eye out for exclusive discounts too!

That’s it for now, folks – hope you enjoy the new DLC packs, ‘armageddon’ out of here…… (Sorry, we can’t resist terrible puns here at Team17!)

Alien Breed 3: Descent – What You Need to Know

John Dennis — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:30:30 +0000

Hi everyone! With Alien Breed 3: Descent launching on the U.S. PlayStation Store on Tuesday, February 22nd, we’d like to introduce the game to you all with another handy list of things you may not know about the game:

Alien Breed 3: Descent is the stunning final chapter of the Alien Breed saga, a trilogy of downloadable PS3 titles that reinvent the Alien Breed series, which has roots dating back to 1991. The game is an action-packed top-down science fiction shooter where you must conserve ammo, scavenge for gear and upgrade your arsenal to survive against a vast alien threat.

After its successful introduction in Alien Breed 2: Assault, the challenging Survivor mode returns with an alien-slaughtering vengeance! You must resist endless waves of intense alien attacks in specifically designed arena environments, and because it can be played in single-player or in two-player co-op (online or local), you can get competitive and compete with your friends on the Survivor mode leader boards!

There are some exhilarating new action-packed third-person set pieces in the game which really get your pulse racing Battle through flooded levels, the all-new research labs, and take a spectacular space walk on the exterior of the ship as it plummets through the planet’s atmosphere. Come get some!

The Breed are meaner in this episode too, with new enemies to conquer: amongst them the ‘‘Electro-shocker” alien and the mighty final boss — although, obviously, I can’t say too much about that. I don’t want to spoil the finale!

Of course, with the odds and enemies stacked against you, you will need some more devastating firepower. Luckily you’ll be able to arm yourself with some awesome new weaponry: the “Project X” is a “BFG” that vaporizes everything it comes into contact with, while the awesome “Electro-Link” gun fires chain lightning to damage all nearby enemies. I have to say this weapon is my personal favourite, and incredibly satisfying to use.

The single-player game sees the player take command of Chief Engineer Theodore Conrad once again, this time in his last stand against the savage alien horde. As the doomed Leopold and alien space craft plunge deeper into the planet’s atmosphere and with an icy ocean promising a watery grave, you have just hours to defy a grisly death and survive the alien onslaught for the final time. As you struggle deeper into the sinking alien ship, through the freezing waters flooding every corridor, the horrifying truth surrounding the existence of the Breed is finally uncovered…

As well as the two-player Survivor mode, there is also a two-player Assault mode: a co-operative play mode (again online or local) in which players must work together to defeat the alien horde across specially designed maps for two players. This mode also concludes the thrilling separate narrative that crosses over with the single-player experience, and because both modes support voice-chat, for those playing online, it means you can work out your game plan and adapt your strategy as you go… something you’re going to need to do if you both want to survive!

For those PSN Trophy hunters amongst you: there are 35 Trophies available within this game, including a Platinum!

Alien Breed 3: Descent will be available at a great price of $9.99, which is an absolute steal in my opinion for the amount of adrenaline-fueled entertainment in the game.

And don’t forget, if you survive the final descent and fancy a challenge of an altogether more cartoony kind, Team17 also develop the awesome Worms games (also available now on PlayStation Store) so why not check them out?

Alien Breed 2: Assault Hits PSN on Tuesday with Short, Controlled Bursts

John Dennis — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:59:42 +0000

With Alien Breed 2: Assault launching on the U.S. PlayStation Store on Tuesday December 7th, we’d like to share a handy list of things you may not know about the game. If you have questions, ask away in the comments below!

It’s the direct follow-up to the PSN game Alien Breed: Impact. What’s more, it’s the middle entry in a trilogy of downloadable PS3 titles that reinvent Alien Breed, a series which has roots dating back to 1991. The game is an action-packed top-down science fiction shooter where you must conserve ammo, scavenge for gear, and upgrade your arsenal to survive against a vast alien threat.

We’ve added a new Survivor mode. This can be played in single-player or in two-player co-op (online or local), and you must resist endless waves of intense alien horde attacks in specifically designed arena environments. Get competitive and compete on the Survivor leader-boards!

Survivor Mode hits and tips: Before playing Survivor, take some time in the single player mode to learn the layout of the map. It’s also crucial to keep moving, as you’ll be overrun by aliens quickly if you stay still. Good communication is the key to survival: Decide who will focus on what weapons and try to catch the aliens in a crossfire. If you are both very low on health, a “tactical death” may work in your teams’ best interest, especially if you manage to time it between alien waves.

The game’s exhilarating new set pieces will get your pulse racing. Fight the breed through the new vertical climb section and teach those pesky aliens a lesson with the destructive mounted gun. It’s an absolute blast!

The breed have multiplied. Translation: there are new enemies to conquer, amongst them the Webber alien and dramatic new boss battles, although I can’t say much as I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

You’ll need devastating new firepower. Luckily you’ll be able to arm yourself with some awesome new weaponry such as the Hyper Blaster, a highly destructive chain-gun, and the Rocket Launcher, with which you can simply blow the horde away!

Theodore Conrad returns. In the single-player game, you’ll take control of Chief Engineer Conrad as he battles his way through the mysterious spacecraft Leopold – the very same ship that is responsible for the alien menace currently terrorizing Conrad’s own vessel! In this episode, you’ll travel deeper into the dark heart of the alien ship. It’s a pretty unpleasant place to be.

Two-player co-op play also returns. In addition to the new two-player co-op Survivor mode, there is also a two-player co-operative play mode (online or local) in which players must work together to defeat the alien horde. Co-op takes place across specially customised assault maps for two players, with a separate narrative that crosses over with the single-player experience.

Yes, there’s a Platinum Trophy. For those PSN ‘Trophy hunters’ amongst you…..there are actually 31 Trophies available within this game – including a Platinum trophy!

It’s easy on the wallet. “Alien Breed 2: Assault” will be available at a great new price – $9.99.

There’s more to come. If you survive the assault, look for Alien Breed 3: Descent to finish the trilogy early next year!

Alien Breed 2: Assault for the PS3 hits the U.S. PlayStation Store on Tuesday, December 7th for $9.99.

Worms: Battle Islands Hits PSP November 23rd with New Modes and Editors

Kevin Carthew — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:58:44 +0000

On Tuesday, November 23rd, Worms: Battle Islands will hit PSP as a PSN download, and the game is packed with great new features. At its core, it’s a traditional 2D Worms experience: a turn-based game where players use a mix of strategy and skill to move their army of worms about a landscape, and attack one another with a range of funny and surreal weapons, until the last team standing are declared the winners.

In Worms: Battle Islands, players can do battle across six distinctive environments: Nuclear, Desert, Underwater, Jungle, Chemical Plant, and Arctic (the game has a “modern conflict” theme.) There are new customization categories such as masks and backpacks, and over a hundred different items with which the player can leave their personal mark on their worms.

Multiplayer lies at the heart of the Worms franchise, and Battle Islands supports five different modes. The classic way to play Worms is Deathmatch, and is backed up with the fan-favorite Fort Mode. Introduced relatively recently to the series, the Racing Mode which sees up to four players race their worms around a circuit-like map, also makes a return for this game, and Triathlon Mode sees two players battle to be the best over three rounds.

But the brand-new Tactics Mode is what makes this game unique, and is where the “Battle Islands” name comes from. Each player takes possession of a secret island base surrounded by a number of smaller islands, each of which can be home to an item. These items allow you to implement a tactical plan before the game begins. If the player uses their abilities wisely, they should be able to lever an advantage, and when playing Tactics Mode online the winning player gets to take something from their opponent’s island, so the game means more because something is at stake. The game can be played by up to four players, either locally by sharing the same PSP, over a wireless ad-hoc network, or over the internet using an infrastructure network.

There are also over 70 single-player challenges split over the three modes: Campaign, Puzzle and the PSP-exclusive Time Attack mode. We’ve also added two new editor modes. With the Landscape Editor, the player can draw their own maps with a number of easy-to-use paint package-like tools, texture them, place items such as Sentry Guns and Land Mines, then use the maps for multiplayer matches. The player can even create their own Worms weaponry! When the player first visits the Weapon Factory they’ll find their options limited, but can unlock more functionality by collecting the blueprints scattered throughout the Campaign missions. The more blueprints there are in the player’s possession the more varied the weapons that they’re able to create.

I really hope you enjoy the game, and maybe I’ll see one or two of you online. Good luck! Worms: Battle Islands PSP is to be released digitally in the US from PlayStation Network on Tuesday, November 23rd for $24.99.

10 Things You Don’t Know About Alien Breed: Impact for PS3

John Dennis — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:59:51 +0000

Hi everyone! With Alien Breed: Impact launching in the U.S. tomorrow, we’ve pulled together some (hopefully!) fascinating things you may not know about the game. First, though, you might want to see what Alien Breed: Impact looks like in action.

Alien Breed: Impact is a re-imagining of the classic Amiga games. The original Alien Breed is remembered as one of the foremost games released on the Amiga. Launched in 1991 and developed and published by Team17, it proved to be a huge success, with the Special Edition version spending an incredible 33 unbroken weeks at the top of the UK sales charts. A sequel was released in 1993 (Alien Breed 2: The Horror Continues), followed by Alien Breed: Tower Assault and a couple of 3D editions, both of which also won numerous awards.

“Heart of Darkness” helped inspire Alien Breed: Impact. The game’s main influences are obviously classic sci-fi, horror and action movies, as well as games and comics. But you might not know that hidden in the narrative of the game there are also numerous references to Joseph Conrad’s classic novella “Heart of Darkness” (which itself was the inspiration for the film “Apocalypse Now”). The name of the hero is Conrad, the name of the space ship is the Leopold (a reference to the steamer in Conrad’s novella), and most of the other character names have a “Heart of Darkness” connection.

It looks stunning. With great visuals, atmospheric environments and cool special effects, our highly modified version of Epic Games‘ Unreal Engine 3 enables us to push the boundaries of what is visually possible for a downloadable game. We really hope you like the result!

Alien Breed: Impact isn’t just a simplistic blaster. It presents numerous other tactical gameplay challenges to the player. Our general advice: conserve your ammo; work out quickly which weapons work best against which enemies; use the melee attack (it’s great for killing alien eggs and those little “burster” aliens); use health packs, items and grenades; and collect as many credits as you can scattered throughout the levels and spend them on various upgrades in the Intex shops.

Cooperate or perish! Alien Breed: Impact isn’t just a single player title. It also features exciting and competitive two-player co-op action, local or online, with specific characters and storyline that run in parallel to the main story. Check it out — it’s my favorite way to play the game.

There’s more to come. Alien Breed: Impact is the first of three games in the new Alien Breed universe, with Alien Breed 2: Assault and Alien Breed 3: Descent coming soon to PSN over the next few months.

Alien Breed: Impact includes a Platinum Trophy. “The Completionist” is awarded when all other Trophies in the game have been collected. Good luck with that, guys. It’s pretty tough, so let us know how you get on!

Try cranking the difficulty up a notch (or two). On the hardest difficulty level, we have found that the way people play the game changes, from gung-ho arcade blasting that you can do on the easier settings, to a much more tactical, thoughtful approach, more akin to survival horror gaming. Ammo is scarce and you really have to think about how to take down the slimy alien horde and complete Conrad’s missions.

Alien Breed: Impact is created by Team17. Apparently we’re those ‘crazy’ UK guys behind the Worms games!

Any similarities are entirely coincidental. Any rumours about the ugly, slimy, smelly, and disgusting alien enemies in the game being designed to specifically look like key members of Team17 are completely untrue! ;-)

We really hope you enjoy the game when it comes out tomorrow on PSN. All of us at Team17 would encourage you to ‘get up there and whoop E.T.’s butt’, as a wise man once said…..