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Special Feature: American Mcgee's Grimm
http://www.joystick.com/2008/07/02/american-mcgees-grimm-all-episodes-free-for-first-24-hours/

American McGee's Grimm: All episodes free for first 24 hours


GameTap is taking a most unusual approach with its first weekly episodic game series. Each episode of American McGee's Grimm – individual "fractured fairytales" from the designer of American McGee's Alice – will debut as a free download and remain free for a 24-hour period. After that, episodes will go into GameTap's archives and be available to download individually for a yet-to-be-determined price.

The model is likened to that of the iTunes or Xbox Live video download services. Catching a Grimm episode during the initial download-for-free window will be like watching a new episode of a show on network TV. Once it's "aired," you can download it if you missed it – for a price.

The episodes will be supported by minimal up-front advertising and the first one, "A Boy Learns What Fear Is," will debut on July 31. We had the opportunity to play the first three Grimm episodes yesterday and will post our impressions later today.

Release Dates
http://www.gametap.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=20125&tstart=0

American McGee's Grimm: A Boy Learns What Fear Is (Coming July 31)
American McGee's Grimm: Little Red Riding Hood (Coming August 7)
American McGee's Grimm: The Fisherman and his Wife (Coming August 14)
American McGee's Grimm: Puss in Boots (Coming August 21)
American McGee's Grimm: The Girl Without Hands (Coming August 28)
American McGee's Grimm: Godfather Death (Coming September 4)
American McGee's Grimm: The Devil and His Three Golden Hairs (Coming September 11)
American McGee's Grimm: Beauty and the Beast (Coming September 18)
American McGee's Grimm: Volume Two (Fall 2008)
American McGee's Grimm: Volume Three (Early 2009)

Stick of Joy Impressions
http://www.joystick.com/2008/07/02/joystick-hands-on-american-mcgees-grimm/

Joystick hands-on: American McGee's Grimm

After playing his latest creation, we're beginning to suspect that American McGee – whose previous work includes American McGee's Alice, Quake, and Doom II – has a bit of a fascination with the macabre. Grimm has its basis in some of the darker fairytales on record, and McGee has certainly milked them for every last, inky drop of blackness.

As we reported earlier today, American McGee's Grimm is GameTap's first weekly episodic game. We plunged into the twisted depths of the first episode – "A Boy Learns What Fear Is" – to bring you the hands-on impressions you'll find after the break.


We've come to refer to Grimm as "Katamari Darkmacy" due to its simplistic (yet addictive) gameplay and – at least to begin with – simple pastel visuals reminiscent of "It's a Small World." Starting up an episode, players get to watch a "light" version of the fairytale narrated by Grimm. The puppet-show-like vignette tells the tale from with a mostly lighthearted slant. After it's finished, Grimm invites you to make it dark. Very dark.

Gameplay, as we said, is simple. In this case, "simple" means that navigating your character (Grimm himself) is a matter of moving the mouse and holding the left button to run. Jumping is performed with the right button, and clicking it again while in the air performs a butt-stomp.

Apart from some basic platforming, that's as involved as the game gets. It's mainly about the experience of slowly corrupting the candy-coated fairytale. Everywhere Grimm goes, the world around him becomes dark and twisted. In order to progress through the episode, players must "darken" enough on an area to satisfy Grimm's requests to "make it stinky!," "make it gross!," and so on.

These requests actually correspond to a meter that spans the entire top of the screen. At the absolute right – the darkest of dark – is "vile." Along it are stops for "stinky," "gross," "putrid," and the like.

Life as a Wario-esque anti-hero isn't easy. There are those who'd like to keep the fairytale spic-and-span. So there's strategy introduced in darkening the land while these do-goodnicks attempt to sanitize it. Thankfully, once you've made things suitably gross you can turn the cleaners into dark beings that no longer pose a lemony-fresh threat.

Although it runs on Unreal Engine 3 tech, Grimm is decidedly simple in its presentation. It's nonetheless effective, though. The game oozes style (among other things) and is packed with clever visual gags, such as bluebirds turning into vampire bats. In fact, the world transforms seamlessly from light to dark, which is visually striking in and of itself.

GameTap reckons that each episode can be completed in as little as 30 minutes, but may last up to an hour and a half if players wish to earn a gold star for making each level as dark as possible and find every hidden secret. Once you've played through an episode, you're treated to a decidedly darker "puppet theater" version of the fairytale – just the way Grimm wanted it.

We found the game charming, if simple, during our hands-on time with episode one. It's definitely something you'll find yourself easily lost in. Plus, although each episode will be free of charge for the first 24 hours it's available, the game certainly doesn't have a that certain (bad) free game "feel." (We're looking at you, Yaris!)

The entirety of Grimm is broken up into 24 "episodes," with three sets of eight planned as "volumes." Volume One will begin on July 31, with "A Boy Learns What Fear Is," followed by "Little Red Riding Hood," "The Fisherman and His Wife," and five more tales. GameTap tells us that the second volume should kick off around Halloween.

Welcome to New Games Thursday, your one-stop shop for all your GameTap game additions! There's a new discussion thread every week, featuring the latest GameTap releases and a tentative schedule of games we plan to release IN THE FUUUUUUTURE!


New GameTap Gold Games (subscription required)
http://www.gametap.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=20541&tstart=0

Descent: Freespace

The Galactic Terran Alliance and the Vasudan Empire have been at war for nearly two decades. But the arrival of the nightmarish Shivans has forced old enemies to put aside their differences and unite against a bloodthirsty and technologically superior foe. As a fighter pilot in the GTA carrier fleet, you're on the front lines -- and facing deadly interstellar dogfighting.


Off-Road Redneck Racing

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! See a group of ill-mannered rednecks go doorhandle to doorhandle over some of the most grueling off-road courses on Earth! Thrill to fantastic barrel rolls! Boggle at finishes so close it'll make your razor jealous! If you miss this you'd better be dead, or in jail! And if you're in jail...break out!
Download and Play Off-Road Redneck Racing!

New Free Games
Nothing new this week, but as a reminder, we added eleven last week! Go play some more Shark! Shark!.

Free Games released last week

Burnin’ Rubber

Scream down the track knocking opponents out of the way or crushing them beneath your wheels. But that’s not the half of it. You’ll also dodge dangerous obstacles, jump water traps, and battle inclement weather as take your vehicle combat skills to a new level and earn the checkered flag.

Magical Drop III

Like its predecessors, Magical Drop III is a puzzle game for one or two players. You adopt a character based on a Tarot card and guide them through a series of opponent-based puzzles. The puzzles are deceptively simple: you must pull colored balloons down from the ceiling and then throw them back up into play, creating like-colored chains of three or more to pop the balloon

Karate Champ

Prepare for battle, young grasshopper. Karate Champ puts the speed, skill, and honor back into fighting games. This is the game that started the one-on-one fighting genre, a staple of the videogame industry ever since. And it didn’t need any fancy fireballs or gruesome fatalities to keep the action fast and intense. Fists, feet, and lightning reflexes are all you need to taste victory.

3 Count Bout

With its jaw-dropping graphics and hard-hitting action, 3 Count Bout was one of the first games to truly capture the look and feel of professional wrestling. Step into the ring as one of a dozen mighty fighters, and bring the pain to your opponents with holds and throws too outrageous for television. Forget the pay-per-view... 3 Count Bout brings you the ultimate in pay-per-play entertainment!

Capcom Sports Club

Challenge your friends to three different sports, all with the colorful graphics and the tight gameplay you've come to expect from Capcom. Slam the ball into the rival team's hoop in basketball, send a streak of black and white flying toward your opponent's goal in soccer, and take the court by storm in a fast-paced game of tennis. Whatever you choose, you're sure to get a workout!

Super Qix

Super Qix marks the return of one of the most addictive puzzle games ever created, and builds on the concept quite nicely. You are no longer totally helpless against the Qix, Sparx and other adversaries, thanks to the inclusion of powerups in the game. Use powers like the shield and the time freeze to reclaim as much of the playing field as possible. But be quick, for the Qix is always waiting to strike

Bust-A-Move Again

Built around the same simple but addictive gameplay as the original, this stellar sequel adds a few new twists to the formula to keep things interesting. Now you can compete against the computer as well as another player for an extra bit of challenge -- or simply try to clear out all 100 hundred rounds of the puzzle mode.

League Bowling

Gather three friends around the screen and roll some balls. League Bowling is like a Friday night at the lanes, without the rental shoes and the strain of lifting a heavy ball. Although this game is simple in the extreme, load this baby up with friends around and let the challenges begin. Bowl on, you crazy diamond.

Astrosmash

In Astrosmash, players assume the role of a veritable galactic goalie (in a space ship) trying to prevent anything from crash-landing on their planet. You'll get points for everything you shoot down and lose points for everything that you miss. Astrosmash features a relentless pace and frantic playing style not often seen in old school shooters.

Shark! Shark!

Shark! Shark! is living proof of the old proverb, "There's always a bigger fish." Your goal is to make sure that "bigger fish" is you! Swim the ocean depths in this Darwinian odyssey, gobbling up everything smaller than you while avoiding everything bigger…especially lethal sharks.

Tube-It

This ain't your father's puzzle game, no sir. Tube-It is part Tetris and part connect the dots, with a solid dose of speedy, high pressure action (and a dancing mascot) thrown in. As tubes of different shapes plummet from above, you must maneuver and rotate them to form connections, matching the colored nodes on one side of the screen with those on the other. No plumber ever had it this hard!

Full List of Free Games

1. 2020 Super Baseball
2. 1942
3. 1943: The Battle of Midway
4. 1st Division Manager
5. 3 Count Bout
6. Art of Fighting
7. Astrosmash
8. Bagh Chal
9. Ball 7 Deluxe
10. Baseball Stars 2
11. Baseball Stars Professional
12. Battle of Europe
13. Bee 52
14. Black Tiger
15. Blast Miner
16. BloodRayne
17. Brian Lara Cricket 2007
18. Bubble Bobble
19. Buku Kakuro
20. Buku Sudoku
21. BurgerTime
22. Burnin' Rubber
23. Bust-A-Move
24. Bust-A-Move Again
25. Cannon Fodder
26. Capcom Sports Club
27. Captain Commando
28. Captain Dynamo
29. CJ in the USA
30. Cj's Elephant Antics
31. Colin McRae Rally 2005
32. Colony 7
33. Commandos 3: Destination Berlin
34. Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness
35. D.N.A.
36. Daikatana
37. Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors
38. Defender
39. Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition
40. Disciples II: Rise of the Elves GOLD
41. Dj Puff's Volcanic Capers
42. Dracula Twins
43. Elevator Action
44. Fast Lanes Bowling
45. Fast Lanes Pinball
46. Fatal Fury
47. Final Fight
48. Five Card Deluxe
49. Flip Words 2
50. Football Frenzy
51. Futoshiki
52. Ghosts N' Goblins
53. Ghouls N' Ghosts
54. Grand Prix Simulator
55. Grell and Falla
56. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
57. Hitman: Codename 47
58. Ikari Warriors
59. Ingenious
60. Jaws Unleashed
61. Jewelcraft
62. Joust
63. Kamikaze
64. Karate Champ
65. King of the Monsters
66. King of the Monsters 2
67. Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle
68. Lara Croft's Tomb Raider: Legend
69. Lazer Force
70. Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2
71. League Bowling
72. Liquid Kids
73. Little Puff in Dragonland
74. Lunar Rescue
75. Magical Drop III
76. Marine Park Empire
77. Mean Machine
78. Mega Man: The Power Battle
79. Mercs
80. Metal Slug
81. Metal Slug 2
82. Miami Chase
83. Mig-29 Soviet Fighter
84. Motocross
85. Mr. Robot
86. Murray Mouse: Supercop
87. Mutation Nation
88. Nemesis of the Roman Empire
89. Neo Turf Masters
90. Olli & Lissa 3
91. Poltergeist
92. Pop-A-Tronic
93. Prehistoric Isle in 1930
94. Prince Clumsy
95. Pro Boxing Simulator
96. Pro Skateboard Simulator
97. Psychonauts
98. Puzzled
99. Qix
100. Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2
101. Rally Cross Simulator
102. Rampage
103. Rastan
104. Real MYST
105. Restaurant Empire
106. Return of the Invaders
107. Robotron 2084
108. Rogue Trooper
109. Root Beer Tapper
110. Sam and Max Season One: Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die!
111. Samurai Showdown
112. Second Sight
113. Sensible Soccer
114. Sensible Soccer 2006
115. Shark! Shark!
116. Shock Troopers
117. Slightly Magic
118. Son Son
119. Space Invaders
120. Street Fighter II: Champion Edition
121. Super Qix
122. Stuntman Seymour
123. Super Seymour
124. Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers
125. Surakarta
126. Texas Hold' Em Poker
127. The King of Fighters 95
128. The King of Fighters 96
129. The Last Blade
130. The New Zealand Story
131. Thief: Deadly Shadows
132. Tilt
133. Tube-It
134. Twinkle Star Sprites
135. Vampire Savior: The Lord of the Vampire
136. Vulgus
137. Warlords Battlecry 3
138. War and Warriors: Joan of Ark
139. X2: The Threat
140. Zoo Empire
141. Zoo Keeper

2008 Coming Attractions

Coming to Gold (subscription required!):
Coming in July:

July 10
Aveyond
ClayFighter

July 17
Inca Ball
Freespace 2

July 31
American McGee's Grimm: A Boy Learns What Fear Is (Coming July 31)

July TBD
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Die By the Sword
(others TBD)


TBD:
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
Hei$t
Culpa Innata
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
Sub Command
Circus Empire
Patrician III
Aveyond 2
Alien Stars
Fallout
Fallout 2
Fallout Tactics
(additional Interplay titles TBD)

Coming to Free:

Knights of the Round
(others TBD)

Special Feature: Playlist of the Week: Simon Carless, Chairman of the IGF
http://www.gametap.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=20482&tstart=0

Friday Playlist of the Week:
July 4 through July 10
Looking for some new games to play? Want to know what your fellow GameTap users, staff members, and gaming celebrities enjoy? Look no further than GameTap's Friday Playlist of the Week, where every week we'll present a new list of games worth checking out. These could be someone's favorite games, these could be a thematic list, and they might even be a list of games to avoid! Anything goes. Well, anything that's a playlist, anyway. Here's our spotlight playlist for the week:
Celebrity Playlist: Simon Carless' Picks
Simon Carless is the Chairman of the Independent Games Festival, Publisher of Game Developer and Gamasutra.com, and my former boss! Simon is a long-time GameTap user, supporter, and former beta tester, and these are his favorite games:

Metal Slug

It may be a little obvious, but beautifully crafted 2D never goes out of style, and SNK's original arcade side-scrolling shooter is still a wonderful thing to behold. The gameplay is pixel-perfect, the enemies are some of the cutest you'll ever blast, and those bosses? Boy, those bosses.


The Last Express

Would be remiss not to mention Jordan Mechner's experimental, wonderful post-Prince Of Persia adventure title. With a budget of $6 million, it was a major flop in 1997 when originally released, despite critical acclaim - but it's really one of the most beautifully realized games of all time, especially for detective fans such as myself. Beautiful art nouveau stylings and real-time gameplay, 24-style, make for a fascinating title.


Namco Metro-Cross

A quirky early Namco arcade title that you either played at the time and loved, or played later and were slightly mystified by. I obviously fall into the former category - but seriously, the simple steering and speed changing on the perma-scrolling stage can be surprisingly addictive. The combo-based jumping and the can-kicking is pretty neat, too. Try it, won't you?


Uplink: Hacker Elite

Of course, I'm going to pick at least one of the GameTap Indies titles, and Introversion's first game - while less well-known than later titles such as Darwinia, is almost more fascinating. The concept of a faux-network of computers to be hacked into is an interesting one to start with, and the graphics and UI touches make Uplink surprisingly accessible. Another hidden gem.


Leather Goddesses Of Phobos

Let's see - Infocom. Text adventure. Steve Meretzky. Camp '30s sci-fi. In what way is this not wonderful? Good for GameTap for bothering to bring the Activision-owned interactive fiction franchise back, even when it may be a bit niche for today's teenager. It's writing like this that makes Infocom such stuff of legend. But hey - no scratch and sniff card with our subscription?


Sensible Soccer

It's the Megadrive/Genesis version, sure, but any version of the seminal soccer sim is good with me. Overhead soccer action with plenty of aftertouch is still the preferred sports options for relentless nostalgists, and if that makes me one too - guilty, m'lud. Of course, it'd be better with an Amiga joystick, but I'm sure I can find a USB Competition Pro somewhere or other.