Village Gamer

Montreal – Ubisoft has announced the launch of its first game created specifically for the new Nintendo DSi™: My Healthy Cooking Coach. Already a worldwide leader on Nintendo DS™, Ubisoft is one of the first independent developers to launch a game created to take advantage of the new functionality of the Nintendo DSi. My Healthy Cooking Coach is an easy-to-use, fun game for anybody who wants to eat balanced and fresh healthy meals.

With more than 240 recipes created by a culinary school and in collaboration with a renowned nutritionist, My Healthy Cooking Coach offers player tips and tricks to create healthy and delicious meals that will delight friends and family. My Healthy Cooking Coach is available on Nintendo DS™ as well as Nintendo DSi, in June 2009.

Thanks to the new functionality of the Nintendo DSi, My Healthy Cooking Coach offers enhanced content and gameplay experiences. Ten recipes will be exclusively available on the DSi version, and budding chefs can use the system’s camera to personalize users’ profiles.

In addition to My My Healthy Cooking Coach, Ubisoft will soon launch several other new games specifically created for the Nintendo DSi™.

Images Courtesy of  & Copyright to Ubisoft®

Developer – Big Fish Games
Publisher – Big Fish Games
Released – November 26 2008
Rating: E – T
Game Score: 10/10
Official Website

In this sequel to Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst, players again take on the role of a Master Detective trying to unravel the evil mysteries which inhabit the old Ravenhearst Manor. Picking up where Ravenhearst left off, the story revolves around the fate of yet more ghosts who are still trapped in the eerie mansion.

The tone for Return to Ravenhearst is set right from the opening frames of the game. A moody and haunting soundtrack, complete with timely sound effects lets the gamer know that this chapter in the franchise is not going to be a pleasant jaunt through the park. The game’s environmental artists have developed an atmosphere that exudes creepiness – everything from the artfully created lighting to triggered animations immerses the player into the mood of the story.

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Kelowna BC – Following its phenomenal success with millions of children and parents around the globe, the virtual world of Club Penguin has opened its igloo doors to the francophone community.

The new French language version of Club Penguin is supported by francophone staff in Europe and Canada who understand the unique cultural references of the French audience and can provide timely and responsive moderation and customer support.

“As a Canadian-based company, we’re particularly excited to be able to offer French-speaking children and families in this country the same opportunity to explore the fun and creativity of Club Penguin in their own language that so many other kids around the world already enjoy,” says Lane Merrifield, one of Club Penguin’s founders and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios.

Club Penguin, which launched in English in 2005, is one of the largest and fastest-growing virtual worlds for children where they can explore, play games and interact with friends. The virtual world enhances the Walt Disney Company’s legacy of rich and immersive entertainment that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

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Canadian game studio strives for something different

Toronto – Untold Entertainment Inc., a Canadian game studio specializing in online casual games for kids, happily announces the development of Kahoots. Kahoots is a challenging game of nonsensical crime and silly intrigue, modelled entirely from plasticine.

The game is set in Londonton, a fictional and foolish vision of London, England. Drawing its inspiration from British board games like Cluedo (AKA “Clue”), and absurdly humorous series like Monty Python’s Flying Circus and The League of Gentlemen, Kahoots immerses the player in sepia-tinged Edwardian (fake) England at the height of a crime wave. As Spotland Pond’s newest detective, the player must track down cabals of criminals, all in pursuit of the evil mastermind behind their reign of (mostly harmless) terror.

A Very Hands-On Approach

Kahoots is being modeled from top to bottom in plasticine. Every character, set and prop is lovingly (and squishingly) hand-crafted by the team at Untold Entertainment. The world of Londonton is being brought to life through careful photography and digital image manipulation, resulting in a seamless (but smudgy) game experience. The creators hope that the game’s clay graphics will set it Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver – IUGO Mobile Entertainment is proud to announce its new pinball game Freeballin’ for the iPhone! Named by IUGO’s very active gamer community in a recent contest, Freeballin’ will be one of the newest products from IUGO on display at the upcoming GDC.

Here’s a taste of what’s to come in IUGO’s awesome upcoming title:

Endless hours of pinball entertainment spread across four unique, beautifully rendered playfields, including the Jungle and Cityscape themes. Over a half a dozen playfields in total, including boss battles!

Play in three distinct gameplay modes:
Score Attack is the classic pinball experience to get the highest score possible with your limited supply of orbs
Time Attack forces the player to get to a target score as quick as possible
Adventure Challenge has the player collecting artifacts from three different themes with the help of game-changing powerups.

Freeballin’: This is pinball like you’ve never seen before!

Toronto – The Adventure Company, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software in North America, has announced it will publish the Adventure Game Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper for Windows® in North America. The game is developed by Frogwares, the creators of the award-winning adventure game Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened and is scheduled to release in April 2009.

“We are extremely pleased to continue publishing one of the best franchises out there in adventure gaming,” said Byron Gaum, Global Product Marketing Manager at The Adventure Company. “Frogwares and Focus Home Interactive have brought us some of the finest adventure titles in recent years. We think this pairing of the world’s greatest sleuth and the infamous killer will be another standout release in the adventure gaming genre.”

Sherlock Holmes, one of the world’s best known detectives is matched up with the most dangerous serial killer in England’s history, Jack the Ripper. The Year is 1888, London has been overtaken by a series of gruesome murders and police are left baffled, with no leads. The murders continue and Sherlock Holmes steps up to the case, setting out on a terrifying adventure to seek out the identity of Jack the Ripper.

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Vancouver/North Myrtle Beach – Thinking Studios, a small independent Vancouver studio, and Slam Dunk Studios of North Myrtle Beach SC, are proud to announce the new PC game “Raycatcher”, which syncs its gameplay with your MP3s.  Create custom playlists of your favorite music and play for as long or as short as you’d like. The goal of the game is to spin a colorful cluster of shapes to catch multi-colored rays. This causes the cluster to grow, evolve, and unlock 30 new evolutionary stages.

Raycatcher, which is due for release in March 2009, represents the first game produced by the coordinated efforts of Thinking Studios and Slam Dunk Studios. “Raycatcher represents a new twist on the play to music gaming genre.” “We believe Raycatcher will appeal to a broad age group.”

Thinking Studios was started by John Warner, an artist currently employed in the game industry, who has worked on such titles as Company of Heroes and Dawn of War II.

Vancouver – Big Fish Games™, the world’s leading online destination for games and interactive entertainment, announced today the release of Unwell Mel, an addictive puzzle game and the first title to come out of Big Fish Games’ recently opened Vancouver, B.C. studio. The Vancouver team – including artists and developers – allows Big Fish Games to more effectively expand its genre expertise without sacrificing the depth, quality and creativity that is the hallmark of Big Fish Games.

“Like all the games that we concept, develop and release, Unwell Mel is an original in its genre. It’s a creative twist on match-three games,” said Pat Wylie, vice president of Big Fish Games Studios. “I’m excited about our Vancouver team; their talent strengthens Studios, and as we grow the team we can ensure the continued production of great games.”

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Montreal – Interactive entertainment company Ludia today announced the launch of its Hell’s Kitchen game for iPhone and iPod touch on the Apple App Store. Based on the Granada America television phenomenon, iPhone and iPod touch owners can now feel the show’s pressure-cooker atmosphere anytime, anyplace along with the acerbic commentary of Gordon Ramsay who judges and rates player performance at each stage of the game. Players can also unlock recipes from the show as a reward for progress in the game.

“Hell’s Kitchen viewership has grown each season and fans of both the show, and of Gordon Ramsay, have become increasingly dedicated,” said Katrina Moran, executive vice president for Digital Media, Granada America. “We are pleased that new and existing fans can now enjoy a Hell’s Kitchen experience on-the-go via the revolutionary iPhone and iPod touch.”

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Montreal – Meridian4 and Frogames have been hard at work adding content to Penguins Arena, their action-packed, non-stop battle for survival – “There can be only one” – FPS (First Penguin Shooter) and have also added a little Christmas cheer.

Frogames have added three new larger battlebergs for your penguin tribe to combat others in the ultimate struggle for supremacy and survival. More room to run, to hide, to watch your dynamite fish grenade smack a penguin clear off the iceberg into the cold waters below and then to be eaten by a great white…ah memories. They’ve also decorated for the holidays, adding a few string of lights, some garland, a Christmas tree or two and some of your old favorites like Frosty and even St. Nick might make an appearance.
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