Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

This forum is for the posting of new newsposts, and it stores the site's news and comments archives. Only newsposters have access to post new news in here; if you wish to submit news, please post it in the discussion section for your particular topic. We may choose to move it here as a newspost if we find that it's worthy for the front page.
Post Reply
User avatar
Christuserloeser
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5948
https://www.artistsworkshop.eu/meble-kuchenne-na-wymiar-warszawa-gdzie-zamowic/
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2003 12:16 am
Location: DCEvolution.net
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by Christuserloeser »

via GOAT Store: http://www.goatstore.com/News_Irides_Release/

Dreamcast Title Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Irides: Master of Blocks is an incredible puzzler game where the player has to match blocks of similar colors together to eliminate them, score points and create combos. The faster that the blocks are connected and the more blocks there are, the better the score when they are eliminated! Just like all of the great classic puzzle games, Irides: Master of Blocks is an easy concept, but one that is tough to master!





Irides: Master of Blocks contains over 30 levels of content, challenging players with different Power Blocks to either assist or hamper your progression through the game. Players can also attempt to become the Master of Blocks with a friend in Co-Op mode, progressing through the game with both players playing in the same playfield. A two-to-four player multiplayer mode allows players to face off against friends or foes to see who is the true Master of Blocks! Friends not around to play? Submit scores online to see who the best in the universe at smashing blocks is!

Want something extra special? To celebrate the 12/12 release of Irides: Master of Blocks, the GOAT Store, LLC is creating 122 (144) special limited edition copies of the game which will be sold only through the GOAT Store, LLC's online web site.


Image

Feature List for Irides: Master of Blocks
  • Single-player Campaign mode with four difficulty levels
  • Co-Op Campaign mode to play with a friend
  • Multi-player versus modes to face off against up to four players
  • More than 30 levels including unlockable bonus levels
  • Over 15 awesome music tracks
  • Region free title, supports NTSC, PAL and VGA displays
  • Supports all licensed Dreamcast controllers
  • Supports rumble pack accessories
  • Worldwide online high score tracking
  • Standard and Limited Edition versions release same day

Image

Feature List for the Limited Edition
  • New cover art
  • Full-color expanded instruction booklet
  • Disc art denoting the game as a Limited Edition copy
  • Mini-Poster for the game individually numbered and signed by the game developer
  • Two inch diameter Irides: Master of Blocks collector's coin, also individually numbered

goatdan also notified me that 1/3rd of the 144 copies of the Limited Edition are already sold!


Links
Insane homebrew collector.
User avatar
goatdan
DCEmu Respected
DCEmu Respected
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:33 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by goatdan »

Hey everyone -- because we had a lot of people ask, here is our largest European retailer for the game that is already signed up and taking pre-orders:

http://www.genkivideogames.com/games/ir ... ast/irides

We are also working to ensure that the game is carried in lots of other retail locations, both brick and mortar and online! The game is great and we can't wait to deliver this to everyone! The only thing of note -- if you want the Limited Edition, that is only available to us due to the incredibly higher price point it cost us to produce those copies.

I can't wait to get this into everyone's hands!
User avatar
Specially Cork
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11625
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2002 10:01 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by Specially Cork »

Image
cube_b3
Ex-Newsposter
Ex-Newsposter
Posts: 4037
Joined: Tue May 28, 2002 6:51 am
Location: pakistan,karachi
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 5 times
Contact:

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by cube_b3 »

ERASED
Last edited by cube_b3 on Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
goatdan
DCEmu Respected
DCEmu Respected
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:33 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by goatdan »

Hey, if all you think this is is Lumines, then I'd suggest not buying it and buying Lumines instead.

I would never go with publishing a game that is a straight up clone of another, especially when the first game did what it does so well. I also don't think that I would put my relationship with Sony in jeopardy by cloning one of their well known products.

Irides has a similarity in the blocks and how the blocks group together to get eliminated. Beyond that, that is really where the similarities end. Irides has a combo system to allow you to get huge combos, Irides has Power Blocks to affect the playfield in different ways and challenge you in different ways, Irides has levels with three colors of blocks, Irides has different challenges other than just removing blocks / scoring points, Irides has a co-op mode, Irides has a multiplayer mode.

But yeah, they look sort of the same in pictures, so if you believe that this is just the exact same as Lumines, the PS2 version is cheaper and was made with a larger budget. We're working on getting review copies into the hands of a bunch of different sites so they can explain the differences better than I can, and tell you what they think of them without it coming straight from me. From what I have seen of the people who have actually played Irides though, almost without fail they like the gameplay of it better than they did Lumines.

I personally think it's a lot better than Lumines, but like I said, soon -- you won't have to take my word for it.
User avatar
DCDayDreamer
DCEmu Respected
DCEmu Respected
Posts: 455
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 6:59 pm
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by DCDayDreamer »

It's really sad to see references made from a truly individual looking Dreamcast Independent release to a corporate money-crunching also ran, but I guess that's what the whole menagerie of console gaming has become - commercial comparisons and blinkered judgement!.

Thank fuck I grew up when games were games, music was music, movies were movies, entertainment was entertainment, men were men, and blinkered fuckwits were just a glimmer of the sad distant future!.

Is it any wonder why retro is regarded with such high esteem?.
Across the Universe
User avatar
Specially Cork
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11625
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2002 10:01 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by Specially Cork »

DCDayDreamer wrote:It's really sad to see references made from a truly individual looking Dreamcast Independent release to a corporate money-crunching also ran, but I guess that's what the whole menagerie of console gaming has become - commercial comparisons and blinkered judgement!.
Every single element of this game's visual design is an exact rip-off of Lumines. Furtheremore, the general gameplay foundation is extremely similar. To make out like I have somehow disrespected this homebrew game by comparing it to something commercial is ridiculous. It is very obvious this game would either:
- Not exist at all without Lumines
or
- Exist in a very different form

goatdan says there are enough gameplay differences in this game to seperate it from Lumines, and I'll accept that. It's probably worth the purchase. But this isn't a "truly individual looking" release by any means.

It's obvious you have some sort of misguided problem with commercial gaming anyway, so let's just leave it at that.
Image
User avatar
Christuserloeser
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5948
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2003 12:16 am
Location: DCEvolution.net
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by Christuserloeser »

Well, if it is similar to Lumines then that's not a bad thing at all. Afaik Tetsuya Mizuguchi created that game. He's the guy behind Sega Rally (2), REZ and Space Channel 5 - that's something like a third of my very favorite Dreamcast games, and Lumines was the first game he did after leaving Sega when they abandoned Dreamcast and went third-party. To have a similar game on Dreamcast is a really nice thing imho :)
Insane homebrew collector.
User avatar
DCDayDreamer
DCEmu Respected
DCEmu Respected
Posts: 455
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 6:59 pm
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by DCDayDreamer »

BoneyCork wrote:
DCDayDreamer wrote:It's really sad to see references made from a truly individual looking Dreamcast Independent release to a corporate money-crunching also ran, but I guess that's what the whole menagerie of console gaming has become - commercial comparisons and blinkered judgement!.
Every single element of this game's visual design is an exact rip-off of Lumines. Furtheremore, the general gameplay foundation is extremely similar. To make out like I have somehow disrespected this homebrew game by comparing it to something commercial is ridiculous. It is very obvious this game would either:
- Not exist at all without Lumines
or
- Exist in a very different form

goatdan says there are enough gameplay differences in this game to seperate it from Lumines, and I'll accept that. It's probably worth the purchase. But this isn't a "truly individual looking" release by any means.

It's obvious you have some sort of misguided problem with commercial gaming anyway, so let's just leave it at that.
If you'd research the history of the game you'd see that Iredes is just an intricate and imaginative update of Blocksmash, which the author himself stated on release was based on Lumines. Comparing an Independent game based on the basic principle of a commercial game is absolutely pointless.

It's obvious that I have a problem with the basics and basic facts, so why not leave it at that?.
Across the Universe
User avatar
Specially Cork
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11625
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2002 10:01 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by Specially Cork »

It's not a bad thing at all, and I'm not demanding the guy start paying royalities or whatever. I guess I would just like the blurb to hint at the game's roots somewhere. :?
Comparing an Independent game based on the basic principle of a commercial game is absolutely pointless.
No it isn't. I don't see how it is.
Image
User avatar
goatdan
DCEmu Respected
DCEmu Respected
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:33 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by goatdan »

BoneyCork wrote:It's not a bad thing at all, and I'm not demanding the guy start paying royalities or whatever. I guess I would just like the blurb to hint at the game's roots somewhere. :?
Here's the thing though -- the roots of the game are harder to truthfully define in a short blurb. What are we supposed to say, "Yup, it's a game that looks like Lumines, but it's different!" on the back of the box or something? I swear I posted this yesterday, but it didn't go through, but I've already been interviewed on DieHardGameFan.com about this, and I stated in that interview exactly where the idea came from, specifically stating it was Lumines-inspired. Here is the quote:
diehardgamefan.com wrote:DHGF: Describe the gameplay of Irides for us. What kind of puzzle game can we expect?

DL: Irides was ultimately created because the developer Florian had seen pictures of Lumines and thought it was an interesting concept, so he decided to start building a clone of it. After he started, someone I knew suggested that I look at Irides, so I did and I thought it was really cool. I was curious to see how it compared to Lumines, so I bought a copy of that game and honestly couldn’t stand it. We found that the things that had been done because we weren’t sure how the game played we thought really improved the game.

After this point, I made some suggestions and the developer took them and ran with them, adding in tons of power blocks, different goals and lots of different stuff. The upgrades that he created based on the ideas that we had were amazing, and the game is an absolute blast to play.

What you’ll basically get is this — the block matching of Lumines, combined with a combo system that rewards making larger combos as quickly as possible, while having to contend with multiple, multiple Power Blocks that change the functions in the game, as well as giving you different and varied goals, such as creating shapes or eliminating all of a single color.

On top of that, there is a Co-Op mode that functions much like the Tengen version of Tetris on the NES, where players will have to work together to complete level goals, and a multiplayer mode where people will face off against one another to try to become the Master of Blocks. It’s a great overall package that will keep any gamer busy playing it for a long, long time!
So there you have it straight from me, outside of this conversation that it was, in fact, inspired by Lumines.

Now, having said that, if you talked with your favorite band, I'm sure they will say that some group inspired them. But does that mean that you think that they should stop creating music because someone must have done it better before them? Well, that's laughable, and so is not going through with a game because it has a similar idea to another. Otherwise, we'd have like five games in the world.

I did not enjoy Lumines at all when I finally played it, and I love puzzle games. I have played well over 150+ hours of Irides now, and I still enjoy playing it. And the games are really so different that I think it would be a great disservice to Irides for me to come out and call it a Lumines clone. That simply isn't true in any way.
Christluu
DCEmu Freak
DCEmu Freak
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2004 9:46 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by Christluu »

Covers are quiet ugly. Why don't you make japaneese style cover like Redspotgames ?
User avatar
Specially Cork
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11625
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2002 10:01 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by Specially Cork »

goatdan wrote:
BoneyCork wrote:It's not a bad thing at all, and I'm not demanding the guy start paying royalities or whatever. I guess I would just like the blurb to hint at the game's roots somewhere. :?
Here's the thing though -- the roots of the game are harder to truthfully define in a short blurb. What are we supposed to say, "Yup, it's a game that looks like Lumines, but it's different!" on the back of the box or something? I swear I posted this yesterday, but it didn't go through, but I've already been interviewed on DieHardGameFan.com about this, and I stated in that interview exactly where the idea came from, specifically stating it was Lumines-inspired. Here is the quote:
diehardgamefan.com wrote:DHGF: Describe the gameplay of Irides for us. What kind of puzzle game can we expect?

DL: Irides was ultimately created because the developer Florian had seen pictures of Lumines and thought it was an interesting concept, so he decided to start building a clone of it. After he started, someone I knew suggested that I look at Irides, so I did and I thought it was really cool. I was curious to see how it compared to Lumines, so I bought a copy of that game and honestly couldn’t stand it. We found that the things that had been done because we weren’t sure how the game played we thought really improved the game.

After this point, I made some suggestions and the developer took them and ran with them, adding in tons of power blocks, different goals and lots of different stuff. The upgrades that he created based on the ideas that we had were amazing, and the game is an absolute blast to play.

What you’ll basically get is this — the block matching of Lumines, combined with a combo system that rewards making larger combos as quickly as possible, while having to contend with multiple, multiple Power Blocks that change the functions in the game, as well as giving you different and varied goals, such as creating shapes or eliminating all of a single color.

On top of that, there is a Co-Op mode that functions much like the Tengen version of Tetris on the NES, where players will have to work together to complete level goals, and a multiplayer mode where people will face off against one another to try to become the Master of Blocks. It’s a great overall package that will keep any gamer busy playing it for a long, long time!
So there you have it straight from me, outside of this conversation that it was, in fact, inspired by Lumines.

Now, having said that, if you talked with your favorite band, I'm sure they will say that some group inspired them. But does that mean that you think that they should stop creating music because someone must have done it better before them? Well, that's laughable, and so is not going through with a game because it has a similar idea to another. Otherwise, we'd have like five games in the world.

I did not enjoy Lumines at all when I finally played it, and I love puzzle games. I have played well over 150+ hours of Irides now, and I still enjoy playing it. And the games are really so different that I think it would be a great disservice to Irides for me to come out and call it a Lumines clone. That simply isn't true in any way.
You make fair points. I guess overall it's the visual style more than anything - even down to the space station in the background. If the game plays so differently then it would be nice if it could look different too. There's many different falling-block games out there but they still all look quite distinct from one another.
Image
User avatar
goatdan
DCEmu Respected
DCEmu Respected
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:33 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: Irides: Master of Blocks set for release on 12/12

Post by goatdan »

BoneyCork wrote:You make fair points. I guess overall it's the visual style more than anything - even down to the space station in the background. If the game plays so differently then it would be nice if it could look different too. There's many different falling-block games out there but they still all look quite distinct from one another.
To be fair, the video is of the iPhone version, and I don't recall offhand if that is in the final build or not. If it is, and I really don't recall most of the backgrounds, but if it is, it is one of about 30 or so backgrounds.

The space theme was chosen because for an abstract game like this, the theme is very secondary. Space, especially with places like NASA giving the images copyright free, is an easy theme to implement which gives you the highest quality stuff to use for it. The image was simply chosen for practicality.

The bonus levels are not themed to space, however, so if you can find them, you'll find some other skins that look completely different than anything that I've ever seen!
Post Reply