BananaVision

The bullet-ballet that is DeadToast Entertainment's My Friend Pedro is set to hit the small screen, as ?Legendary Entertainment has announced a TV adaptation of the hyper-violent stunt-shoot?er.

Released by Devolver Digital back in 2019, My Friend Pedro sees a masked amnesiac undertake a night of carnage against the scum of the underworld, guided on his bloodsoaked journey by an irreverent talking banana. Blending run 'n' gun action with meticulous physics, My Friend Pedro is embedded with the spirit of John Woo gunplay, mixing over-the-top acrobatics and e?nvironmental damage with a devastating arsenal of weapons and a grim sense of humour.

Expected to be a half-hour series, the TV adaptation is fittingly penned by David Kolstad, writer/creator of the equally explosive John Wick movies. Also on board as an executive producer is David Leitch, who was behind the lens for Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde, so some?? br??utal, hard-hitting, and exquisitely choreographed action is guaranteed.

My Friend Pedro is available now?? on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Swi?tch.

The post My Friend Pedro to receive TV ??adaptation from John Wick creator appeared first on Destructoid.

Seriously, he does NOT want anyone near him

We've got PS4 copies of whacked-out shooter My Friend Pedro in today's contest!

We've given away My Friend Pedro before -- we're all about making new friends here at Destructoid! But with a new console release comes a new chance for you to get your hands on a snappy little indie darling published by the certified freaks?? over at Devolver Digital.

So, just shut up and enter to win -- you have nothing else going on right now, anyw??ay!

I'm socially distancing myself from using my own words to describe games, so read this??:

My Friend Pedro is a violent, bullet-ridden ballet about friendship, imagination, and one man's struggle to obliterate anyone in his path at the behest of a sentient banana. The strategic use of split aiming, slow motion, and the ol' stylish w?indow breach create one sensational action sequence after another in an explosive battle through the violent underw?orld.

But that's not all! The PS4 version of My Friend Pedro will arrive complete with extra Code Yellow content, bringing 14 full-throttle game modifiers to the slow-motion gun ballet along with much-requested features like an in-game t?imer for speedrunners, hidden HUD option, and more!

This shit is bananas.

To enter to win, tell us about your best friend. You don't have to give names or anything, just tell us why they're such an important person to you. My best?? friend is my wife, and while she's no talking banana, she ensures I don't go c??razy and start talking to fruit. Again. She's not going to stick around if I have another episode.

We have ten PS4 NA copies of this bad banana to giv?e away; winners will be drawn Monday, April 13. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file. If you're new to these parts, or have just been lurking for ages like I did, sign up for an account here to tell us about your BFF.

My Friend Pedro is available now for PS4.

The post Contest: My Friend Pedro takes social distancing seriously – win it for PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Go Bananas

If you're in the mood a bit of cathartic chaos and ultra-violence, then Devolver Digital and DeadToast Entertainment might have just the ticket for you, as their weird, over-the-top shooter My Friend Pedro comes skateboarding onto the P?S4 platform this week.

Released on PC and Switch in June 2019, My Friend Pedro is a tough, physics-bas??ed action title fully-loaded with John Woo-style gunplay and dramatic stunts. Players control a nameless, masked protagonist as he run 'n' guns his way through gangland territory, his every move guided by a ?sardonic talking banana. Yep.

By blending My Friend Pedro's acrobatic movement, multi-directional firepower, melee combat and environmental hazards, players can train themselves to dance a hypnotic ballet of death with the criminals and gangsters on our banana pal's hit-list. It takes a good practice to sink into the game's ebb and flow, but My Friend Pedro reall??y comes into its own once you've attuned to t??his dynamic rhythm.

The PS4 release contains all of the content from the original PC/Switch release, including the Code Yellow update, which adds 14 extra-crazy modifier??s such as Big Head Mode, adjustable player speed, weapon unlocks, infinite Focus Time, a?nd more.

My Friend Pedro launches on PS4 ??April 7, and is available now on PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

The post My Friend Pedro brings ??ballistic action to ??PS4 this week appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm hoping it's both

We've got some retail Switch copies of My Friend Pedro up for grabs in today's contest!

If you're anything like me, you don't have any f??riends. Um, wait, that sounded bad -- ??let's start over, here.

If you're anything like me, you could always use more friends. Good thing Pedro is such a nice guy! He's got lots of friends, and wants you to be one of them. Get a head start by winning this physical edition of My Friend Pedro for Switch, and expand your social network!

Like any Devolver joint, My Friend Pedro is pretty nuts. A talking banana convinces you that shit is about to get real, so you get on a balletic killing? spree, jumping over rails, sliding over crates, and straight capping fools like an acrobatic madman. It's pretty ?hectic and chaotic and violent, and that's ok with me. Just don't tell my mom I'm playing it, or she'll ground me until Thanksgiving.

Since the game just got a brand-spankin' new ph??ysical release, Devolver decided to throw so??me at us to give away! Scope some deets on it.

• Retail Exclusive Content - Everyone can go bananas with a specially created 11"x17"; poster, sticker pack, reversible cover art and the game's full, gritty soundtrack in this retail edition.
• Full Throttle Gun Ballet - Players can unleash a graceful torrent of destruction with an incredible level of control over weapons and body. They'll twist and turn through the air while aiming both hands at priority threats, or line up a perfect bullet ricochet to drop an unsuspecting gangster from behind.
• Mix It Up - To break up the high octane running and gunning, dynamic sequences are introduced to offer new challenges, such as thrilling motorcycle chases and slower paced physics-based puzzles.
• Slow Motion Braggadocio - When the action amps up to a frenzy, players bring it all into focus by shifting into slow motion to calm the nerves and steady the aim.
• Parkour! - While battling through each level, the number of points earned can be increased by incorporating acrobatic flips, wall jumps and rolls into enemy takedowns.
• Race to the Top - A global leaderboard is primed and ready for everyone to rack up points landing hits, kills and elaborate acrobatics.

T??o enter to win your copy, use the widget below to leave your name and email address. You can enter da?ily. For bonus entries, follow Dtoid and Devolver on Twitter and share our contest post with your friends.

While you're waiting, comment below telling us? what the banana talks to you about. He ?told me I have pretty eyes, but someone was trying to steal them. So I sealed my eyelids in quick-dry cement so no one could have them. That'll show 'em!

We have two copies of the game to give away; winners will be drawn Monday, November 18. You must have a United States shipping address in order to win. Head over to Nintendo Enthusiast for more chances to win a copy!

My Friend Pedro is available on digital storefronts, and no?w physically wherever video games ar?e sold. Probably.

Dtoid Contest: Is that a banana in yo?ur pocket, or a free Switch copy of My Friend Pedro?

The post Cont?est: Is that a banana in your pocket, or a free Switch copy of My Friend Pedro? appeared first on Destructoid.

Because banana...

Fans of indie games and limited retail editions have reason to celebrate as Devolver Digital is teaming up with Nighthawk Interactive to create a physical edition of My Friend Pedro, the quirky side-scrolling shooter from developer DeadToast Entertainment. Currently available for pre-order at GameStop (with other chains to follow suit), this package will release on November 12, 2019, and be going for $29.99. With it, you'll get the game on a cartridge, ??the full soundtrack, a sticke??r set, and an 11"x17" poster.

If you'd prefer to play the game right now, it is currently available for PC and Switch digitally for $19.99. There are no plans for ports to other consoles and the retail edition will be limited to Nintendo's console (sorry, PC players). From what I've heard, the game is pretty good if you're into score attack style shooters.

The post My Friend Pedro makes an app??ealing retail purchase appeared first on Destructoid.

This shit is Bananas, B A N A N A S

My Friend Pedro is a ballistic game of skill, timing, reflexes, and, surprisingly, efficient time management. This new title from Swedish indie outfit DeadToast Entertainment falls under the highly-replayable score-attack genre, of which publisher Devolver Digital is very proud (think High Hell, Ape Out, or Ruiner).

These are games intended to be played over and over again, with the player constantly pushing their abilities and topping their own records. In th?at sense, they are a callback to the arcade classics of yore, where the goal wasn't necessarily to finish the game, or see the ending, but simply to "get better," with the ultimate prize being the satisfaction of smashing your own high scores and, hopefully, those of your local arcade bully too.

My Friend Pedro (PC [reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: DeadToast Entertainment
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: June 20, 2019
MSRP: $19.99

The narrative of My Friend Pedro is simple, yet frightening. A young masked man awakens in a dingy basement, bought around by a somewhat irrever??ent talking banana. Convinced that his life may be in danger, our protagonist grabs an errant handgun and proceeds to break out of their meat-locker of a cell. Guided by his banana budd??y, the protagonist then ventures through a series of equally odd locations, stocking up on an arsenal of automatic weaponry and throwing endless lead in harm's way.

The aim of My Friend Pedro is simply to complete each stage as quickly and as smoothly as possible. With a deep control engine built almost entirely on platform traversal and gunplay, the player must combine our hero's acrobatic and sharp-shooting skills in order to reach the end of each stage quickly, efficiently, and hopefully not resembling Swiss cheese. At the end of each stage, bonuses are awarded for speed, one-life runs, and clearing the entire stage of enemies. The real points, however, are ra??cked up ??by cutting loose and getting your John Woo on.

As you may have gathered from My Friend Pedro's marketing, balletic gun battles are the key to high scores. Combining your murderthon with flips, wall jumps, cartwheels, window smashes, and rope swings increases your ??style points, while a multiplier awards players who move slickly from shootout to shootout, nimbly avoiding getting bogged down in scenery and viscera. The environment is also on your side, with petrol cans, pressure ca?nisters, severed limbs, and even skateboards and frying pans all ready to aid you in battle, whether through room-clearing explosions or smug shots ricocheted into those hard-to-reach corners.

Also helping players out in a pinch is that mainstay of the early '00s: Bullet Time. At the click of a button, players can slow the action right down, allowing for accurate placement of individual shots, a stylish reload, or just an extra second to plan the next move from your second-story suicide dive. When the returning fire gets a little too thick, a quick twirl, forward roll, and even nearby furniture can give you a second of breathing space before you continue on your quest to fire and forget. All of this is achieved via My Friend Pedro's intuitive twin-stick control system,? allowing for lock-ons, split-firing, and quick access to your growing cache of weapons.

Aside from several unique sequences and boss battles (which I won't spoil here), that is, in essence, the entire game. Guide the protagonist through around six chapters, each featuring between seven to ten levels, while honing your skills at traversing the environment, dodging damage, and taking down armies of enemies in as quick and smooth a fashion as possible. Once you've done that, keep doing it, find those lost seconds, shorten those firefights, trim down your time records, master your skateboarding skills. Practice is key in My Friend Pedro, and playe??rs will only get out of it the effort that is put into it. The only real opponent here is your own time and patience.

It must be noted that My Friend Pedro is not a story adventure. Most players will breeze through the whole game in three hours at best. Said story is also utterly flat. Aside from a couple of particularly off-the-wall moments, there is little-to-no resonance with our hero, the plot, and the denouement. The point of Pedro isn't to complete the game – everyone can do that with relative ease – the point is to simply get better at the g??ame itself, endlessl??y replaying your favourite stages and busting your own records until you're unarguably the second coming of Chow Yun Fat.

Visually, My Friend Pedro contains a strange dream-like style, which lends a little abstract security to the grim fetishization of gun violence taking place on-screen, making the graphic action feel surreal, even slapstick, ala Shoot 'Em Up or Deadpool. These woozy, hypnotic visuals are backed by an excellent techno score, performed by artists including Noisecream and Battlejuice. This head-pounding soundtrack, combined with Pedro's overall weirdness, makes for a memorable universe. The only misfire is a stage poking fun at "hardcore gamers", that features the kind of low-hanging fruit you'd expect from Family Guy or latter-day Simpsons. It's strikingly weak satire in comparison to the wink??ing smartness of everything else on display.

Given that the goal of the game is to become a living highlight reel, My Friend Pedro wisely integrates social media options, automatically recording your craziest kills and turning them into .gifs. These can then be saved, or immediately uploaded to sites such as Twitter, so prepare for an influx of cartwheeling mayhem fill??ing up your feed come launch day. Jesting aside, it's a very smart feature fo??r a game essentially designed around showing off.

My Friend Pedro is a crazy, violent, and sometimes downright weird score-attack title. It's designed to be played and replayed in perpetuity, with the aim simply to master its wild action, wide variety of weapons and maneuvers, and over-the-top physics. As ?long as you're aware of?? what you're buying into here, you'll have a (double-barreled) blast with its gleefully unashamed anarchy.

_{[This r??eview is b?ased on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: My Friend Pedro appeared first on Destructoid.

Switch or PC

Enter our contest for your chance to win a Switch or PC copy of My Friend Pedro!

Do you have a friend name Ped?ro? How's about a homicidal banana giving you instructions? Maybe a skateboard, frying pan, and several acrobatic gunkata moves? Yeah, I don't have any of that either.

The good news is you can enter our contest for a copy of My Friend Pedro, and get all of the above -- and more!

Read our review and check the trailer for specifics, but let's just say this game is oozing with style. And bullet time. And bananas. You're a masked gunman on the run from hundreds, maybe thousands, of deranged henchmen trying to take you out. So return the favor using any means necessary. And by "any means," I mean mostly parkour, slowing down time, and shooting anything and everything while doing backflips and shit. In fact, I think you get penalized for not doing flips l??ike a ninja monkey.

And if you don't, you should.

To enter to win a copy, comment telling us whi??ch platform you'd like, and tell us the proper penalty for not doing backflips and shit when you have the clear ability and purpose to do so. Our penal code here at Dtoid is no laughing matter, so please make your responses very, very serious to deter people from not parkour-ing everywhere.

We have five Switch NA and five Steam keys to give away. Winners will be drawn Wednesday, June 26. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file. New users can sign up here to dole out some capital punishment!

My Friend Pedro is available now for Switch and PC.

The post Contest: Grab your banana and split with My Fri?e?nd Pedro appeared first on Destructoid.

Boom schlock-lock Boom

Devolver Digital has announced that super-OTT shooter My Friend Pedro will come cartwheeling into battle on June 20, bringing its wh?irling dervish of death to PC and Nintendo Switch.

"My Friend Pedro is a violent ballet about friendship, imagination, and one man’s struggle to obliterate anyone in his path at the behest of a sentient banana" reads the Steam page. To be fair, little more needs to be added. Developed by indie studio Deadtoast Entertainment, My Friend Pedro is a fast-paced 2D side-scroller that rewards the?? player for their acrobati??c trick shots, ricochets and environmental kills, as our protagonist guns their way through multiple deadly stages.

In keeping with so many of Devolver's library of esoteric releases, My Friend Pedro features slick stylised graphics, baffling narrative backstory, and a pretty damn cool soundtrack. Destined to be a hit on the speedrunner circuit, My Friend Pedro will be one to watch come release day.

My Friend Pedro launches June 20 on PC and Nintendo Switch.

The post Acrobatic murder-fest My ??Friend Pedro opens fire June 20 appeared first on Destructoid.

With a talking banana

The Devolver Digital super professional E3 showcase brought the cynicism and strangeness of last year's event to this year's show, but it also brought some cool looking games. One of them, coming to PC and Switch, is My Friend Pedro. While it has the title of some indie tearjerker about, I don't know, a walking simulator where somebody gets cancer and you have to go on a spiritual journey to come to terms with it -- thus securing several Game Awards and BAFTA nominations -- it's ?actually a bad-ass looking shooter where a sentient banana tells the main character?? to kill everyone in his path.

Neat. Look forward to this in 2019.

The post My Friend Pedro ??is a side-scrolling ballet of bu??llets appeared first on Destructoid.