I just had a smoothie for breakfast, in fact

Tomorrow's Tuesday, which means today is Monday. I hate Mondays, am I right? But while your Monday is guaranteed to not get any better, well, Tuesday won't, either. Life is pretty bad. But at least you can download some free PlayStation Plus games while you suf?fer through it!

Free tomorrow are the criminally underrated Puppeteer (PS3) and the 'what else are you playing on your Vita?' Surge Deluxe.

The post PS+ PSA: Puppeteer and Surge Deluxe are free appeared first on Destructoid.

These amateur performances will leave you in Puppe-tears

Puppeteer is delightful. The quirky venture from Sony Japan, pr??iced at a budget $40, takes place as a stage play with whimsically rotating sets and all sorts of theatre machinations that need to be seen in motion. It's also gorgeous, cute, and grim.

This series of Puppeteer videos feature horrible improvisation, banana he?ads, interpretive dance, baby teeth and unicorn sparkle-based poisons, and more. It's so bad it's endearing. I just love?? that Sony is willing to advertise the small, unique project in a equally offbeat way.

If terrible improv by random individuals didn't sell you on the game, check out Jim's review. Or just take my word for it. It?'s a lovely li??ttle game, the kind I'd like to see more of.

The post Sony adver?tising Puppeteer with bad improv, banana h?eads appeared first on Destructoid.

It's no dummy!

One has to hand it to Sony. Of all the "big three" console makers, the house of PlayStation is far and away th??e most open to risky prospects and new ideas. While Microsoft plays it safe with marketable shooters, and Nintendo has a stable of household names to keep itself propped, Sony isn't afraid to give us something different. 

Puppeteer is one such something. A sidescrolling platformer taking the form of a childrens' puppet show isn't exactly a boardroom's dream concept, but Sony has put its muscle behind the?? project, and created a game with no small amount of charm. 

Even if the result isn't truly i?mpeccable, its mere existence is worthy of respec?t. 

Puppeteer (PS3)
Developer: SCE Japan Studio
Publisher: Sony
Released: September 10, 2013 (NA) / September 11, 2013 (EU)
MSRP: $39.99

Puppeteer tells the tale of Kutaro, an unlucky boy who has had his soul kidnapped by the Moon Bear King -- quite literally a bear that wears a crown and lives on the Moon. Turned into a pup??pet and ungraciously decapitated, Kutaro is aided by the Moon Witch and a cast of eccentric characters to retrieve a pair magical scissors, Calibrus, and carve his headless way through the Moon Bear King's generals before defeating the evil monarch himself. 

As its name implies, Puppeteer is drenched in the aesthetic of an old fashioned puppet show. Curtains raise and fall at the beginning and end of levels, scenery is held up with sticks, characters appear to be fashioned of stitched cloth and wood, while each screen falls apart and rebuilds itself to signify a chance of environment. The visual result is inspiring, taking the handmade feel of LittleBigPlanet and turning it into something eve?n more remarkable. With a static ca?mera and plenty of things thrown at the screen, it's also been built perfectly for 3D televisions, something worth checking out. 

[Check back here for our official video review -- coming soon!]

Gameplay predominantly takes the form of a classic scrolling platformer, with Kutaro running and jumping his way across each stage. The hero is controlled with the left stick, while the right stick (or the PS Move wand) moves his sidekick: e??ither the sinister cat Yin-Yang or the squawking Sun Princess. By moving the sidekick to a piece of scenery and pressing R2, the environment can be interacted with, either releasing collectable Moon Stone Shards (which grant extra lives when 100 are nabbed) or uncovering hidden heads for Kutaro to place on his empty shoulders. 

While Kutaro has lost his own head, there are hundreds of replacements hidden throughout the game, from skulls to spiders to christmas trees and even more exotic noggins. If Kutaro takes damage from a trap or enemy, his head falls off, and he'll have a limited amount of time to collect it (similar to the ring system from Sonic the Hedgehog). Up to three heads can be stored at any one time, and if all three are misplaced, Kutaro will lose a life. A simple enough system, but one that c??an be tricky, especially with plenty of chasms into which heads may so easily roll. 

As well as looking funny, these heads can each be used to unlock things in the game. If the player happens to have the correct head at the correct time, they can perform its special animation with the press of the D-pad and open up a piece of scenery to unlock bonus roulette wheels or even whole bonus stages. Since some of the heads themselves are quite well hidden, and keeping a particular head long enough to have it at the right place is easier than it sounds, it'll take quite a while to uncover everything Puppeteer has to offer. 

During the course of the campaign, Kutaro will unlock special abilities, the foremost of which being his use of the Calibrus. These magical scissors allow players to cleave their way through the env??ironment, a skill that really opens up the platforming and adds a uniquely keen angle to platform navigation. Various parts of the environments will take the form of cloth or paper, and Kutaro can hammer the Square button near them to literally cut his way through, defying gravity to cleave a path up paper plumes of smoke, or snip past blockades. The scissors are also put to use against the Weaver??s -- mini-boss monsters with cloth bodies that must be cut into pieces before they're defeated. 

As well his magic scissors, Kutaro will also gain the power to reflect attacks with a shield, toss ninja bombs, move heavy objects and perform power slams, all thanks to unique heads uncovered as part of the ??plot. These abilities all conspire with Calibrus to create some smart puzzles and navigational hindrances, and while nothing is ever so puzzling as to truly stump the player (one gets the impression this is all designed with children in mind), there is some pleasure in seeing just how inventive Sony Japan has been with a few simple and familiar platforming tricks. 

Puppeteer boasts great gimmicks and provides solid sidescrolling action, but it does suffer from a slow pace at regular intervals. Even some of the faster moments, in which you ride on the back of some sort of animal/vehicle in stages reminiscent of Sega Genesis' The Lion King, there's no real sense of speed to the game, and t?hings that could be far more exciting very often fail to generate so much as a raised eyebrow. I enjoyed much of my time with the game, but I can't say it ever overwhelmingly delighted me -- indeed, I was blank-faced for much the experience, navigating a slow character through fairly innocuous and formul??aic stages, biding my time until more clever stuff happened. 

The action also finds itself subject to the same kind of watery physics seen in spiritual cousin LittleBigPlanet. While not nearly as bad as Media Molecule's games, the tendency to put exuberant animations and exaggerated move?ments over and above tight controls leads to some jumping sections that feel off-base, especially during those rare moments where precision might b?e needed. 

Fortunately, the game ramps up the thrill factor in its large boss battles, which manage to be visually busy without growing distracting, and play the "puzzle boss fight" card to the hilt. Boss encounters generally revolve around the classic system of waiting for an exposed weak point and making the attack, but the use of the Calibrus to cut one's way to said weak point makes each fight feel far more involved than it otherwise might be. It's remarkable just how varied these battles can be, despite only a limited number of actions available to the player, and it's the kind of invention that really helps make Puppeteer stand out from the crowd. 

Though the graphics are impressive, and bursting with an array of gorgeously clashing color, the audio presentation is less consistently brilliant. The music is fantastic, but the voice acting predominantly grates, bursting with the kind of stereotypes and squealing that haunt the ears of anybody whose kids watch too much Nickelodeon. Children may indeed be delighted by the overacting and perpetually unfunny jokes, but most sane adults may want to claw their brains out after hearing a few characters talk. That said, a number of the Moon Bear Kin??g's generals are quite amusing to listen to, especially the Rooster who appears to be taking a subtle stand on his transgender rights.

Above all, I'm most charmed by how honestly Puppeteer wears its influences on its sleeve. From classic platformers like Mario to more recent excursions such as Rayman Origins, Sony Japan's sidescrolling adventure is littered with nod??s t??o the very best in platform gaming -- a genre so criminally underused these days. This is a game that truly loves the classics, and isn't shy from displaying that love while providing its own individual style. 

Puppeteer is a bold move for a company as big as Sony, and its presence on the PS3 is welcome. It's worthy of praise that a brand new game property -- a classic platformer no less -- would get a full retail release this close to the end of the console's life cycle. It helps, of course, that Puppeteer is also a genuinely fun game, one that is marred by its sometimes sluggish pace and tendency to be annoying rather than funny, but overall provides some much needed ingenuity at a time when videogames are ramping down in time for the next generation.&??nbsp;

While Puppeteer is far from a system seller, anybody with access to a Play??Station 3 could do far worse than taking this little charmer out for a walk. 

The post Review: Puppeteer appeared first on Destructoid.

What does everybody want?

With E3 right around the corner Sony has dropped another whimsical look at the upcoming PS3 platformer Puppeteer. The new trailer paints a pict??ure of what is sure to be one of this year’s most bizarre adventures, as it showcases the utter creativity that ??is oozing from Japan Studio’s latest.

Additionally, Sony has revealed the scissor-wielding Kutaro’s final two “Hero Heads” power-ups, the Hook Power of the Moon Pirate and the Brute Power of the Moon Wrestler. Sporting a stylish Pirate hat, the Moon Pirate head grants protagonist Kutaro the ability to shoot a handy hook chain for grabbing and grappling items and enemies a la Bionic Commando. As the Moon Wrestler, Kutaro acquires a powerful drilling attack used for smashing anyth??ing and everything with the ?fury of a seasoned lucha libre.

Also announced is the Theatrical Pack DLC, a gift for those who pre-order this September 10 release. Included in the pre-order bundle are exclusive PSN avatars of Kutaro the Moon Witch and the game's antagonist Moon Bear King, a dynamic custom theme filled with concept art, and the original soundtrack by famed composer Patrick Doyle (Brave, Carlito’s Way, Thor).

Look for more impressions of the Puppeteer next week when we go hands-on at E3. Flamingo riding here I c??ome!

Puppeteer [PlayStation Blog]

The post Puppeteer: F?inal Hero Heads and Theatrical pack announced appeared first on Destructoid.

New gameplay details also revealed

As we previously reported, gorgeous PS3 exclusive title Puppeteer finally has a date: September 10, 201??3, where it will be priced at a nice and low $39.99. You'll see in our gallery th??e special packfront for the game, shown above and in our gallery.

Sony has also released details on two of the four Moon Hero heads that headless hero Kutaro will encounter and use on his journey. These heads belonged to four legendary Moon Heroes that fought to protect the Moon Goddess, though they were struck down by ??the Moon Bear King.

Kutaro will be able to find these heads and use them gain powers like Shield Power from the Moon Knight, or Bomb Power from the Moon Ninja. Sony says that use of these heads adds new game m??echanics. Some can change the game's world, or unlock bonus stages.

The post Sony’s Puppeteer hits on September 10, priced at $39.99 appeared first on Destructoid.

Both retail and digitally

Sony's Puppeteer seems to be coming along pretty nicely, and on September 10th of this year, we'll be able to see the finished product. At a demonstration at GDC, Sony confirmed to Joystiq that the game will indeed see a September release, and will launch at retail and on the PSN ?for the PlayStation 3.

What really intrigues me is the concept of the entire game taking place on one giant theatrical stage. It's basically what Black Knight Sword tried to do, but a little cooler. The LittleBigPlanet style visuals also help draw me in!

Puppeteer pulls PS3's strings [Joystiq]

The post Sony’s Puppeteer all set for a September release date appeared first on Destructoid.

I got a fair bit of hands-on time with Puppeteer at New York Comic-Con this weekend, but the best of what I've seen of the game so far was ??still hands off. And in 3D.

Sony was kind enough to give us a pee??k at a boss fight from later in the game. This third-level boss, Tiger, is a multi-tiered affair that puts Kutaro's jumping/cutting mechan??ic to good use. Kutaro's eventual goal was to cut Tiger's tooth out, and part of his attack had him chipping away at the tooth's exposed nerves with scissors. Gross! 

The boss fills the entire screen, and its attack patterns has it using its huge face to chomp into the ground at Kutaro, or using its pa??ws and claws to swipe at him. 3D or not, this was one h??ell of a well-designed boss battle, with everything from platforming to quicktime prompts being used beautifully. Kutaro eventually rips this feline to shreds with his scissors, and every bit of it is gratifying.

But wow! This battle was absoultely stunning in 3D, and not in that cheap pop-out way you see in kids movies, either. The view had depth that was easy to appreciate, ?and an effect that was really easy on the eyes. Sony credits this to the game's use of a fixed camera, and being able ??to pump the extra horsepower left over from this into the stage-lighting engine.

Whatever they had going on under the?? hood, the battle looked like beautifully animated puppetry, like you were watching a really intricate demonstration inside of a box. 

Words won't do the trick here. You have to see Puppeteer in person to appreciate this. The game is already striking in motion, but it's dazzli??ng in 3D.

The post NYCC: Puppeteer looks amazing in 3D appeared first on Destructoid.

Heads will roll!

I finally had a chance to go hands-on with Sony's upcoming PS3 platformer Puppeteer here at New York Comic-Con at a PlayStation press event.?? It's as great as I imagined it ?would be after hearing about it at gamescom earlier this year. I was able to play exactly what was shown at gamescom, and I really enjoyed the solid platforming and charming presentation.

Puppeteer is a platformer that plays out on a fixed theater stage. It's based on a Japanese performance art called bunraku, and it uses constantly changing sets and lighting to tell its really weird story.

The 2D platforming action is really polished in Puppeteer. Kutaro has to vault over spiked barrels, hamburgers, mice and all kinds of other strange things that come at him in this constantly changing world, which has you continually hovering over the jump button. Part of this first bit of game??play h??as him running up a spiraled, rotating stage where spiders, bats and other baddies have him ducking, jumping and dodging. Again, it's all very tight and responsive. 

You'll want to be extra careful with your platforming as Kutaro goes down pretty easy. His 'life' is tied directly to his detachable head. If an enemy comes in contact with him, his?? head falls off and starts rolling away. Kutaro has three seconds (like the three-second rule of food) to pick it back up and put it on his head before he croaks. It's quite funny to have to stop in the middle of platforming to run backwards, arms blindly outstretched, to pick up your rolling head.

Kutaro also?? has the ability to find other heads to use as additional? life, letting him pop another on if one happens to roll away. Some of the found heads come with bonus strange abilities that let him access new areas, or uncover hidden secrets. These heads add puzzle elements to mix up the platforming. 

I came away most impressed by the scissors/cutting mechanic, which is centered around an enchanted pair of s?cissors? called Calibrus. These have Kutaro chopping up enemies and obstacles by mashing the square button. By ju??mping and continually cutting, Kutaro could stay airborne, with each snip propelling him forward in the air, toward the direction he faced. This totally changed the left-to-right 2D platforming play established early on, adding verticality to the mix. Though early uses were more tutorial examples of? this mechanic than anything else, I really enjoyed snipping up cloth-based enemies, or cutting through spider web-like walls. Even in this first stage I could see that the developers had fun with this mechanic.

Puppeteer is really unique as far as presentation and story goes, but the ??gameplay is straight-up solid platforming. Well, for a bit, and then the cutting mechanic is added in.

Sony has a good thing going here.

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Game director Gavin Moore showed off his newly announced PS3 title Puppeteer at gamescom this morning in a closed session. If you saw the debut trailer you'd have some idea how beautiful this game is, but screenshots and videos do no justice to seeing it in person. What you may have missed from the announcement is just how strange Puppeteer is. Moore explained both sides fully this morning in h?is?? presentation. 

Moore has been working out of Tokyo, Japan at Sony's Worldwide Studios for the last decade now, but the inspiration for Puppeteer didn't come from a workplace brainstorm. Instead, it came from ??his son; Moore wanted to make a game that impressed him and held his interest. Inspiration also came from the traditional Japanese puppet art called bunraku, which is set on one stage, with scenes, costumes and lighting c?hanging constantly around intricate puppet characters. 

And that's how Moore set o?ut to hold his son's (and everyone else's) interest, with continual setting and lighting changes. He envisioned a game in a theater setting where the setting would change around the characters every few minutes. It would be set in a theater, and the player would be among ?an audience as a viewer in the crowd. 

The end product is beautiful. It's impressive on its own, with no other knowledge, but even more impressiv??e after learning that no middleware or other technologies were used to create it. It was all done by hand, with everything written in-house. 

We were shown slides of some of the art, much of which showcased the different settings they're still working on. Moore says that he has over ?500 imageboards so far, and would love to create a book to showcase them one day.

One of the limitations of being set on a stage actually helps out in looks department. Being set on a stage, only a fixed camera is required, freeing up precious CPU cycles to do something else. Moore and his team decided to use this extra power to pump into a virtual full theater lighting rig, which he says lets him do "incredible things." Again, you'll have to see Puppeteer running? in person to fully appreciate this, but it absolutely sparkles with its up to 140 fully volumetric lights shining in real time. Spotlights sweep overhead and highlight the action while floods and othe??r effects really sell the stage setting. 

Puppeteer is a platformer, and Moore was pretty open about it being inspired by classic platforming games, but some of the gameplay concepts that go along with this platforming are pretty strange. The game's hero is a boy named Kutaro. He has been stolen away to the moon by the Moon Bear King, turned into a puppet, and has his head eaten. Headless ??and lost, he has to feel around blindly to find a noggin. Again, strange. 

Kutaro has the ability to find and use multiple types of weird heads in this new world he has been taken to, with each serving? a very specific (and somtimes equally weird) purpose. His movement is controlled with the left analog stick, and he can jump, ju?st as you'd expect in a platformer. Except that he's feeling around blindly, almost crawling, as he cannot see. Where his head would normally be there's only a bouncing spring. 

The right stick commands a ghostly cat companion named Yin Yang that seems to serve as both a narrator and a guide for the adventure. This cat also serves as a sort of cursor, and in the demo stage's beginning, Yin Yang has to interact with several things in a?? room to find a head for Kutaro. Moore says that everything is clickable and touchable in this situation, and that this click/find exploration will help mix up the platforming you're doing with Kutaro. 

Kutaro sets off on an adventure that takes him many places, though he seems to go nowhere. Instead, the world appears around him in fantastic ways. Set pieces pop up, plop in place, slide to the side and fly out from the distance. Foreground elements might rise up from the ??floor while background set items fall from above the stage.  As the adventuring continued, more stage 'changes' seemed to happen more frequently,? each time looking completely different from previous changes. The combined effect of these changes and the dramatic lighting is striking, and I've never seen anything quite like it.

Kutaro eventually finds a few heads in his journey to continue on, including a hamburger head that allows him to jump on a huge sandwich to turn it in??to a tall hamburger that he can use as a bouncing board to reach a higher level. All of these heads allow him to adapt to situations, so think of them like equipment. But there's one catch: creatures are always trying to knock his head off. When it does come off, Kutaro has three seconds to pick up it, or else it rolls away forever. It's really funny to see this happen, which is a good thing as it looks like this will happen often.

The demo ends with a the acquisition of an item that will give Puppeteer a twist on the standard platformer formula. A enchanted pair of scissors called Calibrus w??ere once used to serve the moon goddess. But now it chooses Kutaro as its wielder, changes forms, and becomes an obstacle-cutting tool for him. An early example had him cu?tting spiderwebs to clear a path, but it will also be used for combat and platforming. Now, using his newfound cutting powers he'll set out to find his head and get back home.

It's clear that the people pulling the strings on Puppeteer have put a lot of love into it. Moore says that it has been in development for almost three years, but comes from a very small team. ??They started with 14 people, but now that they're in full production, about 70 are working on the? game. 

He stressed that this is not a PSN downloadable title, but a full Blu-ray disc release that will feature "a lot of gameplay."?? That's great, as I want as much of this as I can get.

Look for Puppeteer to be released sometime next year. 

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