Vblank isn't screwing around

I admire the heck out of Vblank Entertainment's pass?ion for porting games?? to outdated platforms.

We got an early heads-up about the developer's latest experiment thanks to an ESRB listing, but now it's official: Shakedown: Hawaii, a free-roaming overhead action game from 2019, is getting a physical Wii and Wii U release this year. This isn't a bit! Designer Brian Provinciano is going through with it.

In Europe, Shakedown: Hawaii is getting a 3,000-copy physical Wii launch on July 9, 2020, priced at $29.99. As he puts it, "the doors hadn't quite closed yet with?? Nintendo of Europe," so ??it was feasible.

Wii discs are region-locked, which is partially why a Wii U port of Shakedown: Hawaii – "the next best thing" – came to be. Provinciano says he "didn't want North American players to be left out."

Also, Wii U discs are just pleasant to hold. Love that rounded edge.

Here's the technical rundown on both versions:

The Wii version supports both 50hz and 60hz, and both NTSC and PAL output. It supports the Wii Remote (with shake!), Wii Classic Controller, Wii Classic Controller Pro, and GameCube Controller. I took special care to ensure it parallels the experience of the more powerful platforms, and further optimized it to fit entirely into the Wii system memory. This means that you won't experience any disc load tim??????????????????????????es during gameplay. Once the game boots, you're in!

The Wii U version supports both SD and HD, 4:3 and 16:9. You can play it with the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote, Wii Classic Controller, or Wii Classic Controller Pro. It can be played entirely on the GamePad (with touch!), or on the TV from the comfort of your couch.

Why bother going through?? all of this effort? "It's just something I enjoy. The older the platform, the more fun it is! The cleverer I need to be! The more ways I'll need to figure o?ut how to optimize things."

If you're interested in the physical edition on Wii, there's an email signup. If you're looking to keep the Wii U flame lit, Shakedown: Hawaii is aiming for an August 2020 launch (and the same goes for S??team).

Ball's in your court, Just Dance.

It's Coming to Wii and Wii U! [Vblank Entertainment Inc.]

The post Shakedown??: Ha??waii is getting a physical Wii and Wii U release in 2020 appeared first on Destructoid.

Those teases weren't for show

Vblank Entertainment has a thing for supporting de??ad systems.

The studio released Retro City Rampage for the Wii even though it wouldn't be profitable, and even more recently gave the Vita a death twitch with Shakedown Hawaii. It looks like ??the Wii U is the latest system to get that same kind of love and care.

Despite the fact that only a few Wii U games are released a year on the eShop (mostly shovelware or PC/mobile ports), a new ESRB listing hints that Shakedown Hawaii could be coming to the system. This is backed up by a mysterious series of tweets from Vblank's Twitter account. All the while, the game is being updated on ?other? platforms. They have their work cut out for them!

But any Wii U love is good in my books, especially a good game like Shakedown. That system deserved better.

Shakedown Hawaii [ESRB]

The post Against all odds, Shakedown Hawa?ii could be coming to Wii U appeared first on Destructoid.

POUR ONE OUT

Shakedown: Hawaii is currently available for PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation Vita, and now it's coming to another quasi-legacy handheld: the 3DS. Developer Vblank sort of has a thing for supporting systems when no one else will (Retro City Rampage famously was released on WiiWare near the end of its life),?? and t??he 3DS is no exception.

Despite Nintendo not actively developing games for it (that we know of, as of this E3) and nearly no one releasing major new games for it the past few months outside of Atlus, Vblank is gearing up for a 3DS launch on September 19 in North America, and September 26 in Europe. The news comes straight from Vblank's official Shakedown: Hawaii website.

Shakedown: Hawaii ended up being one of the las??t major Vita games this year before ??Sony ended cart production, and it could be one of the last 3DS titles. Pour one out!

Shakedown: Hawaii [Vblank] Thanks Jeff!

The post Shakedown: Hawaii is finally c?oming to 3DS s?oon, will likely be one of its last high profile games appeared first on Destructoid.

This game is low key one of the best of 2019 so far

Shakedown: Hawaii is doi??ng a lot ?of things, as an indie, that big games aren't.

First off it got a Vita release this year as a new game in 2019, which pretty much everyone has abandoned beyond Limited Run Games (which mostly hosts ports), which is fairly big. It's also hosting free DLC in the form of updates, the first of which was the "Mogul Update." This week w?e're getting "Full Tank," which should be fairly ?obvious in terms of its focus.

Bueller? Bueller? Yes, this update is tank-centric, allowing you to command "more vehicles," which includes th?e aforementioned killing machine. Other enhancements include a zoomed-out camera option, off-island traveling via the airport, vehicle purchasing, the ability to transfer money between playable characters, and the chance to play the game console in your house.

Shakedown: Hawaii is currently available for PC (Epic Store, with Steam coming later), Switch, and PS4/Vita (cross-buy). If you're holding out for the 3DS edition, developer Vblank has an update: "The Nintendo 3DS version is on the ?way and has been submitted to Nintendo. It shouldn't be long now! Stay tuned!"

The post Shakedown: Hawaii’s second major free update is live, and it has tanks appeared first on Destructoid.

Update one is out on PC and PS4, soon on Switch/Vita

Shakedown: Hawaii arrived on PC, PS4, Vita, and Switch earlie?r this month, and people really seem to b??e taking to it.

As part of developer Vblank's efforts to keep the game updated and fresh (similar to how they handled Retro City Rampage), it's ge?tting a string of free DLC and patche??s, like the most recent "Mogul Update," that hit PC and PS4 (and is on the way for Vita and Switch, as they're still in the certification process).

The big quality of life stuff are things like more visible shop icons on the map, and faster ways to buy property. Gameplay has also been directly impacted by the patch, with more scenarios, the chance to pawn weapons, expanded building interiors, and imp??roved police chases.

The big news however is that now that the game has been smoothed over, Vblank is now free to focus on shipping the 3DS version, w?hich still has?? an unspecified 2019 release date.

Shakedown Hawaii Update # 1 [Vblank]

The post Shakedown: Hawaii is getting ??its first big update soon, developer now focusing on shipping 3DS version appeared first on Destructoid.

Another rampage

We're in a resplendent era of one-person studios and I couldn't be happier that those kinds of games are getting attention. There's Eric Barone of Stardew Valley fame, Celeste's Matt Thorson, Bertil Hörberg, and of course, Brian Provinciano, who gave us the GTA-inspired (the original GTA) Retro City Rampage, among many others.

You can add Provinciano's follow-up, Shakedown: Hawaii, to that lengthy list of successes above.

Shakedown: Hawaii (3DS, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita [reviewed, hell yeah])
Developer: Vblank Entertainment
Publisher: Vblank Entertainment
Released: May 7, 2019
MSRP: $19.99

Shakedown opens with a different?? kind of "hero": an aging, balding, out-of-touch man having a breakdown. As the CEO of an old media-oriented business declares "streaming a fad," his video rental stores and other over-the-top Blockbuster-esque models are no longer cutting it. As always in the video game world, crime pays.

Thematically it's a bit different compared to Retro City Rampage. There aren't entire missions dedicated to Batman villain Joker or myriad pop culture references thrown in your face. In fact, there aren't a lot of direct references at all, as the creator wanted to have Shakedown stand on its own more than its predecessor. It's more social commentary ("I'll get you a spit bucket" for when you toss back a gamer energy drink for a TV commercial), and fewer memes (if that bothered you in the first pl??ace; I thought it actually fit). Watching the oafish lead get thwarted constantly is another treat.

The setting is altered for the better. Hawaii makes for one killer location, with plenty of water motifs to take advantage of on top of the lush, beautiful vegetation. Brian makes this world feel alive despite the old-school feel, with swaying trees and vibrant visuals, and it all looks fantastic on Vita (hell yes, one of the last Vita games)?. Brian didn't do everything alone: amid the great work by many other designers, the soundtrack slaps. Matt "Norrin Radd" Creamer's soundtrack is restrained yet delightful, with a synthwave focus that isn't cloying or, again, too referential.

Shakedown's overworld is approximately three times bigger than Retro City and it shows. This is the kind of free-spirited experience where you can roam around randomly and do whatever you want (and you can, as "free roam mode" returns!) and not get bored during short sessions, or opt for more lengthy goal-oriented playthroughs as you work through the campaign and side missions. Not every bit of the map is utilized to its fullest, but it does have less of a sense of déjà vu than Retro City due to the?? afor?ementioned aesthetic makeover.

I think what I dig most about Shakedown is the relaxed emphasis on doing whatever you want. Based on how many business you shake down (or retail/investment properties you acquire) you'll net an income, which kind of just pops up periodically on-screen as a bonus. At that point you can keep blowing stuff up, go tackle a story mission, or buy another property in a few seconds by bringing up the world map and selecting it. Other Crazy Taxi-style minigames pop up, like "destroy the [basically Amazon Prime] delivery ??truck" or "repossess cars whose owners are overdue on their payments."

A typical AAA studio move would be to force all of these things to move at a snail's pace; requiring players to manually go to the building to purchase it amid lengthy load times. But with Shakedown you just casually select it from a menu and start raking in cash, then resume your regularly scheduled activities like using a machinegun during a speedboat chase. This is probably the only game where you can hijack cars on the search for the next big superfood to market to hapless consumers through sponsored advertising. Plu??s, my immediate thought after scaling up my business was "man now? I can pay myself a bigger salary!" So I'd say they nailed it.

Speaking of blowing stuff up, combat is arcadey and functional, albeit with a few annoyances. Being able to freely shoot in any direction with a twin-stick setup is great, as is the Mario jump-and-stomp attack that you always have at your disposal, but the lock-on system can be finicky, often swap?ping or choosing targets seemingly on a whim. Things get even dicier when you're in a vehicle.

With that in mind, vehicles (which you'll be spending most of your time in) control like a dream. Input is seamless, with the power to stop on a dime and move about in any direction instantaneously, while still maintaining some semblance of a physics system that makes ?sense. Since you c??an break nearly every object in the game beyond solid walls, driving is also never frustrating.

Yet, as I made my way through Shakedown's story, I was a bit conflicted. I don't think the tritagonist focus (you play as the CEO's son and the company's main Winston Wolf fixer) really serves the narrative, nor does it make a meaningful statement against, say, GTA V's usage of the same co?nceit. I found many of the forced ?swaps to be a momentary pain.

The characters all sport the same controls and abilities, and when I did have the choice to swap manually, I mostly just found myself playing as the CEO as he is the crux of the tale. Small little glitches (that take 10 seconds of time, at most, due t??o the hefty amount of checkpoints and fast pace) als??o pop up every so often and force a mission restart.

It's a small price to pay for low-stakes arcade open world antics. Shakedown: Hawaii might play similarly to Retro City Rampage, but it takes place in a markedly different world. It's more than enough to warrant giving both games a shot, and a wo?rthy successo?r to a now-seven-year-old adventure.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]} 

The post Review: Shakedown: Hawaii appeared first on Destructoid.

Book 'em, Danno!

Developer Vblank has announced that Shakedown Hawaii, follow-up to Retro City Rampage, will be releasing in just a few short weeks on May 7, 2019. Coming to PC (via Epic Games Store), PS4, Switch, and Vita (!), the game will run you $19.99 when it comes out. A 3DS version is in the works, though it needs more time in the ov?en. It will support? both the original and New 3DS models, likely with some visual improvements for the upgraded kit.

A physical version for Vita (limited to 4,800 units) will be available for $29.99 with pre-orders beginning May 3, 2019, on Vblank's website. If you're also in the market for a copy of Retro City Rampage, the Vita version will be getti?ng one final physical print run from Vblank. Reservations for that will begin tomorrow, April 24, over on the official website.

Vblank [Twitter]

The post Shakedown Hawaii runs rampant this May appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm just ready to play it at this point

Vblank has been busy. After Retro City Rampage brought top-down retro open world exploration back into the fold, the studio has been hard at work on the follow-up: Shakedown: Hawaii. It was revealed three ?years ago and still hasn't been released, amid several new developments like Epic Games Store exclusivit?y for PC.

Shakedown boss Brian Provinciano even shot us over another update earlier today, and this one is promising: "After many years and much, much more content than originally planned, Shakedown: Hawaii's finally in console certification. I'll have an actual date soo??n, and let you know when I do."

Certification? As in, the game is basically done (with "more content") and just needs to be approved by publishers? Sounds good to me! You can get a look at what is presumably ??the final build by way of a new trailer below.

There really needs to be more of these Smash TV/OG Grand Theft Auto-likes out in the wild.

The post Shakedown: Hawaii nears ever closer to release, here’s a new look at the game appeared first on Destructoid.

Will make its PC debut on the service

Developer Vblank Entertainment has announced that Shakedown: Hawaii, the upcoming sequel to Retro City Rampage, will be making its PC debut on the Epic Games Store. The game is set for a Sp?ring release and will likely come to other digital distribution platforms sometime later this year.

Along wit??h the news, a new trailer has been released that gives a quick overview of the mechanics that this open-world destructathon will have.

I was quite fond of Retro City Rampage, so I'm inte??rested to see if this follow-up will be decent. I'm sort of over open-world titles, but I'm always up for a game that doesn't take itself all that seriousl?y. As I get into my older age, I've found that embracing the cheesiness inherent to this medium makes for a far more enjoyable time than trying to emulate Hollywood at every step.

The post Shakedown: Hawaii is the la?test game to jump to the Epic Games Store appeared first on Destructoid.

Now 16-bit

Developer Vblank has announced a brand new follow-up to Retro City Rampage titled Shakedown Hawaii. It will be released on? PS4, Vita, 3DS, and PC at some point, and updates the original aesthetic with 16-bit visuals. The storyline takes place 30 years later, with the "Player" character coming out of retirement.

I was a pretty big fan of the original, and I'm digging the updated pixel art here. It's interesting that Brian Provinciano is skipping out on an Xbox version this time around when Rampage debuted on the 360 back in 2013.

The post Retro City Rampage sequel, ‘Shakedown Hawaii’ announced appeared first on Destructoid.