ToeJam and Earl Productions interview and Panzer Hands-on

Sounds like a blast!  

http://www.xboxcorp.com/interview7.shtml

What is Toe Jam & Earl all about?

Pure, unmitigated, unadulterated insanity... and collecting the 12 Sacred Albums of Funk for Lamont the Funkopotamus, source of all Funk in the known universe.

How many mini-games and side quests will there be available, and could you describe one?

Well, that all depends on how you define these things. As I mentioned, there are 12 Funk Albums to find and retrieve from some really scary Earthlings. There are 20 (or so) Funkotronian missions players have to complete in order to gain entrance into gate battles (mini-games that have to be won in order to move on to new zones of earth), and 10 (or so) other mini-games, each awarding players with points, bucks and super-presents that help to complete the game. And, there are secret levels and downloadable mini-games that can be unlocked through a variety of means. In the final battle, you\'ll need to duke it out with the bad boy himself, the Anti-Funk. It\'s an odyssey of galactic proportions.

In one mini-game, you must complete a high-speed race on Rocket Skates. There are three times to beat: Bronze, silver and gold. Achieving each level awards players with a different game resource. In another mini-game, you have to convert all the Medusa Babies to the ways of Funk by shooting Funkify Notes from the air while flying with Icarus Wings. The list goes on.

How will Toe Jam & Earl III differ from the previous Toe Jam & Earl\'s gameplay-wise?

In many ways, TJ&E3 is the original game on steroids. We\'ve added a ton of new presents, player-controls, the afore-mentioned mini-games and boss battles. Of course, there\'s the new character, Latisha, and a whole mess of new Earthlings to contend with. But we definitely wanted to give our original fans something to come home to, while bringing the original design up to the caliber of the latest generation of gaming. All in all, it\'s a funk-fest!

When is Toe Jam & Earl III expected to be released?

With any luck, it\'ll hit the shelves in October. We\'ll keep you posted.

From what I\'ve heard, you guys are major fans of funk music. What bands will be featured in TJ&E?

Big, big fans. But we aren\'t featuring any existing bands in TJ&E3. It\'s all original stuff, and plenty funky stuff at that. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

How long has TJ&E been in development for, and what has been the toughest developmental hurdle?

We\'ve been in development for 2 ½ years!!! That\'s a long time, and mostly as a result of our original plan to make this a Dreamcast title. When we decided to switch gears and create an Xbox version, we had a whole mess of retooling to do. Visual Concepts has been more than a little bit patient with us, and we\'re doing everything in our power to make them happy for that decision. But, in the end, we simply try to make games that we\'re proud of, and by that measure, I can whole-heartedly say that we\'ve succeeded.

What is your favourite thing about TJ&E?

Argh! Tough question! Favourite? Not the five or ten favourite? Okay, so I have to give you a little background before I answer this. For us, ToeJam & Earl is all about taking life a little less, no strike that, a lot less seriously. It\'s about getting together with one or more people and just laughing your ass off. There are definitely magical moments, and quite often, they\'re the ones we couldn\'t have thought of in a million years. Several random components of the game come together in some new and random way to make for pure hysterical fun.

I\'ll never forget the first time - this was in game one - when ToeJam got hit by a cupid just before joining Earl in the elevator to the next level. Now, you have to understand that Big Earl is a rather rotund Funkotronian, and he desperately needs a new belt. So when TJ & Big E arrive at the next level, Earl\'s pants are down around is ankles, and ToeJam is still in love
from being shot by the cupid, saying, "I love you Earl!" A priceless moment, completely random and totally unscripted. I loved that! So if there were one feature about TJ&E3 that I couldn\'t give up, it would be random level generation. Of course, this also lends to TJ&E\'s replay value, which I personally value immensely.

Another favourite of mine is Risky Presents. They have a certain chance of backfiring, and turning into some random bad present. This has the effect of really mixing things up and making the game harder in all the right ways.

Now here\'s PDO.  I remember playing it on the Sega Saturn and it was fun. If you have OXM demo #10 disc, there is a movie of PDO and I was so amazed how it really look.   This game is so GOTY I can\'t wait.  ETA: 11/12/02

Anyone that tuned in for this year’s activity from E3 will know that one of Microsoft’s key titles up for maximum promotion, and a title that should continue the great Sega tradition, was Panzer Dragoon Orta. The beautiful dragon-riding, enemy-blasting action game looks set to bring the long-standing series right up-to-date for its release on Xbox, and we’ve had the chance to put the majestic shoot ‘em up through its paces.



The two level demo gives you a brief run through some of the beautiful looking environments in the game, from expansive sky-based runs to the swooping cave-like areas that leave very little space to swing a cat, let alone a dragon. The detail in each is so absorbing – even at this early stage – that it’s almost impossible not to get drawn into the game’s premise: dragon piloting to enable a safe route through the game, while fighting off the attacking hordes with a mass of weaponry.

Graphically the game is looking more than stunning and it’s no wonder that it found so many fans at its launch in Los Angeles. Your dragon glides, swoops and moves so effortlessly through each level, and takes tight corners that see you twist and turn at a moment’s notice to dramatic effect. The claustrophobic cavernous sections are dark and testing on your actual flying abilities and the more open scenarios available came with an absolute onslaught of enemies to bring down. There is also one moment in the demo that sees you flying at cloud level, through the mist, with sunspots glaring and your fellow rider of the moment flying just out of your vision beneath you. It’s truly stunning and the sound that goes along with it really adds to the whole experience.

  More info here.
http://www.gamesdomain.com/xbox/previews/Panzer_Dragoon_Orta_handson.html

Now here\'s PDO. I remember playing it on the Sega Saturn and it was fun. If you have OXM demo #10 disc, there is a movie of PDO and I was so amazed how it really look. This game is so GOTY I can\'t wait.

Didn\'t you already say another game was GOTY?  Do you think every game is GOTY?  Jebeus.

Anyway, ToeJam and Earl doesn\'t interest me.  PDO is a rail shooter... bah.  They\'re fun for awhile, but boring as heck later on, no matter how great it looks.  Give me PDS2 tho and I\'ll be all over it.

Every Xbox gamer will pick up PDO.  You will know if you had one.

I\'ll get PDO if people say it\'s as good as it\'s cracked up to be.  I\'ll ask a number of people.

The Hurricane, Do you have OXM demo disc #10?  Check it out for the PDO movie.  I had no idea this game look so good!

I dont subscribe to trash.

Trash?  Whatever!

Official magazines are as biased as it gets.  Don\'t try and argue that point, it\'s obvious.

yeah, pstwo

dont even bother contesting that

i refuse to read any magazine that says "official" on it

This game is so GOTY I can\'t wait

i just heard what sounded like a toilet flushing

I get better and more newer news on the Internet than OXM can give.  Today, who is not biased.   I get that magazine for the playable demos.

Originally posted by mm
yeah, pstwo

dont even bother contesting that

i refuse to read any magazine that says "official" on it

Who said anything about not reading OXM?  Not me.   I just can\'t believe that someone can call a magazine trash.  Well OPM must be trash then but not to me.

how can someone call a magazine trash?

when thier on the payroll of the company they report on

pstwo, hows that gamepro subscription holding up?

I read OXM in the book store, by read I mean look at the glossy pictures.  It is biased and doesn\'t hold much weight.

PDO looks like a rental.  Single player and linear.  I\'ll pick it up at blockbuster used.  Any single player game these days isn\'t worth buying new because you can beat them in under 3 days and you\'ve saved yourself $90 (in Canada).

MP games you can play forever.

pstwo, I\'d also like to add that I do not read the official playstation magazine or Nintendo power, I feel they are trash too.  So don\'t feel bad about OXM.  I prefer the independants.

I use to get Nintendo power & Official Playstation magazine  in the mail.  I remember the OPM had those face stickers so you could put on the PS1.  Those days.