Gridrunner Revolution (new Jeff Minter game)

antares · Post by **antares** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:30 pm

I thought instead of posting in the Space Giraffe thread this game should get it's own thread.

I found this new interview (well, it's from january) with Jeff:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/01 ... ridrunner/

The most interesting parts:

- The PC version is scheduled for an april 09 release.

- The game is less psychedelic than Space Giraffe.

- The game will be easier to understand for casual gamers.

- Jeff is still speaking of an XBLA release some months after the PC release.

- The name of the game will possibly change before release.

lgb · Post by **lgb** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:32 pm

Does this satisfy you?

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:34 am

To be fair, that other thread got derailed beyond belief, although anyone who wants to start some brainless Minter-bashing should be directed to that thread. Anyway, GR+++ is perhaps my most anticipated game of 2009.

Rozyrg · Post by **Rozyrg** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:33 am

Awesome! I've been waiting on this one awhile. Glad to hear it's coming to PC... I was worried about having to replace my old, dead 360 to play it.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:05 pm

Microsoft have been sitting on it for months apparently (for release on XBLA) but Jeff and Giles got sick of waiting so have proceeded with the PC port. I reckon we will see it on XBLA eventually. I've read that Microsoft have a large backlog of game submissions to get through so we might not see on XBLA for a while yet. Here's an old video (over a year old) of an early version of GR+++:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwwiDEG2Wko

Remember, this is from a very early version. Still looks interesting though.

antares · Post by **antares** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:46 pm

Glad I'm not the only one who is eager to play this

bcass wrote: Anyway, GR+++ is perhaps my most anticipated game of 2009.

Well, it's in my top 5 list I'd say.

I saw you managed to get the last SG achievement. Congrats!

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:19 pm

antares wrote:I saw you managed to get the last SG achievement. Congrats!

Yeah, total nightmare to get! I completed the last level with just 1 life left! After 3 and a half hours of continuous play, I would not have been happy to have been killed on the last level!

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:53 pm

This was due for a late April release but has been delayed to allow for some additional tweaking. In the meantime, some new screens have been released:

Fenrir · Post by **Fenrir** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:57 pm

Hm. I've had enough of abstract shooters.

Rozyrg · Post by **Rozyrg** » Fri May 08, 2009 1:46 am

Abstract shooters from good ol' Yak are another thing, though.

Looks quite pretty... it just needs to come out already! I've been religiously checking the Llamasoft site for news on it since April.

I just hope it runs ok on the PC I use... Space Giraffe is godawfully slow on it.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Fri May 08, 2009 2:54 am

Indeeed. Criticising Jeff Minter for creating an abstract shmup is as brainless as criticising cave for making a bullet-hell game.

IronGiant · Post by **IronGiant** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:53 am

It does look very nice, but will you be able to thoroughly appreciate the beautiful visuals when the game is rattling along at 100mph and your ear drums are being bashed by the sonics?

I hope so, looking forward to trying this out.

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Fri May 08, 2009 7:26 pm

Who remembers Grid Runner with any fondness? This looks like more visual barf to wade through.

antares · Post by **antares** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:06 pm

8 1/2 wrote:Who remembers Grid Runner with any fondness? This looks like more visual barf to wade through.

I do. It has always been the better Centipede for me

320x240 · Post by **320x240** » Sun May 10, 2009 9:39 am

8 1/2 wrote:Who remembers Grid Runner with any fondness? This looks like more visual barf to wade through.

I actually remember the demo version of Gridrunner++ with some fondness, even though you could only play it in windowed mode. Never played the full game.

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Sun May 10, 2009 2:04 pm

Loved Space Girraffe and can't wait to play this one. I just hope that the difficulty is more in my league this time...

I feel like I did respectably on SG but didn't even get to see half of the game. I will definately be going back to it at some point though.

louisg · Post by **louisg** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:26 pm

320x240 wrote: I actually remember the demo version of Gridrunner++ with some fondness, even though you could only play it in windowed mode. Never played the full game.

That's the only one I've tried too, but it was great! This one looks maybe a little more sterile, but I hope it's fun. It'd be nice to play it anyway without having to use stylus control.

Anyone here like the C64 version?

Post by **nZero** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:53 am

louisg wrote:Anyone here like the C64 version?

I've still got the cart actually. Played it way too much when I was younger.

No_not_like_Quake · Post by **No_not_like_Quake** » Wed May 13, 2009 8:09 am

I've liked Minters stuff since reading about them... uh, here actually.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:21 pm

I like playing the vic 20 and c64 versions of Gridrunner in WinVICE. I actually like the vic one a bit better. I like how Jeff Minter released some of his older games for free (last I checked still available at www.llamasoft.co.uk too).

Shumps4Free · Post by **Shumps4Free** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:36 pm

Where's the grid running? Am I just not seeing things correctly?

dcharlie · Post by **dcharlie** » Wed May 13, 2009 5:00 pm

- The game is less psychedelic than Space Giraffe.

Space Giraffe is such a weird game in that the visuals are such an amazing sensory overload that you have to start playing from the audio cues. Quite brilliant imo, but then again, i'm all about the Minter (from back in the "Attack/revenge of the mutant camels" / Anticipal / etc)

Loved Gridrunner on the c64, so eager to check out the new update.

Wonder if he can sly any achievements into the X360 version like "Boi Bumma" ?

wait... why am i seeing the ST "busy" bee in these shots? haha.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Wed May 13, 2009 11:04 pm

Screens look good! Minter also did all the background visuals for the recent 360 edition of Space Invaders Extreme.

Afterbirth · Post by **Afterbirth** » Thu May 14, 2009 1:45 am

Yeah, erm... they're not quite as good.

I love Yak i really do but when Taito asked him to load them a visual synth that could produce "teh zany colours" i got the impression it was one he did in his younger days.

When he was about 6 i reckon.

E. Randy Dupre · Post by **E. Randy Dupre** » Thu May 14, 2009 5:00 pm

Didn't Minter just give them the visualiser and let them get on with fiddling with it to get the effects they wanted?

antares · Post by **antares** » Thu May 14, 2009 5:42 pm

E. Randy Dupre wrote:Didn't Minter just give them the visualiser and let them get on with fiddling with it to get the effects they wanted?

I don't know but I know he made an enhanced version of the visualiser for SIE, it's not the same as in Space Giraffe.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Thu May 14, 2009 7:11 pm

The engine is called Neon, and it's constantly evolving. It's looking very different from how it was when the 360 first came out. It looks like it can do stuff like procedural fire, water, and vapour now. Looks really nice on some of the later stages of SIE, especially the water effects. Minter could take this in all new directions now, not just psychedelia.

Afterbirth · Post by **Afterbirth** » Fri May 15, 2009 7:30 am

Thats fair comment - it would be great if he could use it for some kind of game mechanic. I'm sure theres an idea there somewhere.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:11 pm

A few more screens from a few weeks ago:

Although according to Minter in recent posts on his forum, the game has taken yet another diversion and the visuals are now completely different from all those above... In other news, the game is now no longer a twin stick shooter. It can now be controlled wholey using the mouse (akin to GR++).

Daika110 · Post by **Daika110** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:17 pm

Isn't Jeff Minter that hacker guy that was busted by the government several years ago and now is a corporate computer security consultant (and now) apparently a video game designer?