#Ziggurat Interactive

[brutalgamer]

Slave Zero X brings its blood and gore to physical libraries today

Prefer to grab your games in physical form? Then you’ll be thrilled to learn that the bloody hack ‘n slash Slave Zero X is out now.

[satoshi-mochida]

A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection releases today digitally for the PS4, PS5 and Switch. PC version TBA.

[okretrozone]

Slave Zero X Release Date Announced

A little different than usual...but I'm part of the team bringing this bad boy to the masses. And I'm so proud of everyone at Poppy Works and Ziggurat Interactive. This was the first game announced when I joined Ziggurat and it is wild that around my 2 year anniversary with Ziggurat it is getting released. February 21st 2024 is a big day and I'm very much excited to share everything going on in Slave Zero X and stories unfolding within the Mega City.

Check out this great trailer the team assembled. Slave Zero X will be released across platforms. Buckle up.

[savingcontent]

Ziggurat Interactive to relaunch the once thought sidescrolling shmup Rendering Ranger: R² later this year onto PC and PlayStation

Continue reading Ziggurat Interactive to relaunch the once thought sidescrolling shmup Rendering Ranger: R² later this year onto PC and PlayStation

[hardcoregamer]

Ziggurat Interactive Discusses the Importance of Game Preservation

One of the titles they are bringing back from the 'dead' is Killing Time:Resurrected. We at Hardcore Gamer had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Lotz, Managing Producer at Ziggurat Interactive, about the importance of game preservation and the value it has to old and young consumers.

See more!

[sonsofks]

¡A Rodar se ha Dicho! El Clásico de Plataformas y Puzzles en 3D 'Ballance' Ya Está Disponible en PC

El Juego Que Desafía la Gravedad y la Lógica Llega a Steam y GOG con Descuento de Lanzamiento ¡Prepárate para una experiencia de juego única! El clásico juego de plataformas y rompecabezas en 3D, Ballance, regresa gracias a la editorial Ziggurat Interactive y ya está disponible para Windows PC a través de Steam y GOG. En un nostálgico regreso a los orígenes del gaming en PC, Ziggurat…

[infactforgetthepark]

[Free Video Game] Requiem: Avenging Angel [Biblical Mythology Sci-Fantasy Action]

To help promote their current end of summer Autumn Sale, a number of games are being given away, free for a limited time courtesy of retailer GOG.com and participating developers.

Requiem: Avenging Angel by Cyclone Studios & Ziggurat Interactive is a 3D first person shooter sci-fantasy action game loosely inspired by biblical mythology, where you play a Chosen angel sent to modern Earth to save creation from the Fallen and their demonic minions, using divine powers including Holy Light and Locust Swarm and Turn to Salt among others, as well as more standard enhanced weapons like grenade launchers and railguns.

The game is compatible with Windows computers and has English audio and text. Extra goodies in the download include a manual, reference card, and concept art images, and you can read more about the game on its regular catalogue page. NB: the game is rated Mature for strong language and depictions of violence.

To get the freebie, simply scroll down to and click the Claim button on the giveaway feature banner on GOG.com's front page (requires account signup with valid email but no payment info) right below Deal of the Day or try this link (must be logged in).

Offered DRM-free worldwide until early morning on Monday, September 11th at around 6 AM Pacific Time (1 PM UTC), available directly from the retailer's website.

[mrcompass]

Fun Facts About Kenta Yumiya

Kenta’s name has a resemblance to the word "Centaur," which is fitting as Sagittario’s avatar takes the form of a centaur.

Compared to his friends, his design is less flashy, as he wears more casual clothes. This was probably done to make him feel more relatable as we follow his growth and development throughout the series.

He appears before the main character, Gingka Hagane.

He is also the first character we see battle.

Sagittario is the first Beyblade introduced in the anime.

Ironically, Flash Sagittario, its evolution, is the last Beyblade introduced in the original trilogy.

Kenta is the first and only known character to have used a Metal Face Bolt, which was given to him by Madoka. However, he stops using it after the end of Metal Fusion.

Despite looking like a small boy, he was able to lift heavy equipment during his training to defeat Hikaru.

He is the first character to use the Flame Fusion Wheel, which is one of the most commonly used wheels in the anime and in real-life Beyblade products.

The wheel itself was designed to replicate a bow and arrow, which is fitting for Sagittario the archer.

Coincidentally, Kenta bonds with Yu Tendo, who is also a young boy using a Stamina-type Beyblade with the Flame Wheel.

Additionally, his Flash Sagittario shares similarities with Zeo’s Flame Byxis:

Both have similar motifs on their Face Bolts.

Both use the 230WD combo.

Both feature arrows in their designs.

Both were used to defeat the main mastermind of their respective seasons (Ziggurat and Pluto).

Despite seemingly being younger than Sora, Kenta became somewhat of a mentor or coach to him, just as Gingka (another Pegasus owner) helped Kenta improve—creating a virtuous cycle.

In Zero-G, a character named Takanosuke Shishiya shares similarities with Kenta:

Both used the C145S combo.

Both their Beyblades are related to archery.

Both wear yellow clothing.

Both are passionate about Beyblade.

Both followed a Blader using a left-spin dragon Beyblade (Ryuga and Sakyo, respectively).

Kenta also shares parallels with Kyoya Tategami:

Both have green hair. Both use two of the most common Fusion Wheels (Rock and Flame).

They each only have two Beys, with one being an evolution due to their Legendary Blader status.

As part of the Four Seasons Legendary Bladers, they both represent a warm season (Spring and Summer).

They are the only two in this subgroup not to use driver; instead, they both use a gimmickless Track (130 and 230) and a variation of the Defense tip (WWD and WD).

Both have an important bond with Gingka and Benkei.

Both lost in Battle Bladers against a character using Dark Power after putting on an impressive performance.

They both became stronger after meeting Gingka.

Both participated in the selection stage but didn’t end up in Team Gan Gan Galaxy.

They went their own way in Metal Fury after temporarily joining Gingka's group.

Both use Beys based on the zodiac.

Both had a significant change of clothing in Metal Fury.

Kenta is Gingka’s first new friend after he began his quest to retrieve L-Drago.

He is the first character shown to create and use fire through his Beyblade, which fits the name "Flame" in Sagittario’s Wheel. Additionally, the Sagittarius constellation represents summer, which is the hottest season.

Although Kenta correctly states that he and Ryuga met multiple times, they never actually interacted or battled before Metal Fury. This makes Kenta the only person in Gingka’s original group of friends who never battled Ryuga in Fusion or Lightning L-Drago.

Interestingly, Kenta seems happy when he sees Ryuga defeat Jack in the finals of the World Championship.

Out of all the characters, Kenta is the one who utilized customization the most:

An episode was dedicated to him and Benkei customizing their Beyblades to win a tournament.

He changed his Face Bolt to a Metal Face Bolt.

He briefly used Libra ES.

He is the second person to damage an L-Drago Beyblade (the first being Gingka, who damaged Lightning L-Drago). He is also the first to damage L-Drago Destroy, the second being Rago.

After receiving the Star Fragment, Kenta’s Bey evolved, and its C145 track became a 230 track. This could be explained by the fact that Rago broke Sagittario’s claws, making it similar to a regular 145 track.

This was only the second time Sagittario was damaged. The first was against Reiji, who also broke Kenta’s three claws. Sagittario would be damaged a third time as Flash Sagittario by Nemesis during the finale.

Kenta is the third character after Zeo and Herschel to use the 230 track.

This makes Kenta the Legendary Blader with the tallest Beyblade by far. Ironically, he is one of the smallest and youngest characters in the group.

His hair grew during his travels with Ryuga, and he also became taller and more mature.

Kenta was the only character to enter Hades Kingdom and fight Nemesis who was neither a Legendary Blader nor part of Team Gan Gan Galaxy. Of course, this changed when he received the Star Fragment.

He is the only known Legendary Blader to gain his fragment from a previous Blader rather than directly from the meteorite. This inspired the heroes to transfer their power to Gingka in order to defeat Nemesis.

He only has a brief cameo in the Zero-G anime, but in the manga, he battles Zyro while disguising himself as "Masked Blader X." This is a callback to how Ryusei Hagane disguised himself as Phoenix to test Gingka. Coincidentally, Beyblade X’s protagonist, Ekusu Kurosu, also goes by "Kamen X" meaning "Masked X."

Kenta’s Sagittario is yellow, which corresponds to the color attributed to Stamina Beyblades by Takara Tomy. Each member of the original group (Gingka, Kenta, Benkei, and Kyoya) has a Beyblade colored according to their respective types.

Kenta is the second Legendary Blader to have a yellow aura, the first being Tithi. He also had a similar aura before receiving his Star Fragment.

He briefly used a generic Beyblade called Hydra after Sagittario was damaged by Poison Serpent. Coincidentally, the Hydra is a multi-headed snake.

In the selection tournament for the Japanese team, Kenta placed sixth, which is impressive in itself. Later, he attempted to become the substitute when Tsubasa and Yu were injured, and Gingka initially accepted. However, after Wang Hu Zhong arrived, everyone was told they couldn’t take the spot.

His three friends—Osamu, Takashi, and Akira—were never seen again after Fusion, nor during the Battle Bladers arc.

The character he battled the most is Gingka Hagane.

[brutalgamer]

All-out retro action title Slave Zero X is coming to Switch this month

In the mood for a little 16bit(ish) action in the classic style? Sit tight, because Ziggurat Interactive’s Slave Zero X is almost here.

[satoshi-mochida]

A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection launches October 17 for PS5, PS4, and Switch, later for PC

Gematsu Source

A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch on October 17, publishers Ziggurat Interactive and Limited Run Games announced. A PC version is also planned, with a formal announcement “coming soon.”

Here is an overview of the collection, via Ziggurat Interactive:

A Boy and his Blob: Retro Collection brings a pair of NES and Game Boy hits to modern consoles, including their US and Japanese versions. A Boy and his Blob: Trouble in Blobolonia puts the fate of Blobolonia in your hands as the evil Emperor threatens to plunge the planet into chaos. As the Boy, joined by your new alien-like friend, Blobert (affectionately known as Blob), you’ll use 14 magical jelly beans to transform your companion’s form as your puzzle-platforming skills are put to the test. In The Rescue of Princess Blobette, enjoy the thrilling sequel, this time as the dastardly Alchemist takes over Blobolonia’s Royal Castle and traps the fair princess inside. Once again, it’s up to the titular Boy and his Blob friend to vanquish evil, save the princess, and send a menacing meddler packing. Powered by Limited Run Games’ Carbon Engine, A Boy and his Blob: Retro Collection combines that throwback feel with modern quality-of-life improvements. Updates include Trophies for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, filters to change up the aesthetic appearance, and finally, as a gift from the video game gods, save states. No more starting all the way back at the beginning after a game over.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Release Date Trailer

[talonabraxas]

Ziggurat: A Dwelling Place for the Ancient Gods

The Anunnaki gods were worshipped by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia long before the Greeks praised the Olympian gods or the Egyptians prayed to Osiris.

While Zeus and the rest of the Greek gods resided at the top of Mount Olympus, and Osiris was the god of the earth and the underworld, the Anunnaki were winged deities who lived up in the heavens and came down to Earth to decide on people’s destiny.

The Sumerians had many myths involving the Anunnaki gods passing judgment on humans. The gods were described as children of the Earth and sky. This indicates they were believed to interact with humans when they came down to Earth.

Based on ancient carvings depicting deities of ancient Mesopotamia, some had wings, wore horned caps, and had bird faces, while others held something resembling a modern-day ladies’ purse.

The Anunnaki descended from the god of the heavens An and the goddess of the Earth Ki. The word Anunnaki word can be translated into “princely seed” in Sumerian, but as a term, it remains poorly defined. There is hardly any evidence of an exact number of these gods and their various functions as the historical texts deviate from one another.

According to Sumerian beliefs, the Heaven and Earth were inseparable until Enlil came along. Enlil split the Heaven and Earth in two and carried the Earth away whilst his father, An, carried away the sky. -Anunnaki: Mythological Sumerian Gods

[spectralgecko]

spectrallllllllllllll

what does the green realm look like in Eclipsed. if anything at all. I know you’ve mentioned rooms and everyone being in a similar space before plus those Edda/Aven comfort fics but I wanna get a better idea of the living space from u

My Summum is learning how to make his house (the green realm) not an endless shadowy plane of glass. in fragmented perfection. and I wanna know what urs looks like

Ahhhh yes, the Requiem.

So, the main point of interest is The Pyramid™ - for general vibes, think a Mayan temple/ziggurat type dealio. This post has a description of the Pyramid. The inner workings of the Pyramid are... not something I've nailed down super well, but think of it as the home base and area of residence. Because there's a good handful of people there, it's very lush. The fresh water circulating around it is coming from... somewhere, but Summum isn't really sure where as of yet.

The realm at large, in its original state, is this... glassy, colorless expanse. There are distinct traces of existence around - little glassy shrines, traces of gardens, what might have been buildings, even the pyramid itself. But it's all just... barren. There's not much alive in there when Summum first finds it. It's notion of color seems strange too - mostly dark, with strange patches of clear, colorlessness.

When he first sets foot inside, though, things start becoming alive. He's not doing it intentionally, but the place is responding to having a guest again. The more time he spends in it, the more alive it starts to be. He takes up residence in the pyramid, and between his own energy and the realm's response to him, plant life starts returning to the Requiem. It's all taken on a very green color too, adapting to him, eager to imprint on its new guests.

It all looks oddly geometric - mostly triangles - and there's something unnatural about it, everything is sharp and crystalline, most lines are straight and the edges are sharp, but the foliage becomes so abundant that it starts to soften when viewed from afar.

There's not really a sky - there's no constellations, no stars, the whole place gives the impression of having a ceiling. That's part of why Summum feels safe there. If you look closely, you can see things hanging from the ceiling. Vines, mostly. Thick, jungle-like foliage. More of that... hard to look at stuff.

There are moving things.

Most of the realm is flat, glassy plain, with noticeable almost basalt-like strata shifts. There's patches of towering forest in some places, brush in others. Rarely, you see lakes of this strange black stuff that somehow feels odd to look at, like it doesn't like to be seen. There are some plants like that too.

The little glassy shrines usually have the most abundant plant life, and even have some fruits that are edible.

The notion of time seems a little wonky here too. Slower, somehow. The whole realm feels ancient and abandoned. Something was living there and then suddenly wasn't. And yet, Summum hasn't found any indication that Worldless has interacted with it either.

[sonsofks]

Héroes y Villanos en un Solo Universo! Marvel y DC Colaboran en la Edición Deluxe de Slave Zero X

La nueva entrega del clásico de Dreamcast, Slave Zero™ X, llega con una oferta irresistible que incluye cómics originales y mucho más.” “La espera ha terminado para los fanáticos de los juegos retro y modernos. Ziggurat Interactive, el editor multiplataforma, revela la preventa de Slave Zero™ X, el brutal juego de acción 2.5D. Pero esto no es solo un lanzamiento, es una experiencia completa que…

[eldritch-elrics]

tunic.... it's good <3

the randomness of the guidance you're given (oftentimes you can just miss various manual pages if you're not exploring carefully enough) leads to some really unique experiences. like, first time i got to the quarry i accidentally entered it backwards (from the mountain entrance), which was just so scary and cool. if i'd gotten any of the pages mentioning the quarry beforehand, i don't think it would have stuck out so much, because i would have been prepared!

i'm also very much enjoying slowly piecing together the story. the ziggurat was VERY cool. top tier vibes. couple of real "what the fuck?" moments.

i'm currently doing my last key-area, the eastern forest, and after the quarry/ziggurat it's honestly a little bit disappointing. you're almost definitely meant to find this one first, and accordingly (at least so far) it's way easier. (or maybe i'm just overleveled at this point or something?) that's just the risk you take with this sorta soulslike structure though!

speaking of souls things: what the fuck, i count 2 possible dark souls 3 references??

the way that the crystals drain your max hp instead of just your hp, same way the irithyll dungeon guards do. i was soooo delighted to see this absolutely evil mechanic be incorporated into the most fucked-up feeling area.

the guys with the candles in the eastern forest really feel like the ds3 library guys. this might just be coincidence but "candlestick as a weapon" feels very ds3 to me. idk

also the hyper light drifter influence becomes extremely obvious in the ziggurat. hehehe...

another random thought: why is the game called tunic? of course it calls attention to the protagonist's (very link-y) outfit, and it also sounds kind of like the title of fez, but fez's title refers to a clothing item that gives the protag his game-defining power, whereas tunic's protag doesn't seem to have a special tunic or anything like that. i suppose we will see!

final thought: i think i said this before, but the fact that you can't mark up your map in-game (perhaps we're meant to print it out and write on it that way, hehe - that's fun but i don't want to do that) is really a shame. it's a step up from fez's lack of a map*, but a major step down from everything you can do with the map in animal well. there have been a bunch of times in tunic where i've seen random objects (like the tuning forks!) that i've assumed i could interact with once getting a new ability, but had no way to indicate their locations other than taking screenshots (which is a bit unhelpful). also i JUST realized that there are flowers that indicate bomb-able walls and i am soooo mad i missed that before. but again, the whole structure of the map doesn't lend itself well to going back and finding secrets you missed... which is annoying in a game with so many secrets...

*edit: currently replaying fez and yeah i have no idea why i misremembered it as having no map? fez has a very comprehensive map! way more useful than tunic's!

[magistralucis]

Hello magistralucis! Hope you are doing well! If its okay could you tell me about 'opium' and 'vermillion'?

Hello there! I certainly can. @north-wyrm also asked about Vermillion, so I hope this will come in doubly useful. This may be a lengthy explanation 🥴

You know the Lantern Fair sequence in Gheden from we live on archipelagos? I think about that specific part quite a lot, because a festival is a really useful setting to make characters interact in. There's the fun and grandeur, luxurious decadence (as befitting of the Nihilakh), and also a sense of enforced formality between the people who meet there. Sometimes one's true self is best shown by being made to behave. Over time I developed an entire series of WIPs that take place in that setting, not the exact Lantern Fair from WLOA but similar. Our usual pairs meet there, and a couple of unknown ones.

Opium and Vermillion deal with the former.

High up on a ziggurat they glimpse their host, the lead archivist of the Nihilakh, playing senet with the famed diviner of the Sautekh. [...] Trazyn's robes are plain, but Orikan is starclad in gold and midnight-blue. A fine Nihilakh gift. The young could stand to learn from them.

The above quote from WLOA inspired Opium. It's about what Trazyn and Orikan get up to during their Lantern Fair, and how Orikan got those starclad robes. It explores the fair from a host's perspective, since Trazyn is active in his role as a lord of Gheden, less of Solemnace. Orikan comes to him as a guest and remains by his side throughout.

It seemed every year they were roomed closer and closer together. When Orikan was shown to his room, he noticed a door leading from it which felt familiar, and was not disappointed to see that it led right into the lord archivist's bedchamber. Which was fine, that was where he wound up most of the time anyway. He'd always assumed the door from Trazyn's side led to a family shrine (most palaces in Gheden had one), perhaps a storeroom or a prime view from above, but it seemed the overlord's household had decided the double suite had gone unused for too long. He left the door ajar and took the time to examine his own room, thinking about all that'd happened so far. The room was furnished like Trazyn's, just emptier. The overlord kept little company outside of Solemnace unless he was a guest himself elsewhere. Everything was clean, everything seemed normal, and Orikan could almost believe nothing was wrong around here. There was a little twig of his favourite fruit-blossoms upon the windowsill, held in a bud vase inlaid with faience. Orikan picked it up and turned it this way and that, noting that the water in the vase was fresh, and that the petals still had the hint of morning dew upon them. Winter blossoms, much too early for fruit, a fleeting memory of what could still be. That was what his relationship to Trazyn felt like sometimes. No longer animosity, but not quite friendship nor courtship, marked with reminders of the little things they liked. Golden drops of memories, as faint as dust motes under sunlight, but dotting their selves like little wounds once the two were gone from one another. No one would ever understand them truly. Sometimes Orikan wasn't sure they understood themselves.

It is also a very melancholy story. It's like if Viridian was sad. Trazyn and Orikan aren't a couple here, more like a slow burn FWB, and they're about to find out exactly how this arrangement will disadvantage them in a society that insists on legally defined ties. 😞

Vermillion is the Lantern Fair, Take Two, from the Djoseras/Zultanekh perspective. In WLOA they only talked and shared one kiss; in Vermillion they go all the way. Unrestricted by the prying eyes of their own dynasties, they meet up for a tryst by night - though they were not planning to have this tryst when they first met in Gheden, and are thus awkward about it at the beginning. I put this under a cut because the snippet is NSFW:

Djoseras moaned beside him, almost a sob, the one hand stretched behind him tightening into Zultanekh's hair. He'd been brought to the edge several times already: Zultanekh would circle his fingertip over the other's arousal, coating it with the silky fluid that ran from it, or stop while he was halfway through a thrust. He would then linger there, playfully refusing to move, until the tension in the kynazh's body broke in the form of a hard writhe or a hoarse moan bitten into the sheets. It excited Zultanekh tremendously to see the latter. Perhaps it was the only thing about their position he regretted, in that the kynazh was facing away, when he'd have liked Djoseras to set his teeth against his flesh instead. "Be good for me, Djoseras... be good, and I'll let you come…" Better the kynazh do it than anyone else. Like any warrior worth his salt Zultanekh valued a good battle-scar, and the idea of Djoseras marking him was intoxicating. Perhaps on the Crown Prince's wrist, so that the kynazh could finish what he started and truly claim his hand. Perhaps on the shoulder, so that Zultanekh would feel it whenever he lifted his warhammer, or with every powerful thrust he made unto the kynazh's body. He rolled them over fully so that Djoseras was under him, his face buried into the silken pillows. He made sure to pause for a moment, in case Djoseras found this position too demeaning to continue. When he saw this was not the case he grasped the kynazh's hips, and he pressed in again, sinking into him and kissing everywhere he could reach. Zultanekh stifled his moans against the kynazh's shoulder, tasting the faintest traces of sweat and perfumed oils beneath his tongue; Djoseras let out a choked sound and grasped the sheets, steeled himself for the thrusts to come.

Yeah. 😳💖 Vermillion is not as melancholy as Opium, but the princes are still engaged in a forbidden love, and they know they must part when the night comes to an end. Really, all of the Lantern Fair AU pieces have this air of a dream to them, and the underlying sadness. But all that's for later. I hope this was a pleasant read for now.

[mrcompass]

Fun Facts About MFB Voice Actors (Japanese Dub)

Aki Kanada, Gingka's voice actress, has the given name "Aki," which is similar to the Japanese word for autumn (though written with different kanji). Fittingly, Gingka is the Legendary Blader of Autumn.

Takehito Koyasu, the voice actor for Daidouji, has also voiced major villains in two other Beyblade generations: Boris Balkov in Bakuten Shoot Beyblade and Phi in Beyblade Burst.

Kenjiro Tsuda (Ryuga) and Kōki Uchiyama (Jack) also voice Overhaul and Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia, respectively. Just like in MFB, their characters in MHA have short yet heated interactions. However, while Tsuda’s character (Ryuga) utterly defeated Uchiyama’s (Jack) in MFB. In MHA, Uchiyama’s character (Shigaraki) takes advantage of Overhaul’s downfall (he also took his arms).

Yūko Sanpei (Masamune's voice actress) and Romi Park (Damian's voice actress) previously voiced Pride and Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, respectively. While Masamune and Damian don’t interact much in MFB, they stand on opposite sides—Masamune as the deuteragonist and Damian as a villain. Interestingly, in FMA, the roles are reversed for their voice actors, with Sanpei voicing the villain (Pride) and Park voicing the hero (Edward). Incidentally Damian and Pride have some similarites are very loyal to a superior figure (Ziggurat and Father). Both characters also embody the theme of artificial power.

Nobuhiko Okamoto is notable for voicing two characters in the Metal Saga: the first being Teru Saotome and the second, Zyro Kurogane, the main protagonist of Zero-G (which is technically the fourth season of MFB). This makes Zyro the first main protagonist in Beyblade to be voiced by a male actor. Okamoto would later return as Phelix Payne in Beyblade Burst QuadDrive.