#twisted pixel games

[everygame]

Lococycle

Developed/Published by: Twisted Pixel Games / Microsoft Game Studios Released: 22/11/2013 Completed: 17/01/2025 Completion: Finished it.

Picked this one up because I saw Coury from My Life in Gaming recommend it, somewhat out of nowhere on the channel’s “The Games We Played in 2024” episode (always extremely enjoyable). It caught my eye particularly because it features FMV with James Gunn (filmed basically seconds before he’d take off with Guardians of the Galaxy), Tom Savini and Lloyd Kaufman, and that’s… really weird! It feels like something I’d have noticed at the time, not least because Twisted Pixel were on my radar as one of the teams of the “Xbox Live Arcade” era (thanks to releases like ‘Splosion Man.)

Well, I learned I’d missed not just Lococycle but a lot in the last decade, because not only had they moved on from being a Microsoft Games studio, they’d actually become part of Meta (boo!!!) and have spent their time making VR games for an audience of I assume very few, which is a bit of a bummer. Their last release was short VR beat-em-up Path of the Warrior in 2019, so I hope they’re doing alright (trying to destroy Meta from within, preferably.)

Anyway, I have to remark that it’s absolutely hilarious that I’d somehow manage to play two games in a row that heavily feature a character called Iris, except in this case she’s a sentient motorbike that can’t speak Spanish. 

Yep, there’s no throughline with 1000xRESIST here [“no one would have imagined there was”--Ed.] though I have to say I’m impressed with just how stupid Lococycle is willing to be. It feels like a game where everything about it was decided based on the phrase “it would be funny if..” and then no one bothered to check if it that was actually that funny or not. I mean, this is a game where the main gag is that you’re controlling a bike that has a mechanic being dragged behind it because his trouser leg is tangled on the bike’s exhaust! And then the guy is played by Freddy Rodríguez in the FMV! That guy’s a real actor!

The game itself is pretty simple, but I’m going to go ahead and say it’s a pretty clever way for them to do a narrative game without having to resort to making something that’s not much more than a visual novel–or making it possible for the player to mess too much with the pacing based on how they play. Because every level has a constant forward momentum (you’re on a bike!) each level essentially runs on a timeline–waves of enemies and narrative hit when they want it to.

But it doesn’t entirely feel on-rails; you have to control the bike, and there’s just (just) enough variety to cover the game’s four hour runtime. You have the basic, Spy Hunter “chase and shoot enemies”, then a take on the classic Arkham Asylum counter combo system, and finally a bunch of quick time events that are (thankfully) easy and I believe impossible to actually fail. There’s a few other mini-games (one to repair the bike via on-screen inputs, etc.) and a mild upgrade system, too.

It’s nothing that special, and I think it could still have been a bit shorter (you’re definitely done with it at the end) but it’s all rewarding enough in the moment. The FMV videos really stand out because they have the strange pacing of low budget regional filmmaking and the non-sequitur dialogue is, if not improvised, amusingly non-professional. I can imagine lots of people being turned off by this, but I’m someone who seeks out things like Shower of Screams and is in heaven for the entire running time (seriously, watch it) so the entirely “off” nature of all the FMV here is a rare pleasure–it’s not intentionally bad in a way you’re meant to enjoy ironically, it’s just… awkward, and that awkwardness gets you on side. You find it charming.

I mean they managed to get Robert Patrick to play an evil motorbike and read some of the daftest dialogue he’s probably ever had put in front of him, and watching it you just think how lovely it is that he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Anyway. Sure, Lococycle isn’t the greatest but I appreciate that there’s nothing else out there like it!

Will I ever play it again? I can’t imagine that I will.

Final Thought: For any historians out there, something really wonderful about the release is that there’s so much behind the scenes documentation in the game, with videos of all their shooting days and loads of photos of concept art and renders. I don’t get the sense that this did particularly well (it was an Xbox One launch title, oof) but I love that if you want to know literally everything there is to know about this game, it’s all right there!

Every Game I’ve Finished 14>24 is OUT NOW! You can pick it up in paperback, kindle, or epub/pdf. You can also support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi! You can pick up digital copies of exp., a zine featuring all-exclusive writing at my shop, or join as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

[robo-milky]

This came to me as a vision and I had to make it a reality- If no one else can fulfill my TWSTxRPG Horror brainrot, then I will

[tweeked-out]

HORAAY! A POST!

[chaos64sprinkles]

Razzle and Dazzle In Art Pixel Animation! (Piskel)

Sprinkles: Bark! Bark! (And here we have my favorite character or two characters that I liked, which are Razzle and Dazzle, who are like the fusion of the TADC gangle and the Yin-Yang from II, really, that was all that was needed for their fusion to become an NPC in this horror game, and a horror one at that, uhh, I'm not thinking about making all the characters from Dandy's World, I'm just going to make the main ones and also my favorite ones, before finishing the descriptions so I can include them in my future animations, I'm thinking about learning a little more about Sprunki, I'm even going to go to Incredibox as the site is called,to see if it's any good really that I'm losing , it's worth a try!)

Made In Piskel

Razzle and Dazzle Is Belong to Dandy's World (Roblox)

[spadesncrows]

this chucklefuck needed a reference sheet it was horribly overdue 😔😔

featuring a very mega awesome cool voice claim (yippee), background by @/unfinished-projects-galore ^^

This be my lil oc/sona (?) guy ,,,

Info . . .

❥ name: Vivi Alvera <3

❥ nicknames: Monsieur Corbeau (Rook), Puffin (Floyd)

❥ dorm: Heartslabyul (1st year, six of diamonds)

❥ pronouns: he/they/sky

❥ species: avian (specifically crow beastman,,,,)

❥ height: unimportant (short)

❥ birthday: 3/7 (pieces)

❥ best subject: art

❥ fav food: spaghetti :D

❥ least fav food: any sort of nut. Peanuts especially. Will cringe at the smell of them

❥ academically smart. for the most part.

❥ but rlly dumb in any mildly bad social situation

❥ free to roam? He can go wherever? nope, hitting him with the Sudden-Anxiety-Of-Being-Perceived-inator ‼️‼️

❥ is besties with the Heartslabyul hedgehogs,,,,

❥ once saw Lilia float upside down. Fell on his ass trying to do the same thing <3

+ additional refs !!

[redspacewriter]

moodboard: alex

“i want to know everything about you and if it takes a lifetime to find all these things out, so be it.”

[fishbloc]

actually so funny how ive made so many stardew save files for rp reasons but i have not once recreated the flower valley in it

[neuro-blue]

There is hardly any fanart for this game so

Splosion man

[lesbians4solas]

This is my first time back to tumblr since 2014 (I know I’m a veteran). I was really hoping in 10 years discourse in the fandoms would stop being so black & white and unnecessarily hateful .. but boy is it all the same

[willkimurashat]

Sigh… The way s7 is just gonna go right over my head because I’m a weirdo who can’t move on and is still hung up on s6 and one certain pixel:(

[boredtechnologist]

Twisted Metal for the PlayStation provides a unique backdrop for examining philosophical themes of hedonism, nihilism, free will, and the social contract. This analysis explores these themes, drawing from the philosophies of Epicurus, Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Thomas Hobbes.

1. Epicurean Hedonism and the Pursuit of Pleasure: Epicurus posited that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures to attain a state of tranquility and freedom from fear (ataraxia) and absence of bodily pain (aponia). In "Twisted Metal," the characters' pursuit of their deepest desires through violent competition might initially seem to align with hedonistic pursuit of pleasure. However, the destructive and self-defeating nature of their quests often leads not to lasting happiness but to ironic twists and dire consequences, reflecting a critique of unchecked hedonism. For example, Sweet Tooth's endless craving for violence mirrors the pitfalls of mistaking fleeting pleasures for true happiness.

2. Nietzschean Nihilism and the Will to Power: Friedrich Nietzsche’s concepts of nihilism and the will to power can be seen in the characters’ existential struggles and their engagement in the brutal competition. Nietzsche argued that traditional values (like moral or religious norms) are baseless and that the will to power, the main driving force in humans, is the essence of life. Characters such as Mr. Grimm embody this philosophy as they navigate the game's world, imposing their will through violence and chaos, often viewing the competition as a stage for expressing their primal instincts and existential command.

3. Sartrean Existentialism and Radical Freedom: Jean-Paul Sartre’s idea that "existence precedes essence" and his emphasis on individual freedom and responsibility echo throughout "Twisted Metal." The characters, each responsible for defining themselves through their actions, are thrown into a world where they must continually choose their paths under extreme conditions. This existential freedom is exemplified by Outlaw, whose narrative often wrestles with moral decisions and the consequences of one’s choices in an anarchic world.

4. Hobbesian Social Contract and the State of Nature: Thomas Hobbes’s social contract theory and his views on the natural condition of mankind as a perpetual state of warfare—“war of every man against every man”—are vividly depicted in "Twisted Metal." The game essentially throws the characters into a Hobbesian state of nature where laws do not exist, and the fight for survival is paramount. The ensuing chaos and conflict illustrate Hobbes's justification for the absolute authority to impose order and prevent mutual destruction, reflecting on what happens when societal bonds disintegrate under the guise of a deadly competition.

5. Camus and the Absurd Hero: Albert Camus's philosophy of the absurd and the concept of the absurd hero are reflected in the characters' relentless pursuit of a wish in a seemingly meaningless and hostile universe. Their participation in the Twisted Metal tournament can be seen as a rebellion against the absurdity of their conditions—striving for meaning in a spectacle of destruction. This mirrors Camus's notion that one must imagine Sisyphus happy as he embraces the struggle without hope.

In conclusion, "Twisted Metal" serves not only as an entertaining vehicular combat game but also as a profound philosophical text that explores deep existential questions through its characters and settings. The game challenges players to consider the nature of desire, the implications of nihilism, the burdens of freedom, the necessity of social contracts, and the human condition in the face of absurdity. It invites players to engage with and reflect on these philosophical themes, making the chaotic battles of Twisted Metal resonate with deeper meanings.

[v-thinks-on]

For all my bewilderment about the decision to make the Hunger Games prequel about Snow, I actually quite enjoyed the movie - how his competing interests kept being pitted against each other, driving him to worse and worse decisions; and how at the end of the day, both Coriolanus and Lucy Gray were both traumatized Victors, wracked with guilt and no longer able to trust

[volfoss]

It's gonna be really bad if I get hooked into arena like I'm going to become a whole new breed of weird guy posting

[rockaberryx]

When there’s a man who ‘splodes or something 💥

[chaos64sprinkles]

Dandy's World In Art Pixel Animation! (Piskel)

Sprinkles: Bark! Bark! (Well, it's time to show my pixel art about Dandy from Dandy's World. I had said that I'm very late, but this one I managed to be quite late, so I realized that he's from Roblox and I decided to play to see if he's really good and he is good, super good, even for the alpha it seems to be good, except for the hitbox because the hitbox needs to be fixed first. Anyway, about Dandy, he's not my favorite being the antagonist of the fashion game at the moment, I mean second, first now is Sprunki, I'm thinking of making another character that I chose as my favorite but I'll only show him tomorrow!)

Made In Piskel

Dandy Is Belong to Dandy's World (Roblox)

[gender-euphowrya]

yeah i'm weird about fictional characters but at least i don't call people abusive if they treat them in different ways from me