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Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Apr 16 2014 19:00 GMT
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Quick, the RPS hivemind has retired to a snoozing chamber in London to absorb more knowledge into the glorious whole, so let’s have a party. It’ll be full of blood and guts and dead animals and religious subtexts! Not your sort of party? You probably haven’t played enough Binding of Isaac, the gory 2D roguelike from way back in the mists of time, 2011. It was one of the first in the long line of every-run-is-different action games from the past few years and (particularly with the DLC) is *crag*ing brilliant. Since we last heard from dev Mr. Edmund McMillen, he’s been hard at work on a remake/expansion and putting updates on the game’s blog. The main purpose is to get away from its Flash trappings so it will run acceptably on a larger number of machines, plus allow some console ports. However, there’s also been music, item and enemy reveals, the best of which I’ve hunted down, cried at until they died and hung the corpses of on the wall below.

… [visit site to read more]


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Posted by Joystiq Jan 24 2014 22:00 GMT
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The Humble Weekly Sale is feeling lethal and unforgiving, offering six roguelikes for the tempting price of "basically nothing." Yes, these products will kill you, over and over and over again - but they're on sale. You can't beat that.

Three of the games are available for any price you want: Paranautical Activity (Early Access game), Dungeons of Dredmor Complete and Hack, Slash Loot. The remaining three games are thrown in if you pay $6 or more: The Binding of Isaac plus Wrath of the Lamb DLC, Teleglitch: Die More Edition Guns and Tunes, and Sword of the Stars: The Pit Gold Edition.

This bundle seems to be priced according to "complexity of name." Don't worry though - they will all kill you. At a discount.

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Sep 30 2013 19:00 GMT
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What happens when one half of a development team goes on holiday and leaves the other, slightly agoraphobic half at home? In a roundabout way, it ends up in The Binding Of Isaac. That’s the origin of the game, the very moment that sent Edmund McMillen down into the basement to confront elements of his religious upbringing in a Flash game. Isaac’s odd story is told in this interview from the makers of Indie Game: The Movie. Want to hear about how Ed’s Team Meat partner Tommy Refenes’ holiday turned into a game of contradictions? It’s posted below, and it’s absolutely fascinating.(more…)


Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Aug 21 2013 11:30 GMT
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After Ed McMillen quietly announced The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth last year, the snazzy, SNES-style remake of the disturbing rogue-like has been fairly quiet. Almost as if it were locked in a basement, hidden from the judgmental gaze of society who wouldn’t be able to just stare at the awful, lumpen horrors it possesses. But it turns out I’m applying the game’s fiction to the development process, which is a huge error. I’ve still to see the game in action, but the atmosphere of the live-action trailer they’ve just released is pitch-perfect. Low-fi and utterly horrible. Please watch it with the lights on.(more…)


Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Aug 20 2013 18:00 GMT
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Vlambeer is making yet another videogame like it’s their job or something. They have probably lost their minds, but we may as well reap the rewards. Originally a quick and dirty Mojam prototype dystopia-’em-up, Wasteland Kings is now evolving into a full-on action-roguelike (or “roguelike-like,” as designer JW Nijman describes it) with heaps of characters, procedurally generated locations, and of course, guns. In practice, that means you run from area to area, dodging and blasting circles around enemies in a desperate bid for survival. All the while, you mutate new, largely randomized powers and pick up better, stranger weapons. Sounds a bit like fellow action-roguelike The Binding of Isaac, doesn’t it? And while the inspiration is certainly there, Nijman insists that Wasteland Kings is millions of cracking, sun-parched miles away from a carbon copy. 

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Posted by Joystiq Apr 21 2013 17:00 GMT
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Team Meat co-founder Edmund McMillen recently revealed that The Binding of Isaac has reached 2 million in sales. McMillen noted his surprise at the game's steady success, having first launched in September 2011, on an episode of the Northernlion gaming channel on YouTube.

"In the first year we sold a million copies, and now we're already up to two million," McMillen said. He also discussed the Nicalis "demake" of the game, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, and the definite inclusion of the Mystery Man unlockable character. The Mystery Man will use randomly-generated items and stats, offering a new challenge to players each time he's selected. McMillen also elaborated on the constraints that Flash presented in developing the game, and how Rebirth would benefit from fewer performance issues.

Posted by Joystiq Jan 29 2013 01:15 GMT
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The Binding of Isaac is Steam's Daily Deal for Monday, January 28, on sale for $1.25 through January 29 at 10 a.m. PST. Interested parties can snag the game and the soundtrack in one smooth bundle for $1.50 during the sale. Wrath of the Lamb, Isaac's massive expansion, is just $0.75 and the soundtrack on its own is $0.25.

Madness, depression and weeping babies have never been so cheap.

Posted by Joystiq Dec 06 2012 07:00 GMT
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This is a busy season for video games. Not for the developers, necessarily, but for the players. All the big, end-of-the-year games are out, we're marathoning AAA titles and indie darlings alike, and our backlogs are on the verge of becoming sentient. It's about time you take a break, while simultaneously knocking out two games at once: Team Fortress 2 and The Binding of Isaac.

If you haven't spotted this mod that creates a 3D, first-person Binding of Isaac world within Team Fortress 2, give it a look now in the video above. It's even Edmund McMillen-approved.

The mod comes from YouTube user lampenpam, and while it isn't complete, US players can log into the Super Zombie Fortress server, where the Isaac map is in rotation. The server is run by Jonas "Mecha the Slag" Kærlev, the creator of Wind Waker-inspired indie game A Hat in Time.

Technically, with that final link, we've just given you three games to observe while letting your batteries recharge. Literally, we assume - the convenience of those wireless controllers can be such a pain.

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Nov 30 2012 10:00 GMT
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I suppose it’s only fitting that, just as one of the holliest, jolliest, holiest of holidays begins to descend upon us, we’ve suddenly struck a blood-and-pus-spewing vein of Binding of Isaac news. First there was a completely mad (in a good way) looking Team Fortress 2 mod, and now Edmund McMillen himself has reclaimed the stage to present a hellish heap of details about the upcoming Binding of Isaac remake. In short, Nicalis – they of the recent Cave Story console remakes and NightSky – are handling the heavy lifting while McMillen cracks the whip from the lead designer nightmare throne. Non-Flash graphics, local co-op, and a Wrath-of-the-Lamb-sized expansion are the standout features, but it wouldn’t be Binding of Isaac without a million-billion other gleefully gruesome things. And on that front, McMillen and Nicalis intend to deliver.

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Posted by Kotaku Nov 29 2012 14:00 GMT
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#thebindingofisaac Edmund McMillen's The Binding of Isaac gave players a horrific, addictive rougelike experience when it came out last year. After a planned 3DS release was scuttled, the only place to play the super-tough dungeon crawler has been on PC platforms. But Isaac is being reborn for consoles, with a new edition that packs even more stuff into an already burly game. More »

Posted by Giant Bomb Nov 28 2012 23:16 GMT
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Even though Team Meat is actively working on it second game, we have not seen the end of The Binding of Isaac, Edmund McMillen’s roguelike-inspired, religion-parodying surprise success story. At the end of a Gamasutra postmortem on the game, McMillen revealed he’d signed a deal with Nicalis to “remake” the game for consoles.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth will sport 16-bit visuals, a second expansion that wasn't technically possible in Flash, and local co-op.

“I love consoles as much as the next guy, but dealing with the business end of console development wasn't something I wanted to dive back into at this point,” said McMillen.

The Binding of Isaac was not a Team Meat game, and created in the span of three months after Super Meat Boy.

Team Meat was publicly critical of Microsoft after the release of Super Meat Boy on Xbox Live Arcade, and for a while it sounded like the duo might not deal with consoles ever again.

McMillen, one half of Team Meat, told Nicalis he wanted nothing to do with the business deals, and just have the opportunity make the game he wanted to make. Nicalis agreed to McMillen’s demands.

“The Binding of Isaac was a huge personal achievement,” he said. “I was able to talk about something personal and meaningful in a way I felt comfortable with, and I was able to get my feet in the water with the roguelike formula and random generation.”

It’s unclear what consoles The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth might come out on, but the original game was famously rejected from appearing on 3DS because of its religious content, and McMillen hopes the updated art style might change that. All platforms are on the table at the moment, including an iPad version if it makes sense.


Posted by Kotaku Oct 09 2012 01:00 GMT
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#thebindingofisaac There's a reason most indie games come out digitally. All that printing and packing and shipping costs a whole lot of money. And while the convenience of downloadable titles is nice, sometimes you want a physical memento of a game you really love. More »

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Aug 30 2012 18:00 GMT
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No, no, it’s not what it sounds like. Edmund McMillen hasn’t suddenly decided to beat the record for fastest “HD” remake treatment ever. This remake, to hear McMillen tell it, is very, very necessary. In short, have you ever noticed how Binding of Isaac occasionally chugs even on machines powered by blazing tech and unholy sacrifices to Shan’thulex, bloodlord of the night (and a small chain of mom ‘n’ pop PC hardware stores)? Well, that’s because it runs on Flash, and McMillen thinks it’s high-time that changed. That, however, is only the beginning of this remake.

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Posted by Joystiq Aug 30 2012 01:30 GMT
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A revamped version of The Binding of Isaac is crawling to consoles and PC via a mystery publisher and a new team, Edmund McMillen reveals on his Formspring account. This is more than an update to the existing Binding of Isaac available on Steam - it's a brand new game.

"The remake will be more than just an expansion, it will be a new game with all new graphics, music, etc. It will also feature an expansion-sized pack of all new content, bosses, characters enemies, items etc.," McMillen writes. "And yes, in about a year if/when it comes out, the Flash version of the game will appear obsolete for sure. But a year is a long time and I'll do what I can to make sure the guys who remake it make it substantial enough for you to play through all over again."

The new Isaac will have local co-op and is aiming to launch on all platforms; McMillen even gives the 3DS a 50 percent chance. McMillen is "avoiding all the business BS," but the team has been talking to Microsoft for a while, and "they seem to also want Isaac a lot, but only time will tell if anything gets signed."

McMillen says he'll ask the investors about selling the new game at a discount for current Binding of Isaac and Wrath of the Lamb owners, but since he's not the one fronting the money he doesn't call the shots.

Posted by Kotaku Feb 29 2012 05:30 GMT
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#nintendo One of 2011's more pleasant surprises was The Binding of Isaac, a game Totilo described as "a wonderfully warped Old Testament take on The Legend of Zelda". More »
MM

why

Viddd

Why do you think this is "art" to anybody? Nobody ever bought Issac for the art, it's a bunch of goddamn poop and monsters. You never know what you're going to get out of the game. The entire game is randomized, from the rooms and bosses to the items. And since the items are pretty different, along with the combinations themselves, each time you're playing differently. One game you're playing with Technology 2 and Spider Bite for slow motion lasers, the next you're getting in close range for Mom's Knife. Put that it in with your own judgment, luck, and skill, and you've got Issac. And it's pretty damn fun. I paid only $2.50 for the base game months ago and it's one of the best purchases I've made all year.


Posted by Joystiq Jun 20 2012 15:30 GMT
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"Who would have thought a game about an abused child fighting off his mother with his tears could ever sell 700k copies in less than a year?" The Binding of Isaac developer Edmund McMillen wrote in an email blast last night. "Not me, that's for f*cking sure."

Thanks to Isaac's Wrath of the Lamb DLC, released in late May, the game passed its latest sales milestone, with the expansion selling a fifth of the overall sales in less than three weeks, according to McMillen.

McMillen says the DLC's rocky launch left a bad taste in his mouth, so the team decided to do another content update. Wrath of the Lamb v1.3 adds more "items, bosses, enemies, music, secrets and a very hard to attain final ending cut scene that should shed some light on the games story even more."

The update is free to all owners of the expansion. McMillen concluded, "700k is a big number... maybe its time to bring this thing to console ;)"

Posted by DarkBlueAce May 29 2012 18:56 GMT
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Discuss and share information to your heart's content.

THAT BOBZ GUY

Widow boss is the worst thing ever.

That is all.

Viddd
Cancer stacks with max tears stat, get maximum attack stat and chemical burn and basically you're a minigun.

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun May 08 2012 08:00 GMT
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Despite the constant flow of new games to try, be they the sort of grand strategy that devours weeks or tiny flights of fancy, there are some games more than a fortnight old that I still find time to play. The Binding of Isaac is one. Short, decidedly sour and extremely attentive to my desire for carefully controlled randomisation and odd loot, every journey into the basement has something to offer. We knew an expansion was on its way and now we know it’ll be here on May 28th. According to the trailer, it’ll also contain ‘more’ of just about everything.

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Posted by Joystiq May 07 2012 14:30 GMT
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"Wrath of the Lamb," the enormous expansion to The Binding of Isaac, has been assigned a release date even more specific than the "late May" window it previously had: it'll be on Steam May 28, creator Edmund McMillen told Joystiq.

McMillen also reiterated his claim that Wrath will be the sole expansion for Isaac. "Development for Super Meat Boy: The Game has started full time and once it's moving I won't be looking back!" In the meantime, you should look up - at the new, terrifying trailer for Wrath of the Lamb.

Posted by Joystiq Apr 26 2012 14:30 GMT
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The Binding of Isaac expansion we heard about back in January, titled The Wrath of the Lamb, is almost here. Creator Edmund McMillen announced in a series of tweets that the expansion will arrive in late May, and that it is jam-packed with content: new challenges and achievements, over ten new bosses, over 100 new items, a new character, a new ending, and tons of other new material. "What I'm getting at is there is a lot of extra shit in this damn thing," tweeted McMillen. "We have been working on it longer than the actual game."

The latest screens of The Wrath of the Lamb are in the gallery below. For all of that content, the expansion will only cost three bucks. McMillen also said there's a trailer on the way, but he's busy right now, working with Steam on release details and testing and polishing the game itself.

Posted by Giant Bomb Feb 29 2012 21:29 GMT
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The Binding of Isaac is only $4.99 on Steam, and it's available for both the PC and Mac.

We won’t be seeing Edmund McMillen’s The Binding of Isaac on 3DS, unfortunately. McMillen revealed over Twitter that Nintendo has denied the game’s possible port over religious concerns.

“Attention: After a long internal debate Nintendo has decided NOT to allow the Binding of Isaac on the 3ds. :(“ said the designer. “As many assumed the reasons were due to the games "questionable religious content". Thank GOD Steam exists!”

The Binding of Isaac is not the next game from Team Meat, McMillen’s other outfit that produced 2010’s Super Meat Boy. Team Meat is working on another project, and McMillen made The Binding of Isaac as a post-release breather. The game’s best described as, well, a Zelda-inspired roguelike.

You should really play it.


Posted by IGN Feb 29 2012 09:41 GMT
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Nintendo has refused to release The Binding of Isaac on the 3DS eShop...

Posted by Kotaku Feb 08 2012 18:00 GMT
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#patriciahernandez The things that make us reconsider who we are and what we believe in are often bizarre, random, coincidental; sometimes completely unremarkable save for the sudden realization that concusses you. Lately, things I've been reading and playing have coalesced into a divine cognizance for me. I've been reconsidering my faith. More »

Posted by Joystiq Jan 28 2012 01:30 GMT
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The Binding of Isaac: Unholy Edition is a DRM-free PC and Mac version that includes a free Steam gift key, the full soundtrack, a poster and a 40-page art book. Developed by Edmund McMillen of Super Meat Boy's Team Meat, The Binding of Isaac premiered on Steam in September along with an adorable plush from the Team Meat Shop on Etsy.

If you don't yet know why that darling doll is crying, go ahead and pick up The Binding of Isaac on Steam for $5, or wait for the Unholy Edition to launch in the UK at an unknown price. Or you can just listen to this song, whose recurring line is "To the basement, people, to the basement / Many surprises await you / In the basement, people, in the basement / You hid there last time, you know we're gonna find you."

Update: Merge Games, the publisher behind Isaac's Unholy Edition, is based in the UK. While it doesn't list the retail version specifically as UK-only, we assume that is, in fact, the case. All you North Americans can just crawl back into your basements now, thanks. We've reached out to Merge Games for clarification.

Posted by Joystiq Jan 28 2012 07:00 GMT
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Edmund McMillen's The Binding of Isaac, a dark, "Roguelike" exploration of childhood trauma, is close to selling 450,000 copies.

"It's just ridiculous, there's no reason for this game to have done well. It's nice for everyone involved," McMillen said in an interview with IndieGames.

"When I started development on Isaac, I wasn't even sure if I should charge for it, because I didn't think people would want it, in all honestly. I had to shop it around to a bunch of different developers, and say like 'Do you think I could sell this?', because I thought it was way too weird, I thought the content was too disturbing and creepy. I thought it would just rub too many people the wrong way and I thought the design was just too hardcore for any kind of mass amount of people to enjoy."

Due to the success of Isaac, McMillen and crew are currently working on The Wrath of the Lamb expansion, which will be $3 and launch "when it's done."

Posted by Joystiq Jan 28 2012 01:30 GMT
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The Binding of Isaac: Unholy Edition is a DRM-free PC and Mac version that includes a free Steam gift key, the full soundtrack, a poster and a 40-page art book. Developed by Edmund McMillen of Super Meat Boy's Team Meat, The Binding of Isaac premiered on Steam in September along with an adorable plush from the Team Meat Shop on Etsy.

If you don't yet know why that darling doll is crying, go ahead and pick up The Binding of Isaac on Steam for $5, or wait for the Unholy Edition to launch at an unknown price. Or you can just listen to this song, whose recurring line is "To the basement, people, to the basement / Many surprises await you / In the basement, people, in the basement / You hid there last time, you know we're gonna find you."

Posted by Joystiq Jan 19 2012 21:30 GMT
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Filed under: PC, Retro, Adventure, RPGs, CasualThis is a weekly column focusing on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Once upon a time, the "Roguelike" genre was a semi-hidden secrets of gaming. Games like Rogue and NetHack were passed around from floppy to floppy, not sold in stores, not discussed in magazines, and certainly not treated as part of the same tradition as an Ultima or even a Gold Box game. Maybe it's because the genre name is just so stupid. We don't call first-person shooters "Doomlikes" or puzzle games "Tetrislikes."

Unfortunately, I don't have a better term for it. Perhaps over the course of describing them in a column we can think of something. Here are the consistent attributes of the genres: it involves a series of randomly generated levels, starting hard and getting progressively more difficult. They're usually stripped-down role-playing games, where you roll a quick character, pick a class, buy a couple items, and then get killed permanently by a slime and have do it again. They're also designed for short play sessions.

Posted by IGN Jan 06 2012 19:20 GMT
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Edmund McMillen has announced a new expansion for The Binding of Isaac. According to his Twitter account, the expansion will be called The Wrath of the Lamb...

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Jan 06 2012 13:17 GMT
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I still haven’t done everything there is to do in The Binding of Isaac and it’s one of the few games that I’ll happily revisit for achievements and items. I want every item and I want to kill every boss with every character. That’s why the news of an expansion fills me with pleasure and anxiety, although not in equal measure. The anxiety is tiny and might just be the standard white noise of dread that hums in my ears whenever I’m awake. The pleasure is immense. I always hoped Isaac would continue to sprout growths and the free Halloween update was ace. The next will require a small payment – it’s going by the name The Wrath of the Lamb and according to Edmund, it adds about 50% new content. More details below.

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