Tozai News Feed

Sync-Ball Arrives!

03.12.10

03.12.10
UPDATE! We're happy to announce that Sync-Ball has officially landed here on Earth, and anyone with an iPhone or iPod Touch can download Tozai Games' latest miniature marvel for just 99 cents at the iTunes store or the App Store. Which brings up the question, where else can you get hours of entertainment and mental stimulation for less than a buck? Frankly, we're stumped. This just might be the best darned value on the planet. After you grab the game and swipe your way through a few levels, be sure to write an out-of-this-world review--we suggest five stars, but we'll leave that up to you.

What's Up With Sync-Ball?

03.10.10

03.10.10
Tozai Games' next title--Sync-Ball for iPhone/iPod Touch--is coming soon...but to everyone's surprise the game arrived a bit early today when Apple made the game available briefly several weeks prior to its scheduled release date. Oops! Guess the Cupertino crew is more focused on the launch of iPad than our first iPhone offering. Go figure! But the good news is that Sync-Ball will reappear soon. FYI, this puzzle game is the brain-child of Tozai's Brett Ballow, the designer who created all those fiendish puzzle levels in Lode Runner for XBLA. Sync-Ball isn't as frantic as Lode Runner, but it's a great fit for mobile platforms. Players move from two to four balls in synchrony with a swipe of a finger and try to drop them into the goals simultaneously. Using blocking walls and a lot of strategy, players work their way through more than 70 cunning puzzles. Amazingly, during the few hours that Sync-Ball was available, several reviewers found it, downloaded it and, apparently they liked it! More later.

IGNN Reports Lode Runner Nation

02.26.10

02.26.10
The Imaginary Game News Network reports that the Obama administration is looking into creative economic solutions to the current recession based on mining in-game resources from Lode Runner and several other treasure-rich videogames. Although the President notes several technical hurdles, he seems committed to the proposal. Tozai Games stands ready to support this national economic lifeline in whatever way possible--as long as it doesn't cost us anything.

Download Uematsu's Soundtrack for Kurulin Fusion

02.15.10

02.15.10
The Kurulin Fusion soundtrack, in which celebrated games composer Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy series, many more) updates classic J.S. Bach tracks for the 21st century, is available for download. The seven high-quality MP3 tracks totaling 40+ minutes include Uematsu's vigorous renditions of Bach's Goldberg Variations, Fugue in G Minor and other masterpieces. More info

Kurulin Fusion Now Available in Europe

02.14.10

02.14.10
Puzzle-action hit Kurulin Fusion for the PSP is now available for download in Europe and all other Sony Computer Entertainment Europe territories for the equivalent price of US $4.99 - less than the price of a first-run movie ticket. Kurulin Fusion is available on the SCEE PlayStation Network. The game has been available in North America since December at the US PlayStation Network.

And They Gamed Happily Ever After

02.13.10

02.13.10
Eluding Yeti and digging up gold? Sounds to us gamers like a perfectly romantic way to pass Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year. Listen up: Two of Lode Runner's three multiplayer modes - Journey and Puzzle - can help a couple build communication and trust. The third mode, Last Man, will help lovebirds brush up on another key relationship skill: resisting the urge to rub it in. The revive feature in co-op Journey - one player can touch an orb containing their fallen partner - is terrific if one of you is all thumbs, gaming-wise. The tougher two-player puzzles require lots of communication and co-operation. Plus, you can only reach certain high-up places by riding on your partner's head. Please, don't try this at home. Just like any good relationship, both Journey and Puzzle require lots of communication. The super-quick Last Man rounds don't require much communication besides, "Hah! Beat you again!" Try not to do this too much or you'll be the one washing dishes until next Valentine's Day. When all is done, you and your sweetheart can build your relationship by building and playing your own levels together. Hey, maybe if Romeo and Juliet had Lode Runner XBLA back in old Verona, things wouldn't have turned out so badly for them. Lode Runner XBLA is a terrific last-minute gift idea, too. Download at the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Bach 'n' Roll with Kurulin Fusion

12.10.09

12.10.09
Feast your eyes, ears and that game-playing part of your brain on hypnotic new puzzler Kurulin Fusion for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system from MTO USA in association with Tozai Games. Match colors of Fusion Blocks and Energy Orbs to eliminate each other in dazzling bursts of energy. Pit your strategic smarts to the challenge of building massive but separate chains of Fusion Blocks and Energy Orbs, then link all to create a massive explosion and even more monstrous score. For the unique techno-baroque soundtrack, renowned Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu brilliantly reimagines selected compositions of J.S. Bach. This PSP exclusive boasts four compelling modes: Arcade's 100 levels of increasingly daunting action; a looming deadline in Score Attack; 30 stages of dazzling challenges in Mission; and Multiplayer vs. combat for two players. A brilliant mix of game play, color and a centuries-spanning collaboration between two musical giants, Kurulin Fusion will dazzle and amaze you for hours on end. Kurulin Fusion is available for immediate download from the PlayStation Store for $4.99. Visit www.kurulinfusion.com for more information.

XBLArcade and Tozai Games Sponsor Quiz Contest

10.24.09

10.24.09
Our friends at XBLArcade are hosting a quiz contest for site members featuring a grand prize of either Lode Runner or R-Type Dimensions for Xbox LIVE Arcade. The XBLArcade crew has come up with a fun quiz format that asks trivia questions about Tozai Games and its products. All the answers can be uncovered by searching the Tozai Games web-site. You'll find all the rules and regs on XBLArcade. The contest is taking place until Halloween, so don't miss your chance to win. And when you visit XBLArcade, be sure to check out all the great content. Good luck!

Tozai Games Supports 360 Junkies' Contest

10.08.09

10.08.09
360 Junkies is holding a monthly contest to reward its top comment writer and Tozai Games is teaming up to help motivate visitors and generate lots of chatter. The top prize for October's contest will be one game code each for Lode Runner and R-Type Dimensions for Xbox LIVE Arcade in addition to 4000 Microsoft Points from 360 Junkies. That's a pretty sweet haul, but the crew at 360 Junkies really wants to hear what you've got to say. You can keep track of your standings among commenters by checking out the Top 10 Commenter list at 360 Junkies. You can link to 360 Junkies right here to see all the details.

Fans Game with the Lode Runner Crew

09.25.09

09.25.09
Friday, September 18th was the time, and the whole world connected by Xbox LIVE Arcade was the place: the occasion was the second official Game With Dev event for Lode Runner hosted by Tozai Games and Microsoft. Tozai Games' co-founder Scott Tsumura provided his house as the location for the "Dev" guys to play, and he even made fresh sushi for the gamers and grilled some steaks to give them added energy. They needed it to compete with some awesome players who showed up online. Brett Ballow, the game's designer, was joined by Tozai Games' associates Hideki Saito, Gilbert Ballow and Jun Tsujimoto, while Microsoft Xboxers Chad Dylan Long and Scott Fintel also sat in on Last Man and co-op level action. "Everyone who hung around my Last Man party for more than fifteen minutes was able to get their Metal of Honor achievement," said Brett, "and I was able to finish at least the first stage of co-op Journey with several new players...enough to earn the Double Up achievement." All Xbox LIVE members were welcomed, and one gamer who was just listening in thought that it sounded like so much fun that he bought the game then joined in the action. "He did alright as a novice," Brett noted, "that is once he figured out he could blast in both directions." Tozai Games would like to thank everyone who came to game. And whether you made it or missed it, we're working on more events, so stay tuned.

Lode Runner Game With Dev Event

09.17.09

09.17.09
Tozai Games and Microsoft are sponsoring a Lode Runner Game With Dev event for Friday, September 18th beginning at 8:00 P.M. ET/5:00 P.M. PT. As always, we suggest checking in about 30 minutes ahead of the event, and be sure to send your friend request ahead of time to the participants listed by gamertags here. Devs gamertags are: Yeti Shredder, Gold Grabber, Running a Monk, Long Lode Ahead, Goldenthumb LR, More Ore, Gold 4 Glory and Cash 4 Monkers. The last big Lode Runner Game with Dev event went on for hours, so be prepared to play Last Man, co-op Journey and co-op Puzzle until the cows come home. Needless to say, but we will anyway, you must have Lode Runner for Xbox LIVE Arcade and you must also have a Gold Membership. If you don't have it, there's no better time to get it since Deal of the Week lasts from 9/14 to 9/20 and Lode Runner is discouned 33% to just 800 Microsoft Points.

Lode Runner Million-Point Leaders

09.17.09

09.17.09
It's not surprising to find Lode Runner for Xbox LIVE designer Brett Ballow ranked high on the leader board (gamer tag SeqMovPuz) but even Brett was blown away with the 1P Journey scores posted by Manolz 2012 (1,101,503) and HEDDA LANTZ (1,004,546), both topping a million points! Kudos also go to OBLIVIMAN at a very respectable 954,538 points. For Co-op Journey, the pair of Kameh64 and TrickyDeluxe posted a whopping 891,098 for their tandem effort. Talk about coordination. The 1P Puzzle board is headed by FSY49 who clocked a super-low 18:17.95 time to complete all 50 puzzles, and the team of STILLBORN KILL (gotta work on those happy gamer tags, folks) and PHISTAGON romped through 2P co-op Puzzle's 26 mind-benders in 12:08.86. Hang On master Cletus Spunkler amassed an incredible 4982 gold in nearly 4 hours of play--we're talking thousands of spawning enemies. Honestly, we can't even sit still that long for a cross-country flight. And finally, when it comes to schooling the competition, Kreusader tops the chart with a TrueSkill rank of 30. Congrats to all the leaders! (Note: We last checked these scores on September 16th, 2009, and new scores can post any time a Lode Runner player does something amazing.)

PAX TOZAI

09.03.09

09.03.09
Tozai Games is thrilled to be part of the biggest consumer gaming convention in America--The Penny Arcade Expo 2009, aka PAX, which is held in Seattle over the Labor Day weekend. If you make it to PAX, look for us at booth #3002 in the North Hall of the Washington State Convention Center. We're all set to play with game kiosks featuring Lode Runner and R-Type Dimensions for Xbox LIVE Arcade and a special sneak peek trailer of Spelunker for PSN. In addition to showcasing the games, Tozai is handing out retro-themed Lode Runner T-shirts and giving PAX attendees a chance to win a free Xbox LIVE Arcade game code for Lode Runner or R-Type Dimensions. We hope to see you there!

Console Arcade Contest

09.01.09

09.01.09
Our friends at Console Arcade are running a Lode Runner giveaway through September 5th. Two winners will be chosen from e-mail entries received at contest headquarters at Console Arcade. After entering the contest, be sure to click through to CA's review of the game to see what may be yours with a little luck.

R-Type Dimensions Links Added

08.01.09

08.01.09
It's been a long time coming, but we finally updated the R-Type Dimension page and included tons of links to reviews, previews and interviews about what we humbly consider to be the best space shooter on Xbox LIVE Arcade. But don't take our word for it; read what the pros have to say. Just click on the R-Type tab and go to Media.

Xbox 360 Achievements Lode Runner Contest

08.01.09

08.01.09
If you're looking for the sweetest deal on Lode Runner for Xbox LIVE Arcade over the next few days, head to Xbox_360_Achievements and enter the contest where you see the Lode Runner banner. Of course, if you can't wait to play Lode Runner, you could head straight to our store and be up and playing before you can say Evil Dancing Monks Rule.

Tozai Games Hosts Video Game Music Superstars Nobuo Uematsu and Jeremy Soule

07.27.09

07.27.09
Scott Tsumura, Tozai Games' Chief Advisor, recently hosted a dinner for two of the most celebrated musical composers in the video game world. Nobuo Uematsu, perhaps the most beloved video game composer in the business, was in town to attend performances by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and conductor Arnie Roth as part of Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy, which is a series of concerts composed of selections from the Final Fantasy franchise. Also in town was Jeremy Soule, the award-winning composer of sound tracks for the Guild Wars and The Elder Scrolls franchises, several Star Wars and Harry Potter games plus movies and television. Jeremy's brother Julian Soule, Hiroki Ogawa (a director of Uematsu-san's Dog Ear Records Co. Ltd.), Chris Szuberla (who oversees all production aspects of the Distant Worlds concerts) and much of the Tozai team gathered at Scott's home in Bellevue for a night of dining, music and lively discussions. Over the course of the following three evenings, Uematsu-san's lyrical flights of fantasy filled Seattle's Benaroya Hall. The Distant Worlds series is traveling to additional cities, so we highly recommend attending if you get the chance. Who said the video game biz doesn't have its perks?

CELEBRATE PAX 2009 WITH TOZAI GAMES, LODE RUNNER, R-TYPE DIMENSIONS AND MORE!

07.27.09

07.27.09
The Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX 2009--the biggest consumer gaming event of the year--is headed to Seattle this Labor Day weekend, and Tozai Games is going to be in the thick of it with playable Lode Runner and R-Type Dimension games. We'll send out more details as we get closer to the show, like what to expect from our incredible, to-die-for giveaways, or how you can make Hideki a friend for life if you show him the right gadget. Yeah, we know it's going to be hard to wait. So if you're going to be near the Emerald City the first weekend in September, come and see us. Start planning now.

RUN TOGETHER

05.22.09

05.22.09
Team Tozai has been reading posts and listening to comments from lots of Lode Runner players who are having difficulty finding other Runners with whom they can share levels or play live matches. We want everyone to have a great online experience with the multiplayer modes in Lode Runner for Xbox LIVE Arcade, so we have a couple of ideas (listed below) that can help community members find each other. If you have additional ideas to help the community connect, we'd love to hear from you. 1) Establish the 15 minute rule--When looking to find a match or share lobby, or to set up your own match or share lobby, do so only at the top of the hour or at fifteen minute intervals. Also, be sure to set your clock using an established time-keeping reference, such as www.time.gov/. Reducing the randomness of matching can go a long way toward getting Runners connected. 2) Follow @LodeRunnerXBLA on Twitter--We've set up a new Twitter account just for the Lode Runner Community to make it easier to connect and get playing. If you don't have a Twitter account yet, it's easy to set up and it's free. We are asking everyone to begin their Lode Runner Community-related tweets with a hashtag--#LRcom--so that everyone in the community can quickly see these tweets in their "in" box or use the Twitter search function to find all #LRcom-tagged tweets. Since Twitter posts the most recent tweets at the top of your "in" box or search results, you'll always see the most recent requests. Be sure to follow @LodeRunnerXBLA, as well, and we'll try to follow everyone in the community; doing so will enable Tozai Games to communicate directly with everyone in the community through tweets and direct messages. @LodeRunnerXBLA will also send out tweets to notify followers if an official gamer event is scheduled or regarding other important community news. We hope to see everyone on Xbox LIVE!

ART FOR LODE RUNNER

05.22.09

05.22.09
A recent contest sponsored by Tozai Games and NooBTooB spawned some audacious advertising art with Lode Runner themes. The winners crafted their ads with imagination and showed off some serious Photoshop skills. Not surprisingly, many of the Noobie artists chose historical themes, following Lode Runner's evolution from its early personal computer roots to the most recent rebirth on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Brett and Sheila from Team Tozai had the difficult task of choosing the winners, which you can see right here by clicking on the thumbnail images below. Here's a big thank you to all the contestants who entered, and to our friends at NooBTooB--Yuzo, Tobin and Rich--for putting together the contest. You guys rock!

Gaming With NooBTooB

05.21.09

05.21.09
NooBTooB and Tozai Games are sponsoring the second Lode Runner gaming event this Saturday, May 23rd, beginning at noon PDT. NooBTooB, with hosts Tobin Coziahr and Yuzo Watanabe, presents one of the most entertaining gaming podcasts on the web, with weekly podcasts covering the gaming universe. You can join Tobin and Yuzo, as well as Tozai's Brett Ballow and Hideki Saito (not to mention a horde of rabid Noobtoobers) for hours of Lode Runner action via Xbox LIVE. Send your friend request to gamer tag "Noobtoob Events" and post your gamer tag to the Lode Runner contest thread on NooBTooB's website, then be sure to be online playing Lode Runner before the event begins to get your invite.

Runnin' With the Dev Guys Recap

05.05.09

05.05.09
Saturday, April 25th was the first chance for new Lode Runner players to connect over Xbox LIVE to challenge and co-operate with each other and a dozen members of the development team, including people from Tozai Games, SouthEnd Interactive, Microsoft and VMC Game Labs. The Dev Runners were located in Bellevue, WA, San Diego, CA, and Sweden-a world-class turnout. How popular was the event? It was scheduled to run for three hours, but there were so many new Runners lined up to play that the gaming went on for SEVEN hours! Brett Ballow, who designed all the levels in the game, offered five special customized levels for anyone who visited a share lobby set up for the event. The players gave the dev team all sorts of suggestions and lots of kudos. One comment that was frequently echoed was for more events like this. Everyone at Tozai Games wants that, too. We'll announce future Lode Runner Community events on all our contact sites: TozaiGames.com, Lode Runner.com, Facebook Lode Runner XBLA, and @TozaiGames on Twitter. So keep checking in for the latest updates. Be sure to check out the pics from the event posted on Facebook.

Lode Runner Launch

04.23.09

04.23.09
Published by Tozai Games for Xbox LIVE Arcade, the all-new Lode Runner launched on April 22nd! Tozai Games and partner SouthEnd Interactive developed Lode Runner over the course of two years. The development team recreated the feel of the beloved original Lode Runner-first released in 1983-and its classic action style, but from the Hi-Res 3D graphics to every block in every level the new Lode Runner is a completely fresh experience. Lode Runner for XBLA offers a variety of ways to play-there's something for every gaming taste: a challenging single-player adventure, co-operative teamwork, frantic multiplayer competitive matches, and puzzles for those who want to think through their moves before putting their plans into action. And you never have to sit on the sidelines during multiplayer modes; co-op partners who die can be revived by their partner, and Last Man competitors who die return to avenge their death as enemies! The breadth and depth of Lode Runner are pretty impressive. The original specs didn't call for a Level Editor or Lode Runner Community, but the idea to include both elements just seemed too good to pass up and they are both a part of the finished game. That's in addition to 272 levels of frenzied action in the game's six play modes: 1P Journey, Co-op Journey, 2-4P Last Man, 1P Hold On, and 1P and Co-op Puzzle modes. Creating and sharing custom-designed levels with the Lode Runner Community will extend the game play experience even further, and Tozai Games plans several Expansion Packs with new levels later this year. Xbox LIVE Gold and Silver Members can give Lode Runner a trial run through selected levels or purchase the game directly through Xbox LIVE Marketplace or on Xbox.com.

Tozai Games Gets A New Home

04.23.09

04.23.09
If you're reading this, you've found the new homepage of Tozai Games and connections to the new Lode Runner and R-Type Dimensions sites, as well. We hope this site will become your resource for all things related to Tozai Games. We've included RSS feeds for everyone who wants to receive the latest news posts, sections on historical information for Lode Runner, exclusive dev art, game descriptions, video clips and media links. But what we're most excited about is building a place where fans can find a wealth of Lode Runner love. We're starting small, but we have big ambitions. Some of the elements aren't in place just yet, like a series of Level Editor Workshops with Lode Runner's designer Brett Ballow, but the Workshops and other materials should be available soon, and in the meantime there's a brilliant new Lode Runner game to explore.

Stay Connected With Tozai Games

04.23.09

04.23.09
Tozai Games is now on Facebook at Lode Runner XBLA and @TozaiGames on Twitter, where you can stay informed of the latest posts, news and events. Our tweets will notify you when and where to get more info, and we hope everyone will share their Lode Runner-related experiences on our Facebook page. Tozai Games wants to stay connected with you, so be sure to visit. Become our friend on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

Runnin' With the Dev Guys

04.23.09

04.23.09
Lode Runner players can challenge the development team from Tozai Games and SouthEnd Interactive on Saturday, April 25th beginning at noon Pacific Daylight Savings time (3pm EDT). You have to buy the game first, of course, but then you take on Dev Runners 1-12 in multiplayer Last Man mode or team up with them in Co-op Journey or Co-op Puzzle modes. The fun takes place on Xbox LIVE and participants are encouraged to check in at least 30 minutes before the gaming begins. With a headset you'll be able to chat with the Dev Runners, ask questions about the game, and maybe school them with your Lode Runner skills...at least you're welcome to try. Brett Ballow, the game's designer, promises to share some custom-made levels with everyone at the event!