Portal 2

Portal 2 is now available to pre-order from Steam with 10% off the full price. The pre-purchase comes with a free copy of Portal that can be gifted to a friend if you already own it. Valve have also updated the product description to explain that while Portal 2 will be much larger, it won't be any harder than the original.

Many of us who watched the first few Portal 2 trailers experienced a combination of awe and horror. Awe at the dazzling scale of the new chambers, horror at the mind-breaking complexity and speed of the on-screen acrobatics needed to complete the puzzles. As part of our huge Portal 2 interview last year, we mentioned these worries to Valve developer Erik Wolpaw, he mentioned that Valve recorded the trailers with speed-runners to make the game look more spectacular.

"It’s hard to get someone pumped up by someone slowly and deliberately solving a puzzle. There’s a panic that sets in that we’re going to have to show this in an auditorium full of people, and they’re not going to want to watch somebody solve a puzzle," adding that "rest assured, absolutely, the number one goal is to have a gradual training arc, and also to ensure that things aren’t too execution heavy. The person we had doing it was doing it in the flashiest way humanly possible."

We'll know for sure how hard Portal 2 is when it's released in April. The game's available to pre-order now on Steam. There's also a double pack available to pre-order for those who are planning to play co-op. Valve recently announced that the co-op mode for Portal 2 will be cross-platform compatible, so we'll be able to play with our PS3 and Mac buddies. For more on Portal 2, check out the official Portal 2 site.
Portal
Last Friday, we guaranteed you a Valentine with our Aperture-brand "Classy Romance" cards. We solved that problem for you--but now you've got an even bigger one. It's Valentine's Day, and you owe your newly-special someone a truly special gift.

Don't worry, we've got you covered. We don't want to give it away, so we'll just say that you'd better hand-sanitize your lips, because they're in for a lot of smooching, and FACT: mouths are filthy.

Watch the video!



Portal 2

A new Portal 2 trailer has arrived, providing a healthy dose of Valentine's day advice outlining the hidden dangers that can lurk in traditional gifts like flowers and giant industrial diamonds. The trailer also reveals that Portal is available to pre-order now from retailers, though not through Steam.

The game can now be pre-ordered from Game, Gamestop and Amazon ahead of its release in April. Oddly, it can't yet be pre-ordered through Steam. Hopefully that'll change soon. You'll find the brilliant new trailer embedded below.

It was recently revealed that Portal 2 will support co-op and player-made levels across multiple platforms. For more Portal 2 news, have a read of our hands on preview with the game's co-op mode. On a side note, happy Valentines Day! What gifts have you been giving?



AudioSurf - Dylan
David TMX has been topping the charts over at the creative commons music website Jamendo this week so I figured we'd give him a try on Radio.

There are two flavors here--"La Peur du Flic" is sort of ska-ish with a touch of screaming, and then "Source Vive" is full-on French screamcore (just what I picture wanting to hear as I stroll down the Champs Elysee).

And lastly I threw on his song "Bridget the Midget" because seriously--how could I not?

Lebeth
AudioSurf - Dylan
David TMX has been topping the charts over at the creative commons music website Jamendo this week so I figured we'd give him a try on Radio.

There are two flavors here--"La Peur du Flic" is sort of ska-ish with a touch of screaming, and then "Source Vive" is full-on French screamcore (just what I picture wanting to hear as I stroll down the Champs Elysee).

And lastly I threw on his song "Bridget the Midget" because seriously--how could I not?

Lebeth
Portal

In just seventy-two short hours it'll be Valentine's Day, and that means pressure: finding a girlfriend or boyfriend, for one, then figuring out the perfect romantic gift to give them.

We're going to help you with the "perfect romantic gift" part Monday, but first things first: let's bag you a Valentine!

Download your DIY Valentines cards, here.

Super Meat Boy


Three tracks from hit indie platformer Super Meat Boy's soundtrack are heading to Rock Band Network, composer Danny Baranowsky has confirmed.


As reported by Joystiq, extended versions The Battle of Lil' Slugger and Can o' Salt, and a retro remix of Betus Blues.


Befitting the relentlessly unforgiving game from which they've sprung, it looks like the tracks will offer a similarly sturdy challenge to seasoned Rock Banders.


"I wanted to have some stuff in there for the people who delight in 100-percenting expert Dragonforce," threatened Baranowsky – who also wrote the music for iPhone indie hit Canabalt.


No release date has been confirmed for the tracks yet but Baranowsky promised they'll be available "soon".

In other Meat Boy news, a new level pack is due for the Xbox 360 version of the game soon, while a PC level editor hits any day now.

Feb 4, 2011
AudioSurf - Dylan
Holy mother of all things holy, I've never heard music as happy as the music we're featuring on Radio this week from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/issey.fp">Issey</a>. "Manic" would be a better word to describe these tunes, and you can tell that from the traffic congestion: "Happy" starts out with a congestion of 385. That's just the warmup though because "Candy Pop" weighs in with a hefty 445.

And then I thought you might need to chill out so I included a 7 minute long sitar piece from <a href="http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Migel_Konstantin">Miguel Konstantin</a>. It's actually got a lot more flow and momentum than you might think.

Lebeth
Feb 4, 2011
AudioSurf - Dylan
Holy mother of all things holy, I've never heard music as happy as the music we're featuring on Radio this week from Issey. "Manic" would be a better word to describe these tunes, and you can tell that from the traffic congestion: "Happy" starts out with a congestion of 385. That's just the warmup though because "Candy Pop" weighs in with a hefty 445.

And then I thought you might need to chill out so I included a 7 minute long sitar piece from Miguel Konstantin. It's actually got a lot more flow and momentum than you might think.

Lebeth
BIT.TRIP BEAT

It's been a long, strange trip for Commander Video of Gaijin Games' Bit.Trip series, but he's finally coming home. Check out the official trailer for Bit.Trip Flux, the sixth and final stop on the Bit.Trip train.


It's hard to believe it's been so long since Bit.Trip Beat's debut on WiiWare back in March of 2009, and it's even harder to believe it's almost over. The paddle returns and the chiptune music flows like digitized wine in the sixth installment of the series, coming soon to a Nintendo WiiWare service near you.


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