KickFlip update and upcoming games

I know you all expected to have KickFlip in your hands by now -- we did too! From the time development on a game is completed, our testers bang away at it for 1-2 weeks. Not only are they making sure that everything is spelled correctly and that the game works on loads of different browsers and operating systems, but they also make sure that the gameplay is as fun as it can possibly be.

In the case of KickFlip, we really think we have a hit game on our hands. So, we saw an opportunity to add some tricks/depth to the experience and it has caused us to delay launch for a couple of days. In the end, I know it will be a better product for all of you so I appreciate the patience. With a little bit of luck, the game will actually launch tomorrow (Friday) morning. As soon as it is up, I will post the link here.

Based on your emails, you guys are definitely enjoying the faster pace of Candystand game releases. We've already launched more games in 2007 than in 2005 & 2006 combined! The great news is that we aren't slowing down. Here's an overview of some of the cool stuff on the way. Of course, we'll be releasing screens, etc. here over the next month.

Jetboost: This is David Scott's (the Vector and Circle TD creator) latest game and it just proves that the best games are often the most simple. It's too hard to explain, but I am planning on releasing first-screens on Monday.

Baseball: Lame title, but this game is looking UNREAL. As far as I know, it is the first 9-on-9, full-scale Baseball game on the web. If you liked Baseball Stars or Bases Loaded for NES, you're going to love this.

RC Rally Reloaded: The title says it all. A sequel to RC Rally that takes the game to the next level. You earn cash to upgrade your RC car and advance through really rich levels.

27-Holes of Golf: The Candystand Links is being created and we're going with 3, 9-hole courses. A lot like the classic golf games we used to have, just updated.

A whole bunch of racing games: F1-style, NASCAR-style and even Waverunner racing, all from Silent Bay (the guys who created GP Team Racing).

Of course, there's even more than this on the way including Tournament Mode which will be going to the testers next week!

Final note, all of our friends in Canada should mark August 20 in their calendars... we've got something special coming for you that will be officially announced next week!

As always, email me with any questions, comments or ideas!

Fire & Ice is live!

Our latest, greatest game Fire & Ice is now live. Start blasting some Bon Jovi, pull up some Beverly Hills 90210 re-runs on your TiVo and click here to play the game the kind of game we all grew up on! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do.

Link: http://www.candystand.com/play.do?id=18110

As always (and I know you always do), please email me to tell me what you think!

KickFlip preview

As promised, here's a preview of KickFlip our new skateboarding game. This game is incredibly challenging and addictive. Our friends at Stimunation really outdid themselves this time and I am having a ton of fun "testing" it, that's for sure.

The gameplay is pretty straight-forward, pull as many tricks as possible to advance through levels. Something new for us, though, is that KickFlip features it's own soundtrack that you can control. You're going to love it!

Look for KickFlip next week, for now just check this video!

First Look at Fire & Ice

If you're anything like me, you grew up on classic 2D platform games like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog. As much as I love the current-gen games like Madden Football, Paper Mario, Guitar Hero and Rainbow 6 Vegas, those classic games have a very special place in my heart!

Given that, I'm very excited to present our next game (which will be out tomorrow): Fire & Ice

Fire & Ice is a classic side-scrolling adventure game that feels like it jumped right out of 1987 and onto our site. The game is simple, you have to squash your enemies, avoid falling off cliffs and defeat bosses to advance through a ton of stages. By finding special pick-ups, your character will switch from "Fire" to "Ice." It's up to you to switch at the right time to max your score.

What's the best part of this game? Well, you're old enough now that you don't have to save up your allowance for it and your mom won't be nearby telling you to get back to your homework (of course, your boss may have something to say about it...)

I've created a Flickr slideshow of some screens below, if you're having trouble viewing it you can click here.

Hydro Racer and Downhill Skiing launch

Two new games hit the Candystand today. First off, we welcome back Hydro Racer to the site (gone for about 2-years). And we give you a totally re-done Downhill Skiing.

Hydro Racer will remind you an awful lot of RC Rally. In fact, it is built on the very same engine -- the physics are different because the game is played on water! Give it a shot, it is a lot of fun.

Downhill Skiing while completely seasonally inappropriate (see: Snow Grind) is vastly improved. We've redone the control scheme and overhauled the graphics. I'm really pleased with how well it turned out.

As always, let me know what you think of these games and provide suggestions for improvements -- we love those!

Next week, we will be launching a brand new skateboarding game called Kick Flip that totally rocks. I'll have a full preview for you over the weekend.