Mutant Mudds Demo, Bomb Monkey, and more!

3DS or iPhone?

For the purpose of this article:

Serious Gamer = A person who considers gaming their main source of entertainment.

Casual Gamer = A person who considers gaming just one of many sources of entertainment.

Something that I find interesting is people worrying about devices such as iPhones and iPads taking potential customers away from the 3DS or Vita. Who’s to say they were potential customers? Because someone purchases an iPad, does this mean it is a foregone conclusion that they would have bought a dedicated handheld gaming device such as a 3DS or Vita if the iPad did not exist? I don’t think so.

Back in the days of the NES, Master System, SNES, and Genesis/Mega Drive, the majority of the gaming audience were "serious gamers". The minority of the audience were "casual gamers". I think it goes without challenge to say that period of gaming was successful in terms of money being made by most console manufacturers and publishers. Business was booming.

Fast forward to today. There are millions of new players who are considered the gaming audience. The serious gamer is now the minority, and the casual gamer is now the majority. There are more serious gamers than ever before, but there are now out-numbered by casual gamers. Much more money is being made due to the larger audience. But, business is kind of a mess. It certainly is not booming; at least, not for everyone.

Console manufacturers and video-game publishers who can capture the imagination of the casual gamers win. Just look at the success of games like Nintendogs, Farmville, and the recent Call of Duty titles. I know, some of you are thinking I’m insane for lumping Call of Duty into the same category as Nintendogs and Farmville, but please hear me out.

I believe (and you’re welcome to disagree) that the majority of today’s Call of Duty players are dedicated casual gamers. Yeah, I know that sounds counter-intuitive. What I mean by this is that the dedicated casual players of Call of Duty devote their time to one game series. Sure, they might dabble in other titles while they’re gracing us with their presence in the gaming scene, but their main source of gaming entertainment is Call of Duty. They might in fact spend countless hours playing just Call of Duty, pushing other previous sources of entertainment to the side. But, when the day comes that they no longer wish to play Call of Duty, their interest in video-games is put back on an equal footing with the many other sources of entertainment. Whereas a serious gamer would naturally move onto the next game.

You might be saying to yourself, “What does this have to do with ‘3DS or iPhone?’?” That’s a great question. The reason I make the conclusion above is to draw light to the fact that the casual gamer is fickle when it comes to games. There’s nothing wrong with this, unless you bet your business on it.

The serious gaming audience is larger than ever before, but it just isn’t enough for today’s greedy businessmen. They see the larger casual gaming audience alongside the serious gaming audience and they want it all! Good luck with that. I say, target the serious gaming audience. You can count on them. They love games. Games are their main source of entertainment. You know what the irony is? Serious gamers want ‘real’ games. They don’t just want watered-down interactive movies that cost tens of millions to produce where ‘story’ is the focus. Sure, the occassional one is great, but they also want challenge. They want gameplay!

So, yeah it’s easy to say that iPhones and the like are taking customers away from the 3DS and other gaming platforms, but at the end of that day, were these customers really ever interested in gaming beyond a casual flutter? Probably not. Let the touch-control app world that is dominated by inexpensive crumb-flicking simulators have their five minutes of fun and let us get back to serious gaming business.

Nintendo eShop Software Charts (02-04-12)

Mutant Mudds has now moved into the #2 spot in the "Recent Releases" software charts, pushing Pushmo to #3. New entry, Sakura Samurai, explodes onto the charts at #4. I'm sure we'll be seeing Sakura make its way to #2 or #1 very soon.

1. Kirby's Dream Land.
2. Mutant Mudds.
3. Pushmo.
4. Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword.
5. 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure.
6. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX.
8. Dr. Mario Express.
9. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
10. Art Academy: Frist Semester.
11. Photo Dojo.
12. Zen Pinball 3D.
13. Plants vs. Zombies.
14. Mighty Switch Force.
15. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis Match Again.
16. Bloons TD.
17. VVVVVV.
18. Mario Clock.
19. Metroid II - Return of Samus.
20. Super Mario Land.

Nintendo eShop Software Charts (02-02-12)

One week after the launch of Mutant Mudds, the game sits at #3 in the "Recent Releases" software charts.

1. Kirby's Dream Land.
2. Pushmo.
3. Mutant Mudds.
4. 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure.
5. Dr. Mario Express.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX.
7. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
8. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
9. Zen Pinball 3D.
10. Photo Dojo.
11. Plants vs. Zombies.
12. Mighty Switch Force.
13. VVVVVV.
14. Metroid II - Return of Samus.
15. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis Match Again.
16. Mario Clock.
17. Bloons TD.
18. Super Mario Land.
19. Inchworm Animation.
20. Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From The Abyss.

Mutant Mudds - Quick Look - Giant Bomb

Mutant Mudds - Critically Acclaimed!

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Mutant Mudds Reviews

Below are some reviews for Mutant Mudds:

9/10 - Nintendo Everything.
"One of the most impressively designed 2D platformers we’ve seen in the last ten years."

5/5 - Fanbolt.
"Hit's the spot in every single aspect."

9/10 - Nintendo Life.
"No platformer fan should miss."

9/10 - Nintendo World Report.
"Awesome and addictive."

8.5/10 - IGN.
"All 3DS owners shouldn’t think twice about adding this download to their collection."

10/10 - Pure Nintendo.
"There are a lot of great eShop games out there but none of them can be said are better than Mutant Mudds."

9/10 - Gamer Limit.
"An immediate purchase for fans of platformers."

4.5/5 - Modojo.
"One of the best games we've had the privilege of playing on Nintendo's handheld."

B+ (83/100) - Nintendojo.
"It’s refreshing to see a game that contains as much joy at the end as the beginning."

4.5/5 - Nintendo Gal.
"An addictively fun platforming title, with plenty of difficulty and enough content to ensure you’ll get your money’s worth."

9/10 - Destructoid.
"Pure platforming goodness."

9/10 - Nintendo Daily.
"Do yourself a favor and buy Mutant Mudds."

5/5 - Nintendo Fuse.
"Mutant Mudds is the best game on the eShop."

10/10 - Games Abyss.
"Perfect."

B+ (83/100) - The A.V. Club.
"Excellent precision-platformer challenges."

9/10 - GameZone.
"Superb platformer that every 3DS owner needs to experience."

B+ (83/100) - 1UP.
"A truly solid game."

I couldn't be happier with this kind of reception to the game. I'm excited that so many folks are enjoying it. Viva Nintendo eShop!

3DS 'Most Popular' Video Charts - 01-20-12

* Update 01-22-12: Mutant Mudds Trailer #2 moves up to the #6 spot!

There are now two Mutant Mudds trailers available for viewing on the eShop, and both are in the top 20 video charts this week!

The new Mutant Mudds Video #2 jumped straight into the #8 slot, while Mutant Mudds Video dropped down to #11.

Let's hope this is a good sign that folks are interested in buying the game when it is released next week!

1. [N] Club Nintendo Video.
2. [2] What Is Nintendo Video?
3. [N] Zen Pinball 3D Video.
4. [1] Nintendo Show 3D: December 29, 2011.
5. [5] 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure Video.
6. [3] Super Mario 3D Land Super Play Video.
7. [N] Super Mario 3D Land Super Play Video #2.
8. [N] Mutant Mudds Video #2.
9. [13] Sonic Generations Video.
10. [6] Pokedex 3D Video.
11. [4] Mutant Mudds Video.
12. [9] Pushmo Video.
13. [11] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX Video.
14. [?] Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Video.
15. [15] Pokemon Rumble Blast Video.
16. [?] The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Video.
17. [7] Mighty Switch Force Teaser Trailer.
18. [8] Mighty Switch Force Teaser Trailer #2.
19. [17] Zelda: Skyward Sword Opening Trailer.
20. [?] Mario vs. Donky Kong: Minis March Again! Video.

Mutant Mudds Release Date & Price!

Mutant Mudds Press Release

Mutant Mudds Invades Nintendo eShop

Austin, Texas – January 20, 2012 – Today, Renegade Kid announced that Mutant Mudds, the eagerly anticipated neo-retro platformer, will be available on January 26, 2012 for $8.99 USD through the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS™.

Our hero, Max, may be just a 2D sprite, but he can leap into the third dimension by jetting between the background and the foreground playfields with his trusty jetpack in this unique dimensionally-woven experience.

Armed with a heavy-duty water cannon, Max has what he needs to vanquish his long-term nemesis: the Mutant Mudds. Max must blast and hover his way across the soiled landscape to seek out mysterious Water Sprites. Legend says collecting all of the mysterious Water Sprites will wash the filthy Mutant Mudds away for good!

“The Nintendo eShop is an exciting opportunity that has enabled us to release our first self-published title, Mutant Mudds,” said Jools Watsham, Owner and Director at Renegade Kid. “The development of Mutant Mudds has been a labor of love for us. We couldn’t be more excited for everyone to finally experience our “12-bit” baby for themselves!”

About Renegade Kid
Founded in 2007 by Jools Watsham and Gregg Hargrove, Renegade Kid LLC is an independent development studio based in Austin, Texas. A developer of handheld video-games, Renegade Kid is known for its award-winning titles on the Nintendo DS™, including Dementium: The Ward, Moon, Dementium II, and ATV Wild Ride.

For more information on Mutant Mudds, visit www.mutantmudds.com.

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Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 and 2011 Nintendo.

To access the Nintendo eShop, you will need a wireless broadband Internet connection. If you do not have the Nintendo eShop icon on the Nintendo 3DS main menu, you will need to perform a system update. See support.nintendo.com for more information.

Mutant Mudds, Dementium: The Ward, Dementium II, and ATV Wild Ride are trademarks of Renegade Kid LLC. © 2012 Renegade Kid LLC. All Rights Reserved.