NIDHOGG

[Bored of Canada]

After years and years of hearing about it. Nidhogg's finally getting released to the public on Steam. One of those games that only ever seemed to be played at trendy games events and such, like Johann Sebastian Joust, which I've since played at Pax Australia last year and it was hilarious fun.



Nidhogg's a very simple yet amazing sounding multiplayer game. Split Screen, and hopefully Online, although they haven't explained too many details yet.

Basically, it's a fencing game. You and your opponent play as a dude with a [nb]HAHA[/nb]rapier, and you have to get past your opponent to the other end, either by fighting them or dodging them. It's a tug of war, with one hit kills. You can lunge low or high, but they can parry them, but you can throw your sword, but if they block it, you don't have a sword until you can pick it back up again.

It may not sound that exciting, but watch this video of it in action and you will understand just how amazing it is. It is unbelievably intense and hilarious. I keep catching myself gasping at it. I'm already in the process of organising a night with some friends and some drinks to play this local-multiplayer.

I've heard when it's normally played live. They have like six monitors set up, so when you move to the next stage, both players have to run over to the next screen in real life and quickly hop on the controllers, but this seems insanely fun. Very similar to Dive-Kick in that it's incredibly simple to play, and condenses it all into mind-games and crazy tactics.

Also, cool soundtrack by Daedelus and those weird noise-filters just look really good. Has a weird but cool aesthetic.

Did you watch the video? This game looks brilliant. I'm rarely this excited for a game.

Also, you win by getting eaten by a giant sand worm, apparently.

[madhair60]

Oh my god this looks hilarious and awesome.

[Queneau]

Is this a real thing? It looks bloody brilliant. I'd play it and I never play games.

[Bored of Canada]

Is this a real thing? It looks bloody brilliant. I'd play it and I never play games.

Yep! It sure is! Coming out on PC on the 13th of January via Steam, which for the sake of simplicity, is like an iTunes service, where you can buy games online and download them straight to your 'pooter. By the looks of it, doesn't seem too graphically intense, unless of course your computer struggles with that first Prince of Persia game from 1989, so should run on anything. 





   

[Queneau]

Yep! It sure is! Coming out on PC on the 13th of January via Steam, which for the sake of simplicity, is like an iTunes service, where you can buy games online and download them straight to your 'pooter. By the looks of it, doesn't seem too graphically intense, unless of course your computer struggles with that first Prince of Persia game from 1989, so should run on anything. 

Judging by the videos and the official site (with the little joystick picture at the bottom), I also assume this doesn't require learning what left trigger button 6 does. That very much appeals to me too. As for Steam, yeah, I've kind of heard of that. Can't wait to have a go on this. Games could go on for ever, or until someone just fucks off home.

[Bored of Canada]

Judging by the videos and the official site (with the little joystick picture at the bottom), I also assume this doesn't require learning what left trigger button 6 does. That very much appeals to me too. As for Steam, yeah, I've kind of heard of that. Can't wait to have a go on this. Games could go on for ever, or until someone just fucks off home.

Yeah, exactly. It's dead simple. Anyone can hop in and be a master if they're clever enough. I've googled around and can't find any confirmation if they're going to allow it to be online play as well as on the same computer, but this article here from a while back seems to suggest that that had previously announced it, so hopefully!

So, I think if y'are interested and it doesn't have online play, you'll be playing with friends on the same keyboard unless you can pick yourself up some wired controllers or a joystick, then hook it up to the TV and have some hilarious games on the couch.

[waste of chops]

Or if you don't want to wait...

http://madgarden.net/2013/05/eggnogg/

[Bored of Canada]

This is out now. Been playing this morning. Has a single-player campaign and online, which is nice. The single-player is fun, but like most fighting game single-players, it's best used for practise. I don't think I'd recommend this if you weren't going to play with people. The online seems pretty functional. I've played with a couple people already and there's not been any huge lag or latency, bar the first 15 seconds when everyone's trying to figure out which player character they are. But after it warms up, it seems to run fine. Getting some friends over to play a bunch of this set up on the TV.

The music in this game is also really, really good. Just a really nice mix of slight intense drum and bass elements, with atmospheric trip-hop and slight retro electronic feel. It's really bloody good.

[mcbpete]

I've seen this since a real quick teaser god knows how long ago but I dunno, it doesn't look like it'd have much longevity to me. Messhof games have a great aesthetic of the lo-fi DOS era of gaming, and the mechanics are usually top notch (the fluid controls of flywrench are just sublime) - but they're usually over with as soon as you've got past the initial nice idea.

I'm probably not phrasing that very well.

[Bored of Canada]

I don't know. I've got a few friends now who've got it thanks to me and we've been playing online with each other with microphones. And I can easily see myself hopping into this regularly for a long time. The mechanics are so simple but just have so much depth to them. It's the rare thing that I've never really found before, but it's one of very few games that I actually find hugely fun to watch too. It is just so incredibly tense and exciting. I've never really gotten into fighting games before, but this is really just my kind of thing. Really glad I got it, personally. I think if you can get some mates with it who enjoy it, then you've got yourself a really good multiplayer game. I'd play against CaB people, but I think the chances of lag in that may be slightly more possible, and you really can't have any latency with it as it's all so fast and precise.

I'm really quite in love with this game. There's no feeling more satisfying than perfectly timing your sword to flick up into someone's lunge and disarm them, flicking their sword away like in the films.

[Cerys]

When I read 'nidhogg', I imagine this -



Is there a connection?

Edit - hmmm.

[Bored of Canada]

When I read 'nidhogg', I imagine this -



Is there a connection?

Edit - hmmm.

Yeah! Both people fight over the honour of being eaten and digested by the Nidhogg on the final screen. The winner, that is. If you win you run across a screen and it flies in and gobbles you up.

[Cerys]

Have you been at the brass polish?

[KLG-7DD]

I've worked with Messhof (indirectly) when I used to be part of PixelJam[nb]who had a Kickstarter for Dino Run 2 sadly fail recently[/nb], I had no idea this was his game until I read the thread. I'd seen lots and lots of Nidhogg hype, but had no idea this was his. Looks like he'll be seeing a lot of success from it.

Bastard.

It's really good to see somebody with such a voice of their own doing this well. He's the darling of the Let's Players at the moment.

Looks great, I'd definitely buy it if I knew anybody who I could regularly play against. Is this online multiplayer? Something this twitchy must be a nightmare to do online unless you just assume it can't be played with anything but the lowest latency between players.

[Bored of Canada]

I've worked with Messhof (indirectly) when I used to be part of PixelJam[nb]who had a Kickstarter for Dino Run 2 sadly fail recently[/nb], I had no idea this was his game until I read the thread. I'd seen lots and lots of Nidhogg hype, but had no idea this was his. Looks like he'll be seeing a lot of success from it.

Bastard.

It's really good to see somebody with such a voice of their own doing this well. He's the darling of the Let's Players at the moment.

Looks great, I'd definitely buy it if I knew anybody who I could regularly play against. Is this online multiplayer? Something this twitchy must be a nightmare to do online unless you just assume it can't be played with anything but the lowest latency between players.

Yeah, it does have online. And matchmaking. Plus a single player tournament mode against increasingly difficult AI like any other fighting game.

Honestly, I am surprised by how good the online has worked for me so far. I've only online so far. No local yet. Played quite a few games with strangers which has been really fun, and also played with some friends and there was really no latency issues overall. There was one or two random people I played with who were lagging before dropping out, but it felt like it was their internet connections or something.

I do have quite a fast internet connection though. But yeah, online seems to work really well. It's the kind of thing that's obviously better in person, but it's equally fun with a friend whilst talking with 'em over a microphone. Wait for it to go on sale then pick up the two pack and give it to a friend.

[Kishi the Bad Lampshade]

Just played this and I'm buying it, it's brill. Will play with you guys if you're willing to let a very averagely-skilled GIRL in?

Can' believe you ruined the Nidhogg ending though, I wasn't expecting it and burst out laughing when I first saw it.

[Benjaminos]

This is tops. Played an hour or so of local multiplayer with a mate last night - both of us went in blind, having only played the tutorial once each.

I was amazed at how quickly you formulate strategies and counter-strategies - I think our first match lasted just under ten minutes or so. We started off doing proper Princess Bride style fencing, cautiously approaching, flicking the rapier out of the others hand and stabbing them in the heart. The fakeout, duck and roll seemed to counter that, until we started doing shin-height face stabs as they approached, which led to just sprinting at each other and seeing who chickened out first.

I especially like it when one of you loses your sword and just legs it into the distance, Benny Hill-style.

[Bored of Canada]

Just played this and I'm buying it, it's brill. Will play with you guys if you're willing to let a very averagely-skilled GIRL in?

Can' believe you ruined the Nidhogg ending though, I wasn't expecting it and burst out laughing when I first saw it.

I won't be able to play it with any of you guys I don't think. I've got pretty good internet but across the world might be a bit too clunky and slow to keep up regardless. I'm happy to give it a go with any of you if I get the chance. Although my attempts to organise things with you people has never worked out. Yes. You people. People need to replace pub quiz machines with this, I reckon.

And it was at the end of the trailer! Something that hilarious is what sells it!

This is tops. Played an hour or so of local multiplayer with a mate last night - both of us went in blind, having only played the tutorial once each.

I was amazed at how quickly you formulate strategies and counter-strategies - I think our first match lasted just under ten minutes or so. We started off doing proper Princess Bride style fencing, cautiously approaching, flicking the rapier out of the others hand and stabbing them in the heart. The fakeout, duck and roll seemed to counter that, until we started doing shin-height face stabs as they approached, which led to just sprinting at each other and seeing who chickened out first.

I especially like it when one of you loses your sword and just legs it into the distance, Benny Hill-style.

My favourite is when you both throw your swords at the exact same time and they collide. Leaving you both scrabbling to pick them up again before the other can.

[Benjaminos]

My favourite is when you both throw your swords at the exact same time and they collide. Leaving you both scrabbling to pick them up again before the other can.

Have you done an unarmed cartwheel over a sword on the floor? You pick it up mid-flip and land on your feet ready to fight again. It's badass.

[Norton Canes]

Haven't indulged myself in the Nidhogg experience yet, but I was playing Eggnogg, the mini-clone that was linked to up-thread, and I was thinking how much it reminded me of the similarly simple, addictive games I used to play on the ZX Spectrum.

Then I thought, hold on... I don't think I ever did play games like Eggnogg on the Spectrum, because I don't think they ever made one. Which is absurd, because it's just the kind of thing that a sparky but limited home computer like the Spectrum was made for: two players sharing the same keyboard, quick and deadly games, basic graphics, immense replayability - something I would have spent hours on with my nerdy little gang of Spectrum-loving mates. Except whenever we got together to play games, we invariably ended up spending hours ploughing through the identical screens of some ditchwater-dull 'arcade adventure' like Strangeloop or Technician Ted, taking turns at the keyboard to keep finger cramp at bay whilst the rest of us consulted an enormous map in the centre pages of Sinclair User.

What happened? I was trying to identify what started the obsession so many software companies suddenly developed with huge, sprawling, tediously empty graphic run-arounds. I reckon it was the moment Ultimate 'Play The Game' released Sabre Wulf, because before that, they'd become famous for a slew of fast, ferociously addictive arcade shooters like Jet Pac and Cookie; then suddenly, they foist a genre-stultifying map tile slog upon us, inspiring scores of even more dreary, insipid imitators. When all we really wanted to do was thrash the person sitting next to us in a silly sword-fighty game.

Sorry. Probably should have started this in a new thread.

[Norton Canes]

(Or frankly, not at all)

[Bored of Canada]

Nidhogg's only $4.99 for the next 6 days. Really, if you can arrange for literally anybody in the world to play it with you, despite if they've never played a game before, it's totally worth it.

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/p/nidhogg_storefront


Absolutely one of my all time favourite games of all time. I try and arrange anybody to play it, and it always draws a crowd and makes every single person grin, cheer and laugh. Anybody can play and it is excellent. 

[madhair60]

Someone gifted me this the other day.  Not played it yet.

[kittens]

i like this game but my question is why is this game called nidhog, thanks

[madhair60]

i like this game but my question is why is this game called nidhog, thanks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%AD%C3%B0h%C3%B6ggr

Norse mythology thing