Vector Unit Games Coming to Windows Phone 8.1!

One of the most oft-repeated questions we get from fans is "When are your games coming to Windows Phone?"  Well guess what Windows Phone lovers, your time has come!

Over the next 2 months we'll be releasing not just one, not two, but THREE of our most popular games on Windows Phone 8.1.  Beach Buggy Racing, Riptide GP2, and Shine Runner will all come to the platform during the month of November.

But wait, there's more!  

Beach Buggy Racing and Shine Runner will also join Riptide GP2 in the regular Windows 8.1 App Store. So whether you're playing on a Windows phone, tablet, or desktop PC, Vector Unit's got you covered.

The exact release schedule is as follows:

11/3: Beach Buggy Racing – Phone & Windows

11/12: Riptide GP2 – Phone

11/28: Shine Runner – Phone & Windows

Oh and about that October thing...

We had previously reported that Riptide GP2 would be coming to Windows Phone the first week in October.  However, working closely with Microsoft we decided it would be better to hold Riptide GP2 a little longer so we can bring it along with our two other games in November.  Sorry for those of you who are disappointed at the delay, but we hope you agree it'll be worth the wait!

The Sweet Taste of BlackBerry

Today Riptide GP splashes down on the BlackBerry World app store for BlackBerry 10.  

Last week we released Beach Buggy Blitz for BB10, and it's already become one of the most popular and highest-rated games in the BlackBerry World store.

We've been working closely with the team at BlackBerry to ensure that we squeeze every ounce of juice out of their powerful new BB10-based devices, and we're excited to be part of this new step in the BlackBerry legacy!

In addition to performance enhancements, our BlackBerry games also feature full Scoreloop integration, with support for Achievements, Leaderboards, and cloud storage.

You can find Riptide GP for BlackBerry here.

And Beach Buggy Blitz for BlackBerry here.

... and keep and eye out for Shine Runner, due in a few short weeks!

Blimey! We're on the BBC!

BBC reporter Marc Cieslak covers the latest phones coming out at Mobile World Congress.  Yeah, that's cool.  But even cooler is how, along the way, he shows both Riptide GP and Shine Runner as examples of "graphically gorgeous gaming".

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120305-why-do-phones-all-look-the-same

Kotaku gets drunk on Shine Runner

Gaming Uberblog Kotaku today singled out Shine Runner as their Gaming App of the Day!

This makes us happy.  Partly because we like Kotaku and getting mentioned by them gives us a little bubbly feeling in our happy parts.  Also because they say things like this:

 The racing portion of the game is simply gorgeous, running blazingly fast on my Samsung Galaxy S II and featuring a graphics slider to tone down the visuals for lesser models. Like Riptide GP before it, this is one of those games that highlights how powerful mobile gaming has become, at least from a technical standpoint.

That kind of talk makes the bubbles bubble faster.   Thanks Kotaku!

Full article:  If Real Life Moonshine Running Had Tech This Impressive We’d All Be Drunk Right Now

Storm the Bayou and Smuggle Moonshine

Vector Unit’s Shine Runner™ coming to iOS and Android December 2, 2011

San Rafael, CA – December 1, 2011 — Indie game developer Vector Unit announced today that its latest mobile game, the water racing/action/strategy hybrid Shine Runner, will be released for iOS and Android devices on December 2.

In Shine Runner, players smuggle contraband goods in souped-up flat-bottomed fan boats, powersliding around twisting backwater bayous in a frenetic race to stay one step ahead of the clock – and the law.

Smuggling runs play out in lushly detailed – and fully destructible – 3D river environments. Players crash their way through levels packed with shacks, docks, chicken coops and outhouses, catch huge air off ramps and levies, and dodge (or smash) other river boats, including belligerent police. Between runs, players sell off their smuggled cargo and look for bargains so they can load up on grey market items like Gator Tails, Snake Oil, Tobacky…and of course, bootleg moonshine. The goal of the game is to maximize profits over a 10 day period.

“Our theme for this game is simple,” says Ralf Knoesel, Vector Unit’s Technical Director. “Two words: ’Redneck Chaos.’ Yes, there’s strategy to the trading meta-game, but personally I just love smashing alligators into chicken coops, punting cops off the tops of levies… I’ve been working on Shine Runner for months now and I still laugh when I’m playing.”

Shine Runner will be available Friday, December 2, 2011 for iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets.

Game Features:

• Amazing Water Physics. Slip and slide through twisting bayous with the most realistic boat physics ever seen on mobile.
• Completely Destructible Game Environments. Crash through docks stacked high with barrels. Demolish shacks and outhouses. Punt gators and chickens. If you can see it, you can smash it!
• Smuggle Your Way to Riches! Buy and sell contraband goods like Moonshine and Tobacky, smuggling them from one colorful locale to the next in a race for maximum profit.
• Gorgeous HD Visuals. Explore a colorful southern world filled with high-detail boats, animated characters, beautiful bayou, marsh, and mountain environments, all running at a silky smooth framerate on your smartphone or tablet – or (on Android) on your HDTV with HDMI out!
• OpenFeint and Game Center Support. Make your name in the Shine Runner Hall of Fame leaderboards or show off your skills with some of the wackiest, most inventive Achievements around.