So Aquaria is coming out (for PC ) In a few days. I can't wait to download the demo, even if it requires me to turn on my XP computer. So now that the PC version is oh so close to release any idea when the Mac beta will start? (I'd love to test it)

Oh, man, I was waiting for this topic. But yeah, I too was wondering about what's happening on the Mac version. I'm looking forward to this game almost as much as I looked forward to SketchFighter, and desperately hope that my dad will let me try it on his work laptop...

So yeah, anyone know what's happening with Aquaria?

I've been trying to beta test an Ambrosia app/game for such a long time. I hope I make it into this one. I haven't really been able to beta test many closed apps (mostly just Pixelmator).

Going largely on intuition here, I am going to guess that the Aquaria beta will start within the next two or three weeks. I assume that Alec has been working on Mac builds, as he has posted some screenshots, so I assume that once the Windows version is out, the Mac version will be just about ready, too. Most Ambrosia games take a couple of months to go through the beta process, but, as the game is working on Windows, hopefully the only bugs will be related to the port, so the game should get through testing pretty quickly. If I were putting money on it, I would guess that the Mac version will be out by the second week in January.

xander

As far as I know, Aquaria for the Mac is still in alpha status - not near beta status at all. Keep an eye on the Upcoming page to see when it goes into beta status. I'll warn you, however, that ASW does not always do open betas, and if they don't with Aquaria then all this waiting is pointless.

The Aquaria beta was what originally made me sign up for this account. It's kind of strange to look at the possibilities merging now...

I'm just hoping to try to get into the closed beta. Did Ambrosia ever do an open one?

It is very rare when they do.

I'd love to beta test Aquaria since I'm such a huge side scroller fan. Of course, I don't know if I'll have more fun with the editor.

DEFCON didn't need that long as well, though it was in Beta just some months (or weeks? can't remember it exactly) after it has been announced as an Upcoming.

Exactly. DEFCON was in and out of beta pretty quickly, as the Windows version had already been tested pretty rigorously, and the only bugs were porting issues. I would expect Aquaria to be much the same.

xander

They’ve done open and semi-open ones now and then, but mostly for minor upgrades like Escape Velocity 1.0.5; for a major new product, an open beta is usually counterproductive.

Well, here is the official statement from Ambrosia Software Regarding Aquaria.

It serious rocks!

okay, that really isn't Ambrosia's official stance on it, but it sure is the sentiments of this Admin. I haven't been excited about playing a game like this in quite some time.

The Bit-Blot crew are diligently working away on the PC one to have it out shortly. And once that is done their attention shall turn to the the Mac version. We are hoping to see something in the near future as their schedules allow as such, but as Darwinian had said, the Mac version is still in an Alpha stage. The reason I know this is that I think I'm actually the official Mac Aquaria Tester currently as the game has yet to be opened to beyond the the lucky few Ambrosians that have the power to get a hold of this. The game is relatively solid and we feel that the beta session shouldn't be overly taxing or unneccesarily long, which really shows the strengths of Alec and his programming and development skills.

While I can't offer specific dates or anything set in stone, I am hoping that the Mac version isn't too far down the road. Though, as always, you can never tell what may happen. Just keep your fingers crossed! And besure to check in with Alec at www.bit-blot.com to see what he is up to!

I have been lost in a sea of wonderment as I play this game, the visuals are fantastic, the music superb, and since I used to work with marine biologist, i'm amazed at how many creatures I see here that I recognize and realize their basis from.

While I'm unsure what I'm even allowed to show currently, I do have to give this slip. That the Map and amount of sheer game play is astounding!!! Levels, layers, and areas that seem to expand and interconnect in the most amazing ways.

While I realize this is just a horrible teaser for those that are going to read this, my purpose is to just tell you that Aquaria is as amazing as you think it is. I spend hours a day testing.. uh.. yeah.. testing... it going back redoing levels/areas bosses. This game is one that is truly worth the wait! There haven't been to many troubles encountered, and when this game is released, all you side scrolling fanatics (such as myself) will be blown away at what the bit-blot crew have put together.



(in PR Lingo Translation: Alec and Derek are amazing, the game is phenomenal, and worth the wait! check out Bit-Blot.com to learn more!)

Well keep me in mind for beta testing . The game sounds great. And, as with a lot of other Ambrosia games, I know I'll buy it!

Well, looks like I'm gonna have to skip the demo on this one.

PC demo in 1 day! Can't wait to try it. But I'm not going to buy the PC version, I'm waiting for the Mac one!

New video on BitBlot
http://www.bit-blot.com/?p=33#comment-1283

That new vid is proof that we know next to nothing about the game's story. On the plus side, AWESOME AND WIN.

*sighs* Only one more day until PCdemo... On the plus side, it'll probably be out for Mac by my Birthday. Alec said January, i hope he knows what he's talking about...

Tomorrow will be fun.


(Yes, i used a lot of emoties. Yes, i'm excited.)

PC demo! Today, sometime.... But I can't wait to attempt to get into the Mac beta. The game looks amazing! I hope the Mac beta will start sometime this month considering it's a January (maybe) release.

Does anybody have a idea of what the rating would be for Aquaria?

It'll probably be rated R.

...for RADICAL!

Alec mentioned that the mac release would be jaunuary/febuary....and that it was pretty far along.

I got to play it some (gave it to someone for a birthday present ). It delivers on atmosphere 100%. I need...to play...more...

Incidentally, I should mention that bit-blot.com has now gone down, I suspect from traffic overload. All I got was a placeholder page.

Hmmm... I'm glad I downloaded my copy of the demo before this happened.

I've been playing the demo since yesterday, and it's glorious. Only fault I can mention is I was unobservant and ended up backtracking a lot, which resulted in long travel times of just holding the mouse and waiting for Naija to get somewhere. I haven't even hit the end of the demo two hours into it (though I assume I'm about to).

However, I now have this conundrum: Buy the full PC version for immediate gratification and continue my save game (apparently saves are compatible between demo and full), or wait a while for the Mac version since I have so few games I can play on my laptop without booting into Windows (and potentially not be able to continue my demo save).

Yeah, it asks you when you're installing the full version if you want to transfer 'em.

Anyway. I have to wait....why can't you? On a more serious note, it's only going to be a month or two before it comes out on mac. (or three, you know how these things go ) So it's really a question of how annoying booting into windows is.

Or you could just buy two copies

I just tried the Windows demo.

W O W.

This game doesn't just blow you away; it comes back for your house, your time, and your social life. Be prepared to be amazed.

So I bought the Windows version. It was worth it. Just everything. I think I'm in love. I'm going to buy the Mac version for my sister. (Well... here's hoping it runs on a MacBook's integrated video.)

I think the last game that did this to me was Twilight Princess.

I tried out the demo. I am pretty bad at it . Mostly with the not noticing important things hidden in the amazing scenary. I haven't been able to play much but it is a good game. I'll be waiting for a Mac version, on my old Dell I do notice some slowdown sometimes. I love it when the schools of fish swim past! So, I hope I make it into the closed, and probably short, beta. I've been trying to get into an Ambrosia one for about 2 years now .

I'm banking on fanboism to get into the beta.

I think I would also gladly play through again and again to check the Mac version. There aren't many games that I'd be willing to do do that with.

I've been eagerly watching this project ever since it was announced. All of this above means I can't wait for the Mac version.

I'll add save-game compatibility to the porting checklist. I suspect it just works already, but I haven't had a chance to try.

Now I have no reason to feel guilty playing at my friends house.

Edit : Player's game choice of the year

Tried playing the demo some more. Got killed fighting Nautilus Prime (being run over like that hurts!)

It's still the best game ever.

This might be able to stop by addiction of SuperTux (:

I beat SuperTux a long time ago. What you stuck on?

Made it through to "End of demo". It really is good stuff, but I really want to wait for the Mac release . Ahh well, as has been said, it's hardly a problem just playing through the same stuff again with this game! Dreamy.

I'm really bad at the demo .

That it's so awesomely fun

This game I have gone back and retested again and again and again. I have at least 10 saved games that are many many hours of play each. All of which I enjoyed immensely.

I'm happy to hear all these great reviews of the PC version!

I'm told that Nautilus Prime is one of the strongest creatures in the game. I don't think it's supposed to be beatable in the demo (at least not without a lot of skill). That's of the of the neat things about Aquaria, though, is that it doesn't hide things from you just because you're not supposed to be ready for them yet.

Sorry, but that's not true. She's a piece of cake. A pushover. Not nearly the endgame boss. You can beat her before beating the first 'real' boss. (right after getting the energy form)

Anyway, I can't wait to get it for mac so I can play it whenever I want...

Actually, I figured out how to do it-- you know that cave at the upper left? Nautilus Prime can't fit in there, letting you swim in there to only have to deal with his 'henchmen' (henchnautiloids?), before healing and attacking him once more.

Now I just have to pull it off.

EDIT: Wait a sec... Nautilus Prime is a 'she'?! (Samus Aran moment!)

We're talking about the big snail right? How are you seeing the names? I didn't find him/her that difficult - ate a little healing food for the cause while working out how to hurt it, but no major.

What I like is the massive explorability - even after finishing the demo, I've found out more stuff. I went back to near the start and found a rock that was actually covering a treasure, which formed a little garden in the home cave. Doesn't seem to be at all useful but whatever. Those inaccessible parts of the home cave intrigue me a lot, damn demo world.

Re SuperTux, it is good fun. I managed to finish all of both bonus islands a while back - the hardest level was probably High Gravity .. I don't even remember how I eventually made the jump. The self-scrolling ones where you have to use blocks to break walls are also really annoying. There are a few secret areas in the bonus islands too, in case you didn't know .

Sorry, my mistake. There was a discussion on the beta list I was thinking of, but it was actually about a jellyfish boss.

*drool*

You lost me. What were we talking about again?

Anyway, I got her name (and gender) from blogposts/fourmposts from Alec.

There's even a slightly creepy aspect to the game. When you're using the Energy form (and everything's going smoothly), every once in a while, Naija will laugh. Then, you realize that she's enjoying it, reveling in the destruction. Something about that I just found really kind of unsettling.

Watch out, your were heading into the spoiler mine feild.


Bah, waiting is no fun.

Thanks.... stop taunting us and give us a beta!

Edit: beaten.

Blast, I'm going to have to wait still. Hopefully it doesn't come out at the same time Brawl does. That wouldn't be very nice at all.