Orange County Register

For fans of the web-based sketch game Line Rider, the new version is much slicker than its creator may have intended. It’s also obviously coming out soon, based on the disc full of art, a slick new logo and a very cool demo movie. There is even the box art for the Nintendo Wii and DS versions of the game.

The game has won millions of fans, a few imitators and awards. Created by Bostjan Cadez as an art-school project, Line Rider is simple: Draw a few lines on the screen, press play and watch as a stick-figure “Bosh” rides the lines on his bobsled. The original game had no eraser — so whatever you only had one chance to get the lines perfect. The popular web game has attracted millions of players around the world and, most recently, a McDonald’s commercial.

I interviewed Bostjan in December 2006. Game developer inXile Entertainment in Newport Beach had just bought the rights to turn the animation into a game and Bostjan was in town from native Slovenia for a few months.

At the time, he considered his invention “a toy,” but one that encouraged people to make a story out of it.

“The eraser is missing on purpose. It was part of the concept. I wanted it to be, in a way, like life. If you make a mistake, it’s there. You can’t just erase it,” he said.

The new versions of the game for the Wii and DS will be so much more when released this summer.

Details on how this game will work on the Wii weren’t provided. Will I use the controller as my pen? Will the new Wii balance board be used as a sled?

But there is information on the new challenges of the game. According to Line Rider’s media folks, a story has been added to the game:

“Line Rider 2: Unbound” follows the sled-stealing scumbag Chaz, who is up to no good and only you, as the clever and cunning Bosh, can defeat him. For Bosh to save his true love Bailey, players must complete tracks in over 40 mind-bending puzzles created by the #1 Line Rider player in the world, TechDawg.”

Everything is slick about the new Line Rider game — from its new logo to a heftier Bosh, joined by the two new characters Bailey and Chaz, pictured below:

I kind of liked the simpler Bosh more:

What about you? Take the Line Rider poll:

Check out the video:

More on Line Rider:

• Hands on Line Rider 2 for the Wii (Gamespot)
• Line Rider meets OC: The video
  
• Line Rider news: Free stuff but wait for Wii continues
• Watch the original video with Bostjan Cadez explaining his pet project
• Official site:Welcome to Line Rider
• The jagged peak video with 7.8 million views (YouTube)
• The Wikipedia entry

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