Casual gaming has a strange power in the way they'll keep you playing for hours on end over a seemingly simple objective. The same can be said of MumboJumbo's Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge on the PSP, which gave use some new ideas on how to play with balls. Join us over at the full article as we give this game a quick play-through.

It looks like more casual gaming goodness is heading for the Sony PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii, courtesy of developer/producer MumboJumbo. We have picked word that they're planning to release a new iteration of their ball-busting Luxor puzzle franchise to both consoles. Screenshots for the PSP port are up ahead in the full article

 

Love the quirky and sometimes crazy television series The Office? Well, the NBC comedy series is coming to the PlayStation Portable, the Nintendo DS, and the PC. The port was announced by casual game developer, MumboJumbo who has just signed with Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group.

The tag team combination will get the crew of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch as bobblehead dolls. Players will get the chance to pull pranks and complete tasks in this upcoming video game. Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group's Bill Kispert, vice president and general manager (Interactive) expressed enthusiasm over the project:

The cast and creators of 'The Office' have done a fantastic job delivering a show with a personality all its own. MumboJumbo is an innovator in the casual games space, and developing a game with them that combines the quirky characters and humor of the show with a proven, addictive game mechanic we think will be welcomed by fans and casual game players alike.

Reportedly, The Office video game will be available for download online for PSP, DS, and PC around fall of this year.

   

 

Now you don't have to go to the ends of the Earth only to see all seven wonders. That's because MumboJumbo has already brought it to your very own PlayStation Portable via 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

It's been out for about a couple of weeks now, but we believe it's never too late to see more of the action from the game. That's why we have here for you three new screenshots of 7 Worlds. Hopefully these images can get you to decide faster as to whether or not you'll be picking this title up from your neighborhood game stores.

Anyhow, it's nothing fancy, really. But if you dig them puzzle games like you do ice-cold lemonade on a warm summer day, then this could just be the right one for you.

 

Casual games publisher MumboJumbo today announced that their PC title, 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, is now available on the Sony PSP handheld system for a suggested retail price of US$ 19.99.

This title from developer Hot Lava lets gamers explore ancient lands through three modes of play - Story, Free Play, and Rune Quest - that cover more than 140 levels and three modes of difficulty. Players can also collect power-ups like the Lightning Bolt or Fire Bomb to help them in their race against the clock.

"The PSP system is a great home for the addictive gameplay of 7 Wonders of the Ancient World," said Brian Garrison, vice president of North American Sales at MumboJumbo. "Puzzle games and portability are a fantastic match for each other, and now people can enjoy playing this great game whether they're at home or on the road."

Come to think of it, 7 Wonders of the Ancient World could be a good title to use in order to build a little handheld camaraderie with your non-gamer girlfriend, your sister, or even your mom. We've all read the reports about women dominating the whole casual game market, plus Mothers' Day is pretty near, so why not try it out? It could help get them off your case for spending too much time playing video games.

It's the start of the week again. Care to see what's ahead of you? Off the bat, the list is populated by puzzle and casual games, and capped with an RPG and a racer:

7 Wonders (Mumbo Jumbo)
Aedis Eclipse: Generation Chaos (NIS America)
Cube (D3Publisher)
Hard Rock Casino (Oxygen Games)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (Electronic Arts)

At the top of the list, 7 Wonders hit us from right out of left field. While no one seems to know much about it, it's actually more familiar (Puzzle Quest, Bejeweled, anyone?) than it seems at first. Ancient gems not your thing? Take Cube for a spin. Looks like a trippy game where you have to stretch the boundaries of your spatial imagination. And if you're the risk taker, place your bets on Hard Rock Casino. With the wireless mode support, you'd have to keep your eye on the prize - that could get rough.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is careening just in time this week too. Racer spun off from the PS2 version, some actually say that it's beefier than it's console counterpart. And finally, for the tactical-RPG folk waiting for The Lion War to start waging, Aedis Eclipse: Generation of Chaos would help you tide the wait over.

This action-puzzle casual game has been out for a couple of months now, and still there are more to see. In Luxor: The Wrath of Set, you'll surely be talking mumbo-jumbo and losing your marbles if you don't keep your head straight when playing this game. Sure, it may be casual, but it doesn't mean it doesn't hold anything challenging for us.

Just check out these two gameplay videos from MumboJumbo (yeah, the publisher's name alone should be a dead give-away that nothing was meant to be just simple in this game). Anyway, in the first vid, you have to open the path of the Pharaoh's crown -- without going crazy, that is. The second one, meanwhile, would show you how important keeping your aim would be. These things, they aren't stationary, you know.

Anyway, just check out the vids. And be sure to pick up a tip or two along the way. Enjoy!

Pharaoh's War Crown

The other vid awaits after the jump!

   

Well, lots of casual games tend to be addicting by nature, and that's why they become successful. However, in the world of Flash games and 2D puzzlers from PopCap Games, MumboJumbo made quite a ruckus too. Some of you might be able to recall a certain side-scrolling shooter for the PC some time ago that got quite a lot of gamers addicted: Platypus.

For those who haven't encountered it before (shame!), one curious thing about this game is that its graphics are claymation-based. Kinda like Skull Monkeys only, umm, more colorful?

Well, the PSP version was released almost a month back now and some of you might have missed it. Today, MumboJumbo has released a couple of screenshots for the PSP version. It's not much different from that of the PC, but hey, who could resist. Having this game on the go in your handheld could potentially blast away those idle hours in the train.

MumboJumbo has just announced that Platypus and Luxor: The Wrath of Set for the PSP has just shipped to stores nationwide and are now currently up for grabs.

Platypus is the first claymation shooter game for the PSP, and Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo, says that Platypus and Luxor are only two of the many titles they plan to release for Sony's handheld. Donning 30 levels of side-scrolling shooting action, you will guide your ship "Platypus" through all these levels while dodging enemy attacks.

Both titles are now available for the PSP and are currently selling for a SRP of US$29.99.

Casual games are looking to make a huge splash onto the PSP with today's announcement from premium casual game developer and publisher MumboJumbo that they will be bringing their best-selling casual game franchises to the Sony handheld. This will mark MumboJumbo's first foray into the console and handheld gaming markets.

MumboJumbo's first offering is LUXOR: Wrath of Set - the latest in the action-puzzle franchise that was first made popular by Luxor, the #1 online casual game of 2005. MumboJumbo's LUXOR: The Wrath of Set offers the same addictive and easy-to-learn-yet-difficult-to-master gameplay that made the Luxor games such a huge success.

The second title on MumboJumbo's plate is Platypus. Featuring unique hand-molded 3D clay graphics and non-stop pulse-pounding action, Platypus is the first ever claymation side scrolling shooter game to be launched on the PSP system. If this title becomes a hit then maybe one of our dreams will become a reality: a re-tooled and revamped Clayfighter release for the PSP.

Both LUXOR: The Wrath of Set and Platypus will be available in mid November.