The hunt is ON! Halfbrick is searching for Australia’s Fruit Ninja Master and we want everyone to get in on the action! We’re calling all Fruit Ninja fans to put their skills to the test as part of a massive week-long celebration around the nation!

Next week, Fruit Ninja fans from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are invited to enter the official Fruit Ninja dojo, where players will compete to win a spot at the national finals in Sydney on May 30th.

The national champion will not only win the glory of becoming Australia’s Fruit Ninja Master, but also thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes including a Ninja trip for two to Japan! All are welcome and entry is free!

The Fruit Ninja Anniversary Tour is set to be an action-packed event in honour of the game’s success both in Australia and across the globe since its launch two years ago. Read on for all juicy details and get ready to show us what you’ve got!

Festivities will include:

FREE NINJA GEAR – Every attendee will score a free download code for Fruit Ninja on the App Store. Already have the game? Share it with a friend to find out who the true master is!

DEVELOPER INSIGHTS – Meet the crew behind the magic and learn what it takes to create a smash-hit global phenomenon!

UNRELEASED CONTENT – Play the next Fruit Ninja update before it hits the App store! The veil will be lifted on our greatest update ever and this is your opportunity to get hands-on before the rest of the world!

Event details:

BRISBANE – Monday May 21st, Queens Street Mall 10am – 7pm

SYDNEY – Thursday May 24th, Darling Harbour 10am – 7pm

MELBOURNE – Saturday May 26th, Federation Square 10am – 7pm

Time to sharpen those blades! Fruit Ninja HD is on sale NOW for just 99 cents from the App Store! That’s more than 60% off as a huge thanks to our awesome fans from around the world! Make the most of this amazing offer while you can and experience Fruit Ninja in its finest form today!

FRUIT NINJA HD EXCLUSIVES:

Fruit Ninja HD is jam-packed with exclusive content in addition to the awesome features you know and love. Players can now battle it out in split-screen MULITIPLAYER across two unique game modes specifically designed for the iPad!

Grab a friend and experience the thrill of head-to-head action in Classic Attack and Zen Duel. It’s always fast, super frantic and hilarious fun, with two players striving to achieve sweet, juicy victory. Just look at these little ones tearing it up below!

You can also swipe up to EIGHT fingers across the screen to deliciously slash fruit like a true ninja warrior, taking in all of the crisp detailed effects which have been radically improved from the iPhone version.

Quite simply, there’s never been a better time to experience the worldwide phenomenon in all its HD glory! Grab Fruit Ninja HD for just a fraction of the normal price and unleash your inner ninja today!

DOWNLOAD HERE

Jetpack Joyride 1.3 will be officially launched on April 26th as a FREE update which means it’s time to delve deeper into the awesome gadgets awaiting Barry Steakfries! In a nutshell, users can look forward to 15 game-changing gadgets which are tailored to suit the needs of any player no matter how they like to play. These gadgets will be available for purchase in the Stash, giving more options to players stockpiling those hard-earned coins!

There are more than 100 potential combinations in total and players will need to work their way through five sectors in order to unlock every gadget in the game. Players can also mix and match any two gadgets, which can then be used an unlimited number of times after purchase. Read on for a full breakdown of the newest additions to Jetpack Joyride including how much they’ll cost and their item descriptions!

SECTOR 1: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Air Barrys (3500 Coins)
Leap gracefully over obstacles with these designer sneakers.

Nerd Repellant (2000 Coins)
The patent-pending formula is so potent that the whole laboratory had to be abandoned.

Insta-Ball (2000 Coins)
Bounce off the floor instead of going splat. Great for traveling a few extra meters.

SECTOR 2: FRINGE SCIENCE LAB

Gravity Belt (5000 Coins)
Makes the ground come at you a lot faster than usual. Be sure to bend your knees when you land.

Missile Jammer (5000 Coins)
Replaces the missile guidance program with pictures of kittens downloaded from the internet. Only works if the kittens are particularly cute.

Token Gift (5000 Coins)
What do you give someone who has everything? A free final spin token, of course!

SECTOR 3: PSEUDOSCIENCE ACTION GROUP

Freeze-O-Matic (3000 Coins)
There’s no better way to cool down after a hard run than being snap-frozen in a solid block of ice. It also helps you slide a few extra meters.

X-Ray Specs (4500 Coins)
This high-tech eyewear is both fashionable and functional. Now you can look inside vehicle pickups and other places you’re not supposed to see.

Gemology (6500 Coins)
A special blingification technique that converts coins into high-value gems. For some reason it only works on coins minted in 1985.

SECTOR 4: FUTUROLOGIST LOUNGE

Ezy-Dodge Missiles (5500 Coins)
If you’re going to play a game of chicken with a missile, make sure it’s an Ezy-Dodge!

Magnetic Tokens (4500 Coins)
Every token is fitted with a super-strong magnet. They are easier to collect, but will probably wipe your credit card.

Flying Pig (6000 Coins)
This highly-unstable coin transporter was designed by a scientist with a particular fondness for physical comedy.

SECTOR 5: TESTING ZONE

Free Ride (5000 Coins)
Stop off at the motor pool before smashing through the laboratory wall. Why didn’t Barry think of this earlier.

Coin Magnet (6000 Coins)
Once you get used to the feeling of being endlessly pelted with coins you will start to wonder how you ever lived without it.

Lucky Last (5500 Coins)
Your final spin token is forged from fortunium, the world’s luckiest element.

PAX may be well and truly over but that doesn’t mean the discussions have to end! The entire experience was amazing and it’s only fair that we share the details with those who weren’t lucky enough to make it. Read on for a full recap of our biggest PAX ever and thanks to everyone who visited our booth – we had an absolute blast!

We kicked things off on Day 1 expecting most people to run straight past our booth en route to the crazy triple-A spectacles which could only be described as a “show within a show.” Thankfully – and much to our surprise – the loyal Halfbrick fans flocked to our booth by the thousands and we started the expo in style.

Day 1 saw plenty of funny and unexpected moments, with fans from all walks of life stopping by to chat and get in on the action. The line for Fruit Ninja Kinect immediately wrapped around the side of our booth and stayed that way as fans waited patiently to participate in the first of our daily leaderboard competitions.

Visitors battled it out for a custom Fruit Ninja Xbox 360 and needless to say the competition was fierce! It came down to the wire, but ultimately no one was able to catch eventual winner TJ who set a cracking pace with a score of 734 in Arcade Mode. TJ also insisted that this was his first time playing the game which makes his achievement all the more amazing! It set the tone for a great streak of battles, with some players even sticking around for the ENTIRE three days.

Thankfully, the fun didn’t stop there. Halfbrick also ran an iPod Touch giveaway on each consecutive day with very straightforward rules: wear the button, catch the plushy, win an iPod. The Halfbrick-themed buttons were snapped up like hot cakes and our real-life Fruit Ninja made a special appearance to help out with the giveaways. Crowd numbers grew each day and you can see some awesome photos below as people reached for the skies in an attempt to catch the prize-winning plushies. Awesome times indeed!

The other attraction which proved hugely popular at our booth was Jetpack Joyride 1.3. Fans were able to get hands-on with the soon-to-be released “Gadgets Update” and feedback was astounding. Visitors unlocked all 15 gadgets in no time and it was exciting to see which combinations quickly emerged as fan-favourites.

We got a huge kick out of showing the update to hardcore fans and we’re even more excited for its release after seeing the reaction. It’s safe to say you guys are in for a treat so be sure to stay on the lookout over the coming days!

That just about sums up our time at PAX East but there are plenty of awesome photos which tell the story far better than we ever could. The excitement is summed up perfectly by the clever costumes, happy faces and colourful fans who made our trip so darn incredible. We’d like to extend our humble thanks to all who stopped by and we hope to see even more amazing people at a show near you soon!

PAX East is just one sleep away and the Halfbrick crew is ready to rock and roll! Developers Hugh, Matty, Sean and James took control of the setup and spent all day bringing the booth to life. We are now officially black belts at folding shirts and feel much better about our normally abysmal handyman skills.

After spending a significant chunk of time attempting to decipher dodgy instruction manuals, the crew spent the rest of the afternoon playing Fruit Ninja Kinect with other developers which was loads of fun. Now we’re excited to share the excitement with those who really matter – our truly amazing fans!

Visitors can look forward to a dedicated Fruit Ninja Kinect station, hands-on time with Jetpack Joyride 1.3 and some awesome free goodies to boot. We’ll also be running daily competitions where you’ll have the chance to compete for epic prizes like an iPod Touch or a custom Fruit Ninja Xbox 360!

Be sure to stop by booth 684 to chat with some fair dinkum Aussies and show off your gaming credentials. Bring it on!

And here’s a silly photo just for good measure…

We’re super tired, jetlagged and sore all over but the crew from Halfbrick couldn’t be any happier. That’s because we’ve just touched down in Boston, Massachusetts for one of our favourite events of the year – PAX East! The Penny Arcade Expo was founded eight years ago by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, creators of the popular webcomic Penny Arcade. Since then, it has gone on to become one of the largest and most loved gaming events of the year, with more than 70,000 people getting in on the action annually.

This marks the third time Halfbrick has made the journey from Down Under and each year things just get bigger and better. Once again, Halfbrick will have its very own team on the ground, so we can hang out with fans and show off the latest our studio has to offer. We can’t wait to meet as many people as possible and we’re pumped to share all the fun and excitement with so many awesome and colourful game lovers.

We’ll be running daily challenges, free giveaways and we also have some truly awesome prize packs which we can’t wait to discuss in more detail. Whatever you do, make sure you stop by booth 684 to chat with some Aussies and get hands on with some unreleased content. We’ll be going into more detail about what to expect over the coming days, so check back often for all the latest info. See you at the show!

What: PAX East
When: April 6-8
Where: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
Info: http://east.paxsite.com/

Strap yourselves in… Jetpack Joyride’s biggest update ever is just around the corner! Jetpack Joyride 1.3 will be available as a free download this April and is set to introduce a range of exciting new features to the game. The scientists at “Legitimate Research” have been busy creating all sorts of wonderful gadgets and Barry Steakfries can’t wait to get his hands on them! These gadgets will bring an all-new layer of gameplay and customization to the game, providing players with a unique experience every time they take to the skies. Check out early footage of the gadgets in action and stay tuned for more test footage from Legitimate Research coming soon!

Air Barrys

Freeze-O-Matic

Gravity Belt

We’re finally back in the office after an amazing week in San Francisco and it’s time to look back on an epic trip! The Game Developers Conference (GDC) saw more than 20,000 game professionals descend on the city and needless to say there was much fun to be had! One highlight was last week’s Pocket Gamer Awards which was a great event at the ROE Nightclub. Halfbrick took home four awards including Best Developer and Overall Game of the Year for Jetpack Joyride. This was a huge honour – especially in the presence of so many great developers – and we were totally chuffed! Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite contain our excitement and this is what happened:

Read on for a full list of Halfbrick’s awards and click here for some slightly less embarrassing pictures. Enjoy!

POCKET GAMER AWARDS 2012

Jetpack Joyride – Best Action/Arcade Game
Jetpack Joyride – iPhone/iPod Touch Game of the Year
Jetpack Joyride – Overall Game of the Year
Halfbrick Studios – Best Developer

Halfbrick took to the streets of San Francisco on Tuesday to meet with fans and give out some awesome free swag! The team is in town for GDC 2012 and it’s been a great experience for all involved. We even witnessed a mad dash as fans sprinted down the street to claim their limited edition Jetpack Joyride shirts! As always, everyone has been super nice and nothing beats chatting with our kick-ass players. Thanks for making us feel welcome and showing some love!

Check out some more shots from the meet and follow us on Twitter for details about future activities!

Today we talk to a man who enters the record books as the first person to unlock every badge in Jetpack Joyride! This diehard fan took everyone at Halfbrick by surprise when he finished this MAMMOTH task in record time. We reached out to discover more about this crafty veteran and reward him for his epic achievement. Everyone, say hello to John Haasl!

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Email fans@halfbrick.com for your chance to be featured in the next Community Spotlight!

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Hi John, tell us a little about yourself.

My name is John, I’m a 36 year old husband, father of 2 and live in Plano Texas, USA. I work professionally as a Senior Systems Analyst and have been playing video/computer games for about 31 years now.

Do you have any special talents?

I actually love to draw, but don’t do a lot of it. At one point, I was recognised as an “iPad artist” when the iPad first came out. I had some stories printed on various Apple websites and it was fun to see stuff written when I was really just doing it for fun.

What’s the best thing about Jetpack Joyride?

It’s got to be the addictive “just one more game” feeling. Whether it’s trying to beat your best score, conquering another mission or collecting another medal, there are plenty of incentives to give it one more shot. I think it’s one of those games that is so simple in nature, but so addictive because of all the extra challenges and collectibles. It just keeps you going!

There’s also a Zen like feeling with the game. It was really relaxing to sit and play for a while after a long work day and just lose myself in a few too many games at night. After a while, it just felt mesmerizing to float up and down, dodging objects and collecting items. It can really take your mind off things.

How long did it take you to unlock all 125 badges in the game?

I started playing the game on the day it was released and found that I couldn’t stop playing. At first, I wasn’t trying to get all 125 badges as it was more about getting the achievements and reaching the top of the leaderboards. At some point though, I started focusing on the missions and collecting badges. I found myself playing here and there and getting a few badges a day. In the end, according to my final game stats, I had a play time of 12 Days, 19 Hours, 18 minutes and 59 Seconds! Editor’s Note: That’s over 300 hours!

What other games do you play?

Hmmm, I’m a big handheld gamer these days so I’m usually playing games between my iPod Touch/iPad, the 3DS and will probably be spending a lot of time with the upcoming PS Vita. I’m playing through Mario Kart 7 at the moment and I’m looking forward to Wipeout 2048 and some Uncharted as well.

When you’re not wreaking havoc in-game, what else are you up to?

I love spending time with my wife and kids and doing things with them. There’s always something fun to do and it’s great to be able to spend time with them. I also like to read occasionally and spend too much time researching geeky things as well!

What beats do you crank while you’re gaming?

I definitely lean towards the heavier side of things when I can. Nothing like some good metal or industrial music to get the adrenalin flowing! If I had my choice, I’d listen to some Korn or NIN.

Can you pick a favourite movie of all-time?

That’s tough, but I really love the The Matrix. I remember how much I loved watching it in the theater and how great the story and special effects were. It was also the first movie I bought on DVD as well!

Pizza or hamburgers?

Gotta love Pizza, what other food can taste just as good if not better the next day!

Basketball or baseball?

Baseball. It’s a slow sport that’s better played than watched sometimes!

Barry Steakfries or Chuck Norris?

I’m showing a little bias here, but Barry all the way! He’s had adventures with zombies, vampires and jetpacks… I can’t recall Chuck Norris doing all of those things!