‘Fez’ due for three more ports in 2014

By Adam Rosenberg December 31, 2013

fez due three ports 2014 patch update — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Polytron Corporation’s Fez is due for three new ports in 2014, as a new post on the company’s website confirms. The perspective-twisting platformer debuted in 2012 for Xbox 360, with three ports – Windows, Linux, and OS X operating systems – following in 2013. Now Polytron is already working to deliver a PlayStation Network port that will be playable on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. That’s confirmed. So the real question is: does it count as three ports or just one?

The latest Polytron update is terse to the point of being vague. There’s just one note about what’s coming in the new year: “2014 will see the release of 3 new FEZ ports.” In all likelihood, that’s a reference to the PlayStation family of supported devices covered under the PSN umbrella. Still, there’s an Xbox One and a Wii U out there, not to mention an assortment of mobile platforms, all of which are Fez-friendly (from a hardware perspective). We’ve reached out to Polytron for clarification.

Fez celebrated one million sold across all platforms earlier this month. The as-yet-undated PSN release from Blit Software, developer of the Spelunky port on PS Vita, was first announced back in August, just weeks before September’s surprise Mac/Linux release as part of Humble Indie Bundle 9. It was a strong bounce back for Polytron, which suffered a setback earlier in the summer when Fez creator Phil Fish discontinued his work on Fez II and announced his departure from game development.

We’ll update this post accordingly if/when we hear back from Polytron.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

The Nintendo Switch just got 2 surprise games — and they’re both worth grabbing

A teddy beat sits on an embroidery hoop in Stitch.

If you were unable to catch this week's Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars' Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don't sleep on either of them, as they're both worth a purchase.

Both games are ports of previously released games, but both went a bit under the radar upon their original launch. Sticky Business modestly launched last summer on PC, whereas Stitch has actually been around since 2022 as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The latter even has an Apple Vision Pro version now that can be played in mixed reality. I can't blame anyone for missing either, but their Switch releases offer a good opportunity to catch up with some quiet hidden gems.

Computing

Is this Razer’s Steam Deck killer?

The Razer Kishi Ultra sitting on a table.

Razer has been oddly quiet in the burgeoning world of handheld gaming PCs. When I met up with the company at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) to learn about its new products, I was happy to hear it had an answer to the success of the Steam Deck.

But it was not the type of answer I was expecting.

Gaming

The best iPhone emulators

A collage of the delta emulator.

The market for iPhone games has become so wide and diverse that it can realistically compete with most console and PC offerings. Where we once only got cheap time-wasters, we now have complete experiences that don't feel any less impressive than what the competition offers. In fact, a lot of games made for consoles are appearing on the iPhone now that it is becoming so powerful. However, older games have paradoxically been mostly absent from the app store. That all could be about to change as emulation is now allowed on iPhone, though with some caveats that any retro fan should know about before getting too excited to play all your favorite NES games on your phone. Here's what's up with iPhone emulators, as well as our picks for a few of the best ones you can get right now.
What you need to know about emulation on iPhone
Emulators on iPhone, as well as emulation in general, are in a strange legal gray zone. Previously, the only way to get an emulator on your iPhone was through some workarounds that generally involved jailbreaking your phone, That differs from Android, which has enjoyed native emulators for years. In 2024, Apple updated its App Store guidelines to allow for emulators on its store, but with some important restrictions.

Here's the exact wording: "Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins. Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games. You are responsible for all such software offered in your app, including ensuring that such software complies with these guidelines and all applicable laws. Software that does not comply with one or more guidelines will lead to the rejection of your app. You must also ensure that the software adheres to the additional rules that follow in 4.7.1 and 4.7.5. These additional rules are important to preserve the experience that App Store customers expect, and to help ensure user safety."