Putting the "wag" in scallywag this summer will be Gaius James Rover, the canine star of Jolly Rover, a new 2D pirate-themed adventure announced today by Australian developer Brawsome.

In Jolly Rover, players control the 18th century protagonist on a quest to start his own circus (hopefully not a flea circus) across three tropical islands. It sounds simple enough. After all, what could go wrong on a quest that's "hampered only by pirates, villains, voodoo, love and considerable lack of loot." Okay, maybe a lot.

Jolly Rover will be the first full-length commercial adventure from Brawsome, the small indie studio whose previous credits include the freeware title Just Another Point n Click Adventure, plus work on Emerald City Confidential and Avenue Flo. Although influenced by the early Monkey Island adventures, Jolly Roger was originally conceived before the latest influx of piratey adventures, and has been in production since summer of last year.

While no firm release date has been announced yet, Brawsome is currently targeting a release through digital distribution in July 2010. For more information about Jolly Rover, be sure to check out the official website.

Wallace & Gromit may come from Britain, but the pair have found a home in US stores first, as Telltale announced today that a self-published retail collection of Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures is now available in select American stores.

The four-episode series starring the mild-mannered inventor and his longsuffering pooch was originally released in Telltale's usual downloadable episodic format beginning last March. Those who purchased the full season are still eligible to order the Collector's DVD for just the price of shipping from the developer, and that version is scheduled to begin delivery during the week of February 8th.

For the first time in the company's history, however, Telltale has self-published a series retail version. This version is available now at Best Buy, and will soon follow to Wal-Mart. There is currently no information available about a possible international release.

The sins of the fathers are indeed passed down to the children, at least where Gabriel Knight is concerned, as Jane Jensen's beloved classic has been re-released today on GOG.com, seventeen years after its initial release.

Sins of the Fathers highlights GOG's announcement that the DRM-free download portal will be releasing many titles from Activision's back catalogue in the coming months. What this means in terms of adventure games isn't yet known, but Activision itself was once actively involved in the genre, publishing classics like Zork: Nemesis and Grand Inquisitor. More importantly to many, however, is the rich but long-dormant Sierra lineup now owned by Activision.

Perhaps no Sierra title is more acclaimed than today's release, which needs no introduction for longtime adventure gamers. For those that missed it the first time around, the story introduces Gabriel and his trusty assistant Grace. A bookshop owner and writer in need of inspiration, Gabriel is investigating the so-called Voodoo Murders in his hometown of New Orleans, but the dark secrets he uncovers reveals key details about his own family's history and his unique calling as a "Shadow Hunter".

As with all GOG titles, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is available DRM-free, and can be purchased for only $5.99.

The first trailer for the upcoming Alter Ego has been released today, offering the first live glimpse of the new game from the creators of The Black Mirror.

In this third-person adventure planned for both the PC and Wii, the year is 1894 and the body of the recently deceased Sir William, notorious for acts of brutality during his lifetime, has gone missing at a time when more diabolical murders are occurring. Players will control both Timothy, a young thief, and Police Detective Bristol in a two-pronged effort to discover the truth behind the latest crisis.



The trailer introduces some of the characters and eerie locations that set the tone for this horror-themed mystery set in the English harbour town of Plymouth.

There is no definite release date for the game yet, but Alter Ego is currently scheduled for completion some time this quarter. For additional information, visit the game’s official website.

Revolution's Broken Sword: The Director's Cut has just become a globe-trotting adventure in more ways than one, as the updated classic has now launched for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Previously released on the Nintendo Wii and DS, The Director's Cut is an enhanced version of the first adventure for George Stobbart and Nico Collard. An explosion at a quiet outdoor cafe draws George, a vacationing American, into an escalating mystery that leads all the way to a deadly conspiracy involving the Knights Templar, with a little help and a lot of sass from French journalist Nico along the way.

The new version for iPhone and iPod Touch features the same updates as the earlier Director's Cut releases, including new playable segments for Nico, new cinematics and animations by Dave Gibbons, and a context-sensitive help system. The mobile version has been further adapted for the new platform, of course, using an improved version of the control scheme introduced previously in Beneath a Steel Sky - Remastered.

The game is available now throughout Europe and North America for £3.99 / €5.49 / $6.99 from Apple's App Store.