Gorillaz fans who can't get enough of the animated mugs of its fictional band members are in luck.
2D, Noodle, Murdoc, and Russel, the four cartoon musicians that serve as the public face of the band founded by Blur front man Damon Albarn, will be the focus of a series of new mobile games set for release this April.
The characters, created by Tank Girl animator Jamie Hewlett, will be featured in four retro, arcade-style games on the Gorillaz Entertainment System. The games are being created by Zombie Flesh Eaters, which is Hewlett's studio design team in London, and Mr.Goodliving, the Helsinki-based mobile game studio that was acquired by RealNetworks last May.
"Being selected to create a game for the cult favorite Gorillaz is a huge win for us," RealNetworks' Juha Ruskola said in a statement. "The adventurous title created by Mr.Goodliving and Zombie Flesh Eaters captures the unique, spirited personality of the band, and we're looking forward to bringing Gorillaz's greatness to both new and existing fans through our many distribution channels."
Albarn and Hewlett are also reportedly putting the finishing touches on a live DVD and CD centered on the band's five-night run of live shows last November at the Opera House in Manchester.
For those shows, Albarn and producer Danger Mouse invited a star-studded lineup of contributors to the band's smash album Demon Days, including Happy Mondays' front man Shaun Ryder, as well as De La Soul, Roots Manuva, Ike Turner, Neneh Cherry, Martina Topley Bird, and Pharcyde rapper Bootie Brown. The performers appeared with the four animated characters onstage, a look that Grammy watchers got to see last week when Madonna performed with the band.
The tracklisting for the album is essentially the same as Demon Days, with the exception of "Hongkongaton," the B-side to the "Dirty Harry" single, and "Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)," which is taken from the band's self-titled debut.
The CD will be released as both an album and DVD and is due out on April 3.
The tracklisting is as follows:
"Intro"
"Last Living Souls"
"Kids With Guns"
"O' Green World"
"Dirty Harry"
"Feel Good Inc."
"El Mañana"
"Every Planet We Reach Is Dead"
"November Has Come"
"All Alone"
"White Light"
"DARE"
"Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head"
"Don't Get Lost in Heaven"
"Demon Days"
"Hong Kong"
"Latin Simone"