Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Fiendishly difficult platformer 1001 Spikes due next week on Steam

And PS4, Vita in North America. Unsure about Europe.

8Bits Fanatics' insanely challenging platformer, 1001 Spikes, is coming to PS4, Vita, PC and Mac next week, publisher Nicalis has announced.

The Steam version is slated for a worldwide release on 3rd June for $14.99 (about £10). The PlayStation versions will launch the same day in North America, but it's not clear when these are coming to Europe. We've reached out to Nicalis about this and will update when we know more.

1001 Spikes is a sequel to the 2011 XBLIG affair Aban Hawkins & the 1000 Spikes. That game gave you exactly 1000 lives to best its Super Meat Boy-esque platforming challenges. Use 'em all up and it's game over for good.

This sequel ostensibly follows the same concept with over 100 levels to conquer. "What will happen when all your 1001 lives run out? That's for you to find out!" Nicalis founder Tyrone Rodriguez teased on the PlayStation Blog last year.

Perhaps the biggest addition to this sequel is two-to-four player multiplayer modes, available for both co-op and competitive play.

1001 Spikes is also slated for a release on Xbox One, Wii U and 3DS, though no release window has been announced for these versions. Now check out 1001 Spikes' grueling retro challenges in its E3 2013 trailer below.

Cover image for YouTube video1001 Spikes E3 Trailer | E3 2013