We thought gamers got excited for upcoming releases, but it seems that designers go crazy waiting for their game to go gold as well. Tom Fulp, lead designer at The Behemoth, has refused to shave his beard until his team's upcoming XBLA title, Castle Crashers, is released. That's the old news, the new news (well, it's been around for a bit) is the Newgrounds (where Tom Fulp is the founder and CEO, by the way) flash game dedicated to both Castle Crashers and Tom Fulp's playoff release beard.

Castle Crashing "The Beard" is an independently created flash game that pits players against the floating head of Tom Fulp who attacks you using a variety of beard based attacks and eye lasers, of course. As you level up throughout the epic battle players assume the role of a different Castle Crashers hero. The best, and funniest, part of the game is Tom Fulp voice-acted his role in the game and proceeds to mock you throughout the fight. Anyone looking to pass the time while they wait for the arrival of Castle Crashers should check this one out.

[Thanks, Kevin]