Search found 7 matches for Interview

The Interview wrote:



Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to take part in
this interview!

[RWG]: Of course!



Could you tell us a bit about your team who worked tirelessly to
develop 8-Bit Hero?

[RWG]: I was actually the only developer on the game! I programmed it, made the art, and put it all together. I really do have my brother to thank for a lot of the level layout in various sections of the game, as well as a friend from school who made two of the levels.

As I was coming close to the finish line, I really was getting burnt out so I needed someone to help me finish up the last couple of remaining levels, and my friend did a great job.



How long did it take to develop 8-Bit Hero?

[RWG]: Actually working on it, it took about 3 months. I started it back in September of 2015, worked on it for about 2 weeks, and then needed to take a break for school. My brother continued working on level layout. Once January of 2016 rolled around, I got back to working on it. The game was completed in the end of February, but it took a few months to get it ready for publishing.



What games inspired you to create 8-Bit Hero?

[RWG]: Definitely the Zelda series, Mario, and any old-school punishing arcade game.



What is so unique about 8-Bit Hero? What sets it apart from other
action-adventure titles?

[RWG]: Mainly the "art" style. The 3D pixel art is something I was playing around with and thought looked pretty cool. There's really not a whole lot that sets it apart from other action-adventure titles, and I know that. I took on the project as a challenge to further my ability to finish titles that I start working on.

I've always had the issue of starting new projects, working on them for a time, and then starting something new. I needed to change that, which is why I created this pretty simple adventure game. I knew I would be able to finish it on my own without much issue.



Why did you decide to add co-op multiplayer to your game?

[RWG]: By the time I started the project back up in January, I kept playing it and thinking, "yeah, I know I was going for simple for finishing reasons, but this is way too simple." So I then added 2-player co-op.

When that was ready, I started testing it with a friend, and he thought it was really fun, so he dared me to make it 5 player by the next day. Once I was done with that, I got excited about adding new playable characters, and things just took off from there.



The music is fantastic! Who composed the tunes in the game?

[RWG]: I composed all of the music and created all of the sound effects for the game.



Are there any secrets or easter eggs in 8-Bit Hero to keep an eye out for?

[RWG]: Pretty much any time you find one of those hidden shops that pops up from the ground, or secret gems and armour, is a nod to old-fashioned NES games. The old-school games had so many random secrets that most people would never find, which I always thought was hilarious!



We think that's everything we wanted to ask! Thanks again for
answering our questions, hopefully we'll have the opportunity to
interview you again sometime!

[RWG]: Of course! Looking forward to it.



Take care!

[RWG]: You too!

Our Interview wrote:


Hello! Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us for this interview!

[Arcane4]: No problem at all, thanks for contacting us.

 

Could you tell us about your team who's hard at work developing Rynn's Adventure?

[Arcane4]: "Sure, the core game development team at Arcane Four Studios is made up of three long time friends who met in high school while working on text-based games using Qbasic. Our team is currently geographically dispersed across Canada, which means that most of our development work takes place online using Google Hangouts. We are passionate lifelong gamers and are immensely excited to be releasing our first game on the various systems that we play every day ourselves!

In terms of our primary jobs, Shawn is our game designer, Jon is our programmer, and Mike is our artist. All three of us love the role we have in making games, and have spent the majority of our lives honing the skills required for our jobs in one way or another."

 

How long has Rynn's Adventure been in development?

[Arcane4]: We have been working on Rynn's Adventure for about a year and a half (if you include time used for porting our game to various systems, and certification). The idea for Rynn's Adventure started in October of 2014, but major development work didn't start until 2015 and now we are already into 2016, boy does time fly when you are having fun!



Rynn, the protagonist seems rather familiar, wasn't there an old story or mythology about Rynn the fox?

[Arcane4]: We aren’t aware of any stories of a fox named Rynn aside from our own, however we wouldn't be surprised that someone else out there has had similar ideas, it is a big world with a lot of people dreaming up all kinds of wacky and great things. Please let us know if you find that mythological fox that seemed familiar to you, I am sure that we would enjoy that story as well. =)

 

What games inspired your team to develop Rynn's Adventure?

[Arcane4]: We were inspired by the classic games that we grew up playing such as Mario, Metroid, Sonic, Mega Man, and many others. We have been huge Nintendo fans since the original NES days, and that is why we wanted to make a game that reminded us of those fond memories we had as kids, but with some modern twists of course.



About how many levels will Rynn's Adventure possess?

[Arcane4]: Rynn's Adventure follows the classic stage format that Mega Man fans will already be familiar with. After completing a brief tutorial the player will be presented with a stage select screen. From there they can choose which order to complete any of the eight unique environments and defeat the bosses causing trouble in each region. Doing this will unlock the path to the Dark Wizard’s castle where Rynn's parents are being held captive!

 

Will the game feature any multiplayer elements?

[Arcane4]: "We thought about doing multi-player but decided early on that we would leave features like that for future games, such as possible Rynn's Adventure sequels.

We are fans of multi-player capability in video games, but felt that Rynn's Adventure, like many games of its type, was more than capable of delivering a fun experience as a single player game."



What kind of gameplay elements can we expect to encounter in the course of the game? We already know minecart stages and skiing stages are in based on the trailer!

[Arcane4]: "We made it a priority with Rynn's Adventure to offer players a wide variety of unique environments and interesting mechanics so that each stage felt very different from each other. For example, one stage, "Danger Underfoot", takes place in a large cavern below the Enchanted Forest and focuses on reversing gravity back and forth in order to make progress and complete the stage.

In addition, each stage has a big boss encounter at the end that requires the player to figure out the boss’s weak point in order to defeat them. Every boss’s weak point is different, and so the player will have to try more than simply jumping on the enemy’s head a few times."



What makes Rynn's Adventure unique compared to other platforming titles?

[Arcane4]: The platforming genre is such a deeply developed genre with so many big titles that it is difficult to be completely unique. However, we believe that the magic is not necessarily in being completely unique, but rather in how you piece things together in interesting and different ways. We hope that players will enjoy playing as Rynn the fox as she journeys through the Enchanted Forest, in a fairy tale styled adventure.

 

When can we expect Rynn's Adventure to hit the Wii U eShop in NA/EU?

[Arcane4]: Very soon hopefully! We have already submitted our game to Nintendo and we are waiting for it to make it through the process on their end. This, of course, makes it hard for us to know exactly when it will be available. We will be sure to let you all know when you can expect Rynn's Adventure the moment we know ourselves.



Thanks, for answering our questions! We really appreciate it, hopefully we'll have the opportunity to interview you again sometime!

[Arcane4]: Thank you for this opportunity, we would be glad to talk with you again any time.

 

Take care!

[Arcane4]: Likewise!

The Interview wrote:


Hello! It's a pleasure to have an opportunity to interview you regarding your amazing looking Wii U eShop title Star Ghost!

[SHS]: Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about it.

Could you tell us a bit about your studio?

[SHS]: Certainly. Squarehead Studios is a small independent game developer, based in the UK. It's very small in fact, being just myself at the moment. My background prior to this was as a developer with Retro Studios and much earlier, in the N64 days, at Rare. I'm currently burning through my life savings in a desperate bid to see if any of the Nintendo magic has rubbed off on me over the years.

How long did it take to develop Star Ghost for the Wii U?

[SHS]: It's taken about 2 years to develop. As I mentioned, I've been working on it alone, so they have been 2 very, very long years!

What were your biggest inspirations for the game?

[SHS]: I was fortunate to grow up in the golden age of the arcades and Star Ghost draws a lot of its inspiration from those days, both in terms of its structure and in its focus on a relatively small set of mechanics that hopefully combine together in interesting ways.

I wanted to create a game with a strong hook in its moment to moment gameplay. For me at least, the draw to arcade games is that they are enjoyable to pick-up and play without the need to invest a huge amount of time grinding out the next narrative beat.

Specifically, I would call out games like Scramble, Asteroids, Jet-Pak, Thrust and perhaps less directly, Moon Patrol. The neon-styled look of the game draws a little from Tron and I admit that I might be stretching a bit here, but the Vectrex console was also in the back of my mind.



What sets Star Ghost apart from other arcade-style shoot 'em up's?

[SHS]: The controls for Star Ghost were heavily inspired by the work I did on the rocket barrel for DKCR. I think they move the game into its own space and add an extra degree of challenge compared to more traditional control schemes.

Secondly, each sector in the game is procedurally generated from a library of prefabs. This helps keep things feeling fresh. You can't rely on memorising patterns, so you have to stay very engaged with the game.

What can fans expect in-terms of the game's level of difficulty?

[SHS]: If you haven’t played a one-button, rocket-barrel style game before, there is a bit of a learning curve there. On top of that, there are extra controls on the left stick. You can direct your fire, or engage your traction field (but not both at the same time). This usually takes people several games to adapt to. At first it can seem a bit like trying to pat your head whilst rubbing your tummy, but once it clicks, it does feel like second nature.

I've tried to create a smooth difficulty curve that extends quite far into the game. It’s not a bullet-hell experience at all. This might sound odd for a shmup, but I think it feels a bit more zen-like when you begin to master it.

What is your favorite aspect of Star Ghost?

[SHS]: Well, it’s very hard to argue with a David Wise soundtrack but I think it’s a toss-up between the asteroid stages and the procedural generation for me. The asteroid sections feel really empowering when you've got suitably upgraded weapons and things are blowing up left, right and centre. The procedural generation makes a huge difference to replay-ability and keeps the game feeling fresh.



What's next, after Star Ghost releases next Thursday?

[SHS]: I'm investigating options for getting the sound-track out there and of course I'll be supporting the game, post-release as best I can. Hopefully at some point, I can get a long nap, followed by a beer and a curry.

Thanks! We think that was all of our questions, hopefully we'll have the opportunity to interview you again sometime!

[SHS]: My pleasure, anytime.

Take care!

[SHS]: Bye!

Developer's Interview wrote:



Hello! Thanks for joining us to answer our questions regarding Noitu Love!

[MP2]: Thanks for having us! I'm Mathias from MP2 Games.

[Konjak]: Hello! I'm Joakim Sandberg, probably more known as "konjak".



Could you tell us about your team?

[MP2]: So it's really just me and Joakim. I do the porting/publishing, while Joakim does the rest, really.

[Konjak]: I sit in my chair and try to make games and eating things with all of my time.



How long has Noitu Love been in development?

[MP2]: The 3DS and Wii U versions have been in development since the end of 2015. The original game was released quite some time ago!

[Konjak]: Thanks to Mathias I think the game will reach a lot more people, but I actually released the game on PC in 2008. It later got on Steam in 2012, so this has been a journey. The game itself, prior to that, took me a record 9-10 months because it was a very fun and simple project for me.



Is the 3DS version of the game compatible with all 3DS' or is it a New
3DS exclusive?

[MP2]: It will be compatible with both the original 3DS and the New 3DS!



Could you tell us a bit about the game?

[Konjak]: Noitu Love Devolution is a quite classic action-arcade game, dominated by explosions and bosses. It stars Xoda Rap as she has to protect the city from the resurgence of the "Darn" army, a group of evil robots. But along with them comes problems where parts of the city is turning into other place and time eras, and the Peacekeepers have to find out why it happens, and how to fix it.



What are some of the most unique features of Noitu Love?

[Konjak]: The game is simply my desire to make my own Contra or Metal Slug-like game, as those were things of my childhood. To make it something more interesting, I wanted to see what I could do when such a game used mouse controls, and I found it could be pretty fun, and also very fluent in how you get around. So with motions and aiming you zip around all over the screen, beating on things.



Will the Wii U version of the game be different than the 3DS version?

[MP2]: The 3DS version will have gameplay and controls that are similar to those on the Wii U using the Gamepad. We are still finalizing the 3DS version, so the 3DS version may have a few extra additions when we release it.



How long would you say NoituLove is from beginning to end for
first-time players?

[Konjak]: It's akin to the length of those classic action games. It's compact and sweet, wanting you to replay it. It does come with unlockable characters who play completely different. I thought it would be fun to see what other controls based on pointing around I could think of, and they are the result.



Which controllers will be compatible with the Wii U version of your game?

[MP2]: The Gamepad is supported, using swipes and touch gestures for special moves. Also, Wiimote + Nunchuk is supported, where you press buttons to hit enemies while pointing at the screen. This also uses Wiimote swipes to do special moves!



What is your favorite aspect of Noitu Love?

[MP2]: The classic arcade gameplay, and the countless boss fights. It's action extravaganza, and learning how to deal with new enemies is a great experience.

[Konjak]: Explosions.



That's all of the questions we have for you today! Hopefully we'll
have the opportunity to interview you again sometime!

[MP2]: Thank you for the attention! The game will be out around April on Wii U and 3DS, so make sure to follow @konjak_news if you want to stay updated.

[Konjak]: Also check out the projects of Mathias and MP2 Games (http://mp2.dk/) as he's been a good source of getting hard-to-port games to more people. A true citizen.



Take care!

[MP2]: Bye!

[Konjak]: Bye.

Interview wrote:



Could you tell us a bit about your team?

[WMS]: "John Owens developed the game from start to finish and is the driving force behind the whole project. He is modest about it but really its pretty amazing for a game of this complexity and polish! Seven day work weeks have been the norm for so long that its going to be really strange when he moves to a normal work schedule.

We also had various contractors work with us throughout the project to do the bits he couldn't do and generate the artwork, music, and language translations."



How long has Lifespeed been in development?

[WMS]: "A number of years, we don't like to count! To be honest the project was probably too much for one man to take on, we made it in the end but it would have been sensible to take on something smaller.

Rookie indie developer mistake which we managed to actually see through till the end. We were lucky that I have a full time job so we have just got by on one salary for the past few years."



What kind of game is Lifespeed?

[WMS]: Lifespeed is a futuristic flying racer. You will fly ships at mach 2 down tiny tunnels and through rings to get weapons to battle against the 9 other racers. Its a fast twitchy game with a challenging old school feel to it.



What games inspired you to develop Lifespeed?

[WMS]: "The original inspiration actually came from the scene in star wars return of the Jedi where the ships are flying down the tunnels of the death star. We wanted to capture that same fast frantic rush in a race.

Pilot Wings on the SNES where you fly through a course of rings was a big early inspiration. Mario Kart inspired the fun racing fighting type gameplay."



We heard that Lifespeed is a New 3DS exclusive title! Is this true?

[WMS]: We will be bringing Lifespeed out on the New 3DS.



What made you decide to make Lifespeed a New 3DS exclusive title?

[WMS]: Simply down to performance, the New 3DS actually a much more powerful device so it allowed us to get all the features into Lifespeed that we were hoping for.



Can you tell us about the unique features of the game?

[WMS]: We think the combination of all the gameplay elements is unique; flying in 3D space, tunnels, racing, fighting the other ships, flying through rings for pickups. Haven't seen any other game with all those elements combined yet! Oh and of course you can do a barrel roll.



When can we expect Lifespeed to hit the 3DS eShop?

[WMS]: As soon as is humanly possible. Well hopefully March, difficult for us to predict as its our first time releasing an indie title.

The interview wrote:



Hello! Thanks for joining us to answer some of our questions!

[NDG]: We were told there would be pie.



Can you tell us a little about your team who worked on Shutshimi?

[NDG]: We’re a (hungry) team of three: Garrett codes, Wayne makes art and Anthony makes audio. And we generally don’t like being restrained against our will, but we’ll make an exception this one time ♥



What were your inspirations for Shutshimi?

[NDG]: Google Image search, Youtube Poops, horrible developer art, crushing time constraints and ice cream. And pie. Seriously, where is it?



Can you tell us about the unique features in Shutshimi?

[NDG]: "Shutshimi is the only Buffalo-made shooter-based party game available on the market, featuring rapid-fire gameplay, constantly-changing scenarios, and a multitude of headwear options.

It even features familiar faces from some other games! There’s also a Can o’ Beans powerup that gives you a butt-based boost. Little known fact: Fish love beans. Really, there’s only one thing Shutshimi doesn’t have. Pie… much like this interview."



How many stages does Shutshimi possess?

[NDG]: Two. Wait, six...Actually, it might be closer to 1000. No, more like… as many stars as there are in the sky. Or bricks in this cell. Really, it’s endless…like this lack of pie!



Which controllers are compatible with the Wii U version of Shutshimi?

[NDG]: "Better question is which controllers aren’t compatible with Shutshimi...the Gamecube Controller and the Balance Board didn’t make the cut, we’re sad to say.

(Supported controllers include the Gamepad, the Pro Controller, the Novice Controller, the Classic Controller, the Wii Remote, the Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo, as well as the mythical Upside Down Nunchuck)"



Are there any unique features in the Wii U version of the game?

[NDG]: Off-screen multiplayer on the gamepad is something no other version can claim fame to… especially while on the toilet.



What's your favorite aspect of Shutshimi?

[NDG]: Our sheer lack of control over what happens. Because the game has so many procedural aspects to it, it can surprise you even on the 100th playthrough! It’s the game that keeps on giving.



Thanks for answering our questions, we really appreciate it! Hopefully
we'll have the opportunity to interview you again sometime!

[NDG]: It would be nice. Maybe next time it won’t take place in a dank basement? It smells musty down here. And distinctly not like pie. How about we go to Grandma’s house?



Take Care!

[NDG]: Any time! Now it’s off to the bakery with us, we’re frothing for some key-lime baby!

Interview wrote:Hello! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions!

[RNC]:

Hello WiiWareWave! Thanks for the interview!



What games inspired you to develop FreezeMe?

[RNC]:

Mainly Super Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie.
But there are a lot of my favorite childhood games there, like Zelda OOT, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, etc…

Some people say it looks more to Galaxy than 64, there is certainly a faux gravity mechanic in some places inspired by the aforementioned title, but when you play the game you will see the differences.



How does the freezing mechanic work in FreezeMe?

[RNC]:

The main character has a special camera, you can aim at anything that moves within a range and Freeze it for a short period of time.

The way of Freezing the objects depends on the controller you are using you can tap on the Wii U Gamepad, Aim with the Wii Remote or use the right bumper on the Wii U Pro Controller.

The freezing is needed to overcome some obstacles or resolves some puzzles. But you can also use it to make platforming easier if some cases.



How much content in-terms of stages/worlds and collectibles does FreezeMe possess?

[RNC]:

There are 4 main worlds + 6 challenge levels + the HUB.

You have to collect 40 Golden Cubes and 80 Green Coins.

There are also 14 Salamanders that are not required to finish the game but will unlock some cool stuff after completion.



How long did it take your team to develop FreezeMe?

[RNC]:

I´m a solo developer, this took a bit more than 3 years of my life.



What made you decide to develop a 3D platformer?

[RNC]:

There are a many games that left me a mark when I was teenager, but mainly two, Metal Gear Solid 1 PSX and Super Mario 64.

I always wanted to develop something similar to those games, and well this time I went for Mario.



What is your favorite aspect of FreezeMe?

[RNC]:

The size of the worlds. That was the thing that impressed me the most when I got to play Mario 64 for the first time, the feeling of roaming around in a big and colorful world.



When can we expect the game to be released in AUS/NZ, EU, and JP?

[RNC]:

For AUS/NZ, EU as soon as I get the ratings from PEGI, USK and ACB. That´s beyond me at this stage and I don´t have any specific dates. Hope it happens soon.

For JP is a little bit trickier, we are not allowed to publish for Wii U JP unless you are a established company there, and I am not, so I would have to go through a publisher. Let´s see how it goes.



Thanks for answering our questions! Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to interview you again in the future!

[RNC]:

Thank you for making this happen and take care!



Take care!