Tag Archives: Video Gaming

The Great Giana Sisters

The Great Giana Sisters (Amiga, Amstrad CPC, MSX2, C64 & Atari ST)

Developer(s) – Time Warp Productions

Publisher(s) – Rainbow Arts

Designer(s) – Armin Gessert & Manfred Trenz

PEGI – Not Rated (mild non-graphic violence)

 

Released back in 1987, The Great Giana Sisters is a 2D side-scroller heavily based on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. So much so that production was forcefully stopped not long after the release of the game. It has since gone on to develop a cult following among gamers of the home computer era. But after having played it myself, I don’t get the hype. I stumbled upon this story whilst playing one of the more recent games in the series; Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, which I plan to review in the future. But to me, it’s fair to say that the series had far more tenuous origins.

 

Graphics – 4/10

The first thing that makes this game an obvious rip-off (apart from the title, of course) is the graphics. Using almost identical color palettes and scenery to that of the original Super Mario Bros, the only elements that work to differentiate it from the former are the main character and the enemy designs. Only one of the enemy designs stood out positively for me, which was the pterodactyl enemies that sway from side to side, giving it a different dimension compared to other enemies so to speak. But apart from that, the rest of the enemy designs are only slightly modified versions of Super Mario Bros enemies. And it’s no wonder Nintendo threatened to sue. 

 

Gameplay – 5/10

The gameplay, however, is only partially with value. This is the only reason I can think of that it has garnered as much of a cult following as it has. Again, identical to that of Super Mario Bros, players get 33 levels to traverse through, whilst collecting diamonds and defeating enemies. If I was around at the time, I probably would’ve recommended it to anyone who had played pretty much every platformer out there and they were still looking for something else. If they could get a copy of it before production stopped. But if you were to ask me today, there have been countless side scrollers released since this that I would rather recommend. 

 

Controls – 8/10

An element that makes this stand out to a small extent (though for very much the wrong reasons) is the controls. Movement is much stiffer than that of the original Super Mario Bros. And it’s considerably harder to jump from place to place. Which in a game that relies as heavily on platforming as this does, is a problem. It doesn’t have the worst controls I’ve experienced across games of the home computer era. Or even across other games on the NES, including the original Mega Man. But the stiffness of the controls still comes across as counter-intuitive.

 

Lifespan – 6/10

Taking about the average amount of time it took to complete a side scroller back in the late 80s, it can be made to last around half an hour. Though most gamers will probably choose to give in after 2 minutes. And just play Super Mario Bros if they want a decent side scroller. 

 

Storyline – 4/10

The game’s story was also similarly lazily handled. It follows Giana, who is trapped in a dream world in search of her lost sister Maria. So in essence, it rips off the gameplay from the original Super Mario Bros and rips off the story of Super Mario Bros 2. Whilst the story would only be explained in manuals at this point in gaming, and would only be minimally expanded upon during the actual game, it still stands out as one of the most generic video game stories of the third generation. 

 

Originality – 0/10

Throughout this review, I have complained extensively about how hardly anything stands out, and the elements that do stand out are for the wrong reasons. There have been Super Mario Bros rip-offs that have been released since. Some do have some small merit to them; for example Super Bernie World. But this has no merit to it in terms of originality. The series would later be miraculously expanded upon for the better. And I do intend to cover some of those other games in the future. But as for where it started, I can’t say enough bad things about it.

 

Angrii

Overall, the only positive thing I can say about The Great Giana Sisters is that more and better games would come. It’s a blatant rip-off that was rightfully pulled from the shelves and has languished in obscurity since. And for plenty of legitimate reasons. 

Score

27/60

4.5/10 (Mediocre)

Zapling Bygone (PC)

Zapling Bygone

Developer(s) – 9 Finger Games

Publisher(s) – 9 Finger Games

Director(s) – Stevis Andrea

PEGI – Not Yet Rated (some violence and dark themes)

Released following an immensely successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2021, Zapling Bygone is a Metroidvania programmed by Stevis Andrea with heavy sci-fi elements along with an extraordinary amount of variety in gameplay. Following my first impressions article and my interview with Stevis in 2021:

https://scousegamer88.com/2021/05/29/zapling-bygone-qa-with-9-finger-gameszapling-bygon/

https://scousegamer88.com/2021/05/10/zapling-bygone-first-impressions/

I had high hopes for this game from the get-go. I have been impressed with its uniquely testing boss fights (even at that early stage of development) and outlandish conceptual design. And after having played the game from start to finish, I was not disappointed with the final game.

Graphics – 9/10

Making use of 8-BIT visuals similar to other indie Metroidvania titles, such as Alwa’s Awakening, Axiom Verge, and Xeodrifter, the world of Zapling Bygone takes place on an alien planet with a particularly dark atmosphere. It reminded me of the original Metroid, but the element of grittiness and suspense is even more pronounced in this title. Every location in the game makes players feel as if danger is just around the corner. And for the most part, it is. 

Gameplay – 8/10

As a traditional Metroidvania, the game has a heavy emphasis on exploration and combat; though the combat system is quite unique. The player finds relics throughout the game that give them a massive variety of different abilities and combat options that can be combined and used to adapt to different situations and to help them explore more efficiently as well. This system can also be used to strategize in preparation for the good amount of insane boss fights the game throws at the player. Nothing is self-explanatory. Relying heavily on a player’s individual skill to progress. It’s challenging, but not to the point of being inaccessible. 

Controls – 10/10

The game’s controls not only present problems or unnecessary complications. But they also provide a new way of playing a Metroidvania title that I hadn’t truly seen previous to this, and I was particularly impressed with it. There are a few Metroidvania games that have provided unique control mechanics such as The Swapper and Blasphemous. And this game falls under the same category.

Lifespan – 5/10

The game, sadly, can be completed to 100% in around 6 hours. Which for a Metroidvania, falls fairly short in comparison with the likes of the Ori games and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. However, since this was a solo effort, I can’t fault it too much for that. On the flip side, if Stevis Andrea does decide to make a sequel to this, the ideas perpetuated in the first game could easily be expanded upon for a second game. There is definitely potential for a future franchise of sci-fi Metroidvanias in Zapling Bygone. And given the right amount of time and resources, a sequel could be made to last far longer.

Storyline – 7.5/10

The story of Zapling Bygone has the player in the shoes of an alien hive mind, known as a Zapling. He has been sent to investigate a strange alien planet to find something that can end an intergalactic war with an infectious parasite. The game has a small introductory cutscene. But after that, everything is left for the players to piece together themselves, similar to Metroid Prime. It’s not the first Metroidvania to do this. The likes of Teslagrad and World To The West rely heavily on the backstory to advance the current story. But the dark nature of the game’s backstory will have players particularly engaged.

Originality – 8.5/10

With its unique amount of variety in gameplay, story elements, and wonderfully twisted atmosphere, this game does well to stand out within a genre that has been taking more and more precedent over the last decade. I grow ever more impressed when I can find a Metroidvania that stands out to as much of an extent as this one does. And gives testament to the vast amount of imagination displayed by developers within the indie community. It’s always exciting to see what new upcoming developers have to offer. And this game certainly delivers in terms of excitement. 

Happii

To summarize, Zapling Bygone, though short, is an incredible game for the time it lasts. And certainly worth investing the time in from start to finish. Given that this is Stevis Andrea and 9 Finger Games’ first full release, it is one hell of a first attempt.

Score

48/60

8/10 (Very Good)

Below (PC, PlayStation 4 & Xbox One)

Below

Developer(s) – Capybara Games

Publisher(s) – Capybara Games

Director(s) – Kris Piotrowski

Producer(s) – Nathan Vella

PEGI – 12

Released in 2018 following a lengthy development cycle, and with much hype surrounding it at the time, Below is a roguelike action-adventure game with a top-down perspective set in a mysterious world with hidden secrets. When I first saw trailers for this game, I was quite excited about it myself; for first impressions, it looked like one of those games that players could sink their teeth into for hours on end. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find out just how minimalistic this game really is; in many respects.

Graphics – 8/10

The one aspect in which Below doesn’t seem minimalistic, however, is the graphics. Though relatively simplistic on the technical level, especially for an eighth-generation game, it more than makes up for this in its conceptual design, soundtrack, and overall atmosphere. The build-ups of tension throughout each area in anticipation of enemies attacking and uncovering traps that cause instant death (or failure to do so) are very well executed. The game can go from weirdly serene to incredibly tense very regularly throughout. And it can put players on edge and keep them on their toes in that respect.

Gameplay – 5/10

The game involves combat, exploration, and crafting to survive. There is a survival mode for the more avant-garde player and an exploration mode for those not looking for the same level of challenge. But either which mode I played, I found the gameplay to be one of the minimalistic elements to it. Combat is intermittent, regardless of the fact that each room is randomly generated. And in my opinion, there isn’t enough incentive to explore as much of the world as possible like there is in a lot of open-world. Or even semi-open-world, adventure games. More definitely could’ve been added to this game. 

Controls – 10/10

The control scheme presents no problems, however. The combat system is easy to get to grips with, and basic things like movement and camera angles also pose no unnecessary complications either. It reminded me a lot of Titan Souls in its basic layout. But it has that little bit more functionality. It’s just a shame the full potential of such functionality wasn’t used with how little there is in the way of gameplay.

Lifespan – 2/10

The lifespan of the game also disappointed me greatly. The game can last an average of around 4 hours. Which for a game that supposedly encourages exploration, is nothing. It’s most definitely a far shorter game than what I was led to believe it would be after having seen the first trailers and experiencing all the hype surrounding it. 

Storyline – 4/10

The story of Below is even more minimalistic than the gameplay. It follows a warrior of unknown origins having landed via ship on a mysterious island, and is left to explore. That’s it. Something abstract happens in the end. But it’s one of those story endings that is supposedly open to interpretation, but because everything is left to the imagination. And there’s no real basis on how to interpret it. Some may say that this, in and of itself is what may make it a good story. But offering no means of emotional investment of any kind was not the way to go about it. And that’s the case here.

Originality – 6/10

I have to give praise where it’s due, however. The game’s overall atmosphere and conceptual design do make it stand out to a certain extent. There is indeed an element of players wondering exactly what the purpose of the setting was, what it was before the player character arrived, and the backstory behind it all, a lot like Shadow of the Colossus in that respect. But by comparison, Shadow of the Colossus did offer a lot of things for the player to become emotionally invested in; much more so than in this game. 

Angrii

Overall, Below was a bitterly disappointing experience. And the ending definitely left me thinking not to ever pick this game up again. Producer Nathan Vella described it as a “super video game-y video game.” In all honestly, when even the developers are struggling to give it even a semi-cohesive description, it should be taken as a red flag. 

Score

35/60

5.5/10 (Below Average)

Phantasmagoria (PC, MS-DOS & Sega Saturn)

Phantasmagoria

Developer(s) – Sierra On-Line

Publisher(s) – Sierra On-Line

Director(s) – Peter Maris

Producer(s) – Mark Seibert, J Mark Hood & Roberta Williams 

ESRB – M for Mature

Released in 1995 to resounding commercial success and going on to become Sierra On-Line’s best-selling game overall, Phantasmagoria is a point-and-click adventure horror game. Making use of digitized character sprites, similar to Night Trap. And sold as well as it did despite a mixed reaction from critics at the time. Roberta Williams even went on record to call it the greatest achievement throughout her career. Despite her work on the King’s Quest series along with her husband Ken Williams. 

This is a game that had piqued my interest for a long time. And one that I’d wanted to play and review ever since. Given the lasting impression that it’s had on the industry ever since its release. While it’s certainly not a great game (nor even a good one). And I ultimately cite its shock factor as the reason why it sold so well, it does have one or two positive points. And it wasn’t quite as bad as what I was led to believe.

Graphics – 5/10

The first thing that gamers will be drawn to is the game’s graphics. It uses digitally imposed actors and actresses as character sprites. And everything else, including objects and settings, is conventionally rendered to around early sixth-generation quality. So the problems I have with it can be summed up in that last sentence ostensibly. Because of the disparity between the graphical quality of the character sprites and the settings, it renders the entire thing very hard to either look at or take seriously. Especially nowadays.

Back then it would have simply looked inconsistent. But now, it looks inconsistent and horribly dated. The conceptual design, like many other things about this game, ranges from average to passable. It is set in an isolated haunted house. There’s not much else I can say about it apart from that since the haunted house has been the setting for many horror films and games that came before this. And there’s not a great deal that separates this setting from the many others the kind that came before it.

Gameplay – 5/10

Phantasmagoria relies on finding interactive items and solving puzzles in order to progress, typical of most point-and-click adventure titles. The issue is that nowhere near as much thought went into the gameplay as what went into many other great games of the genre, such as Broken Sword and Grim Fandango. And I put this down to the fact that most emphases seemed to go on storytelling and artistic direction. Despite the fact that not much went into it in that respect either. The best thing about the gameplay is that sometimes, particularly toward the end, the player is challenged to think on their toes in order to progress as fast as possible in order to prevent death. This adds a welcome bit of tension to the experience. 

Controls – 10/10

The game’s controls work just as well as any other point-and-click adventure game. And this is one aspect the developers mercifully got right. The HUD is straightforward to interact with, and nothing is overly complicated.

Lifespan – 5/10

The lifespan of Phantasmagoria can range between around 3 to 4 hours, which as is documented, is far longer than the average lifespan of a film. In truth, this game was mainly marketed. It was nowhere near the average lifespan of a blockbuster game, even for the time. And certainly doesn’t hold up today. A point that I frequently raise whilst writing reviews is that if more depth was added to the gameplay, they could’ve made it last longer than the time it already does having used up the budget on making it last as long as it does through other means, such as extended scripts and screenplays.

Storyline – 6/10

The story of Phantasmagoria follows mystery novelist Adrienne Delaney and her husband, photographer Don Gordon, as they purchase a remote mansion previously owned by a famous magician known as Carno. Adrienne gradually learns of the mansion’s sadistic past, as she learns of an evil demon that possesses the house’s residents, and drives them insane making them do evil and twisted things. The story was heavily inspired by the novels of Stephen King down to the main character being a writer, but the quality of story-telling, however, doesn’t even come close to being on the same level as King.

Many plot elements are not particularly distinguishable from the stories that it drew inspiration from, and the only thing the plot has going for it are the few shocking moments there are in it (one scene, in particular, going much too far for my liking). In terms of the acting, if looking at this as a film, it again ranges from average to passable. I think the only actor who put in a passable performance was Robert Miano, who played the magician Carno. He definitely brought the right amount of maniacal zeal to the character without overdoing it. Everyone else either overacts or underacts as far as I’m concerned.

Originality – 3/10

As I’ve alluded to several times throughout this review, there is very little going for this game in terms of uniqueness. Its influences are far too evident, and where it does stand out, it stands out for the wrong reasons, including how inconsistent the graphics and the acting are. The developers clearly neglected the gameplay as well, which should’ve been the main focus, and as a consequence of that, it makes it stand out even less.

Angrii

Phantasmagoria, whilst having those few little plus points, is a fairly disappointing experience in my opinion. The areas in which the developers concentrated most were not handled particularly well, and the areas they chose not to concentrate on, were handled even more haphazardly, making it ultimately a regrettably bad gaming experience. 

Score

34/60

5.5/10 (Below Average)

Dylan Cuthbert: From X to Q

I’m thrilled to start off 2022 with a special interview article which has been some time in the making. Dylan Cuthbert is one of the most storied developers to have come out of Britain. Born in London and having grown up in Hawarden in Wales, Dylan began his developmental career working at Argonaut software in 1988, where he most notably worked on the game X. Argonaut went on to collaborate with Nintendo on the release of the first Star Fox game; a title whereby Dylan was among the lead programmers for. After having also worked on the programming of Star Fox 2 before its cancellation and subsequent release many years later on the SNES Classic console, Dylan then went on to work at Sony America where he worked on a further number of games; most notably Blasto.

 

In 2001, Dylan then founded the development company Q Games based in Tokyo, where has continued to oversee the development of a number of critically acclaimed games, such as those in the PixelJunk series, Nom Nom Galaxy, X-Scape, and The Tomorrow Children. In addition, Q Games have also collaborated with Nintendo on the release of games such as Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Command. Last year, Q Games also celebrated its 20th anniversary and has since re-acquired the developmental rights to The Tomorrow Children has announced a re-launch of the game in the near future.

I was lucky enough to be able to get in touch with Dylan and ask him a few questions regarding the future of Q-Games, his time at Argonaut, Nintendo, and Sony America, and what’s next for him and his company as a development outfit. Here’s what Dylan had to say about his career so far:

 

Dylan Cuthbert 1

What games would you play as a child and how would they go on to influence you as a developer?

The first game I played as a kid was probably Pong, I was maybe 6 years old and my Uncle, who was a teenager at the time, had just got one for Christmas. We played it and I was hooked, it was just so much fun! Once I got a ZX Spectrum I’d play any game I could get my hands on and had memorable times with games like Pyjamarama, Monty On The Run, Gyroscope, Lotus Esprit, Fat Worm Blows a Sparky, Exolon, Bugaboo the Flea, Southern Belle, Underwurlde, Tir Na Nog, and then a little later on, 3d games which influenced me enormously such as Tau Ceti, Academy, and Micronaut One by Pete Cooke.

 

What are your fondest memories of working at Argonaut Games and for Jez San?

I think probably the best memory was of course visiting Kyoto in 1990 with Jez and his girlfriend at the time. It was just the three of us and Tony Harman from Nintendo of America, pitching our 3d games and technology, which of course turned into a pitch for a 3d graphics chip.

 

What was it like working on Star Fox with some of the biggest names in Nintendo such as Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi?

Mind-blowing eventually, but at first, I’d never heard of any of them. Nintendo just wasn’t a big thing in the UK, and I’d never even played Mario Bros when I first visited Nintendo! The first Nintendo game I ever played was F-Zero because they gave us a prototype cart and a pre-release SNES to take home with us and it was awesome!

I worked for a few years with Yokoi’s group and I always enjoyed talking with him, he was kind of like a stern but friendly uncle. He even gave me a daily expense budget to buy and try all the Japanese candy I could get my hands on after he saw me with a pile of crazy sweets I’d found in the local supermarket.

 

Dylan Cuthbert 1

If you feel comfortable talking about this, I wanted to ask you about your relationship with, and the subsequent tragic passing of Gunpei Yokoi. Obviously, the man is and forever will be a legend within the industry and he influenced everyone around him at Nintendo in a positive way. After having worked with him, what was he to you as a person and how did you deal with losing such a figure you had in your life, who you had a working relationship with, and someone who I’d imagine influenced your career in such a special way as well?

Well, he was more of a boss, than someone I worked with directly, but I always thought he was a pretty cool guy and one who was willing to take lots of risks and innovation. My memories are of him sitting at his desk in the main room (he didn’t have a private office), leaning back and play-testing Yoshi’s Cookie running on a GameBoy projected onto a tv. That idea was one of his babies. Also, one day he showed me a simple prototype of the Virtua Boy before Nintendo licensed the tech. It wasn’t 3d at that point, and the demos running on it were obviously weren’t Nintendo’s but it was interesting. Afterward, he asked me what I thought and I was brutally honest, pointing out the screen was just too small to see clearly and was dark. I hope that’s not why he turned the display’s colors to red!

 

Of course, you programmed Blasto when you moved to Sony, but what was it like to make the transition from developing for Nintendo to developing for Sony?

That was a huge transitional change in my life because I also moved to California. Well, I was young, so I took it in my stride but I found I really enjoyed living in the Bay Area, it was a comfortable life. Sony was much more corporate, they had HR and office staff who would buy you anything you asked for, and catalogs of CDs you could order free music from each month, etc. Nothing like Nintendo at all. It was a lot of fun, and I met many people who I consider great friends even now over 25 years on.

 

Dylan Cuthbert 3

How satisfied have you and the developers of Q Games been with what reception has been received for your games overall?

The reception has been very good over the years, and of course, not all games can be hits, but each game we’ve made has found a set of core fans, and that’s really important for us. We are always working hard to make our games even better, so I don’t think we’ve ever sat on our laurels and thought to ourselves “well… that one was perfect!”. We just keep trying to think up more interesting stuff to try.

 

What game or IP are you most proud of having worked on throughout your time at Q Games?

The PixelJunk series in general, and The Tomorrow Children, oh and Star Fox, and Digidrive, and Dead Hungry on VR and…. well yes, all of them!

 

Most recently, The Tomorrow Children IP was reacquired by Q Games from Sony and you guys plan to revamp and re-introduce it to a new audience. But what’s next for Q Games afterward?

We always have several irons in the fire, so watch this space. We are continuing to work on other games while we prepare The Tomorrow Children for its re-launch.

 

Do you have any advice for any aspiring developers who may be reading this interview?

Always strive to innovate, and don’t be afraid to take big chances. Sometimes the best gameplay is discovered because of a lucky little mistake. When that happens, run with it and see what happens. Don’t over-schedule yourself and every day simply play your own game and think what could be added to make it feel better.

 

Is there anything else you like to add at all?

When you’re young you can work incredibly fast, so get your head down and plow through your ideas. Iterate as much as you can, and don’t accept second-best. As you get older, like me, the speed of the work slows down but the experience of all those experiments and ideas from your youth kick in to give you a much deeper intuition than you would have otherwise. Oh, and play LOTS of different games, not just one genre. Force yourself to play games in genres you wouldn’t normally choose. You’ll enjoy them and they will give you inspiration!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dylan and Q-Games’ Jake Campbell for taking the time out to organize this interview and to wish everyone at Q-Games the best of luck with the relaunch of The Tomorrow Children as well as the future of the company.

 

This article is also respectfully dedicated to the memory of Stewart Gilray. Stewart started his developmental career as a freelance programmer, working for the likes of Hewson Consultants, Psygnosis, EA, Bullfrog Studios, and Argonaut Software. He later went on to founder Just Add Water, where he worked on such games as Gravity Crash, I Am Bread, and Lumo as well as several games in the Oddworld series. Earlier this year, Stewart tragically passed away due to Coronavirus. He was survived by his wife and two children. Throughout the industry, Stewart was held in extremely high esteem after having spent decades within the industry working on so many beloved titles, and tributes to him came pouring in upon his passing. I’d like to take this opportunity to offer my condolences to Stewart’s friends and family and to echo his wife’s plea to anyone who has not yet been vaccinated to go and do it.

Stewart Gilray: 1970 – 2022

Mira’s Brush: First Impressions

Last year, whilst scouting social media platforms and crowdfunding sites for new indie game prospects, I came across a unique-looking 8-BIT title on Kickstarter that was subsequently funded and is due for release in the near future. Mira’s Brush, developed by Duckbill ProDucktions and published by Angel Star Studios, is an 8-BIT 2D side scroller with puzzle elements whereby players must platform and paint their way through levels in order to advance through the game; the best way I can describe the game’s premise is if Super Mario Bros had mechanics similar to Okami. 

I had an interview with the game’s lead designer last year, Blake Speers:

 

https://scousegamer88.com/2020/02/11/qa-with-blake-speers-miras-brush/

 

Who explained to me where the inspiration for this title came from and described in-depth the arduous development cycle that game has had in order to get it to where it was at the time and to get it to the point of which the game was finally put on Kickstarter, where it was then successfully funded. The game is now available via Steam Early Access:

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1493880/Miras_Brush/

 

And so I decided to write about my first impressions of the game, about its finer points, and where I feel it could indeed need some improvement before its full release in the not too distant future. Here are my thoughts on the current build of Mira’s Brush

 

 

Graphics

First of all, the world of Chromaland is as wonderfully varied as any other well-established video game universe with a lot of wonderfully outlandish enemies and locations ranging from tropical summer landscapes to icy snow worlds to outer space. In many respects, this game looks to be the labor of love that Blake talked about in our interview, and the conceptual design certainly promises this. However, in its current build, I did find a few inconsistencies with certain textures in certain locations, and a lot of the text around the game giving players instructions still looks quite basic compared to the dialogue text, so that would be something else that would need sprucing up before the game releases, otherwise, it would end up looking fairly unprofessional compared to other games. Regardless, the visual design of the game overall holds great promise for this game.

 

Gameplay

What holds greater promise than that, however, is the gameplay premise. The game involves both precise platforming to advance between each level and backtracking through said levels in order to find hidden items throughout. It has potentially more gameplay value than the average 2D side scroller, as well as providing a higher sense of challenge compared to others with elaborate strategies needed to defeat bosses and solve puzzles. The puzzle-solving element, in particular, reminds me somewhat of Fez, in that the game doesn’t hold the player’s hand throughout, and there is a certain degree of lateral thinking involved in uncovering hidden areas and even advancing through the game normally. 

 

 

Controls

The only problem I found with the game’s control scheme is that it can be tricky jumping on and off of certain types of platforms, namely the huge stars in the second level, due to their changing dimensions, and it can seem unfair to those playing who should have a well-timed jump, but end up falling due to unforeseen inconsistency in the trajectory of their jump as a result. Again, this is something that would need to be addressed before release, but otherwise, the control scheme is as fluent as what is needed. 

 

Lifespan

With a multitude of levels and areas to explore throughout the game, it also has the potential to last far longer than the average 2D side scroller, depending on how much there is to do and how much there is to explore overall. Given the types of games that went on to influence this title and the number of side quests I’ve seen so far, I’m looking forward to finding out exactly how long a game can be made to last.

 

 

Storyline

The story of Mira’s Brush follows the story of Mira, a painter who is hired to save Chromaland from the evil Colonel Blump and his minions, who has arrived to invade the land and sap it of all its color. The basic premise of the game is quite typical of many video games, but what keeps this interesting is that there is a quite strong comedic element to it in the personalities of each quirky character to find along the way, as well as the game is littered with cultural references, namely to classic painters of the renaissance era and more modern contemporaries such as Bob Ross. 

 

Originality

Even at first glance, the game’s level of uniqueness is quite prevalent. It plays out like very few side scrollers I’ve ever played, and the world of Chromaland has its own sense of charm, mystery, and unique design that was everything I was hoping it would be when I first discovered it for myself. With a lot of the basics having been ironed out before release, it does have the potential to make waves throughout the indie community, and I’m very much looking forward to the game’s full release.

 

 

Overall, Mira’s Brush promises an immersing and wonderful gaming experience, and a lot of the hallmarks to be expected are here; it looks great, it plays out great, and the indication is that the final product will be truly something special.

Q&A With Kiro Team

A while back, I came across a new title in development that was nearing a launch on Kickstarter, and now I’m thrilled to bring it to the attention of an even wider audience than what it has been brought to already. Souno’s Curse, under development by Kiro Team based in Lyon in France, is an action-platforming game featuring staple elements of the Metroidvania genre. It features beautifully hand-drawn visuals reminiscent of games such as Hollow Knight and Cuphead and presents a narrative surrounded by mystery and focusing on such themes as love, regret friendship, and decisive action. Curious to learn as much as I could before the Kickstarter launches tomorrow, I reached out to Kiro Team’s Idir Amrouche to understand more about this wonderfully ambitious-looking title, and what gamers can come to expect whilst playing. Here’s what Idir Amrouche of Kiro Team had to say about Souno’s Curse:

 

Souno's Curse 1

What were the influences behind your game?

Different media like books, movies, and anime, and of course video games. If I were to name a few:

– Kingdom Hearts

– Metal Gear Solid

– Megalobox anime

– The Witcher (game and books)

My main inspiration comes from Hollow Knight and Journey

 

How close are we to seeing the finished product?

The game is around 30% finished. We plan a release window for mid-2023

 

What has been the most exciting aspect of development?

One of them is the creative process when you let your imagination run wild and create new environments, characters, stories, etc…The second one is implementing the created assets in the game and seeing all that you imagined come to life.

 

Souno's Curse 2

What has been the most challenging aspect of development?

The team is composed of people from France, Canada, and the USA, and all of them except for me have full or part-time jobs on the side. The most challenging part was to plan a roadmap taking into account varying availability and finding a workflow that suits everyone’s plannings/time zones.

 

How well has the game been received so far?

I started sharing info about the game on Twitter at the very early stages. I did not expect to have this much support and to have a community this big this fast. So I’d say it has been pretty well received so far.

 

What platforms are you looking to bring the game to?

Souno’s Curse release is planned for Steam and GOG.com. We’d be very happy to release it on Nintendo Switch as well, which is why it is one of our Kickstarter stretch goals.

 

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Have there been any ideas at this stage of development that have since been scrapped or reworked?

A few yes. At first, the game was just an experimental project that was supposed to last 3 or 4 months. But seeing how well it was received we decided to make a full game out of it, so of course, some elements had to be changed in order to adapt to the new scope

 

How exhilarating an experience has it been with the amount of interest taken in the game’s mythology even at this early stage?

It’s honestly crazy. To see so many people following every step of the process is amazing. This also gives us more motivation to come up with the highest quality possible to live up to their expectations. We hope people will love the demo.

 

How instrumental has player feedback in terms of shaping the course of the project been?

I think player feedback is one of the main pillars of game development. We learned so much about the strengths and weaknesses of the game just from watching the players’ behavior. After spending a certain amount of time working on the game you become blind to certain aspects of it.

 

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Amidst the influx of Metroidvania titles throughout the eighth and ninth generations of gaming, what would you say makes Souno’s Curse stand out in your opinion?

Well first it’s not a full-fledged Metroidvania but it’s borrowing elements from the genre. Second, I really think the themes and story of the characters and the plot will leave an impact on the hearts of the players. At least I hope so.

 

If you had the opportunity to develop a game with any company or for any franchise, which would it be, and why?

I’d love to work with Hideo Kojima. It always feels like he is 20 years ahead of everyone else in the industry.

 

What is your opinion of the recent influx of indie developers coming out of France?

It’s great! The indie community is growing bigger, and more and more structures are being developed in order to help the developers either financially or by providing more exposure.

 

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Have there been any to have reached out to you guys for advice or to give advice throughout the development of Souno’s Curse?

Yes, many. That’s the good thing about Twitter, it’s always good to network and exchange tips and ideas between developers.

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring developers that may be reading this?

If I had one piece of advice to give it would be: Don’t hide your game until it’s “perfect”. Let people test your prototypes and ideas as soon as possible and get feedback from them. You don’t need art or animations for a mechanic to be fun. Fail early fail often.

 

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Where on the Internet can people find you?

All the detailed information about Souno’s Curse is on our Kickstarter page. We will answer all your questions there:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kiroteam/sounos-curse.

 

If you want to chat and chill with us, you can join our Discord :

 https://discord.com/invite/ukSraCAaFg

 

We are posting daily content about the game development on Twitter : 

https://twitter.com/KiroTeamGames

 

Do you have anything else to add?

See you on October 1st for the Steam Next Fest and Kickstarter launch!

 

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I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Idir for taking the time to out to talk to me about Souno’s Curse and share more information about the game. If anyone is interested in backing this awesome-looking title, you can do so by visiting the Kickstarter page as of tomorrow when the campaign launches. I wish Idir and the rest of the Kiro Team the best of luck with Souno’s curse’ Kickstarter campaign and subsequent launch, and I hope you guys are looking forward to this game as much as I am!

Game on,

Scouse Gamer 88

Fur Fighters (PC, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 & iOS)

Fur Fighters

Developer(s) – Bizarre Creations

Publisher(s) – Acclaim Games

Designer(s) – Jeff Lewis

Producer(s) – Brian Woodhouse

ELSPA – 11+

Released originally on the Sega Dreamcast, and subsequently re-released on the PlayStation 2 as the Viggo’s Revenge edition, Fur Fighters is a third-person shooter 3D platformer hybrid brought to consoles by Liverpool-based developer Bizarre Creations, and whilst not performing particularly well financially, was universally praised by critics at the time of it’s released and has since gained somewhat of a cult following as one of the most overlooked games of the sixth generation. In my opinion, the praise was well-deserved. I remember watching video reviews of the game at the time, but I never got around to picking up a copy at the time of its release. But after finally getting my hands on it and finishing it in full, I wasn’t disappointed. 

Graphics – 7.5/10

The game makes use of cel-shading, which was still in relevant infancy at the time with games such as Jet Set Radio, XIII, and the original Sly Cooper making waves in the early 2000s. The environments are quite varied and the character design is just as so to match. In terms of technical quality, it is about on par with most of what players can come to expect from a late fifth-generation or early sixth-generation game. Being cel-shaded, it didn’t stand out in terms of a technical marvel, but it comes with its own unique conceptual design, which brings a strong sense of charm to the title. 

Gameplay – 8/10

A third-person shooting 3D platformer, the objective is to traverse through various different levels and hub worlds shooting enemies and procuring collectibles scattered throughout the game, including tokens and rescuable baby animals. It has an element of Donkey Kong 64 to it. In that, the player can take control of several different playable characters. Their abilities must be utilized to progress through certain areas of the game. For example, the dragon character Tweek can glide to reach otherwise impassable ledges, and the penguin character Rico can swim through bodies of water to reach different areas. There is a fair amount of variety to be had in this game. And whilst it doesn’t quite measure up to some of the best 3D platformers ever released, such as Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, does relatively well to stand on its own two feet. 

Controls – 10/10

The game’s control scheme is faultless, provided the player picks the right control scheme; particularly in the Viggo’s Revenge edition. The default control scheme almost makes the game unplayable, however. With the movement controls being nigh-on impossible to get to grips with. It made me thankful that there was mercifully an auto-aim system for when enemies attack. In my opinion, the best control scheme to go with is the Beginner 2 control scheme. It makes life ten times easier whilst playing. I found it confusing, however, that the developers chose to associate the control scheme with the game’s difficulty. Because, to me, a bad control scheme shouldn’t exist for the sake of adding to the difficulty, simply because it doesn’t. It just adds to the game’s frustration. 

Lifespan – 8/10

Lasting around 30 hours, more intrepid players looking to collect everything within the game will not be disappointed. There is plenty on offer for players who want to make the experience last as long as possible. And I was pleasantly surprised myself that there was more to play for in this game than meets the eye. I went in expecting this to be a much more generic gaming experience than what I eventually got. And the game’s surprisingly long lifespan is the main reason why. 

Storyline – 6/10

What isn’t so great about this game is that the plot is pretty typical. The evil General Viggo has kidnapped the families of the Fur Fighters. And the team resolves to defeat Viggo and get them back. Given that each of the Fur Fighters has his/her own personality and traits, I would’ve thought the developers would’ve found a lot more room for characterization and plot than what was ultimately included. But I was unfortunately wrong. Luckily, the added voice acting in Viggo’s revenge edition and the fact in and of itself that the different characters do have outstanding personalities and traits keep the story from being overly terrible. But there was definitely room for elaboration in this respect. 

Originality – 7/10

The game stands out to a fair enough extent. But the main reason why it doesn’t stand out with the best of the best 3D platformers is that it doesn’t do enough to stand out. Maybe this is the main thing that hurt sales of the game at the time since it’s easy to make the assumption that this game is a lot less than what it actually is. It’s unfortunate, but to play devil’s advocate, there are also reasons why this game remains a beloved diamond in the rough in the eyes of many other gamers. It’s not a completely generic game. But there are a fair few things that could’ve been worked on to give the extra push it needed at the time. 

Happii

However, that being said, Fur Fighters is still a very worthwhile title. It has great gameplay elements, and its conceptual design is just about better than good. And I would recommend at least one playthrough of it. 

Score

46.5/60

7.5/10 (Good)

Dont Die Mr Robot (PS Vita, PS4, iOS & Switch)

Dont Die Mr Robot

Developer(s) – Infinite State Games

Publisher(s) – Sony Interactive Entertainment, Infinite State Games & Digerati

Designer(s) –  Charlie Scott-Skinner & Barry Island

PEGI – 3

Developed by the small indie outfit Infinite State Games based in Bristol back in 2014, Dont Die Mr. Robot is an arcade game similar to the classic titles of the late 70s and most of the 80s. Which is straightforward to learn, but exceedingly difficult to master. I’ve sunk a ridiculous amount of hours in this game and for good reason. It’s just as addicting and as fun to play as the arcade games of old that it was inspired by.

Graphics – 7/10

The game takes place in a world known as the electro-abyss. Where flashing lights and darkness go hand-in-hand with one another. The settings are most reminiscent of Pac-Man complete with fruit and a yellow-colored main character. Where this game stands out, however, is in its surprisingly diverse variety of enemy designs. The variety gets a lot more apparent the more the player progresses as well. Different types of robots with different kinds of attack patterns are designed to throw the player at every turn.

Gameplay – 9/10

The concept of Don’t Die Mr. Robot is simple, as is what is outlined at the beginning of every game by the announcer. Get the fruit, and avoid the enemies. Fruit blows up when collected, killing almost any type of enemy within the blast radius. Bonus points can be attained by collecting the coins that enemies drop when killed. Or by merely brushing up lightly against enemies.

There are several different game modes to perpetuate even more variety, including a time trial and even a mission mode. What a lot of indie developers have done whilst having made games of the same ilk as the classic arcade titles of old is to add more than what can be expected in order to keep things fresh and give players more to play for past the satisfaction of exceeding a high score, and Don’t Die, Mr. Robot is no different; that’s part of why I like this game so much. 

Controls – 10/10

The control scheme is perfect, presenting no problems to players with its simplicity in basic design. But at the same time, it also leaves a great deal of scope for players to hone their abilities and become as proficient at the game as possible, as more time will be spent trying to master the game as opposed to learning how it’s played. The learning curve involves finding out how to approach each game type and trying to develop specific strategies in order to take each stage as it comes; it’s especially hard, as in arcade mode, everything is procedurally generated and each playthrough presents a new challenge each time. 

Originality – 7/10

An arcade game with as much variety in gameplay as Dont Die Mr Robot cannot be overlooked in terms of originality. It does indeed have its influences where its basic premise is concerned, but it’s just as wonderfully varied as most of every other modern arcade game I’ve played over the last few years, including Titan Attacks, Ultratron, Curses N’ Chaos, Pix the Cat, and Resogun. It’s always refreshing to see developers keep the classic way of playing video games alive, whilst at the same time, giving old and new players a new challenge. 

Happii

Overall, Dont Die Mr. Robot is an innovative, addicting and exceedingly tense, and fun game to play. I highly recommend it to either old-school gamers looking for a new challenge, or to newer-generation players looking to get a glimpse into how we used to play games back in the day. 

Score

33/40

8/10 (Very Good)

Q&A With Joe Mirabello

Today brings a developer interview that has been a long time in the making, and one that I’m thrilled to be bringing to you guys. One of the bigger success stories in the circle of independent video games development throughout the eighth generation was the studio Terrible Posture Games. The company was founded in Boston Massachusetts by industry veteran Joe Mirabello, who previous to this had worked with 38 Studios, working on titles such as Titan Quest and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. After 38 Studios went bankrupt in 2012 following the release of Kingdoms of Amalur, despite the game’s overwhelming critical success, Joe and a number of programmers formed Terrible Posture, and together developed the breakout indie hit, Tower of Guns in 2014, which garnished positive reviews from critics and wowed gamers with its variety in combat, catchy soundtrack and quirky sense of humor.

The ideas perpetuated in Tower of Guns would then later be built upon massively with their subsequent release, 2018’s Mothergunship, which built on the basic premise of Tower of Guns but also introduced a number of new mechanics, such as gun building and a more cohesive story mode. Most recently, Terrible Posture has been developing an episodic gamed named 3 out of 10, described by terrible posture as a playable sitcom and centering around the ill-fated game studio Shovelworks, with the game being much heavier on story than the two former titles, but at the time still perpetuating the same level of humor that Terrible Posture has come to be known for.

With myself having been curious to learn more about Terrible Posture for quite some time, I reached out to the company’s founder Joe Mirabello and requested an interview with him, and he agreed, much to my excitement. So this is what Joe Mirabello had to say about Terrible Posture Games:

 

Where did your passion for video games originate from?

From playing games, of course! And from reading comics and watching movies. As a kid growing up, games and books and movies all kind of blended together into a creative mush; I had limited amounts of time I was allowed to stare at a screen, and so I filled up the gaps with drawing, writing, and creating my OWN games and movies… just on paper.

I can’t quite say when, but sometime between the ages of 7 and 10 I switched from enjoying experiencing stories/games to wanting to MAKE stories and gameplay for others to enjoy; whether that was writing my own Choose-Your-Own-Adventures, making levels in Hyper Lode Runner, or trying to teach myself QBASIC; I found the very act of creation itself to be addicting. Even today, when I get caught up in making something it feels less like work and more like play.

 

Did you have aspirations to develop art for video games from an early age, or was there anything else you wanted to design art for before you decided to go down that route?

Oh, I want to make everything. The lines between art and story and even code are very blurry to me since they all scratch that creative itch… and I feel like you could have flipped a coin and I just as easily could have ended up making comics or films instead of games.

That said, while I did love art from a young age and wanted to work as an artist in some trade, this was in the 90s and you have to understand that no one knew you COULD even be an artist for games back then. The idea that the games were made by people with jobs? Wild! Games were magic, made by magicians only. As I grew up I started modding PC games a little and gradually that route kind of began to reveal itself but it wasn’t until college that it really dawned on me that game art specifically was a valid career path. At that point, I was already studying art and had become quite proficient in working with computers… so it was a natural transition to start messing with game art pipelines.

 

Among the first of your works was designing the art for the Titan Quest games for Iron Lore Studios. What game in the series was your favorite to have designed for?

There was only one game in the TQ series, and then an expansion pack. While I worked on a lot of the art for both titles, the first one was my entry into the industry and it wasn’t until the expansion pack that I was trusted with more ambitious assets like characters, monsters, and some set pieces. I loved making monsters specifically.

 

Were there any elements of the Titan Quest series that influenced your later work?

Honestly, the biggest lesson from Titan Quest for me was that sometimes there is extreme value in quantity. I was tasked with building hundreds of weapons on the game. To hit my deadline I would have to make them fast. Really fast. Sometimes eight or ten of them a day. And the thing is; I wanted to spend days on each one, and could have…. I could have made those weapons look amazing… and the game would have been worse for it.

The leads knew that the game’s success relied on a large number of unique special items; not just a handful, but tons. “Quality not Quantity” is a nice and easy motto to remember.. but can be the death sentence for making an actually good game. The flip side of that phrase is recognizing precisely when “Quantity is itself a Quality” of importance. It’s not every game, but with a game like Titan Quest, that mindset was crucial. While I can work with either mindset, the mark of my progress as a developer has been learning when I need to be deploying one strategy over the other.

 

One of the biggest projects you’ve worked on to date was of course Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. What was it like to work on that game, and what approach did you take to designing what art you did?

I actually didn’t work on Reckoning! I mean, I guess I helped concept out the base world, and some zone concepts were shared between the two games technically but I can’t claim any credit for anything in the game. While the Reckoning team was working away on a single-player game, I was on the MMO team at 38 Studios.

 

What was it like to work with Todd McFarlane?

Todd was hilarious. All of us, including himself, would poke fun of him for wanting to put chains and skulls on everything. I didn’t get to know him too well; as he would only check in periodically with each team, but even still I picked up a few interesting art fundamentals from him. Having grown up loving his artwork, it was pretty cool to know he knew my name, even if only for a short while. I doubt he’d remember it now after all these years. 😀

 

Has Todd reached out to you at any point since the founding of Terrible Posture?

Nope! Every couple of years I get to either see or chat with RA Salvatore though, who was the NYT bestselling writer and third celebrity involved with 38 Studios. He’s very cool and offered some feedback on early builds of Tower of Guns.

 

How rewarding was it to see Kingdoms of Amalur garnish as much critical acclaim as it did at the time?

I felt really happy for the team down in Baltimore. They were kicking their own butts into high gear in order to get Reckoning out the door and it was a heck of a rough development cycle for them—predating that team’s relationship with 38 Studios actually. They should be proud of all the work they did.

 

Of course, 38 Studios folded shortly after the release of the game. What was the experience like on the last day in the office?

It was rough for a lot of people. There were people who were heartbroken. There were people who were in incredibly dire situations financially, medically, or emotionally. Curt Schilling, the celebrity that ran the studio, kept leading everyone on like there was going to be some last-minute financial solution to keep us all working, but it never materialized and toward the end, a lot of people felt conflicted and betrayed.

For my part, I felt guilty; like perhaps I hadn’t worked smart or hard enough. I also felt extreme guilt because there was so much stress and hurt amidst my colleagues… and I did not feel the same. I felt guilty because I was already thinking about “going indie” someday… and the whole closure of 38 was literally the kick I needed to start making Tower of Guns.

 

Were there any further projects planned by 38 Studios following the release of Kingdoms of Amalur, and any information about that which you can share with us?

Well, I was on the MMO project.. that project was the one that started it all, and then Reckoning came along while we kept plodding away on the MMO. There’s some video footage around the web if you look around enough. It was an ambitious project and I spent years working on the technical systems for the environment team, working closely with engineers on terrain, lighting, cinematics, dungeons… it always felt like I was working on something different there and I was quite proud of the visual richness of the world we’d created.

 

Do you still keep in touch with any of your former colleagues at 38 Studios, or have any of them since gone on to join you at Terrible Posture?

Oh, we keep in touch. When a studio as big as 38 implodes, which does happen from time to time in this industry, the team scatters all at once. In a way, it leads to a network of former coworkers, all looking together, and all sharing the same, well, trauma. I would happily work again with many of these people, and I like to think many would want to work with me again. And, in an instant, we scattered all over the world. This network was crucial to helping a lot of the team find new jobs at other companies, both right after the closure and then later, throughout our careers.

As for me personally, I did end up working with a couple of former 38 Studios folks. Most specifically, Chris Zukowski, Master of all things Tech Art and Beyond. He and I have worked closely for years now as a duo, both on Mothergunship and on 3 out of 10. I’ve also gotten a lot of them to help playtest, occasionally help with a little art or sound, and similar things. I would not be surprised if I work with more of them in the future.

 

How exhilarated were you to see Kingdoms of Amalur remastered recently for eighth-generation consoles?

I felt amused, actually. Reckoning’s rights were purchased by THQ Nordic, which used to be just “Nordic Games” or something like that… but they seem to be going around buying everything I’ve ever worked on. They bought the rights and remastered Titan Quest as well! And the rights to the THQ name itself, who published Titan Quest! It’s like they are chasing me! If they are true completionists maybe they’ll ask if they can remaster Tower of Guns someday!

 

Where did the name Terrible Posture come from?

I earned that name through years of hard work not sitting up straight.

 

The impression I got from playing both Tower of Guns and Mothergunship was that the team had a lot of fun during development putting a lot of humorous and random things into the final game. Is having fun one of the main focuses for you and the team while making a game?

Hah. I’m glad the games have that impression. Not all parts of making a game are fun, but generally speaking, if you’re not enjoying the work then that will be reflected in the final game. Enjoying yourself is crucial to making something that fosters, well, joy.. which is what we wanted from both of those games.

 

Of course, going from designing games for others to designing games yourself would’ve come with its own series of complications and challenges. But what was the feeling around Terrible Posture when Tower of Guns went on to become as successful as what it did?

Honestly? It’s been such a whirlwind that I haven’t been able to take a step back and take stock of it. I went from being solo and thinking that Tower of Guns was just a sabbatical to suddenly having a second career on my hands. It’s been a fun, wild ride and I have no shortage of other ideas to bring to people in the future, so I sure hope we can continue to do what we do.

 

I remember Mothergunship being a pretty big deal for an indie game at the time. What was it like seeing that game receive as much critical acclaim as it did; especially when compared to many of the mainstream games you worked on?

It’s interesting that you say that; we were seeing a wave of other excellent titles coming out around then and were intimidated. It was simply a more crowded place to make games than it had been when Tower of Guns was released. That said, I am pleased so many people have enjoyed the game, as it really was a blast to make. I still think future games could even go further though; Tower of Guns and Mothergunship were popular, but I don’t feel like they broke into the mainstream the same way a game with a multi-million dollar marketing budget does. It would be wonderful to work on that sort of game again someday.

 

What was it like for you and your team to make the transition from developing more traditional games to something a little more akin to a visual novel with 3 Out of 10?

3 out of 10 isn’t really a visual novel as much as a playable sitcom… and it was really a labor of love. We had wanted to work on something more story-based for a while and we had a blast developing a unique pipeline and content creation toolset. In a way, me and Chris Zukowski, saw an opportunity to do interesting things using Unreal 4, storytelling, and fast iteration animation, and when we presented the project to Epic, they saw the vision as well. That aspect of the project; working closely with Epic Games to make something completely different, was the chance of a lifetime.

 

What’s next for you and Terrible Posture?

We’re always working on interesting things, most of which I can’t talk about just yet, but I can say that we recently partnered with a company named DJ2 to start working on a television adaptation of 3 out of 10. The project is a natural fit for TV and we’re eager to see where that goes, but we also know that the TV industry moves at a much different pace than games… so we’re keeping ourselves plenty busy with other projects as well.

 

Is there any genre of game that you haven’t yet tried to develop that you might like to at some point?

Well, due to the nature of 3 out of 10 we were able to explore a TON of different genres; puzzle games, rhythm games, Zelda clones, pinball, platformers, car combat… heck, even a physics-based-stealth-quasi-golf-game where you put around a pet crate.  That said, I have always wanted to work on a stealth FPS.. so perhaps someday that will be in the cards (although I’m not working on one currently).

 

If you had the opportunity to work with another developer on any franchise of your choice, which one would it be, and why?

Oh, man. That’s a tough question. Honestly, I consider myself lucky to be working with Zuko, my coworker I mentioned earlier. He and I work very well together and we do pretty awesome stuff. That said, there are other developers I really admire and would love to work with someday. For example, I’d love to work with EdmundM on“The Maxx” game or a horror game with Kenneth Scott. I’d love the chance to make a Tremors game. Or to work on a new Thief game. Or to revive the No One Lives Forever franchise, a criminally forgotten series.

 

Do you have any advice for any aspiring developers who may be reading this?

Unfortunately, the route I took to get into the industry isn’t the same one most developers take now; back in the early 2000s you simply had to show up and be moderately skilled in a technical discipline (like game art is/was) and the industry would pluck you up.

The show-up-and-be-skilled part is still partly true, but the base skill level is much much higher these days. That said, another tactic I used; teaching myself as much as I could through tutorials, side projects, modding scenes, and online communities has become even more viable than it was 20 years ago. These days, the knowledge of how to make games isn’t nearly as gated and tools like Blender, UE4/5, and similar are ever-more accessible. So, today the trick is not getting discouraged. It takes time to gain skill. It takes work and momentum and motivation to keep going. Find ways to give that motivation and you’ll have half the work done.  For example; make a lot of smaller projects so you will finish them. Or, instead, enter game jams, which have a set deadline. Or, instead, join a mod team for some project, where you will have teammates. Or enter an art station contest. Or basically, do whatever it takes to fool your brain into not freaking out about what you don’t know and to just create—that’s the most important thing. Make terrible stuff and then edit your next thing to be a little better than the last. It’s easier said than done, but that tactic is still a valid route to improvement at most trades, game development included.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Sorry, it took me so long to reply to you! Thanks for having me though!

I’d like to take this opportunity to give a massive thank you to Joe and wish him and Terrible Posture Games the best of luck for the future. Joe and Terrible posture have produced some of the most creative and addicting titles of the eighth generation in my opinion, and I can’t wait to see where the company goes next in terms of new ideas and new projects. With the many ideas that Joe has in the pipeline, I believe Terrible Posture has the potential to go even further than what they have already gone in such a short span of time, and It’ll be very interesting to see what they come up with next. If you’re interested, you can follow Terrible Posture by subscribing to their mail list via the link below:

https://www.terribleposture.com/

But in the meantime, I hope you guys enjoyed this interview because I certainly did.

 

Game on,

Scouse Gamer 88