Messages

[If you're a fan of classic extreme sports racing titles like Wave Race and Excitebike the folks at Zordix are looking to make you very happy on the Switch!]

76

TalkBack / Interview with Matti Larsson of Zordix on Extreme Sports Games for Switch

« on: August 07, 2017, 12:06:35 PM »

If you're a fan of classic extreme sports racing titles like Wave Race and Excitebike the folks at Zordix are looking to make you very happy on the Switch!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/45119/interview-with-matti-larsson-of-zordix-on-extreme-sports-games-for-switch

Just last week it was announced that Zordix would be bringing both the aquatic racer, Aqua Moto Racing Utopia, and the snowmobile racer, Snow Moto Racing Freedom, to the Nintendo Switch. Zordix has been around for a little while and seems to be looking to corner the extreme racing market. I got a chance to talk to Matti Larsson, the CEO at Zordix, about what they have on the way and what their plans are for the future with the Switch!

As a massive fan of the Wave Race series I must say that playing Aqua Moto Racing Utopia I was a bit nervous, wondering if it would be able to live up to the hype I've had in my head wanting to see a new version of it. While not everything about it is the same I was very impressed by how much of the feel is there and that the most crucial aspect, the rough waves that have a major impact on your ability to keep your racing lines, is very much in place. How much of a challenge was it to model the waves, and to get them to behave in a somewhat inconsistent manner so they feel somewhat natural and unpredictable?

ML: It was a huge challenge in the beginning!

We’re combining GPU-based physics with shader programming on the graphics cards for water effects and interactive water simulation. The main waves, including the high sea ones that makes the game stand out, have a mathematical wave theory foundation. Then 30 different techniques are used together for the water. For instance colouring, transparency, reflections, refractions, splashes, foam, lighting, tiny animated waves and interactive waves spreading and interacting with the watercraft. Even on-screen splashes. And so much more…. It’s crazy looking back at all the advanced implementation.

After many updates, we’ve finally nailed our own great water racing feeling, in perfect timing for the Switch.

The inclusion of the Runabout mode is an interesting one. At first glance there doesn't seem to be a large distinction but in terms of the level of contact and how much more aggressively the races tend to play out, at some cost to nimbleness, it is a nice contrast. Was it included to be more of a brawler mode or I'm just choosing to force my opponents into the buoys because I'm a terrible person?

ML: The Runabout model is the classic model we have in other games in our Aqua Moto Racing series, for instance in Aqua Moto Racing 3D on the 3DS. This is the first time we’re adding a Ski model, actually.

The Ski model was added to create a new racing style of play where you can turn quicker in the sea and in the air. It was also chosen for the new Freestyle game mode, since there are too few games where you can experiment and do fun tricks.

This way we have like three games in one, with different experiences in each Division. Since we got many different watercraft and even unique party game modes and online multiplayer, everyone will find, or eventually unlock, their favourites.

There are some race courses included that are highly reminiscent of ones I loved and remember on Wave Race but none feel like copies either. Were some call-outs to Wave Race inevitable and on purpose or is it just when you're setting up a game with courses in waves you're going to have to have some overlap of some kind?

ML: We’re happy to recreate intense feelings from the past for those who remember those great times, but our main goal has been to first make really fun steering models for the watercraft, then as fun and varied tracks as possible in an arcady way. Then the water is such a fun element that makes each race different, and we wanted to explore many different types of waves.

Moving on to Snow Moto Racing Freedom, it is a far different title since racing on snow isn't quite as crazy as in the water with waves everywhere. I'm also not accustomed as much to seeing Snowmobile racing as a genre, how has this title been received in general and was I just not aware of a huge snowmobile fanbase?

ML: Haha, well snowmobiling is huge! In the north of Sweden where we live, as well as in northern U.S. and Canada, there’s one snowmobile for every second car registered. In the north, many families have 3-4 snowmobiles. Snowmobile racing has a huge following in the X Games TV-series and we have some World Champions here in Sweden as well. In the south, it’s exotic to play in the snow.

There has been million-selling snowmobile games on consoles earlier, but no new one in about eight years. All of these factors makes it a gaming niche which suits us perfectly.

There are moments on some of the tracks in Sprint League that, with their very open nature, remind me of playing Motocross Madness back in the day, where you can make some crazy choices on how to get from Point A to Point B. How much effort went into designing these environments you're racing in to encourage experimentation and make viable paths for people who want to take a chance and not take the expected route?

ML: We have deliberately created some exciting points in the landscape to discover, while trying to be true to an ordinary snowy mountain landscape. It’s up to the player to discover their own favourite spots for tricks.

Having seen some of the other developers either struggle to get online implemented at all or who've had to patch the game once or twice post-launch to work out the kinks are you setting your sights on both games launching with online play working? With the wave mechanics in Utopia did that pose any special challenges as well to get it working well, even when the waves are big and choppy?

ML: Online is always a huge challenge. We already have fantastic technical programmers with 20 years of experience in our team, so the challenge this time will be the social aspects of creating a community around our games. So that you can eSport in them. Or just have a lot of fun with friends.

In Aqua we synchronize all big waves to be the same online as well as in time trial, while the interactive waves are spread through dynamics and physics depending on the players. Skill and persistence always pays off, and there are infinite ways to improve your racing.

You've had a pretty long relationship with Nintendo it seems, having released games for them before. What are your thoughts on now developing for the Switch? Is the ease of development a big improvement over what you've had to do before and overall would you say you've seen any change in Nintendo's approach with the Switch compared to what you've dealt with before?

ML: Yes, I would highly recommend other game developers to dive in with the Nintendo Switch, since it is Nintendo’s most powerful device yet. Especially for competitive online and multiplayer games that can be enjoyed ”On the go”. Right now is the best time!

So, you've already got 2 extreme sports racing games coming to the Switch, is this the makings of a theme in your overall plan? Are you planning to attack some other racing events off the beaten path? Motocross since Excitebike 64 came out a long time ago? Any chance of Snowboarding since I know of no plans Nintendo has for a 1080 sequel?

ML: That sounds like a great idea to add more winter games, actually. There is also a part of our franchise series called ”Dirt Moto Racing” with ATVs where we could perhaps add Dirt Bikes. How about the idea of Excitebike in 3D online with friends, building your own tracks together? First and third person 3D would be a totally different experience than a 2D view from the side. We’re all up for those kind of ideas in expanding our portfolio of games.

In both games there are provisions for performing stunts and in both cases doing them seems to contribute to your boost, encouraging you to go down a risk/reward path and hoping you come out a winner. Is this something you also plan to put in your other titles moving forward as well?

ML: Yes, absolutely! The fun factor will guide us to implement arcade style gadgets combined with simulation of water, snow, dirt, and far out ideas that calls out for new indie forces to implement. Just like Nintendo we are looking for new unique gaming experiences. Sometimes they are achieved by combining features in new surprising ways. We see a lot of potential expanding our existing games with new content as well, to create a world of Moto Racing that can go on forever.

I wanted to thank Matti for taking the time to answer my questions and give us some insights into these upcoming titles. Both are intended for release this year but currently do not have announced dates.

[While some of its design choices may be divisive, Puzzle Adventure Blockle is an attractive and well-executed single-player puzzle experience.]

77

TalkBack / Puzzle Adventure Blockle Review

« on: August 07, 2017, 06:01:21 AM »

While some of its design choices may be divisive, Puzzle Adventure Blockle is an attractive and well-executed single-player puzzle experience.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/45118/puzzle-adventure-blockle-review

To this point, the Switch has had a number of puzzle games, but there hasn’t been a well-executed traditional single-player puzzle experience on the platform. Puzzle Adventure Blockle is a quality attempt to deliver one, mixing a colorful and cute anime style with 8 worlds of puzzle action. Each has a theme and will tend to introduce new mechanics to the mix, though there are some constants that transcend levels as well. If you’re thirsty for some quality puzzle action, and you’re not discouraged from playing for its odd choices in presentation, Blockle will keep you entertained for several challenging hours.

For most of the game you’ll be indirectly controlling a cute cat named Kulu, who is accompanied by the very curvaceous (and kind of baffling, I’m just accepting it’s a “Japan thing”) and bubbly Arika. Whether she’s a human, a goddess of some sort, or both is something you’ll need to find out for yourself over the course of a story that is simultaneously stock in many ways but punctuated by some truly bizarre and suggestive dialogue at times as Arika flirts with Kulu. I’m not sure how this intersects with the puzzle gamer demographic exactly, but I suppose in its own way it at least keeps the story of the two of them collecting world stars for the shady Mayor character from being completely dull.

The majority of puzzling will have you turning the levels 90 degrees at a time, making Kulu fall this way or that along with a variety of objects. You’ll do this either to collect items of some kind, to trigger special spaces that have a variety of effects, or to simply get to the door that allows you to move on to the next level. If you’d like to be challenged, each level has 3 objectives of some kind that will have you either collecting special gems or completing the level within a certain amount of time or moves. If you get all 3 you’ll get a crown for the level, but these accomplishments appear to only be cosmetic and for personal pride, nothing is locked or restricted until you collect a certain number. It is possible to “die” in levels, with Kulu typically being crushed by an object of some kind, but you’ll have 5 hearts to help you still make it through successfully. If you lose all of your hearts for the level you will lose your progress to that point in the stage, being forced to start it over again. An additional feature that is very helpful (since in the more complex layouts you’ll tend to realize you’ve put yourself into a position where all moves will result in Kulu meeting an untimely demise) is that the Y button can be used to move back a turn. Making use of this can help for testing out theories, though keep in mind that even rewinding won’t bring back the hearts you’ve lost from Kulu being pancaked by something along the way.

The degree of difficulty in most Worlds usually ramps up progressively, with the first few levels letting you become familiar with the newly-introduced mechanics and the rest then having you apply those lessons in more complex scenarios. There are, however, exceptions to this and it can sometimes be odd to get stumped mid-way through a World only to then perfectly complete the next few levels following it on the first try. Continuing on the topic of things that are peculiar, there are also mechanics that will get randomly introduced for the first time in a single level, often on the last of the World, and then not show up again until much later on. Contrasted with how smoothly the majority of elements come into play this tendency is a bit odd.

When it comes to scoring, Puzzle Adventure Blockle creates a bit of a dilemma. One positive is that it is absolutely distinct on that platform in terms of the nature of the puzzle challenges. Since it is exclusively single-player you also won’t have to find a friend to enjoy the game to its fullest, setting itself apart from most of the pack on the Switch. All of that said, because it is such a traditional puzzle game, I wouldn’t consider it the kind of experience that would likely encourage people to break out and give the genre a try. The fact is that many of the elements at play here have been done in some form before, just in this case they’ve been executed in a way that’s far more attractive than you’d typically see for games of this kind. I believe the biggest factor in deciding whether you’ll enjoy Blockle or not, if you’re at least open to getting a new puzzle game, will be the art style, humor, and look of Arika specifically. I can confidently say that I know people who absolutely would avoid the game because of her presence, though undoubtedly there are also plenty of people who will either find her amusing in some way or even benign. If you’re searching for a traditional puzzle experience, give the screenshots and some video a look and decide for yourself if it’s for you. While I wouldn’t consider it revolutionary, there’s no doubt that Puzzle Adventure Blockle is a very well-made and well-executed puzzler that is price appropriate for the right audience.

[We get some time with the founder of Dreadbit Games to discuss their upcoming release of the gem-matching, turn-based strategy roguelike Ironcast, coming Thursday!]

78

TalkBack / Interview with Daniel Leaver of Dreadbit on Ironcast

« on: August 07, 2017, 05:44:00 AM »

We get some time with the founder of Dreadbit Games to discuss their upcoming release of the gem-matching, turn-based strategy roguelike Ironcast, coming Thursday!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/45117/interview-with-daniel-leaver-of-dreadbit-on-ironcast

Ironcast is coming and bringing its unique version of both history (it is set in a steampunk Victorian era complete with giant mechs called Ironcast) and gameplay (gem matching with resource management with strategy? Of course!) to the Nintendo Switch. While it has been out elsewhere to this point the Switch version will benefit from numerous updates and enhancements! I was able to get some of Daniel Leaver's (the founder of Ironcast's developer, Dreadbit) time to discuss the game, its inspiration, and what it will bring to those looking for a strategic challenge on the Switch.

While, at first glance, the gameplay in Ironcast reminded me of the classic Puzzle Quest RPGs, when I started to play the version on PC I was struck by how little it reminded me of that series in the end. There's more challenge and depth to Ironcast by a fair margin. What were the inspirations for the very strategic gameplay you end up engaged in?

DL: You’re spot on when you referenced Puzzle Quest! I loved those games on my DS as they take a very addictive and satisfying mechanic (spotting complex patterns in coloured gems) and gave gem-matching a purpose beyond just ‘high score’. Ironcast was born from that same desire; to have match-3 form a satisfying resource generation mechanic for a turn based strategy duel. I was also playing a lot of Hearthstone at the time, so turn based combat was really ticking all my designer boxes!

For any strategy game to work it’s got to have questions without obvious answers. Ironcast works as a good strategy game because you’re ALWAYS thrown difficult questions to answer; do I fire my weapons, or raise my shields – I only have the resources for one of them. Should I pick that augmentation or that activated ability, both have strong benefits. Should I shoot the enemy’s main weapon, reducing the damage I take, or blow up their shields, improving the damage of my subsequent attacks!?

The look of the game screams gem matching but as you play you begin to realize that while there can be specific bonuses for some characters related to getting big combinations, a lot of the time the goal isn't to simply clear as many as possible. Resource management within the turn and having a vision a turn or two down the road becomes important. Do you think there's a general sweet spot approach or do you think it really all comes down to the situation you're looking to manage?

DL: It’s really down to the situation. I generally always clear as many nodes as I can per match to maximise the experience points earned, but clearly there’s an argument for matching only as much as you NEED, leaving something on the board for the next turn.

Playing through the PC version there's no question the game brings the challenge to the table. What tweaks have been made for the Switch version specifically to either make it a little easier or to further enhance your options?

DL: We’ve made tonnes of balances for Switch. The game was too hard on PC, certainly, mainly down to inconsistency.

One example was that players could match 3 times per turn on PC, meaning they had 3 opportunities to completely fill their ammo bar, launch several shooting attacks, re-fill the bar and repeat. This meant that some enemies felt incredibly easy, as a player was able to ‘burst’ them down in a single turn if the enemy was caught out with no defences, making the next enemy they face feel really hard (taking 7-8 turns to kill if they did correctly use their defences). This inconsistency was frustrating. On Switch, we give players only 2 matches per turn, but reduced the enemy’s maximum health to compensate. This gives a more consistent experience. We also allow the player to fire on the first turn, rather than having to wait for weapons to charge, we allow them to sell unused or unwanted weapon systems for some extra cash and finally, we allow them to reshuffle the node board if it’s too unworkable, but at the cost of the rest of their turn.

I assume that for the Switch, the game will support both the touchscreen and controllers?

DL: Correct! We’re really proud of the way Ironcast seamlessly works in both Handheld and docked mode. Players can, at any time, use full touch-screen controls to match nodes, fire weapons and perform any action in the game, or use the joycons or Pro-controller to play instead. They can even mix and match depending on what feels good. I like to match nodes with my finger but fire cannons with the triggers!

What is your favorite combination, I suppose unlocked within the first few hours, of pilot and mech and why?

DL: I like to use Commander Henry Brent and the Windsor Ironcast (all our mechs are named after famous British castles, by the way). Henry Brent’s Commander ability is that you always start each battle with 1 free layer of energy shields to protect you from attacks, and the Windsor’s activated ability is that it’s able to steal and transfer a layer of energy shielding from your opponent to your own Ironcast. This makes for an incredibly well protected Ironcast very quickly, without spending any vital resources.

One of the challenges I started to have dawn on me quickly is that certain mechs, with their default weapons, simply don't play very nice with specific missions. Specifically Salvage. That said, I've somewhat learned to do all I can to avoid Survival missions as well. Since one aspect of roguelikes is the concept of risk/reward aside from the challenge being random, and offering a variety of scenarios for people to learn to contend with, would you say there are good reasons to seek out something like a Survival mission if you have the right equipment and strategy?

DL: Yes! You’ve hit on another thing we’ve tweaked for Ironcast Switch. Survival missions now award players with about 30% more scrap (the currency of Ironcast) for completing them, to help balance the fact that you tend to take more damage in them. Conversely, Salvage missions will give the player free systems (salvaged from the enemy wreckage) if completed properly, so we now give LESS Scrap rewards for those. Salvage missions used to be seen as a ‘must do’ mission type on Steam, so this makes those decisions a little less clear-cut now!

How has the process of getting the game seen in the Steam ecosystem worked out for you so far? Do you think the game's gem matching appearance, if people just stick to screen shots, has helped at all to generate interest since it is unique or do you think there's a chance more people may give it a skip just based on that impression? Any impression that the Steam marketplace is so vast that the challenges in getting Ironcast seen remain regardless?

DL: I’ve always said that there’s so many gamers on Steam that even the smallest niche of genre has the potential to sell 100,000+ copies. The way I view it is that those who hate match 3 would probably not give Ironcast a second glance (despite probably loving the strategy and depth it offers). However, for every player like that, there’s another who says “Oh, cool! It’s a bit like Puzzle Quest meets FTL, and I loved those games!” and end up buying it and having a great time!

Generally, I’ll do all I can do to appeal to that second group of players, rather than try to convert the former. If the word-of-mouth is strong with Ironcast, they may find themselves giving it a try after all!

With the current state of the Nintendo eShop being far more curated, and there only being maybe a handful of games each week, even with the much smaller install base do you feel like your chances of doing well on the Switch are improved since the chance for getting eyes on your game are improved?

DL: Yes! Very, very excited to get some eyes on Ironcast in the eShop. I read somewhere that there’s currently less than 50 games on the Nintendo store right now to ‘compete’ with. There were over 50 games launched on Steam YESTERDAY. So, absolutely.

What has the working relationship with Nintendo been like as you've come through their process compared to having gotten through similar processes on other platforms?

DL: I personally can’t comment on this as our publisher Ripstone were the main point of contact with Nintendo. However, I can say that they passed Ironcast through their certification process with no ridiculous requests for odd changes to our content, so that’s a bonus! Overall, a very smooth process.

Once you're done with getting Ironcast launched on the Switch any tentative ideas for what you may be trying to bring to the table next?

DL: Yes! Loads of ideas, but nothing to speak about right now, I’m afraid.

I want to thank Daniel for taking time from his busy schedule as well as give a shout out to Michelle and the excellent folks at the publisher Ripstone Games for helping arrange this interview. Ironcast is set to change everything you thought you knew about classic Victorian England on August 10 on the Switch eShop!

[Ironcast is coming! Get the lowdown on how this whole gem matching meets turn-based strategy meets roguelike thing works!]

79

TalkBack / Ironcast Preview

« on: August 07, 2017, 05:31:25 AM »

Ironcast is coming! Get the lowdown on how this whole gem matching meets turn-based strategy meets roguelike thing works!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/45115/ironcast-preview

For people who love a challenge, the Nintendo Switch has already delivered quite a lot in its growing library to satisfy. With the release of Ironcast there’ll be yet another added to the pile, but it likely plays differently than anything you’ve tried before. Combining a gem-matching core with heavily strategic gameplay and quite a lot of resource management, Ironcast has set itself apart from the pack and created something new well beyond its steampunk aesthetics.

While at a glance it may be reminiscent of the classic Puzzle Quest series, it is a very different animal and amps up the difficulty quite a bit. Early on, while you’re learning the nuances of the strategy and becoming familiar with how best to manage your resources, you’re simply going to lose a lot and probably relatively quickly. The good thing is that even after a defeat and your experience is lost, you’re still slowly building towards global unlocks that include new pilots and mechs, as well as new potential enhancements so no effort is necessarily wasted. The difference these new unlocks can make is quite substantial and as you go you should be able to find combinations that will better suit your style of playing.

For each round you’ll be given a mission screen with 3 choices to pick from. Not only will some of these missions vary in difficulty but the nature of the mission is also quite vital. At the start all of your options are typically for a Battle, pitting you against another mech. If you’re strapped for “cash” you can look for a Trade mission, though you’ll likely need to make a sacrifice in troops that will come back to haunt you in the boss battle. Collection missions will introduce a new resource type to try to match as you play, all while fighting mechs along the way. Once you finally collect enough of that resource the mission will end. Finally, there are Salvage missions which can be tricky depending on your weapons loadout since a key part of the mission will be ensuring that you don’t damage one of the enemy mech’s systems… so you’ll want to use targeted shots and weapons only!

Within the missions, the meat and potatoes of the game is keeping your resources up and looking for either large combos to boost your XP and to clear the board or strategic plays that will set you up for a future combo. You’ll have to manage your ammo, energy, coolant, and repair bars, each of which have different maximum capacities that vary per mech. You’ll need to keep an eye on your 2 weapons systems, your shields, and your drive that lets your mech keep moving. You’ll have to decide whether to focus on getting up your defenses or trying to attack. If you’re attacking what enemy system are you trying to focus on. If the enemy has their shields up which of your weapons is more appropriate to attack with? Battles will be won and lost by the decisions and plays you make for each turn and often planning is crucial to success.

As you complete each mission you’ll return having hopefully leveled up, allowing you to pick one of three perks to use. You’ll want to make repairs, and then you’ll need to decide how to spend your accumulated scrap to improve your mech. Will you invest in a better weapon? But which one, a new energy weapon or that single-shot artillery weapon that can punch through shields? Will you raise the capacity on one of your resources? Again, all of the decisions you have that you can make here can have significant influence on what you’ll be able to do in future missions and could either help or hurt you depending on the enemies you could face.

All of these preliminary fights ultimately lead to boss battles where you’ll need to hope you’ve prepared well because you’ll need every perk and advantage you can get to fight these much more formidable opponents. While you may have thought the trade you’d made on an earlier mission got you some scrap to purchase that nice new weapon, the troops you’d had to give up to do so would have been helpful in reducing the boss’s often substantial health… so as always with roguelikes nothing is for “free”.

Look for Ironcast to arrive on the Nintendo Switch August 10th!

[We take some time to talk to the Flat Heroes developer about how the game got started, the challenges of its art style, and the state of the indie scene]

80

TalkBack / Interview with Roger Valldeperas of Parallel Circles

« on: July 28, 2017, 12:39:46 AM »

We take some time to talk to the Flat Heroes developer about how the game got started, the challenges of its art style, and the state of the indie scene

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/45061/interview-with-roger-valldeperas-of-parallel-circles

Parallel Circles was founded by two former developers for TTGames. Deciding to venture off on their own to pursue their own ideas, their first offering, Flat Heroes (see preview), is a game whose looks are deceiving. Due to its minimalist vector graphics, screen shots don’t give the game credit. Once you start to get into the groove playing with its tight and responsive controls the brilliance can click pretty quickly. Many thanks to Roger Valldeperas (@InspectorRoar) for taking the time to answer some questions on this upcoming Nindie title!

What's it like going from a big-name studio, working in a large team, to forging your own path and working in a very intimate one? What's the general balance of it being empowering versus a bit terrifying since this is your company's first project?

RV: It can be overwhelming, in a way it feels great because we are doing what we want and we can work on projects that motivate us and that we truly believe in, but of course not having the stability and security of a big company is sometimes haunting. It's also a big change having to worry about sales, marketing, PR, taxes and all that coming from just working for some hours and then going home and not worrying about anything until the next working day. But at the end of the day making our own projects clearly outweighs all these little issues for us.

Having been a small fish in Steam's absolute ocean of content initially with the Early Access path, what's the contrast as you're making your way to the much more limited current Switch market? Given what you know do you think the Switch can become a real hot-spot for Indies? Is there anything you think could improve their situation overall?

RV: Steam is becoming over-saturated and it's really hard to stand out at the moment, and that's especially true when your game features a minimalist graphic style that to some people will just look like square placeholders and its strongest feature is the control and game-feel. So definitely, we hope on Switch Flat Heroes will have a bit more of exposure that will hopefully invite more people to give it a go.

We don't have much more info than you in terms of Switch support for indies, but as far as we can tell they are doing a pretty decent job and have been really inviting, it's quite clear from the many great indies already announced for Switch.

What made you decide on the extremely minimalist art style for the Flat Heroes?

RV: That's a long story, but basically one day the two of us decided to start a little 2D game and I was going to add a simple sphere just to have something to work with but Lucas insisted in making it a square, just because he loves squares. Then we coded some basic movement and it felt awesome controlling that little square around so we started thinking on what we could do to with that and began Flat Heroes. We had some discussions about the style and since we are both programmers we decided to try a code-driven graphic style, where there are no sprites, every shape is created and animated in code. We liked how it turned out and just kept going with that style, since having a more complex style would probably result in noisy situations where it's not 100% clear what's going on. The simple shapes and flat colors allow us to have more intense scenarios without being chaotic, although it's quite a nightmare from the marketing perspective.

The control in the game is absolutely a central part of its hook and overall some of the movement feels reminiscent of Super Meat Boy. Was that an inspiration for the move set or was there another influence that helped define what you were shooting for?

RV: Thanks! The control is indeed one of the strongest features of the game and one of our main focus when working on Flat Heroes. Super Meat Boy was one of the inspirations, probably the most important one in terms of control, the really tight controls and quick movement was something we wanted to have in our game, one of the initial ideas for the game was making a competitive multiplayer Super Meat Boy-like (we started with the versus modes, although the other modes have become more important now). We also loved the first N-ninja game which kind of made us want to focus more on the enemy behaviour than the maps themselves. At the end we're really happy with the result and especially how it feels while at the same time being substantially different to these games (Super Meat Boy has become way harder for me after getting used to Flat Heroes, and I always miss the dash there)

In terms of gameplay I have been surprised at the mixing of styles in Flat Heroes. It will feel like a puzzle game one moment and then suddenly throw in elements that require quick thinking and top-notch evasion skills. On top of that I've seen signs of other styles of play. Did you start out with this ambition or have you just seen opportunities throughout the development process and embraced them?

RV: As I said before the game started with the control of a square, we had nothing else in mind by then we were just enjoying how we could move around with that little square, and it was great. So from there we wanted to make a game that allowed everyone to enjoy moving around as much as we did. But you cannot expect everyone to just pick up the game and immediately get all the subtle accelerations and moves so we decided to add some levels for tutorialization, which are a bit puzzle-y because this way players can focus on perfecting how they move while at the same time we introduce them to the nature of the levels, being able to memorize the level if they need to. But the actual game we want people to play is not about memorizing levels, is about being able to get out of all situations with the move-set provided, it's about moving around. That's why recently we have added the survival modes, because although you may have a general idea of the enemies that are coming it's not about memorizing them, it's about learning how to get out of the different scenarios.

I hope I'm not ruining any surprises here but Level Bosses?!? Really?!? While many games have let me down in terms of boss challenge I'll also go on the record saying that at least one that I've encountered is a complete bastard to beat as well. This is a game of shapes that starts out feeling like a straight puzzler in the campaign mode, what kind of evil people are you?!?

RV: Well, that's when the fun starts really! To be honest when we first decided to have bosses in the game and made the first one we thought it was really fun, but it turns out we had become too good at it by then, so that first boss we made is not even in the game now because of how hard it was for most players (although we'll bring it back), we've been making the bosses easier and easier until players could beat them, so be ready!

Having been blown away by the single-player content and replayability in the title I'm amazed to know I still haven't even gotten to the fact that it supports local multiplayer as well. What has been your approach to each and did the game start out intending for both to be fully viable in their own right?

RV: That's another one of the features we are most proud of, we always wanted a campaign that was possible to beat with single-player, because we know most people won't always have friends to play with, but we also wanted to let players enjoy it with their friends. So we decided to design the enemies and the levels in a way that the whole game can be beaten in single-player, but bringing in friends will make the game a bit easier the more players there are.

So players can choose to play with friends, where the game is a bit easier and welcomes players of any level of experience, requiring less concentration and making it a bit more like a party game (in multiple events we've showcased the game it's been a real pleasure seeing friends, families, couples and many non-experienced players enjoying the game). Or, for more experienced players, they can try to beat the game in single-player, with an experience similar to Super Meat Boy, which is more demanding but at the same time gives an extra satisfaction knowing you could do it all by yourself.

Assuming you have success with Flat Heroes do you all have any general ambitions on what you would hope to get the opportunity to explore next?

RV: We do have many exciting future projects in mind! Most of them a bit more risky and experimental than Flat Heroes, depending on how this goes we'll choose the safer options or the more resource-consuming, risky and unique ones.

Many thank for Roger for taking the time to answer my questions! Flat Heroes is currently in Early Access on Steam with no final schedule yet announced for release. If you'd like to sample the game's survival mode a demo for PC can be found here or on Steam.

[With the right crowd, Ultra Hyperball can provide some entertainment for a little while.]

81

TalkBack / Ultra Hyperball Review

« on: July 27, 2017, 12:24:37 PM »

With the right crowd, Ultra Hyperball can provide some entertainment for a little while.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/45056/ultra-hyperball-review

One thing that has sometimes come along for the ride in the indie gaming movement, aside from retro pixel graphics, is simplified or sometimes even one-button controls. While reducing the number of buttons does, in theory, make things less complicated and more accessible, that isn’t to say there still won’t be challenges to getting people up to speed. This is the first obstacle anyone playing Ultra Hyperball will face. Ultimately whether people enjoy it or not, alone or with friends, will revolve around their sense of timing and whether or not the rewards of playing will sustain them.

Ultra Hyperball seems to be a sport that people play by jumping in the air to hit what looks like a shuttlecock from a game of badminton with their heads to keep it aloft. The closer to the peak of your jump it is struck, the higher it will go. Care will also need to be taken to line it up horizontally as well though, since making contact at an odd angle will make it move laterally. Its speed is also relative to how off-center it was hit. The challenge playing with friends will be to see who can make contact the most times, and in general whoever does this wins. With a set of motivated and competitive friends this could provide some fun, but you’ll want to keep expectations in check. It is what it is and not much more than that.

In the name of adding value for the people who decide to take the plunge, the developer has filled the game with stages that provide single-player challenges as well as unlockable characters that serve as both an incentive and reward for people who push themselves. While it all starts out very simply, with the challenge simply consisting of jumping at the right times to propel the “ball” as high as possible, without concern for lining things up side to side, each new solo mode changes things up. You’ll find out how well you can independently manage your fingers while controlling multiple characters in Solo Team mode, and then as you progress closer to the fabled Hyperball League in Ultimate mode you’ll be challenged to manage your jump timing while either moving with your analog stick or while using tilt controls.

There are similar modes you can play with a friend in parallel Co-Op where the challenge will be pretty heavily amplified, relying on two of you to perfect your timing and keep things aloft. As hard as it is to do well in Solo mode, not only does a second person up the ante for you both performing well but the on-screen distractions are also amplified and I often found myself glancing at what my partner was doing which sometimes lead to disasters. What’s nice is that this is all just somewhat icing on the cake for unlocking special characters, which are cute, and putting more meat into the package which I can respect.

Getting into the space of issues there are a few of note, though some of them will amount to the challenge of how to do it better. The biggest complaint I have, which I’d imagine will be addressed, is that the on-screen buttons you need to press in the Single-Player Team Mode are too small and fidgety. For some of the challenges I had physical challenges figuring out how best to set things up to be able to press them all. In other cases I found that taking off the JoyCon was a good move but I lost far more often because my fingers had strayed from the exact spot (a familiar problem with mobile touch games, granted) for the button than because of poor execution. Having played through the entirety of the Single-Player mode, getting gold on at least half of the challenges, I’d say another thing I don’t quite understand is the inconsistency between modes and even stages. Even in single-player some modes will have the camera moving up to follow the ball, which can be hard to get used to at first, and others won’t. Some will have you use the analog stick and others will require use of the tilt controls. I appreciate the attempt to prolong the challenge and experience in shaking things up, but as the single-player experience is roughly training for multi-player some overall consistency across the game, or options for control, would be nice. Last, I’m not quite sure if there’s random “wind” in the game or not but while the majority of the time the ball will move in a parabolic arc that you can get pretty good at predicting to position yourself sometimes on the way down it will rapidly accelerate to the side. I suppose this could keep people on their toes but perhaps having an on-screen indicator to help prepare people for that could be in order to improve the experience.

For everything it sets out to do and accomplishes relatively well, Ultra Hyperball presents the same challenge in terms of recommending it that some of the other indie multiplayer games have had. If you and (probably more importantly in terms of long-term play) your friends buy into the hook of the game and will invest in getting the hang of the timing and controls there’s the makings of some fun local play. The problem is that having the right group of people is more key to the experience than the game itself. With simplicity can come accessibility but it doesn’t always equate to long-term challenge. At its relatively low price point, people will just need to decide whether it's something that looks appealing to eat up some hours on your own and with the other people you play with.

[Phantom Trigger is right around the corner. We take a moment to discuss this upcoming action / slasher title with the two developers behind the project.]

82

TalkBack / Interview with Viktor Solodilov and Denis Novikov of Bread Team

« on: July 25, 2017, 10:27:44 PM »

Phantom Trigger is right around the corner. We take a moment to discuss this upcoming action / slasher title with the two developers behind the project.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/45047/interview-with-viktor-solodilov-and-denis-novikov-of-bread-team

Having started out in the mobile space, making the somewhat twisted math puzzle game Divide By Sheep, Bread Team decided to embark on something more ambitious for their second title. Phantom Trigger is a combo-driven action RPG of sorts, blending in some roguelike qualities for good measure as well. With the events in the game happening in parallel with a story of a man who is very sick in the "real world", how the action on-screen relates to that story will likely be a central part of the game.

The game is currently gold and is expected to hit sometime soon, assuming there are no snags in the process as we've seen for some indie titles and the Switch. While they are going through this process, one of the members of the team was nice enough to field some questions to help shed light on their process, what influenced their development of Phantom Trigger, and where they may be headed in the future.

How did your team get started in terms of both choosing game development as a career path and then in terms of how you decided to join to form Bread Team?

VS: Me (Viktor Solodilov) and Denis Novikov are founders of the Bread Team. There are only two of us.

So you start out with a puzzle game, with a pretty twisted sense of humor, in Divide By Sheep. What prompted you to then decide, "Hey, let's make a colorful slasher/brawler game with combos about a guy in an alien environment complete with flashbacks to his everyday life where he's apparently terminally ill in some way"?

VS: As players, we enjoy different types of games. As developers, we want to bring some of our own vision to our favorite genres, and sometimes even to create a completely new type of game. This is what happened with Divide by Sheep and Phantom Trigger.

When people from the PC space saw art and footage from the game a lot of them noted visual similarities to Hyper Light Drifter, but then again I can think way back to games like Out of this World that also had somewhat similar alien landscapes and looks. Where did some of your inspirations come from for the aesthetics, in particular the often unusual enemies?

DN: This is an excellent question. We were inspired by many games. When I was working on the game environment, I was heavily inspired by Soul Sacrifice. We like to experiment with mixing up unexpected things - for example, a level with a lollipop jungle, covered by spiderwebs. This creates very unusual environment.

I really like using bright colors in the game. While making Divide by Sheep, we started experimenting with using different contrasting bright colors. Mixing up dark and neon colors creates very interesting effects. We really enjoyed combining those bright neon colors and dark backgrounds in Phantom Trigger.

We wanted to show the enemies in the game as a part of one organism - since they are a part of Stan’s mind. We like to have one rule for all the enemies. In our case, this rule is eyes. Multiple eyes! That’s how Bubble-heads and other monsters in the game were created.

Aside from the fact that the game doesn't shy away from being pretty challenging, the combo system stands out as a major feature, in some ways making it a blend of a hack and slash with a brawler. What games helped serve as guides for the feel and flow of the combat?

VS: Main references for the combat were DMC, Hyper Light Drifter, Soul Sacrifice. We tried many different combat options, and only the best fitting ones made it to the final game.

One part of the description of the game is that it is "roguelike" but with the progression and checkpoints in the game it isn't like you're starting over from scratch when you die. What qualities does Phantom Trigger have otherwise that would help define it as that type of game?

VS: There are roguelike elements in the game. Each time you die, you lose experience until the previous checkpoint. Each death will change the level: you will encounter different types of enemies and traps.

Like many other start-up indie developers you've moved from the mobile space to Steam and are now moving to Switch. What has that transition been like and what are the biggest hurdles and benefits you've seen with the introduction of more power, physical controls, etc as you've gotten away from the mobile space?

VS: We were finally able to make a game bigger and more complex. There is more graphical and sound content. Now we can create big levels and use gamepad. Making games is easier now, when the device performance is not limiting our ideas.

Having been in the Steam ecosystem what would you say is your current impression of that marketplace in terms of getting your name out there and convincing people to pay attention to your game when there are so many others coming out every week in parallel?

VS: Our game belongs to a special subgenre - Slasher. There are not many games in this genre. You uncover the story in the most unusual way. The players will find many interesting things for themselves in this game.

With a much smaller number of titles likely to release the same week as yours on the Switch, even though the install base is obviously much smaller, do you feel like the road can or should be easier, tougher, or about the same overall?

VS: We believe that if the game is interesting and exciting, people will buy it. That’s why we did our best to make Phantom Trigger an exciting experience.

As you move past Phantom Trigger, assuming you are able to have some success, are there any ideas for what type of game your team would like to try to tackle next?

VS: If the players will like the game, we’d like to make a sequel. We got many ideas for the new stories. But it’s too early to talk about this right now.

We'd like to thank Viktor and Denis for taking their time and Yulia at tinyBuild for arranging this interview. Phantom Trigger is currently planned to release on the Nintendo Switch and other platforms soon!

[We discuss the inspiration and development of Daniel's debut title on the Switch, Rocket Fist, while also getting some great insights into the challenges faced by indie developers]

83

TalkBack / Interview with Daniel Nascimento on Rocket Fist

« on: July 24, 2017, 03:49:18 AM »

We discuss the inspiration and development of Daniel's debut title on the Switch, Rocket Fist, while also getting some great insights into the challenges faced by indie developers

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/45039/interview-with-daniel-nascimento-on-rocket-fist

Working as an inspired lone developer, Daniel Nascimento has had a tough road among even other indies, tackling the challenges of learning the ropes and developing concepts on his own. As you can tell from my Preview this has hardly been a problem, and hopefully his first project to get to the Switch will be a successful one. I was fortunate enough to borrow some of his time as he's working through the final stages of the Switch certification process to get some insight into his background, the challenges he has faced, and practical reasons things players take for granted can be quite complex, among other things.

How did you get started on your indie developer journey, and what's the most important thing you've learned to this point about game development?

DN: I studied 3D Art & Animation at the Vancouver Film School and upon graduating had a hard time finding a job. I was playing a lot of an indie game called Dungeon Defenders that let players create mods for it. I started modding the game and ended up getting a freelance gig to animate a trailer for them. That kind of opened my eyes that I could actually use my knowledge to work with games. I started to learn how to program and started trying to make my own games using Unity. Nowadays I work a lot more with programming than actually doing art. I'd say the most important thing is to playtest a lot, see what players actually think of the game first hand, and what confuses them. All of my games evolved a lot by watching how other people interact with them.

For example, the dash-stun of Rocket Fist was created because a friend of mine, when playtesting, used to wait for you to throw your fist, then sit on it keeping control of all the fists in the level, giving you no choice but to wait to die. It was so satisfying to see him doing that only to be dash-stunned and killed with his own fist on the next playtest.

In my preview I am very clearly coming away with a classic Bomberman vibe on several levels, sadly more so than for the current version on Switch. Where did the idea for Rocket Fist come from and what inspiration have you drawn from other games that have helped you define and refine the game since you started work on it?

DN: After making several game jam games and smaller projects over the years, I wanted to make something more complete with a longer development cycle. I was pursuing a master's degree in Digital Media and in one of the projects we were working on we were tasked with coming up with games for the PS Vita that made good use of it’s physical interface. I was working on a lot of small prototypes for the Vita and had the idea of making a 1 vs 1 game in which each player held one side of the device. It didn’t really fit the project’s premise but I wanted to try it out anyway since I haven’t seen a game doing anything like that on the PS Vita.

And that was the first-ever version of Rocket Fist. It was just some spheres in an environment made of cubes throwing little cube missiles at one another, and even at that stage it was already pretty damn fun. Each player only had one button and one analog stick to play with, it was simple and addicting. I started playtesting with my classmates and it was a success, everyone I introduced this to would play for a long time and would have a hard time giving it back. I then decided to try it with more people, I added controller support, and made a PC-version with a bigger level and 4 players.

I had only spent about 5 hours working on the game and me and my friends ended up playing that version for much longer than that. At that point I was sure that was THE ONE, the project I should pursue to be a long-term commercial project. I definitely drew inspiration from Towerfall with its limited number of retrievable arrows, in Rocket Fist's case limited to only 1 at a time. Also a little inspiration from air hockey in the way you plan your bounces around the screen to hit your objective. And of course there are a lot of Bomberman inspirations in there, from the powerups to the revenge ghost/cart outside of the screen once a player dies.

While obviously Rocket Fist's primary strength would be multiplayer chaos I was pleasantly surprised by the fun I've had playing the single-player Adventure mode. Boss battles are always a plus and some of these guys take some real effort to defeat. Since there's obviously so much additional content you needed to add to support Adventure mode what was your inspiration to include it when some games will opt to go multiplayer-only?

DN: I was watching a talk by Auston Montville from Sportsball (Wii U game) and one of the warnings he gave at that talk to other games focused on local multiplayer was to not release without a single-player mode. From that day on I started working on creating a single-player mode for Rocket Fist. I tried a few different variations, and ended up landing on the current version which keeps the same gameplay of the local multiplayer version with the single camera arenas.

At least in the PC version of the game I couldn't miss the Level Editor. Any chance of this making it to the Switch as well just for local use? I'd ask about sharing but would imagine setting up and trying to curate that outside of a dedicated infrastructure like Steam's Workshop would be a nightmare.

DN: The lack of Steam Workshop to assist with the sharing was the reason we decided to not port the Level Editor to the Switch. We figured a level editor in which you can't share your creations with others wouldn't be of much use. Also, it would be a lot of more potential bugs to complicate our release.

If you see some great levels come through on the PC side of things, or even if you find inspiration of your own, is there any chance the Switch version of the game could see a "best of" level pack patch or DLC potentially?

DN: I haven't looked into the process to release DLCs or updates, but that's definitely a possibility. Maybe even some extra sectors, bosses and enemies if there is enough interest.

Another feature, very clearly still marked as beta, in the PC version is Versus Online. Since some other indie multiplayer titles have either launched already or are in progress with no support for online play I'd wager implementing that isn't nearly as simple as we gamers tend to want to make it when we just note "it would have been nice to have online multiplayer". Are there any thoughts you can share on the challenge that presents to try to implement?

DN: It definitely isn't simple. In reality each player is playing a whole different game, and the games are talking with each other trying to make it look as similar to each other as possible. In a first-person shooter, for instance, it's fairly ok to be wrong in these cases. You have a very limited field of view and if your game tells you that you got shot, sure you must have gotten shot right? In a game like Rocket Fist you're seeing the whole screen the whole time, and if in your screen you shot me, but on my screen the fist you shot actually didn't hit me because I moved before it did, your game will still tell my game that I got shot. In this case, who is right? One of those 2 players will think the game cheated them.

The more latency between players the worse this will be. Then, to complicate things even more, players pick up fists. It's entirely possible that 2 players think they have the same fist if they were close enough to it and there is enough latency to make things confusing. I ended up never managing to make a satisfactory version of Rocket Fist for online multiplayer on the PC. It's still beta to this day, it works well enough with 2 players with low latency, but with more players and some latency it's terrible.

What are your thoughts on the state of the industry where indie devs are concerned on the Steam platform and the challenge of getting seen in that sea of content? What have you tried to do to get the word out about your game and is there anything you wish you could see happen that would help?

DN: It is pretty worrying. I hope that good games will still be able to stand out on their own but I don't know if they will. I feel the App Store is already a huge gamble on being noticed in the sea of games being released every day and Steam seems to be going in that direction. I haven't had any experience releasing on consoles so far, I'll see soon with Rocket Fist if the console market will be a good way to avoid the potential Steam apocalypse. If that's the case I'll be focusing more on consoles in the future. The only things I did was sending press releases and posting on social media. I don't know what else I can do or what would help.

Any thoughts on the process of getting picked up to release your game on the Switch or your interactions with Nintendo to this point as a "Nindie"?

DN: Nintendo is awesome, they have been incredibly helpful. It feels great to be able to see a game I created on a Nintendo platform since I've been playing games on Nintendo systems my whole life.

Once you've got Rocket Fist out there (hopefully to great success) what's next on your radar? Anything you can reveal about what you have in mind moving forward?

DN: My most successful game thus far has been "What the Box?" an online multiplayer shooter in which all the players are boxes in an environment full of boxes. I'm currently working on porting it to the Xbox, but I'd like to bring it to the Switch as well if it's possible (Haven't looked much into the requirements for online multiplayer games on the Switch yet, so don't know how hard or easy it would be yet.). On the PC side of things I'll be working on a full version of a game jam game I made earlier this year called Bug Brawl, an Online Multiplayer arena battle between ladybugs.

I want to again thank Daniel for taking the time to share his thoughts on some of these interesting topics. Rocket Fist should be releasing in the coming weeks and will be another entrant in what promises to be a crowded and highly competitive space for local multiplayer games on the Switch!

[While it may look like just another Threes clone Levels+ has a strategic twist that will keep puzzlers engaged, at least for a little while.]

84

TalkBack / Levels+: Addictive Puzzle Game Review

« on: July 13, 2017, 12:15:00 PM »

While it may look like just another Threes clone Levels+ has a strategic twist that will keep puzzlers engaged, at least for a little while.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/44995/levels-addictive-puzzle-game-review

At first glance, based on the limited description and screenshots, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’d somewhat assumed Levels+ is one of the many variants on the popular game Threes as seen out in the mobile space. To a degree that assumption is correct, but there’s another layer of strategy it adds to the mix. There’s more involved in Levels+ than in simple versions of this type of game and so, in that regard, it is a pretty challenging and good time if this is the sort of experience you’re seeking for the Nintendo Switch.

The hook in these types of games is that you’ll need to combine your like-numbered pieces to create a single piece of the next numbered rank up. With that in mind it becomes an exercise in carefully trying to control where your numbers are. Periodically you’ll then look to combine a series of pieces, buy yourself some room to work in, and roughly continue the cycle until you run out of moves.

What Levels+ does, and I personally haven’t played a variant like this before, is add to the challenge by differentiating blue “attacker” pieces, yellow “points” pieces, and red “enemy” pieces. The blue tiles are able to both combine with other blues of the same number or overtake yellow or red pieces of the same or lower number. Yellow pieces can only be combined with other yellows in order to increase their value. You can only remove red pieces by using a blue piece of a high enough level. The flow in how you choose to manage the order and execution of your moves will help determine your success. Your attacks and combinations will ultimately have less to do with “making a play” and more to do with how making that move at the right time will set up an opportunity for another piece.

As I said this style of play, in general, is reminiscent of other games I’ve played but the colored pieces substantially alters how everything plays out and is a refreshing twist! There is quite a bit of strategy to the game, especially in regards to how you level up your yellow pieces. Rather than simply running them over because you can, there is a strategic component to combining them first in that you’ll gain a higher score the higher the yellow tile value is when you finally take it with your blue tile. Of course the higher level it is, the higher the level your blue piece will also need to be so you’ll need to be cautious. In addition I’ve run into at least one hidden power-up that you can permanently unlock in the game once you’ve leveled a yellow piece up to six and consume it, so there’s an added incentive to try to get your level up for that purpose as well.

Getting past the core game there’s nothing more of note. There is only the one mode, though in theory you could play it endlessly and try to top your highest score. It can be played either with the controller or with the touchscreen, though I will note the pace you can play in touchscreen mode can’t get too fast or you can either have issues executing moves or sometimes you’ll get a move you didn’t intend. This only happened periodically and I had a hard time telling if the issue was just me not being precise with my fingers or the game having an issue, but it is worth noting. I found controller play to be perfectly workable and fast so I generally have stuck with that style. About the only other complaint would be that the loop on the music track is very short so over time I may recommend simply turning it off if it gets grating.

With all of that in mind, if you’re looking for a light puzzling experience you can just pick up and play semi-thoughtfully for a while Levels+ is better than other games of its kind that I’ve played on other devices due to the added complexity. As a budget-priced offering the question ultimately becomes whether this is the kind of game you’re looking for. If it is, and you understand that the goal isn’t to “win” but to challenge yourself to continue to try to up your score, I’d say this is a worthy purchase.

85

TalkBack / Re: Implosion: Never Lose Hope (Switch) Review

« on: July 07, 2017, 01:24:37 PM »

The difficulty doesn't kick in until somewhere in Chapter 3 I'd say (meaning completing levels on the first try without using a Revive) but somewhere in there it starts to get harder. In Chapter 4 the last level I played most of the way in I actually died while even using all Revives. Some of those monster combinations really will punish you if you're not smart with power-ups, heals, and weakening them with whatever means necessary and that seems to be by design. It's far beyond what I'd expected though and once I get done with some of these other games I need to review I'll probably spend equal times on Implosion and GoNNER. Both are awesome for different reasons.

86

TalkBack / Re: Rocket League Preview

« on: July 07, 2017, 01:19:39 PM »

Hehe, was merely being nice about Season mode for people who don't like to worry about folks calling them a n00b on the chat. The bots are decent enough that you can get a mild challenge while you learn basics but you're right, you'll ultimately learn little to nothing from them that will put you on a road to actual success.

[At long last this indie darling, that is still going very strong 2 full years after its initial release, is on its way to the Switch. Get the lowdown on what it's all about.]

87

TalkBack / Rocket League Preview

« on: July 06, 2017, 11:38:52 AM »

At long last this indie darling, that is still going very strong 2 full years after its initial release, is on its way to the Switch. Get the lowdown on what it's all about.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/44972/rocket-league-preview

Of all the upcoming indie titles coming to the Nintendo Switch there’s none that I’m more genuinely excited for than Rocket League. Not so much for the opportunity to play it, my current logged game time for it on Steam stands at 491 hours, but for the opportunity for more people to be able to share in what I consider to be my favorite competitive “sports” game ever.

At its simplest level the game sounds a bit silly: rocket-powered cars, playing soccer (or some variant) in a closed arena. Uhm… yeah. Well, I’m here to tell you that once you get your first goal off the wall or manage to make a daring last-second save you may just get hooked in. Getting started can be a challenge. Figuring out whether you want to play with your eyes ahead or on the ball, learning to “feel” where the goal is, and working to develop your aerial skills are all important. Nevertheless, there’s one thing probably more important than any other: learning to figure out and play to where the ball is or will be going instead of simply chasing it. (Damn you crowders and ball chasers; don’t be one of these people!)

Getting past technique there are a pretty crazy variety of ways to play, and the great news is that on a periodic basis Psyonix has continued to add new modes. Not all of them are great or popular, but I appreciate the continued effort they’ve put into the game a good 2 years in and there’s no sign of them stopping. First you have the standard matches, whether played casually or ranked, going from 1 v 1 up to 3 v 3. These are the bread and butter matches and where I personally (in ranked, typically 3 v 3) spend the majority of my time. In addition there’s a 4 v 4 and aptly-named Chaos mode, Hoops mode (somewhat as silly as the one in ARMS and I’ve never had much fun with it), Snow Day mode (replace the ball with a hockey puck), Rumble mode (my favorite alternative mode with a variety of ridiculous power-ups to spice the game up), and the newest mode called Dropshot (the arena floor for either team can be damaged by the ball, eventually falling away to make new goals). Bottom line, there’s probably something for everyone and you can keep things from getting stale pretty easily.

There is also a single-player Season mode, assuming it would come to the Switch as well, and it does a fair job of putting you up against bots that can play a generally good game. This is the place to hone your skills a bit after hitting the basic Training Mode that will cover fundamentals. Online play, as always, can be a “dangerous” place when your skills are lacking; though thankfully as a whole I consider the Rocket League community about the most consistently polite among the online games I’ve played. If you don’t have ready access to online play this mode can serve you well enough but you’d really be missing out on the best the game has to offer.

I can (and probably would) talk all day about the game but in the end you’ll have to check things out for yourself to make up your mind. Even with all the hours I’ve put in, and with the skills I’ve developed, there is still a significant amount of technique the people who are very good at the game have over me. Some of the aerial goals you’ll see will simply blow you away and the good news is that if you get up your courage and refine your skills you’ll find that you can pull those moves off as well. It’s when you connect on those crazy impulses and score or block that the game makes you a fan, you just need to have the nerve to try.

[Implosion: Never Lose Hope is the best current example of an “indie” title that looks and plays like a AAA game]

88

TalkBack / Implosion: Never Lose Hope (Switch) Review

« on: July 06, 2017, 04:06:00 AM »

Implosion: Never Lose Hope is the best current example of an “indie” title that looks and plays like a AAA game

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/44966/implosion-never-lose-hope-switch-review

I’ll admit that when I first saw the screenshots and information on Implosion I had mixed feelings. While it all looked pretty impressive, given its age and mobile-based lineage I convinced myself that there would likely be some problem with it when it hit the Switch, whether in terms of performance or control. I’ve been burned too many times by Android mobile titles falling short in both departments on my Shield tablet, and I expected the same would happen here. I’m delighted to tell you that I couldn’t be more wrong. Implosion needs few qualifiers when describing its overall quality, it is both great to look at and exciting to play.

The story actually isn’t half-bad, though the general flow of narrative beats should be well-known to sci-fi fans. Set in the future, an alien menace arrives, many people flee the Earth and the main character is haunted by a figure from his past he left behind. The citizens return to Earth to check up after a few decades, things aren’t what they seemed, conspiracies and treachery… it all plays out fine but it’s also familiar. Thankfully, the voice acting and various ways that cutscenes and dialogue are meshed together in the game all work nicely together, giving everything a degree of polish.

Moving on to the main event, the cornerstone quality that will impress the most are the visuals. While you’ll hardly mistake Implosion for a current-gen title, the fact is that it looks good, its action is fluid and it sports some intimidating bosses in terms of their appearance and size. Your mech is often a blur of movement as you work your combos on enemies but that isn’t to say it’s sloppy. Considering Implosion’s roots are on mobile devices the somewhat outdated overall look is no surprise but in handheld mode you really won’t notice at all.

The great news, and most critical success, is that the control is spot-on. This is an area where mobile conversions often stumble, but having played with both the pro controller and the joycon in handheld mode you’d think it was developed with them in mind. You’ll absolutely need the control to be tight and precise because once things get rolling into the further chapters you won’t be able to simply spam your way through increasingly challenging enemies. You’ll need to learn enemy attack styles and how best to use a combination of your melee attacks, your guns, and elements in the environment to take them down. More critically you’ll have to remain very aware of the status of your health and shield, learning the best tactics for getting in some hits and then evading enemy counters in order to avoid taking massive damage in return. This need is the most pronounced in the boss battles that conclude each chapter. The boss at the end of Chapter 3 is particularly brutal to match up against. Even working your best to avoid its brutal attacks the first time through I’m pretty certain most people will need to use a Revive to finish it off.

The one major area where things fall apart is tied to your abilities and how you make the best use of the enhancements available to you. There are 3 major skill areas where you can slot in 2 boosts that have a variety of effects. Some have to do with specialties like a hacker skill that will allow you to get into several secret areas located in a variety of locations. Others will give you improved attack strength, or agility or shield recharge rate. There’s another distinct modifier you can change out that will add up to three special attacks to your arsenal. Some options may include a dash, some may break enemy shields and some will do damage to multiple enemies in your vicinity. Unfortunately, in general there’s nothing explaining any of this very well and you’ll simply have to muddle through and experiment until you get the results that seem to work for you. There’s an attempt to help you choose between different enhancements, with indicators showing what you’ll gain or lose by changing them with one another, but overall it all could and should have been handled much more clearly. As you play you’ll acquire new abilities by killing enemies or finding them in boxes, but you’ll also have an option to buy and sell them as you go. Again, you can generally intuitively figure out what you’re supposed to do, and which items are better to equip than others, but I still question whether I’m doing the best I can to equip my warrior for success.

As a cherry on top of the engaging core campaign there are also additional skill levels. Then there is the gun-crazy Additional Story campaign I assume was originally an expansion, and finally there's a badge system. As you play or replay levels you’ll be given objectives that will award you a badge by completing them. Accruing a sufficient number of these will unlock special skills as well as different sets of armor to play through the game with again. The fact is that for your initial cost of admission, if you enjoy the core mechanics, there’s a lot of content that comes with the package for you to play through.

Looking at the big picture this is probably the most mainstream-friendly indie title I’ve played on the Switch that I would anticipate will appeal to a wide audience. While not as deep as something you’d see from the likes of Platinum Games, the general gameplay hook is there, combining fast-paced melee combo attacks with some gunplay and strategic combat. The fact that it is being delivered in a budget-friendly package with so much content out of the gate more than compensates for the relative age and somewhat dated visuals it brings along for the ride. If you’re looking for something to get your adrenaline pumping, whether you’re at home or on the go, Implosion delivers a challenge and excitement in a wallet-friendly package.

[The Dangerous Kitchen may be the most punk rock indie developers out there, working out of a coffee shop rather than an office. Get the lowdown on their process and making their debut title, De Mambo.]

89

TalkBack / An Interview with Shaun Roopra About De Mambo

« on: July 06, 2017, 12:12:11 AM »

The Dangerous Kitchen may be the most punk rock indie developers out there, working out of a coffee shop rather than an office. Get the lowdown on their process and making their debut title, De Mambo.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/44953/an-interview-with-shaun-roopra-about-de-mambo

Having read a few interviews, including the most recent and fascinating one by Eurogamer, one constant is your work environment being a very "borrowed" space. In many ways I'd say that even up against "bedroom coders" you all sound like you may hold the title of "most punk rock" indie developers hands down. Assuming you find success with the release of De Mambo will you stay true to the process and working "on location" or will you go traditional and work in a quieter and more sterile setting?

SR: Let’s just start by saying thanks so much for granting us such a cool title! As a big Suda51 fan, I’m very much a fan of the “punk rock” school of games design Suda brandishes. It’s something we try and capture with a lot of our design processes which is very rough around the edges and DIY. As an example, most of the sound effects in De Mambo were made using iPhone apps that I recorded from my phone directly into my laptop speaker without using a wire. That gives them a really gritty, lo-fi feel and so if you hate the incredibly obnoxious sounds De Mambo exhibits, blame me!

That’s a tough question to answer as there are a lot of benefits to an office but the creative element of being in an open space might be too pivotal to us. We did have a stint in an office for a few months but it lacked the freedom I think we need, as being in a ‘borrowed space’ as you put it keeps you more grounded. But, if we do find an office with a pizza oven and maybe an occult library then yeah maybe we’ll go for it!

As you all embraced this journey fresh out of school, and not necessarily having gone through a traditional path to start a video game company, what words of wisdom / advice would you have for other people out there who dream about making games?

SR: Well we did decide on becoming a company at University, but it took a few years for us to actually get to this point, so that’s definitely my first bit of advice—if you want it, you’ll have to keep at it. There were so many times we could of quit and moved on, but we didn’t. If you want to make games, you’ll simply find a way. Another great bit of advice is something Alan Moore talks about in that you need to lose the desire to succeed and the fear of failure. By doing this you focus on making something that is pure and true to you. So, use what you have and just do it. Have fun and try not to focus entirely on things that other people do and have done, focus on you and only in what you or your team can possibly create.

Looking at the Kickstarter campaign that really got your started, your intention was going to the Sony platforms (including Vita) and PC. At the time the Wii U was presented as a possibility but wasn't the focus. At some point you then obviously ended up on Nintendo's radar and now you're launching as Switch-exclusive initially, then going to the others later. Not sure how much detail you can share but how did that all get changed?

SR: So when we actually started, the Wii U wasn’t particularly healthy looking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the console, but from a business perspective it made no sense. With the original prototype of De Mambo, being minimal was our mantra, so we felt the game would be great on a handheld. Since our game was Unity that kept out the 3DS which wasn’t compatible and we decided that the Vita being a strong indie machine would be great for us. Sony had a better reputation with indies and putting a Smash style game on a console which has Smash didn’t seem like the best option, so being with Nintendo wasn’t our intention. It’s funny how that works right? We exhibited at Bit Summit 2016, they liked the game and now we’re launching on the Switch! We changed focus because releasing in the launch period of a new console would yield far more exposure for a new company making their first game.

As a group of Nintendo / Smash fans influenced by aspects of their design philosophy, focusing on simplicity and fun over all else, how does it all feel right now? To have your first game released on their brand new, and unquestionably smoking hot, system?

SR: Honestly, it still feels like a dream. Just going from avoiding Nintendo, to hearing that they are interested in your game, to then receiving a devkit is so surreal. We definitely haven’t processed it yet, so after we’ve released and we’ve had time to relax, that’s when it will hit us and we’ll most probably explode taking out everyone in our near vicinity.

Aside from you all being new to the development process you're also new to the business end things in terms of the networking, marketing, and contract side. What have you learned or what help have you gotten to assist yourselves in navigating that aspect of things, well beyond simply trying to design and implement the best game you can?

SR: That’s the conundrum an indie developer faces. How do you make a game and juggle the business on top? Quite simply you just have to find a way and get it done. Personally though, what I’ve learnt is to make everything fun. Writing a press release wasn’t exactly my idea of fun before doing this, but because I make it fun to write, I love doing them. Creativity solves all problems after all. Thankfully, we’ve been incredibly lucky to receive a lot of support from so many different people. We have a friend who’s basically our press mentor helping us out in that department, our neighbor at our first EGX gave us one small piece of invaluable advice for exhibiting—which was simply to go talk to people when they hover about your stand, which increases the chance of them playing your game—and friends and family offering so much support.

Having interviewed a few other indie developers to this point the discussion around making and trying to sell a game that is more "visually simple" has come up before. What have you tried to do in order to make the most of your visual style and to attempt to get people to give it that initial chance? At the point they give the game 5 minutes what are you banking on being your best "hook" to get them to see the full potential of the game experience beyond merely what they see?

SR: Well, we didn’t concentrate on how De Mambo looks to begin with, as I do feel that imagination is far more empowering to the user. So the idea of something and how it functions in relation to the player was our goal, which we inherently added from the very beginning. How does the player understand it? That’s our main focus when designing. It’s pretty much the Nintendo way. The concept of ‘design expresses function’ that Miyamoto talks about when discussing Mario is how we tried to design De Mambo. For example the fact that every level is made up of block, that was simply because a player would understand the destructibility of the stages far easier as blocks. So with all that said, playing the game is the hook we rely on, as it’s a game right? Visual hooks will only get you so far.

While with the Smash inspiration the game obviously has a significant multiplayer focus you also have a single-player experience and co-op play possible as well. What game experiences would you say inspired the style and play of the modes that aren't just focused on four-player battles?

SR: ‘Solo’ mode was a conundrum for us. We refused to just make your typical tacked-on single-player mode, as that’s not really our style. We wanted to explore the gameplay we could build around the core of De Mambo and had a lot of crazy ideas but ultimately we toned it down. Super Mario 3D World was a big inspiration as in that game you have the Mystery House’s where you face these short 10 second challenges and it really shows you the imagination Nintendo is capable of. So we combined that with the quick-fire nature of Wario Ware and the towers of Mortal Kombat and somehow made a single-player De Mambo mode that we’re really proud of.

Survival on the other hand was very quickly made, pretty much an afterthought that turned out amazing. I think it’s due to the foundation of De Mambo’s core gameplay being very flexible. Obviously, Space Invaders and Galaga etc were the inspiration for ‘Survival’.

What would you say, in a game designed with simplicity of control in mind, is the best secret or trick to being successful at the game against your friends?

SR: Although the controls are simple, there is still a lot of intricacies to them such as perfect attacks or dashing. Timing is also beneficial, as you can counter someone’s spin attack with a spin attack of your own and even reflect a projectile back. Even mind games come into play as when you’re on the ‘Loser-Rail’ all you have to do is go near someone to make them fear death! So I think the essence of being successful at De Mambo is using what you have in the best way you can.

Having followed your Twitter account for a while now I've seen you all go to quite a few trade and industry events. What has the reception been like for you and at those sorts of shows how would you rate the level of enthusiasm for the indie market as a whole as opposed to the big developers?

SR: The reception has been great, especially since De Mambo is the type of game that needs to be played to be best understood. Going to events has really helped us out, as obviously that’s how we got on to the Switch in the first place. There are so many passionate fans and supporters of indie games you see at these events, so even if there’s less enthusiasm on a grander scale, on a more intimate level it’s far more engaging.

Seen as a package, what would you say is the selling point of the game? What gets you excited about playing it and what experience are you most hoping people will walk away from it with?

SR: We believe that De Mambo being on the Switch in itself is the best selling point for a multitude of reasons. The fact that the game is a single screen multiplayer game that you can play against people in ‘Mambo’ or with them in ‘Survival’ is completely at home on the Switch. The game controls really good with one Joycon held sideways and since the controls are simple (one button and analogue) it alleviates a lot of cramping—trust me, I’ve tested the solo mode for hours on end! Also the replayability and quick burst nature of ‘Solo’ is great for playing in handheld mode. We just hope that people have fun, as that’s why we made the game in the first place.

Having been successful in realizing your initial vision of breaking down a game like Smash to its simplest form, and then working and refining it, do you think there are other popular games you'd like to attempt to do the same thing with next time? Or do you think you'll next look to something more ambitious?

SR: That’s a good question! Well, I can’t speak for the whole team, but I’m definitely interested in doing something similar for Mario Kart. I’m a big platformer fan so putting the platformer back in Mario Kart à la the first game is something I’d love to explore. I don’t think we’ll be making our next game in quite the same way, as you have to spice things up and see what new avenues are available to explore. It’s like they say, those who stand still in an expanding universe are moving backwards.

I'd like to thank Shaun for taking the time to answer my questions and provide such valuable insights into the indie development process! De Mambo has already been released on the Japanese eShop and will debut in the US eShop July 13!

[As the debut title for developer Daniel Nascimento, Rocket Fist is looking to deliver quite a whallop!]

90

TalkBack / Rocket Fist Preview

« on: July 05, 2017, 01:05:54 PM »

As the debut title for developer Daniel Nascimento, Rocket Fist is looking to deliver quite a whallop!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/44951/rocket-fist-preview

While I began getting acquainted with Rocket Fist, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. The controls were simple to understand, and the action was intense and frantic. Yet, underneath that simplicity, plenty of room for skill and even strategy was present. In the back of my mind, a thought kept trying to claw its way out, a realization it took some reflection to finally put into words: In many ways this is what Bomberman used to feel like to me when it got its most intense.

I’m not sure that even videos can properly convey the very fast-paced experience you get with this title. Find a fist, look for your shot, point and fire, retreat, try to stun someone with a fist so you can have it, look for a power-up, or maybe even look for an opportunity to throw your fist at one another player is trying to pick up to create some glorious chaos! If you’re feeling really daring you may even be able to time it so you can catch someone else’s punch… but you’d better have that timing nailed to get away with it. That’s just the bare basics, but once you layer in various obstacles that create a variety of angles for your shots, elements like walls that raise or lower on the press of a button, or moving conveyor belts that can speed you up or slow you down, it makes for quite a challenge to both your skills and your ingenuity.

The single-player Adventure mode is actually not so different from playing the multiplayer Versus mode; you just are progressing through various challenges until you get to a Boss fight, then move onto the next sector. That said, it does do a pretty good job of introducing concepts to you little by little, so you’re not just thrown into the mix and expected to understand everything while you’re busy dying. You can also rock Versus mode by yourself against bots and I was happy so far to find them challenging without also being cheap, though the dead “ghosts” did seem to try to team up on me from the sides.

While the space for local multiplayer gaming on the Switch is about to get pretty crowded in the coming months, I’m thinking Rocket Punch has a shot at capturing a safe chunk of people looking for some fast and crazy fun. It has a cartoony and colorful look, it brings the action to you in a hurry, and at least for me it inspires a nostalgia for local multiplayer games I enjoyed with friends on the SNES. Will check out the final version once it makes its way to the Switch later this year and give you the final details then.

This preview is based on the current PC version of the title which likely includes features that won't be included in the version for the Switch as noted. Final gameplay and features may be altered by the time of the final release but the core gameplay should remain representative.

[NWR staff take one more lap around the definitive version of Mario Kart 8.]

91

TalkBack / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) Review Revisit

« on: June 30, 2017, 12:46:00 AM »

NWR staff take one more lap around the definitive version of Mario Kart 8.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/44922/mario-kart-8-deluxe-switch-review-revisit

Mario Kart is one of the most popular franchises in Nintendo’s history, so it’s not that big of a suprise that soon after the launch of the Nintendo Switch, we’d get some sort of entry in the long running series fairly quickly. With a fully revamped battle mode, new characters and a bevy of DLC content from the original game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would give people plenty of reason to come back for another spin.

Back in April, Daan Koopman gave the game an 8.5, citing “If variety is the spice of life, 8 Deluxe has a lot of extra kick to it”. Site director Neal Ronaghan gave the same score, but was a bit more critical, saying “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe makes for a great representation of the multiplayer potential of the Switch, but it still doesn’t add too much content to be a simple, slam-dunk purchase for owners of the Wii U version”.

There’s plenty of reasons to back to Mario Kart 8, but in the end, are they worth it? A number of NWR staff have played the game, and are ready to give their own thoughts on the latest in Mario Kart madness.

Justin Nation, Contributing Writer:I have to admit when I first heard the details on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as someone who had Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U and had bought the DLC packs for it, I wasn’t necessarily thrilled. Though Mario Kart has been a game my family has consistently enjoyed playing together, and the staggering number of tracks available for it keep things very fresh, I wasn’t sure about buying the “same game” I already had. In addition, though I could enjoy Battle Mode in previous incarnations to some extent I also wasn’t a huge fan. However, since the family would all play it, and the prospect of taking that experience anywhere was a fairly strong draw, I took the plunge.

The great news is that I absolutely haven’t had any regrets about that decision. While I haven’t been able to play it as much as I’d like (games everywhere to play and write previews for) it has been played very consistently by my kids and family as a whole. Even better, MK8D has really sold me on Battle Mode as it is a ton of fun! In particular Renegade Round-Up always manages to put a smile on my face, and I’ve played that online with my youngest daughter numerous times. When you add in features like the speed and steering assist (no matter how much people complain about them defaulting to “on”) this is absolutely, on every level, the best game ever made for the “whole family”.

I really respect what Nintendo has done with the title, and look forward to seeing how they can continue to find ways to make deep titles with challenge and nuance but that have mechanisms in place to cater to the less savvy gamers when necessary. It’s part of their magic and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe demonstrates their philosophy in the most effective way possible.

David Lloyd, Associate Editor: Two months in the books and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shows no signs of being taken out of my game rotation. I’m convinced that Mario Kart was released on Switch as a bridge between flagship games as it’s the perfect casual online environment.

My biggest pet peeve with online multiplayer games is that they are often dominated by players who devote many hours a day to developing their skills and strategies. The beauty of Mario Kart is that the game is structured so that even the worst of players still have a chance at success. The emotional high of getting a Bullet Bill and rocketing to the head of the pack is contrasted with the sheer disappointment of being hit with a blue shell within eyesight of the finish line. This homogeneity between players allows for Mario Kart to continue to be the perfect game for groups of friends looking for a game that allows all an equal chance to win.

The inclusion of the battle mode is a welcome addition, as it adds a new layer to the game with the ability to play in teams. With the multiple play modes and thousands of permutations of cars and characters, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is able to avoid becoming stale and continues to be the yardstick for Nintendo’s focus on bringing friends together via the Nintendo Switch.

Perry Burkum, Associate Editor:Mario Kart 8 Deluxe completely took me by surprise. I liked the Wii U original, but I didn't love it -- so you can imagine that a second version didn't exactly excite me. My first impressions of the game were soured by the driving assist "feature" that made the game feel out of control. Being a Battle Mode fan, I was even let down by the plethora of modes and maps provided, there still felt like something was missing.

Weirdly enough, as I continued to play I grew to absolutely love the game. The minor changes made for Deluxe ended up being the missing parts I wished for in the original. The ability to hold two items and the addition of the pink sparks adds the variability and strategy sorely missed in the modern oh-so-polished Mario Kart formula, and the Battle Mode ended up being a bonus. Add in 48 beautifully crafted tracks, an extended character selection, and with the general portability of the Switch you have yourself a genuinely excellent game, and an absolute must-have for the system.

Matt West, Associate Editor:Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is probably the best overall game in the series, at least in the franchise’s current formula. While it’s missing any kind of substantial single player content, it does have 48 tracks, a battle mode, and plenty of ways to play multiplayer both on and offline. It’s these kinds of modes where Mario Kart has always been a crowd pleaser, and Deluxe does them better than any of the past titles in the series.

The 48 tracks included in this package are some of the greatest and most beautiful courses Mario Kart has ever seen. The game is absolutely gorgeous both on the TV and in handheld mode. The return of a proper battle mode, with several rule variants to choose from, takes what felt like a huge void from the Wii U version and turns it into a great strength. Online modes mostly run smoothly, although there are more disconnections than I would like. Most of the things other MK games have done in the past, however, Deluxe can do better.

That is, except for single player. While no Mario Kart game has truly given us a meaningful single player campaign, other games have given us mission modes that, in my view, gave players a reason to boot up the game even when they didn’t feel like playing multiplayer. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s one miss is that there’s nothing like that here, and therefore single player feels rather hollow. And since you can unlock almost everything in the game by simply gaining coins online, there really isn’t a reason to care about trying out the grand prix. MK8D may be the greatest multiplayer racer of all time, but its lack of meaningful single player content keep it from a perfect score.

[To date Snipperclips has been the multiplayer puzzle game of choice on the Switch by default. Death Squared is here to take that crown for itself.]

92

TalkBack / Death Squared Preview

« on: June 26, 2017, 10:05:28 AM »

To date Snipperclips has been the multiplayer puzzle game of choice on the Switch by default. Death Squared is here to take that crown for itself.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/44909/death-squared-preview

If Snipperclips is considered the cute and quirky puzzle game in the Nintendo Switch lineup, Death Squared could be be described as the drunk uncle. It has a pretty offbeat sense of humor similar to Portal’s GLaDOS, and is a bit weird, but then will turn on a dime and get downright mean. If you like a challenge, I’d say that this is a game well worth playing.

Death Squared is all about solving puzzles and conquering levels composed of a variety of obstacles and death traps. In order to progress and move on to the next of the story mode’s 80 levels, you’ll have to avoid the many different ways of dying. If you’re inclined to step up the level of insane coordination, the game also offers a 40-level party mode that will double the number of robots you’ll have to control with even more devious challenges.

What’s really great about the story mode is that since each robot on the screen only requires a single joystick you can easily choose to play by yourself. It does require quite a bit of mental dexterity to remember which joystick is controlling which robot. That said, it is far less clumsy than having to press a button to switch control back and forth, which allows for challenges that require both robots to move at once. You can choose to play story mode with a friend, or if you’re up to a real challenge you can both try the multiplayer party mode. In party mode the difficulty is increased as you'd both attempt to each control two robots through the levels.

There’s still a lot of content to uncover in this game but what I’ve seen so far are great mind-bending and patience-testing puzzles. Every few levels there’s more elements added to what you have to contend with so there’s no opportunity to get comfortable, and that suits me just fine.

Based on the current build of the game for Nintendo Switch, the game is set to launch in the eShop July 13!

[Though its appearance may be simple, this upcoming title is bringing some terrific gameplay with tight controls to the Switch!]

93

TalkBack / Flat Heroes Preview

« on: June 25, 2017, 01:33:31 AM »

Though its appearance may be simple, this upcoming title is bringing some terrific gameplay with tight controls to the Switch!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/44433/flat-heroes-preview

After having played the early access of Flat Heroes I’ve already come to the conclusion that this game is something to get excited for. This single-player reaction puzzler is both devious and brilliant, an exhilarating exercise in testing your ability to use a tight moveset to survive. Flat Heroes is also perfect with a group of friends, it has a great mix of both simplicity and nuance driving fast-paced multiplayer fun. Screen shots and video don’t do justice the experience I’ve had, but I fear because of its minimalist appearance people will mistakenly pass it by.

Flat Heroes has precisely what I am looking for in an indie title, and that so often is missing in mainstream offerings: the purity of a great idea impeccably executed. What looks to have begun as an exercise in working control mechanics to an extremely satisfying level of quality has been turned into a gauntlet of maddening challenges.

While the campaign starts out feeling more like a simple puzzle game you’ll quickly begin to see signs of what’s to come. It very effectively begins to nudge you towards learning the control mechanics like double-jumping and sticking to walls, as well as the various enemies you’ll need to contend with. With each level new combinations of enemies and level designs will push you to further to refine your skills and then each world culminates in a boss fight to test what you’ve learned. Perhaps it’s the years of playing too many games with underwhelming boss battles talking but every boss battle is a challenge and several of them are downright brutal to take out.

On top of the single-player campaign (that can optionally be played in multiplayer as well) there’s also a Survival Mode and a multiplayer-focused Versus Mode. Survival mode requires little explanation, it is a gauntlet of challenges on a single level that will test all of those evasion skills you’ve mastered. Though the enemies and placements will remain the same for each round every match will inevitably play out differently the moment you begin moving. Through persistence and a bit of luck, you’ll then unlock additional levels to further test your skills. Versus mode offers a variety of relatively simple game modes that will pit you against up to 3 friends or CPU opponents. Gameplay is fast and chaotic, seemingly perfectly suited to a raucous time with your friends locally.

As the game is still currently in development, there are likely changes to be made but I’m very eager to see how the game ends up, it’s already a very compelling and challenging package.

94

TalkBack / Re: Phantom Trigger Preview

« on: June 09, 2017, 04:23:15 PM »

Haven't indulged in Hyperlight Drifter to make a solid comparison but the visual similarities are certainly easy to see.

[Are you looking for some hack and slash action in a weird alien environment? Phantom Trigger may be what you're looking for.]

95

TalkBack / Phantom Trigger Preview

« on: June 08, 2017, 12:04:00 AM »

Are you looking for some hack and slash action in a weird alien environment? Phantom Trigger may be what you're looking for.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/44743/phantom-trigger-preview

At the point I've gotten to in the Phantom Trigger alpha it has pretty well sold me on the final product fully, and I get the sense that there's quite a bit more to see and do still. It also looks and feels quite polished for an alpha. I've seen just enough of the story to be very curious about what's been happening in the real world, and to then understand how the in-game action relates to it. It's an interesting and unexpected hook in a game of this type.

Though the final product may attempt to do more to explain the game systems, I was obviously able to make my way through them and come out the other end at least capable of pulling off combos. While you can dispatch the menagerie of odd-looking enemies with standard attacks, it is the variety of elemental combos you begin to learn that are meant to be where you place your focus. With some attacks that freeze and slow and others that burn for extra damage there are a number of ways to deal with your enemies, and you'll need to use them effectively since even early on the game is more than happy to give you several to manage fighting at once.

It feels as if, having made it through the first world, the table has been set with the basics and now I'll be able to dig into the meatier challenges the game decides to throw at me. Very early in the second world the first signs of that challenge have made themselves clear: enemies that are in some way elemental, and can only take damage from specific types of attacks. Just to throw in a curveball some of them also rotate which element they have a weakness to. There's nothing like a game that is sure to keep you paying attention to details.

Phantom Trigger was only announced for the Switch a couple of weeks ago, and there's no currently-known timeline for its release. Even with the promising gameplay I've already encountered I'm intrigued by the developer description for the game including the term roguelike. As a fan of that type of game I'm eager to see how that may play into things, though at the point I'm at in the game I haven't seen any signs of it. Regardless, what I've seen is quite promising and I look forward to the final release of the game.

[If you've been hoping for a slower-paced, story-driven adventure game on the Switch you're in about to be in luck...]

96

TalkBack / Syberia 3 Preview

« on: June 08, 2017, 12:03:00 AM »

If you've been hoping for a slower-paced, story-driven adventure game on the Switch you're in about to be in luck...

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/44745/syberia-3-preview

While I’d heard of the Syberia series before I’d not indulged in any of them to this point. However, since it has been confirmed that Syberia 3 will be coming to the Switch I decided to check it out. Having played quite a number of adventure games that Syberia 3 is reminiscent of, after a few hours of play, I’d say it represents its genre pretty well. It tells a reasonably good story and has you solving puzzles through a combination of smarts, found objects, and some good old experimentation.

Starting with the positive I’m reasonably intrigued by the game’s story and main characters. While there are elements to the story that are familiar, the foreign setting and culture of the nomadic group that found and saved you are interesting and I’m curious to see how it will all play out. The puzzles to this point are also generally a positive as they do a good job of making you intuit your solutions through targeted trial and error, making you feel smart when you figure them out. A few times there have been clues there to help guide me, but the nice thing is that I typically didn’t completely understand them until I was well on my way to finding the solution, which is a nice balance.

Where I’ll throw a bit of caution out is definitely that this is a pretty classic slow-paced adventure title and there’s nothing here that breaks away from that mold. If you’re not into that sort of game you’ll want to steer clear. At least to the point I’ve gotten in the game a criticism is that the experience is frequently “on rails”, turning it into a sort of mildly interactive story since there are limited things to interact with along the way. Since some games in the genre have also infuriated me with a pile of garbage to wade through in order to find what you need to progress, I’ll credit it with not needlessly wasting my time either. It’s a difficult balance.

At the end of the day Syberia 3 will be a completely unique experience at this time on the Switch, and people looking for a story-driven adventure should probably be satisfied with it, depending on pricing and other details. I played the game on the PC using an Xbox 360 controller and it worked well, so control moving over to the Switch shouldn’t be an issue. The characters and environments are sufficiently large on-screen that it being playable while in handheld mode should also not be a concern. It’s a game to look out for if you’ve been itching for something story-driven with some puzzles along the way.

This preview is based off of the final PC retail release of the game

[We talk with the Huey Games CEO about their upcoming retro shooter Hyper Sentinel, retro gaming, and the road to getting on the Switch.]

97

TalkBack / An Interview with Rob Hewson about Hyper Sentinel

« on: June 02, 2017, 10:26:00 AM »

We talk with the Huey Games CEO about their upcoming retro shooter Hyper Sentinel, retro gaming, and the road to getting on the Switch.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/44738/an-interview-with-rob-hewson-about-hyper-sentinel

As you may have gathered from my recent preview of Hyper Sentinel I’m a die hard retro gaming fan, though to me it is all just games I grew up with. When I first saw footage of the game I was intrigued but then once I played the available demo I realized I was looking at something pretty special. From the moment the game loads it is an immersion in, for me, Commodore 64-era goodness but the gameplay also displays sparks of modern sensibilities.

Having been impressed with the game I decided to reach out to the folks in charge of distributing Hyper Sentinel, Huey Games, and it was at that point I began to better understand why I’d been sucked in so completely. While the game had been developed by “bedroom coder” Jonathan Port it is fitting that he then teamed up with Huey Games, as the lineage of great gaming runs deep there. Rob Hewson himself has worked on a number of modern gaming projects, formerly working as a Game Director with TT Fusion, helping produce several notable LEGO projects. More significantly Rob’s father created the company Hewson Consultants Ltd. which published a number of notable titles including one of my favorites from that era, Paradroid.

With that in mind I decided to talk to Rob about how Hyper Sentinel got started and on their radar, the Kickstarter campaign that got the game off to a strong start, retro gaming in general, and what more we can look forward to from Huey Games.

Aside from the obvious reverence your team has for classic games what was the inspiration for Hyper Sentinel? How did it get started?

RH: We bumped into Jonathan Port, the creator of Hyper Sentinel, at an indie developer’s beer night in Manchester. It was immediately obvious that the game had potential and that it would appeal to our retro community.

Jonathan was working on the game in his spare time and hoping to release it on the iOS AppStore, so I proposed a partnership which would bring three clear benefits for the project. Firstly, working together we could amplify the production values and quality of the game and really take it to another level. Secondly, we could hit many more platforms, including consoles and PC, and finally we could enhance the market potential and generate much more buzz.

In terms of inspiration for the game itself, Jonathan told us he wanted to create a game which played like 8-bit shooters did in his imagination and in his rose-tinted memories. That really resonated with us, and from there we built our Neo-Retro development philosophy for Hyper Sentinel.

Having seen many independent game projects struggle to get funded on Kickstarter how would you describe the process and your success in meeting your goal?

RH: Huey Games has a unique 8-bit heritage, and as a result we are very lucky to have a community of fans who remember the games our team produced all the way back to the early 1980s, including Uridium which was by far the biggest 8-bit hit. Hyper Sentinel is inspired by several classic shooters, but one of the biggest stylistic influences is Uridium itself. That community helped us to successfully fund a book about our heritage called Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers, which gave as a platform to build from and lots of lessons to learn.

We then came back to Kickstarter with Hyper Sentinel, which has that particular hook from our heritage and we brought in the USB Cassette reward which really appeals to the collectors in our community.

It is certainly not easy, there is a huge amount of work involved, but we are very fortunate that the community we have built is hugely enthusiastic, massively knowledgeable and incredibly supportive.

In the US there has definitely been a resurgence in the appreciation for classic arcade experiences with Bar-cades and other classic venues opening up. Is the same happening in the UK? How would you size up the retro arcade gaming community as a whole right now?

RH: The retro scene is huge in the UK and there are retro events almost every weekend somewhere in the country. It is interesting because it seems like most people know about the US version of retro gaming history, with Atari, then the video game crash, then Nintendo re-igniting the industry, but in the UK there was no video game crash. During that period, the UK industry was massively exciting and was arguably producing the finest games in the world, but many people outside the UK don’t remember them. As a result, the retro scene in the UK feels like a club – we all know each other and we all remember the games we grew up with, which many people in other countries missed out on. It was a fascinating period, which we really enjoyed recalling in our book Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers, and it has led to a hugely vibrant retro scene in the UK.

Having played the demo I was immediately pulled in by the great retro music and then quickly felt very much at home with the gameplay style. What modern sensibilities have you worked to infuse into this classic experience?

RH: This goes back to our Neo-Retro development philosophy for Hyper Sentinel. We want players to pick up the game and jump straight into the action with a big smile on their faces because it captures the essence of all those classic shooters. It’s a bit like watching The Goldbergs on TV, where the warm glow of nostalgia is weaved throughout the experience, back packaged in a modern format.

Hyper Sentinel is an unmistakably modern experience with nostalgia deliberately weaved through it. There’s absolutely no way you could throw this many enemies around on screen and maintain 60fps on a retro system. And while we have worked hard to capture the best bits from classic shooters, it is just as important to modernise those annoying elements which we forget in our rose-tinted memories - the overly punishing death systems, the lack of checkpoints and the thin, limited game modes.

It is the same with the visuals – you want to capture a style which evokes fond memories, but enhanced with modern effects and all the juicy feedback which the technology now allows. That’s what Neo-Retro is all about.

What prompted you to look at porting the title over to the Switch?

RH: Firstly, we are huge fans of the Nintendo Switch ourselves. Secondly, we think Hyper Sentinel is a perfect fit for the system. On the one hand, it offers a pick-up-and-play experience and bite-sized blasts of intense gameplay which works brilliantly in portable mode. On the other hand, you can indulge in extended gameplay sessions in TV mode when you are trying to unlock some of the tougher medals, beat a high score or tackle the ultra-hard Retro difficulty mode. Finally, the chance to get onto a Nintendo system early in the consoles life-cycle was a no brainer.

Having seen mixed impressions on getting started with Nintendo in terms of difficulty how would you describe the process you went through?

RH: Nintendo have been brilliant for us, we couldn’t be happier. It feels like they are embracing Indies on the Nintendo Switch which is very encouraging.

I couldn't help but get interested in the tease for Mechinus on your site. Anything to share about your next project?

RH: Mechinus is a unique and beautiful project, totally original. However, the focus right now is on doing the best job possible with Hyper Sentinel, so we’ll have to save the details for another time!

[Fans of arcade/retro looks and gameplay mixed with some modern effects and sensibilities should be right on target with Hyper Sentinel.]

98

TalkBack / Hyper Sentinel Preview

« on: June 02, 2017, 08:05:00 AM »

Fans of arcade/retro looks and gameplay mixed with some modern effects and sensibilities should be right on target with Hyper Sentinel.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/44737/hyper-sentinel-preview

Right from the moment I hit the title screen and the glorious retro music starts, taking me back to my classic Commodore 64 gaming days, there's no missing that this is a throwback title. Resembling, to me, a game I might have played on my buddy's ColecoVision, Hyper Sentinel is a fast-moving homage to a variety of classic arcade-style titles.

In each level you'll be challenged to destroy a number of targets on a huge ship you're flying over. You'll be distracted by enemy fighters, power-up opportunities, and a wide variety of ship defenses as you progress through the game. Each level is also capped off with a boss battle, and you'll need to work to drain the boss's health while keeping a careful eye on your own. Fortunately, your ship will replenish its health if you're able to avoid being hit for a little while though depending on what's going on at the time that can be harder to manage than you may think.

While your first goal will likely be to simply survive the levels and bosses that the game throws at you, for most people the goal will really be chasing high scores. But, in order to maximize your score you'll first have to work to keep up with everything going on! Power-ups and score multipliers will often whiz by you, making you chase them down or circle back for them. However, as the levels progress, a variety of obstacles and enemy weapon systems will make you think twice about flying recklessly. The potential for a rich classic arcade gaming experience is already in place, I'm eager to see how the final product turns out!

[If you, and a group of your friends, enjoy smack talking and retro-style gaming over some drinks this could be a perfect game for you. Otherwise, you'll have to think it over a bit]

99

TalkBack / Astro Duel Deluxe Review

« on: May 29, 2017, 11:17:02 PM »

If you, and a group of your friends, enjoy smack talking and retro-style gaming over some drinks this could be a perfect game for you. Otherwise, you'll have to think it over a bit

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/44705/astro-duel-deluxe-review

Astro Duel Deluxe offers an unapologetically local-multiplayer-focused, heavily retro look-and-feel, gaming experience. From that simple description and some screen shots alone, you can probably determine if you’re interested in the title. It delivers precisely what it set out to, and quite well, but make no mistake about the fact that if you’re looking for more you will not find it here.

Assuming that most people interested in the game will at least have some grasp of classic gaming titles, I’d say Deluxe is a mix of Space Duel (oldest-school arcade), Asteroids (everything), and Scorched Earth (PC, and if you’re thinking Worms, it copied Scorched Earth’s gameplay!). You’ll be placed in an arena with a variety of walls, blocks that may be broken, gravity wells, and other various elements against up to 5 foes. There are a few variants to choose from, including team options, but I’d assume most of the time you’ll play the mode that focuses on killing the other players’ pilots since that is the most fun. Control options are also varied, with support for single or dual JoyCon, and Pro Controllers. There’s even a game mode that works via touch controls with each player getting their own corner of the screen to very simply control their ship! It is limited, but in a pinch it will still let you kill your friends, and isn’t that what life is all about?

In order to add some skill to the mix, you’ll only have 3 shots you can fire on your enemies before needing to pause to recharge. Fortunately, once your enemies’ pilots have been blown from their ship, you can opt to simply fly into them for the kill. You’ll want to do that quickly as well since, if they’re able to avoid death for a short time, a new ship will re-form around them. This creates a great, suspenseful dynamic that can sometimes turn things around for you even when it’s looking grim.  

To spice things up further, there are a number of power-ups that can either help protect you a bit or do some serious damage. There’s nothing quite so satisfying as killing a few enemies at once with a missile or a proximity mine, just be sure not to be in the blast radius since those same explosions will get you if you’re not careful. One nice touch is that the game includes many options for configuration for power-ups and other settings. This will let you set the table for anything from a strategic battle with guns only to crazier configurations if people are so inclined.  

Though single-player is possible with the inclusion of CPU bots, and they do provide a reasonable challenge, the somewhat-sterile exercise of fighting them fails to meet the game's true potential. Similarly, simply finding other people to play the game with you may not guarantee fun as the simplicity and style of the game won’t be for everyone. This is, sadly, where an online multiplayer option would have been welcome in one regard, but probably still not quite the same in another.  

This game is meant to be played with a bunch of friends talking trash and taking each other out. If you find yourself in the company of like-minded friends on a semi-regular basis, this game could provide some great laughs and fun. I absolutely can see where, especially with a bit of liquid enhancement, it could make for a great party game. Unfortunately, if you’re generally only going to be able to play the game by yourself, or the people you can play with don’t roll retro, it is hard to give it a recommendation. Correctly scoring a game with such a laser-focus on a goal that it hits but that, by design, misses so much of the general audience is a challenge. I’ve tried my best to spell out its value proposition clearly and you’ll have to judge from there.

100

TalkBack / Re: Indie Games We Want on the Switch

« on: May 19, 2017, 05:35:41 AM »

Super Meat Boy is pure f-ing EVIL!!! Yeah, would love to see it come over to remind me how much I suck at games.