After engaged on the pixel artwork for Speedollama, I now have the possibility to sit down down with Nicola Piovesan, the sport’s designer, to ask him a couple of questions concerning the challenge. As a part of the staff, it’s attention-grabbing to listen to extra about his inventive course of, the challenges we confronted, and what went into making this quick and quirky recreation.
Let’s begin from the start. The place did the thought for Speedollama come from?
Nicola (N): Speedollama is my fourth recreation (fifth when you rely an unfinished one), and with every new challenge, I purpose to experiment. My earlier video games had been largely point-and-click adventures set in a darkish, cyberpunk universe, however with this platformer, I discover one thing completely totally different—vibrant, chaotic, and enjoyable. It’s like my inventive yin and yang. After engaged on one thing dramatic, I felt the necessity to dive into humor and vibrancy. Speedollama got here from this have to create one thing colourful and fast-paced. And what may very well be more odd and enjoyable than a conflict between llamas and alpacas?
What are the sport’s standout options?
N: The retro-arcade really feel is the very first thing that hits you—from the pixel artwork graphics to the gameplay mechanics. However what actually stands out is the pace. Speedollama is designed to be one of many quickest in its style, particularly in later phases when gamers unlock pace upgrades. It’s intense.
Some folks have in contrast it to Metallic Slug. Does that hassle you?
N: I’ve seen Speedollama described as “Metallic Slug with llamas,” and whereas that’s flattering, it’s additionally a bit irritating when folks suggest I copied it. Certain, there are similarities—any retro, run-and-gun recreation may have them—however Speedollama does its personal factor. It’s not only a horizontal side-scroller; it develops vertically, making it extra of a platformer. Plus, it has procedurally generated ranges and a “collectathon” ingredient the place gamers race towards the clock to collect objects. So, whereas the comparisons are inevitable, I believe we’ve crafted a novel expertise.
Isn’t it dangerous to launch this recreation an indie market saturated with so many pixelated platformers?
N: Completely, it’s a threat. I’ll admit, I’m not nice at market analysis or growing video games with a particular viewers in thoughts. I are inclined to go along with my intestine—if I like an thought, I’ll run with it. That stated, I do hearken to suggestions. We launched a demo a few yr in the past, and I took plenty of participant strategies to enhance the sport. Sure, the market is crowded, and pixel-art platformers are in all places, which could make Speedollama laborious to note at first. However I imagine that when folks choose up a controller and really feel the pace and enjoyable, they’ll see it’s one thing particular.
How massive was the staff behind Speedollama?
N: That is an attention-grabbing query as a result of folks typically surprise if Speedollama was a solo challenge. The reply is each sure and no. If you happen to outline a solo challenge as one particular person doing completely every part, then no—it wasn’t simply me. You, for example, had been the lead pixel artist, and we had a pair extra pixel artists, two animators, a music composer, voice actors, and a small staff of beta testers. In complete, round eight or 9 folks contributed to the sport. Nonetheless, if by “solo challenge” you imply one particular person dealing with a lot of the improvement—coding, writing, stage design, enemy AI, UI, sound, and even advertising—then sure, it was largely my work. I did every part besides create the artwork and music, which was dealt with by you and different proficient people. However their contributions had been essential, particularly in bringing the sport’s distinctive, quirky visible model to life.
The indie recreation market is a tricky house, little doubt. There are tons of platformers popping out each month, and standing out is a problem. However I’m assured that Speedollama brings one thing recent to the desk—it’s quick, eccentric, and plenty of enjoyable to play. I can’t wait to see how gamers reply to this wild, goofy journey.
Wishlist Speedollama as we speak, and choose it up on Xbox when it launches October 22.
Speedollama
Chaosmonger Studio
$8.99
$8.09
Speedollama is a quick platformer shooter that units a brand new benchmark for pace within the style. Bursting with quirky humor and vibrant pixelated carnage, this recreation isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. Are you able to embrace the chaos and show your expertise?
Filled with hilarious splatter components, fast-paced motion, quite a lot of upgrades and weapons, and a great deal of humor, Speedollama guarantees to entertain players of all ages.
The sport’s visuals characteristic pixel artwork to seize a retro-arcade aesthetic, paying homage to late 80s and early 90s video games. Drawing inspiration from basic titles like Metallic Slug and Turrican, in addition to fashionable hits like Broforce, Mercenary Kings, and Pizza Tower, Speedollama delivers a nostalgic but recent gaming expertise.
STORYLINE
A clever outdated llama has enlisted a bunch of elite mercenaries for an nearly inconceivable mission: to destroy the alpaca military that has waged a brutal conflict to exterminate the llamas and seize world domination. Outfitted with a robust tunneling machine, the llamas embark on a weird journey, burrowing by the earth, accumulating funky substances, and battling the relentless alpaca forces together with their beastly allies.