After engaged on the pixel artwork for Speedollama, I now have the prospect to sit down down with Nicola Piovesan, the sport’s designer, to ask him a couple of questions concerning the venture. As a part of the crew, 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 for those who depend an unfinished one), and with every new venture, I purpose to experiment. My earlier video games have been principally point-and-click adventures set in a darkish, cyberpunk universe, however with this platformer, I discover one thing totally totally different—vivid, 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 must create one thing colourful and fast-paced. And what might be more odd and enjoyable than a warfare 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 in opposition to the clock to collect gadgets. So, whereas the comparisons are inevitable, I feel we’ve crafted a singular expertise.
Isn’t it dangerous to launch this recreation an indie market saturated with so many pixelated platformers?
N: Completely, it’s a danger. I’ll admit, I’m not nice at market analysis or creating video games with a selected viewers in thoughts. I are likely to go along with my intestine—if I like an concept, I’ll run with it. That mentioned, I do take heed to suggestions. We launched a demo a couple of yr in the past, and I took a number of participant options to enhance the sport. Sure, the market is crowded, and pixel-art platformers are all over the place, which could make Speedollama arduous to note at first. However I imagine that when folks decide up a controller and really feel the pace and enjoyable, they’ll see it’s one thing particular.
How giant was the crew behind Speedollama?
N: That is an attention-grabbing query as a result of folks usually marvel if Speedollama was a solo venture. The reply is each sure and no. In case you outline a solo venture as one particular person doing completely every part, then no—it wasn’t simply me. You, as an example, have been the lead pixel artist, and we had a pair extra pixel artists, two animators, a music composer, voice actors, and a small crew of beta testers. In whole, round eight or 9 folks contributed to the sport. Nevertheless, if by “solo venture” you imply one particular person dealing with a lot of the improvement—coding, writing, stage design, enemy AI, UI, sound, and even advertising and marketing—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 of us. However their contributions have been essential, particularly in bringing the sport’s distinctive, quirky visible fashion to life.
The indie recreation market is a troublesome 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 contemporary to the desk—it’s quick, eccentric, and a number of enjoyable to play. I can’t wait to see how gamers reply to this wild, goofy journey.
Decide up Speedollama at the moment on Xbox.
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 is just not for the faint of coronary heart. Are you able to embrace the chaos and show your abilities?
Full of hilarious splatter components, fast-paced motion, quite a lot of upgrades and weapons, and a great deal of humor, Speedollama guarantees to entertain avid gamers 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 traditional titles like Metallic Slug and Turrican, in addition to fashionable hits like Broforce, Mercenary Kings, and Pizza Tower, Speedollama delivers a nostalgic but contemporary gaming expertise.
STORYLINE
A smart previous llama has enlisted a bunch of elite mercenaries for an virtually unattainable mission: to destroy the alpaca military that has waged a brutal warfare to exterminate the llamas and seize world domination. Geared up with a robust tunneling machine, the llamas embark on a weird journey, burrowing by way of the earth, amassing funky substances, and battling the relentless alpaca forces together with their beastly allies.
