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 mission. As a part of the crew, it’s attention-grabbing to listen to extra about his artistic 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 mission, I goal to experiment. My earlier video games have been largely point-and-click adventures set in a darkish, cyberpunk universe, however with this platformer, I discover one thing fully completely different—brilliant, chaotic, and enjoyable. It’s like my artistic 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 might be more strange and enjoyable than a struggle 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 velocity. Speedollama is designed to be one of many quickest in its style, particularly in later phases when gamers unlock velocity upgrades. It’s intense.
Some folks have in contrast it to Metallic Slug. Does that trouble 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. Positive, there are similarities—any retro, run-and-gun recreation could 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” component the place gamers race towards the clock to assemble objects. 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 threat. I’ll admit, I’m not nice at market analysis or creating video games with a selected viewers in thoughts. I are inclined to go together with my intestine—if I like an thought, I’ll run with it. That mentioned, I do hearken to suggestions. We launched a demo a couple of 12 months in the past, and I took numerous participant strategies to enhance the sport. Sure, the market is crowded, and pixel-art platformers are in every single place, which could make Speedollama laborious to note at first. However I consider that after folks choose up a controller and really feel the velocity 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 typically surprise if Speedollama was a solo mission. The reply is each sure and no. In the event you outline a solo mission as one individual doing completely every thing, 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 complete, round eight or 9 folks contributed to the sport. Nevertheless, if by “solo mission” you imply one individual dealing with a lot of the growth—coding, writing, degree design, enemy AI, UI, sound, and even advertising—then sure, it was largely my work. I did every thing besides create the artwork and music, which was dealt with by you and different gifted people. However their contributions have been essential, particularly in bringing the sport’s distinctive, quirky visible type to life.
The indie recreation market is a tricky area, little question. 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 numerous 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 velocity within the style. Bursting with quirky humor and vibrant pixelated carnage, this recreation will not be 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, a wide range of upgrades and weapons, and a great deal of humor, Speedollama guarantees to entertain players of all ages.
The sport’s visuals function pixel artwork to seize a retro-arcade aesthetic, harking back 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 recent gaming expertise.
STORYLINE
A smart previous llama has enlisted a gaggle of elite mercenaries for an virtually unattainable mission: to destroy the alpaca military that has waged a brutal struggle to exterminate the llamas and seize world domination. Outfitted with a strong 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.
