Jools Watsham's Blog

Nintendo eShop Software Charts (02-04-12)

2012-02-04T09:49:00.003-06:00

Mutant Mudds has now moved into the #2 spot in the "Recent Releases" software charts, pushing Pushmo to #3. New entry, Sakura Samurai, explodes onto the charts at #4. I'm sure we'll be seeing Sakura make its way to #2 or #1 very soon.

1. Kirby's Dream Land.
2. Mutant Mudds.
3. Pushmo.
4. Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword.
5. 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure.
6. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX.
8. Dr. Mario Express.
9. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
10. Art Academy: Frist Semester.
11. Photo Dojo.
12. Zen Pinball 3D.
13. Plants vs. Zombies.
14. Mighty Switch Force.
15. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis Match Again.
16. Bloons TD.
17. VVVVVV.
18. Mario Clock.
19. Metroid II - Return of Samus.
20. Super Mario Land.

Nintendo eShop Software Charts (02-02-12)

2012-02-02T09:55:00.005-06:00

One week after the launch of Mutant Mudds, the game sits at #3 in the "Recent Releases" software charts.

1. Kirby's Dream Land.
2. Pushmo.
3. Mutant Mudds.
4. 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure.
5. Dr. Mario Express.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX.
7. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
8. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
9. Zen Pinball 3D.
10. Photo Dojo.
11. Plants vs. Zombies.
12. Mighty Switch Force.
13. VVVVVV.
14. Metroid II - Return of Samus.
15. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis Match Again.
16. Mario Clock.
17. Bloons TD.
18. Super Mario Land.
19. Inchworm Animation.
20. Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From The Abyss.

Mutant Mudds - Quick Look - Giant Bomb

2012-02-01T11:20:00.000-06:00

Mutant Mudds - Critically Acclaimed!

2012-01-26T08:15:00.005-06:00

[View Full Screen]

Mutant Mudds Reviews

2012-01-22T22:29:00.001-06:00

Below are some reviews for Mutant Mudds:

9/10 - Nintendo Everything.
"One of the most impressively designed 2D platformers we’ve seen in the last ten years."

5/5 - Fanbolt.
"Hit's the spot in every single aspect."

9/10 - Nintendo Life.
"No platformer fan should miss."

9/10 - Nintendo World Report.
"Awesome and addictive."

8.5/10 - IGN.
"All 3DS owners shouldn’t think twice about adding this download to their collection."

10/10 - Pure Nintendo.
"There are a lot of great eShop games out there but none of them can be said are better than Mutant Mudds."

9/10 - Gamer Limit.
"An immediate purchase for fans of platformers."

4.5/5 - Modojo.
"One of the best games we've had the privilege of playing on Nintendo's handheld."

B+ (83/100) - Nintendojo.
"It’s refreshing to see a game that contains as much joy at the end as the beginning."

4.5/5 - Nintendo Gal.
"An addictively fun platforming title, with plenty of difficulty and enough content to ensure you’ll get your money’s worth."

9/10 - Destructoid.
"Pure platforming goodness."

9/10 - Nintendo Daily.
"Do yourself a favor and buy Mutant Mudds."

5/5 - Nintendo Fuse.
"Mutant Mudds is the best game on the eShop."

10/10 - Games Abyss.
"Perfect."

B+ (83/100) - The A.V. Club.
"Excellent precision-platformer challenges."

9/10 - GameZone.
"Superb platformer that every 3DS owner needs to experience."

B+ (83/100) - 1UP.
"A truly solid game."

I couldn't be happier with this kind of reception to the game. I'm excited that so many folks are enjoying it. Viva Nintendo eShop!

3DS 'Most Popular' Video Charts - 01-20-12

2012-01-20T20:55:00.000-06:00

* Update 01-22-12: Mutant Mudds Trailer #2 moves up to the #6 spot!

There are now two Mutant Mudds trailers available for viewing on the eShop, and both are in the top 20 video charts this week!

The new Mutant Mudds Video #2 jumped straight into the #8 slot, while Mutant Mudds Video dropped down to #11.

Let's hope this is a good sign that folks are interested in buying the game when it is released next week!

1. [N] Club Nintendo Video.
2. [2] What Is Nintendo Video?
3. [N] Zen Pinball 3D Video.
4. [1] Nintendo Show 3D: December 29, 2011.
5. [5] 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure Video.
6. [3] Super Mario 3D Land Super Play Video.
7. [N] Super Mario 3D Land Super Play Video #2.
8. [N] Mutant Mudds Video #2.
9. [13] Sonic Generations Video.
10. [6] Pokedex 3D Video.
11. [4] Mutant Mudds Video.
12. [9] Pushmo Video.
13. [11] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX Video.
14. [?] Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Video.
15. [15] Pokemon Rumble Blast Video.
16. [?] The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Video.
17. [7] Mighty Switch Force Teaser Trailer.
18. [8] Mighty Switch Force Teaser Trailer #2.
19. [17] Zelda: Skyward Sword Opening Trailer.
20. [?] Mario vs. Donky Kong: Minis March Again! Video.

Mutant Mudds Release Date & Price!

2012-01-20T12:45:00.001-06:00

Mutant Mudds Press Release

2012-01-20T07:26:00.002-06:00

Mutant Mudds Invades Nintendo eShop

Austin, Texas – January 20, 2012 – Today, Renegade Kid announced that Mutant Mudds, the eagerly anticipated neo-retro platformer, will be available on January 26, 2012 for $8.99 USD through the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS™.

Our hero, Max, may be just a 2D sprite, but he can leap into the third dimension by jetting between the background and the foreground playfields with his trusty jetpack in this unique dimensionally-woven experience.

Armed with a heavy-duty water cannon, Max has what he needs to vanquish his long-term nemesis: the Mutant Mudds. Max must blast and hover his way across the soiled landscape to seek out mysterious Water Sprites. Legend says collecting all of the mysterious Water Sprites will wash the filthy Mutant Mudds away for good!

“The Nintendo eShop is an exciting opportunity that has enabled us to release our first self-published title, Mutant Mudds,” said Jools Watsham, Owner and Director at Renegade Kid. “The development of Mutant Mudds has been a labor of love for us. We couldn’t be more excited for everyone to finally experience our “12-bit” baby for themselves!”

About Renegade Kid
Founded in 2007 by Jools Watsham and Gregg Hargrove, Renegade Kid LLC is an independent development studio based in Austin, Texas. A developer of handheld video-games, Renegade Kid is known for its award-winning titles on the Nintendo DS™, including Dementium: The Ward, Moon, Dementium II, and ATV Wild Ride.

For more information on Mutant Mudds, visit www.mutantmudds.com.

# # #

Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 and 2011 Nintendo.

To access the Nintendo eShop, you will need a wireless broadband Internet connection. If you do not have the Nintendo eShop icon on the Nintendo 3DS main menu, you will need to perform a system update. See support.nintendo.com for more information.

Mutant Mudds, Dementium: The Ward, Dementium II, and ATV Wild Ride are trademarks of Renegade Kid LLC. © 2012 Renegade Kid LLC. All Rights Reserved.

My (3)DS Game Collection

2012-01-16T21:31:00.003-06:00

* Updated 01-29-12 *

This is my entire DS-related collection of purchased games, including DS retail, DSiWare, 3DS retail, eShop, and Virtual Console titles. If I used money to buy them, then they're on this list.

In alphabetical order (more or less):

3D Classics Kirby's Adventure (3DSWare)
3D Classics Twin Bee (3DSWare)
3D Classics Urban Champion (3DSWare)
3D Classics Xevious (3DSWare)
9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
A Kappa's Trail (DSiWare)
Aliens Infestation
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Arctic Escape (DSiWare)
Assassin's Creed II: Discovery
Atari Greatest Hits Volume 1
ATV Wild Ride
Aura-Aura Climber (DSiWare)
Avenging Spirit (3DS Virtual Console)
Balloon Kid (3DS Virtual Console)
Batman The Brave and the Bold
Beat City
Ben 10 Triple Pack
Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction
Bit Trip Saga (3DS)
Blood Stone 007
Boing! Docomodake DS
Bomberman
Brain Age
Brothers in Arms DS
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized
Call of Duty: World at War
Captain Sub GO Series (DSiWare)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Cave Story (DSiWare)
Chrono Trigger
Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force
Contact
Contra 4
Cooking Mama
Cop The Recruit
C.O.R.E.
Dark Void Zero (DSiWare)
Dawn of Discovery
Dementium II
Dementium: The Ward (US, Europe, and Japan)
Despicable Me
Diddy Kong Racing DS
Dig Dug: Digging Strike
Dirt 2
DK Jungle Climber
DodoGo! (DSiWare)
DodoGo! Robo (DSiWare)
Donkey Kong (3DS Virtual Console)
Dotman (DSiWare)
Double Dragon (3DS Virtual Console)
Dragon Quest IX
Drawn to Life Collection
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Dropcast
Earthworm Jim (DSiWare)
Elebits The Adventure of Kai and Zero
Elite Beat Agents
Exit
Face Racers (3DS)
Fast Food Panic
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales
Fossil Fighters
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Imagination Invaders
Frogger Returns (DSiWare)
G.G Series Drift Circuit (DSiWare)
G.G Series Ninja Karakuri Den (DSiWare)
G.G Series Z-ONE (DSiWare)
Gargoyles Quest (3DS Virtual Console)
Ghost Trick Phantom Detective
Giana Sisters DS
Go! Go! Kokopolo (DSiWare)
GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye Rogue Agent
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
How to Train Your Dragon
Impossible Mission
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Insecticide
Intellivision Lives!
Ivy the Kiwi?
Johnny Test
James Pond Codename: Robocod
Kirby Canvas Curse
Kirby Mass Attack
Kirby's Dreamland (3DS Virtual Console)
Kirby Squeak Squad
Kirby Super Star Ultra
KORG DS-10 Synthesizer
Lego Batman: The Videogame
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Let's Golf (3DSWare)
Link 'n' Launch (DSiWare)
Lock's Quest
Lunar Knights
Magical Whip (DSiWare)
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Mario Kart DS
Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story
Mario & Luigi Partner's in Time
Mario Party DS
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 March of the Minis
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Mini-land Mayhem
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Minis March Again! (DSiWare)
Megaman Battle Network 5 Double Team DS
Megaman Dr. Wily's Revenge (3DS Virtual Console)
Megaman Zero Collection
Megaman ZX
Metal Slug 7
Meteos
Metroid Prime Hunters
Mighty Flip Champs! (DSiWare)
Mighty Milky Way (DSiWare)
Mighty Switch Force (3DSWare)
Monster House
Monster Tale
Moon (US and Europe)
Mutant Mudds (3DSWare)
My Sims Racing
MX vs. ATV Untamed
N+
Namco Museum DS
Nano Assault (3DS)
Nanostray
Nanostray 2
New International Track & Field
New Zealand Story Revolution (Europe)
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Nintendogs Dachshund & Friends
Orcs & Elves
Okami Den
Petz Dogz Pack
Phineas & Ferb
Phineas & Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Pilotwings Resort (3DS)
Pipe Mania
Plants vs. Zombies
Pokemon Black Version
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
Pokemon Pearl Version
Pokemon Trozei!
Pro Evolution Soccer 2007
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Pushmo (3DSWare)
Rabbids Travel in Time 3D (3DS)
Rabi Laby (DSiWare)
Rayman 3D (3DS)
Rayman DS
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS)
Retro Game Challenge
Ridge Racer 3D (3DS)
Ridge Racer DS
Scooby-Doo! First Frights
Scurge Hive
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
Shantae: Risky's Revenge (DSiWare)
Sim City DS
Sonic Classic Collection
Sonic Colors
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Soul Bubbles
Space Bust-A-Move
Space Invaders Extreme 2
Spider-man 2
Spider-man Shattered Dimensions
Spotto! (DSiWare)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Fox 3D (3DS)
Star Fox Command
Steel Diver (3DS)
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
Super Mario 64 DS
(New) Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Land (3DS Virtual Console)
Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins (3DS Virtual Console)
Super Monkey Ball 3D (3DS)
Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll
Super Princess Peach
Super Scribblenauts
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (3DS)
Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop
Tetris DS
The Legendary Starfy
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns
The World Ends With You
Thor: God of Thunder
Tokyo Beat Down
Tomb Raider Underworld
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars (3DS)
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Toy Story 3
Trace Memory
Ultimate Mortal Kombat
Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble
Viva Pinata Pocket Paradise
VVVVVV (3DSWare)
Wario Master of Disguise
Wario Ware D.I.Y.
Wario Ware Touched
Wire Way
Yoshi's Island DS

3DS 'Most Popular' Video Charts

2012-01-12T15:03:00.000-06:00

As of today - January 12, 2012 - the Mutant Mudds trailer went from #13 to #4. Wow, that's really cool! Thank you if you are one of those who viewed it over the past week.

It'll be interesting to see what the charts look like next week, now that a new 3D trailer has been added to the eShop today.

1. [4] Nintendo Show 3D: December 29, 2011
2. [11] What Is Nintendo Video?
3. [9] Super Mario 3D Land Super Play Video
4. [13] Mutant Mudds Video
5. [10] 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure Video
6. [16] Pokédex 3D Video
7. [3] Mighty Switch Force Teaser Trailer
8. [N] Mighty Switch Force Teaser Trailer #2
9. [7] Pushmo Video
10. [5] Nintendo Show 3D: December 15, 2011
11. [N] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX Video
12. [8] Nintendo Show 3D: December 1, 2011
13. [14] Sonic Generations Video
14. [18] The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Video
15. [17] Pokémon Rumble Blast Video
16. [N] Thriller Preview
17. [19] Zelda: Skyward Sword Opening Trailer
18. [20] The Legend of Zelda Hollywood Concert Coverage
19. [N] Super Mario 3D Land Launch Trailer
20. [N] Plants vs. Zombies Video

3D Mutant Mudds Screens!

2012-01-10T13:13:00.002-06:00

Use this handy dandy QR code, or

Visit the URL below with your Nintendo 3DS Internet Browser

to view some 3D screens of Mutant Mudds!

http://www.renegadekid.com/mpo.htm

Mutant Mudds First Review - Nintendo Power

2012-01-03T16:39:00.005-06:00

"If we see more neo-retro titles of this caliber,
we'll be very happy gamers indeed."

"Extremely enjoyable."

"Does a fantastic job of recreating the feel of
a good old-fashioned platformer."

"Recommended."

Nintendo Power's rating scale uses Grumble Grumble, Hmmmm, and Recommended. I'm happy to reveal Mutant Mudds is Recommended!

You can read Nintendo Power's full review in the January / February 2012 issue.

Where do prices of video-games come from, and why are they important?

2012-01-01T16:12:00.001-06:00

It seems as though the price tag of video-games hasalways been criticized as being too high. Now that we live in a world where iPhoneApps are available for $1 or even $FREE, a $40 video-game seems outrageous incomparison to many people. Perhaps $40 for a 3DS game is outrageous, but whatsurprises me is when people scoff at the cost of $5 and $10 Nintendo eShop games.Really? Now even $5 or $10 is too much for a game?

Where do prices of video-games come from, and why arethey important? From my perspective as a developer, and now a publisher on theNintendo eShop – aw yeah! – the price that my games are being sold at have adistinct importance to me and my business. Take Mutant Mudds, for example. Let’ssay the development of Mutant Mudds cost a grand total $100,000 for all of the expensesinvolved with the creation of the game, such as team salaries, equipment, etc. Thisnumber is not real, but $100,000 is a nice round number that is not outside therealm of reality. Games can easily cost much more or less than this. Beyond ourgoal of entertaining people with our games, we also have the simple goal ofmaking enough money to continue operating as a business so we can make moregames.

If Mutant Mudds cost $100,000 to make, we need to make$100,000 back to break-even, right? That at least puts us in a good place wherewe don’t owe anyone any money. However, we must also make money beyond that ifwe are going to be able to move beyond Mutant Mudds and make more games. Let’simagine we sell Mutant Mudds for $40 and our cut of that is 50% (thatpercentage is fabricated, but it works nicely for this example). So, we make$20 for each game sold. Nice! That means we have to sell 5000 copies of thegame to make our initial investment of $100,000 back. That is a very manageablegoal…

… however, the reality is that we can’t sell Mutant Muddsfor $40, for many reasons. OK, so let’s go to the other end of the spectrum andprice it at $1 with our cut still being 50%. Oh wow, we would need to sell200,000 copies to make our $100,000 back. Hm, that might be a tricky goal toachieve. Time for some perspective: our best selling DS game has sold around100,000 copies worldwide. Based on how the average original non-licensed gamesells on the DS market, 100,000 copies is a big success. On a side note, we sawno profits from this title due to the broken business model of retail – but that’sa different story. OK, back on topic. Based on historical sales data, it’sprobably best to assume the game will sell around 30,000 copies – tops – in itslifetime. It could certainly be a lot less, or a lot more. That’s the roll thedice.

OK, so our expectations are 30,000 copies sold in itslifetime. Alright, let’s work from that number then instead. To break even we willneed to receive basically $3.34 per copy sold (30,000 x $3.34 = $100,200). Thatwould mean that we need to sell the game for $6.68 to make our initialinvestment back, with our cut at 50%. OK, let’s go crazy and sell it for awhopping $10 now, with our cut still at 50%. Here’s the math: 30,000 x $5 =$150,000. Hm, not bad at all! We make our initial investment of $100,000 backand have $50,000 towards the next game. Considering Mutant Mudds cost afictional $100,000 to make, having $50,000 to make the next game means weeither need to make a game that requires less team members, less time, lessfeatures, or we need to get some more money from somewhere else to make somethingthat is the same scope as Mutant Mudds.

And there lies the chaos of game development. In myopinion, iPhone games have a greater chance of selling closer to 200,000 copiesdue to the nature of the platform and the audience using it (they also have thesame chance of selling zero copies due to how flooded the market is). But, theyhave to be the right types of experiences for the iPhone audience. I think itis safe to assume that there are more people in the world walking around with aphone in their pocket than there are people with a DS or 3DS in their pocket. Thephone audience is massive. However, this does not mean that this is an audienceof gamers.

The typical iPhone user wants to play a simple game to waste sometime, which cost them very little money to buy. Their investment is equal totheir perceived value of the experience they want from the game. There isnothing wrong with this. I too want these types of experiences on my phone. Ithink the part of me that wants this is not my gamer side. It is my casualkicking-a-stone-on-the-street side. It is the side of me that finds it entertainingto flick a crumb off a table. Is this / should this be what the typical 3DSuser wants from games? I think not. I think the 3DS audience wants games thatdo more than just mindlessly waste some time. I think the 3DS audience wantssomething different. I think they want games that entertain them. Challengethem. Inspire them, perhaps!

Games that go beyond literal simple pleasures take timeand money to create. This will never change. If people are unwilling to pay higherprices for richer experiences, then these types of games will cease to exist. Youknow supply and demand and all that. We will then be left with a market full ofsimple gaming experiences that offer the same value as what you paid for it.

Muddmo

2011-12-15T09:59:00.001-06:00

Play this level on Pushmo!

Mutant Mudds: Final Process to Gold Master

2011-12-05T14:40:00.001-06:00

Mutant Mudds Update & More...

2011-11-30T13:40:00.001-06:00

Mutant Mudds Trailer

2011-11-23T12:52:00.001-06:00

[MAKE FULL SCREEN TO VIEW]

The 3DS Starts Here!

2011-11-12T12:40:00.006-06:00

Tomorrow is a day that provides US gamers with a brand new Mario game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is called Super Mario 3D Land (SM3DL), just in case you haven’t already heard of it. Despite the obvious design and gameplay differences between SM3DL and Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, this is essentially the equivalent of Mario Galaxy for the handheld market. This is a big deal!

I love Mario games, so I am naturally excited about the game. I have purposely stayed away from watching too many trailers. I’ve watched just enough to whet my appetite and catalog what I’m in store for. But, I’m a fan – so I was already sold on the game and the Nintendo 3DS.

However, this title is of great importance to the success of the Nintendo 3DS. People who have not yet purchased a 3DS need a reason to do so. SM3DL is poised to do exactly what it needs to do: attract new customers and sell Nintendo 3DS hardware. Who can resist a next-gen Mario game of home console quality that you can take anywhere with you? This is the beginning of the 3DS’ road to success.

If SM3DL doesn’t do the trick, there’s Mario Kart 7 next month! What, seriously? Yeah, I know, right? Believe it or not, Nintendo are releasing two of the biggest selling DS brands in the same Christmas season for the 3DS - stunning! I’d place a bet that anyone who thinks Nintendo is giving up on the 3DS is sorely mistaken.

Meanwhile, on the eShop, we have Mighty Switch Force, VVVVVV, and of course, our very own Mutant Mudds making their way to the 3DS’ digital download service in the coming months. After that we have the likes of Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil being released in February 2012 – just in case Nintendo’s first-party titles aren’t edgy enough for you.

Who knows what other delights we may be in store for. The likes of Smash Brothers, Luigi’s Mansion, Kid Icarus, and Paper Mario are on the horizon. And perhaps we’ll even see titles such as Donkey Kong Country, Metroid, and Kirby make their way into the world of 3D. Good times are ahead.

The 3DS is here to stay, and here to provide people with an amazing assortment of gaming experiences. Are you ready? I sure as hell am!

3DS Rant!

2011-08-07T10:50:00.001-05:00

I am surprised that people are saying the 3DS is a failure, it is doomed, etc. According to the information I can get my hands on, which may or may not be accurate, the 3DS has sold nearly 5 million units in about 6 months – the same amount the Nintendo DS sold in its’ first 6 months of release.

One of the big differences between the 3DS and DS launches is the launch date. The 3DS launched in February/ March, while the DS launched in November/December. The DS was able to take advantage of the Christmas holiday sales, a time when more people typically purchase items for gifts and such. Therefore, it seems impressive to me that the 3DS has sold an equal number of units considering it had no holiday to take advantage of. I admit that I am not an expert on Japanese holidays, so there may be a big Christmas-like event in February/March which helped sales of the 3DS in Japan. Even so, sales of the 3DS being equal to that of the DS within the same timeframe seems like a positive start for the platform, especially considering the hefty price tag of $250.

Now, fair enough, sales of the 3DS dropped dramatically after the initial launch, and this seems obviously tied to the fact that there are a serious lack of decent games to purchase – a big mistake. But, as an owner of a 3DS, I am happy to see that successful brands like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Cave Story 3D, Shinobi, and Bit. Trip Saga are being released in 2011. These well-known titles should give a lot of people a reason to buy the 3DS for Christmas, or before. And, we can’t forget the enhanced ports Zelda 64 and Star Fox 64 to whet the appetite.

The future looks bright. So, what really disappoints me about all of this is how publishers are reacting to the situation. Before the price drop and news of Nintendo’s financial situation were released, publishers were already playing the wait-and-see game. They wanted to see how the 3DS performed at Christmas. Sure, games were being developed, but at a cautious level. We were fortunate enough to already be working with Majesco on Face Racers: Photo Finish, which was originally destined to be a DS title that took advantage of the DSi camera, but switched to become a 3DS title shortly after the new handheld was announced. We were also fortunate enough to sign on with Ignition to develop Planet Crashers 3D for the 3DS prior to the dramatic news of the price cut et al. And, we’re publishing Mutant Mudds on Nintendo eShop ourselves!

It has always been difficult to find funding for original third-party games on handheld devices. Even though there have been some truly amazing original third-party games released on handheld platforms in the past. I expect it was not easy for the creators to convince their publishers to fund them to market. We managed to release four original titles on the DS, and I am confident we’ll develop many original games for the 3DS in the future. But, right now the outlook of publishers for original content on the 3DS is not good in the short-term.

Publishers say that they are waiting to see the sales of the 3DS over Christmas before committing to any new titles. But… why? Sales so far are pretty darn good. Sales of the aforementioned titles are sure to increase sales of the hardware. So, right now seems like a perfect time to start the development of a title so it can be released next year, when the number of 3DS owners has doubled from today. Unfortunately, it seems as though publishers do not have long-term vision. Short-term is their world, and this is probably largely due to being public-companies and such, but that’s a different story. The reality is that the majority of third-party publishers (I say majority, because there are still some great publishers out there that “get it”, and are in the business for the right reasons) are waiting on Nintendo to release their awesome first-party games to increase sales of the platform before third-party publishers will step up and release their own. Unfortunately, history tells us that publishers will more-than-likely opt for licensed titles over original titles in 2012 and beyond. It is a safer bet, and there are always plenty of licenses out there to take advantage of. And, when I say take advantage of, you know what I mean!

So, there you go. Take what you will from my polite rant. Personally, I think it is a foregone conclusion that the 3DS will be successful. The writing is on the wall. The success of the 3DS is reliant on the games released for it. And, as usual, (most) third-party publishers will rely on Nintendo’s great first-party games to fuel hardware sales and let the same ol’ story play out. You can also bet they’ll complain about Nintendo dominating the market and it not being “fair” for third-party publisher to “compete”. Give me a break. Third-party publishers, this is your chance to shine. Shine get!

ATV Wild Ride 3D - Looking For a Publisher!

2011-07-28T16:13:00.002-05:00

www.atvwildride.com

Introduction:

The debut of Renegade Kid's original arcade ATV racing title for the Nintendo DS, ATV Wild Ride, was met with high praise from the gaming press - making it hands-down the best ATV racing title available for the platform.

Evolution:

The next exciting installment of this off-road thrill ride, ATV Wild Ride 3D, turns the dial up to 11 with more insane airborne tricks, dramatic panoramic vistas, exhilarating audio, and a brand new "Wild Ride" power-up; enabling players to reach new intense speeds - bringing the excitement of extreme ATV racing alive.

You are thrown into an adrenaline-charged off-road trick-racing event across the globe. Hold onto your handlebars, it's about to get wild!

Main Features:

A true 'console' ATV racing experience for the Nintendo 3DS.
Utilizes the proven power of the award-winning Renegade Engine.
12 Exotic locations, with 48 extreme tracks to tear up.

6 new locations, with 24 new tracks.
Unlock 6 "retro" Nintendo DS locations, with 24 "classic" tracks (enhanced to utilize 3DS graphical capabilities).

Perform dozens of insane airborne tricks to earn nitro boosts.
Land 3 consecutive "hard" tricks and enter "Wild Ride" mode; increasing your overall speed for a short period of time.
Skid around corners, soar over chasms, and experience the speed rush with physics-based racing dynamics.
Up to 4 players go head-to-head with Internet and Local play for ultimate bragging rights.
Expected ESRB rating: E - Everyone.

Day 5: A Week in the Life of a Game Developer

2011-07-22T11:31:00.002-05:00

Day 4: A Week in the Life of a Game Developer

2011-07-21T11:50:00.001-05:00

Day 3: A Week in the Life of a Game Developer

2011-07-20T10:47:00.002-05:00

Day 2: A Week in the Life of a Game Developer

2011-07-19T13:25:00.002-05:00

Day 1: A Week in the Life of a Game Developer

2011-07-18T13:18:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd do something a little different this week. A lot of people who visit my blog and/or comment on my videos on YouTube seem interested in the process of making games. It was something I was always interested in as a kid, while I was at school. So, this week I am going to attempt to record a blog each day of this week to give you an idea of some of the things that may happen in a typical week at a video game studio.

Mutant Mudds: Game Content

2011-06-15T15:20:00.000-05:00

Some info on the game content of Mutant Mudds...

Levels: Mutant Mudds contains a total of 40 challenging levels. There are a total of five worlds. Each world contains 4 regular levels. Each regular level provides access to a secret sub level. When you add all of that up, you get 40 levels. However, only the first four worlds (16 regular levels & 16 secret sub levels) are initially presented to you. You must collect the Water Sprite from each of the first 32 levels to unlock the fifth world. Now, the fifth world is a little different from the first four worlds. Each level in the fifth world is locked. You must collect all of the Golden Diamonds from the first world to unlock the first level in the fifth world. There are 100 Golden Diamonds in each regular level. The secret sub levels do not contain any Golden Diamonds. There are a total of 400 Golden Diamonds to collect in the first world to unlock the first level in the fifth world.

Power-ups: Some of the secret sub levels require the use of a power-up to gain access to them. There are three power-ups that can be purchased from your Grandma's shoppe. She has an unhealthy obsession for Golden Diamonds, and demands steep prices for her gadgets. Each power-up is temporary, and will be lost when a life is lost. Do not fear, collected Golden Diamonds are never depleted from your inventory; once you've earned them they can never be taken away. If you lose a power-up before it has been utilized, you'll just need to visit the shoppe, purchase the power-up, and try again.

Multi-Tiered Completions

Completion 1: Collect the Water Sprites from the first 16 regular levels. This results in celebration ending #1.

Completion 2: Collect the Water Sprites from the first 16 regular levels and their 16 secret sub levels. This results celebration ending #2 and the unlocking of the fifth world.

Completion 3: Collect the Water Sprites from all 20 regular levels and their 20 secret sub levels. This results in celebration ending #3, immense self-pride, and a special surprise!

Mutant Mudds: Amazing Reception

2011-06-14T00:29:00.003-05:00

I went to E3 2011 with a little 3DS demo in my pocket, called Mutant Mudds. It is a project that was started out of pure love for platform games. A chance to make a game for ourselves with no outside input from anyone, and no consideration for how well it may or may not sell. A true indie effort, if you like. Mutant Mudds is unlike any title we have developed at Renegade Kid. Caution has been thrown to the wind. We are fortunate enough to be able to develop this title without the need of funding from an outside source. This is the pivotal reason that enables us to develop what we want, just because we want it.

My main mission at E3 was to get the word out about our game that is destined for the Nintendo 3DS eShop. I honestly did not expect the response to be so positive. I did not expect to find as many gamers who wanted the same things that we did. The reception for Mutant Mudds at E3 was amazing. Everyone who played the game genuinely enjoyed the experience. They commented on the old and the new contained within the game. 16-bit era platformers have long been dormant, and Mutant Mudds seems to be a welcomed breath of old-school fresh air.

I want to send a sincere thank you to everyone who shares our love of 2D platform games, and have shown their support for Mutant Mudds. It makes all of our hard work well worth it. We have a few months left before Mutant Mudds will be ready for release. We will continue to make what we think is good. And we hope you like the result.

Here are some of the kind words expressed in the gaming press:

"I absolutely loved Mutant Mudds."

- James Higginbotham, Pure Nintendo

"Portable gaming just doesnt get any better than Mutant Mudds."

- Andreas Asimakis, Games Abyss

"A landmark title for the 3DS eShop, the 3DS as a system, and the next generation of video game devices as a whole."

- Austin McLaughlin, Nintendo Everything

"Mutant Mudds is everything a platformer fan could ask for."

- Corbie Dillard, Nintendo Life

"This game feels great."

- Neal Ronaghan, Nintendo World Report

"A 3DS eShop title that is definitely on my radar."

- Justin Berube, Ripten

"There's a lot of Nintendo love in here."

- Tony Ponce, Destructoid

"Easily one of the most enjoyable titles I had the opportunity to play at the E3 show."

- Corbie Dillard, Nintendo Life

"The kind of challenge that fans of classics such as Mario and Mega Man enjoy."
- 8-Bit Jay, BYTE

Mutant Mudds E3 Footage

2011-06-13T15:52:00.002-05:00

E3 2011: A Quick Look!

2011-06-11T16:36:00.003-05:00

ATV Wild Ride Trailer

2011-06-03T16:03:00.003-05:00

ATV Wild Ride Unboxing!

2011-05-31T12:31:00.000-05:00

Mutant Mudds

2011-05-30T20:55:00.002-05:00

OK, so the cat's out of the bag on Mutant Mudds, thanks to an early copy of Nintendo Power falling into a scanner and spilling its guts all over the internet. I would have preferred the magazine to have actually been released to the public on June 7th before the game was unveiled, but that's not going to happen now, and that's OK. I'm excited to have the news out there.

Just in case you've been chilling under a rock somewhere and missed out on the Nintendo Power leak (which also revealed new Sonic & Shinobi games for the 3DS): Mutant Mudds will be 2D platform game for the Nintendo 3DS eShop.

Here's the link:
http://www.handheldgamingblog.com/nintendo-power-reveals-mutant-mudds-nintendo-eshop/

Here's some info:
Our hero is Maximilian, who has made valiant efforts to enter the video-game market in the past. His first attempt was with a retail Nintendo DS title, where he would have been displayed as a three dimensional polygonal mesh with applied textures. When this proposal fell flat, Maximilian pitched a lighter version of his 3D platform adventure to publishers as a DSiWare title. Unfortunately, this too did not see the light of day, despite some heart-warming support from his avid fans (Max says, “Thank you!”). Upon hearing of the Nintendo 3DS eShop, Maximilian knew this was finally his chance to step out into the spotlight and claim his 15 seconds of fame, and stomp on the evil army of Mutant Mudds who is bent on claiming his world while he's there.

Equipped with a H20-powered jetpack and heavy-duty water cannon, Maximilian has what he needs to vanquish his long-term nemesi: the Mutant Mudds.

----

Right now, we're working on finishing the E3 demo of Mutant Mudds. It consists of three levels (easy, medium, and hard) that each take you to a different land and feature a bevy of filthy foes. Anyone who finds me at E3 is welcome to play Mutant Mudds. I'll be wandering around the LA Convention Center with it in my pocket. Oh, I'll also have stickers and keychains to give away too. :)

The Mutant Mudds website will go live tomorrow. It was originally planned to go live with the unveiling in Nintendo Power, but that's already happened now... so the website will go live one week early. It will contain screenshots and other media delights.

Mutant Mudds Freebies at E3 2011

2011-05-19T23:41:00.000-05:00

Find me at E3 this year and I'll happily unload a Mutant Mudds sticker or a keychain on you.

Worried about the future of the 3DS?

2011-05-19T12:54:00.000-05:00

Do not fear. Have faith. Nintendo know what they’re doing. Nintendo are cash rich. They are experienced, skilled, and able to get the world excited about the 3DS when the time is right. I believe the 2011 launch of the Nintendo 3DS is a soft launch. There are probably many reasons for opting to go with a soft launch in lieu of an all-out, guns-blazing, saturate-the-airwaves launch, which I won’t go into today. Let’s assume 2011 is for the early-adopting hardcore players, while 2012 is for the casual players to join in the fun.

Fast forward to Christmas 2012; the 3DS is the mega hit of the season. What? Not Christmas 2011? That’s right. Christmas 2011 will treat the 3DS very well too, but 2012 will be the real success story in comparison. It is when the casual gamer market finally sees the potential of the 3DS, much like they did with the DS. The reasons for this include a lower purchase price ($199 or less), and a sleek “Lite” version with a selection of fun colors. The library of games sitting on the store shelves will include such must-have titles as Mario, Mario Kart, Zelda, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Kirby, Pokemon, and much more. The eShop will be pre-installed and ready to go with ease, making it hassle-free for casual players. Services such as Netflix will also be available. And, by that point Nintendo will have opened the marketing floodgates and saturated every media outlet imaginable to ensure every potential customer is aware of its beautiful baby.

Am I bias? Absolutely! But, that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. ;)

ATV Wild Ride on Electric Playground

2011-05-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

Mutant Mudds

2011-04-20T16:03:00.002-05:00

Mutant Mudds

2011-04-16T19:22:00.003-05:00

Whoa, it looks like Max has started making contact with us...

http://twitter.com/#!/mutantmudds
http://www.mutantmudds.com

Hey, it's Mii

2011-04-08T12:52:00.002-05:00

Here's Mii:

2011-03-30T08:09:00.000-05:00

(Scan the above QR code with your 3DS to add my Mii to your plaza.)

Face Kart Tilt-Steering Facts

2011-03-15T11:14:00.000-05:00

The Austin Chronicle posted an article about Face Kart, here, saying “Turn off the 3D and play the game by tilting the handheld system. Amazingly, the screen tilts as you turn so the game world always looks right-side up. A small detail that makes all the difference.” Some folks have taken this as meaning that Face Kart is not a 3D game or that we encourage players to turn the 3D effect off for some "artistic" reason. This is incorrect.

First off, the stereo 3D effect of the Nintendo 3DS is amazing. It’s magic. I have been lucky enough to spend each day for the past several months ogling at the wonder of its stereo 3D power, and I love it. Oh, and my eyes are still fine btw. :) Face Kart fully supports the 3D effect – and it looks fantastic. However, the stereo 3D effect tends to get displaced when tilting the 3DS unit to the side (like a steering wheel). For this reason, having the 3D effect on while the tilt-steering option is active can make it difficult to view the 3D effect properly if the unit is tilted too far. Therefore, the tilt-steering control option works best with 3D turned off. Tilt-steering is a lot of fun, and it feels great to turn your 3DS like a steering wheel. If you want to fully experience the amazing 3D effect that the game has to offer, you’ll want to stick with the default standard Circle Pad control option instead.

SXSW 2011 + First Footage of Face Kart on Nintendo 3DS

2011-03-14T23:17:00.002-05:00

ATV Wild Ride Video Footage: Mexico Track Play-Through

2011-02-18T10:55:00.001-06:00

This is the first video footage of ATV Wild Ride that gives you a good look at how the game plays. GoNintendo have a play-through of the first track, Mexico, with commentary by me.

Face Kart 3DS, and more...

2011-02-14T13:56:00.001-06:00

ATV Wild Ride - Games Abyss Review - 9.5/10

2011-02-09T08:40:00.000-06:00

Games Abyss's Managing Editor, Andreas Asimakis, throttles up his ATV in ATV Wild Ride and shares his wild experience with us.

"ATV Wild Ride is a rare treat for the Nintendo DS."

"Pure, unadulterated on-the-go racing bliss."

"Clever track design and ear-pleasing soundtrack."

"Yet another testament to the power of the Renegade Engine."

"ATV Wild Ride handles beautifully."

"ATV Wild Ride not only delivers on the fun factor, it makes me appreciate the genre a whole lot more than I ever would have imagined."

"ATV Wild Ride is what the DS was sorely in need of."

"I found myself effortlessly pulling off all sorts of stunts and sticking my landings like a pro."

Read the full article here.

ATV Wild Ride - Destructoid Review - 8/10

2011-02-03T20:59:00.002-06:00

Destructoid's Editor-in-Chief, Nick Chester, takes ATV Wild Ride through its paces and gives us the low-down and dirty.

"Renegade Kid succeeds in building a solid portable DS racer with ATV Wild Ride."

"Excellent handheld racing package."

"Impressive amount of game content crammed onto the DS cart."

"Tracks are cleverly designed."

"Fans of arcade-style racing will feel right at home."

"Smooth-as-butter movement."

Read the full article here.

Now, all we have to do is find out when the game will be released! As soon as I find out, you'll be the first to know!! Frustrating? Yeah, a little bit.

The Big Divide

2011-01-30T23:01:00.006-06:00

I think most gamers believe that developers of original games always create games that they want to make. This isn’t true.

For me, Dementium: The Ward was certainly a case of us creating a game just for us. But, after that, Moon came along. Moon was an opportunity that arose from discussions with Mastiff, who wanted to work with Renegade Kid on a FPS for the DS. I dug into my bag of ideas and resurrected the essence of an old sci-fi game concept for the Gameboy Color and pitched the basic idea in FPS format, and then we got started into development. Getting the game signed was a ridiculously quick and easy process. This is not typical. Now, I’m not saying that Moon was a game that I did not want to make, but it wasn’t born of pure game-making desire. It was a business deal that afforded us the opportunity to cobble together some ideas in an effort to convince a publisher to pay us to develop an original game.

There was no publisher input with Dementium: The Ward. It was literally made just for the pure sake of making a game. Moon, on the other hand, had a publisher involved from day one. Those of you who have played both games will hopefully agree that both Dementium: The Ward and Moon are pretty much of equal value, with some people favoring one over the other as a matter of taste, which is a pretty amazing result, and a testament to the publisher’s / developer’s tolerance of each other.

Dementium II was also born from a business opportunity. SouthPeak purchased Gamecock, who published Dementium: The Ward, and as part of their new acquisition decided to act upon one of Gamecock's successful titles. Dementium II was a lot closer to my heart than Moon because it was a sequel to the pure-born Dementium: The Ward. And, with a HUGE thank you to SouthPeak’s David Dienstbeir, John Kaiser, and Aubrey Norris, the developer/publisher relationship on Dementium II was a smooth as warm butter. They let us make our game, and supported it in any way they could. It couldn’t have been any better. I really enjoyed working with those fine folks on D2.

ATV Wild Ride was a semi-pure-born concept. We’d wanted to develop an arcade racing game for the DS for a long time, and found ourselves with no development deals on the table after Dementium II was completed (even though I'd been in talks with dozens of publishers for over 6 months), so we decided to start making an ATV racing game – called ATV Spirit at the time. The ATV direction was directly influenced by the awesome title, Pure. We also decided to go with ATV because that theme of racing has sold fairly well on the DS, and we wanted to develop a racing game that players and publishers would be interested in. I know ATV racing is not really on the top of the list of hardcore gamers, but it is a genre that appeals to a lot of casual players, and perhaps with a little Renegade Kid magic we can turn a few hardcore players into believers. We’ll see…

So, anyway, my point is that we don’t always get to make our heart’s desire. Personally, I have wanted to make a 2D platform game for many years. I’d also like to develop a 3D platform game, hence the Maximilian demo we made. It can be argued that if a developer simply goes ahead and creates a game that they’re passionate about, it will find a home with players. But, what stands in-between the developer and the players are publishers. If publishers don’t think they can make money from your game, they won’t be interested in it. It can be a risky market out there, and publishers are even more careful with their investments than ever before.

Now, one of the main reasons that publishers must be so careful with their money is because the retail industry controls what games are put on the shelves. This includes Gamestop, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc. Publishers must convince each retail outlet to place an order for their game(s). Each retailer obviously wants to make as much money as possible, so they want titles that they think will sell. Are they experts on what will sell? Um, no, they really aren’t. But, they are in control of what product goes on their shelves, because they own those shelves. So, if a publisher goes to each of the big retailers with a single DS game and tries to place it with them, they’re going to have a hard time with an original title with an unknown brand that is only on the DS. If this title also has a Wii version, suddenly the deal looks better to retail. It feels like a more established brand and perhaps the publisher is going to put more marketing into a two SKU title. Now, if it has 360 and PS3 versions too, well, now we’re talking! How can we make this deal even more appetizing to retail? Huh, OK, how about we dump the artsy fartsy original content and replace it with a known brand, such as a movie or TV show? Yeah, now that’s money! Now, we have a game that has a built-in audience from the license, and it has multi-platforms. How can we lose? Oh? The game is shit? Never mind, it’ll sell anyway. :) Sure, I know that was a little sassy, but it is unfortunately very true.

This brings me neatly to one of the many things that is changing the video-game industry: digital content. The ability to cut-out retail is a beautiful thing. If we – and when I say we; I mean developers and publishers working together in a balanced partnership – if we can focus on making games that do not need to be engineered to impress retail for shelf space, but instead are able to focus on a game for game’s sake and invent creative ways for marketing our games to players, the number of high quality titles will surely increase. On top of that, not having to spend / risk money on manufacturing cartridges or DVDs is also a huge benefit that helps steer the focus of game making back onto the game and not all of the abstract and unnecessary obstacles that stand in our way today.

I see the road to a brighter day being paved today. We'll be there before you know it!

I hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

ATV Wild Ride: Nintendo Power Review

2011-01-24T09:03:00.005-06:00

Nintendo Power have reviewed ATV Wild Ride, and they scored it 7/10. This is a decent score. I would have preferred a higher score, but I am pleased with a 7. Not only does Patrick have the splendid things listed below to say about the game, but NP scored MX vs. ATV 6/10, which puts ATV Wild Ride as the best ATV racing game on the DS according to their scoring system. I'll take that. :)

"Keep you engaged race after race."

"Clever interplay between nailing tricks and winning races."

"An undeniably solid feature set."

The full review can be found in the February 2011 issue of Nintendo Power, on page 87 (issue 264).

Pre-Order ATV Wild Ride on Amazon.com

2011-01-20T06:40:00.003-06:00

ATV Wild Ride is finally available for Pre-Order on Amazon.com.

Go here and reserve your copy today!

Reaction Time: Nintendo 3DS

2011-01-19T11:22:00.001-06:00

The Nintendo 3DS will be priced at $249 in the US, and released on March 27, 2011. Am I excited? Hell yeah! Am I concerned? Yes.

I know I'm not alone on this. $249 for the 3DS is simply too expensive. The DS released at $149. If Nintendo couldn't afford to release a new handheld for less than $200, they should have designed a different new handheld. They could have released a "real 3D" version of the DS to save costs and release it at $189.99. People would still have been impressed with the real 3D tech, and let's face it, most people think the 3DS is just a glorified DS anyway (which it isn't).

Jools

A pivotal time in gaming!

2011-01-18T23:21:00.001-06:00

I just spent the past four years focused on the development of DS games. There were a few occasions when I worked on some game designs for the Wii, 360, and even PS3, but it always came back to the DS in the end for one reason or another. Renegade Kid’s fourth game, ATV Wild Ride, is coming out very soon, and our fifth DS game, codenamed Smoke, will be released in the summer of 2011. Also, as you may already know, our first 3DS title, Face Kart: Photo Finish, is coming in the fall of this year.

Now, the question is: what should we develop for next? The DS market is coming to the end of its life. Not much point in devoting many future plans there. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to continue developing games for the DS. But, publisher’s interest in the platform is decreasing fast. The 3DS is about to start its life, and everyone seems very excited about it. There’s also the iPhone and Android. Those devices are providing a rather large outlet for gaming. And then, there’s still the 360 and PS3 of course. But, to be honest, developing a multi-million dollar “next-gen” game seems a little too far to stretch right now. I realize I didn’t list the PSP, because that market has been in trouble since it started. It will be interesting to hear about what the PSP2 is all about. If it too is a gaming device and phone, it may do well, or it may fail next to the 3DS, iPhone, and Android. But hey, I guess it’s possible the PSP2 could trump them all! We’ll find out soon.

This is a pivotal time in gaming. There are many options to choose from for developers; too many perhaps? There are many platforms to develop for, many business models to consider, and many different audiences wanting to play different types of games. In the last round, the Wii and DS both provided affordable markets for smaller publishers to make a profit. Due to those platforms being family-friendly and casual, parents and kids purchased a ton of value priced garbage for those platforms, which fueled the creation of even more value priced garbage. And now, you look at the Wii and DS shelves in Target and Walmart and you see tons of games that you’ve never heard of. The number of games that are released and never reviewed in magazines or gaming sites is tremendously high. I have never witnessed this on a console before. Publishers knew that game reviews of their games had little impact on sales – a crazy concept – but, it makes sense when your audience is primarily people who don’t visit video-game websites or buy video-game magazines. It’s shocking stuff, really.

Now, with the Wii (nearly) seemingly gone, are publishers going to continue trying to milk the Wii market? After all, the primary audience of the Wii is not interested in forking out $250 for a new console when they already have one that works just fine. The Wii might be classified in the same way a casual player views their DVD player, and as such, they might expect to hold onto their Wii for another five years. The Wii does have a remote, just like their DVD, after all. Is it possible that Wii sales can continue that long? Or, will it quickly die with its’ customers going to iPhone, Kinect, and 3DS? 2011 will tell us.

The DS is definitely going away, of course. Its older brother, the Nintendo 3DS, is on its way and will overshadow any DS efforts publishers may have for 2012. 2011, on the other hand, still has a shot at making some profit from DS sales – especially this Christmas. So, what is a small publisher to do for 2012? If the Wii and DS options are gone, the natural choice may look like the 3DS. But, is the 3DS a Wii or is it a DS in terms of retail and budgetary concerns? The problem is that it is neither a Wii nor a DS, and yet it is both at the same time. Really, if you had to choose one that the 3DS resembles the most, it would be the DS. It is a handheld with two screens. I’m sure it will be very confusing for the execs whose job it is to mitigate risk, and such. The 3DS presents the development cost of (nearly) the Wii for a handheld console, which have always been considered “lite” gaming devices. From that perspective, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to invest Wii budgets into a DS market. In fact, it is starting to sound more like the PSP financial dilemma that turned many publishers away from it. I find all of this quite fascinating. The good news is that all publishers are clamoring to get 3DS titles out, so let’s hope this pushes through the barrier of executive concern and lands us nicely on easy street in 2012. :)

Alright, that’s enough waffling for today. I hope you’re having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

No Rise For Maximilian

2011-01-10T22:50:00.005-06:00

It looks like Maximilian will not be rising up to thwart the Mutant Mudds on DSiWare. This makes me sad. I really wanted to see it happen. One month after I put the call out, we have 452 comments from fine folks who want to see Maximilian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds on DSiWare. Unfortunately, that is 548 votes short of where we need to be in order to start development of the title.

I realize that Max may not seem special to some people. But, I believe Max could have been a very special addition to the DSiWare library.

Very special thanks to Kevin Cassidy (RMC), head honcho at GoNintendo, who agreed to display the Max banner on his awesome site, and kept it up there much longer than I expected. I really appreciate it, man. You’re a gentleman and a true gamer.

Ninja Senki

2011-01-06T21:10:00.001-06:00

A good friend of mine, Michael Veroni (who is the lead artist on DreamRift's debut title, Monster Tale), sent me a link today. It was this: http://www.ninjasenki.com/

I downloaded the game and played it. It is great. You should play it too, and tell Jonathan Lavigne that his game is cool.

Here's a trailer for the game.

Ninja Senki Launch Trailer from pixeltao on Vimeo.

2011 Goodness

2011-01-02T15:43:00.008-06:00

I am really looking forward to 2011. We have at least three games releasing this year! How crazy is that? Well, if they’re not delayed for some reason outside of our control, that is. First up, we have ATV Wild Ride releasing this month. I don’t have a release date yet, but I will share it with you once I know. After that, “Smoke” will be released for the DS sometime in the summer, I expect. And then, “Face” will come out late summer-ish, which is not for the DS! ;)

On December 9, I asked those interested in seeing Maximilian on DSiWare to comment on the blog post, saying that if we receive at least 1000 comments then we’ll bring it to DSiWare. So far, we have just over 400 comments. I will give it until January 9, to see what the final number is, but at this rate it looks very unlikely that we’ll receive 1000 legitimate votes for the game. This is sad, but also exactly why we asked for votes; to help us gauge whether development of the game would be financially wise or not. Honestly, if we can’t scrounge up at least 1000 votes in one month, it’s a fair sign that there aren’t enough people out there interested in the game, DSiWare, or both. I know I don’t have thousands of people visiting my blog, but Go Nintendo were kind enough to place a banner at the top of their site for many weeks, and even that did not drive enough people to vote.

Right now, we’re in heavy get-new-projects mode. There is one 3DS title that we’re in talks about with a publisher. It is a really cool game. It would be a conversion of an existing title, which we would bring to the 3DS. Let’s call it code-named “Planet”. In theory, we’re very close to signing this deal with the publisher. But, anything can happen in the world of business, so all we can do is hope everything stays its course and we sign it soon.

We’re also in talks with a couple of publishers regarding some value DS titles. Now, before you assume “value title” is synonymous with shovelware or crap, it doesn’t have to be that way. It depends on how you approach it. In my mind, the concept of a value title is a simple and fun game that costs less than a regular game. When you buy a DSiWare game for $8, for example, you are not expecting the same scope of game that you would buy at $29.99. They may be smaller in scope than games that cost $34.99 or $29.99, but that doesn’t mean they have to be any less fun or contain less quality work. Shantae, Dark Void Zero, and Cave Story are good examples of smaller scoped titles that are high quality in terms of craftsmanship and fun. Perhaps there are 10 levels instead of 15, or 4 characters instead of 8. Or perhaps it is a conversion of something that was developed for a different platform.

Now, why would anyone want to release value titles for the DS, right? Well, the market can create the need for publishers to consider these options. Value titles cost less to produce in terms of development costs, and the size of the cartridge that the game uses is smaller. So, instead of the development cost being 300,000 potatoes, it may cost just 100,000 potatoes due to the smaller scope of the game and/or leveraging of existing technology. Remember, this does not need to affect the quality of the title; just the size of it or perhaps the effort needed to complete the title (by leveraging existing assets). Also, instead of using a large cartridge that may cost the publisher 8 potatoes per cart to manufacture, a smaller cart may cost just 6 potatoes. Nice! So, we’ve managed to save a bunch of potatoes in development cost AND 2 potatoes PER CART by going with a smaller cartridge. If the first run of cartridges is 30,000 units, for example, that’s 30,000 multiplied by 2 potatoes, which is 60,000 potatoes in savings - based on the cart size alone! Plus, the 200,000 potatoes saved in development costs is a total savings of 260,000 potatoes. Very nice! However, due to the fact the game may sell for $19.99 or $14.99, there is less profit made on the sale of each game, but the hope is that more copies are sold due to the lower price. I know, I know; you don’t buy those lower priced titles anyway because you assume they’re all cheap crap. Fair enough. I am hesitant too. They usually are cheap crap. But, the majority of people who buy video games, on the DS and Wii anyway, are not hardcore gamers. They are casual gamers or parents, who do not perceive lower price as lower quality. The unfortunate reality is that many publishers take advantage of this and DO produce cheap crap. Sigh. I hope this evil practice ends eventually, but I know it won’t. Anywho, rest assured that if we sign on to develop a value title for the DS, our focus will be on producing a good game that is fun to play.

Here’s a quick question for you…

Which genre would you like to see Renegade Kid create for the DS?

First-Person Shooter
Third-Person Shooter
Vehicular Combat
2D Platformer
3D Platformer
Racing
Virtual Pet

Thanks. I hope you’re having a great day!

Jools

Renegade Kid’s Swan Song for the DS!

2010-12-29T21:03:00.000-06:00

It is an interesting time for the Nintendo handheld market. The DS has tens of millions of owners scattered across the world, and the new 3DS is going to be released in early 2011.

As a player, and a fan of Nintendo’s handhelds, I look forward to getting my hands on the 3DS. At the same time, however, I feel sad that the DS era is coming to a end. Ignoring the fact that the first exterior design of the DS was “phatt” and ugly, it has been an incredibly enjoyable games machine to own. The unit is (fairly) durable, and the games have been a lot of fun. Sure, there are now oodles of terrible games available for the DS, and the explosion of less-than-mediocre virtual pet and fashion games is not something that gets me excited (I do enjoy good virtual pet games, though), but, I believe the likes of Mario Kart, Henry Hatsworth, New Super Mario Bros., the Call of Duty series, and of course Renegade Kid’s own contributions, provide an incredible gaming experience that can be enjoyed on-the-go, or anywhere you choose, due to the portability of the console. I guess I am just unwilling to let the DS go in the same way I was hesitant to let the GBA step aside for the DS. I loved my GBA, and I love the DS. And, I’m already falling in love with the 3DS. Everything will be ok. :)

Now, as a developer, I am torn. Naturally, I want to dive into the development of 3DS games. And, we are doing just that at Renegade Kid. But, at the same time, I don’t want to turn my back on the DS. As I mentioned above, the DS has tens of millions of owners, whereas the 3DS currently has zero. If I had enough money of my own, I would invest it into the development of something truly special for the DS: Renegade Kid’s swan song for the DS. However, the reality is that I don’t have enough money of my own to fund development, and publishers are unlikely to invest in the development of something that hasn’t been proven to be a financial success by existing sales data – which unfortunately boils down to the safest bet being license games at this point. Sure, games like Scribblenauts have a chance too, but that avenue requires the developer to essentially develop the game first to prove that it is cool to a publisher, which requires a whole lot of money / risk.

We rely on publishers to fund the development of our games, so we have to sell the concept of our games with a proposal document or a playable demo. Obviously, a proposal document is easier, cheaper, and quicker to create than a playable demo – but it also relies on the publisher sharing your mental vision of the game, which is very tricky. So, it is not always the best way to sell an original idea. Moon and Dementium II were fairly easy to sell in concept to publishers due to the fact that Dementium: The Ward acted as proof that a decent third-party FPS could be created and it could sell OK too. Both Dementium: The Ward and ATV Wild Ride needed to be playable before publishers were interested in signing on to invest money. On a side note, something that the publishers failed to recognize with both Moon and Dementium II was the fact that Dementium: The Ward had a hefty on-line ad campaign when the game was released (on time) on Halloween 2007, which was instrumental in the exposure and ultimately decent sales of the title. Thank you for that, Gamecock. I could go on about my annoyance about all of this, but not today. ;)

OK, I got a little off track there. Back on topic. It would seem like a reasonable idea to develop titles for the system that has tens of millions of owners out there: Nintendo DS. Especially, when considering the high price of the 3DS and the subsequent lack of players who will be able to afford to buy it in 2011. Until the 3DS drops in prices to below $200, it will not be selling like the DS did. Hm, what was the price of the DS at launch? Oh yes, $149.99. Interesting! Taking into account inflation since 2004, I would say that even a higher price of $189.99 for the 3DS would be acceptable today – perhaps even $199.99.

Anyway, that’s enough rambling for one day I think. I’m not sure there’s even a tangible point to this post. I just felt like sharing some of my thoughts. In summary: looking forward to the 3DS. Still want to make great DS games. Hope the price of 3DS drops to below $200 ASAP.

I hope you're having a great day.

Jools

General Update...

2010-12-18T09:31:00.005-06:00

I haven’t written a proper update for a while, so I thought I should…

Recently, we did a media blitz for Maximilian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds to see if there was enough interest out there in internetland for it to be brought to DSiWare. [glances at the total votes] It would seem that of the 1000 votes we needed, only 374 have come in so far. The game has received fairly decent exposure over the past week, with Go Nintendo kindly allowing Max to take over their site banner all week, and news pieces on IGN, Destructoid, Pure Nintendo, Nintendo Life, and many other cool websites. In all fairness, we should have received more than 1000 votes by now if there were enough people out there wanting Max on DSiWare. I truly appreciate the 374 people (and the other 50 anonymous!), but the forecast doesn’t look good for Max on DSiWare. It makes me feel bad, because of those who do want it. But, it will take a lot of resources for us to bring it to DSiWare, and we’re just a small studio. We have to be very careful with what we spend our time and money on. I’m sure you’ve noticed the many studios that have closed or had lay-offs in 2010. We want to stay in the business of making games, so we have to tread carefully. I’m not saying that Max won’t happen on DSiWare, but so far it looks improbable that we’ll see 1000 votes before the end of the year, which is very sad.

As you know, ATV Wild Ride has been completed. Hooray, and congrats to the team. Here’s a rundown of the team: Gregg Hargrove produced most of the fantastic in-game art, as well as provided the rockin’ music with his band Swift Justice and the Hired Goons. Bob Ives was the lead programmer, handling the core engine and gameplay components. Andrew Brown was a programmer, handling the menus, user interfaces, logic, and particles. Giovanni Acosta was also a programmer, handling the networking/multiplayer component. And, I handled the gameplay, track design, audio effects, menu/user interface artwork, and schedules: a small and very capable team, who produced a great game in a short amount of time. Well done chaps! I am very proud of our accomplishments. There have already been some hands-on previews at Destructoid, Pure Nintendo, and Nintendo Power – all of which had very positive things to say about the game. I expect we’ll see some reviews in January. I do not know the exact release date yet, but it should be January 2011.

We have three other projects in development: codenamed Smoke, Bit, and Face.

Smoke is progressing nicely. It was originally planned to be a holiday release. But, we ran into some issues which have delayed the game. The good news is that it is all in the name of quality. Like I’ve said before, and will probably say again, Smoke is a kid’s game. I am not sure if we’ll go for a big media push like we have with our previous games. The majority of the people who Smoke is supposed to entertain probably don’t read video-game websites. And those players who do read video-game websites probably don’t play these types of games. There may be a small crowd of those who do, but I honestly don’t want to throw this out into a media blitz on the web only to receive a bunch of inevitable “WTF?” comments. I already know that it is NOT suited to those who enjoyed Dementium and Moon, and I don’t need proof in the form of negative comments. Smoke will probably be released sometime in the summer 2011.

Both Bit and Face are rolling along nicely. I can’t say much about them at this stage, but we’re having a lot of fun working on them. :)

Right now, I am working on a bunch of proposals to secure our next project(s). Because, before we know it we’ll be done with our current projects and have nothing new to work on / get paid for. This happened at the end of Dementium II, and I want to avoid that happening again. ;)

I hope you’re having a great day.

Jools

Maximilian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds

2010-12-13T11:37:00.002-06:00

ATV Wild Ride

2010-12-13T11:36:00.001-06:00

Want Maximilian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds on DSiWare?

2010-12-09T12:00:00.008-06:00

Maximilian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds (MUDDS) is a title that we revealed to the world back in June 2009 on IGN. Unfortunately, we could not find a home for MUDDS with a publisher. However, there seems to be a number of people out there who are still asking us about this game. Are there enough of you to warrant a release on DSiWare? Perhaps!

I propose this to you. If we receive over 1000 comments from different individuals on this blog post saying they want it, then we will bring MUDDS to DSiWare.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

1. YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN, by selecting/creating a profile (Google, LiveJournal, Wordpress, TypePad, AIM, OpenID).

2. Leave a comment telling us that you want to see MUDDS on DSiWare.

3. No ANONYMOUS or DUPLICATE posts – they will be DELETED.

4. Tell your friends.

The Tale of ATV Wild Ride

2010-12-08T13:34:00.001-06:00

Phew! Man, oh, man, it feels good to FINALLY announce to the world that our next game is ATV Wild Ride. Now, find a comfy chair. Pour yourself a big cup of hot chocolate, and let me tell you the tale about how it all began…

Once upon a time, in the wintery month of November, in the year two thousand and nine, Renegade Kid found itself in a particularly tight spot. It was a particularly tight spot that could be considered somewhat uncomfortable. Having completed the eagerly anticipated game, Dementium II, it had no other game deals on the horizon. What was an independent studio to do?

After many attempts to woo would-be publishing partners with proposals, demos, and kolaches, the small studio found itself at a loss. Many months had passed, and the temperature outside was dropping. But then, all of a sudden, an idea found its way into the machine known as Renegade Kid. It was an idea that was pure. It was an idea that strived for higher standards. It was an idea that could one day become a reality.

With its cogs turning, and its steam hissing, the Renegade Kid machine started to work. In two short weeks, a magical thing had happened. The idea had become a playable demo. Bursting with excitement, the playable demo was packaged up and sent out to dozens of publishers in the hope that it would find a welcoming home.

However, the excitement soon turned sorrow when no one opened their doors. More proposals and kolaches were sent out. It seemed as though the idea was destined to die on the vine of hope. That was until a band of Destineers looked beyond the veil of administration and understood the boon of the idea.

Finding themselves on the cusp of spring, Renegade Kid and their new band of Destineers entered an agreement to work together, and bring the idea to the people. Many hurdles, challenges, and struggles were overcome, and finally they sought the approval of the mighty Nintendo. With bated breath, they waited for their final word. Many days passed. Much sleep was lost. And, then it was told. Their idea met the standards put down by the wise and powerful Nintendo, and it was considered true.

And, that’s how it all happened. Pretty much. ;)

SPIRIT = ATV WILD RIDE

2010-12-07T11:24:00.001-06:00

Renegade Kid’s fourth game does not feature multiple enemies. It does, however, feature multi-player.

2010-12-05T08:03:00.001-06:00

Renegade Kid’s fourth game is not a third-person shooter/platform game. It is, however, viewed from a third-person perspective.

2010-12-04T07:35:00.002-06:00

Renegade Kid’s fourth game has many exotic locations. None of them, however, include hospitals or outer space.

2010-12-03T07:54:00.005-06:00

... and it does include mud. It is not, however, of the mutant variety.

Renegade Kid's fourth title will be announced on Monday, December 6.

2010-12-02T11:16:00.002-06:00

And, it is not a First-Person Shooter. It is, however, on the Nintendo DS.

More teasers later...

This Blog is Featured in: 20 Blogs Game Design Students Will Love!

2010-11-19T08:51:00.000-06:00

I am happy to share that my blog has been featured on Rasmussen College's blog as one of the 20 Blogs Game Design Students Will Love. You can find it here.

Here are some handy links for those of you who are interested in game design.

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/rasmussencollege
http://www.facebook.com/rasmussentechdesign

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/rasmussen
http://www.twitter.com/degreeprograms
http://www.twitter.com/rastechdesign

I hope you're having a great day.

Jools

My Hands-On Impressions: GoldenEye 007

2010-11-07T09:18:00.006-06:00

I am a fan of nSpace and their FPS work on the DS. I have completed all three of their Call of Duty titles. I am a fan of the original GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64, made by Rare. I was very excited when I heard nSpace was developing GoldenEye 007 for the DS. Do I wish Renegade Kid had the opportunity to develop it? Sure. But, I knew it was in good hands with nSpace, and this way I get to actually enjoy playing it. :) I preordered GoldenEye 007 on Amazon, because they offered delivery on the day the game was released. However, Amazon failed me and they had no explanation of why. So, I canceled the order and picked it up at Gamestop on release day. On the drive over to Gamestop I was excited. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you are on your way to pick up a game that you’ve been looking forward to. There is so much hope and mystery that all combines inside you to make you feel like a kid again. Love it!

Anyway, onto my impressions: I’m a sucker for the 007 theme. It adds a lot to the atmosphere and sense of purpose to your actions. The visuals in GoldenEye 007 are good, with some nice touches of excellence sprinkled throughout the journey. The frame-rate dances between sluggish and silky smooth. I wish it stayed in the silky smooth, but it isn’t a deal-breaker for me. The first portion of the game felt like Call of Duty with different artwork, with my main objective feeling like I just needed to sink as many bullets into the enemies as possible. I am relieved to say that the game soon shakes off its COD-ness and falls nicely into its own groove quickly, and I started to feel like I was playing a 007 game – kicking some ass! The level design and variety in gameplay is good. A variety of gadgets and new ways to interact with elements in the game offer a refreshing break from the gun-toting action. The gadget usage and their connection to the missions aren’t quite up to the standards of its N64 cousin, but I applaud the team for their efforts and appreciate what it does to improve the overall game experience. The audio is good. Music is great. And, there’s a ton of high-quality dialog. Something I personally really liked about the original N64 GoldenEye was the ability to replay completed missions and try to improve your completion time, shot-accuracy, etc. Incidentally, this is something we added to Moon as homage to GoldenEye 64, because I think it really helps with replay. Unfortunately, this feature is not supported in GoldenEye 007 on the DS, and I wish it was. This feature was supported in previous Call of Duty titles that nSpace developed, so I am not sure why they chose not to include it on this title. GoldenEye 007 may not be a perfect game, but it is certainly a good one that I recommend to anyone who is looking for a fun FPS adventure to enjoy on their DS, and I look forward to playing nSpace’s next title, Call of Duty Black-Ops, which is due out on November 9th.

* Updated Note: I forgot to mention that there is a time trial mode that opens up upon the completion of the game, which allows you to replay any mission and improve upon your completion time in three different difficulty settings. This feature definitely adds some replay value as you are able to easily access your favorite parts of the game.

1UP Presents: Alternate History - Son of the Dragon

2010-11-02T21:21:00.001-05:00

1UP's Matt Leone looks at things that almost happened. Tuesday, November 2 focuses on Renegade Kid's cancelled Wii project, Son of the Dragon.

Check out the article here.

Spirit Announcement - Shantae - Black-Ops - Goldeneye 007 + More...

2010-11-01T11:47:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween - Play Dementium!!

2010-10-31T10:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween to everyone!

Today, just like any other day, is a great day to play Dementium: The Ward and/or Dementium II.

The fine folks over at Angry Bee Gaming think so too. Angry Bee Gaming's Cazza has written an article about Dementium, and why you should be playing it right now, here.

Hope you're having a spooky day!

Jools

Killing humans is OK, if done right!

2010-10-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

Two victims walk into a bar. One is a fictional monster. The other is a human. You shoot both of them in the head. They both die.

Which death is more disturbing?

In theory, the human death should be more disturbing to you than the fictional monster because the human has an emotional link to your reality, while the fictional monster should, in theory, have less of an emotional connection to your world.

Whether blood spurts were shown or whether they deserved to die or whether you were hired to kill them should have no bearing on the fact that you just killed a fictional monster and a human.

So, why is it that shooting a human in the head in a game such as Call of Duty on the DS is rated T, while shooting a fictional monster in a game such as Dementium on the DS is rated M?

Don't get me wrong, I like the Call of Duty games on the DS and we knew Dementium was going to be rated M before we started making it. I have no issue with the rating the games received. I just find it interesting that our society is more OK with seeing a human die (as long as there's no blood and it wasn't a so-called "senseless act" - even though war is pretty senseless IMO) than seeing a fictional monster die (with blood, etc.).

What do you think?

Hope you're having a great day! ;)

Jools

Renegade Kid is an Authorized Nintendo 3DS Developer

2010-10-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

I am extremely proud to annouce that Renegade Kid was blessed with authorized developer status for the new super sleek and sexy Nintendo 3DS a couple of months ago. Apologies for the delay in letting everyone know, but we've been kinda busy digging into all of the 3DS goodness.

I hope you're having a great day!

Jools

New Hair Cut & Random Update!

2010-09-23T10:54:00.002-05:00

What Do You Want on 3DS?

2010-08-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

My Top Ten Handheld Games

2010-08-21T22:41:00.004-05:00

I think listing a top ten list of anything is difficult and I found the task of listing my top ten handheld games very tough. There are so many great handheld games. I think of how many times I have played each game, and what emotions I have associated with each experience. It is possible that if asked to make a top ten list next week that it would differ a little from this, but for today this is my top ten handheld games:

10. Contra Advance - The Alien Wars EX (GBA)
When I first played Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES I was blown away. It was more coin-op than most coin-op games at the time. The graphics were incredible. The audio was almost movie-like. And, the gameplay was executed perfectly. The pacing of challenges was amazing. The game made its way onto the GBA in 2002; 10 years after its' original SNES release. Sure, it is still bloody difficult, but it is fair. Oh, and the overhead "mode 7" levels from the SNES version have been replaced with levels from the Genesis Contra: Hard Corps title, which I think works really well and improves the overall experience.

9. Ninja Five-O (GBA)
When I first saw Ninja Five-O I was not impressed. The art style looked out dated, and it just didn't jive with me. Probably because I had already experienced the delight of Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on the GBA, but more on that title later. Fortunately, a good friend of mine, Peter Ong, urged me to play the game. Ninja Five-O is a very well balanced and extremely enjoyable game that will test your skills. I have enjoyed many hours with this game, and feel accomplished when saying that I completed it.

8. Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)
I first heard about Hatsworth from the same friend who urged me to play Ninja Five-O. He also happened to be the Lead Designer of Hatsworth! Knowing of Peter's abilities as a designer I was eager to check out his baby. I was lucky enough to play the game once during the development of the game, and I was instantly impressed. The platforming gameplay is fun, tight, and challenging. The blend of melee combat and projectile combat is superb. And, the puzzle game on the lower screen is simple, fun, and a welcome breather from the frantic action on the top screen. The only bad thing I felt after playing the snippet during the development of the game was the fact that I had to wait months for the final game to be released so I could play it again!

7. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
I have been a fan of Mario side-scrolling platform games since Super Mario World. I know, Super Mario Bros. came first and established the genre, but when SMB was released I was still messing around with my Commodore 64, so I missed a lot of the NES glory. Anyway, when NSMB landed on the DS, in many ways it felt like a refined Mario experience with fancy graphics and presentation. The new power-ups and modern updates provide a truly enjoyable experience that is easy to play at any time for long or short periods of time.

6. Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)
The fact that I kinda missed out on the NES days, and therefore the original Metroid, in some ways, made Metroid Zero Mission a wonderful treat for me. I had already played the original NES title, but it was after I had already enjoyed the wonders of Super Metroid. It is hard to appreciate an 8-bit title after having been captivated by its' 16-bit successor. Anyway, Zero Mission is much more than a reskin of the original NES Metroid; it feels more like a modern homage by the folks who made the original. A truly incredible experience.

5. Metal Gear Solid (GBC)
The Gameboy Color version of Metal Gear Solid was released in 2000, after the original PlayStation version and before the PS2 version. It has all of the MGS features that established the series as an incredible experience, including story, stealth, action, puzzles, and fun. Being able to take MGS with you on the go is a joy. Makes me wonder why there was never a version made for the DS. Oh well, at least the 3DS is getting one. :)

4. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC)
The flow of Link's Awakening is truly great. I think this title benefited from being developed after the SNES title, A Link to the Past, as it feels tighter and more focused. Personally, I like the "burst-scrolling" utilized in Link's Awakening as it forces you to see all of your immediate surroundings - even though the effect was probably used to avoid the blur of the original Gameboy with scrolling games. I list this Zelda game over the DS titles because this title was simply more enjoyable for me.

3. Super Mario World - Super Mario Advance 2 (GBA)
Super Mario World bowled me over when I first saw it running on the SNES. The art style. The audio. The gameplay. All stunning. Super Mario World is an incredible piece of work. The minds behind the design of this title were truly gunning for gold, and they hit the target. The platforming gameplay is ridiculously tight. The world map is superb and fun in itself. The variety in gameplay and visuals as you proceed through the game. Just incredible. When this gem made its way onto the GBA I couldn't have been happier. Sure, the screen resolution is a little smaller on the GBA, but the game translated very well from the SNES to the GBA. Bravo Super Mario World. Bravo. I love you!

2. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
I'll admit that I haven't played Symphony of the Night much. I know. It's sad. Anyway, when I first started playing Circle of the Moon it felt very fresh to me. Sure, it kind of had that Metroid feeling going on, but the variety in weapons, items, and the leveling up with experience points was all very cool. And, I am a sucker for the gothic theme. The more I played it, the more I fell in love with the game. It was the first time that I experienced grinding in a game, and actually enjoyed it. I encountered a boss, and he kicked my ass. I was not ready for him apparently. So, I went away and killed a bunch of enemies to level up and also got my hands on a new nifty weapon power-up. I returned to the boss and handed him his ass with my new-found powers. It felt great. The simplistic beauty of Circle of the Moon is what makes it trump the DS Castlevania entries to the series for me.

1. Mario Kart (DS)
I fell in love with Super Mario Kart when it was first released on the SNES in 1992. Wow, what a fun game it was. Both single player and multiplayer were tons of fun. When Mario Kart 64 came along in 1996 it lost a few fans, including me in a way. It changes a lot of what made the original so fun, primarily by changing the jump-into-corner-slide-boost technique, which was so much fun and advantageous in the original SNES title. In retrospect, I was too harsh on Mario Kart 64. I was being snobby. It is a great game. I played it recently actually, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although, I did find the laps to be awfully long! :) The GBA version of Mario Kart is a strange beast, but I'll save that for a different discussion. When Mario Kart DS was released I was suspicious of its ability to outshine the original SNES game. My oh my, it outshines it, and every other version (including Gamecube and Wii), in a major way. Mario Kart DS just feels great. It looks great. It sounds great. It features retro tracks from all previous versions. It is a great Mario Kart title. It is going to be hard to top this title, but I have high hopes for the 3DS version. The replayability of Mario Kart DS is insane. Just a great game!

Honorable Mentions:

Dementium II (DS)
Yeah, I know this is bias because I worked on the game, but I truly think Dementium II is the best FPS on the DS. There, I said it. It has great visuals, story, gameplay, and audio. And, it is all presented in smooth 60 frames per second. I am very proud of Dementium II, and think the team did an outstanding job.

Retro Game Challenge (DS)
This game is clever, fun, and challenging. With a wealth of fictional retro titles that feel authentic, Retro Game Challenge really brings the feeling of old with a modern presentational wrapper. The inclusion of the story and requirement to "read" gaming magazines of that time make this title a uniquely fun experience that everyone should at least check out. A very clever and fun game.

Super Mario 64 DS
Last, but by no means least. When Super Mario 64 was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1996 it was a significant milestone in 3D gaming. This game demonstrated how a third-person platform game can be executed very well in 3D, which is certainly no easy task. This was the birth of the analog stick too, which contributed greatly to the smooth controls of Super Mario 64. Alas, the lack of analog stick on the DS unfortunately made the DS version feel stiff and awkward. It is still a fantastic game on the DS, but it simply does not play as well as its original N64 brother. Once again, the 3DS addresses this shortcoming and should prove to be a capable platform for smooth analog control once again.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my top ten handheld games. Tell me about your favs.

Metroid Other M: Not Convinced.

2010-08-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

Am I the only one not convinced about Metroid Other M? I don't know what it is, but the gameplay approach taken with the game does not excite me for some reason.

I love Super Metroid on the SNES, and I really enjoyed Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission on GBA. I also thought the first Metroid Prime on Gamecube was good too, and although it was as close as you could probably get to Metroid in a first-person perspective, it didn't feel like a true Metroid to me. I get the same feeling about Metroid Other M. The original Metroid on the NES was great too of course, but it feels like a first draft when compared to Super Metroid. And, yeah - I'm not too keen on Metroid II on Gameboy. :)

This is all speculation and I may be wrong, but it looks like the shooting is using auto-targeting in the third-person camera mode. If you don't need to aim at the enemies in third-person, what gameplay is left in that mode, run and jump? What I like about Super Metroid, for example, is the intimacy of the level design and the enemy placement. You must progress with caution to avoid losing energy. An enemy may require you to simply shoot forward while running, or you may be required to aim up, or crouch, or aim diagonally up, or even jump and then shoot. There is depth in how you tackle each enemy. I would be surprised if this depth in gameplay was absent from Metroid Other M, but the gameplay videos seem to suggest it is.

Personally, I like the minimal story approach in the original NES Metroid, Super Metroid, and Zero Mission. I enjoyed the added story in Metroid Fusion, but it felt like a departure from the Metroid formula. Metroid Other M seems to be very story driven with a lot of cut-scenes and dialog and such. I don't know what it is, but I prefer my Metroids with hardcore gameplay and none of the other fluffy stuff to entertain me.

I hope my concerns are dashed when I play Metroid Other M. I want it to be great. Perhaps it is just the fact that I just want Metroid to return to the side-scrolling perspective. We'll see.

Here are some videos - what do you think?

Development Update

2010-08-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

I haven't written an update for a while, so here it is:

"Spirit" is near completion. Pure excitement. We're in the final stages of Beta; finding and fixing bugs. We should be able to announce the game pretty soon, just waiting to get all of our ducks in a row. Here's what I can tell you about it: It is for the DS. We're aiming for a Q4 2010 release. It is not a FPS. It supports local multi-card multi-player. It is inspired by two games: one was a NES classic that made its way to the N64. And, the other is an original 360 title. It is a genre Gregg and I have wanted to work on for a very long time. It will probably be rated E by the ESRB.

"Smoke" has been given a small extension of time in the name of quality. We'll be entering Alpha in a month or so. Here's what I can tell you about it: It is for the DS. We're aiming for a Q1 2011 release. It is not a FPS. It is a single player game. If you're reading this you're not the intended audience for this title. :) It is a fun and simple kid's game.

"Face" is shrouded in a little more secrecy than our other titles. Here's what I can tell you about it: It is not for the DS. We're aiming for a late 2011 release.

AND, there's a new addition to the codenamed bunch: "bit". This is a new title that we're kicking around, which I am currently working on the design for. More on that later.

Hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

Jools, Jim, Joy!

2010-08-11T20:23:00.038-05:00

Edited 08-12-10: I used to have a copy of my twitter conversation with Jim Sterling posted here, but I decided to remove it as it served no purpose other than showing how I moronically jumped on Jim about his review of Dementium II.

In hindsight it was a waste of Jim's time and my time. We have more constructive things to do with the hours given to us. I respect Jim's perspective on games and do not wish to paint him in a negative light. I enjoy reading his articles and watching his Jimquisitions.

I have since approached Jim and apologized for said mess and moved on. You're welcome to visit my twitter page to view the conversation if you like, but having it here on my blog doesn't fit the positive/fun tone I try to keep with my other posts.

Move along, nothing to see here. :)

Random Update

2010-08-06T11:39:00.001-05:00

New Renegade Kid Website Design - Spirit Press Release...

2010-07-24T00:17:00.002-05:00

Double Video Feature!

2010-07-19T22:45:00.000-05:00

My DS Collection

2010-07-17T21:31:00.025-05:00

* Updated 01-25-11 *

In alphabetical order (more or less):

9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Assassin's Creed II: Discovery
Batman The Brave and the Bold
Beat City
Blood Stone 007
Boing! Docomodake DS
Bomberman
Brain Age
Brothers in Arms DS
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized
Call of Duty: World at War
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Chrono Trigger
Contact
Contra 4
Cooking Mama
Cop The Recruit
C.O.R.E.
Dawn of Discovery
Dementium II
Dementium: The Ward (US, Europe, and Japan)
Diddy Kong Racing DS
Dig Dug: Digging Strike
Dirt 2
DK Jungle Climber
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Dropcast
Elebits The Adventure of Kai and Zero
Elite Beat Agents
Exit
Fast Food Panic
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - Imagination Invaders
Ghost Trick Phantom Detective
GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye Rogue Agent
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
How to Train Your Dragon
Impossible Mission
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Insecticide
Intellivision Lives!
Ivy the Kiwi?
James Pond Codename: Robocod
Kirby Canvas Curse
Kirby Squeak Squad
Kirby Super Star Ultra
KORG DS-10 Synthesizer
Lego Batman: The Videogame
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lock's Quest
Lunar Knights
Mario Kart DS
Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story
Mario & Luigi Partner's in Time
Mario Party DS
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 March of the Minis
Megaman Battle Network 5 Double Team DS
Megaman Zero Collection
Megaman ZX
Metal Slug 7
Meteos
Metroid Prime Hunters
Monster House
Moon (US and Europe)
My Sims Racing
MX vs. ATV Untamed
N+
Namco Museum DS
Nanostray
Nanostray 2
New International Track & Field
New Zealand Story Revolution (Europe)
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Nintendogs Dachshund & Friends
Orcs & Elves
Petz Dogz Pack
Phineas & Ferb
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Pipe Mania
Plants vs. Zombies
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
Pokemon: Pearl Version
Pro Evolution Soccer 2007
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Rayman DS
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
Retro Game Challenge
Ridge Racer DS
Scooby-Doo! First Frights
Scurge Hive
Sim City DS
Sonic Classic Collection
Sonic Colors
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Soul Bubbles
Space Bust-A-Move
Space Invaders Extreme 2
Spider-man 2
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Fox Command
(New) Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario 64 DS
Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll
Super Princess Peach
Super Scribblenauts
Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop
Tetris DS
The Legendary Starfy
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The World Ends With You
Tomb Raider Underworld
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Trace Memory
Ultimate Mortal Kombat
Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble
Viva Pinata Pocket Paradise
Wario Master of Disguise
Wario Ware D.I.Y.
Wario Ware Touched
Wire Way
Yoshi's Island DS

Jools

Alan Wake Impressions

2010-07-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

Based on the positive reviews that Alan Wake received I blindly purchased Alan Wake for the 360. I purchased Red Dead Redemption the same way. I love RDR.

This is by no means a fully fledged review of the game; just the initial impressions of a spoiled gamer (spoiled by the goodness that exists out there).

I really liked the approach the team took with the narrative, and how it takes you through the game not only in cut-scenes but also in gameplay. But, I felt it was a little heavy handed in some places, taking some of the surprise out of me discovering things. The engine is fantastic. Some of the visuals are simply stunning. But, I experienced small game pauses when data was being loaded, which I assume must have been enemies or a new segment of the world being loaded/unloaded. C'mon guys, really? Our DS games don't even do that! I appreciate the amount of script and acting in the game, this is something I really like about RDR too (I use present tense because I am still playing RDR), but in Alan Wake the acting felt like acting for the most part and not natural. The concept of the enemies was pretty cool, the axe murderer angle is pretty freaky, but I found the repetition required to kill the first 20 enemies made the experience dull and ironically left me wanting to just sit back and watch the movie... oh wait, this is a game. Hehe.

Overall I was impressed by many of the things accomplished in Alan Wake, but I simply lost the desire to continue playing it. This rarely happens to me, I like to give games a chance. But, I guess I was expecting something different and expectations can be a products' enemy sometimes. The reason I mentioned RDR above is due to the hype that I had heard about the game before playing it myself, an it lived up to that hype. With all of the positive buzz around Alan Wake I was expecting something more than what I experienced.

For me, Silent Hill 2 is still the King of psychological thrill.

Update Time!

2010-06-29T08:54:00.000-05:00

It's update time!

Spirit is progressing very nicely. I took a build of the game to E3 and had a number of people play our new baby to see how they handled it. It was very informative. Now that we're in Alpha it is the perfect time to have lots of different people play the game and see what does and doesn't work. We have three weeks left in Alpha, and the list of tweaks seem just about manageable, which is splendid.

Smoke is moving along at lightning speed. Have I mentioned that this project time-line is incredibly short? :) Fortunately, Smoke is a small game aimed at a younger audience so the scope fits the time-line... when you throw awesomely experienced people at it who are working as furiously as hell-fire to get it done! ;)

As I mentioned before, Face was going through a big change and now we're through with that change and back to making the game. The time-line has been extended as a result of this change and it seems plausible that we'll have a playable at E3 2011. So, it'll be a while before I'll have anything more concrete to share on this one.

If you haven't already checked it out, please go see my E3 2010 video recap - it's just 7 minutes long.

I hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

E3 2010

2010-06-26T09:15:00.002-05:00

I left Austin and headed for Los Angeles on the morning of June 15. I arrived around 10am and headed for my hotel... you can watch my E3 video to see some of the action.

I love E3. I was sad when it went away for a couple of years; reduced to a small invite-only event in a tiny hangar. E3 is a very important part of the video game industry. For me it is not only a great way to see new titles and hardware but also reconnect with friends and colleagues.

E3 2010 was a milestone show because of one new tiny hardware platform called the 3DS. If it were not for one special feature, the 3DS would be a relatively simple evolution of the Nintendo DS. The 3DS displays "real" 3D on one of its screens. 3D that can be seen without glasses. It is magic. Magic in a box.

It was wonderful spending some geek-filled time with old and new friends - gotta send much love and shout outs to Tim H, Matt K, Dana D, Derek, Glen E, Jay, Jon J, David J, Aubrey N, David B, Richard I, Michael D, Matt M, Husky, Kevin, Aaron, and all of the other fine folk I was lucky enough to hang with.

Until next year... keep playing.

Jools

Alpha Alpha E3

2010-06-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

Spirit went alpha yesterday. Hoorah! It is probably the cleanest and most complete alpha build that we've ever made at RK. Our previous games were all completed on time, but I don't think they were quite as "complete" as Spirit is now when they reached alpha. A lot of that is contributed to the genre of Spirit being different too, which allows us to focus more of our attention on the content of the game as it is a little simpler in some regards. This is actually a perfect time for the game to be alpha with me going to E3 next week. It'll be good to get friends' and colleagues' feedback on the game so we can make important adjustments to the game. If you are going to E3 and you see me, please feel free to stop me and I'll be happy to show you what we're working on and get your feedback.

I'm flying to LA on Tuesday morning. E3 opens its doors at noon. I have a bunch of meetings set up, and waiting on a couple to confirm a time. We have an assortment of pitches to present to publishers. This is an exciting time. The near-end of one handheld and the near-beginning of another. For us that means we can pitch games for both the DS and 3DS for a 2011 release. I am hoping to get my hands on the 3DS at the show. I'll be sure to share my thoughts if that happens. I plan on taking my pocket-sized video camera to record the events of the show like I did last year.

Hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

Jools Watsham's Developer Diary - May 31, 2010

2010-05-31T22:48:00.002-05:00

Monday May 31 2010: My gosh, we have a lot going on right now! This is a good thing. Spirit is progressing very quickly, and very well. We're getting close to being Alpha, which is quite shocking to think really. Let's take a quick look at where we've been, where we are, and where we're heading to: We started the development of the project in January 2010. We had a playable demo working within a couple of weeks and we shared that with numerous publishers. We signed a publishing agreement in March 2010. We are currently adding the final assets to the game. In a couple of weeks we'll be in Alpha, where we no longer just focus on adding content to the game but instead we get to examine what on earth we've thrown into the bubbling pot of Spirit Stew. We will find that some of it tastes good, some needs extra seasoning, and some isn't even fit for the dog. We have 5 weeks in Alpha to do this, which, by our standards, is a great length of time. Once those 5 weeks of tweaks is up, we're onto the Beta phase where our focus is now purely on fixing bugs and errors for 6 weeks. Wham-bam, thank you Ma'am. Exciting stuff. Even though we'll have a fairly decent build of the game around E3, I think we'll hold off on showing it until it is fully spit and polished to avoid any issues. Sometimes, showing off a game too early has negative repercussions.

Smoke is also thundering along at a tremendous rate. We'll be done with that game before we know it! We have the design doc near-final. We're in the stage where we're doing both creative and schedule work at the same time. The ideas we have in the design doc are good and I think it will make for a fun little game. Gregg has created some kick-ass concept work, which I am hoping will be available in the game somehow. We have hired a new programmer, Matthew Gambrell, to help us out on the project. He has many years of experience and is a huge fan of the platform we're developing the game for. Welcome aboard sir!

Not much to say about Face just yet. More on that project later. :)

Let's face it, Red is dead. Won't be bothering to mention that title again I expect. I think three projects is good for now. However, by the end of this year we'll be needing some more, so let's hope E3 brings some our way.

I hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

Jools Watsham's Developer Diary - May 21, 2010

2010-05-21T23:34:00.000-05:00

Friday May 21, 2010: The project that is code-named Smoke is now a go! It's official. It's happening. There's no stopping it. The train has left the station. Hello Smokey. This is a super short project, so I expect you'll be hearing details of this project about the same time we're able to chat about Spirit. Smoke is SOOOO different from anything we've ever made before. I imagine some Dementium and Moon fans will be like, WTF? But, to be honest, Smoke is aimed at a different audience, which is exciting for us... and the audience hopefully. :)

Spirit is moving along very nicely. We're now nearer the end than we are the start of the project. I'm still not sure when we're going to reveal what the game is, but I'll be sure to let you know when I do. The game is turning out to be everything that I hoped it would be. There are some rough edges that need to be filed down, and I hope we find the time to do so in the Alpha phase... which is coming up pretty soon! The entire team is kicking some major booty, and the game is rockin' as a direct result of that effort. The publisher has been great to work with, which allows the development process to be effective.

Face is going through a big change that is great for the project. This game is nowhere near completion, so it'll be a while before I can give any details. I'm really excited about it though.

I hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

Dementium II Reviews & New Renegade Kid Forum

2010-05-19T14:42:00.001-05:00

Jools Watsham's Developer Diary - May 15, 2010

2010-05-15T22:45:00.000-05:00

Saturday, May 15, 2010: We submitted another milestone for Spirit yesterday. The game is progressing really well; I'm really pleased with it. We included all of items listed on the milestone deliverables and also managed to squeeze in a little more on the UI side that I didn't expect... well done chaps! It feels good to be on track to get get this game completed on time and to a good quality standard.

Face is cruising along nicely. We had a dramatic "change" dropped on us on Friday. It is a rather large and exciting change that will delay us a smidge, but the outcome is something of sweetness that I think every one will enjoy. Man, I wish I could tell you more.

Smoke is getting closer to getting signed. It is possible that we'll start development next week. Very excited about that. Not sure if I mentioned this before, but Smoke is with the same publisher as Spirit. I'm really happy about the idea of working with the great guys there; they've been nothing short of awesome to work with. I appreciate it when I am fortunate enough to work with people who are both real and nice... it's really nice. :)

Nothing new on Red, so I'm not going to mention that anymore unless something happens. Feels silly just saying "nothing on Red" every week.

E3 is soooo close - just a month away. I am very excited about going. I love E3. My bionic heel is going to slow me down a bit, but it'll be worth the marathon. I enjoy going to E3 for so many reasons: 1. It is my geek getaway, where I get to indulge in my love for games and the games industry. 2. I get to hang out with old friends, meet new friends, talk shop, and drink beer. And, this year I get to learn more (and hopefully play) the Nintendo 3DS. Awesome!

Hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

Deadly Premonition

2010-05-13T10:38:00.002-05:00

Warning - this contains spoilers on Deadly Premonition. Zach, did you get that? Are you there, Zach?

I ordered Deadly Premonition for the 360 through Amazon.com and it arrived this week. I have only put a couple of hours into playing the game so far. The reason I bought the game is because of Jim Sterling's review on Destructoid. He loved it. And, the video Jim posted of the game - the coffee scene - well, that's when I fell in love with the game.

Deadly Premonition is a very campy survival horror game that has humor, scares, and oodles of entertainment. The key to enjoying this game is knowing what you're getting into before you play it; it is strange and wonderful. In comparison, Silent Hill takes itself a lot more seriously than Deadly Premonition.

-:SPOILERS:-
What I really like about the game is the main character: Agent York. He is hilarious, and ridiculous. He talks a lot, he's smart, and he's probably a little insane. Oh, and he has an impeccable palette and a weakness for biscuits - especially those made by Thomas. The way York introduces himself in the same exaggerated manner each time he meets someone new just cracks me up. It is both campy and adds to the OCD nature of his personality. There is a lot to like in Deadly Premotion. At $19.99, you can't go wrong really.

Jools

Jools Watsham's Developer Diary - May 8, 2010

2010-05-08T11:38:00.001-05:00

Saturday May 8, 2010: The big news for last week was the release of Dementium II. Not only was the game actually released (finally), it was met with positive reviews. Yes! There are still a few sites, such as Destructoid, who have not posted their review yet and I look forward to reading their thoughts. It seems the main negative point reviews have found with Dementium II is the length of the adventure, which I find puzzling. Dementium II is the same length, if not longer than Dementium: The Ward, and no one said that it was too short. Perhaps it is because the added variety in Dementium II makes the experience feel as though it goes by quicker, or perhaps reviewers are just looking for something to criticize. If it is too short, then I would certainly prefer a short experience that is good over a long experience that spreads the goodness too thin. I think Moon suffered from the latter.

Progress on Spirit and Face is going very well. They’re both in production. We’re all extremely busy of course. Two new programmers joined us this month: Andrew Brown, who worked with us on Dementium: The Ward, Moon, and Dementium II – it is great to be working with Andrew again (welcome back dude). And, we’re happy to welcome Giovanni Acosta to the team for the first time, who headed up the network side of the Call of Duty series on the DS. Sure, this certainly suggests we’re doing some multiplayer work… but more on that later. :)

I have heard nothing regarding Red.

Smoke is getting extremely close to becoming a reality. We received the contract and are now finalizing the milestone deliverables with the publisher. This project is likely to start within the next two weeks. As I mentioned before, Smoke is a fun, small project. It is something that I personally think is a great deviation from our other games. I can tell you now that if you’re a fan of Dementium, Smoke may not be for you. :)

Hope you’re having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

Dementium II Box Opening Fun + Game Footage

2010-05-05T12:36:00.002-05:00

Dementium II is on the shelves

2010-05-04T15:56:00.002-05:00

Dementium II is Released Today!

2010-05-04T08:50:00.001-05:00

Today is the day that Dementium II is finally released in the US for the Nintendo DS!

A team of ten hard working chaps worked together for 11 months to make Dementium II. Our goal was to improve upon Dementium: The Ward in every way. We read every review, every forum comment, and created a list of the features that we thought either worked, failed, or were missing in our debut title. We treated this project as if it were our last hoorah! Our last epic story to tell on the DS. We wanted the player's journey to feel real, not restricted by repeating corridors, respawning enemies, or a bad save system. Every step you take as William Redmoor treads on unique ground crafted by designers and artists. Each of the 12 enemies and 4 bosses are designed to not only present unique visuals and audio, but also require you to decide which of your 10 weapons is most effective in killing them. Dementium II was a labor of love. It was a great project that ran smoothly, and was completed on time. It was my favorite project to work on in my 18 years of game development. Wow, what a ride. Now, it is finally in your hands to enjoy. I hope you enjoy every nook and cranny of the Bright Dawn Treatment Center, Pelf Village, and beyond.

Visit our new forum to share your thoughts with your fellow renegade kids, here.

Renegade Kid Forum

2010-05-02T22:58:00.000-05:00

I have set up a Renegade Kid forum. Please visit it here.

Feel free to post your reviews on Renegade Kid games, and chat about anything video game related.

Thanks,

Jools

Two New Projects and Dementium II Release

2010-04-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

Jools Watsham's Developer Diary - April 24, 2010

2010-04-24T09:19:00.004-05:00

Saturday April 24, 2010: I didn't get a chance to post a development update last week. Sorry about that. It has been very busy. We submitted a milestone for Spirit on April 16, which has already been approved by the publisher (thank you for being prompt Mr. Publisher), and we submitted a milestone for Face yesterday. Phew! Both projects are going really well. Spirit is thick into the production stage. We have the game playable with AI, music, and all sorts of goodness going on. It already feels like a real game. We just need to add more "stuff" to it and tweak what we have. I am very happy with how it is progressing. Face is in it's early stage. We just finished the GDD, TDD, and milestone delivery schedule. It was a lot of work to get all of that completed, but it feels good to have it done. It shows us what the game is in terms of scope, which is vital for both us and the publisher in knowing what we're making in the time/budget available. We always weigh the contents of the game design against time and resources (people) to make sure it is doable, and as such I feel confident we're in good shape. As usual, it won't be easy to complete the creation of the game, but it is doable. If it is ever "easy" for us to complete a game, then something has probably gone wrong! :)

The publisher for Red visited us last week. That went well. It was part of their due diligence. So, it doesn't mean we've got the project. We'll hear more about that later.

We're in talks with one of our current publishers about a new game - let's call that Smoke. It is a fun, small game that would need to be started immediately if it is to be released on time. So, that may happen fairly quickly.

Hope you're having a great day. TTYL.

Jools

Guest Editor Rant on "Broke My Controller" Website

2010-04-21T18:01:00.002-05:00

New Article I wrote.

Tweeting

2010-04-12T09:11:00.000-05:00

OK, so I have started tweeting now. I'm new to this, so I don't know how often I'll update - we'll see how it goes.

Follow me here: http://twitter.com/JoolsWatsham.

Jools

Jools Watsham's Developer Diary - April 10, 2010

2010-04-10T08:31:00.001-05:00

Saturday, April 10, 2010: Spirit is still on track - hoorah! No, that's not a reference to Spirit Tracks! :) Our game is progressing very well - I'm liking the results. I'm having fun playing it, even at this early stage. Bob, our programmer extraordinaire, is rocking the house as usual. We added a new gameplay feature this week, which is working well. We continue to refine the AI and player controls. And, we have all of the "player variation" assets in the game now, which is great. We also implemented a large amount of the music audio, which not only helps us see if it accompanies the on-screen action, but also helps us gauge how much memory it all takes up. I now have three "levels" designed out and built in proxy geometry, and I'm happy with how they play. Gregg is working on making them look pretty, and the results are simply gorgeous. We're looking good for our milestone next Friday, April 16.

Progress on Face is also cruising along nicely. We have most, if not all, of the GDD elements now in place and we're now adding details to everything. This stage really helps solidify the vision of the game, which is extremely important. The aim here is to list everything that exists in the game, and add as much detail as possible on how you see it behaving in the game. This not only helps build your own sense of what the game is in your mind, but is also tremendously helpful for the publisher so they too can imagine the game. We're constantly measuring features against the time we have for the project, so it is vital from that perspective too. The scope of the game must fit the time and team you have to make it. Sounds obvious, but it is easy to lose sight of that and design a game that is bigger than you can handle effectively. We should have everything wrapped up with a bow for our milestone on April 23.

Our proposal for Red has been sent to the publisher, and they're evaluating it. They will provide feedback and we'll have some time to implement revisions. This will happen next week. Some key people from the publisher will be visiting us in the next couple of weeks to check on us - all part of their due diligence.

Hope you're having a great day.TTYL.

Jools