STACK #133 Nov 2016

GAMES

FEATURE

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S hovel Knight owes its existence to a small team of passionate developers and public recognition through a successful Kickstarter campaign. While it certainly does evoke the nostalgic memories of the classic 2D platformer era, the game is so much more than just a trip down memory lane. We caught up briefly with Yacht Club Games director, Sean Velasco.

The music was composed by Jake Kaufman, who used a FamiTracker – a program that creates music for the NES. Shovel Knight was developed by a team of five (six including Kaufman). The Kickstarter campaign attracted 14,749 backers who pledged a total of $US311, 502. of $200 got their portrait in the game. The studio also ran a concurrent PayPal donation account and raised an additional $US17,180 from 935 backers. With a grand total of $US328,682, work commenced on the game. It wouldn’t take long for the money to run out. The employees at Yacht Club Games went three months without being paid. the Wanna know facts? Kickstarter pledgers

Were you surprised that gamers are still so keen to play 2D platformers? No. 2D platformers are the best! Gracefully controlling an avatar is one of the most gratifying feelings in video games, so it's no surprise that players are drawn to games with fun and responsive mobility.

months. Development took 16 months in total. However, it's all been worth it because our fans and backers have supported us every step of the way. Hopefully we can make Shovel Knight a household name and continue to make good on all of our promises.

What's the inspiration behind the game? Our inspiration with Shovel Knight was to create a game that was true to the 8-bit era of our collective childhood, but fused with modern design sensibilities. Shovel Knight pulls influences from NES classics like Mega Man, Zelda II, and Castlevania , but also modern games like Dark Souls. Everywhere, really! Can you talk about the Kickstarter experience? How long did it take to green light the project? Kickstarter was probably the only way Shovel Knight could ever have gotten off the ground, but it was a massive amount of work. We were completely out of money near the end, having to resort to our own savings as we toiled away without pay for three

Do you intend to expand the franchise? Can you talk about any plans or ideas? We're already expanding Shovel Knight with its first free expansion – Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows . It's a new campaign featuring Plague Knight, who has totally new gameplay and story. But we don't plan on stopping there. We'd love to see more content for Shovel Knight ; a sequel, more Shovel Knight amiibo figures, maybe even a transition to 3D platforming some day. And don't forget the cartoon, movie, and fruit snacks! But maybe a vacation first... Any advice for would-be developers looking to get their projects off the ground? Listen to your audience. If

people don't like your game, it's your fault. Find a great team of like-minded people and work on it and make it better. It doesn't have to be huge. Once you have a great game, don't forget to

market it and tell everyone in the

universe that it exists. And never, ever give up!

• Shovel Knight is out Nov 6

NOVEMBER 2015

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