Cheerful Ghost
Recently Chris from TRU FUN Entertainment answered some questions for us about Rad Raygun, currently on XBox Live Indie Games, being released for PC soon, and currently in the Greenlight process for a Steam release.
He was also gracious enough to send us along a review copy, which I played through. For the price, anyone with an XBox should check this game out. The gameplay is similar to Mega Man, with some other inspiration here and there from other titles, including Tetris. Yes, Tetris. Getting the hang of placing the pieces takes some time, but it's a great homage.
The art style perfectly represents the visual style of the original GameBoy, with some amusing cutscenes telling the story of... [Read All] Recently Chris from TRU FUN Entertainment answered some questions for us about Rad Raygun, currently on XBox Live Indie Games, being released for PC soon, and currently in the Greenlight process for a Steam release.
He was also gracious enough to send us along a review copy, which I played through. For the price, anyone with an XBox should check this game out. The gameplay is similar to Mega Man, with some other inspiration here and there from other titles, including Tetris. Yes, Tetris. Getting the hang of placing the pieces takes some time, but it's a great homage.
The art style perfectly represents the visual style of the original GameBoy, with some amusing cutscenes telling the story of Rad. The music by Fantomenk rounds it out quite well. Nobody does chiptunes like Fantomenk, and the music really sells the style of the game.
Read on for the interview!
Travis: This game is really unlike anything I can recall seeing-- a greenscale platformer based in the Cold War-- what was the inspiration that led to Rad Raygun?
I wanted to create an homage to the games of yesteryear. At first, I envisioned the game being an 8-bit, NES-style game, but the more and more I thought about it, I kept simplifying it. When I stumbled upon the idea of using the color palette and resolution of the original GameBoy, I was intrigued! I knew it was something that *I* would love to see, and I thought others could get a kick out of it as well.
jdodson: When do you anticipate the PC port will be ready to ship?
We're still hoping to be approved through Steam Greenlight. It's a tough, up-hill battle but we've had a ton of positive feedback thus far. Ideally, we'd like to have the PC version available by the end of the year.
Travis: There’s a sequel tease at the end of the game. Will Red Raygun be in the same style, or will it be updated to a 90s feel?
I would LOVE to develop Red Raygun in the future! The ending is very tongue-in-cheek, but how awesome would it be to play an all-red, 16-bit version of Rad Raygun, that played like Vector Man?! I, myself, would love to see it! The biggest obstacle is finding the time. With families and full time jobs, we're left to sacrifice our nights and weekends for years at a time to complete a project of this size.
jdodson: Rad Raygun ships on PC and is Greenlight on Steam. What’s next for TRU FUN? If you are at a loss for ideas i'll toss you one for free: “50 Shades of Green.”
LOL! TRU FUN Entertainment will always be around. The whole reason I originally got into programming was to make video games. I may not develop games professionally, but as long as I've got a programming language and some free time, you can bet that I'll be building the next game from TRU FUN Entertainment. This is my hobby and my passion. :)
Travis: If Ronald Reagan actually had a robot like Rad at his disposal, how would recent history have changed?
I don't know, but that song "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" would make a whole lot more sense!
Travis: I’m a huge Fantomenk fan, so I was stoked to find that they did the soundtrack. What was the process like for developing the music for the game with him?
First off, we were super excited when FantomenK agreed to join the team. He was our first choice and his tracks immediately set the tone and atmosphere for the game. Since FantomenK is also a retro gamer, we could make suggestions like, "Let's make the boss song a little more 'Sonic 2' and a little less 'Link to the Past'" - and he knew exactly what we meant. :P The music was completed a full two years before the game was done, so it was actually a good source of guidance and inspiration.
jdodson: After the Martian invasion leaves our current civilization buried, a few humans survive by living underground. After 5,000 years they leave their underground caves and find the Martian menace gone. As they build an above ground civilization they find a XBox 360 that hasn’t red ringed with Rad Raygun on it and they get it working. I wonder what you hope these humans can learn from our civilization through the time capsule of Rad Raygun?
"Hey, the 80's must have been pretty rad, let's fire up the DeLorean and go check it out!"
Travis: Do you plan on releasing the soundtrack?
Yes! In fact, FantomenK just released it: http://fantomenk.bandcamp.com/album/rad-raygun-soundtrack
Travis: There are some subtle stabs at how the politics of the time were handled. Is there any particular message you hope people take from those?
No, to me, it's all tongue-in-cheek. In fact, I hate politics!
jdodson: I wonder what your favorite title on Gameboy is?
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - AND, believe it or not, that's my favorite Zelda game too!
Travis: You’re currently in the Greenlight process on Steam. Some games in the past have found luck with XNA ports through Monogame. Are there any plans for Mac or Linux support if you get greenlit?
Nothing is set in stone, but we definitely want to reach a broader audience. We're focusing on the PC version now, since it's already supported by XNA, but once that's done, I'm interested in seeing what the Monogame platform has to offer.
jdodson: I want to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Before we wrap up is there anything you want to leave us with?
First off, thank YOU, Jon and Travis, for having me - I do appreciate it! And, to everyone out there, thank you for playing our game! What you see is a labor of love. For me, this really is a dream come true. To hear that people enjoy Rad Raygun means the world to me!
If you have a moment, check out RadRaygun.com, where you'll find links to the 360 version, Stream Greenlight, and you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
And again, thank you!
He was also gracious enough to send us along a review copy, which I played through. For the price, anyone with an XBox should check this game out. The gameplay is similar to Mega Man, with some other inspiration here and there from other titles, including Tetris. Yes, Tetris. Getting the hang of placing the pieces takes some time, but it's a great homage.
The art style perfectly represents the visual style of the original GameBoy, with some amusing cutscenes telling the story of... [Read All] Recently Chris from TRU FUN Entertainment answered some questions for us about Rad Raygun, currently on XBox Live Indie Games, being released for PC soon, and currently in the Greenlight process for a Steam release.
He was also gracious enough to send us along a review copy, which I played through. For the price, anyone with an XBox should check this game out. The gameplay is similar to Mega Man, with some other inspiration here and there from other titles, including Tetris. Yes, Tetris. Getting the hang of placing the pieces takes some time, but it's a great homage.
The art style perfectly represents the visual style of the original GameBoy, with some amusing cutscenes telling the story of Rad. The music by Fantomenk rounds it out quite well. Nobody does chiptunes like Fantomenk, and the music really sells the style of the game.
Read on for the interview!
Travis: This game is really unlike anything I can recall seeing-- a greenscale platformer based in the Cold War-- what was the inspiration that led to Rad Raygun?
I wanted to create an homage to the games of yesteryear. At first, I envisioned the game being an 8-bit, NES-style game, but the more and more I thought about it, I kept simplifying it. When I stumbled upon the idea of using the color palette and resolution of the original GameBoy, I was intrigued! I knew it was something that *I* would love to see, and I thought others could get a kick out of it as well.
jdodson: When do you anticipate the PC port will be ready to ship?
We're still hoping to be approved through Steam Greenlight. It's a tough, up-hill battle but we've had a ton of positive feedback thus far. Ideally, we'd like to have the PC version available by the end of the year.
Travis: There’s a sequel tease at the end of the game. Will Red Raygun be in the same style, or will it be updated to a 90s feel?
I would LOVE to develop Red Raygun in the future! The ending is very tongue-in-cheek, but how awesome would it be to play an all-red, 16-bit version of Rad Raygun, that played like Vector Man?! I, myself, would love to see it! The biggest obstacle is finding the time. With families and full time jobs, we're left to sacrifice our nights and weekends for years at a time to complete a project of this size.
jdodson: Rad Raygun ships on PC and is Greenlight on Steam. What’s next for TRU FUN? If you are at a loss for ideas i'll toss you one for free: “50 Shades of Green.”
LOL! TRU FUN Entertainment will always be around. The whole reason I originally got into programming was to make video games. I may not develop games professionally, but as long as I've got a programming language and some free time, you can bet that I'll be building the next game from TRU FUN Entertainment. This is my hobby and my passion. :)
Travis: If Ronald Reagan actually had a robot like Rad at his disposal, how would recent history have changed?
I don't know, but that song "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" would make a whole lot more sense!
Travis: I’m a huge Fantomenk fan, so I was stoked to find that they did the soundtrack. What was the process like for developing the music for the game with him?
First off, we were super excited when FantomenK agreed to join the team. He was our first choice and his tracks immediately set the tone and atmosphere for the game. Since FantomenK is also a retro gamer, we could make suggestions like, "Let's make the boss song a little more 'Sonic 2' and a little less 'Link to the Past'" - and he knew exactly what we meant. :P The music was completed a full two years before the game was done, so it was actually a good source of guidance and inspiration.
jdodson: After the Martian invasion leaves our current civilization buried, a few humans survive by living underground. After 5,000 years they leave their underground caves and find the Martian menace gone. As they build an above ground civilization they find a XBox 360 that hasn’t red ringed with Rad Raygun on it and they get it working. I wonder what you hope these humans can learn from our civilization through the time capsule of Rad Raygun?
"Hey, the 80's must have been pretty rad, let's fire up the DeLorean and go check it out!"
Travis: Do you plan on releasing the soundtrack?
Yes! In fact, FantomenK just released it: http://fantomenk.bandcamp.com/album/rad-raygun-soundtrack
Travis: There are some subtle stabs at how the politics of the time were handled. Is there any particular message you hope people take from those?
No, to me, it's all tongue-in-cheek. In fact, I hate politics!
jdodson: I wonder what your favorite title on Gameboy is?
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - AND, believe it or not, that's my favorite Zelda game too!
Travis: You’re currently in the Greenlight process on Steam. Some games in the past have found luck with XNA ports through Monogame. Are there any plans for Mac or Linux support if you get greenlit?
Nothing is set in stone, but we definitely want to reach a broader audience. We're focusing on the PC version now, since it's already supported by XNA, but once that's done, I'm interested in seeing what the Monogame platform has to offer.
jdodson: I want to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Before we wrap up is there anything you want to leave us with?
First off, thank YOU, Jon and Travis, for having me - I do appreciate it! And, to everyone out there, thank you for playing our game! What you see is a labor of love. For me, this really is a dream come true. To hear that people enjoy Rad Raygun means the world to me!
If you have a moment, check out RadRaygun.com, where you'll find links to the 360 version, Stream Greenlight, and you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
And again, thank you!
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