Narita boy art code#

How would you describe your team’s philosophy in terms of making mechanics feel fresh and relevant, while still capturing the vibe of that time?Įd: The plot, the premise, the context is very ‘80s. It’s often difficult to strike a balance between mechanical novelty and authentic retro style. So, the storytelling is aiming at that direction.

Narita boy art code#

But what the game is about is “the memory.” As Narita Boy you have to help the creator to remember he has forgotten the code of the game and because of this things inside the game are getting dangerous. Without spoiling too much, can you tease a bit more about what kind of storytelling players can expect from the title?Įd: It is a game within a game, exactly, but also as a developer we are creating a game, Narita Boy. GR: Narita Boy’s story features a game-within-a-game conceit.

The way we shape everything - in terms of combat mechanics, visuals, and music – provides constant motivation for the player to keep moving forward. Mechanically, what do you think sets Narita Boy apart from other games with similar features?Įd: What sets Narita Boy apart is the desire to surprise over the gameplay. GR: Your Steam page mentions the game will feature a mix of action, metroidvania elements, and a narrative-forward experience. As for movies, the aesthetic of Beyond the Black Rainbow, The Last Starfighter, and many, many others. GR: What other titles and media inspired or influenced your team while creating Narita Boy?Įd: Captain N, He-Man, Heavy Metal magazine, artists like Moebius, Druillet, Eng, Daft Punk, and the books Ready Player One and Neuromancer. But Captain N: The Game Master was a very big influence as well. That old computer feeling! I imagine there is more influence, but not consciously I guess. What role did that influence play in developing the game?Įd: The main influence is the trip inside the computer, and the wireframe - always the wireframe. GR: Looking at Narita Boy’s art and story summaries on Steam, it seems like there is a lot of affection for Tron here. They're aiming for a December 2018 release.GR: In a couple sentences, how would you introduce audiences to Narita Boy?Įd: It’s a pixel art neo-retro adventure, putting emphasis on a deep narrative, moody and oniric worldbuilding, handcrafted visuals, and a synthwave retro soundtrack. There are upgrades, RPG bits, vehicle sections, “time and dimension jump mechanics” and obligatory neon wireframes panning away into the distance. But now you, modern 1980s teenager, have been sucked into the game to save its denizens from HIM, the leader of a band of wreckers called the Stallions. A man called Lionel Pearl has invented the Narita personal computer and its popular videogame Narita Boy. That’s certainly one way to respond to a stroke! The story behind your sword-slashing hero is classic 80s techno-magicalism. I had a stroke and started to insanely work on the characters and the backgrounds of the universe that was growing on my mind.” “I had just left Friend & Foe where I contributed to the development of Vane (PS4) and was looking for an idea for my own game. “The idea of ‘Narita Boy’ came in the 2016 spring, while living in Tokyo,” he says on the Kickstarter. If you’ve noticed the Japanese aura surrounding it (how could you not?) it might have something to do with lead designer and artist Eduardo Fornieles living in Japan for three years. The Spain-based Studio Koba has brought its pixelly promise to Kickstarter asking for €120,000.

It’s described as “classic 2D scroller action” with inspirations like Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery and 80s movies like The Last Starfighter. But to understand any of that, you really need to see it in motion, which you can do below. He’s stuck inside the computer dimension, you see, in a quest to save it from some red-coloured badthings known as the Stallions. Narita Boy is a game-in-progress where the hero flies a floppy disk as a hoverboard and rides a horse made out of old computers while slashing at red foes with a techno sword. Here’s something to coo at if you like your art done in thousands of tiny squares.