Developer Diary #2: A New World

So... Where to start?

I'm a big video game junkie. It's started when I was 9, the day my cousin bought a NES with Super Mario Bros 2 and Trojan. It was just  a revolution for me. I didn't care much for Mario but Trojan was the real deal: a Mad Max adventure with swords and punks. I was amazed.

I think it defined my view on video games (and maybe my flaws). Trojan was not really good and the gameplay was clunky compared to SMB2. But the setting, the story and the characters were the best for me. And it was a real adventure. I guess it stuck: cool story, lovable characters, exciting adventure and fun and simple gameplay.

I was dreaming every nights about the NES and then the shock came: my parents brought me a Sega Master System for Christmas! I was so disappointed at first. For me, it was a sub-par console, the real thing was the NES!!! The sadness lasted 3 seconds, disappeared... and I was hooked: Alex Kidd in Miracle and Shinobi World, Wonder Boy 2 and 3, Y's, Golden Axe Warriors, Sonic... I was lucky that one of my friend's uncle was owning a Video Game store so he would lend me for free many games through the years. These were really cool times and I discovered many SMS games thanks to him.

Then, I don't know how it happened but my sister and I decided one day to buy a Super Nintendo. We withdrew all our money from our bank accounts (to my mother's dismay!) and brought the beast with Super Mario World. A new era of fantastic gaming and adventure began! The first game that really blew my mind was Super Castlevania IV. This game is a masterpiece. Everything is perfect except perhaps that it's a bit too easy. The Super Nintendo is also the console that made me discover a new side of gaming: import games. I didn't know anything about that, video games that would never be sold in my country! How? Why? There were so many masterpiece that never came in Europe! At that time, I really couldn't understand why...

Thankfully my local game store had many great japanese games. But there was one BIG obstacle to their enjoyment: the language. Actually, I tended to find games too easy and this turned out to be a way to rump up the difficulty (well, that's how I saw it at the time). It was actually a good thing as I now can read and understand a bit of japanese.

Well, the Super Nintendo era was like an orgy of enjoyment. I was really into RPGs and the SNES was the place to be in terms of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Shin Megami Tensei. Then came the Playstation Era...

Buma

Developer diary#1: Singe

Like many indie developers, Singe Studio is actually just one person... Some people think it's stupid to use the name of a "studio" or a "company" to develop game but for me, it's just a pseudonym really... I don't really like to see my real name displayed everywhere on the internet. I don't know, it may be a kind of shyness.

Why "Singe Studio"? It's not that i mean to be a "studio", it's more an homage to Akira Toriyama (the mangaka behind "Dragon Ball") who funded his "Bird Studio" very early in his career. He signed most of his work under both his alias and his name, even though he's sometimes the only one who worked on the project.

So yeah, I'm guilty of all the stuff you'll find here. The art, the music, the story, the programming, I did everything. Not that I wanted to, it's more that I don't know any people who would do that for (nearly) free. And I may be a bit of a control freak too.

Well, that's it for today. Keep checking here to get more info about me or read some stories about videogame making...

Buma

New project: Death Pirate SP!

Thanks to the success of the first game, I'm proud to announce a new version of the game will be released soon: Death Pirate SP!

This improved version will be released on Android and will feature a new gameplay in accordance with the platform (tablet, smartphones). There will also be new bonus contents: a new mode especially made with the new gameplay in mind which will also expand the storyline, new playable characters and a new bonus epilogue!

More info coming soon...

Here is the artwork for the new version:

Thank you! 2500 units sold!!!

Yes! Thank you!

Heavy Metal Death Pirate has sold 2500 units in one month! That's a lot more than what I expected and it's a great pleasure to know so many people played the game.

Please stay tuned for more exciting projects!

NPCs - Part I: The UCP

Here are the non playable characters of the game with a small bio:

The UCP

The UCP is the company behind the creation of J-Suits. They founded the J-Academy. The pupils of the school generally end up in the Milicia, a private army aimed at destroying the Diemen.

 Boss Shin - He's Hideo's main mentor at the J-Academy. He's a bit weird and grandiloquent but he seems to be a competent teacher.

 Captain Copper - He's the main founder of the UCP and the leader of the Milicia. He was a politician before but he had to quit after a financial scandal a few years ago. Thanks to the J-Suits' success, he's now back in the business and runs for the upcoming presidential elections. His J-Suit is the Jaguar X.

 Valis - She's Captain Copper assistant and one of the Milicia's General. She's entirely devoted to him and would risk her life to take him to the top. Her J-Suit is the Budokan.

 Dr Moshpit - This mysterious man wanders in the UCP buildings. He's not supposed to be working here but his presence is tolerated because he's the old friend of Captain Copper and the UCP's cofounder. Some people said he built an hybrid J-Suit with incredible power...

Enter your foes!

Meet the bestiary of Heavy Metal Death Pirate! I don't really like to make a list of numbers but I really want to show you the huge content the game has to offer!

40 enemies will try to take you down during the game and you'll have to face 17 huge bosses and sub-bosses in your adventures!

I really wanted to make every stages as unique as possible so the player will never get bored and will meet surprises at every corner. See you on September 3rd!

Heavy Metal Death Pirate release date set!

Hi!

A big news today: HMDP will be released on the Desura gaming platform on September 3rd! The game will offer you hours of arcade action, a gripping story, 7 playable characters, three types of gameplay, 29 episodes and much more for less than 5£!

Get ready!