With the enormous influx of Kickstarter projects in the wake of the Double Fine Adventure Game, it can be a little tough to find something worthy of your backing bucks. That’s why I’ve decided to take one for the team and start a weekly article where I write a bit about a project I find interesting.
The first installment of this highlight series is on Epic Skater by UpUpStart. It is a 2d side scrolling skateboarding game, and is projected to be released on the IOS and Android platforms. The interesting point about this game is that the development team has some former Neversoft employees; the company that spawned the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise. With the recent buzz around the Tony Hawk HD XBLA game, it seems like a perfect time to strike that skateboarding fire while its hot.
Being developed by former THPS series devs, there are various elements in Epic Skater that will be familiar to series veterans; while on a skateboarding run you can pick up letters in the environment, as well as a leveling system that allows you to unlock new tricks.
Mobile game fans will like to know that there is no virtual joystick or D-Pad controls being developed. UpUpStart is working on a set of intuitive swipe controls that will hopefully work much better than the lazy IOS port of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (I still put way too much time into that game).
While the project will be funded if they are backed a modest $50,000 they have a series of stretch goals announced. If the project is funded more than $100,000 you can look forward to the game being playable on Steam, as well as the soon-to-be funded OUYA platform. If they get more than $150,000 UpUpStart will develop an Asynchronous multiplayer mode where you will be able to play against a friend’s ghost.
UpUpStart is also offering the requisite backing tiers, with skateboard themed swag. At the higher tiers you can get a skateboard deck, have ingame elements designed after you, or even a trip to meet the dev team.
As a skateboarding video game fan, this game has my support. There is enough room in the market for multiple skateboarding games (please announce a new Skate game EA!), and it seems like this title is changing the formula in a way that will work well in mobile environments.
NONE of the guys making this game are “original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater developers”. NONE were on the first THPS, NONE were responsible for the creation of the series.
Sorry about that, I must have worded that weird. By original Tony Hawk Pro Skater developers, I meant that the series was created at Neversoft, where these guys would later work. I’ve changed it up a bit, carry on.