'Small Arms' Dev Interview

 

In my latest Dev interview I interviewed Don Wurster who is the Co-Director/Developer for Gastronaut Studios about the battle frenzied arcade title 'Small Arms'

Before reading the interview I would like you to check out this gameplay trailer from E3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD7V8vL-kQU&search=small%20arms

 Don wanted me to stress the fact that the game is still in development so the graphics you see in this trailer and in the exclusive screenshots I will post are not from the final build.

So Here is the interview.

1-Can you please tell us about Gastronaut Studios?

Don–Gastronaut Studios is a small independent developer that focuses on high quality downloadable console games. We especially like to focus on sociable and multiplayer titles, whether it's friends on the couch, or over the internet. Our first title "Fuzzee Fever" was released for the first xbox LIVE arcade in the end of 2004. We have since grown to a whopping 4 people, and are hard at work at our upcoming multiplayer fighting/shooting game "Small Arms" for Xbox 360 LIVE arcade.

2-Can you give us an overview of "Small Arms"?

Don–Small Arms is a hybrid fighting/platforming/shooting game. Up to four players battle it out with a set of interchangeable "gun arms". Each character starts with an initial weapon, and can pick up new ones as the match progresses. The levels in the game are looking really cool, and contain a number of interactive elements.

3-I have read comments from people who have viewed the gameplay video of Small Arms and they said it resembled Nintendo's "Super Smash Brothers"series. Is this what you were hoping for?

Don–A number of review sites are writing the game off  as a 'Super Smash Bros' Clone, but in reality it plays quite differently. The combat focuses on ranged attacks which make for a less claustrophobic , more tactical game. I think 'Small Arms' has just as much in common with games like 'Abuse' and 'Metal Slug' as with 'Smash Bros'. Also, while the characters in the game are a bit cartoon-ish, the weapons and environments give the game a much more gritty feel than most Nintendo titles. We think it will fit in very well on the Xbox 360, and will really stand out to most gamers compared to the other games on Arcade.

4- How many playable characters will there be?

Don-We are currently planning to ship with 10-12 characters in the full game, with the possibility of releasing additional characters on Marketplace. Some of them will be unlockable as you progress through the story mode as different characters.

5–What type of weapons can be used?

Don–The game will ship with a different weapon for each of the initial characters. Each weapon supports a primary and secondary firing mode. I don't want to give too much away, but I can give a couple examples.

'Marky Kat' is our cyborg cat character who sports a 'chain gun' as his default weapon. The primary attack is a rapid fire stream of bullets, while the secondary is a shotgun type burst shot. Another character 'Mr Truffles' is an assassin truffle pig who uses a sniper rifle as his default weapon. The primary attack is a deadly accurate sniper rifle with a laser sight. As a secondary attack, the sniper rifle provides 'proximity mines' which you can leave behind around the level for unsuspecting opponents. There are also a number of less traditional weapons, such as one that shoots multiple boomerang like saw blades, and a mysterious psychic glove.

6-How long has 'Small Arms' been in development?

Don–The game has been in development for roughly 8 months.

7-What type of gamers is 'Small Arms' directed to?

Don–We are making the game very accessible to all types of players; putting more focus on a pickup and play game style, and deviating away the more hardcore style of play. However, we believe that both hardcore players and newcomers alike will find 'Small Arms' gameplay to be very appealing.

8-How many MS points will 'Small Arms' cost?

Don–This is yet to be determined. It will be in line with the other titles on arcade.

9-When will 'Small Arms' be released?

Don–The release date is also yet to be determined. A rough estimate would be end of summer.

10–What type of Multiplayer modes will 'Small Arms' have?

Don– Multiplayer is a major focus in 'Small Arms'. It supports up to 4 players on xbox LIVE with a very similar experience to playing against friends in the same room. We are planning for a number of different 'rule sets' for multiplayer matches, including timed matches, and lives matches.

11-What are your thoughts on the xbox LIVE arcade in general?

Don– It's our bread and butter! We love arcade, and want to make many more original titles for it. We are glad to have such a great platform for delivering small, fun games to break up the cycle of sequels and bloat the industry has fallen into.

12– Has the 50 MB limit been a problem while developing 'Small Arms'?

Don– We really haven't had many problems at all. We set out from the beginning with a design that we knew we could do in that size. Also we have a great set of tools that really pack the content in, and still have it look great. 'Fuzzee Fever' had to fit into 15 MB, so we're enjoying the leg room. ;-)

13- Any plans for Marketplace goodies? Like Gamerpics, Themes, ETC

Don–We are planning to release both gamerpics and themes. Additionally we have the capability of releasing new characters and levels for the game on Marketplace, so expect to see those too.

14-What makes this game better than any other Xbox LIVE arcade title?

Don–Two Words. Rotisserie Chicken. (See Screenshot)

15-What Graphics engine does 'Small Arms' use?

Don–The engine used in 'Small Arms' was developed entirely in house. When we started working on the 360, we took the engine from Fuzzee Fever and bought it up to speed with all the fancy next-gen features gamers expect now. Full HDR rendering pipeline, soft-shadows, lots of per-pixel lighting, normal maps, cool procedural textures, and impressive poly-counts for a downloadable game. I think people will be amazed at what downloadable games can do.

16-Is Gastronaut Studios working on any other titles for the xbox LIVE arcade?

Don–Nothing we can talk about yet, but we love making bite-sized downloadable console games. Microsoft has really set the bar for network services with this Xbox 360 LIVE arcade, and we've really enjoyed working with their platform.

17–Any last words for gamers out there?

Don–Check out the games website @ www.smallarmsgame.com. As we approach launch, we'll launch more features: character/level/weapon info, tips & tricks, and community/tournament organization. We look forward to playing you online!

Thank you Don and to the whole Gastronaut Team