Astro Boy Attempts Daring Rescue of Licensed Games

Tech-Gaming: How long have you been developing games? What attracted you to the industry?

Cameron Rains: I have been developing games for nearly two years at High Voltage Software and to say that I was attracted to the industry would truly dishonor the passion that I have for it. I grew up playing any and every game that I could get my hands on starting with the NES.  Five years old and trying to tackle the original Zelda! Since those early beginnings, I have cultivated a great appreciation for the power that games have not only to be a vessel for entertainment but deeply artistic narrative experiences.

T-G: Have the creator(s) of the series seen the game? What was their impression(s)?

CR: Imagi Studios have been a fantastic partner throughout the entire development of Astro Boy: The Video Game. They were there at day one with our first asset delivery and stayed with us throughout the entire process, providing additional assets in order to maintain consistent fiction and visuals, as well as providing invaluable feedback on the game itself. The film’s director, David Bowers, and producer, Maryann Garger, were very supportive of the project from the beginning. As developers, it is a really good feeling when you know that the individuals responsible for your license completely support what you are doing, it makes the process of creating a game that is true to the fiction that much easier. It’s an even better feeling when they can’t stop telling you how much they love playing the game! I think there are a few retro gamers over there at Imagi.

T-G: What has been the most difficult aspect of production?

CR: The most difficult aspect of the production definitely had to be the schedule. Creating licensed titles for a movie launch generates a very specific and short term production cycle. Fortunately in our case, we were all big Astro Boy fans and were able to throw ourselves, full bore, into development. Having the full backing or Imagi Studios and D3Publisher was a great aid and proved invaluable in the long run. As a result we were able to create a great arcade brawler/shooter hybrid that spans over 30 levels and introduces players to all the characters they will meet in the movie, while presenting some new fiction for the perennial fans of Astro Boy! 

T-G: Is your game based strictly on the animated series or do you introduce new characters, abilities, enemies, etc?

CR: Astro Boy: The Video Game focuses primarily on the movie narrative, covering the entire plot line over the course of 30+ levels. That being said, Astro Boy may be the most perfect movie/anime/manga character ever to base a video game on. At High Voltage Software, we are all huge fans of the Tezuka manga and we really wanted to make a game that would honor fans of the classic Astro Boy, worldwide. With all of his amazing powers and rich fiction, we were able to craft some really fun core game mechanics and brutally challenging enemies. We were able to take some liberties and create some unique features specifically for this game. For example, Astro Boy now has the power to absorb enemy projectiles, thereby healing himself. This is a mechanic we use throughout the game and one by which the player heals Astro. In addition to game mechanics we were able to work with Imagi and create original characters that were true to the film’s license but totally unique to the game. We are very proud to be able to extend the fictional record for Astro Boy fans, and hope that they enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed making it.

T-G: While your game is targeted toward younger players, why should adult gamers be interested?

CR: There is a lot to like here if you are an adult gamer. First and foremost, Astro Boy: The Video Game can be hard. Really hard. We balanced out four difficulty settings that span from Easy all the way up to what we have dubbed Hero. If you are a long time Mega Man fan, Hero is where you want to be. Having mentioned Mega Man, at this point it is probably relevant to note that this is a game that is decidedly old school, a side-scroller through and through. If you grew up coughing quarters up at the arcade, you will feel right at home in Astro Boy: The Video Game. Additionally if you have a buddy near by, the two of you can play through the entire campaign or our arcade mode, utilizing drop-in-drop-out co-op gameplay. And just in case you are not totally satisfied with our controls, we allow the user to totally re-configure the controller up to and including Wii motion! So between the features, style, game modes, and customization, we feel like there is a whole lot to be had for gamers, young and old.

T-G: The game appears to be influenced by a certain retro title, was that intentional?

CR: Absolutely. We are huge fans of the Treasure GBA title, Astro Boy: Omega Factor. Before we even started development everyone at the Lead and Design levels of the team sat down and did a full clear of the game. We saw AB:OF as being the best of the Astro Boy games and we immediately set that as the bar by which we would hold our game to. Suffice it to say that we took a lot of lessons away from that experience, and arrived at what we felt was a solid design direction for creating a game that could honor the license for which it is being created and deliver rock solid gameplay. Similarities and cross over can be seen in our level design which is 2½ D, maintaining the core Arcade Brawler/Shooter mechanics familiar to fans of AB:OF, and providing graphical fidelity that suits the license and provides depth to the two dimensional gameplay. Additionally, a lot of comparison can be drawn to our combat which sees Astro return with all of the fan favorite powers such as the Arm Cannon, Drill Attack, and Butt Machine Gun. Astro’s core skills also remain intact, as the player can jump, dash, punch, kick and fly through all the levels, with the assistance of a few brand new moves just for this game!

T-G: What are a few of your favorite computer or video games?

CR: Best and worst question ever. I suppose if there were a few games that I would want while stuck on an Icebreaker in the North Atlantic, they would have to be: