Interview: Scram Kitty Producer Dan Croucher
Once a year, video game developers converge to Culver City, California to showcase their creations at IndieCade–a festival dedicated to independent games. A collection of interesting titles were displayed this year, but our focus will be on Nintendo’s offerings and the games Wii U and 3DS owners can look forward to playing. Among the many titles displayed at Nintendo’s booth, one the biggest hits was Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails from Dakko Dakko (@dakkodakko)–makers of the Playstation Vita title Floating Cloud God Saves The Pilgrims. Scram Kitty producer Dan Croucher (@dancroucher) was kind enough to answer some questions for us about their upcoming Wii U eShop game.
Geekscape: On an interview posted on dakkodakko.com. Rhod mentioned that the development team used games such as Gunstar Heroes and Smash T.V. as references for Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails. For you, what was it about those games which made the gameplay memorable?
Dan Croucher: “There’s so much that inspires us in those games, and others like them – the art is a big influence of course, but from both games, it’s the fast, arcade-style control of the player, the use of weaponry in a strategic way, the progression of difficulty through interesting and varied enemies, a sense of style and coolness in the game world. From Smash T.V. in particular, the top-down view is a big thing, as there aren’t that many games that do that still, having intelligent enemies that swarm around you in both enclosed rooms and wide open areas, meaning that your positioning and movement is as important as the shooting. Games from that era always feature for us as influences just because of how they focus on polished, frame-perfect gameplay above all else and put the player’s skill at the center of it all.”
Geekscape: I really like the idea of having the television screen give those watching someone play the opportunity to get involved by pointing out information to the player. It reminds me of the arcade days where others would hang on the side of the cabinet and point out power-ups or hidden areas. Was that something the team wanted to address from the get-go, or was that a result from play testing?
Dan Croucher: “Using the second screen in this way was core for us from the beginning – we are making the game specifically for the Wii U hardware and putting an ‘expanded view’ on the TV to draw in and entertain the other people in the room was something we wanted to do specifically when we saw the GamePad – be that to reproduce that arcade feel you mention, or to encourage the turn-swapping that we all experienced when playing with our friends, brothers and sisters on 16-bit games when we were younger.”
Geekscape: The mice seem pretty hell-bent on getting rid of all the cats. What kind of obstacles should players expect to confront?
Dan Croucher: “The mice are the at the center of all the trouble in Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails and we have this idea of ‘ranks’ where you’ll fight everything from hordes of small, weak mice in little ships to the same mice protected in imposing clanking mechs to stronger ‘commander’ mice that have all sorts of guns strapped on them and really fight back. Aside from the mice, exploration is really important so there’ll also be mines, static gun emplacements, electric doors and gates, switches and many special rail types to mix it all up.”
Geekscape: Any message you would like to give Nintendo fans who are eagerly awaiting Scram Kitty’s release?
Dan Croucher: “It won’t be long! We’re working really, really hard to make Scram Kitty the sort of game that long-time Nintendo fans will love for its crafted gameplay and precise, fluid controls. Pure platforming and shooting gameplay wrapped in gorgeous art and audio never really goes out of date and we are aiming for that at all times–something brand new that recaptures the glories of the SNES era.”
Be sure to check out the new trailer for the game below!
