This information comes from issue 258 of Nintendo Power…
– Peter Ong thinks his team may have gone too far with the difficulty in Henry Hatsworth
– Much gentler learning curve for Monster Tale
– Long-term strategic elements for Chomp
– Chomp starts off the game as a hatchling
– As a hatchling, Chomp can’t do much except float around the screen and attack a few foes
– Chomp gets experience points that unlock new abilities, stat-boosting traits, and alternate evolutions as he intervenes on the top screen
– Direct Chomp’s priorities with evolutions
– Can make Chomp more aggressive, more defensive, or more skilled at long-term combat with evolutions
– Each evolution form provides different abilities
– If you stick with a form long enough to master its abilities, you can equip them to Chomp’s other evolutions
– Some abilities change Chomp’s AI behavior
– Most evolutions are special moves that Ellie can use in combat by equipping them to a button combination
– Chomp can also interact with objects Ellie drops from the top screen
– Examples of object interaction: Kicking soccer balls at foes, bombarding the battlefield with a toy catapult
– Game has cute touches, like when Chomp puts on reading glasses when Ellie drops a book
This information comes from Peter Ong, DreamRift/Monster Tale developer…
“We feel very privileged to have the opportunity to express our appreciation for the best 2D games by exploring new ways to evolve their foundation, especially in an era in which those principles may be forgotten or ignored.”
“I believe that people want to be challenged, but that a game should communicate clearly, ramp up difficulty smoothly, and provide what the player needs to succeed as long as the player contributes to their own fair effort.”
“As Chomp grows and his abilities become more formidable, he becomes more and more crucial to protecting Ellie. These aspects of their relationship allow us to tell a story with some unexpectedly emotional moments.”
“I’ve become quite attached to Ellie and Chomp, and I feel quite the obligation to do them justice with the game that they deserve.”
