Year Walk devs on bringing the game to Wii U, future Nintendo interest
Simogo director Simon Flesser and Dakko Dakko lead Rhodri Broadbent have opened up about bringing Year Walk to Wii U. The two commented on the origins of the project, how the game is taking advantage of the console, and future interest in the eShop/Nintendo in general.
Head past the break for excerpts from the interview. For the full discussion, visit the original piece on Nintendo Life.
On the origins of the Dakko Dakko / Simogo partnership to bring the game to Wii U…
Rhodri: Simon and I became friends many years ago, initially over a shared love of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and Wii Music, and so working together on a project had been discussed many times. Late last year the idea to rework Year Walk for Wii U came up and luckily we were available to team up. Initially it was discussed as merely a direct port but, basically as soon as we began working on it, new ideas started flowing and before long almost every puzzle in the game was being redesigned for the new interface!
On the unique ways will this game utilize the GamePad…
Rhodri: One thing we’re especially excited about is the gyro cursor system, which affects the whole game and means players can easily and intuitively point around the screen using the GamePad. Both Simon and I have a lot of love for the Wii Remote and its pointer, but the GamePad screen is crucial to the way we’ve redesigned Year Walk. As such, we worked hard to attain pointer-like functionality in the game whilst still benefiting from the second screen, and it has turned out really well.
On any exclusive content in the Wii U version…
Simon: All puzzles have been reworked for Wii U, and some elements of them are completely new. One thing that is totally new and exclusive for Wii U is the note taking feature. Plus another fun thing we can’t go into without spoiling the game!
On any feature in particular that contributes to this version being the “definitive” release of Year Walk…
Simon: It just feels like the game is coming home. So much inYear Walk is based around the concept of the game world and the real one spilling into each other, with the companion pieces like the encyclopedia and such. So being able to play the game on a console that has one screen for the game and one screen dedicated to those things simultaneously just feels like it was always meant to be that way. The GamePad becomes the link between the player and the game.
Rhodri: Definitely the gyro cursor system, and the inclusion of puzzle-specific motion controls. They not only give the game a fresh feeling for people who may have already taken a Year Walk on iOS or Steam, but they also really integrate the GamePad into the gameplay in a way that we think all Wii U owners will appreciate.
On what’s next for the two developers…
Simon: I hope so! At Simogo we have few things we are working on, but it’s a little too early to start talking about those. I do hope we’ll be able to make more things on Nintendo platforms.
Rhod: Yeah it’d be great to work together again. It’s been really fun and we’re very pleased with the end result. As for what we’re doing next, we’re also not quite ready to talk about that just yet but rest assured, Year Walk is our second eShop release and I don’t expect it to be our last.
