A great page I am reading from time to time in my spare time is GameCyte and I was very suprised to just see them writing a very interesting article about the mysterious “Project White Rock”.
Unveiled has been the N-Gage title “Reset Generation”, the very first cross-plattform game which will be playable on N-Gage compatible phones and on desktop computers.
“An unfairly addictive action-puzzle title which is both cross-platform and multi-platform; furious online four-player action.” When we asked Nokia’s Scott Foe, Executive Producer and Concept Author, to describe Reset Generation, this is what he said. The game, scheduled for release in Summer 2008 for the PC and N-Gage platform, had been known until now by the codename “Project White Rock.” Nokia, and Finnish developers RedLynx, have spent the last two and a half years on Reset Generation, and the result is a mash-up of puzzle gaming, turn-based strategy, and tongue-firmly-out-of-cheek fanservice.
Reset Generation is so named for the audience at which it is aimed: The children who grew up in front of the NES and Genesis, who knew that when things started to go bad, a fresh start was just a reset away. The game is intended for those who haved lived and loved gaming and all its genres, references, cliches and foibles, for the last twenty years; those who would gladly steep themselves in every facet of gamer culture. From its concept, to its gameplay, to its art and music, Reset Generation is a postmodern love letter to the industry–as Nokia puts it, “The first video game about video games.”
To that end, Nokia has included work from some of the most notable artists in the industry who celebrate gaming with their work. Reset Generations centers around ten archetypal characters which players can choose from — immediately recognizable caricatures including Hedgehog, Monster Trainer, Plumber, and Level 50 Elf. Some of the characters fall farther into parody, while some are fairly on the nose, but each character has been designed by a different artist, each with an impressive pedigree. Names include Joy Ang, Dan Paladin, Feng Zhu and Scott Kurtz, each of which has created an original take on cyborg super-soldiers, adorable bomb-wielding midgets, and low-resolution alien invaders. Each character possesses a unique in-game ability, but the major appeal of the characters is their animation and dialogue — each thoroughly designed to make you smirk at their familiar-yet-amusing behaviors. Hedgehog is overflowing with in-your-face attitude (Oh no you di’int! Word!), the alien Aggressor screams familiar anti-human sentiments (I HUNGER!), and someone on the writing staff clearly infected Ninja with their personal love of Engrish subtitles (Rescues? Forget it! Try my fist!). The music is also a retro fan’s siren song — an original soundtrack has been commissioned from 8 Bit Weapon, a chiptunes ensemble whose C64 and NES-quality tracks were in full force at the unveiling.
“We wanted to finally explore the stories behind these characters,” said Scott Howard, Producer on Reset Generation. “We’ve seen them going through these actions for years — we wanted to really see what motivates them.” Howard laughed as he described the Monster Hunter, collecting her elaborate arsenal of fighting beasties due to a neurotic obsession and addiction, pointing to the girl’s backpack which resembled the pelt of an electric rodent of some kind. Beyond the game’s 4-player matches, Reset Generation also contains a mission-based single-player mode, complete with animated, fully-voiced cutscenes, allowing for further humorous moments between the bizarre cast. Without explaining too much, there was a moment where Plumber and Hedgehog walked off into the sunset holding hands, to spend a long life together rescuing princesses.
The gameplay, as befits the title, is chock full of many familiar game elements, combined for a rather unique experience. I was able to get my hands on the game, and I found that as a diehard puzzler, Reset Generation was right up my alley. The game plays like a mix of Rampart, Worms, Ataxx, and Bang! Howdy. The object of the game, naturally, is the oldest game object in history: rescue the princess. Each player on the board has a fortress, which their own personal princess inhabits. To win a match, players must squabble their way to their opponents’ bases, “rescue” the princess inside, and bring her back to their home. A player whose princess is rescued by someone else is eliminated from play.
Continue to read the article here.
