Kyanbu The Legend
12-13-2012, 07:36 PM
http://www.gamesabyss.com/its-mega-mans-birthday-and-theyre-celebrating-qa-with-25th-anniversarys-teamreaverbot/
Another 8-bit MM crossover game outsouced to Team Reaverbot by Capcom.
"Megaman 25th Anniversary" Demos for the game will go live on the 17th.
On December 8, news broke of Street Fighter X Mega Man, a free, officially backed by Capcom, fan game wherein the Blue Bomber goes against Street Fighter's mightiest World Warriors…or something like that. No, ever-loyal Mega Man fan, you are not dreaming; Capcom is making an effort to celebrate Mega Man's birthday…sort of.
Four days prior however, the mega-festivities were already underway…
So, if you'll indulge me, cue the Mega Man 2 Intro Theme…
In the year 2012, a group of Canadian-based developers consisting of Julian Spillane from DHX Media (formally Silicon Knights), Jason Canam from Guacamelee's Drinkbox Studios, Orie Falconer and Daniel Ochoa from Vast Studios, Tim McLennan from Gameloft, and independent artist Jeff Canam founded Team Reaverbot, and set about to develop Mega Man 25th Anniversary…
Recently, TeamReaverbot honored me with a Q&A session to discuss its fan-fueled anniversary project, their thoughts on the Mega Man fan game community, and Capcom itself. What proceeded was perhaps the most entertaining, informative, and engaging interview I have ever had the privilege of being a part of.
Games Abyss: So, Team Reaverbot, tells us about yourselves; how long have you been working in the industry, what games have you worked on in the past?
Jason: I've spent most of my time in the industry (6 years now) working on casual and mobile games. One of the most interesting experiences was working on an original Mega Man title at Capcom Mobile (now known as Beeline Interactive), it was a Mega Man schmup that was released only for Blackberry phones (which is a shame, because it was really good). Very recently, I joined the team at DrinkBox to work on their upcoming game Guacmelee! for PS3 and PSVita.
Tim: I got my start about 4 years ago at Capcom Mobile working in QA, so I tested that schmup (Mega Man: Rush Marine) which actually launched on BREW and J2ME phones before being ported to RIM's devices. Jason, didn't you also work on MM2 for iPhone? – that was before my time, Smurfs' Village wasn't, however. I'm now a programmer on an unannounced title at Gameloft.
Julian: I’ve actually been in the industry for almost 10 years now, having acted as CEO of Frozen North Productions and as Project Director at Silicon Knights. My previous titles include Flip’s Twisted World (Wii), Dragon’s Lair (XBLA), X-Men Destiny (X360, PS3, Wii), and a whole slew of contract work on other games and canceled projects. I’m currently Director of Technology at DHX Media and I did a huge swath of gameplay and engine programming for the game. I’ve been a life-long fan of the Blue Bomber and have always wanted the opportunity to work on the franchise.
Orie: I'm actually pretty new to the industry at large. I joined Vast Studios as a Game Designer early this year and since then have been working on my first commercially sold video game ever! Before then I spent four years studying Game Development & Entrepreneurship at UOIT (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) in Oshawa, Ontario. I've done a number of games for Game Jam events and school projects, but my first real title will be out very, very soon. Occasionally I did the music for the game I worked on in Game Jams but it was never my focus until this project!
Jeff: I actually work for a company known as ‘Game Play Canada’ picking, selling and refurbishing classic game consoles and arcades. I’ve never dipped my hands in the development side of the industry. I could never grasp such technical skills that the rest of the team has mastered. I do, however, have a fondness for pixel art. With my brother, Jason, and his friends all having a unique skill set I just had to jump on board and see what I could bring to the table.
Games Abyss: Atypical of fan games, 25th Anniversary is being developed mainly by a collective of industry professionals. Does Team Reaverbot feel any added pressure given its members' previous experiences?
Jason: A ton of pressure, but only because we don't want to let anyone down. Also, there are a lot of great fan games out there! The Mega Man community is so a talented and expressive, we hope we can live up to expectations.
Julian: Being fans ourselves, we understand just how much the community wants GOOD new Mega Man content. As such, we really do feel the pressure of making something that lives up to everyone’s expectations. We want this to be a celebration of what makes the games so amazing.
Orie: To me, the pressure comes from the brand itself. Mega Man is hugely important to so many people and it's looked upon by designers and fans everywhere as an example of gaming done right, so everything from game design to music has to be just right! Professional background or not, the important thing is that we're all huge Mega Man fans, so we know exactly what our guidelines are. There are tons of great fan games out there like Mega Man Unlimited that really showcase the importance of series familiarity and dedication to the source material.
Games Abyss: What brought Team Reaverbot together, and how did the concept for 25th Anniversary first originate?
Jason: Separately, we've all been long time Mega Man fans. Jeff and I have been concepting and creating Robot Masters since we were kids (most of the Robot Master in our game are Jeff's concepts). This past summer, Julian and I became closely acquainted through the Toronto game development scene and immediately connected thanks to our shared love of Mega Man. Julian mentioned that he's been working on a game engine and Jason mentioned that he and his brother Jeff had always longed to see their ideas turn into something playable. It turned out that there couldn't be a better time to get to work on a homemade Mega Man game!
Orie: Julian was once a professor of mine, and I met Jason, Dan and Tim when I started working at Vast. We all really connected over Mega Man and when the idea sprang up that we should work on a Mega Man game as a side project I was MORE than happy to.
Games Abyss: Tell us about the development process so far; is Team Reaverbot central to one location, or do you communicate remotely?
Jason: We're mostly all game developers in Toronto, so getting together to work on the game is easy enough (when we can find the time in our busy schedules). The only member of the team not in Toronto is Jeff, but we stay in close contact through messaging and emails.
Orie: Like Jason said, we're pretty much centered around Toronto so at least once a week we like to get together and work on the game, and play through the classics for inspiration! Jason is a BEAST when it comes to playing Mega Man. So many no-damage runs…he can't possibly be human!
Games Abyss: So let's discuss the game itself. 25th Anniversary is an 8-Bit fan game that draws inspiration from the entire Mega Man franchise. With that, does the project intend to incorporate new mechanics to the classic MM formula?
Jason: At least a couple of the Robot Master stages will have interesting concepts. We don't want to give too much, though. Nothing overly radical, though, this is a Mega Man game, true to form!
Julian: We definitely have some new mechanics planned, but we want to wait to reveal them through trailers and other media.
Games Abyss: Mega Man and Proto Man are confirmed as playable characters; how do the two robot brothers play differently from one another?
Julian: Mega Man and Proto Man play similarly to their MM10 counterparts. Mega Man can slide but has no charged buster shot. Proto, on the other hand, has a charged shot and can deflect single damage shots while jumping (with his shield), but takes 1.5x the damage that Mega Man does.
Games Abyss: Tell us about Robot Master designs.
Jason: Everyone on the team has had input on the Robot Masters, but most come from Jeff.
Jeff: Growing up with Mega Man; naturally my brother and I doodled a fare share of Robot Masters and their levels. It’s really just a matter of finding that formula. What works technically, aesthetically and has that fun ‘Mega Man’ feel to it.
Games Abyss: What about Mega Man's weapons/abilities; is it possible the Blue Bomber may acquire more than the usual eight?
Jason: There may be a secret hidden somewhere…
Julian: You’ll just have to play and find out.
Games Abyss: Speaking of abilities, where's Rush? Is Mega Man's robot companion set to return, and has the old robo-dog learned any new tricks?
Jeff: I hope so. Miss Tron hates dogs.
Julian: Rock’s trusty side-kick will be returning, that’s for sure! As for new tricks, only time can tell…
Games Abyss: And let's not forget Tango (who was spotted in the trailer), Mega Man's feline friend from Rockman World 5. Are similar character appearances planned?
Orie: We really wanted to celebrate the franchise, so eagle-eyed fans can expect a few fun nods here and there. Keep your eyes peeled!
Games Abyss: Judging by the trailer, the soundtrack is in tune with the classic MM franchise – and sounds absolutely incredible. Tell us about the sound design; what went into creating each of the level's themes?
Orie: Thank you so much! I don't actually have much of a background in composition, but I listen to video game music almost exclusively, especially Mega Man music! I make the music using various NES soundfonts in FLStudio. Once I have an idea of what the level is going to be themed around, I usually try to work out the overall feel for the song on guitar, then go about recreating that melody in 8 bit instruments. The old Mega Man games on NES could only use about 4 separate channels, with one reserved for drums/percussion, so I limit myself to that much space. Each song is meant to be about 45-1:10 long before it loops again, to make sure it has enough time to stay interesting but not overly repetitive. This is my first real tackle at a full game soundtrack, so I'm trying to be as accurate as possible. Tim is also slowly teaching me about NES trackers, of which is he is far more experienced.
Music is one of the most lasting elements of the Mega Man experience so there's a lot of pressure to make everything sound in line with the classics. I look back at people's favorite games and music from that era and try to match different themes. Tarot Man's level for instance is based in a gothic castle setting, so I looked at Castlevania/Ghosts and Goblins style music to try and match that. Comet Man's theme took inspiration from Mega Man 2's Weapon Get jingle, which you can hear in the percussion. You can expect a lot more nods to different songs in Mega Man's history, but 90% of it is all original. The album is still in progress so keep checking back for more songs get added on a nigh-weekly basis!
Tim: Yeah, like Orie mentioned, I've been essentially covering his songs and getting him to learn Famitracker. When we first started, we weren't fully aware of the audio limitations of the NES, so… long story short we're using the MMC5 chip to give us a couple extra voices for the NES Sound Format version of the soundtrack. None of the original games used it, but it's not much of a stretch for us to (Mega Man 3 used the MMC3 chip.) Using Famitracker is great too, because we can export to nsf, or even create a ROM that can be loaded and played on a cartridge.
Games Abyss: The Mega Man 8 reference at the tail-end of the trailer is absolutely hilarious. Is it safe to assume Easter Eggs aplenty?
Jason: As a fan game, there's got to a healthy dosage of fan-service! This kind of game is the perfect chance to share all of our collective Mega Man inside jokes!
Orie: Hey, if we can't poke fun at the series then what are we fighting foooooooooooooooooooooor?! :)
Games Abyss: Are any additional playable characters planned, such as Bass or maybe Roll…perhaps even Mega Man Volnutt?
Julian: There very well could be…
There's more but the interview's so long I'd exceed the text limit.
Another 8-bit MM crossover game outsouced to Team Reaverbot by Capcom.
"Megaman 25th Anniversary" Demos for the game will go live on the 17th.
On December 8, news broke of Street Fighter X Mega Man, a free, officially backed by Capcom, fan game wherein the Blue Bomber goes against Street Fighter's mightiest World Warriors…or something like that. No, ever-loyal Mega Man fan, you are not dreaming; Capcom is making an effort to celebrate Mega Man's birthday…sort of.
Four days prior however, the mega-festivities were already underway…
So, if you'll indulge me, cue the Mega Man 2 Intro Theme…
In the year 2012, a group of Canadian-based developers consisting of Julian Spillane from DHX Media (formally Silicon Knights), Jason Canam from Guacamelee's Drinkbox Studios, Orie Falconer and Daniel Ochoa from Vast Studios, Tim McLennan from Gameloft, and independent artist Jeff Canam founded Team Reaverbot, and set about to develop Mega Man 25th Anniversary…
Recently, TeamReaverbot honored me with a Q&A session to discuss its fan-fueled anniversary project, their thoughts on the Mega Man fan game community, and Capcom itself. What proceeded was perhaps the most entertaining, informative, and engaging interview I have ever had the privilege of being a part of.
Games Abyss: So, Team Reaverbot, tells us about yourselves; how long have you been working in the industry, what games have you worked on in the past?
Jason: I've spent most of my time in the industry (6 years now) working on casual and mobile games. One of the most interesting experiences was working on an original Mega Man title at Capcom Mobile (now known as Beeline Interactive), it was a Mega Man schmup that was released only for Blackberry phones (which is a shame, because it was really good). Very recently, I joined the team at DrinkBox to work on their upcoming game Guacmelee! for PS3 and PSVita.
Tim: I got my start about 4 years ago at Capcom Mobile working in QA, so I tested that schmup (Mega Man: Rush Marine) which actually launched on BREW and J2ME phones before being ported to RIM's devices. Jason, didn't you also work on MM2 for iPhone? – that was before my time, Smurfs' Village wasn't, however. I'm now a programmer on an unannounced title at Gameloft.
Julian: I’ve actually been in the industry for almost 10 years now, having acted as CEO of Frozen North Productions and as Project Director at Silicon Knights. My previous titles include Flip’s Twisted World (Wii), Dragon’s Lair (XBLA), X-Men Destiny (X360, PS3, Wii), and a whole slew of contract work on other games and canceled projects. I’m currently Director of Technology at DHX Media and I did a huge swath of gameplay and engine programming for the game. I’ve been a life-long fan of the Blue Bomber and have always wanted the opportunity to work on the franchise.
Orie: I'm actually pretty new to the industry at large. I joined Vast Studios as a Game Designer early this year and since then have been working on my first commercially sold video game ever! Before then I spent four years studying Game Development & Entrepreneurship at UOIT (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) in Oshawa, Ontario. I've done a number of games for Game Jam events and school projects, but my first real title will be out very, very soon. Occasionally I did the music for the game I worked on in Game Jams but it was never my focus until this project!
Jeff: I actually work for a company known as ‘Game Play Canada’ picking, selling and refurbishing classic game consoles and arcades. I’ve never dipped my hands in the development side of the industry. I could never grasp such technical skills that the rest of the team has mastered. I do, however, have a fondness for pixel art. With my brother, Jason, and his friends all having a unique skill set I just had to jump on board and see what I could bring to the table.
Games Abyss: Atypical of fan games, 25th Anniversary is being developed mainly by a collective of industry professionals. Does Team Reaverbot feel any added pressure given its members' previous experiences?
Jason: A ton of pressure, but only because we don't want to let anyone down. Also, there are a lot of great fan games out there! The Mega Man community is so a talented and expressive, we hope we can live up to expectations.
Julian: Being fans ourselves, we understand just how much the community wants GOOD new Mega Man content. As such, we really do feel the pressure of making something that lives up to everyone’s expectations. We want this to be a celebration of what makes the games so amazing.
Orie: To me, the pressure comes from the brand itself. Mega Man is hugely important to so many people and it's looked upon by designers and fans everywhere as an example of gaming done right, so everything from game design to music has to be just right! Professional background or not, the important thing is that we're all huge Mega Man fans, so we know exactly what our guidelines are. There are tons of great fan games out there like Mega Man Unlimited that really showcase the importance of series familiarity and dedication to the source material.
Games Abyss: What brought Team Reaverbot together, and how did the concept for 25th Anniversary first originate?
Jason: Separately, we've all been long time Mega Man fans. Jeff and I have been concepting and creating Robot Masters since we were kids (most of the Robot Master in our game are Jeff's concepts). This past summer, Julian and I became closely acquainted through the Toronto game development scene and immediately connected thanks to our shared love of Mega Man. Julian mentioned that he's been working on a game engine and Jason mentioned that he and his brother Jeff had always longed to see their ideas turn into something playable. It turned out that there couldn't be a better time to get to work on a homemade Mega Man game!
Orie: Julian was once a professor of mine, and I met Jason, Dan and Tim when I started working at Vast. We all really connected over Mega Man and when the idea sprang up that we should work on a Mega Man game as a side project I was MORE than happy to.
Games Abyss: Tell us about the development process so far; is Team Reaverbot central to one location, or do you communicate remotely?
Jason: We're mostly all game developers in Toronto, so getting together to work on the game is easy enough (when we can find the time in our busy schedules). The only member of the team not in Toronto is Jeff, but we stay in close contact through messaging and emails.
Orie: Like Jason said, we're pretty much centered around Toronto so at least once a week we like to get together and work on the game, and play through the classics for inspiration! Jason is a BEAST when it comes to playing Mega Man. So many no-damage runs…he can't possibly be human!
Games Abyss: So let's discuss the game itself. 25th Anniversary is an 8-Bit fan game that draws inspiration from the entire Mega Man franchise. With that, does the project intend to incorporate new mechanics to the classic MM formula?
Jason: At least a couple of the Robot Master stages will have interesting concepts. We don't want to give too much, though. Nothing overly radical, though, this is a Mega Man game, true to form!
Julian: We definitely have some new mechanics planned, but we want to wait to reveal them through trailers and other media.
Games Abyss: Mega Man and Proto Man are confirmed as playable characters; how do the two robot brothers play differently from one another?
Julian: Mega Man and Proto Man play similarly to their MM10 counterparts. Mega Man can slide but has no charged buster shot. Proto, on the other hand, has a charged shot and can deflect single damage shots while jumping (with his shield), but takes 1.5x the damage that Mega Man does.
Games Abyss: Tell us about Robot Master designs.
Jason: Everyone on the team has had input on the Robot Masters, but most come from Jeff.
Jeff: Growing up with Mega Man; naturally my brother and I doodled a fare share of Robot Masters and their levels. It’s really just a matter of finding that formula. What works technically, aesthetically and has that fun ‘Mega Man’ feel to it.
Games Abyss: What about Mega Man's weapons/abilities; is it possible the Blue Bomber may acquire more than the usual eight?
Jason: There may be a secret hidden somewhere…
Julian: You’ll just have to play and find out.
Games Abyss: Speaking of abilities, where's Rush? Is Mega Man's robot companion set to return, and has the old robo-dog learned any new tricks?
Jeff: I hope so. Miss Tron hates dogs.
Julian: Rock’s trusty side-kick will be returning, that’s for sure! As for new tricks, only time can tell…
Games Abyss: And let's not forget Tango (who was spotted in the trailer), Mega Man's feline friend from Rockman World 5. Are similar character appearances planned?
Orie: We really wanted to celebrate the franchise, so eagle-eyed fans can expect a few fun nods here and there. Keep your eyes peeled!
Games Abyss: Judging by the trailer, the soundtrack is in tune with the classic MM franchise – and sounds absolutely incredible. Tell us about the sound design; what went into creating each of the level's themes?
Orie: Thank you so much! I don't actually have much of a background in composition, but I listen to video game music almost exclusively, especially Mega Man music! I make the music using various NES soundfonts in FLStudio. Once I have an idea of what the level is going to be themed around, I usually try to work out the overall feel for the song on guitar, then go about recreating that melody in 8 bit instruments. The old Mega Man games on NES could only use about 4 separate channels, with one reserved for drums/percussion, so I limit myself to that much space. Each song is meant to be about 45-1:10 long before it loops again, to make sure it has enough time to stay interesting but not overly repetitive. This is my first real tackle at a full game soundtrack, so I'm trying to be as accurate as possible. Tim is also slowly teaching me about NES trackers, of which is he is far more experienced.
Music is one of the most lasting elements of the Mega Man experience so there's a lot of pressure to make everything sound in line with the classics. I look back at people's favorite games and music from that era and try to match different themes. Tarot Man's level for instance is based in a gothic castle setting, so I looked at Castlevania/Ghosts and Goblins style music to try and match that. Comet Man's theme took inspiration from Mega Man 2's Weapon Get jingle, which you can hear in the percussion. You can expect a lot more nods to different songs in Mega Man's history, but 90% of it is all original. The album is still in progress so keep checking back for more songs get added on a nigh-weekly basis!
Tim: Yeah, like Orie mentioned, I've been essentially covering his songs and getting him to learn Famitracker. When we first started, we weren't fully aware of the audio limitations of the NES, so… long story short we're using the MMC5 chip to give us a couple extra voices for the NES Sound Format version of the soundtrack. None of the original games used it, but it's not much of a stretch for us to (Mega Man 3 used the MMC3 chip.) Using Famitracker is great too, because we can export to nsf, or even create a ROM that can be loaded and played on a cartridge.
Games Abyss: The Mega Man 8 reference at the tail-end of the trailer is absolutely hilarious. Is it safe to assume Easter Eggs aplenty?
Jason: As a fan game, there's got to a healthy dosage of fan-service! This kind of game is the perfect chance to share all of our collective Mega Man inside jokes!
Orie: Hey, if we can't poke fun at the series then what are we fighting foooooooooooooooooooooor?! :)
Games Abyss: Are any additional playable characters planned, such as Bass or maybe Roll…perhaps even Mega Man Volnutt?
Julian: There very well could be…
There's more but the interview's so long I'd exceed the text limit.