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Andre Jackson was a misunderstood man. Fans used to chant “cheater” and boo him mercilessly. But he loved the attention, even had his name legally changed to Steroid. It would be wrong to mistake his bravado for arrogance or stupidity. Steroid is a man of science. He believes performance enhancers will improve the human condition and sees himself as a guinea pig for modern medicine.
Here’s the English version of part 2 of our interview with Gabriel Perier and the French indie gaming site Game Sphere where we talk more about our upcoming game Fist Puncher. You can check out part 2 of the interview in French here.
Game Sphere: You took your team name from a game in which you work: Fist Puncher. Can you tell us more about this game?
JAKE: Fist Puncher is an homage to old school beat ‘em up games, complete with retro inspired pixel art and four player local co-op. These games were really popular when we were kids, and although they’ve died off in the mainstream, there’s still lots of people that love to play them. We’re bringing Fist Puncher to Xbox LIVE Indie Games first, sometime later this year although no date is set in stone yet.
Fist Puncher follows a team of vigilantes as they fight their way through the crime ridden streets of a near future city (perhaps as near future as tomorrow). Players can choose to play as Dr. Karate, Kid Justice, Steroid Jackson or Hella Fistgerald plus 4 other unlockable characters, each with their own moves and abilities. As you advance in the game you can shape your characters’ growth by leveling up and assigning attribute points, but mostly the game is about good old fashioned button mashing and face punching.
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Game Sphere: What were your inspirations for Fist Puncher? When I saw the videos I thought Final Fight, but I doubt that this is not the only inspiration!
JAKE: Final Fight is definitely one of the classic beat ‘em up games, I just recently replayed it on Xbox and it holds up very well. Our start with this genre was Double Dragon, which was one of our favorite arcade games back in the day and a huge influence on Fist Puncher. Double Dragon didn’t work as well on the old consoles though, you really had to play the cabinet version. Golden Axe was similar, a really fun brawler that didn’t port well at the time. On NES, River City Ransom was the game that stands out as the gold standard for brawlers. It added some RPG elements, which are also a part of Fist Puncher.
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Game Sphere: You are particulary focused on a old school world. Whether for Fist Puncher or Washington’s wig, or even on your site, the pixels are in the spotlight. Why this choice?
JAKE: This was the look of video games that we played when we were kids, and we want to stoke the nostalgia people still feel for this generation of games. When I see giant pixels I immediately feel a connection to those days and remember rushing home from school to try to figure out a puzzle in Legend of Zelda or Shadowgate. There is also something mysterious and unseen in pixel art. It leaves more to your imagination, letting your mind fill in the blanks instead of putting every little detail on the screen.
There is a practical reason as well. There are only the two of us and neither of us are trained artists when it comes to modern techniques. We’re comfortable making pixel art and in many ways it simplifies the development process, something we have to be aware of since we both work day jobs and really have very limited time available to work on our games.
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Game Sphere: The game is planned for early 2012 on Xbox Live indie. Any chance to see it coming on PC?
JAKE: We’re always looking at other platforms and distribution channels for our games. Since we’re making Fist Puncher in XNA, it’s very easy to port it to PC. We’re just focusing on the Xbox version right now, and hopefully there will be enough demand that a PC version will follow shortly after. Seeing that so many indie games have found greater success on PC, it would be foolish for us not to explore the possibilities.
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Game Sphere: Do you have new projects planned after the release of Fist Puncher?
JAKE: We haven’t done extensive planning on this yet because so much depends on the response to Fist Puncher. We have a wealth of ideas, but we really want to make games that will sell. We’re going to try to find the perfect intersection between a game we’d love to make and a game people want to play. Either way we’ll be sticking to our themes of retro-styled art, colorful characters and a humorous tone.
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Game Sphere: Do you think that, in the world of indie game, beard is synonymous with creativity and success (Notch, Edmund McMillen, Terry Cavanagh)?
JAKE: There are some wonderfully talented women in the world of indie games, but aside from them I don’t think there is any excuse for an indie developer not to have a beard. You can either spend your time researching shaving lubricants, buying razors and picking out ingrown hairs, or you can sit down and work on your game. If Notch had wasted his mornings worrying about razor burn, Minecraft would never have existed.
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Game Sphere: The World of indie game is more and more popular. Do you think this is the future of video games?
Matt: I think indie development has a place in the future of videogames, but people will always salivate over massive, cinematic, AAA titles that can only be produced by big studios with tons of resources. On the other hand, indie games have also shown that people crave uniqueness, quirkiness, originality, and occasionally dogs wearing wigs. None of these require a big studio. As long as people are open-minded and willing to try new things, indie games will have a place in the industry.
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Game Sphere: On behalf of Game Sphere staff, its community and all French indie game fans, we thank you for your time and even if the die is cast, we wish you good luck for the next game and boss for the future release of Fist Puncher. The last word is for you!
JAKE: We want to say thanks to everyone who has watched the show, the outpouring of support from around the world has been really appreciated. Also a special thanks to France for helping us win our Revolutionary War so we’d be free to make a game about George Washington’s dog one day. The best way to keep up with what we’re doing is to check out our website, fistpuncher.com, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. If you don’t actually like us, and think we come across as two bumbling jerks, then don’t bother doing any of those things, it would be a waste of time. We’ll understand.
Join Officer O’Grady from FIST PUNCHER in O’Grady Patrol Diary episode 1 as he and his intrepid partner Beans scour the city looking to put and end to crime and villainy.
One of the best things about taking part in The Next Game Boss is reading all of the amazing comments on YouTube. Supportive, derogatory, hilarious, confusing – you get it all. We felt we’d take a few minutes and respond to some of the better comments.
THE BAD
“yea it is boring, it’s just an 8-bit game somebody could shit those sprites out in less than 10 minutes”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: We need to speed up our craft. Ten minutes?! You’re telling me we could have been done with each challenge in 10 minutes and could have spent the rest of the time doing our nails or combing our hair? Dang!
“Just because it has that old US thingy going on corrupts the whole contest.”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: We are very proud that we corrupted the whole contest. It’s the least we could do – take down IGN from the inside!
“man… washington’s wig is like a beginner developer game, why they love that game so much??? try to be serious and leave patriotism because we all know the game sucks and it isn’t even worthy”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: I tried being serious once during a third grade play about Paddington Bear. It was a disaster.
“dog jumper sucks even worse.. zzz”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: We actually put this guy to sleep. Like in Dragon Warrior or something. But… Dog Jumper is a pretty good title.
“Who else is not going to play a game where you make a dog jump at the correct moment?”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: Don’t ask me. I spent years playing games where I make a plumber in overalls jump at the correct moment.
THE GOOD
“Fist puncher! If they don’t win they’ll punch your grandma in the face!”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: Again, we don’t punch grandmas. We make games about them falling through the sky with a parasol.
“FIST PUNCHER IS GOING TO WIN! (jedi mind trick :P)”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: And we didn’t shoot first in the Lucas edited version of The Next Game Boss.
“why does naomi keep flipping her hair btw FIST PUNCHER FOREVER”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: I didn’t notice the hair, but I’m ok with being an afterthought when it comes to Naomi.
“Yes! Fist puncher stayed always trust a man with a beard”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: Can someone pass that on to the ladies? I’m a trustworthy guy.
“I wanted Fist Puncher to win from the start! I was so worried for them…”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: We were worried too. Something about this comment felt so sincere. It got me all tingly inside.
“i think the fist puncher should win because theyr game had an sense”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: That’s right. We have lots of an senses!
“Fist puncher! rulesss!”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: Cobra Commander? Is that you?
“team fistpuncher all the way!!! I will never watch this show again if they lose”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: I predict rioting in the streets from the Fist Puncher fans regardless of who wins. Make sure to bring a cowboy hat.
“FISTU PAWNCHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: Say what now?
“Fist Puncher are Mario and Luigi”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: I always thought Starsky and Hutch, but I see your point.
“I want team Fist Puncher to win. I want to play Washington’s Wig soooooo badly!”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: Either way, just come down to Santa Cruz and we can all make rootbeer floats and play Washington’s Wig until the sun goes down.
THE ODD
“I don’t care who wins, I just wanna watch Naomi flipping her hair.”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: An honest opinion.
“Why the fuck do they love that dog game so much? It looks stupid and boring. But I like the guys in Team Fist Puncher.”
TEAM FIST PUNCHER: Ah, the whole love/hate thing. In all honesty I’d rather have it this way than have you think we’re stupid and boring, but like our games.
In case any of our fans missed it, we did an interesting Podcast with the guys at the indie games site Armless Octopus. We discussed Fist Puncher, anarchists, The Next Game Boss, and more. Check it out here.
We recently did a fun interview with Gabriel Perier and the French indie gaming site Game Sphere where we talked about The Next Game Boss, Washington’s Wig, and our upcoming game Fist Puncher. You can check out part 1 of the interview in French here. Otherwise, for anyone interested, here’s the English version of part 1 of the interview (part 2 will be up soon):
Game Sphere: I have known you at the same time as The Next Game Boss. Can you introduce yourself to those who do not know the show?
Matt: Fans of The Next Game Boss probably know us as Team Fist Puncher while others might know us as Team2Bit. Those are both us. We chose to be Team Fist Puncher on The Next Game Boss to help promote our upcoming game release (and because the producers of the show didn’t like the name Team Team2bit). Regardless of what we’re called, we’re two brothers located in Santa Cruz California that make humorous, retro-styled games that emphasize characters, gameplay, and fun (heady intellectuals we are not). As mentioned, we can currently be seen competing on the IGN .START network program The Next Game Boss. Our first major game release, Fist Puncher, will be out later this year on Xbox LIVE Indie Games.
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Game Sphere : Looking at the emissions already released, I found that the time left to create is very short. On one hand, with a short time you can see those who are doing the best under duress, but on the other hand, this can greatly slow down the expression of creativity. What do you think of the length of the challenge?
Matt: The time limits were certainly tough, but overall we thought they were fair. On one hand the times were short enough to keep the intensity high and the teams focused, and on the other hand they seemed to be just long enough so that the challenges could be completed. If they had given us too much time, we probably would have ended up relaxing a little too much and the cameras might have caught us checking our email or sneaking in a nap – that doesn’t make good TV!
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Game Sphere : How was the ambiance with other developers? Can we expect a “Beardy team project” in cooperation with Michael Molinari (Team Bean)?
Matt: The other teams were incredible to work with. Just being around a group of people with similar aspirations is really inspiring. Obviously the show was ultimately a competition, but behind the scenes there was a definite sense of cooperation and synergy. And, yes, we’d love to collaborate with Michael. His creativity and wealth of ideas were pretty exciting to see firsthand. He could show a couple of good ol’ American hicks how to make a real art game!
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Game Sphere : Who was your favorite contestant?
Matt: It’s hard to pick just one. We definitely hit it off with Team Bean right away – he really is likeable guy. Still, T-Payne and the Twins and Circle Strafe brought tons of energy and youthful enthusiasm. Mechamagizmo had an amazing sense of focus, drive, and professionalism. Lazy 8s had a wealth of industry experience and knowledge (their game Cogs is already a best-selling title). It was incredible to work with all of them and the show created a bond between all of us that we’ll probably have for a long time.
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Game Sphere : Your game, Washington’s wig, is quite atypical, is there any chance to have a playable version soon?
Matt: We definitely have playable versions ready as we speak. However, technically it’s up to IGN to decide when and if the games featured on The Next Game Boss will be released. We’re sorting out the details now, but we’re fairly certain Washington’s Wig will be available at some point in the near future.
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Game Sphere : Any possibility to see in the future a crossover between Washington’s wig and Nyan Cat? With, for example, Nyan Cat as a playable character instead of the dog.
JAKE: As someone who has always loved Pop-Tart cat creatures that fly around on rainbow power, it would be great to do a crossover with Nyan Cat. Of course we’d have to speak with the creator first since we have no rights to that character. I think overall crossover concepts are something indie developers should take advantage of, since there’s often sharing in like-minded communities and most of us aren’t tied to endless contractual obligations. I saw that there will be a zombie Super Meat Boy in ‘Night of the Fred’, an upcoming Xbox LIVE Indie Game from Sticky DPad Games. I thought that was a creative idea, and it’s very cool that Team Meat approved of it.
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Game Sphere : What experience did you take from the show, The Next Game Boss?
Matt: It was definitely an amazing experience that we’ll never forget. From the people at IGN and Reveille to the other teams, we made incredible friendships. Overall, it was just inspirational to be around people who are passionate about and working towards the same goals in life. The motivation collected from being around that type of energy is priceless. We also learned that anyone who is driven and focused can get an incredible amount done if you strip away some of the typical distractions of life. We’re still amazed at how much each team accomplished during small amounts of time in each challenge. If we could find a way to simulate that environment (no distractions, time limits, a very focused task), our productivity would skyrocket. Sadly, life rarely lets you get too far without some level of interference.
The final 3 teams take center stage and battle to make it to the finals in episode 5 of THE NEXT GAME BOSS. We certainly had to get over some major hurdles in this episode’s challenge. As usual, there’s only one way to see if TEAM FIST PUNCHER survived to punch another round or went home with fists in pocket – watch the episode. For anyone who is new to the site, check out our FAQ post for more information on Team2Bit (AKA Team Fist Puncher) and THE NEXT GAME BOSS.
It’s a few hours late, but episode 4 of THE NEXT GAME BOSS is live. The tension is high, the barking is loud, and the teams are pressed to the limit. Will the scruffy fellas from TEAM FIST PUNCHER survive to code another day? In honor of the day after President’s Day, stop whatever you’re doing, and tune in to the NEXT GAME BOSS. If you’re new to the site, check out our FAQ post for more information on Team2Bit (AKA Team Fist Puncher) and THE NEXT GAME BOSS.
2 more controllable characters from our upcoming XBLIG game FIST PUNCHER have been immortalized with Team2Bit virtual trading cards. O’Grady is an ex-cop with a reputation for being a sadistic, taser-happy, loose-cannon. Preston Endicott III is a blue-blooded, yacht-loving ladies man with a penchant for street fighting. Be sure to check out all the FIST PUNCHER characters. And if you missed it, check out our FAQ post for a brief overview on Team2Bit (AKA Team Fist Puncher).
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It’s Tuesday which means a new episode of THE NEXT GAME BOSS. This week we were handed a pretty serious twist. I’m not sure any of us saw it coming. Who stays? Who gets eliminated? Tears, hugs, emotions, videogames, programming! All this on Valentine’s Day. What more could you ask for? And if you’re still trying to get caught up, check out our FAQ post for more information on Team2Bit (AKA Team Fist Puncher) and THE NEXT GAME BOSS.