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Team2Bit (AKA Team Fist Puncher) FAQ

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Who is Team2Bit?
We’re an indie game studio comprised of 2 brothers located in Santa Cruz, California. We make fun, retro-styled games infused with some modern twists.

Then who’s Team Fist Puncher?
That’s also us. Team Fist Puncher is the name we use on the IGN/YouTube show THE NEXT GAME BOSS. FIST PUNCHER is also the name of our first game release.

What exactly is the NEXT GAME BOSS?
THE NEXT GAME BOSS is a reality TV show where teams of indie developers compete in a series of challenges with the ultimate goal being to make a fully-functional videogame. We were one of the lucky groups chosen to be a part of the show. You can watch THE NEXT GAME BOSS on the IGN/YouTube .START network. In fact, there are a bunch of great shows worth checking out on the .START network. Check out the first episode of THE NEXT GAME BOSS below:

What games do you guys make?
At present we are still working on our first major release, FIST PUNCHER, which will be available later this year on Xbox Live Indie Games. FIST PUNCHER is a 4-player, side-scrolling brawler filled with dozens of levels, unlockable characters, special attacks, and more. Check out the trailer below:

Dr. Karate? Kid Justice? Who are all these characters I keep hearing about?
FIST PUNCHER contains a cast of colorful characters that you can control. The main playable characters are Dr. Karate, Kid Justice, Hella Fistgerald, and Steroid Jackson. Click on the characters page for more info on the FIST PUNCHER cast. You can watch the Dr. Karate and Kid Justice trailers below:

How do I get Team2Bit news and updates?
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, or just check out the website.

Are you available for interviews for my blog/podcast/website/etc.?
Of course! Just email either of us: jake.lewandowski at team2bit.com or matt.lewandowski at team2bit.com

I saw you guys on THE NEXT GAME BOSS. WASHINGTON’S WIG looks hilarious. Will I ever get to play it?
First, thanks to everyone who has voiced support. We cannot express how much we appreciate it. Second, we’re working on the logistics of releasing WASHINGTON’S WIG. We’ll keep you posted.

I saw you guys on THE NEXT GAME BOSS. WASHINGTON’S WIG looks awful. How come you didn’t make something more artsy and high-brow?
We certainly could have tried to make a more esoteric, fringe game to appeal to a tiny minority of indie college snobs who spend most of their time moaning and groaning on obscure message boards from their dorm rooms and parents’ basements, but instead we tried to make a fun, light-hearted game that would appeal to the judges at IGN (a global leader in entertainment media) in hopes of winning a $10,000 prize package and a spot in IGN’s kick-ass Indie Open House.

Can we hang out?
Sure. We’ll be at GDC – find us there if you want to rap about games, sports, wigs, or whatever. Just look for the 2 grizzled lumberjacks. That’s us.

Fist Puncher: Meet Kid Justice

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Kid Justice Super Attack Kid Justice Bicycle Kick Kid Justice Super Kick

The Kid could best be described as a vigilante child prodigy. Like many gifted children, he faced endless schoolyard taunting and harassment. For years he ignored the teasing, but one day they pushed him too far. He snapped and threw the class bully out of a moving school bus. Normally it would be against protocol to find a child teamed up with a group of street warriors. But Kid Justice is a beast. He can handle himself in a rough situation.

The Next Game Boss Episode 2

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Episode 2 of The Next Game Boss on the IGN .START network is up! In the latest episode each team had 3 hours to develop a working prototype of their game. It was stressful, to say the least (especially for Unity noobs like TEAM FIST PUNCHER). Do we crack under pressure? Does this turn into another story of sibling conflict a la Cain and Abel? Who gets eliminated?? The answers are waiting for you in the latest episode (complete with angry programmers cursing the heavens). So put on your wig, pull out your giant foam TEAM FIST PUNCHER finger, and cheer on a couple of good ol’ Midwestern boys.
-Matt

Fist Puncher: Meet Dr. Karate

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Dr. Karate was a legend in the inner city. Many had forgotten what kind of doctor he actually was… brain surgeon, heart surgeon, trauma surgeon? Some said he was all three. He was known to break bricks with his head and hearts with his chiseled chin. Most importantly, he had a clear sense of right and wrong. And he wasn’t afraid to break the Hippocratic oath to prove it.

Dr. Karate’s widespread appeal and unique unifying tendencies are precisely why we at Team2Bit are proud to unveil DR. KARATE’S ULTIMATE INDIE CROSSOVER. Combining the endless runner genre popularized by indie uber-hit CANABALT with the mainstream appeal of the walking dead, DR. KARATE’S ULTIMATE INDIE CROSSOVER is sure to unite indie gaming hipsters (i.e., people that like games that aren’t fun) and mainstream zombie fans (i.e., every single other person in the world). And, yeah, DR. KARATE’S ULTIMATE INDIE CROSSOVER is flipping tough. So if you can actually beat this thing, send us a screenshot of the ending (or post it on YouTube or Facebook or whatever you kids do), and we’ll blog about you, post a picture of us giving you a big, fat thumbs up, or maybe even add you as a character to our upcoming game, FIST PUNCHER. To play DR. KARATE’S ULTIMATE INDIE CROSSOVER, click on the image or link below:

Click Here to Play Dr. Karate's Ultimate Indie Crossover

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

The Next Game Boss

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January has been an exciting month for Team2Bit. Today IGN and YouTube debuted the .START network, a YouTube channel dedicated to original video game related programs. Team2Bit was lucky enough to be a part of one of those shows, The Next Game Boss (TNGB). TNGB is a reality elimination show where the contestants battle to design and implement an original video game. Operating under the moniker “Team Fist Puncher” (yeah we couldn’t be “Team Team2Bit”), Jake and I went toe-to-toe with other up-and-coming developers. The show was an absolute blast, and the final product is slick. Check it out, and see how we did.
-Matt

And, of course, in honor of Team Fist Puncher, be sure to check of the trailers for Team2Bit’s soon to be released XBLIG game… drum roll… FIST PUNCHER.

Getting Over That Final Hump

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After spending Christmas in Southern California, the new year began with a week in San Francisco taking care of some ultra-secret, ultra-important responsibilities. Last week I had to make an emergency trip to Wisconsin, and this week I’m heading out to D.C. on business (gotta pitch some game ideas to Obama). It’s absurd how quickly a schedule can fill up and how little time there is to allocate to fun, exciting things like making Team2Bit video games. That being said, I’ve already fallen behind on a Dr. Karate Flash game that I intended to release by the end of 2011. It’s been oh-so-close to completion for a month, but life keeps getting in the way. I just need to clean up the difficulty, tweak some sprite animations, and add in an end game sequence. So darn close. In the meantime, here’s a sprite sheet for a hard-working zombie.

Is It Really 2012?

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January is already half over, and we’ve already had a jam-packed month. Fist Puncher will be released on XBLIG this year, but before then we’ll have some nifty stuff coming down the pipeline (hopefully pretty soon here). We’ll be out in Wisconsin for a few days, but racing to get stuff done once we return. It should be a fun year. Stay tuned.

Team2Bit’s Top Xbox Live Indie Games of 2011

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We played lots of XBLIGs this year, and these are our favorites. The criteria are subjective, each game is unique and on this list for different reasons, so we’re not going to rank them. Here they are in alphabetical order.

All The Bad Parts:
I had this one on my to do list since the Indie Games Summer Uprising, but only got around to playing it recently. It has the polished look of a creepy cartoon and an unsettling atmosphere to match. There’s also a nice story that pulls you in from the get go.

Dead Pixels:
Everyone loves Dead Pixels, and with good reason. It’s a game that reaches high standards for all around production, from the vaguely familiar 8 bit graphics to the superb grindhouse film filters and soundtrack. Even as someone with no particular affinity for zombies, I could tell this game was a winner from the first seconds I played it. Every XBLIG developer especially should play it, if only so they can see the current benchmark for the platform.

DLC Quest:
A game with perfect pacing. You’re always unlocking something and it never feels like you’re grinding or spinning your wheels. Funny without being annoying, which is harder than it sounds.

Get To The Choppa 2:
Never did make it to the chopper, but I did die trying many, many times. A continuous scroller with a simple concept that produces an amazing amount of fun. Is that a Mike Tyson sample I heard?

Kung Fu Fight:
I think we played more Kung Fu Fight than any other XBLIG this year, both in playtest and with the final product. Another continuous scroller with challenging difficulty, you’ll die often and be ready to try again right away. Sometimes overlooked, but the addictive gameplay and good sense of humor make this a must have.

Tacticolor:
I don’t usually play strategy games, but I liked the polish and simplicity of Tacticolor. Throbbing synth basses gurgle away as players manuever colored armies into skirmishes and ultimate control of the battlefield. I felt like someone had found a 70’s East German board game at a rummage sale and made it into a XBLIG. Good thing all the pieces were there.

Honorable mention: Escape Goat, Volchaos, Battle High: San Bruno, Mute Crimson, Invasion

There were lots of other great games that didn’t make the list, this was definitely a deep year for XBLIG releases. Hopefully 2012 is just as strong!

Fist Puncher: Level Up

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The basic RPG elements of Fist Puncher are now working. Each character has 5 unique qualities that you can assign skill points to after leveling up. By reaching different skill levels in each area, characters can unlock special attacks and perks.

You can’t really make a game like this without a leveling mechanic and character progression. As a hack and slasher myself, I like to have something to show for all of my button mashing.

-Jake