It’s no secret that we really loved Downwell ($2.99) here at the TouchArcade lair, with Eli giving it a full 5 stars in his review and many of the writers including it in their Best of 2015 lists. And it’s no wonder why since, as Eli put it in his review, the “gameplay is easily among the best arcade action platformers I’ve played on iOS, potentially ever." In other words, we really like the game. So, I was excited to hear that Downwell‘s developer, Ojiro Fumoto, gave a GDC talk describing how he developed the game’s mechanics and how he went from discovering a fun “gimmick" to designing the entire game around it by trying to maximize its use in gameplay.
He talks about how the game was inspired by the fantastic Spelunky and how he went about translating what works for Spelunky into a 2D platformer for mobile. If you enjoy Downwell, you’ll really enjoy this talk as Fumoto shows off videos of earlier iterations and demonstrates his design process. If you’re a game designer, this is a must-watch; if you’re just a fan of the game, this video will give you a much deeper appreciation of the game and of all the thought that went into what looks like a simple game.
Yes! I'm in rehearsal right now, but I can't wait to listen to this one. One of my favorite podcasts doing one of my favorite games. Can't wait to get out and listen. Thanks guys!
Also, I totally agree. I've had to find the soundtracks online or pull them out of the app's contents because they're not available to buy via iTunes. Same with Chaos Rings III. I really hope SE will release all of the DQ soundtracks, including that beautiful orchestral version of VIII.
Unfortunately when I played Dragon Quest on Android the virtual control pad had some weird issue where I couldn't push the button or something so I never finished it. It was good simple fun when I did play it though.
I think I could listen to you talk about DQ for hours Shaun. It doesn't get enough attention. If you actually start listening to what people say it has so many funny lines. Priests are hilarious! I'm thrilled to have all of them exept VII and latest on my ipod now! And they look stunning there too. Since I'm only at III now, by the time I actually get to VII it's probably on ios too ^^
Great job folks, another awesome podcast!