Back in the early days of the App Store, developers Raptisoft had made a name for themselves in creating intriguing and innovative experiences for the platform, and helped to bring credence to the iPhone as a legitimate gaming device. Solomon’s Keep (Free), for example, was one of the key dual stick Diablo-influenced titles that were so prominent in the teething years of touch screen gameplay, and managed to gather a cult following through substantial support in the form of subsequent updates that kept on improving the game for years afterwards. However, it was Hoggy (Free) that left the most profound expression on my suggestible thirteen year old mind. Despite taking a few thematic influences from the American version of Super Mario Bros 2., Hoggy used unique gravity-flipping controls that made it a truly memorable puzzle-platformer title, and one that is still playable to this day. A whole seven years later, Raptisoft have announced a sequel, titled Hoggy 2 to be released in November 2016, alongside a Steam Greenlight campaign to hopefully get the game onto PC and Mac screens around the same time.
While not looking that aesthetically different from the game we reviewed back in 2009, Hoggy 2 does appear to have a lot of content, and will hopefully bring the fantastic core elements from the original into 2016, and the wildly different App Store environment that seven years of change has created. Firstly, a level editor is present, which in a preview video looks surprisingly in depth, with a lot of options for obstacles and power ups that can be placed around your arena, as well as online sharing of your own creations, and the ability to download those of other gamers. A second trailer for the Steam Greenlight campaign has been shown, which goes into detail of the abundance of new enemies, bosses, allies and other mechanics that are in the sequel, and show some fiendishly complex hand-crafted levels that look a lot of fun to play, while still maintaining the charm and character that made the original Hoggy such a hit.
As we detailed in the initial announcement for Hoggy 2 in January, the last few years have been full of trials and tribulations for developers Raptisoft, with a cancellation of Soloman Dark, their Solomon’s Keep series follow-up, and some relatively quiet years that contrasted to the period where they were one of the few reliable App Store developers at the turn of the decade. Because of this, it’s fantastic to see Raptisoft make a comeback in such dramatic fashion, and despite my nostalgic reminiscing of the original Hoggy , Hoggy 2 looks to be a fantastic puzzle title in its own right, and one to keep on your radar until its eventual November release. Be sure to share your thoughts on Hoggy 2 on our forum thread, and even if you’re holding out for the iOS release, consider voting for the game on its Steam Greenlight page, so we can hopefully see more from Raptisoft on the App Store in the near future.
