I’m guessing you’ve heard of the masochist, retro homage called I Wanna Be the Guy by now. If you haven’t it’s a painful platforming experience riddled with instant death traps. While I’m making the game sound horrible, it’s actually quite entertaining if you’re patient. Take a look at a clip below, but be warned there are spoilers on how to progress through the unorthodox stages.
[youtube]https://youtube.com/watch?v=MX3rf2vVgjQ[/youtube]
What could drive Kayin, the creator of I Wanna Be the Guy, to make such a project? Gamecyte asked him and he responded with, “The Japanese flash game, Owata, stood as my main inspiration. While it’s very difficult at first, the game gets extremely easy once you know the tricks you have to do. Since I was looking for a project to start on, I decided a trap-filled, basic platformer would be an excellent way to get to know the rather clunky and not very recommendable MMF2 engine. Myself, Kaizo Mario, and Syobon Action seemed to take the same approach to improving on Owata by adding difficult platforming elements atop the surprise factor of traps.
Another thing to note; the nostalgic nature of the game was not originally intended. It was generally just a slippery slope, where I eventually came to realize ‘This is about retro games.’”
Ah, now I really want to see the version of IWBTG without borrowed sprites. Perhaps, that build could be translated into a proper handheld release? I Wanna Be the Guy has become a cult hit along with Owata.
Images courtesy of Gamecyte and Kayin.
