Linux Game News just confirmed a Kickstarter campaign supporting Linux out of the gate. A rare opportunity, but WaterMelon Corp are keen to make a difference with their biggest 16-bit RPG ever.
The game itself is a flashback to the early days of computer gaming, the SEGA years. I am sure quite a few people can recall what it was like back in the day.
So here is the Kickstarter campaign for Pier Solar HD…..
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Pier Solar is a 16-bit RPG that tells the story of Hoston, a young botanist who is on a quest to save his father from a mysterious illness. Along with his two best friends Alina and Edessot, the three friends embark on a quest seeking a rare herb to cure the illness of Hoston’s father. Little do they know, it is the beginning of a winding journey that unravels his father’s past and the mystery of Pier Solar and the Great Architects.
Pier Solar was originally designed and developed for the SEGA Mega Drive & SEGA Genesis. Yes, you read that right!! It was actually the only newly developed game for SEGA’s 16-bit system in the new millennium. It’s not a port, fan translation, or a copy of any other game. Pier Solar is a 100% brand new, entirely original,16-bit RPG.
We’ll get right in to what we think makes Pier Solar so special:
- The Biggest 16-bit RPG Ever! We released Pier Solar on a custom 64MEG cartridge (the average SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis game size is 12MEG), making it the biggest 16-bit RPG ever! This allowed us to push the 16-bit medium to a precedent setting level, with state-of-the-art aesthetics and things like full-screen cutscenes, background scaling and 3D modes.
- A 100% Original RPG! Pier Solar was developed from the ground up. An original world, storyline, soundtrack, characters, enemies, and battle style. No ports, translations or copying from any other game – it’s all fresh! The first original 16-bit RPG to do this in over a decade!
- A Massive World to Explore! Pier Solar has 50+ hours of gameplay, over 300 locations, nearly 500 unique treasure chests, and over 800 NPCs!
- Epic Battle Tactics! We developed an innovative battle system that puts you in control of up to five characters and includes in-depth strategic moves such as counter-attacks and a special strategy called Gather, which stores energy to unleash even more powerful moves and spells!
- Translated in 5 Languages! Pier Solar is translated in 5 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
- An Original Soundtrack! A beautiful soundtrack written just for Pier Solar that embodies everything great about a classic retro soundtrack!
- There Are Surprises! We also packed-in many other surprises and secrets like hidden areas and mini-games!
Pier Solar truly is a love letter to the rich, imaginative 16-bit RPGs of a bygone era. We crafted Pier Solar in the same light – with an authentic adventure, that resonates deeply about life, death, love, family, and friendship. Remember the wonder you felt when immersed into your favorite retro RPG? Pier Solar captures that same wonder.
Here is what some of the press has to say about Pier Solar:
After 2 years, 3 prints, and 8 versions of Pier Solar for the SEGA Mega Drive & SEGA Genesis – we are pleased to announce we have been hard at work on releasing Pier Solar in HD for Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux & SEGA Dreamcast.
From day one we’ve been getting requests to bring Pier Solar to platforms like Xbox 360. We’ve been listening carefully to you and we are very excited to bring Pier Solar to you on more platforms than ever before! The thing is, we don’t just want to re-release Pier Solar on some new platforms. We want to redo the game in HD so it looks as stunning as it should. We are putting the same level of attention and detail into Pier Solar HD that we put into our original development. Trust us, it’s going to be amazing.
The game will remain the same in essence – you’ll still have everything that makes Pier Solar great (including the translations of 5 languages in every version!) – we will simply be redoing the graphics in high definition and releasing it on each respective platform so that everyone can play it! Of course we’ll be adding some new things here and there, like achievements and trophies for Xbox 360. We’ll take advantage of each platform and make it fit right.
We’ve been hard at work and we already have Pier Solar up and running on Xbox 360, PC, and SEGA Dreamcast (in the original SD resolution). We put together a video of each platform working so you can see we are well on our way! Watch the video here.
When we first sat down to conceptualize Pier Solar HD, one of our initial goals was to adapt the new HD art direction with our pre-existing 16-bit gameplay. We did this by merging the rich charm of retro sprites with crisp HD backgrounds. The sharp blend of each art style unites to provide an enchanting, aesthetic atmosphere never before seen. Sure, other developers have made “modernized” retro, pixel based games – but as far as we know, never before has a game been developed entirely with a mixture of both art styles, from beginning to end. This is one of the most exciting aspects of Pier Solar HD and we think it is going to send every player straight to retro heaven.
Take a look at these before and after Standard Definition to High Definition images so you can see just how beautiful Pier Solar is going to look in HD! We are so excited!!
Working directly with fans is an idea that is intertwined at the very core of what WaterMelon is. Our origins and history as a company have been uniquely connected with our fans. Today, we are more connected with them than ever. Just take a look at our recently launched WM’s Magical Game Factory where we are building entire games directly based on what YOU want!
We fit right in around here and that’s why we are running this campaign. We’re coming directly to you to make Pier Solar HD a reality. This allows us to do our work exactly how it should be done – with no compromises! With your help, we can bring Pier Solar in high definition to five new platforms! Furthermore, we will give you behind the scenes access to our world of development as we work. We want you to be right by our side. As a backer of our campaign, you’ll get access to all sorts of behind the scenes extras. We’ll make it worth your while!
With Pier Solar already up and running on Xbox 360, SEGA Dreamcast and PC we are already hard at work on the development.
So what exactly will the funding be used for? All funding strictly goes toward:
- Remaking thousands and thousands of Pier Solar assets in HD
- Licensing fees, extra development costs
- Production (plastic molds, printing)
- Beta testing for Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux and SEGA Dreamcast
To fulfill our funding goal, we have a lineup of pledges that are sure to offer something for everybody. Not only do we have pre-orders for every version of Pier Solar HD, but we have some bundles of awesomeness that you won’t be able to pass up! See the pledge section for all the pretty details.
WaterMelon is a video game development company committed to bringing you the best in old school gaming entertainment. We started in 2004 with an idea – to make an entirely original, 16-bit RPG for the SEGA Mega Drive & SEGA Genesis. After 6 years of love, the result was Pier Solar and the Great Architects. Fast forward to today and take a look at how much we’ve grown.
Today, WM’s offices and our team of 6 are located in Iowa, USA. With distribution centers in both the USA and Europe – we deliver all of our games and products worldwide and have shipped to over 50 countries to date.
One of our latest and most exciting projects is WM’s Magical Game Factory. It is a unique approach to crowd driven development. The Factory allows fans to invest in various proposed projects and have a real impact on the games development throughout the project’s life cycle. Players can purchase GEMS and apply them to any project they wish. The more GEMS they’ve invested in a project, the more weight is given to their votes and opinions when consulted. Once the project is completed, investors will not only get a copy of the game but a host of other goodies and exclusive bonuses.
The philosophical roots behind WaterMelon are burrowed in our love for old school gaming. We think the development limitations of retro video game systems from the 90’s created a unique context that often caused developers to place compelling story telling and innovative game play at the very top of their development. We think it is through this principle that the very best of games have been made.
Today, with the same recycled blockbuster video games over and over again ad nauseum – it is now that a principled approach is needed most. At WaterMelon, we distill the ‘old school gaming’ essence of compelling story telling and innovative gameplay into our fundamental and driving principle as a company. We won’t sacrifice this principle – no matter what.
Pier Solar HD on Kickstarter
