Up until recently, I dismissed the influx of “retro” inspired / pixel-driven games as nothing more than a passing fad for lazy or ill-equipped game developers. I’d argue that my initial opinion still rings true for a large number of these titles, but an indie title by the name of UNDERTALE went a long way in changing my perception. It proved that creators are still able to capture the magical old-school dialogue from some of our favorite titles of yore. It showed me that 16-bit games didn’t have to be all about the look. . . but they can (and should) be about the spirit of 16-bit gaming.
I’ll admit that most of my favorite games on the SNES or GENESIS consoles had little to do with horror. Though EARTHBOUND did have trippy monsters and aliens. . . that’s close enough, right? At that point in time there simply wasn’t a market for “mature” games. Even if the themes at play in some of these titles were often deranged scenarios wrapped in a very happy and colorful wrapper–we weren’t seeing full on murder. That type of thing just wasn’t done, but it is now, and CAMP SUNSHINE is bringing it to us.
I know what you’re thinking–another crowdfunding campaign!? I thought the same thing. But the folks behind CAMP SUNSHINE are doing the types of things that you want to see small scale projects do. They’re showing a trailer of what they have working as of now, they give a detailed description of what they hope to achieve with the funds, and they aren’t asking for an astronomical amount of money to make it happen.
The team is seeking just $750 to wrap things up. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but that’s not a lot. I’d probably be supporting this one regardless, but the fact that the game seems to focus on an actual story instead of a bare bones and proceduraly generated scenario makes me even more excited.
I was wrong about these types of throwback titles. . . I can admit that. So here’s to ensuring that the good ones actually get the funding they deserve. The campaign is sitting at 22% with a month to go. If you’re into this type of thing, I strongly urge you to contribute. $5 gets you the game. I’ll definitely be doing my part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr7y7OHCFOg