Adrian and Anthony caught up with Nick Mann, Game Designer at the indie dev company Mega Cat Studios! They’ve got lots of lovely irons in the fire and here is a taster. They’re also bringing out an Evercade cartridge so extremely exciting times for this talented dev house!
Hi Nick, welcome to Arcade Attack! !hat is Mega Cat Studios all about?
We’re just a group of collectors and retro fans that wanted to make games that we’d want to play. A few pixels and games later, and we were able to make it our full-time focus.
Is it true that the cat in your logo is based on a real cat?
Mega Cat is indeed a real cat. One of our team members is a volunteer at a local shelter, and often takes over the bottle babies when they’re over-populated. Mega Cat was a runt that she brought to the office, and we just couldn’t let go.
Since you’ve been established, how many games have been available from Mega Cat Studios? And are they all brand new titles?
Like many game teams, we do a mix of our own games with client work. To date, we’re around 15 games total spanning a few genres and sizes. Something that’s worth mentioning is that each game has a different goal in mind. As an example, some games are meant to be more experimental, and others are meant to serve a very specific, silly purpose that’s fun for fun’s sake (four player joust on mech eagles, anyone?)
Which game has been your most successful?
Probably Coffee Crisis – I would bet people just relate to loving coffee and hating aliens, just like me.
Why do you feel retro gaming has become so popular and do you think this trend will continue?
It’s personal and nostalgic, while being easy to pick up and fun to play. You can pick up a 30 minute session and have fun without demanding a 3 hour game play session.
What platforms do you traditionally release your games on?
Of course the NES, SNES & Genesis/Mega Drive! Aside from that, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, mobile, and beyond.
What are your plans in the immediate future for Mega Cat Studios?
Right now we’re full tilt on Bite the Bullet Come test on our discord channel!
What are your top 3 games of all time and can you explain why?
SMB3: The enemy behavior variety and power ups are so much fun. Thoughtful level design, and flying raccoons just bring me joy.
Gunstar Heroes: This game is as beautiful as it is fun, and it’s a must-own for anyone with a Genesis!
Super Mario RPG: Aside from looking fantastic, it provides a great RPG experience that’s balanced for a first time RPG player, or a veteran that loves the Mushroom Kingdom universe.
If you could share a few drinks with any video game character, who would you choose and why?
I would probably have drinks with Simon Belmont, just to pick up some tips on how to better navigate the freelance Dracula world within the guidelines that he sees fit.
Adrian and Anthony