Although the 8-bit/16-bit era wasn’t really known for it, we’re all massive fans of the point and click game here at AA. A project that’s certainly caught my eye is SnarfQuest Tales – a point and click game based on the popular 80s comic by legend Larry Elmore (of D&D and Dragonlance fame of course).
I managed to catch up with Cellbloc Studios’ head honcho James Simpson to find out how this came about:
Hello guys!
Hello! It’s nice to text with you!
In a nutshell – what is the plot of SnarfQuestTales?
Ah! The fun question! With the first level, you play Snarf who mission is to find the enchantress Ethea’s magic Wand of Wishes in Suthaze’s castle. She teleports you into Suthaze Castle where you encounter Willie the Duck and your mission starts. It’s your job to find the wand and escape alive.
Is this the first point and click game you’ve made?
Yes.
Having played the demo (which you can sign up for here) it’s clear that humour plays a big part, was it your intention to make the game funny and why?
Reading SnarfQuest, I particularly enjoyed both the drawing style (I mean, it’s Larry Freaking Elmore) and the humor behind it. It reminded me of slapstick comedy like Mel Brooks films which I greatly enjoyed. We wanted to bring that type of humor into the game. I want people to laugh out loud just like I did when I read the comic.
Were professional voice actors brought in or did you do this yourselves?
Yes and no. The Laundry Maid is a professional Voice Actor from Voxy Ladies. (They are awesome.) Most of the others were done with friends. I voiced Snarf myself. Since we were building a demo and the dialog kept changing, we didn’t want to invest too heavily in voice talent. However, we have budgeted for professionals voice actors for all parts for the final release.
We love the 3D gameplay, how long has it taken to put Snarf’s world together and what software did you use?
On August 8th, 2014, Larry Elmore finally gave me permission to make a game based on his characters. The only restriction was that I had to have something ready to show people at DragonCon, which started less than a month later. The main part of the demo you are looking at was put together in about 3 weeks. The level design, characters, dialog, rigging, animation, story, pathfinding, music, sound FX were done in the first three weeks. We threw the demo together and showed it off at DragonCon and everyone who watched it liked it (we’re not surprised! – Ed).
What point and click games did you like when you were younger? Have they impacted this project?
I played Maniac Mansion, Space Quest, King’s Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Secrets of Monkey Island, Indiana Jones Fate of Atlantis just to name a few. They are in boxes near my computer and I look over them with fond memories each time I work on SnarfQuest Tales. As I work, I think to myself, “is this right? Is this going to make people remember these classic games? Are they going to relive their childhood as I do?”
What was your first gaming console/computer?
Atari 400 with a BASIC cartridge and a cassette drive (love it – Ed)
When is SQT out for purchase and on what platforms?
Kickstarter supporters can get Early Access on Steam for $15. (The regular retail price for Early Access on Steam is $25.) We are building for PC, Mac and Linux. Depending on the stretch goals, we will include WiiU, XBox One, PS4, Android and that iFruit thing.
If you could go for a drink with one video game character past or present – who would you choose and why?
Brian the Fist from The Bard’s Tale (1985). It’s my favorite game of all time. That game is what got me so excited about building games.
Got any links for us James?
You can visit our Kickstarter at
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2054625525/snarfquest-tales
Our Website at
Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/snarfquesttales
Twitter us at
Cheers guys and all the best!
-Dylan
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