For reasons I don’t fully comprehend, I have a serious affinity for old school Game Boy graphics. Nostalgia certainly plays a part, but it runs a little deeper than that. Perhaps it’s the simplicity; the overall purity of the style. Whatever the reason may be, it’s left me feeling all sorts of smitten with Two Brothers, a game that embraces the classic monochromatic look without being pandering or gimmicky about it.
For reasons I don’t fully comprehend, I have a serious affinity for old school Game Boy graphics. Nostalgia certainly plays a part, but it runs a little deeper than that. Perhaps it’s the simplicity; the overall purity of the style. Whatever the reason may be, it’s left me feeling all sorts of smitten with Two Brothers, a game that embraces the classic monochromatic look without being pandering or gimmicky about it.
As one might imagine, a PC/360/OSX game that draws inspiration from a 23-year-old handheld isn’t necessarily the easiest sell to publishers and investors. That’s where you come in! Developer Ackk Studios is reaching out to potential fans via Kickstarter campaign, requesting the humble amount of $6,000 to finish their game.
It’s possible (and understandable) that you require more than just “hey this looks like a Game Boy game” to sell you on the concept. As it just so happens, there’s a lot more going on here. Two Brothers is a game about color – more specifically, discovering color in a monochromatic world. It’s an obsession of Roy Guarder, the game’s main character, ignited by his brief trip to the colorful realm of the afterlife.
The Kickstarter description states that the game is an action game at heart, reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda. While that’s a concept we’re all pretty familiar with, there’s also talk of “play[ing] against expectations of action/role-playing games in terms of story development.” Intriguing!
One such instance of this change-up is what happens when you die. In lieu of a “game over” screen, you’ll be reverted to the colorful “AfterLife Hub.” From there, you have the option of immediately returning to Earth, interacting with characters who died in the game’s story, seeking out power-ups, or taking on side quests.
As innovative as that is, Two Brothers is still, by and large, meant to feel like a classic Game Boy game. This inspired the creators to simplify certain aspects, such as the dialogue system. When a character asks you a question, you respond by choosing one of three emoticons featuring happy, sad, and angry faces.
There are some pretty awesome rewards for supporters, ranging from the chance to be an in-game character with dialogue of your choosing, to a physical 3D figure of one of the four main characters. And for $10, you can own the game when it’s released! Speaking of, the creators are hoping to have it out some time early next year. Whether or not that’s feasible, though, depends on how well it does on Kickstarter. If you’re a retro fanatic with some money burning a hole in your pocket, this looks like a pretty solid way to spend it.
Project Name: Two Brothers
Platforms: PC, OSX, 360
Funds Needed: $6,000
Funding Acquired (as of this writing): $2,226
Days Left: 27
Kickstarter Picks is a series of features on Gamezebo that profiles Kickstarter projects in the world of video games. We’re doing this in the hopes of calling attention to interesting projects in need of funding, so please, if a game looks like something you’d want to play, don’t hesitate to lend it your support!
