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E3 2012: Pid interview
by Andrew Whipple III
17.6.12

E3 is all about big games, flashy booths and news that gets everybody jumping around the showroom floor. However, some games showing incredible promise are often overlooked and overshadowed by these multi-million dollar titles.

Quirky, colorful, enigmatic but above all else a platformer, Might and Delight's Pid is one of those games you instantly know you'll love as soon as you glance at the screen. Fortunately, I was exposed to its genius and I'm here to tell the tale.

Pid interview



The narrative of Pid is one surrounded in mystery. What we do know is that the protagonist, Kurt, a young boy on his way home via a space bus, is accidentally beamed down to an unknown world. Stranded on this planet, Kurt must deal with the game's bizarre environments and creatures to find his way back to the bus, which will take him home.


Where'd he get that gem anyway?

Drawing inspiration directly from Mega Man, Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Bros., Pid is a true platformer at heart and promises to challenge those who relish in old-school game design. One of the core mechanics behind Pid is the distribution of light beams. By throwing a gem down you can place a beam that will interact with the environment. For instance, by throwing a gem on the side of a wall, the beam of light will carry you over the treacherous pit of doom. A simple mechanic, but Might and Delight promises that the puzzles and scenarios you'll run into will get more complex as the game progresses.

Ostensibly, Pid sports a unique art style that some might call childish, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The game's aesthetics mix with the atmosphere and with that, help set the mood of the game. Of course, the mood is always better with a friend and if things are getting too hairy for you, Pid does feature a co-operative mode where Kurt calls in his friend Audrey for assistance.


Manipulating blocks is key. Well, key to not dying.

What I treasure most about Pid is its roots. While I strongly consider Mega Man and the Donkey Kong Country games (at least one and two) some of my most treasured titles, it's amazing to see a new game build upon their foundation. Pid is a platformer that promises complexity and that adaptive nature you had to have to get anywhere in old school games. It won't be an overwhelming difficulty, but small touches like one-hit kills and holding down jump to go a little bit higher make me smile.

A release date hasn't been set in stone yet, but expect to see Pid before the end of the Summer on Xbox Live, PSN and PC. I can't stress enough that this is a title for absolutely everybody and if you're a retro gamer who immediately lights up when you hear the word 'platformer,' then this game is especially for you.

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- Andrew Whipple III
PAX East 2012: Girl Fight preview and interview
by Andrew Whipple III
26.4.12

There wasn't many up and coming fighters being showcased at PAX East this year, but Reverb Games booth told a different story. Showing off the arcade brawler, Girl Fight, we were completely surprised at the result. Offering retail-level content for arcade-level price, the all-female fighter with an ancient pedigree will certainly appeal to casual fighting game fans as well as... a more conspicuous demographic.

Girl Fight is centered around a clandestine organization known as the Foundation, who is looking to make use of the females' fighting abilities. How and why? I'm not sure, but the girls have good looks and psionic powers, which I believe to be reason enough.

Girl Fight interview




Having chatted with Gregory Hutto of Reverb about the game, he was able to disclose a little more information about how Girl Fight works. Mechanically, Girl Fight represents Dead or Alive, but more surprisingly he revealed that Batman: Arkham Asylum and City were also an inspiration. He said that the combat often flows with momentum, like the Batman games. You'll be able to stream together attacks and the character you choose will sort of change their offensive strikes based on the situation. Combos are still very much in the game, but the extra momentum factor is certainly intriguing.

Dealing directly with the combos are interchangeable abilities called psi-amps. These psi-amps give your fighter specific powers that can be unleashed if you've been successful with your combo attacks. We're talking invisible strikes, setting gals on fire, things of that nature. Think of it almost like a super meter in Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. The better you do, the sooner you'll be able to activate your psi-amp and the sooner you'll be able to claim victory.

Girl Fight will sport a cast of eight female characters, of which we only know three right now; Daisy, Ghost and Viper. There will also be eight different arenas, some which allow ring-outs and others where the environment is a factor. Expect Girl Fight to drop sometime later this year for well under $20.

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- Andrew Whipple III
GGTL Classics
Some of the very best articles dug out from deep in the GGTL archives, written by some of our past and present wordsmiths alike.
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