We are in the middle of a retro renaissance of sorts. More and more indie games are coming to our high powered home consoles and computers drenched in delicious sprites and chip tunes. From Bastian & Shovel Knight, to game of the year contenders Celeste – indie studios are on a roll. So much so that even our Triple A publishers are getting in on the nostalgia driven action with remasters of classic franchises. Disney has just announced the Aladdin & Lion King Remasters, and Mega-Man has been remastered in various packages in recent memory. But there are few studios creating these retro inspired games for the retro consoles themselves, forging a whole new path forward in the retro renaissance. Mega Cat Studios is one of the leaders blazing the path forwards…or…backwards? We sat down with founder of Mega Cat, James Deighan to talk all about making what was once old – new again, and how to protect this niche as we progress to the next generation.
Duel Screens – Thank you for taking a few minutes to chat with us, James. Let’s start this one off getting a little backstory into Mega Cat Studios. When was Mega Cat founded? What were the circumstances behind its founding?
James Deighan – We had been doing software development for various clients for a while, and wanted to do something for ourselves, purely for fun. Having all grown up on a steady diet of 8-bit and 16-bit classics, we decided doing a retro game on a physical cartridge would be a fulfilling project. We had such a blast doing it that we decided to focus on more of our own internal IPs and projects.
Duel Screens – What was the first project? How was development for that project?
Deighan – Our first major release altogether as Mega Cat Studios was Coffee Crisis. With each project, we aim to improve everything: from the quality of the game to our processes. Coffee Crisis ended up spanning almost two years, as we poured the community feedback into the game, bringing it to new heights of content, features and excitement.
Duel Screens – Why retro games on their original consoles? Why does this matter to you so much?
Deighan – I think these consoles have a special place deep in the hearts of many gamers. You can see their influence everywhere. It’s personal for anyone making a game for one of these platforms, and the nostalgia is strong when you’re holding the physical cartridge.
The 16-bit pixel art style is so synonymous with video games that it’s really become part of its mythology. Chip-tune music based off these consoles has become its own genre. And the focus on simple yet fun and accessible yet highly re-playable mechanics means these games continue to find new fans each generation. That’s why industry leaders like Capcom can find an audience for decades old IP.
With the release of SNES Minis and Genesis Flashbacks, and attention from AAA studios we’re truly in the midst of a Retro Renaissance, and Mega Cat is happy to contribute to it.
Duel Screens – You have a TON of partnerships all over the indie dev scene…can you talk more about the philosophy behind those relationships?
Deighan – We’ve spent a lot of time being active in these communities as a contributing member. We are big believers in rising tides raising all ships, and I personally believe that we have much more to gain by helping one another. In gaming, I don’t believe competition is as common as some may think.
The Mega Cat ethos strikes a chord with a lot of people, and we always see how we can do something mutually beneficial together. As a consequence, we have plenty of paws on the pavement out there! I genuinely love what we do, and we are so thankful to have had so many friends and partners that believe in what we do.
Duel Screens – How do you sustain development at the rate that you do? It seems like a lot for such a small team.
Deighan – We have samurai-like discipline forged through decades of retro gaming. Also, and more importantly, we have a fantastic team. Zack, Nate, Lauri, Nick, Andy, Mikhail, Marshal, Igor, Mitch, Artur – all of these guys at our core, have been with us since the beginning. Retaining that type of intellectual capital, and growing together has been key to our success.
Duel Screens – What is the most successful game Mega Cat has made?
Deighan – Personally, I think our biggest hits are in front of us. That being said, of our current lineup, Little Medusa has had the most reach – she’s on NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega-Drive, and an updated version is coming to PC, Switch, and even mobile soon! This version will have new graphics, new challenges, and even a new multiplayer mode. Coffee Crisis was our most popular Genesis game, and then on Switch found a new life.
Duel Screens – How will Mega Cat continue to evolve from gen to gen?
Deighan – The same way we’ve found a niche in this generation: by marrying the best of gaming’s past and future. Just as our retro games incorporate modern game design, our PC, VR, PS4, Switch, and Xbone games are instilled with a retro ethos. By keeping our cat reflexes sharp, we can stay agile and continue to offer quality, creative-first gaming experiences on any platform.
Duel Screens – VR?! How do you marry 8 and 16-bit gaming into the VR Space?
Deighan – With VR, it’s about realism and a deeper sense of immersion. Fundamentals for game design still apply here as they would for any video game on any platform!
Duel Screens – Lastly – What should we keep our eyes open for from Mega Cat and where can people follow you folks?
Deighan – Bite The Bullet is coming fast, due to be released January 2020. Come join our discord at discord.gg/megacat
Lethal Wedding for the Sega Genesis/MD & The Meating for the NES, and Switch, are also getting a fall release as we put our finishing touches on them.
Duel Screens – James, as always it was a pleasure talking to you. Good luck on everything!
Deighan – Thank you!
Visit Mega Cat Studios Website for details on all projects. You can listen to our episode with James below.
