Villordsutch chats with Chad Lee, CEO of React Games, about Super Dungeon Bros…
Appearing soon on the PS4, Xbox One, PC, MAC and also on Steam is Super Dungeon Bros., a rock-themed dungeon brawler with on & offline cross-platform co-op gameplay. Fast, loud and just the right amount of crazy fun Super Dungeon Bros. is already gaining the right attention even before its release. Flickering Myth has managed to take a moment out of Chad Lee’s (CEO of React! Games) extremely busy day and we’ve asked him a handful of questions about the upcoming game…
Villordsutch: To start the ball rolling what’s your own favourite console or home computer gaming memory that you like to bore people with – for people that have never lived real gaming?
Chad Lee: I remember booting up Archon from cassette on my Atari 800 (198-something.) I remember the sweet chirping sound as the game was loading, which took up to 5 minutes…the blue screen with the little text at the bottom that said “Loading…” and finally the triumphant sound of the Archon theme that beckoned me from the kitchen as I was getting snacks ready. I played against my friends and could not be beat. I was the Archon champion of my neighbourhood!
V: Super Dungeon Bros. relies on more than bashing the heck out of something big and devastating, was it fun in the office devising ways to bring friends together to bring foes down and master puzzles?
CL: Most definitely! I’m glad you asked that question. We’ve worked hard to ensure that Super Dungeon Bros is not simply a button mash, Hack’n’Slash bashing game. That would be boring. We wanted to develop interesting mechanics for the co-op gameplay that would allow players to work together to take down enemies in different ways than usual. For example, allowing players to double team an enemy where one will pull his legs and the other will pull his arms, makes for a much interesting experience than simply banging on a few buttons.
V: What are you most impressed with in-game would you say, and is there anything that we should look out for?
CL: I would have to say I am most impressed with the co-op gameplay. It’s great to work with your bros to raid a dungeon and take down the big boss. Especially if there are quirky ways in which you can do it – so we’re also really pleased with the special moves we’ve developed in Super Dungeon Bros. There are lots of possibilities for new co-op moves and we’re looking forward to creating more ingenious ways that the bros can work together.
Skeletons, Axes, Rock Music! Why not bring your friends?V: Back in October 2014 you won the Games Con “Best Social Game” award – what was that like for you and your team?
CL: It was a great feeling we have to admit! We’re working really hard in such a short space of time to create something spectacular and fun! We just wanted to create something that was about enjoying the moment together, with friends. When we all game at home, we all enjoy gaming with other people. There are moments when playing a game on your own is good fun, but when your gaming with friends and sharing those experiences together, that’s where our real enjoyment comes from.
With Super Dungeon Bros the best satisfaction is delivered when you are working in tandem and this award gave us great belief that we were heading in the right direction.
V: Is there anything you had to take out of Super Dungeon Bros. due to, “It not being right!”, or, “People won’t get it!” that you’d have wished that it could have stayed in but you had been the minority vote?
CL: There were certain story elements that we wanted to retain, but they just didn’t fit with the overall goal.
V: You’ve been involved in Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight etc.; is there anything important you’ve picked up from these Social Interactions that when you come to the next project you’ll do differently or embrace whole-heartedly?
CL: Steam Greenlight and Kickstarter are amazing platforms that really allow you to engage with your audience. Gathering feedback and thoughts from the community is brilliant as it allows you to iterate and tweak during your development and actually deliver what the community wants! I think if anyone is considering these routes, I would advise you to plan, way ahead of schedule. It’s not simply a case of launching your project and hoping people find you. You need to reach out and engage the community, build up the groundswell prior to launching and when you do, you’ll have a healthy base of advocates waiting to extol your project!
V: Finally when you pick up the gamepad in Super Dungeon Bros which Bro (Axl, Ozzie, Lars, and Freddie) do you always choose from and why?
CL: Well, my favourite colour is blue, so for that reason I always choose Axl. I’m also a big fan of the wand, a nice ranged weapon and so I usually choose this.
You can sign up for more news about Super Dungeon Bros on their website here, on their Facebook page or even over at Twitter.
Flickering Myth and Villordsutch would like to thank Chad Lee for taking time out to complete the interview and also Daniela for her assistance in organising the interview.
Villordsutch likes his sci-fi and looks like a tubby Viking according to his children. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMekjOsexHs&list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F
Originally published March 7, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
