With over $72,273 raised between 897 backers, the Kickstarter campaign for The Shapeshifter was a massive success. The title is a brand new cartridge game compatible with the original Game Boy console. Dana Puch, head of Greenboy Games and the project's creator, is a prolific modern Game Boy developer, with 5 previous titles for the system under his belt. The last game ever officially published solely on the Game Boy was 2001's Kanji no Tasuijin. This may lead many to question why a new game is releasing for the handheld twenty years later, what exactly is The Shapeshifter, and why is it on the Game Boy?
Many modern games imitate the art style of Game Boy titles, and a majority of the console's titles are playable today using emulators. However, the legality of doing so is not exactly clear. Emulators themselves are not illegal, although the distribution of copyrighted material on them certainly is. Interestingly, The Shapeshifter's Kickstarter is a perfect example of an emulator's legal use. Every Kickstarter backer receives a digital copy of the game in ROM form, ready to use on a Game Boy emulator of choice.
Recently, Game ZXC spoke with Dana Puch about The Shapeshifter. The conversation touched on the game's influences, and the difficulties of developing new content on old hardware. Puch also remarked on how useful emulators were as distribution tools for his original content, and how they play a part in keeping retro games alive.
Why The Shapeshifter Shirked PC
The Shapeshifter is the very definition of a passion project, and it is very obvious that this game comes from a developer that loves his medium. The authentic 8-bit graphics and bombastic, thumping chiptune soundtrack in the game's trailer give the airs of a title that is incredibly excited to be retro. In The Shapeshifter, players can transform into any animal they touch. As such, a variety of challenges and hurdles can be overcome by quick thinking and logical use of animal abilities.
Dana Puch could have easily released The Shapeshifter on PC. Although Puch acknowledged this potential demographic, remarking that "surely, I would make more money launching this game on PC," he was more concerned with creating for a platform he loved. According to the GreenBoy Games lead, there is a "lack of satisfaction" developing for PC and Android, which would otherwise be the platforms for his games. The restrictions placed on The Shapeshifter by its platform are precisely what give it that inventive, exciting feeling. The game looks and sounds authentic because it is, and Puch simply wanted to make a game for a platform he loved.
Game Boy was the first console that I bought with my own money and I have a very special affection for it. There are a lot of people who are already developing for PC, so I prefer to make games on the platform that fulfills me the most.
The Importance of Emulators
Unfortunately for Puch, the number of original Game Boys in circulation makes distributing his work more difficult. Despite modders making tiny Game Boy handheld emulators, getting physical cartridges to people who can play them is still a struggle. That is why the ten-euro tier of the Kickstarter campaign also includes a digital ROM of the game. Being able to release using these emulators and "bring video game culture closer to younger generations" is a big draw of emulators.
For Puch, it reason that emulation is "crucial and necessary" for the retro game industry. Games like The Shapeshifter, without the presence of emulators, would have a foggier cultural background to reference. The fact that older games are still playable on modern systems in some form is vital to keeping retro-styled games alive.
Keeping The Games In The Game Boy
While emulation might help preserve the memory of games consoles long past, Puch's Greenboy Games development team is not just interested in remembering. "We want to support the use of old video game systems as well as cartridge games," said Puch. Thanks to some smashed Kickstarter milestones, an enhanced NES port for The Shapeshifter is also coming out. Puch's dedication to this older hardware is obvious from stretch goals like this. Speaking on Greenboy Games' aims, Puch remarked: "that is why I do not sell ROM files without the purchase of a physical cartridge."
Another reason for this approach is that ROMs can often be overkill. Modern PCs can render nearly 100GB of fully 3D, photorealistic environments. While these systems can easily play older games, are they the best way to enjoy them?
Normally, ROMs are loaded in very powerful computers that support games with lots of CPU, GPU, and RAM, and surpasses the gaming experience with a super tiny 32kB game. I often say that if you want to enjoy a skateboard, you should go to the skate park, not to an F1 track.
Modern PCs are great for a variety of purposes. However, the power one of these systems can muster seems wasteful when used on a 32kB game. Instead, consumers could play games like The Shapeshifter on the consoles they were made for. Devices like the Analogue Pocket exist for this exact reason. The closing words of The Shapeshifter's Kickstarter summarizes Puch's views succinctly: "Long life to the cartridge!"
The Shapeshifter will be available on Game Boy and NES.