In the time that gaming has been around, there have been a lot of innovative mash-ups between genres in an attempt to elevate both. Nathan Wooten of Wooshido is trying to create a mash-up between the classic platformer and tower defense genres in Toaster Defense that even amateur gamers will be able to recognize. Toaster Defense will require the player to plan ahead for the routes their enemies will take and be engaged in the action as it happens.
As Evan the toaster oven, players will have to defend against the onslaught of robots coming for Tina, his toaster girlfriend. Because a computer in the next room realizes he can never be with Tina, he sends an army of robots to destroy Tina and Evan both. Evan responds by recruiting other NPCS to defend his girlfriend, at the same time as he shoots projectiles from the door that also works as his mouth. In an interview with Game ZXC amid the game's Kickstarter campaign, Wooten said he has witnessed players simply choosing one way to play instead of implimenting all the tools the game offers.
The Map Layout
Wooten discussed his inspirations and how he decided to layout the map for this innovative game. The inspiration comes from old-school platformers like the Super Mario arcade game and tower defense games like the Bloons series. Through these ideas, he created a vertical map where the enemies will be spawn at different heights and drop down to attempt to destroy the tower; Tina in this instance. The player will have a chance to place down turrets on the map in the hopes of deterring the incoming robots.
"I was like, well what if they just hit the bottom and attack whatever is at the bottom. Then it took off from there."
The Need for Planning and Action
Toaster Defense uses the best of the two genres it takes inspiration from to create a mental challenge for gamers. While more of an arcade-style game, it still requires the ability to plan ahead, as well the ability to move quickly when a trap doesn't work exactly as intended. While this would normally spell the end for that round and be cause to try something new, that's not the case in Toaster Defense. That being said, Wooten said he witnessed players choosing to focus on one of the genres as opposed to the other.
"I would say even through watching people play the demo, it's like a lot of the players have a mindset of 'Okay, this is a platformer,' and they forget to build the turrets to help... and I'm just watching it like 'Build the turrets, they're there to help you.'"
When the action picks up in a game, it can be hard to remember to use all of the tools that were put in front of the player. However, in Toaster Defense, that is evolved upon to the point where it would quickly become impossible to play as just a platformer or a tower defense game. The combination of mechanics therein is the key to succeeding, as there are a number of rare enemies specifically geared toward being resilient to the typical platforming or tower defense mechanics.
Toaster Defense is a game that is setting out to create its own playstyle using a unique mash-up between tower defense and platforming games. While it will initially take some getting used to, players will likely catch onto the mechanics within a few short rounds. The demo is available now, and those who are interested in participating can donate to the game's Kickstarter.
Toaster Defense is in development for PC.
Source: Kickstarter