From everything we’ve seen so far, I think it’s safe to say that Sega is the perfect fit for Arkedo’s upcoming insanity-fueled platformer, Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit. Every screenshot and video appears to have its roots firmly planted in the soils of games like Earthworm Jim and other tongue-in-cheek Genesis classics.
Even so, it’s a damn kind gesture that Sega’s go-to platforming developer Sonic Team has offered some words of encouragement as well as their blessing to this ambitious and enthusiastic semi-indie title. Sega asked team leader Camille Guermonprez if Arkedo wanted to meet Sonic Team, and I’ll give you one guess as to how he responded…
“Hell yeah! F**k, why not? Let’s do that. We saw the two main guys of Sonic Team, they played the game and then we asked, what makes it a very bad Gaijin game? What sucks?
They said, not a lot sucks, but you should pay attention to what happens when you’re jumping, the stop and go, the inertia you have when you’re jumping on platforms. You should add this little thing, this little thing…
We said, hey yeah, it’s much better. Thank you very much. That’s the craftsmanship. Those guys, they are bright yellow, they glow. Okay, this guy knows what he’s talking about. We loved it.”
Later in their visit, Sonic Team toasted Arkedo over dinner, illustrating just how much of an impression the game had had on the legendary developers. An especially satisfying moment, considering just how long Guermonprez had been pitching Arkedo’s work to Sega Europe.
Considering the way Sega’s had to tighten the financial belt in recent months, it’s a relief to hear just how much freedom they are still giving their developers when creating new IPs. Hell Yeah is one of Sega’s most promising titles this year, and it’s nice to see Sega’s in-house developers giving such positive feedback and encouragement to the fresh meat.
Sonic Team may not have the best reputation, but having their praise behind your upcoming platformer has got to feel good.
[Source: Eurogamer]
