Review Fix chats with Artur B. who discusses Mega Cat Games’ Expedition on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Inspired by classic RPGs, Artur lets us know how he took an iOS game on to one of the most influential consoles ever.
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Review Fix: How was this game born?
Artur B.: We thought the original expedition iOS app was a great idea and do something similar on the NES but with graphics using the original game items. Â The Expedition guys are Pittsburgh locals, where the physical office is located. Â With remote culture as evolved as it is in 2017, I reside in Sweden.
Review Fix: What was development like?
Artur: It was unusual since we didn’t know what challenges we might face. The original iteration of the app was very basic, and even with the NES having additional production value with art, music, and sound effects to create some ambiance, the first iteration fell short of expectations once we play tested it. Â One of our friends, Justin, gave us some initial feedback that almost read like a bad review. Â At that point we just decided to take complete autonomy over it and push as much of our own unique Expedition spin into it that we could. Â Justin is the developer behind UXO, another NES homebrew available here: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=159017
Review Fix: What makes this game special?
Artur: While it’s not the first RPG on the NES but surely one of the few available. It’s also one of the few which makes use of additional tools.
Review Fix: What games influenced this one the most?
Artur: It’s obviously the original Expedition game but classics like “Dungeon Master”, “Eye of the Beholder” were certainly among the inspirations.
Review Fix: Why do people still love retro RPGs?
Artur: Since they’re rare and doesn’t take much effort to play it’s nice to see a brand new game for one of the most popular consoles ever.
Review Fix: Any fun stories or wild moments during development?
Artur: See the comment above during play testing! Â We basically were trying to save some efforts but found it was easier to rewrite most of it – adding more and more content to be exclusive to the NES iteration rather than simply porting the iOS app.
Review Fix: How does this game disrupt the video game landscape?
Artur: While it’s the first of its kind for a long time, we saw it’s possible to do an RPG on NES. You can do a lot with a small team.  It’s certainly unique, and fun to imagine a group of friends huddled around an NES playing a card RPG in 2017.
Review Fix: Who will enjoy this game the most?
Artur: Even casual RPG gamers would like it, since setting up your party doesn’t take ages and one can jump right into the action. The RPG enthusiasts will enjoy it too, we tried to stay faithful to the original.  As an adult gamer, it’s hard to find time to commit to exhaustive RPGs.  Expedition can give you your fix without the long set up and time investment.
Review Fix: How do you want this game to be remembered?
Artur: One of the most unique RPG games on NES.
Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?
Artur: We hope people will have as much fun playing it as we had making it.
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