Review Fix chats with Alex Tokmakov from Mega Cat Studios, who discusses the new NES game, “The Meating,†as well as what’s it like being a part of the MCS brand.
About The Meating:
When lonely ex-gladiator minotaur Kon gets butchered after a blind date, the Greek God of Meat, Burgeros, offers him a chance at redemption. Placed back in the mortal world as a ghost minotaur, Kon must track down his tragically-sourced meat and put himself back together, all while solving the mystery of his untimely demise…
Features
Jump, headbutt, and charge your way through over 25 puzzle-filled stages!
Battle through butcher shops, meat freezers, a connoisseur’s mansion, and a matador arena on the quest to reclaim your meat. Find all your body pieces to reassemble your bovine flesh and uncover the hidden meat realm!
Unlock new ghost powers in every world! Use telekinesis, thermokinesis, possession, incorporeality, and more to baffle your enemies and solve puzzles!
Crush enemies like raw chickens, ghost hunters, and voracious spirits! Each enemy has their own abilities and weaknesses!
Smash down walls and find hidden keys, powerups, and other secrets!
Dodge deadly spikes, evade rolling boulders, push blocks, bounce and springs, and use your wits to conquer every stage!
Take on powerful bosses like the Butcher, Body-Builder, and Ghost of Theseus! They all took a piece of your meat – now take it back!
Veal mode not tough enough? Then jump into Raw mode for an all new punishing experience!
Enjoy the most meaty UNROM game you’ve ever seen!
Review Fix: Who is the type of gamer this game is targeted to?
Alex Tokmakov: There is no adult content, which means this game is suitable even for children. Especially those children who are now over 30. If you like NES games, then this game is for you, because it combines several classic styles: platformer and puzzle.
Review Fix: What’s the coolest part of this game?
Alex: If we talk about locations, I like the mansion. The game of my choice has knights, ghosts, castles, dungeons and other gothic elements. I’ve been loving that.
I also like the possession feature. Possessing the properties of an enemy to solve a puzzle is a rather interesting solution. I do not remember if I encountered similar features in those games that I played before.
Review Fix: What does this game do differently than other modern day retro styled titles?
Alex: First of all, it will be a real cartridge for real hardware. Today, a lot of people are passionate about game making, and modern pixel games are stylized as “old school†on modern engines, but ideologically, those are modern games yet though, with new difficulty, with new controls, and the game is built in different way. Retrogaming is different. It’s playing those unique games that aren’t similar to modern ones.
Review Fix: Why do 8 & 16 bit games still matter?
Alex: Probably because we are still alive. I mean the generation that grew up with such 8 & 16 bit consoles. It seems to me that the era of retro games will end with us, because no one else will be nostalgic. It’s sad, but time won’t stop and there is nothing we can do.
Review Fix: How do you think this game would have affected the landscape if it was released back in the day?
Alex: It’s hard to talk about this if there’s no Delorean in your garage. But I’m sure it would not be the worst game for those days.
Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of Mega Cat?
Alex: I have always enjoyed working on a team, but it is twice as nice to work with people who share the same interests as you. It’s nice not only to make the game, but also to talk with people who have common interests. Therefore, I like this meat team.
I know people who prefer to make retro games alone, but despite this seeming simple, this is a rather complicated process, so let the scriptwriter write the plot, let the artist draw and let the coder code. Of course, there are a number of great games created by the only one person, but there was a lot of time spent on them. But we have less time than we think, so I like to play as a team, especially one the likes of MC. We have common goals, and this is cool.
Review Fix: What are your goals for this game?
Alex: I have always been interested in programming. I have been programming since I had my first computer, a BK-0010. I programmed for the ZX-Spectrum, for x86, and now I have the opportunity to program for Famicom.
Maybe I would become a modern programmer, but I am horrified by the plentifulness of modern technology. All those ruby on rails, frameworks, js- I can not even remember so many names, not to be on the cutting edge.
Probably, for a modern advanced programmer, my skills would seem ridiculous. But, if I have 128 bytes of RAM (Atari 2600), that is usual for me. Not every modern programmer will be able to believe it. So, my main goal is to make a good game with limited resources. That is cool.
Review Fix: How do you want this game to be remembered? Why?
Alex: I will be glad if people like this game. This is the most important feedback. Then I will know that I tried my best and it all worth my time and effort.
Review Fix: What is your favorite type of meat?
Alex: Any well cooked meat. Stews, pates, sausages, smoked meat, boiled meat, barbecue. If I were a caveman, I would eat raw meat as well.
Review Fix: Has working on this game made you any hungrier at times? Less hungry?
Alex: More hungry, of course. Andrew drew the chickens so cool that I always wanted to eat them. And when they were finalized by Marcelo, these were my favorite sprites.
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