Combining genres to make a brand-new experience is nothing new, but this is the first time I recall seeing a developer take on the daunting task of trying to make Dance Dance Revolution work in a shoot ’em up.
Most would probably say that simply having to avoid enemy fire is challenging enough in this kind of game, so having to play DDR while doing that is bound to ramp up the difficulty! But anyone who’s played a shmup in the past knows what they’re in for and fully expects a challenge, which they’re bound to get through the 10 stages that make up Curious Panda’s Rhythm Destruction. But bullets aren’t your only enemy, as every level is full of obstacles and traps to avoid, with a boss battle waiting at the end of each, though these parts play more like a traditional shmup (ie. less DDR, more Jamestown).
Like so many other developers these days, Curious Panda is also trying to raise money by way of Kickstarter, but their reason for it is not to help finance the final stages of development. Instead, they have a few other reasons for it:
- Since the Kickstarter fee is significantly less than those of a distributor, we are able to offer the game at a reduced price with the inclusion of exclusive features, free DLC content and more. It’s a win/win for everyone.
- By using Kickstarter, we are also able to essentially take pre-orders for the game. Something that would otherwise not be available to us.
- If we reach our goal, we’ll be able to begin developing new content for the game right away.
- Due to its popularity, Kickstarter also presents a unique marketing opportunity. So please tell your friends if you like what you see!
Those are, in my opinion, four quite good reasons and they’re not exactly asking for a fortune ($2.000), which makes sense, considering their reasons for it. At the time of writing, they’re at $95 with 9 backers and 29 days to go, but I’m sure they’ll succeed once someone spreads the word (oh wait, isn’t that what I’m doing with this article? Why I do believe it is!). It doesn’t say anywhere whether the price tag will increase from the $5 pre-order, but I doubt it’ll go higher than the $10 tier, and that one does get you all future DLC/content for free.
Remember that Greenlight thing? Curios Panda is also trying their luck there, and I’d recommend showing them some support either by leaving a comment, rating Rhythm Destruction or both. It’ll only take a few minutes, after all.
Whether or not they can actually pull it off remains to be seen, as the game won’t be out until next month. But while you wait for October, why not take a look at the launch trailer?
Official website, Kickstarter, Greenlight, Facebook and Twitter (@Ruugard).
