The interview features Surumaru and Tater Pants, developers of PC Engine games. They discuss their current project, “Nyanja,” a single-screen platformer for the PC Engine Super CD and Steam, which was successfully funded on Kickstarter. They also talk about their previous game, “FX Unit Yuki,” a 2D action platformer that parodies various PC Engine games.
Key Discussion Points:
Nyanja:
- The game is currently about 80-85% complete, with a projected release before the end of the year.
- The Kickstarter campaign was for the PC Engine CD and Steam versions.
- They plan a separate crowdfunding campaign to bring Nyanja to other consoles like the Mega Drive and Sega Dreamcast.
- The soundtrack composer loves Japanese themes, cats, and ninjas.
- The demo available to influencers features three worlds.
FX Unit Yuki:
- Released in 2018.
- It started as a webcomic.
- The game parodies classics like Adventure Island, Cotton, and Dracula X.
- It is available on PC Engine, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Switch, and Mega Drive.
- Different difficulty levels unlock different endings and a secret character.
Developer Background & Motivation:
- Tater Pants previously released an RPG called “Mysterious Song” for the PC Engine CD in 2012.
- Both developers are big fans of the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16.
- They enjoy the nostalgic feeling of physical game releases.
Favorite PC Engine Games:
- Tater Pants’ favorite game is Newtopia.
- Surumaru’s favorite is Ys Book I & II (TurboGrafx-CD).
Development Process & Tools:
- Games are primarily coded in a reduced version of C called “small C.”
- They use compilers like HCC or HuCC.
- For pixel art, PaintShop Pro 7 is recommended.
Future Projects:
- They are working on a new action game, a rework of a canned shooter called “Lucia Demon Princess,” potentially for a mid-2026 release.
- Tater Pants is a licensed developer for Atari VCS and Xbox and plans to bring their games to the VCS.
- They are considering developing a Master System game.
How to Support:
- Demos for Nyanja and FXUnit Yuki are available on sarumaru.itch.io.
- Nyanja can be pre-ordered from sarumaru.com.
- The developers encourage supporting indie developers.
