DO YOU SEE RETRO- STYLE GAMES AS MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN THEIR AAA 3D COUNTERPARTS? I’m not sure about that. Modern game engines, like Unreal Engine 5, are now so powerful that it’s probably faster and more accessible to create a realistic 3D shooter with huge environments than a retro-inspired pixel art run-and-gun. So when it comes to sustainability, I think it has more to do with team size, company philosophy, and investor
expectations than with the specific type of game being developed.
“I’d recommend not limiting your inspiration to just the pure retro library, but also studying more recent “neo-retro” titles.”
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING 2D ACTION GAME DEVELOPERS? I’d recommend not limiting your inspiration to just the pure retro library, but also studying more recent “neo-retro” titles. There’s so much to learn from the timeless classics, but it’s also incredibly valuable to see how modern developers have captured the spirit of the ’80s and ’90s
while elevating it through better presentation, deeper mechanics, and improved accessibility. Unless your goal is to create a purely nostalgic experience (both in looks and gameplay) it’s worth analyzing what made those older games great and how some teams have successfully evolved those formulas without losing their essence.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER BIG GAMING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES YOU’D WANT TO TAKE ON? I’D LOVE TO SEE YOU DO A BRAND-NEW MEGA MAN — NOT CLASSIC, NOT X, NOT ZERO. SOMEONE BRAND NEW! As a studio full of people who grew up playing classic games, we often end up daydreaming about what it would be like to work on some of our favorite franchises. Let’s just say that if an opportunity came where we could choose a legendary IP to work on, there would probably be an internal war over who gets to decide which! On a more serious note, working on NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound has been an incredible experience and it taught us a lot about what it means to handle such a beloved IP with care and respect. If the chance ever came to take on another iconic series, I think we’d be absolutely psyched about it and we’d bring the same passion and love for the source material as we did here.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE GAME KITCHEN? As for now, we can’t announce any new development, but we hope we’re able to continue creating new meaningful and exciting indie games!
38 | MCV/DEVELOP October/November 2025
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