By – Mike Bezek
If you were to posit that I have been living under the proverbial indie gaming rock for the past year, I would be inclined to agree with you on some counts. While I was quick to pick up on endearing gems of small-studio goodness like Dustforce and Bastion long before they exploded onto the scene, Treasure Adventure Game slipped by unnoticed into the night. It may have been because it was a freeware title, but if Chip’s Challenge taught me anything almost twenty-five years ago, freeware sometimes a pseudonym for bestware.
Stephen Orlando spent two years of his life pouring his heart into a charming title that asked nothing from its players but to enjoy it. Featuring smooth-as-silk gameplay, a charming soundtrack and a nostalgic trip down Metroid lane, it cleaned house with titles who previously attempted to conquer the genre. To say the least, the phenomenal response from a fledgling attempt at the 2D adventure genre most likely found Stephen taken aback.
Now after a short hiatus from game development, Stephen is back on the horse with the help of Chucklefish Games in creating a full HD version of the platforming darling. Yet this is not your typical HD reimagining that has plagued releases of beloved games such as Silent Hill. No, this is a full rework of the original engine with new sprites, backgrounds, animations and music; Chucklefish is redefining what it is to transform a game into a title deserving of the “High Definition” moniker.
Scooping 16 oz. of delight into this 8 oz. cup is the return of Robert Ellis who composed the original soundtrack. Remixing the flavor of the addicting NES-style soundtrack into modern tunes that retain a chiptune aftertaste that made it so addicting in the original game. While details on the game are very scarce, there are two things I can let you in on: One, TAW will be released sometime this year, and two, I do not know why I have been using ice cream euphemisms.
Just In case you haven’t had a chance to experience the original, you can pick it up on GOG for the low-low price of zero dollars. In fact, they will put it in your cart automatically if you sign up today, just to make sure you get a chance to experience this charming adventure.
- Jim
