Clive 'N' Wrench Aims to Bring Back Those Rare 3D Platforming Memories on Wii U

It's character designs are still fugly.

I'll be keen to see if this turns out well in the end...I miss that Banjo-Kazooie style collect-em-up genre!

P.S. That voiceover, though :S

This needs to do a Conker, go from cute game to some messed up stuff.

The game itself looks fine but that voice over's SO annoying! The characters designs look awful too, they look like someone from the people who made those Dalmatians and Animal Soccer games (look them up if you don't know them) or even cheap knock-off cereal boxes...

EDIT: Oh Jesus christ! I just tried the free demo you linked in the article and... It doesn't even work! It doesn't load the level at all! It just loads audio, some sort of completely blue scenery with vague outlines of trees, random floating text behind the trees and black background. When I tried a second time, there's was an addition of some colourful bars everywhere behind the trees.... I also had trouble exiting the controller mapping screen after entering it. I know this is an alpha build but come on! At least make it playable before making it publicly available!

Character art looks like it belongs in FNAF! I'll keep an eye on this one though, I'm always moaning about lacking 3D platformers.

Omg I heard about this a year ago. So glad there's a demo now!

Clive 'N' Wrench. b/c Ratchet and Clank was already taken

My kind of game, and yes sadly they don't make too many anymore, but those graphics gotta go. They don't need to be AAA HD but indie devs have been working wonders in the graphics department of late.

Brothers: A Tale of 2 Sons

Rainbow Skies

Kind of looks like 40mb of Jett Rocket on Wiiware,only not as good.

When I hear the name I think Ratchet & Clank, when I see that villain I think Neo Cortex. Not interested so far.

Well, I backed them.

I remember this project from a year ago, around the same time I backed Lobodestroyo. At the time, I thought it was promising, but still way too clunky-looking. It certainly looks much better now, and to be honest I don't mind the chunkiness of the graphics in this case.

Yes, they could work a bit on the character art, but what I've seen looks quite promising.

yikes, gonna try demo first if it any good.

@ricklongo Talking about Lobodestroyo, what happened with that one ?

@Einherjar Wasn't it released?

@Einherjar It's coming along. I have access to the backer-only forums, and they have been posting exclusive monthly updates. I'm not sure if a 2015 release date is in the cards, however.

@CanisWolfred I can only nod my head and agree with you, sir. The character designs were an immediate no when I saw them.

I like that they're using this genre template but the characters couldn't be less appealing, to me at least. Wish someone would reinvent this style of gameplay though. Jack and Daxter was a great example, but I bet it could be done better.

Those main characters look something from 5 Nights at Freddy's! Creepy...

Having a monkey makes sense, but that rabbit is weird looking. Why a rabbit with giant arms? Banjo-Kazooie looked good because they complimented each other so well. A monkey and a thin, long arm, rabbit just doesn't seem like the right choice.

As far as graphics are concerned, yeah, they look a little rough. I'm going to assume it's like that to get the point across, and isn't final.

I miss the genre. I recently played the first Spyro and though dated in some ways it was still good fun.

It seems there has been quite a lot of focus on side-scrolling NES styled platformers in recent years, so it is nice to see the N64 era platformer (complete with chunky visuals!) get a bit of attention from indies.

@ricklongo Well, at least its still alive
It looked pretty promising.

We need a jet force Gemini clone. It's probably rares most under appreciated N64 games (well, second to blastcorp). Not too many 3D platformers with guns. Hopefully, Splatoon delivers.

I get that it wants to be N64 nostalgic, which can be a good thing, I also see that It wants to poke fun somewhat at the genre, but man does this game look bad, its more like a poor no-name branded soft drink, with too much sugar and not enough fizz!

ok, I played the Demo, becasue the intentions of the game seemed appealing ...
I know that this is a alpha version of the game and I know that the artstyle and the "Banjo&Kazooie"-liklyness dictate many things but ...

The 3D models are just bad, The platforming feels really wired and the input seems to be delayed and feels therefore out of place. The music is somewhat interesting, but I knew why after the 3rd room. They don't want to make a game wich enters the same style and genre like Banjo&Kazooie, they want to make a game JUST like Banjo Kazooie ...

They are Borrowing many things from BK and DK64, which isn't bad imo, but they have to get to work and fix their platforming and movement in the game .... and hopefully the all of the 3D models ...

The sound-desing seems to be really minimal all around the game and is sometimes extremely annoying (the sharks).

On the plus side, they can make a really decent game out of this, if they just try to make something new instead of copying BK/DK64 in terms of level-desing.

TLDR: There are many things wrong with the demo, Controls feel arkward/delayed, 3D-models are ugly, platforming isn't really nice and it seems like they just want to make a straigt copy of BK/DK64 without the Copyright-infringement. But I think they can make a good gema out of it if they can create something new out of this and upgrade the visuals/controlls/leveldesing/sound, all in all they have a huge ammount of work in front of them, but which gamedeveloper dosn't?

I had such hight hopes when I heard about this. Now I've seen it in action. Not so much

The main characters look terrible; I doubt I could ever tolerate them, let alone like them.

Shame.

Those graphics just don't appeal to me at all, technically nor artistically. The animations are pretty horrible too, as are the physics, by the look of it...

I'm sorry but this doesn't really seems like it'll be worth my time or money. It doesn't even resemble a €0.99 mobile game. The severe lack of experience and production values of these devs is painfully obvious.

Nintendo needs to step in and help these guys out. The visuals can look much better then this and they can help out with a couple of other areas

I'll certainly keep an eye out for reviews if and when it launches. I think it's unfortunate that people can praise an 8-bit or 16-bit pixel aesthetic but aren't yet prepared to give a 64-bit 3D aesthetic any credit. (Of course, if I'm wrong and it is just poor programming rather than intentional design then that's another thing entirely).

That video though... the voice-over... eurgh

Oof, I was hoping we'd never see low polygon 3D platformers again. They were good for their time because that's the best they could do with 3D tech but wow, it never aged well.

Looks pretty sluggish. I do love me some 3D platforming though. Not sure if want.

Looks super generic and those graphics are from the 90s/early 2000s, too. Ouch!

Finally! Getting back to low poly N64 style gaming. Those were the days. I don't care much for the glamor graphics of these new games that are created today. I like my games to look like games. Not cartoons or the next Pixar animation.

I was so happy to see that little penguin at the end... even though I have a Wii U.

i can live with N64 graphics as long as the game is good.

More of this potentially good "at-least-we-try" kind,
and less of the flappy "coded-on-a-weekend" kind.

Just hope it doesn't rip off Banjo-Kazooie beyond having a main character duo and being a 3D platformer. If this has absolutely no original ideas that's way worse than unappealing main characters or blocky graphics.

I thought there were too many of these in the 64 days. Mario 64 nailed it, and each platform tried to have its version of the 3D platformer, but then there was Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country 64, Conker, and others that were all kind of the same thing without the Mario charm. Now I kind of miss them, as Mario is the only one doing 3D platformers these days, and the levels have become much more linear in the meantime. It works well, but I now kind of miss the old running around looking for stuff genre.

Nintendo could get in on this by remaking DKC64, or even better, an HD Mario Sunshine. Playing through Majora's Mask and OoT 3D has made me realize how much an HD remake can flesh out the look of old favorites.

Well then... it certainly doesn't look good... Beyond the obvious graphical shortcomings, the character movement (even looking past the animation) looks off. How well the character controls, and how movement feels is critical for a platformer. If you can't get that right, everything else is pointless.

Really it will boil down to level design for me. I can swallow the graphics if the game plays well enough.

Looks crap.

I would have been interested if it wasn't for the awkward character design and the artistic direction, both conceptually and graphically.

I'm not going to fully dismiss this game as it's still in development. But I can't help but think this could be better with someone else's idea from the initial post that this would be better as a Nintendo purchased developer using the dog and duck duo Duck Hunt.

I'm not going to fully dismiss this game as it's still in development. But I can't help but think this could be better with someone else's idea from the initial post that this would be better as a Nintendo purchased developer using the dog and duck duo Duck Hunt.

What a coincidence; I just replayed Banjo-Kazooie (up to saving Tootie) this Saturday, and absolutely loved it. I like the sense of humour in the voice-over and I hope these guys are able to create a game-play experience that's similarly fun and entertaining the way Banjo-Kazooie was.

Nice, it's coming to Wii U. I'm usually not the one to give a mention about graphics but... Those graphics don't look too good, I hope they improve them a bit.

Looks eh.

@sinalefa

Same. :/

Obnoxious and condescending-sounding voice-over for this trailer aside, I think it might be harmless and worth a look (if their Kickstarter succeeds, that is). I like Banjo-Kazooie, so why not (especially since one of the systems it might potentially be available for is the Nintendo Wii U)?

To each their own

No, just no. Nuff said.

What happened to companies paying to develop their own games and then reinvesting the profits? Since when did it become an acceptable business practice to beg? :/

Every level shown reminds me of specific areas of Earthworm Jim 3D and Jak & Daxter Precursor Legacy.

@C-Olimar indie developers don't have that much money. They beg for money to develop their games, they can't just pull out a million dollars out of thin air

These are first time developers guys give them a break. They just want to recreate the classic 3D feel of a 90s platformer like former Rare employees are also doing. Either you love em or you hate em that's how you critique an indie game after you place them. They obviously don't have the money AAA developers have

Even though I love the old fashioned 3d platformer games, I'm still not convinced about this game. Still, it could turn out to be quite fun in the end.

Good, we need more of these types of games.

Looks like a nice homage to Banjo Kazooie, I think I'll back it.

I want to be interested but something about the characters and art style is REALLY offputting...

@CanisWolfred Abandon ship everyone! A video game isn't quite pleasing to the eyes for modern standards! If only we could move on past our bias of art styles we might find something really special. Don't get me wrong, aesthetic is extremely important in some games. World of Goo would NOT have worked nearly as well on a previous console. That being said, mechanics are still important and more than enough to carry a game by themselves. Today, especially in the indie market it's important to be forgiving of displeasing art styles.

Of course, they CAN hinder the atmosphere. I just hope their charm will shine through with dialogue and creative level design.

@IronMan28

It looks pretty, pretty, preeeetty bad

@CanisWolfred I completely agree. I couldn't even stand to click on the video with characters like that.

@Crimzonlogic
capture at least it isn't this

@Mega719 Haha, well, at least they've improved. I hope they keep polishing it because it is still a tad creepy...

You know what this reminds me of? Jumpstart World. An old educational game with visuals just like this. Except this is a bit creepier. It doesn't look that great anyways, and the platforming doesn't seem all that special.

Dive 'n' Wretch. This trailer left me frigid. Pass.

I design characters as an amateur artist and this just looks pooooopy and generic, pardon my language.
I have greater ambition and should get funded instead of this...

_{Please use other words as we do not allow profanity here -Lz}

Meeeeeeh!!

I want a full-scale retail 3D platformer. A good looking one! This one looks super ugly and uninspired. And seeing as it will be a download, I guess it won't be nearly as big as Banjo Kazooie or Super mario Sunshine.

I lost faith when I read it was being made for PC and Mac. Not that I have anything against the latters, but that means that this game is not being developed "with Wii U in mind", but rather the opposite. It has to be developed to fit both Wii U and PC/Mac, which isn't good.

I can tell that a lot of time, blood, sweat, tears and heart went into putting this game together, but it looks... not fun for some reason.

So this isn't the Banjo inspired game done by ex-Rare people? Yeah, I'm probably skipping this. Waiting for the REAL Banjo successor!

Oh second thought, maybe I don't want this anymore...

@starmarx39 No. Graphics are important to a degree. They're like clothes. You have to at least be presentable. That's a requirement for daily living. If you look like a disheveled hobo, people are gonna think you're a disheveled hobo, and if you aren't a disheveled hobo, then you'll be expected to get your act together, or else you'll have a bad time, especially if you want legitimate work.

That's sort of the thing here. Even if they get everything else right, they still are gonna have trouble convincing people they actually made something worthwhile when their main characters were drawn by a six-year-old. No matter how good you are as a game designer, a game still needs a good artist. How can anyone be trusted to design levels well when they clearly demonstrate a complete lack of forethought?

TL;DR, there's a minimum standard when it comes to art in games. There's a difference between style and just amatuerish, and this is clearly the latter.

@Mega719 A kickstarter is like a sales pitch, just to a larger audience. It's not a charity, it's an investment. At the very least, he could've hired a better artist, and took him into account in terms of the full cost of the game. We're not asking them to develop a AAA game, we're asking them to act like complete amatuers in front of the people you're trying to get money from.

I suppose you have a point. There is a certain level of professionalism that accompanies a competent aesthetic style. Though graphics on their own, pure resolutions, frame rates and the like can always look good past Atari days with some competent styling. This does however smack of something made by developers more focused on the actual gameplay and level design over appearance which in its own could be quite good. You have to give indie projects leeway otherwise you can rule out some really impressive experiences.

@starmarx39 No I don't. Some of, if not all of the good indie games out there look generally good. Not all look great or Amazing, but they're generally pleasing to the eye and work well with the style of game they're going for. I really don't think this is the case here, and quite frankly, I don't see why they deserve to get their project funded when there are many more obviously competant developers out there who can demonstrate that they're good at more than one thing. "Gameplay over graphics" isn't admirable. The goal is to be good in as many areas as you can be.

I dunno, if aesthetics aren't the focus I can take a gamble. I mean, many Indies can't afford to shock and awe. I'd like it to look fancy, but if it's fun I'll still gladly play, and if I see potential in the level design I'm buying either way. Hell, I honestly wish the graphical race would slow down a little to give smaller companies a chance to catch up. We see messes like Assassin's Creed Unity and realize that the pressure these days is simply too much.

@starmarx39 No, you're misunderstanding. It's about art-style, or rather the lack thereof. No one's asking them to make a AAA games that pushes the tech. I'm just saying "don't make it ugly". That's not too much to ask, I've never in my life played a game where the art style felt amatuerish and that did not translate to the rest of the game. Especially a game I've had to pay actual money for.

@CanisWolfred I know. I'm not saying art style isn't important, I'm just saying that ruling out any game without a stunning presentation be that graphically or aesthetically would be cheating ourselves out of some really cool experiences.

This looks ugly and stupid. The Banjo-Kazooie inspiration (ripoff) is a bit shameless.

@starmarx39 And again, why are you bothering to say that? I'm not saying it needs to be stunning. I never said that a game needs to look great to play great. I never said graphics were more important than gameplay. I was indeed simply saying they are important enough, that it shouldn't look bad. I can get your point - I don't agree, but only because I've yet to play a game I thought looked guinely bad, yet I still enjoyed playing it, but that could just as easily be chalked up to personal preference and limited experiences. I just hope after all this time we can come to a mutual understanding, even if we don't agree.