Remember Clive 'N' Wrench, a 3D platformer inspired by the likes of Banjo-Kazooie? We'll forgive you if you don't, but back in February 2015 we reported that the title was bound for the Wii U subject to a successful Kickstarter campaign. The game raised just £2,249 of its £25,000 target, but development progressed regardless and recent footage looks very slick indeed.
Sadly - but not entirely unexpectedly, we have to say - Wii U support is no longer on the cards, but the 3D platformer could make its was to the Nintendo Switch.
Here's what developer Rob Wass had to say:
Back when we first launched this campaign we had Wii U as a main target platform. As I'm sure most of you are aware by now, the Wii U has ceased production and is fairly quickly being phased out, making room for the Switch. Whilst we definitely want CnW to appear on a Nintendo system at some point in the future, it seems very unlikely that the Wii U is a viable option any more. So I would like to apologise to anyone who was hoping to see Clive 'N' Wrench on their Wii U, but that is unfortunately no longer the plan.
Would you like to see Clive 'N' Wrench appear on the Switch in the future, alongside fellow 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee? Let us know with a comment.
Comments 49
Why are they all cancelling their Wii U releases now and not months ago?
Stardew Valley, Yooka-Laylee, this game, and it's certain that Bloodstained will follow.
It's okay, Wii U. I still love you. It'll be three years of us this Christmas, and I don't mind that everyone is cancelling their games for you. We'll always have Bayonetta 2. It's not Christmas without caviar, after all.
It's a massive shame & the timing possibly bodes ill for what Nintendo might be telling developers behind closed doors about future Wii U support. I can understand Yooka-Laylee being dropped as that has issues running on some PCs... but Wass was clear this is all about viability.
No big loss. A Breath of the Wild hasn't (yet) been cancelled. As long as that remains - coupled with a MASSIVE backlog of games, both retail and eShop - the WiiU (for me) remains a staple.
Do't cry Wii U. Switch will continue the journey. Btw, this 3D platform looks temptating. Hopefully for Switch version for sure.
What a harey situation the Wii U is in. Gosh. Anyway, regarding the Switch, I'm all ears!
I don't mind all these games ending up on the Switch.
It's like 2013/14 all over again.
@MagicEmperor Booooo
I...completely forgot about this game. Huh.
Btw, Has Clive n Wrench released on other machine ? Or this title for Wii U (Used to be but now canceled, Switch version possibly) and PC ?
This is my first time to know about this game. Btw, Gosh... the Muscular bunny on Greece Place is so Hot...! (After checked from Youtube)
Game looks really good. I would not be surprised when Nintendo announce Breath of Wild is going to be Switch only, they can't even agree on when it will be released. Even after the big show at E3, they will still delay it
Do we really need an article about every single one of these?
I'm guessing that Nintendo may have just started to get dev kits to indie developers like these that are further down the priorities list.
Without them, they would have had to keep working on the Wii U version, even if they were planning to move over to the switch for months.
@Anti-Matter It's not completed yet, but it should come to PC Steam (where it's already been Greenlit) next year. Clive 'n Wrench has its own IndieDB and Facebook sites, I recommend you to check 'em out.
@yoshinatsu Switch was only announced somewhat recently. My guess is that these indie devs did not have access to the console before the reveal, and despite rumours, could not be sure how quickly the Wii U was going to be phased out. With the positive reaction to Switch, they probably spent the last month or so in the process of deciding whether they should still release for Wii U/speaking with Nintendo to see if they would be able to release on Switch.
If you haven't even completed your game yet why would you bother to release it on a console which has ceased production and only sold a fairly small number of units in its prime? I will be getting a Switch day 1, so right now I'd be happy for every proposed Wii U game to jump ship (not that there are many).
Oh noo, a sniper killed the wiiU, and they buried it already, and rumors say; no its stil alive... RIP WiiU, we had fun for four years. The Switch will rule the console and handheld market.
I don't want some filthy capitalist propaganda on my Wii U!
Nintendo probably is starting to promote Switch development among indie developers, and is giving dev kits to the more promising ones.
It is understandable, but a shame for the Wii U. Still, @EllenJMiller is right. As long as the only place I can play Bayo 2 is the Wii U, is going to be hook up to my TV.
@BensonUii @yoshinatsu totally agree with you guys! after so many months developing for the wii u there's technical reasons just after the switch reveal... at least be honest like this dev: it'll be a better deal releasing on the switch!
@amiiboacid
Care to elaborate?
I've still got Breath of the Wild on preorder, at least.
@HappyMaskedGuy Sorry, was that too punishing for ya? Here's a lucky rabbit foot. It's worth 24 carrots in gold.
A failed Kickstarter game isn't coming to the Wii U?
I'll try to cope with the disappointment.
Clive=Clank
Wrench=Ratchet
Love the original name.
@Koniec
They knew several months ago these games weren't coming to Wii-U but didn't/couldn't say they were moving to the Switch until it was officially announced. You think these cancellations were rash decisions?
Who? Never even heard of this.
This doesn't even look half as good as Yooka-Laylee, and contrary to that game, this truly does smell like it's all about financials, but still a logical decision for the company, and one more game for the Switch.
"a 3D platformer inspired by the likes of Banjo-Kazooie"
Let's see... Blue jean shorts, check. Brown belt with a golden holder, check. Burly muscle bound character who looks a bit goofy, check. Fang(s) featured somewhere around their head, check. Signature brown/yellow leather/cloth backpack, check. Slightly grating yet witty sidekick hiding in the backpack, check.
...Yep, I'd say this is more like a rip off than an inspiration. The least they could do is be tasteful about being inspired by it, like Ratchet and Clank... Whose names they also ripped off.
@yoshinatsu Nintendo is the one to blame, they actively avoided updating their system firmware to avoid piracy and are now completely abandoning development on ANYTHING Wii U based. Mario Party on 3DS had TWO entries, for the first time in handheld history.
This is a real shame, as it's the worst last few years a console has ever had.
Banjo... is that you?
"...could make its was to the Nintendo Switch."
Hmmm....
The bad guy is an antilope vampire?
That's fresh. Maybe the horns really do look sufficiently like fangs for that to work out.
Didn't that kickstarter fail.......
"The game raised just £2,249 of its £25,000 target, but development progressed regardless and recent footage looks very slick indeed."
Oh that explains it.
WELP! What other 3d platformer that was gonna be WiiU bound make the Switch?
Why are people treating the Wii U as a human being? "Don't cry Wii U", " I still love you". It's an inanimate object lol. Nintendo best make the Switch a good console if they wish to stay in the console race.
Alright alright.
So digging a little further, it seems this game had a HUGE character art improvement happen to since the ill-fated Kickstarter (is that the famous/infamous Miu going over the designs there?), and environments are starting to catch up too.
I'm not really disappointed to see it slip from Wii U, and I wish these guys the best of luck with finishing up and releasing the game.
Doesn't look bad! See you on Switch.
@Zoriam It was a joke about how the villains are obviously based on Communists.
they might release on switch at least we can hope
All these games coming to the Switch is nothing but a positive thing in the long run. It sucks in the short term for the Wii U owners looking forward to games like this, but the Switch absolutely needs to succeed for Nintendo to remain a first party company.
Maybe the WiiU wouldn't be being "phased out" if freaking developers would MAKE games for it!
I doubt they'll even bring it to Switch, I swear it just makes me want to protest developers making games for every console, but the Nintendo one, and not buy their games for ANY system.
So, here's what I'm thinking: All the money WiiU owners WOULD have spent on games that have been cancelled or moved to Switch would in and of itself fund a Nintendo Switch.
On the topic of the game itself, it sure has come a long, LONG way since it's initial Kickstarter pitch. Maybe it's the resizing of the bunny that makes it better. Clive isn't that soulless Bugs Bunny animatronic thing he was before. Also the fact that Clive spins Wrench around now to glide is hilarious (before Wrench just used a small cloth to float).
@PlywoodStick To be perfectly honest, all these new 3D platformers are "ripoffs", including Yooka-Laylee. It's kind of the point of cloning.
@OorWullie more like, it's like every year ever for Nintendo since 2011 all over again.
@Beau_Skunk the NDF is strong with you.
@MagicEmperor Marginal improvement.
@HappyMaskedGuy Swell!
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