Zelda-Inspired Hazelnut Bastille Wants To Bring SNES Magic To Switch, Kickstarter Coming Soon

I like it very much!!

This look cool.

Sidenote: I found Owlboy to be extremely dull and dissapointing. Now, The Messenger was RAD.

Hummm... I promised myself I won't Kickstart a game anymore, but this looks really good !

I hope they'll succeed.

I am, for sure, backing this especially if physicals are on the cards.
It looks brilliant

I think this was showcased on NL before. It looks great.

This will meet its targets mere hours after going live!

@SmaggTheSmug As per the article above, they talked about it in March

Inspired or copied, and they trust it that much they want other people to pay for the risk.

If they mixed this game with Stardew Valley...

Looks great.
Just remind me it exists when it comes out. Or even when the Kickstarter campaign begins.

Seems like it's Limited Run might be doing physicals:

https://mobile.twitter.com/AloftStudio/status/1048436452630167552

meh

Looks good, but I don't fund games. If it releases and gets good reviews will likely buy.

Damn. Zelda inspired and special guest SoM composer. Ain't gonna lie, it looks good and tempting. Strangely, Zelda clones are the only retro games I don't mess with. I don't know if I'll back it, but if it gets created and reviews good, I may just give it a whirl. I'm still waiting to see if Bloodstained:RotN make good on its release. After the Mighty No. 9 debacle, you know how it is...

I'm typically wary (and weary!) of Kickstarter games like this, but I have to say that the amount of work they've clearly already completed just in getting that 2min 30sec trailer pulled together compels me to believe this campaign will do well. I'll certainly keep an eye on this one.

It looks great! Like the Pokémon games did! You know, like 15 years ago...

I absolutely love what I see !

Great job, clean, full of passion... I can feel it...
My only "little complain" is that it looks too much like Zelda III but with a dull color palette...

Otherwise, I totally wanna play it and I WILL !

It looks like to much a copy of Zelda for me to get behind it

It looks like the sequel to Minish Cap.

Looks impressive

I'm actually a big fan of 16-bit inspired games. But this one does not convince me at all. I even like Moonlighter better.

@NewAdvent
Yeah, Kickstarter rubs me the wrong way too. Been burned a couple of times.
Edit: $65.000 is the funding goal but the Switch version is a stretch goal set at $110.000. What the fudge! :S

I'd pre order it, but I don't do kickstarter. Too many folks been burned by scammers and broken promises with those crowd funding sites.

Very cute looking Zelda-like.

In Link to the Past's absence, it really seems the new faces of this particular breed of action adventure are enjoying some time in the sun.

[AND THAT'S A GOOD THING]

Putting together a game in the genre that matches the expectations of the audience can be a tall order though.

I wish them the best of luck.

Gorgeous? its another 16-bit nostalgia trap. Gorgeous would be better to describe "Grip" or "Breath of the Wild." Or even "Hyper Light Drifter."

This just looks... old.

I've been really excited for this game, I thought it was coming out this year...but now a kickstarter? I guess we won't see it for a while now.

"Inspired" is the most belittled term nowadays.
Why cant you say "it looks awesome because it is an exact copy"? I would still buy it

I’m not opposed to backing on KS, but since I rarely game on my MacBook, I will wait for others to achieve the Switch reward level before I back it.

Looks great

The pixel art looks quite nice. I'll keep an eye out.

Well, I was sold after about the 13 second mark, I hope they will make physical copies available to regular customers, not just "backers", I would like to back it, but if a backer has to invest $80+ for a physical copy, I'm out.

PROBLEM ALERT
I tried going to the link to learn more about how much a backer would have to invest to get a "physical copy", but it just comes up a blank white, maybe it's just my browser,
Update apparently the site not happy with Kindle browser, but works on my Windows browser and my phone, cool

and on their twitter, they described it as a combination of "Metroidvania" & Secret of Mana.....WTH ???
not according to what was shown on the vid, it is a solid, perfect clone of LoZ: ALTTP, it seems weird they can't even correctly describe their game type.

@KimBread the video showed an awful lot of content, it wouldn't surprise me if the game was already completed, I see game kickstarters like that all the time, they keep most of the money (probably to help improve the game and make other games)and use the rest to pay for fees and marketing and (when possible) physical production

@jhewitt3476 Could you tell us where the link you tried was, and what it was for?

There are a few variables in play here: When the number of physicals is small, the cost per unit is very very high. We may in fact be offering these at a moderate loss to ourselves, meaning it would hurt development, rather than help it. There is a certain threshold where that changes, and it starts to be effective, which we believe we will pass. Physical copies were our fan's number one request, and it is something we can add without having to bloat our development further, so it is something we'd really like to offer the community! If physicals are offered outside this campaign, they will almost certainly be cheaper. The best value tier for a backer is 15 USD. At that level, you are getting an even greater bargain than it may seem, as there are hidden benefits we don't want to announce until they are confirmed. Past 60, you are into the enthusiast tiers, where it is more about supporting the development costs.

This game looks phenomenal. I've been keeping an eye on it since NL mentioned it earlier in the year. Now only if it can come to switch, ill be a happy camper. I'm not one for backing but I will no doubt support the game if it comes to switch.

Edit: my bad it looks like they're planning for a switch release. So I'll definitely support it when its live on the eshop.

@jhewitt3476

We are at around 50% development point I'd say. We have 90% of our mechanics finished and tested, and a framework for level design. We are well into our community testing, which was one of the big goals of the demo ( you can try that here: https://www.aloftstudio.com/hbdemobuilds ); that demo offers grossly simplified overworld content, but the Dungeon it features is comparable in scope to one from the full game. There is a pretty robust editor we built for the game which front-loaded a lot of the development, which is why the level design is coming a bit later (minus the demo preview).

@nintendobynature We have committed to the Switch, but there still remains the issue of paying for the costs, so we can develop them in tandem. We are NDA'd, sadly, but the costs are quite substantial.

Last time I read and saw something like this was about Oceanhorn and I was completely disappointed. Comparing a game to Zelda, especially A Link To The Past rises the expectation level to infinite, so the game can only fail (for me personally).

@AloftStudio
the link to
https://www.aloftstudio.com/hazelnutbastille
comes up blank on my Kindle browser, I tried it on my phone, it was also blank but about 10 seconds later it popped up, I will retract that part, my apologies, but am still concerned about the secrecy on who's involved when asked on Twitter

I have updated the link concern, but am still concerned about your description of the game, I've had all the Zelda games, a few of the early Mana games and all Metroid and Castlevania games and it is very confusing you would describe it as a Metroidvania meets Mana instead of a pefect LoZ: ALTTP

@AloftStudio thank you. I misread the headline 'wants to come to switch' but went back and re-read it and now realized you're planning on bringing it to switch.

@jhewitt3476 Yeah, the manufacturer of the physicals is currently an NDA subject. We are very sorry that we can't disclose that yet, and we hope it changes in the future; I can't say you aren't right to be suspicious.

You can read our personal bios on our presskit though (I know, not the same information). https://www.aloftstudio.com/hazelnutbastillepress

@AloftStudio again, sorry about being so harsh, my past experiences with regular and game kickstarts that deny information and turned out backfiring has put me on the defensive I guess

as for investing, I was serious about up to $80 if it feels good, it most certainly looks good so far though

Looks really good and it looks like it's fairly far along so I would have faith of this coming out in a reasonable time frame. I wonder why Team 17 or some of the other Indie publishers haven't picked this up? Or is it more of a matter of them not wanting to share part of the sales? Either way this is something I'll keep my eye on.

Wait, the console stretch goal is Switch only?
Why, would you look at that. Tunic has a Switch counterpart now, without it being Zelda itself!

It's quite clearly based on the gba Zelda not snes.

@AlexSora89 Console physicals will be offered for every console unlocked in the campaign. PS4 is also on the table, under an ???? (I guess not so ???? now....

@AloftStudio
Wait, you're the creators?! Wow! You - on all indie devs' behalf - are doing the Switch userbase a great service, (un)arguably more than the actual third party. Great to see you guys giving your best.

"Console physicals will be offered for every console unlocked in the campaign. PS4 is also on the table, under an ???? (I guess not so ???? now...."

... crap. I just gave PushSquare an article, didn't I.

I have seen a lot of game clones, love them, but most usually fall pretty short to the inspiring game, from watching the vid three times total, it has the look down, seems like it has the feel of the same gameplay mechanics, as I try to find out more about the game, I'm getting more interested, as clones go, I think they hit this one on the nose

@AloftStudio
Nintendo is screwing up with not bringing back Virtual Console and denying players many of the ports they REALLY want and the two top are LoZ: ALTTP & Super Metroid, if this game is released (preferably on cartridge), it will immediately fill a huge void, others will wait, but as reviews (probably positive), your customer base will expand and those who are uber loyal will probably pick it up also.

if this game succeeds, there will likely be a huge demand for your company to make a faithful Super Metroid clone.....

if you need any help, I have a lot of pull in certain areas and I may be able to help increase exposure to your fund page if interested

@jhewitt3476 Yeah, the New label we are running with (which we feel is most accurate, causes least confusion) is: "Topdown, Zelda-like ARPG in a 16bit-like character". It is a bit of a pedantic point, but the original LoZ (The game this is most like on a design level) is known as the first Metroidvania, but that is a long conversation, and saying Zelda-like Metroidvania is also redundant, so we dropped that label.

Thanks for the support! We urge all users to try out the demo: https://www.aloftstudio.com/hbdemobuilds

I think it is an excellent tool for figuring out if this is something you want to back or not. We don't want people to back on promises, we want them to back because they are confident in what we provided there (especially the dungeon, since that is pretty similar to actual full game content). https://youtu.be/yMgvF643AA8?t=1159

@AloftStudio
I'll talk to all my circles, most have 90%+ gamers involved, most also are huge indie supporters also, plus they are ALL big blabbermouths and virally spread talk like a church full of old women, their friends also have friends, ect. ect.

I'll see what I can pull off

@AlexSora89 Yeah We always lurk when we are posted about XD

Usually I only surface when there is confusion about a crucial point that I need to clarify, or there is a technical issue that needs fixing. Best to otherwise give folks their own space to express their real and accurate thoughts without the devs breathing down their neck, in my opinion!

@AloftStudio You guys kick ass. I will be supporting you. That is all.

Looks fantastic! Would back and buy!

@jhewitt3476 Have you considered that Nintendo is intentionally not bringing the Virtual Console to the Switch precisely so that there is a void @AloftStudio can fill? I don't think Nintendo screwed up that decision at all.

@AloftStudio
Neat to see you're one of us! Chime in when it comes to other subjects, too - we're talking about shaping the future of videogames via suggestions.

I have one question for you - do you have any, you know, "price tag window" (minimum price and maximum price)? The usual Nindie fare is around the number 20, and I'll see whether it's a day-one scenario or if I'll stick to my usual "as soon as it's on sale" tactic (isn't unemployment just great?). Although looking at this - gameplay like ALttP, graphical style like The Minish Cap, with many little touches here and there - it seems the case for Hazelnut Bastille will most likely be the former.

@AlexSora89

20-25 USD is what we expect at launch! 20 is a safe bet! Not... set in stone though.

@AloftStudio
for this game, considering the sales prices of comparable ports and continuations, like the Mega Man ports & 11 as well as other games, $25-$30 for a physical copy would probably be more than welcome

This looks so much like a link to the past (my childhood), I almost feel forced to buy it.

Note to NL: If you give it a 8+/10, you'll be responsible for my money being spent on this game

Wow that actually looks amazing. It seems they already have it all figured out. While I've taken a more skeptical stance on crowd funding for anything non-music, If the campaign shows me enough of this game completed, and there is any benefit to backing early, I might hop on board. I really like adventure games, there aren't enough of them, and heaven knows nintendo takes 100 years to make zelda games.

It's look awesome!!! I'll back it.

@AloftStudio
Which roughly translates to 20 euros, maybe 25 then. A great price for what's on offer here IMHO. Must see if money is on my side by the time (it's not a matter of if, but rather when) it hits the eShop.

Can anyone explain to me the difference between this and Blossom Tales and why I should be more excited to play this one?

Looks basically the same to me except this one isn't going to release for ages (if ever) while Blossom Tales is already available.

If physical is coming I am there if the price is right.

@EdScissorshands I'd say the scale of content. Blossom tales is modest length, just longer than the demo for our title. Hazelnut is planned to be around 30 hours of content.

Looks great! Loving the visual style. I will be keeping an eye on this one.

@AloftStudio

I have five questions for you :

_1st, why a resolution of 288 x 216 ?

_2nd, do you plan to output the game on CRTs ?

_3rd, or it was only convinient to have a multiplier X5 to get a fullscreen (4:3, 1440 x 1080) and keep the aspect ratio just to look more vintage ?

_4th, do you plan to add a CRT shader on the display options ?

_5th, do you need people to translate the game in several languages or the game will be in english only ?

PS : Sorry for the amount of questions and the best of luck for your project... (next year, my turn ^^).

-216x288 was the resolution that both scaled well on even multiples (to get pixel perfect, or close to it on most screens), and was closest to 4:3 resolution on the SNES, since our design is similar
-We have a CRT filter! You can play it on CRT if you have the right converters!
-We are getting professional translations for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian to start! More in the future! If you'd like apply for that, send us an email!

-216x288 was the resolution that both scaled well on even multiples (to get pixel perfect, or close to it on most screens), and was closest to 4:3 resolution on the SNES, since our design is similar
-We have a CRT filter! You can play it on CRT if you have the right converters!
-We are getting professional translations for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian to start! More in the future! If you'd like apply for that, send us an email!

It looks really neat, but the animation looks like it’s skipping frames. My big question: if I already own Zelda 3, why would I want to play this? What is it doing to truly distinguish itself from Z3?

@goggles789 Yeah, this is captured at 30 FPS, but some of the animations are higher than that. The game runs at 60 FPS.

Well... you could ask youself that question about any of the other 2D Zeldas... no matter which one you pick, Zelda 3 ALTTP is going to be the better game. That is unlikely to change anytime soon.

This is a different game, which is more focused on puzzles and story.

@AloftStudio Thanks for the reply, especially about the frame rate. What I'm wondering is how the game will be different, other than aesthetics. Or, is it a 1-1 clone? Just curious, because it's hard to tell from the trailer how the game stands out. Thanks.

@goggles789 No, in fact it is only somewhat like LTTP. That wasn't even really a goal...It is closer to LoZ, and the art is inspired by LoZ, Startropics, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, ALTTP, Minish Cap, Alundra, Terranigma, and a few other titles.

@AloftStudio interesting - thanks for the info. Best of luck with this endeavour!

I’ve had an eye on this one for a while, and am actually more hyped for it than I would be for a new 2d zelda. The weapon diversity and cool sexy art are what does it for me. Just hoping the story is great and there’s amazing side quests. Miss a good story in a zelda game.

Does this game have a switch release date, or even an idea of when of when we can expect it?

@Vriess it reminds me of alundra for some reason.

i'm a bit down about these releases, they never see the light of day on ps4 which is my main gaming platform, i missed out on that other zelda game Blossom Tales too because of it which is a shame.

i really do love zelda 2d games more than the 3d ones.

@huyi
I've never played Alundra but I recently seen a review for it on youtube and I would love to play it. I haven't played Blossom Tales either but I will get it next time it's on sale. Have you played Minish Cap?

@AloftStudio hey I'm very appreciative of you going into the comments and clearing up any questions that people have. Not many indies do that. A lot of the times indies will post up a kickstarter project and ask for nlind faith to be put into the developer. I really do appreciate you clearing up questions such as potential price point, how far along you are in development, playtime length, and how your game is different. I don't mean to throw other indies under the bus but I love the pixel art of your game and tend to get a bit miffed when I see other indies with kinda crap pixel art charging premium prices. I'm not sure if I'll back on kickstarter but I'll definitely buy day one

@Oat Thanks a lot! We watch stuff like the religiously, and make sure everyone has the full story!

We understand! KS is not for everyone! Too much risk, and you can bet there will be delays! We are incredibly grateful to the few who stand behind us there! People who put down money for something they get years later are really doing something pretty extraordinary...

@BongoBongo123 Sometime in mid 2020, most likely!

Damn that’s a long wait...mayb this game will be competing with Nintendo’s own 2d game.

I have seen this one before. I am currently playing Blossom tales and its fun, but this one looks much better. Do want, especially since Nintendo doesn't seem in the mood of making a totally new top down Zelda, with a new overworld.