WayForward is a publisher and developer that's best known by some for its mascot Shantae, but in recent times has started to grow almost beyond its heroine. Particularly in terms of its development efforts its working on IPs and franchises with plenty of fans, notably teaming up with Nintendo on the upcoming Switch release Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp.
It seems the company has more major projects in the works, too. Speaking to Goomba Stomp, River City Girls Zero project lead Adam Tierney teased that there's a lot to come from the company over the next two years.
The lineup of games that WayForward’s working on now and that we’re about to start working on is probably, I could safely say, the craziest, most impressive lineup of a year or two of WayForward games I’ve ever seen. If we just started rattling off brands–some of them are video game brands, some of them are non-video game brands, some more original stuff; it really is ridiculous how we’re hoarding those dream opportunities, and how much of that stuff that we have on the horizon going into the back end of 2022, and 2023 and beyond.
Tierney also talked a lot about River City Girls Zero, a 'Port+' project in which WayForward is bringing Japan-exclusive Super Famicom title Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka to a new audience. WayForward is adding a new opening cinematic and cutscenes, along with new music and dual audio (English and Japanese). The project was taken on because the game inspired River City Girls, and also represents characters and themes that'll come up in River City Girls 2. Tierney outlined an interesting process of honouring and respecting the original while catering to current fans.
We’re trying to do two things at once: we’re trying to have a very faithful adaptation that doesn’t change a bunch of stuff and lets people play the game as it was supposed to be, but then we also want to tie it to the modern brand and tie it to what we’ve been working on.
We’re not trying to erase that game’s identity—if anything, we’re being careful in saying this is a game we love, this is a game that influenced us, and it’s coming over here because this was so influential. We’ve really done our best to do the most faithful, reverent adaptation and porting of this game possible, while also having some fun with it and putting stuff in there that will appeal to people coming to the brand for the first time with River City Girls Zero.
River City Girls Zero is out on 14th February on Switch, making its debut on Nintendo's system.
The full interview is well worth a read (link below). In terms of WayForward having big plans, what franchises would you love to see the company work on over the next couple of years?
[source goombastomp.com]
Comments 19
As a big fan of Wayforward, I can't wait!
just give me Advance Wars Re Boot Camp that's all I care about from WayForward
Less Bakugan and Trollhunters, more Advance Wars 1+2 and River City Girl 2 please, Wayforward. Less trash, more treasure.
Not their biggest fan but I will always spare them a minute if they have an announcement, it could catch my eye you never know
What purpose does such self-hyping serve without anything releasing at the same time? Proof is in the pudding.
I'd love a new Mighty Switch Force!
Easily one of the more imaginative western devs of today. Even the titles fanmouthed as "absolute trash" carry the unspeakably atrocious sin of being... more run-of-the-mill and dwarfed by the equally abundant classics in their portfolio. Shantae series, Sigma Star Saga, Aliens Infestation, Contra 4 and Duck Tales Remastered, Hotel Transylvania and The Mummy turned into memorable metroidvanias and Silent effin' Hill turned into a memorable diabloid, all the recent gems on Switch... I certainly welcome more of their stuff. Honesty, I'm also still holding out for more Frontierverse even while having yet to beat half of it, so if Monolith Soft has their hands full... I'd say WayForward feels like a very plausible helper candidate for Project X Zone 3.
@Sdelintwouters aren't we all.
I was joking about them porting the GBA Fire Emblem games if they ever finish Advance Wars, but it sounds like that might be a real possibility.
WayForward is by far my favorite Indie developer. So I'm hyped.
A new Alien Infestation on Switch, you say? Much larger maps and multiple characters to control at once and swap between? Co-op?
What? including a remake of the first game on DS, you say?
No?
It's still what I heard nonetheless.
Yes can't wait to play Advance Wars 1 & 2 again. If this sell well please give us an Advance Wars 3 or maybe a remastered of Super Famicom Wars and Days of Ruin.
Love wayforward, and hope all those projects are switch bounded.
@Magician
The trash usually means certain money for them as the costs of making the game aren't for them
@WaysForward, plz FastForward to release date
@Nintendo, plz put out a sale on the WiiU versions
@IntelligentSystems, plz make Advance Wars: Switch Sides
Love WayForward. Can't wait to see what they have coming!
WayForward Project Lead Says Its "Craziest, Most Impressive Lineup" Is On The Way......Forward.
I'm going to hold them to this. If they reveal Fire Emblem Kart later this year, I'll be...well, not disappointed, but still.
Wayforward has been pretty hit and miss for me, but when they hit, they’re fantastic devs.
Contra 5 please.
I'm glad that WayForward has been able to really work on more passion projects instead of having to put out licensed games or games for series they're not particularly passionate about. They've really grown over the years.
But, uh, where's my Mighty Switch Force 3?
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