Highly acclaimed for its detailed pixel art『Owlboy』‘s developer “D-Pad Studio” is a new game『Vikings on Trampolines』was officially announced.At the momentStore page for PC (Steam)has been published, and a console release is planned.
“Vikings on Trampolines” is an action game featuring Vikings as the main character, where you can enjoy not only solo but also local multiplayer battles and cooperative play with up to four people. The basic rules are simple, and the work involves stepping on a trampoline and operating a Viking that jumps up and down, fighting monsters and kicking opponents off scaffolding. The overwhelming pixel art expression seen in “Owlboy” is still alive.
In addition to the “battle mode” where four people kick each other down in the game, there is also an “adventure mode” that supports cooperative play. In the latter mode, the enemy is a “balloonie” who was originally a cute animal but was turned into a monster by an evil balloon. While breaking the curse of Balloony, the ultimate goal is to rescue King Vi.
It seems that various bosses and stages will appear, and in the released video, you can see a wide variety of stage gimmicks and designs. A gigantic bird stretching its neck, a whale devouring a scaffolding ship, a stage where a trolley rides on a coaster, and a soccer match, all of which are elaborate contents. According to the press release distributed, new rules and arenas for competitive mode will be unlocked as the game progresses.
Also, although the details are unknown at this time, it seems that one of the features of this work is that it is easy to operate, and according to the Steam store page, “You can operate with one hand while eating with one hand”. The press release states that it can be played with a single thumbstick, suggesting it may be an action game that focuses solely on airborne character movement.
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As mentioned above, D-Pad Studios is a studio that made a name for themselves with Owlboy, a side-scrolling action-adventure game featuring an abandoned owl. The crazy pixel art that took 10 years to complete was highly acclaimed, and after being released for PC in 2016, it was released on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2018. .
“Vikings on Trampolines” announced this time was a small-scale work that won the “Nordic Games Indie Sensation Award” in 2011, and after the completion of “Owlboy”, we aim to sublime it as a “cooperative adventure game”. Development is said to have progressed.
“Owlboy” was about enjoying the cooperation between the main character and NPCs, but I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of actions players can experience in this work. More details about Vikings on Trampolines will be revealed at gamescom 2022 in August.