Old School Gamer Magazine chats with Crunch Out’s Senior Developer, Artur Bujdoso to find out what inspired the game and how Devolver Digital and Take This played a role in the developer’s first Super Nintendo game.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How was this game born?
Artur Bujdoso: It was a result of a discussion between Devolver, TakeThis and Mega Cat. We felt supporting a great cause would be beneficial for all of us and generally liked the idea to develop for a platform which doesn’t get many releases these days with the challenges the hardware poses for game development.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How does it feel to work with Devolver Digital?
Bujdoso: They trusted us from the beginning and were fantastic in every way. There are publishers who want to see every last bit of development and there are ones who generally trust the companies they work with. Devolver liked the direction we chose with graphical and game design and kept encouraging us to follow our ideas.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What has the development cycle been like?
Bujdoso: Unfortunately the platform was the least forgiving of the retro consoles we work with and had plenty of challenges on the technical side throughout development. As always, we were supported by some fantastic community members, and tenacious efforts internally for the dev team members to get it done.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How has the success of Log Jammers and Coffee Crisis helped this project?
Bujdoso: Without question, they helped! Having a proven track record for finishing games, applying community feedback, and creating top quality collectible versions is something we’re proud of.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Can we expect an eventual Steam and Console release?
Bujdoso: 1000 copies as a limited run in physical form is all we’re planning at this point.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes this game sexy?
Bujdoso: We do have some fantastic pixel art. I particularly love the story and review screens, attached below.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How would you describe this game in a sentence?
Bujdoso: Fast-paced, arcade-style management game build to improve the visibility and message of “Crunch Hurts!”
Old School Gamer Magazine: Who do you think will enjoy it the most?
Bujdoso: I think people in the game industry will find it particularly relatable. Also, players who are fond of arcade games will like it a lot. Some people noticed it gets very hard towards the end, but generally speaking, retro fans trained and cast in the fires of cartridges will always beat, unlock, and find the secrets and easter eggs within a game.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What is Take This? How did you get involved with them?
Bujdoso: They’re a mental health organization with the mission to decrease the stigma, and increase the support for, mental health in the game enthusiast community and inside the game industry. Their vision is a game community that welcomes and supports people experiencing mental health challenges, and that recognizes the humanity and mental health of game creators.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Bottom line, why must someone play this game?
Bujdoso: Support a great cause on a medium you adore, if you’re a fan of the SNES. We’ve been updating inventory and releasing them in short waves after the pre-sale, and only have one or two waves left to physically build the cartridges before they’re sold out forever. Finally, if you’re a fan of Fork Parker himself, you can’t get this much Forking anywhere else.
Old School Gamer Magazine:What’s next?
Bujdoso: We’re thrilled to be working on some really fun projects right now, SNES and otherwise. If you’re a super fan of retro, subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive updates. We will be posting more exciting news soon!
Old School Gamer Magazine: Anything else you’d like to add?
Bujdoso: I hope people will enjoy this game as much as we did making it! Remember, crunch hurts! As the lead developer on this project, I am proud of what we created, and have personally enjoyed the support of the retro community.
Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by top publishers the likes of Nintendo, Deep Silver, Disney and EA Sports. His book series, "The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Game Developers," from McFarland and Company, has earned praise from Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Daily News and MSG Networks. He is also a former editor at NBC and National Video Games Writer at the late-Examiner.com
