Old School Gamer Magazine chats with Echoes of the Unread creator Matt Tuttle to find out what inspired the game and more.
Check it out on Kickstarter.
About Echoes of the Unread:
Developed by Clever Cat Games and published by Mega Cat Studios, Echoes of the Unread puts players in the shoes of Rhapsody, a young girl who, after falling asleep while studying in the library, awakens to a strange world where the books have come to life and her voice has the power to shape the world around her with song.
To find her way back home, Rhapsody must step into the pages of these tales and explore a variety of imaginative realms where they’ll befriend a cowboy, serenade a mermaid, outsmart a mischievous ghost, and sing mystical melodies to escape the clutches of the wicked magician Odele, who hopes to keep her trapped in the library forever.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How was this game born?
Matt Tuttle: I started the game as a birthday gift for my sister. It changed over time into what is now Echoes of the Unread.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Why does the NES still matter?
Tuttle: It’s the system many of us grew up with. It matters because we’ve kept it alive with new experiences.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What has development been like? Any challenges?
Tuttle: It took quite a while to find it’s footing. The game started and stopped several times before I had a clear idea of the direction of the game.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes this game special or different?
Tuttle: Quirky characters, colorful worlds, and hopefully some clever puzzles.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How do you think it would be received if it came out during the NES heyday?
Tuttle: It’s hard to say. Personally, I would’ve loved to have played this game as a kid.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What can you do now on the NES that wasn’t possible back then?
Tuttle: A lot was possible on the NES even in its heyday. The big advantage now is being able to debug with emulators.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What games influenced this one the most?
Tuttle: Metroid, 90s Rareware, and many others. Games that encourage exploration and discovery.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Any fun stories or wild moments during development?
Tuttle: I spent months trying to hunt down an audio glitch and it turned out I only needed to copy a single byte to fix it.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What were the major lessons learned?
Tuttle: Everything takes longer than you expect it to take. Especially adding three distinct endings.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?
Tuttle: New games are built from existing mechanics. Creativity and innovation comes from the combination of those mechanics, the setting, and all the things in between.
Old School Gamer Magazine: The marketplace is crowded. How do you think you stand out?
Tuttle: Humor and heart.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How have your previous experiences in the industry helped this game?
Tuttle: No two previous experiences are the same. Each has its difficulties and sometimes the hardest thing is just perseverance.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How do you want this game to ultimately be remembered?
Tuttle: I hope the game puts a smile on someone’s face who needs it.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What’s next?
Tuttle: I’m working on a project at the moment that’s a bit of a departure from Echoes of the Unread. I hope to reveal more in the future.
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