I’ve a horrible reminiscence, which is usually an asset. It signifies that from time to time I get to expertise a jolt of pleasure after I keep in mind that Spelunky 2 is a factor – a factor that I’ve little doubt will take over my life in the identical approach that each the original freeware and the remaster did. If you in some way haven’t performed Spelunky, it is best to know that it’s a 2D platformer that sits atop the throne of systems-driven roguelikes, able to spinning story after story from elements that click on collectively in masterful methods. You also needs to know that I envy you deeply, as a result of I’d hand over loads to play Spelunky for the primary time once more.
Except I simply remembered, I type of can! Spelunky 2 was introduced finally yr’s Paris Games Week, with a trailer that gave away little or no. So little, in truth, that any murmurings from lead developer Derek Yu on the topic depend as information in my guide. He not too long ago murmured everywhere in the Tone Control podcast with Fullbright’s Steve Gaynor, and mentioned slightly about how changing into a father has formed growth.
I came upon about Yu’s appearance on Tone Control by way of this Reddit post. I haven’t had an opportunity to hearken to all of it but, so I’ll quote you among the sections pointed on the market.
First up, right here’s Yu evaluating Spelunky 2 to the best way Super Mario Bros dealt with its sequels:
“Spelunky 1 is totally done. It feels to me like a complete package… I think about it kind of like Super Mario Brothers 1. People say to me ‘Oh, Spelunky feels to me like perfect game’, and I understand what they mean. I think a game like Super Mario Bros is perfect, and you don’t want Nintendo to just keep adding to it. You don’t just want them to make Super Mario Bros one, you want them to make Super Mario Bros 2 and 3 and all the way to Odyssey, right? I think it’s the same thing with Spelunky 1. I do feel like it’s perfect with all its imperfections, and with Spelunky 2, I want to extend upon the Spelunky world and upon all the mechanics in ways that I don’t think I’ve seen before, and that fit more uniquely within Spelunky.”
Which all is sensible, and doesn’t inform us something we wouldn’t anticipate anyway. Here’s slightly extra alongside these strains:
“With Spelunky on Xbox, we had the freeware model as our blueprint. So I might be like, ‘Is it going to be like the freeware version in this aspect? Let’s do that, like from the freeware model, however let’s change it slightly like this. Let’s add this to the sport – it’s going to slot in with the remainder of the sport on this approach, after which pointing on the freeware model for that, too’.
“And it’s very similar to Spelunky 2 where we have Spelunky 1, and where a lot of the times, I can be like, ‘This part of Spelunky 1 I would like to extend, or this part I would like to replace with this’. It’s a lot of figuring out what makes Spelunky really Spelunky. What’s the core that we really want to pull out.”
When requested about how the trailer suggests the protagonist goes to be the daughter of the principle character from the primary sport, Yu had this to say:
“It’s strongly implied, and people know I’ve talked about my family life a little bit, being a dad, and how inspirational it’s been…and that’s been a big influence. Obviously my daughter has been just a big inspiration on me creatively, and it makes so much sense in that Spelunky 2 being a sequel to Spelunky 1, and then coming after I became a dad, which was inbetween Spelunky 1 and Spelunky 2…that would be a big theme and inspiration to me.”
Aaaaand right here’s yet another snippet, which once more options nothing notably juicy news-wise. It’s nonetheless attention-grabbing to listen to Yu’s ideas on his personal work, thoughts.
“I feel the entire form of cyclical nature of the sport…I’m not non secular myself, however that form of feeling of struggling by way of one thing and beginning over, it has type of mirrored the best way I really feel with my life creating these video games one after one other and slowly increase my understanding and my information and my mastery of my craft. I feel Spelunky is loads about that.
“But it’s not as overt as putting Spelunky Guy’s daughter in Spelunky 2, right? There are themes that I think are pretty obvious from the trailer – family and friendship and things like that – that mean a lot to everybody but have also meant a lot to me in terms of my career as well. Just meeting friends along the way, other game developers and people I’ve worked with, and now starting a family and trying to be a game developer in that context also. And thinking about my daughter as (part of) a new generation of people and thinking about what she’s going to do with her life. Things like that.”
So – what do household and friendship imply within the context of Spelunky, a sport the place the 2 most private interactions are giving a dude some cash to dig a tunnel and letting a pug lick your face? Which are the programs Yu is considering of changing? And will we get to go to the Moon, as hinted at by its prominence within the title artwork?
There are not any solutions simply but, nor any phrase of a launch date. Maybe Yu will let one thing slip throughout E3.
