In this interview we reached out Rusty Moyher - Developer for Astro Duel Deluxe, and Adam Creighton - Studio Head, Panic Button (Developer for the Nintendo Switch console version of Astro Duel Deluxe).
NAH: How did you came up with the idea behind Astro Duel Deluxe?
Rusty: I grew up playing a lot of Super Bomberman and NBA Jam with my family and friends. We’d stay up way too late. Usually things would get shutdown because we couldn’t keep quiet. Astro Duel was originally about bringing the fun of these nights into a native multiplayer experience for iPad. After a few prototypes I realized an Asteroids-like design would allow the iPad to sit in the center of a table. Everyone could gather around and see the screen better this way. And to get 4 players playing simultaneously, I used iPhones as wireless controllers.
NAH: Why did you choose to port the game on Nintendo Switch?
Rusty: It was pretty exciting when the Switch was first announced. It worked on the TV or on-the-go. Not many consoles these days ship with multiple controllers. And the touch screen offered even more ways to play. Now Astro Duel was in a pretty unique place here. The game was designed to be played either on a TV or in a "cocktail arcade" fashion. It was a same-screen local multiplayer game, so having multiple controllers was important. And the game already had a two-button mode designed to work with a touch screen. Astro Duel was a perfect fit for the Switch!
Adam: I look for games that “feel right” on a piece of hardware. I met Rusty, played an early version of the game, and Astro Duel Deluxe felt like it belonged on the hardware, and we could do something special for the game on the hardware. We made several changes, added a new mode, specifically supported the features of the hardware, added new music and localized content, and a bunch of other changes.
NAH: Why do you think the Switch is good to play this game?
Rusty: We put enormous love into the Deluxe version of Astro Duel. You can now play with up to six friends simultaneously. Or you can team up with a friend to challenge CPU opponents. In fact, I’ve found Humans vs CPUs to be a great way to introduce the game to anyone who’s less competitive or not ready to take on a skilled human opponent yet. There’s also a killer new game mode in this version: Team Annihilation. This combines the Pilot Hunters mode with Team Deathmatch. You’ll need to eliminate the enemy pilots to win. It’s likely the preferable way to do team games now. I do like the classic “one hit kill” from the ship modes, but the pilot modes are just way more fun. I mostly play those now.
Adam: Astro Duel Deluxe is a game I can play alone in handheld mode, with friends on a television, or at a coffee shop across a table with strangers. I can play with four people with just a single Nintendo Switch System, by playing in Party mode, using two Joy-Con controllers, and letting two more players play with touch screen controls. And I can play with 6 people, with any combination of single Joy-Con controllers or Pro Controllers. This is a great game to play on the hardware I have with me, wherever I am, with anyone who is near me. That makes Astro Duel Deluxe a great fit for the Nintendo Switch console.
NAH: Do you already have idea for future projects?
Rusty: Yes! Currently developing multiple projects. In fact, one of them just came out last week. Box Cat Bash is a tiny arcade smasher for iOS and Android. You play as a box-shaped cat that needs to hit cars that are falling from above. It’s ridiculous! Also we’ve got an update on route for Astro Duel Deluxe.
Adam: Yes! Rusty has multiple other projects in the works, Panic Button is working on the Nintendo Switch version of Rocket League (the Psyonix folks are good people), and we have more projects we will be announcing very soon!
Thank you guys! It's was a pleasure to talk to both and we look forward for new fantastic games on Nintendo Switch!