If I told you there are new games for GameBoy in the modern era of “Next Gen” consoles you’d think I was crazy right? It is getting mighty close to 25 years since the GameBoy Colour hit store shelves and yet indie developers are releasing/developing new games for the retro handheld with increasing frequency. One such game is Mud Warriors, a collaboration between Polyducks and Lance Campbell.
Playground Warfare – Mud Warriors
An adaptation of Ryan Veeder’s text adventure Mud Warriors, it was originally released in Sept 2021 and it got an Analogue Pocket release on Jan 28th 2022.
This game runs natively on Analog Pocket via its support for GBStudio games using the micro-SD slot. If you don’t have a retro device to play this on then it is also available to play in your browser directly on the itch website. It even ran very nicely in the browser on my android phone – no apps or trickery required.
I had the pleasure of chatting with the games creators Ben and Lance who have seen a huge resurgence in classic gaming of late. They highlighted that with recycling of old hardware becoming a very popular trend, that the tools for development of the games are blossoming right now.
If like me you have fallen down the rabbit hole of this GB game development scene be sure to let us know in the comments if you come across any gems we should check out.
Gameplay
Set in the 90’s the game takes place during a supervised after school session of fun. Players take on the role of one of the kids who are engaged in a game called Mud Warriors. The game is the brainchild of after school supervisor Mike.
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Mike in his infinite wisdom has devised a way to earn an extra few bucks while also keeping the kids out of his hair at the same time. He has distributed Warrior Passes (laminated square cards) among the children. The warrior passes denote each kids fighting skill level with a star rating. Stars are purchased for a quarter each from the brainchild of the operation – Mike.
The kids are divided into two factions – General Shaquille’s troops who occupy the east side of the school yard and General Betsy’s troops whose territory is on the west side. South Park: The Stick of Truth comes to mind here.
Each enemy you meet protects an area of their territory so your task is to find quarters to increase your star level so you can defeat each one in battle. The enemies become increasingly more skilled as you progress through the story.
The fights are automated once you engage in battle with each character taking it in turn to throw mud at each other. The number of hits you can take is determined by the number of stars you have accrued.
Graphics & Audio
The pixel art on display is really nice with the environments well designed and detailed. Subtle animations enrich the world the team has crafted.
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One of the real stand outs in Mud Warriors is the audio. It’s excellent. It heightens the tension where and when it is needed and brilliantly enhances the whole experience. What makes it extra special though is that the music was created by none other than Ryan Veeder.
Longevity
By no means a long game it can be finished in less than 2 hours. If you do manage to get to the end I advise staying for the end credits as they are the best credits I’ve ever seen in a game. Returning for a subsequent play through will still have you grinning and further exploration is very enjoyable.
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Final Thoughts
Lance Campbell & Polyducks say their collaborations are about bringing the great writing and storytelling of the Interactive Fiction (IF) community to more people. By having the creator of the original material on board in a consultancy role they have more than succeeded in their task of creating a video game that is worthy of the original and respects the artistic vision of the author.
If you want a short adventure with such charm and wit, that is excellently crafted and so perfectly paced then you’ve got to give this smashing game go.
I look forward with great anticipation to their new game Excelsior – another Interactive Fiction collaboration this time with author Arthur DiBianca.
Mud Warriors wipes away the mud to take home the shiny Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
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