Date: 2006-08-18
Title: Nic DeStefano, creator of Lyle in Cube Sector
THINKING OUTSIDE THE CUBE
Near the beginning of 2006, a freeware game named Lyle in Cube Sector was released. It quickly became a cult classic among the community. At first glance, it might just look like your average fanmade retro platformer. Screenshots generally don't do the game justice. Fortunately, it was a joy to play. It managed to capture something that so many others don't, the creative spirit of so many classic retro 8-bit games. It was created by a talented individual who goes by the name of Nic DeStefano and guess what? I was just lucky enough to get the chance to ask the guy a few questions. Read on.
Introduce yourself to the readers..
It is ME! Nic DeStefano (age 22 from Decatur, GA, USA) here to discuss the badgeriffic world of Cube Sector, except without the badgers. Badgers are dangerous and they will bite you. Stay away!
When did you become interested in game development? Is it something you take seriously and use all of your spare time on or more of a casual thing?
Making games was something I'd wanted to do since I got an NES on my 6th birthday. Of course back then I had no way of actually doing that so I would just design them on paper during school. Then when I was 11 or so I got Klik'n'Play and the actual game making had begun - crap game making but game making nonetheless!
SO being that game development is sorta my lifelong dream and therefore the most worthwhile use of my time at the moment (according to me at least). I would say it's more than just a hobby but I wouldn't say I take it all that seriously either. I don't really take much of anything seriously though, aside from the ongoing battle against EVIL (not that I ever actually do anything about that but that doesn't mean I can't take it seriously).
Did you complete any projects before you started Lyle in Cube Sector?
Yesh. My first game was Peetoo the Happy Dinosaur which I developed back when I was 12 & 13. And an almost unplayably bad game it is but really though, it's a platformer made with Klik'n'Play. I'm not sure I can think of any of those that wouldn't be considered almost unplayably bad by todays' standards. At least it was probably the funniest game I made.
A few years later came Peetoo's Revenge (developed in Multimedia Fusion) which I never really considered a sequel due to the fact that unlike the original, Peetoo it actually somewhat resembled a real videogame. It was also ultra-difficult. I made the mistake of trying to make it challenging for me - someone who knows all the ins and outs of the game - so it ended up being nearly impossible for others. On the other hand that makes it more fun for me so from a completely selfish perspective it wasn't a mistake at all (haha).
What inspired Lyle in Cube Sector?
I b'leeve the initial inspiration came when I was looking at a poster of NES games in my room. I looked at Zelda 2 and noticed how simple the graphics were and remembered how, despite that, it was such a fun game. Then it sorta hit me that the main reason why I hadn't been able to really get into making games recently was that I was putting too much effort into the graphics. For me it's the most painful and overwhelming part of the development. So the idea of making a game with simple graphics like Zelda 2 made game development actually seem fun again for the first time in years. And so I did try that and it worked. I was actually able to sit down and design a game instead of always putting it off 'till tomorrow because I wasn't in the mood to make more graphics. Tahoo!
As for the specific games I drew inspiration from, there was of course Metroid and the newer Castlevania games. I had been wanting to make a game in that style of gameplay ever since I finished Peetoo's Revenge. The ideas for the block throwing aspect came from both Super Mario Bros 2 and Rescue Rangers. And yes, as peoples have pointed out, it was influenced a bit by Cave Story, that standing out as being my favorite 2D game of the past few years (aside from maybe the Gameboy / DS Castlevanias, which are excellent but nothing particularly new). Kid Icarus was also a big inspiration for the graphic style.
Lyle in Cube Sector plays out a lot like a retro platformer but still retains its on sense of uniqueness. Was this the intended feel for the game?
Yes I s'pose. I wasn't really trying to make anything extremely original but I did try to avoid the same old cliches. It was with that in mind that I used cubes as a weapon instead of a gun or sword and made Lyle black instead of white (!amazing innovation!) and had the villain kidnap your kitty instead of your girlfriend. The character sprites also have a more cartoony look than most NES games. I tried to make them look similar to the way I usually draw.
Lyle is generally considered freeware classic nowadays. Have you been happy with the response for the game?
Yups. I didn't expect it to receive much recognition outside of the Klik community (that bees the people who use game making programs from Clickteam, such as MMF). I'd say the biggest flaw with Lyle was that the cube tossing was very "unintuitive", something you need to get the hang of and I thought people might dislike it because of that. But in the end loads of people still enjoyed the game and that makes me the happy.
One downside to it being so popular is that now I feel a bit evel for having used all the music in the game without permission. Hopefully none of the composers will try to obliterate me if they find out. I only used the songs because they are awesome after all.
From start to finish, how long did Lyle in Cube Sector take to develop? Was it a challenge to develop?
5 months, plus a couple more weeks for testing. Much shorter than it took to make my other games but I worked on it almost every other day. Originally I wanted it to be a very simple game that I would be able to finish in a month or 2, but as with most of my ideas it evolved into something larger. But still it wasn't an absolute pain in ta buttox to develop, otherwise I never could've gotten myself to work on it.
Was there a lot of planning involved or did it just evolve naturally?
It was really a spur of the moment type thing along the lines of "Dammit I haven't released a game in 4 YEARS! Time to get making!" I didn't design any of the characters on paper, I didn't come up with a plot until the game was half finished, I never even decided what the last boss would be until the time came to make one when everything else was complete.
Some things involving the gameplay did involve some planning though. With the way it was developed, I had to design the map before putting together the areas in the game or it would have become very confusing. And enemy attack patterns along with whatever other ideas I had were written down before creating them.
What's in store for the future? Any new projects started? Maybe a sequel?
No sequel to Lyle (at least not for now). My next game is called "Peter Jackson's Dude Where's My Dyslexic Ocelot? The Official Game of the Movie" and it comes out this thanksgiving weekend. Except not. I haven't been working on any games this year actually. I do want to make another one and I have a good idea for it but I was waiting until MMF2 came out to start working again and it did come out but then my computer came down with a case of severe notworkingness and has been in the hospital ever since. But I should get it back soon and hopefully get to making somthing.
Top. 5 videogames: what are they and why?
#1 - Banjo-Tooie (N64) My favorite game of all time ever!! It is funny and weird and that suits me. Very immersive too. Something about the way it moves and controls draws me into the game world moreso than anything else I've played. Plus it's got a great deal of freedom with it's huge open worlds where you are free to explore and complete whatever objectives you come up against without always being guided in the "right" direction. I wish more 3D games were like this one.
#2 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) As you likely already know, I enjoy the type of gameplay at work here. While other games in the series are similar, what really makes this one stand out is its more intense atmosphere and attention to detail.
The other 3 (I like them about the same so in no order):
Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) Yes, of course, we musht not forget the ultimate gaming classic. I wouldn't consider this a perfect game like many do. The lack of camera controls is a definite flaw and it's not quite as creative as some of the other Zeldas. Yet aside from that I have nothing but positive things to say about this masterpiece. Things that don't need to be said since everyone already knows.
Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC) Perhaps not as large of a game as OoT but it has camera controls(!) and the best ones ever I might add. And an awesome visual style. Not as much land to explore as there should've been but the coolest dungeons in the series I'd say.
Banjo-Kazooie (N64) Love this for the same reasons as it's sequel. The gameplay here is more shallow but it was an even more impressive game for its time - changed the way I look at the world it did.
Title: Nic DeStefano, creator of Lyle in Cube Sector
THINKING OUTSIDE THE CUBE
Near the beginning of 2006, a freeware game named Lyle in Cube Sector was released. It quickly became a cult classic among the community. At first glance, it might just look like your average fanmade retro platformer. Screenshots generally don't do the game justice. Fortunately, it was a joy to play. It managed to capture something that so many others don't, the creative spirit of so many classic retro 8-bit games. It was created by a talented individual who goes by the name of Nic DeStefano and guess what? I was just lucky enough to get the chance to ask the guy a few questions. Read on.
Introduce yourself to the readers..
It is ME! Nic DeStefano (age 22 from Decatur, GA, USA) here to discuss the badgeriffic world of Cube Sector, except without the badgers. Badgers are dangerous and they will bite you. Stay away!
When did you become interested in game development? Is it something you take seriously and use all of your spare time on or more of a casual thing?
Making games was something I'd wanted to do since I got an NES on my 6th birthday. Of course back then I had no way of actually doing that so I would just design them on paper during school. Then when I was 11 or so I got Klik'n'Play and the actual game making had begun - crap game making but game making nonetheless!
SO being that game development is sorta my lifelong dream and therefore the most worthwhile use of my time at the moment (according to me at least). I would say it's more than just a hobby but I wouldn't say I take it all that seriously either. I don't really take much of anything seriously though, aside from the ongoing battle against EVIL (not that I ever actually do anything about that but that doesn't mean I can't take it seriously).
Did you complete any projects before you started Lyle in Cube Sector?
Yesh. My first game was Peetoo the Happy Dinosaur which I developed back when I was 12 & 13. And an almost unplayably bad game it is but really though, it's a platformer made with Klik'n'Play. I'm not sure I can think of any of those that wouldn't be considered almost unplayably bad by todays' standards. At least it was probably the funniest game I made.
A few years later came Peetoo's Revenge (developed in Multimedia Fusion) which I never really considered a sequel due to the fact that unlike the original, Peetoo it actually somewhat resembled a real videogame. It was also ultra-difficult. I made the mistake of trying to make it challenging for me - someone who knows all the ins and outs of the game - so it ended up being nearly impossible for others. On the other hand that makes it more fun for me so from a completely selfish perspective it wasn't a mistake at all (haha).
What inspired Lyle in Cube Sector?
I b'leeve the initial inspiration came when I was looking at a poster of NES games in my room. I looked at Zelda 2 and noticed how simple the graphics were and remembered how, despite that, it was such a fun game. Then it sorta hit me that the main reason why I hadn't been able to really get into making games recently was that I was putting too much effort into the graphics. For me it's the most painful and overwhelming part of the development. So the idea of making a game with simple graphics like Zelda 2 made game development actually seem fun again for the first time in years. And so I did try that and it worked. I was actually able to sit down and design a game instead of always putting it off 'till tomorrow because I wasn't in the mood to make more graphics. Tahoo!
As for the specific games I drew inspiration from, there was of course Metroid and the newer Castlevania games. I had been wanting to make a game in that style of gameplay ever since I finished Peetoo's Revenge. The ideas for the block throwing aspect came from both Super Mario Bros 2 and Rescue Rangers. And yes, as peoples have pointed out, it was influenced a bit by Cave Story, that standing out as being my favorite 2D game of the past few years (aside from maybe the Gameboy / DS Castlevanias, which are excellent but nothing particularly new). Kid Icarus was also a big inspiration for the graphic style.
Lyle in Cube Sector plays out a lot like a retro platformer but still retains its on sense of uniqueness. Was this the intended feel for the game?
Yes I s'pose. I wasn't really trying to make anything extremely original but I did try to avoid the same old cliches. It was with that in mind that I used cubes as a weapon instead of a gun or sword and made Lyle black instead of white (!amazing innovation!) and had the villain kidnap your kitty instead of your girlfriend. The character sprites also have a more cartoony look than most NES games. I tried to make them look similar to the way I usually draw.
Lyle is generally considered freeware classic nowadays. Have you been happy with the response for the game?
Yups. I didn't expect it to receive much recognition outside of the Klik community (that bees the people who use game making programs from Clickteam, such as MMF). I'd say the biggest flaw with Lyle was that the cube tossing was very "unintuitive", something you need to get the hang of and I thought people might dislike it because of that. But in the end loads of people still enjoyed the game and that makes me the happy.
One downside to it being so popular is that now I feel a bit evel for having used all the music in the game without permission. Hopefully none of the composers will try to obliterate me if they find out. I only used the songs because they are awesome after all.
From start to finish, how long did Lyle in Cube Sector take to develop? Was it a challenge to develop?
5 months, plus a couple more weeks for testing. Much shorter than it took to make my other games but I worked on it almost every other day. Originally I wanted it to be a very simple game that I would be able to finish in a month or 2, but as with most of my ideas it evolved into something larger. But still it wasn't an absolute pain in ta buttox to develop, otherwise I never could've gotten myself to work on it.
Was there a lot of planning involved or did it just evolve naturally?
It was really a spur of the moment type thing along the lines of "Dammit I haven't released a game in 4 YEARS! Time to get making!" I didn't design any of the characters on paper, I didn't come up with a plot until the game was half finished, I never even decided what the last boss would be until the time came to make one when everything else was complete.
Some things involving the gameplay did involve some planning though. With the way it was developed, I had to design the map before putting together the areas in the game or it would have become very confusing. And enemy attack patterns along with whatever other ideas I had were written down before creating them.
What's in store for the future? Any new projects started? Maybe a sequel?
No sequel to Lyle (at least not for now). My next game is called "Peter Jackson's Dude Where's My Dyslexic Ocelot? The Official Game of the Movie" and it comes out this thanksgiving weekend. Except not. I haven't been working on any games this year actually. I do want to make another one and I have a good idea for it but I was waiting until MMF2 came out to start working again and it did come out but then my computer came down with a case of severe notworkingness and has been in the hospital ever since. But I should get it back soon and hopefully get to making somthing.
Top. 5 videogames: what are they and why?
#1 - Banjo-Tooie (N64) My favorite game of all time ever!! It is funny and weird and that suits me. Very immersive too. Something about the way it moves and controls draws me into the game world moreso than anything else I've played. Plus it's got a great deal of freedom with it's huge open worlds where you are free to explore and complete whatever objectives you come up against without always being guided in the "right" direction. I wish more 3D games were like this one.
#2 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) As you likely already know, I enjoy the type of gameplay at work here. While other games in the series are similar, what really makes this one stand out is its more intense atmosphere and attention to detail.
The other 3 (I like them about the same so in no order):
Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) Yes, of course, we musht not forget the ultimate gaming classic. I wouldn't consider this a perfect game like many do. The lack of camera controls is a definite flaw and it's not quite as creative as some of the other Zeldas. Yet aside from that I have nothing but positive things to say about this masterpiece. Things that don't need to be said since everyone already knows.
Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC) Perhaps not as large of a game as OoT but it has camera controls(!) and the best ones ever I might add. And an awesome visual style. Not as much land to explore as there should've been but the coolest dungeons in the series I'd say.
Banjo-Kazooie (N64) Love this for the same reasons as it's sequel. The gameplay here is more shallow but it was an even more impressive game for its time - changed the way I look at the world it did.