Mission Control to Phantomheads!
about 2 years ago – Fri, Mar 04, 2022 at 07:23:49 PM

Hey Everyone,

It's about for another Phantom Gear update! The team has been running on all cylinders trying to get things ready. As you guys know, we're trying to tackle the skeletal animation, and it's been quite a doozy. In our upcoming updates, we'll take a deeper look into how we are taming this beast with some in-depth devlogs. Rest assured, though, we're making progress every day! Just take a look at the latest improvements to the intro cut scene:

The Fun Has Arrived!

Though we're still tackling some development hurdles,  that doesn't mean we don't have good news: check out what just arrived at the office! Oh yeah, the rewards are in! We are particularly proud of how the artbook came out, and we can't wait to get it into your hands. But that's not all,  we've also received the Vinyl OST samples, printed manuals and last but certainly not least: the comic!

Requesting Support?

We may be hard at work getting the game ready, but we won't sleep on our biggest fans! Got concerns about your order? Hoping to upgrade your pledge? Changed bases and need to report your new location? Never fear, Lieutenant General Nick is here to help you with all your shipping and fulfillment needs! Don't hesitate to reach out to him directly at [email protected]. Check out this snapshot I took today of the man himself getting your orders ready! 

Don't forget to wishlist Phantom Gear on Steam, and stay tuned for more updates! 

Incoming Transmission: Important Update on Phantom Gear
about 2 years ago – Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 11:47:03 PM

Hey Everyone,

We know that at this point there is only one update you are looking for and that's the release date. We truly apologize for the delay and are working round the clock to get Phantom Gear finished. We wanted to have it ready last month, but not only did the team have a close call with covid (everyone is ok now!),  we also hit a problem implementing all the big bosses of the game. We tried to implement a skeletal animation system that uses less data for each sprite than used for a boss because the number of sprites and animations could take up a lot of ROM space. Unfortunately, we can't make this system work, so we decided to switch back to using the same animation system that the other characters have. Sure, we'll have to sacrifice a bit of space but working bosses are a must!

Right now, we are changing the skeletal animation editor so it's able to export all animations with the other data structure. Originally, we couldn't make a character this big work, but the engine of the game has changed a lot since the first Kickstarter demo and is now more flexible. We truly apologize for the delay, and thank you for your continued patience!

Progress

Despite some setbacks, we've made tons of progress on the levels of the game. Check out the video below to get a closer look at how far we've come: 

Rewards 

Last but not least: REWARDS! The majority of the awesome backer-exclusive rewards have been ordered and are now in the process of being produced and shipped to our offices! We are still putting the final touches on the manual as well as sorting out the localization for the JP variants. Take a sneak peek at the art book - this is just one of the many concept sketches that will be included! 

Need something to tide you over until the next update? Enter to win not one but TWO prototype cartridges from recent Mega Cat Studios Kickstarters: Phantom Gear & Roniu's Tale! 

Mini Update: Award Show and Easter Egg Reveal!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Dec 07, 2021 at 01:41:45 AM

What's up Phantom Gearheads! 

With the holiday season in full swing and a flurry of activity behind the scenes, we are hard at work getting backer rewards together but we promised you an update and an update you shall have! Read more to find out what's new in the Phantom Gear Universe.

Award Day

You guys might remember that last month we submitted Phantom Gear to the #PitchYaGame Awards, and the time has finally come to find out the winners! Created by @LiamTwose; #PitchYaGame is a voluntary movement recognizing independent video games all across the world; pitched live on Twitter, in June and November. With only 4 hours and 50 minutes until the show, the entire team is on pins and needles! There are tons of amazing games in the running, and we are proud to be considered. Get your wishlist ready and join us at 1pm ET on Twitch, its going to be a great time! 

Egg-cellent News! 

The award show is exciting but that's not all we have in store for you today. Last update, we teased you with a hidden Easter Egg - where you able to find it? Before the grand reveal, we'll give you a few more seconds to try to discover it yourself.  Still can't find it?

Could it be? Yes, if you look closely you can see a Steam logo peeking out from behind the Phantom Gear title! That's right folks,  PHANTOM GEAR WILL BE PORTING TO STEAM NEXT YEAR! Now you can fight the Ocular Force on both console AND PC! Don't forget to add the game to your steam wishlist and keep an eye on this page for more updates! Next up we will be taking a closer look at the upcoming artbook and other goodies we've ordered for you guys. 

We Can See Clearly Now: The Finish Line!
over 2 years ago – Fri, Nov 19, 2021 at 01:11:24 AM

Hey Phantom Gear Aficionados! 

It's time for another update - while Thanksgiving lurks around the corner, the team is hard at work putting the finishing touches on what we think will be the crowning jewel of this holiday season. We submitted ourselves for the #PitchYaGame award, were nominated for another showcase, and the good news keeps on coming!

Josephine In The Mix

Who doesn't love a little recognition? So you can imagine how pleased we were to be invited to Mix Next 2021.  Phantom Gear was showcased alongside some of the hottest newly-released and upcoming games on both Twitch and Youtube! Not only did we get to rub digital elbows with some of the coolest cats around, but we were also granted the opportunity to show off the latest trailer and drop some clues for an upcoming announcement!  Check out the trailer below:

Seriously, When's The Physical Release Date?

Now, I know why you guys really read my updates, so let me cut to the chase. Ocular Force is almost upon us and we are just a few short steps away from the announcement we’ve all been waiting for! That's right - the physical release date. We are so incredibly close but before we can get there, we need one last thing to complete our final version of the game: YOU! 

Earlier this month, everyone who backed Lite and above pledge levels received an email with a survey link to confirm their name and animated character choice  (if eligible). for the special credits. We originally were going to close the survey today but as we still have a few stragglers we will be extending the survey until Nov 22nd.

Please check your inbox and spam folders for the survey link! If you believe you are eligible but cannot locate the survey URL, don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Just a reminder that those who have not updated their name confirmation by the close of the survey will be listed as the name on their Kickstarter order.

Think you spotted the easter egg in the image above? Don't tell anyone ;)! Stay tuned for our next update on Monday, Nov 22nd, 2021 as we make the big reveal! You won't want to miss what's coming next.

These Updates Are To Die For: Spooktober Edition
over 2 years ago – Thu, Oct 21, 2021 at 03:33:23 AM

Happy Spooktober!

With the holidays right upon us and September well in the rearview mirror, many of you may be asking: " Where's Phantom Gear?". Rest easy gamer friends! We are hard at work daily trying our best to balance deadlines with the constant feedback from our wonderful playtesters.

The past month has seen some major work on the skeletal animations for the big bosses, which push the console to its limits, and has been quite the bear to tackle -but we are getting there!  Read on to see what else we've been up to:

Phantom Gear Named Best In Class Retro! 

Everyone at  Bit Rules Games and Mega Cat Studios was thrilled to learn Phantom Gear has been named Best In Class Retro during this year's GDEX/ Origins Fair hybrid convention!  GDEX and Origins joined forces in Columbus, Ohio to bring the world an amazing weekend expo showcase, combined with presentation sessions, artist alleys, raffles, tournaments, and charity events. The GDEX expo is a curated showcase of some of the most exciting up-and-coming developers and it is an honor for both teams to have our project recognized!

Cut Scenes and Opening Animation

Phantom Gear includes an amazing opening animation and cut scenes throughout that help bring Josephine's quest against the Ocular Force to life.  Animating pixel art for the Sega Genesis uses similar techniques to traditional animation in cartoons, anime, and films. The animation is created by rapidly cycling through a series of still images, called frames, that show a picture in stages of motion. The first part of this process is to storyboard out the action.  Take a look below to get a sneak peek at how the opening animation started is coming along! 

Music To Our Ears

Building an immersive environment requires more than just a great story. Each level is made of multiple parts that help players lose themselves in the action. We've spent some time adjusting the tilesets that make up each of the unique environments as tweaking the animations for the variety of enemies you'll encounter.

We've poured our hearts and souls into this entire project but we can't help but beam at the killer soundtrack we put together. Now that we are getting closer to our release date, we've finalized the tracks that will accompany you and Josephine as you save the day. Listen below to get your first taste of the Malice Factory level chiptune!  Stay tuned - next update we'll take a look at the various levels within the game!