Retro-inspired Indie Arcanoid
About the project
- Patterns was approached to remaster the cult 3D arcade game from the early 2000s after a previous unsuccessful attempt at a remaster by another outsourcer. The original game had a high level of graphics and effects, so the requirements for graphics were very high.
- NDA
Task
After the failed remaster attempt, there were only a few months left for a full new remaster, so all decisions had to be fast and stable.
The technical team inherited an outdated C++ code base on a proprietary engine with unsupported CGFX shaders. It was necessary to transfer the finished logic to modern technologies and reuse legacy graphic assets, as well as ensure multi-platform support, primarily PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Results
To cope with the technical challenges and accurately recreate the high level of graphics, a tool was written that converts the cgfx syntax to a more modern notation.
The original behavior of more than 50 different bricks in the levels was restored, as well as the behavior of the game bosses. The broad outlook and flexibility of the development team allowed for the complete reuse of legacy graphic assets, without creating additional content, thereby saving money for the customer.
Summary
The remaster of the original game turned out to be decent, productive and stable, not inferior in graphics to the original version.
