After several months, Kickstart This! returns refreshed and rejuvenated. Those following this column likely saw that I recently had a rather sour experience with the Pelda Pro, a battery expansion and dock for the Nintendo Switch. It is still sitting in its box and will probably stay there for all eternity.
However, one bad experience in over five years of crowdfunding various projects is a great statistic, and one that I think only serves to illustrate how well this model of funding has been embraced both by creators and consumers. I very nearly bought an automated cat toilet last week, but I narrowly missed all the early bird tiers.
Anyway, I digress. I’ve been eagerly awaiting a video game project I could rally behind after months in the wilderness of non-crowdfunding. I started writing about Omno, a pretty puzzle game from Jonas Manke that has smashed its funding target, but I prefer to shine a light on games that need your funding.
Games like Gigabuster (though Omno is definitely worth checking out).
Project: Gigabuster
Developer: Gigawaller
Genre: 2D Fast Action Platformer
Platform: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Funding Target: $20,000
What Is It?
Gigabuster is a beautiful and explosive action platformer inspired by the likes of Mega Man Zero and Mega Man X. The art style is a fusion of hand drawn backdrops and characters navigating frenzied levels filled with cel-shaded weapons and explosions, and when I first saw the trailer I immediately thought of Capcom’s underrated Viewtiful Joe.
Storywise, you play as Liz, a hero who must stop nine companies from merging with the nefarious GEC before they have a monopoly on the “Happiness” project. With their powers combined, they plan to control governments and bend them to their will. The levels are divided into three sets of three, which you can tackle in any order, with a hub map linking them all together.
Why Fund It?
If you like your fast and furious platformers with lots of guns, explosions, and inventive end-of-level bosses, then Gigabuster is the game for you. It’s bursting with colour, and reminds me of action films from 80s and 90s. Waller, the artist behind the game, has put a lot of time and effort into crafting these characters and worlds, and is offering rewards where you can help decorate the stages. You can also try a demo before you decide whether or not to donate, and if Waller reaches $50,000 in funding, he’ll find a way to bring Gigabuster to the Switch.
The developer also managed to bring Jasmine Cooper on board as the game’s composer. She’s worked on several game projects, including Ciel Fledge, another Kickstarter project that was successfully funded in April this year. She has already created some rocking music for Gigabuster that you can hear on the Kickstarter page, or you can warp to her website to listen to even more of her inspiring work.
Best Rewards?
- “Digital Game” + “Digital Name” – $15
- Previous Rewards + “Digital Sounds (Extended Soundtrack)” + “Beta Access” – $25
- Previous Rewards + “Employee of the Month” – $50
- Previous Rewards + “Design Stage Grafitti” – $100
- Previous Rewards + “Design an NPC” – $200
Until Next Time…
Gigabuster is such a blast to play and I sincerely hope that it finds its way onto the Switch so that I can play the full game in all its hand-drawn glory. With Christmas fast approaching, there is no better gift than allowing someone to finish a passion project (and getting some merch in return). I’ll be back soon with more pre-Christmas projects to fund.
