A Sentai Sports Superhero action-adventure game, reminiscent of 8-bit gaming of the 90’s From the creators of the hit platformer/RTS hybrid Smelter and 3D adventure Super Sami Roll!
Game Geeks News is proud to bring you another great gaming project currently running on Kickstarter. X PLUS Games, (first formed in April 2018), is an independent division of X PLUS, an Osaka-based apparel and toy company. The team started working on its first original game known as Smelter when the division was first formed and the game was later released in April 2021.
Sonzai Games is a game development studio founded in 2020 by Sergio Matta in Osaka. Fascinated by the Japanese game development culture, Sergio decided to move to Japan in 2013 where he worked on various titles over the years.
The first game released under the new Sonzai Games brand was Super Sami Roll, a solo developed game that launched in July 2021 for Steam and in 2022 for PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
With Bat Boy, Sergio’s intention was to do something visually and thematically completely different from Super Sami Roll, but still retaining the same sense of freedom, fast-paced movement, and positive vibes from start to finish.
X PLUS Games continues to support its first published title, updating and improving upon Smelter as well as develop its second major title, Bat Boy, having decided to take this project to Kickstarter to (hopefully) build on its strong 8-bit foundations.
Bat Boy is a side-scrolling, action-adventure platformer taking many of its cues from classic 8-bit NES titles while mixing the thrill and excitement of watching Saturday morning Sentai Hero shows, where teams of altruistic heroes in bold, bright costumes take on extravagantly sinister villains and their army of goons.
Feel empowered as sports hero Bat Boy sets out to save the world! Master exciting skills as you take on all manner of porcine fodder sent your way by Lord Vicious.
As Bat Boy, you will encounter all kinds of enemies and allies, unlikely companions and sports-obsessed Pigzies along with full-blown, multi-phase boss encounters.
Expect environmental puzzles, traversal mechanics, power-ups, collectables and hidden secrets galore!
Interdimensional mage Lord Vicious has brainwashed Bat Boy’s fellow teammates in order to participate in the Trials of Darkness, a heinously brutal series of athletic events! It’s up to Bat Boy to team up with one-time villain and mouthy crow Garou, traversing all manner of hostile regions, to free the minds of his sports-hero teammates before they fall victim to the Trials.
Along the way, Bat Boy will encounter a plethora of characters, some allies, most not, as he fights his way to the final confrontation with the heinous Lord Vicious!
Bat Boy is a significant passion project for X Plus Games and Sonzai Games, going back to the uncomplicated roots of fun and exciting adventure that leaves a lasting impression. They wanted to hit those nostalgic notes of 8-bit action from the heyday of early console games while leveraging their company’s love of Sentai heroes, which also play a large role in the pop culture of Japan where the studio is based.
When they first started out with the game, Bat Boy was much more streamlined and minimalist in design, but as the team engaged more with the project, both the characters and the world of Stratoss began to flourish. The project reached the point where they could either leave it small and have fresh new ideas unfulfilled, or seek funding to make our aspirations for the fledgling project a reality.
And so here they are!
With Kickstarter, they want to both leverage the platform to raise the funding for the project while growing a community and fanbase, offering gamers a more complete experience that they came to envision over time. As it’s Kickstarter, the team also really wanted to get in on creating some excellent merch for supporters so they too could share in the excitement they have for the project.
With that in mind, they are partnering with the fine folks at The Yetee to create some excellent Bat Boy/baseball-themed goods and apparel, as well as utilizing their first-rate fulfilment and shipping programs for the campaign.
Rewards for backing this project include Baseball Bat Keychains, Original Soundtrack CD, and Limited Edition Baseball Jersey to name just a few. Other limited rewards for backing this project include Designing An In-Game Buff, Your Portrait, In-Game and Design A Boss. For a full breakdown of the rewards available, check out their crowdfunding page on Kickstarter.
