Pure Nintendo interviews Hex Heroes creator, Mario Castañeda

Mario Castañeda of Prismatic Games chats with Pure Nintendo about their new Kickstarter …

PN: Welcome Mario – great name by the way!  I should warn you that I’ve already hyped this interview as the best ever, so don’t let me down …

DON’T let you down. Got it.

PN: I know you’ve been asked ‘What is Hex Heroes’ a lot.  Let’s mix things up a bit – please tell Pure Nintendo what Hex Heroes is in the form of a Haiku …

Finally a game
that makes use of the GamePad
not just a gimmick

PN: Excellent poem.  As a Wii U owner yourself, why are you personally excited about bringing this game to Nintendo’s home console?

I’ve wanted an experience like this since the moment I realized the Wii U gamepad wasn’t a peripheral for the Wii. Seriously, anyone else think that back in 2011? Since then, no triple AAA developer, Nintendo included, has delivered something like Hex Heroes, and we’re excited to be the first. We’re also very excited to deliver an asymmetric, party experience that’s more complex than a collection of mini-games or afterthoughts.

PN: What would you say to all the obnoxious ‘doom and gloomers’ who are so quick to speak despairingly about the Wii U?

I’d say go buy more than one console/platform. I used to scoff at Nintendo not considering Sony and Microsoft as competition, but really, they’re right not to. The Wii U should not be the only gaming system you own, and the same should be said about the PS4 or Xbox One. Gamers shouldn’t shut themselves off from any experience, especially those found on Wii U. Give it time; the Wii U will find its place in the sun.

PN: Well said.  Admittedly though we haven’t seen a multitude of great uses from the GamePad, even from Nintendo themselves.  How are Prismatic Games going to buck this trend with Hex Heroes?

We’re trying to create an experience that doesn’t feel like a gimmick. There’s real value in asymmetric gameplay and we’re certain Hex Heroes can deliver something for everyone – whether you’re hardcore, casual, female, male, young, or old.

PN:  Hex Heroes has a lot of awesome characters from fellow indie games!  How did this come about, and can you expound a bit on what they’ll bring to the game?

I’m a massive Smash Bros. fan and I really like when other games include crossover appearances like that. That’s kind of how it started. I reached out to devs asking that if they liked the game would they approve a cameo appearance. Cameos serve as quirky costume swaps for our 8 base classes. As much as we’d love to develop unique abilities for every one of them, that’d be a nightmare – I’d know just how Sakurai feels.

PN: It seems of late that Kickstarter has united many indie developers, with lots of cross promotion of campaigns and such.  Why do you think it is that the indie gaming scene is growing into such a tight-knit community?

We’ve got to stick together. Indie games are typically indie because they’re an off the wall concept in which a publisher won’t necessarily invest. As a result, we turn to each other for support. We’re all passionate about what we do, and none of us want to see a great game fail to see the light of day.

PN: I know there’s some Kickstarter’s you’ve already given a shout out to yourself …

We’ve been fortunate to have launched in the same window as a lot of great games and we want to recognize that.

PN: Nice!  While the Hex Heroes campaign has collected a sizable amount thus far, it still has a ways to go to reach its funding goal.  What do you have planned for the campaign’s final days to boost pledging?

We’ve been updating almost every day to keep our backers in the loop. We think that a better look at what we’re offering will help boost our number in the final week. As always, we still have a surprise or two up our sleeve.

PN: More cameos might stimulate a boost.  Did you know many people have been asking for cameos of the Pure Nintendo staff?  I see by the skeptical look on your face that you take me at my word …

Indeed I do.

PN: What type of feedback have you gotten on the campaign thus far?

Our backers love the constant updates, cameo surprises, and how we’ve tried to involve them as much as possible. Letting backers vote on the classes and the order of stretch goals has gone over really well and we have a couple more events planned.

PN: The software we use will not allow me to publish this interview unless I get some Pure Nintendo exclusive news from you.  Sorry, it’s a technical thing …

I hate to disappoint you but there’s actually not much to reveal. We’ve tried to be very transparent with our backers. Other than cameos, which we like to try and coordinate with our updates, there’s nothing to report. Sorry…

PN: Oh well, I’ll override the system somehow.  To sum, why is Hex Heroes a game that absolutely demands the serious attention of Wii U owners everywhere?

Hex Heroes validates the reason you bought a Wii U. It does what the Wii U allows for games to do. Without sounding conceited, you owe it to yourself to become a backer. It’s pretty much as simple as that.

 

Haven’t checked out the campaign yet?  Time is short – head over to Kickstarter.