GDC 14: Nintendo's quest for indies is paying off

he pace is slow and the swagger barely exists. The last day for GDC is starting to wear on the best of us, but it’s been an incredible ride nonetheless. This show in particular showcased incredible ideas and potential to gaming in some sweet directions.

Another testament to this, of course, were games supported by the efforts of Nintendo and their web frame/Unity efforts to make the eShop a friendlier place to distribute their games on for indies. Two games hitting Nintendo’s underdog console as exclusives particularly stood out, and hopefully will set a trend for their peers to follow suit when it comes to what the Wii U can do.

Armillo was the first game I encountered, one that conveyed these familiar sensibilities in design to that of the Japanese platformers from the '90s, but with a forward-thinking approach that’s ingeniously conscious of the platform it’s on. Starring a little guy who fits all of the adorable mascot tropes, the levels switch perspectives of three-dimensional to two-dimensional in a manner much like Crash Bandicoot, only with quirks that play on the stages while still complimenting the stages.

The 3D is free-roaming through a fish-eye lens camera rolling Armillo around with the Gamepad’s gyroscope (which is optional if you want your maneuvering to be more traditional) while the 2D has him platform with stages that rotate the structure of the level he’s in clock/counter-clockwise. Controlling Armillo is what makes the game stand out, as his arsenal really only consists of nothing more than a roll-dash used for attack or propulsion. Taking this humble approach, throwing into an environment that’s constantly changing, and responding to stage design that emphasizes the carnal elements of twitch reflexes, its focus on delivering simple responsive controls to tackle level design that challenges your skill effectively results in that stupid dumb fun feeling that games have less of each passing year.

Art styles with the right graphic design to sell them can effectively communicate the intended appeal it wishes to cater to, and Stick it to the Man is a game that accomplishes such a style. Taking place within a twisted carnival that would make the likes of Tim Burton blush, players take on a neurotic young man named Ray that’s awoken with a new appendage, a ghoulish purple arm that’s attached to the back of his brain with the power to read the minds of other people around him. Exploring the modern macabre workings of the carnival and the freaky people who run it, I encountered the plights of these people and their inner thoughts or issues were able to manifest into a physical solution that would come in handy for someone else like a dynamic side-quest exchange.

One such exchange was a Helium tank that I had recently acquired. I came across a father and son clown duo attempting an act that involved a diving board high in the air and a trampoline; Dad’s pushing his funny-man agenda on to his son, who simply wanted to please his dad, as he desperately clings to the edge of the plank with one hand and some serious second-thoughts. Clown dad happened to have depended on an oxygen tank mask in which he frequently inhaled from, so naturally I let my curiosity get the best of me and switched it with the helium tank in my inventory and, well, I sent poor clown dad flying into the air. There he would stay until I got the next item I needed to complete his predicament. The writing and creepy design within the visuals work hand and hand with each other as the game is filled sharp quips and social commentary within the subtext of it gameplay, stringing together an intriguing romp that shouldn’t be missed any time soon.

Stick it to the Man will come out on Wii U within the month, and will come to the PS4 later this year. The Gamepad will have some unique mechanics to the title, but the dev couldn’t elaborate any more about it at this time. It’s still poised to be quite the experience when it arrives on eShop.