Hello everyone, and welcome to another Button Studios Direct. It sure has been a while since the last one - nearly 10 months, in fact. To be honest, I had planned to hold a Direct back in February, but real life stuff like driving lessons and getting COVID kept getting in the way. But at last, I finally have some things to share with you all - this Direct, or rather, series of announcements over the five days, will detail the main projects I plan to work on in 2022. That being said, I hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think. Any feedback is super appreciated, like seriously, I know it sounds cheesy but you guys have no idea how happy the slightest bit of feedback makes me :)
With that said, let's get down to fucking business. Enjoy the Direct, Fantendweebs.
Celebrating 15 Years of Fantendo[]
First, I have a special project to celebrate Fantendo's 15th Anniversary.
I'm pleased to announce Fantendo Kart Crystal, a new installment in the long-inactive Fantendo Kart series. After almost 10 years, Fantendo Kart is back in a brand new racing extravaganza on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nymbus and Z-Lunar ZCLIPSE and PC!
As an anniversary game, Fantendo Kart Crystal aims to focus on two eras of Fantendo - that being the Classic Era, represented with characters from 2007-2011, and the Modern Era, represented with characters from 2018-2022. 24 characters will be in the game in total, and I imagine you're all dying to find out who. For now, I will tease half of the roster, the first 12 characters in the game that are available from the start. The rest of the characters will remain a secret until you unlock them for yourself.
Representing Classic Fantendo, we have Unten, Strafe, Pesh, PalmMan, Ella Metals and McBoo. These characters were chosen from previous Fantendo Kart rosters, but selected specifically due to their long-term impact on the early Fantendoverse as a whole. Unten is Fantendo's mascot, so his inclusion made sense, while Strafe, Pesh and PalmMan and had a long-term impact thanks to their inclusions in the New Fantendoverse. Ella was also a very popular character in early Fantendo days, and McBoo was also an easy choice, representing recolour-based characters which were hugely popular on Fantendo during the Classic Era.
Representing Modern Fantendo, we have Redge, Rundrake, Agustaclove, Chewout, Alec, and Jack. These were carefully chosen from some of the most popular modern Fantendo series to be newcomers to the Fantendo Kart series. Redge and Agustaclove have generally received critical acclaim as characters, appearing in almost every modern Fantendo crossover to date. Rundrake, Chewout and Alec represent popular series, Kotomo, Project Cape and Heirs to the Wrath, while Jack was chosen as one of the newest characters on Fantendo.
Twelve more characters will appear in the game, but you will have to wait to see those.
As for tracks, the game will feature 8 cups with 4 tracks in each, similar to the Mario Kart series. These cups will be divided into 4 Nitro Cups, featuring all new tracks from Modern Fantendo, and 4 Retro Cups, featuring returning tracks from previous Fantendo Kart games and representing Classic Fantendo.
I hope you look forward to enjoying Fantendo Kart Crystal when it launches later today. That's right, starting from today, the game will be available on all systems - and what's more, those who download the game on launch day will be able to play the game completely free!
Trials of a Forgotten Emperor[]
Next, I have a trailer to show you regarding one of my original projects. Please take a look:
Well, what did you think? I'm pleased to announce that Inferno will be receiving downloadable content.
Pluto's Curse is a side quest that takes place on Pluto's Island. Once the player has completed Chapter 6 of the main story, they will be able to begin their quest by receiving a letter from Vilaine, which once they take to Spitfire Shore, will allow them to catch a boat trip to Pluto's Island.
This majestic isle lies off the coast of Scorch Valley, adorned by peaks of obsidian, sprawling haunted woodland, and most notably, the crumbling ruins of Pluto's Palace. Unlike Scorch Valley, Pluto's Island has open map movement, letting the player freely travel across the isle seeking out entrances to dungeons, rather than accessing them via the world map.
Upon arrival, Clove and her party will be tasked with banishing six evil creatures from Pluto's Island so that the spirit of Pluto can rest in peace. These creatures are lasting remnants of the curse placed on Pluto by Blight four-hundred years ago. Travel throughout Pluto's Island's six dungeons to find and defeat these beasts, and it is certain that you will be rewarded generously.
Of course, that's not all the Pluto's Curse expansion has to offer. During your exploration of Pluto's Island and its six dungeons, you will be able to find heaps of treasure, including all new Potions and Demon Spells that weren't obtainable in Scorch Valley. What's more, Pluto's Island has many new enemy varieties and bosses to fight for a refreshing new experience.
Pluto's Island is also home to The Gauntlet, a special dungeon somewhat similar to The Pit in Scorch Valley. In the Gauntlet, Clove and her team will fight endless numbers of enemies from all of the game's dungeons in ruthless back-to-back waves. Entering with nothing, all items used in The Gauntlet must be collected there, and these can be picked up by defeating enemies. You must plan carefully to stay alive as long as possible.
A special travelling merchant can also be found wandering Pluto's Island, that being Experiment Jack! It's unknown how Jack ended up in the Underworld, but they can be found lurking outside dungeons on the island selling items at a cheap price, some of these even being exclusive items. But that catch is, Jack is a troublemaker, and many of their items are trick items that will fail to work when used.
There is one other challenge in the Pluto's Curse expansion, one that is arguably the hardest in the entire game, though that will be left a surprise until the game launches. This challenge was created with the intent of being the most difficult accomplishment in all of Inferno - complete it for bragging rights, or if you'd prefer, a special in-game reward to show as a testament of your strength.
Pluto's Curse will become available in Summer 2022. In the meantime, I will continue developing Inferno, namely the story and bestiary.
The Mission Continues[]
Next up, a quick overview of some new information regarding a long-forgotten project of mine, that being Cenhadaeth.
First, I'd like to shed some focus on some of the locales you'll be exploring during your missions in Cenhadaeth. There are 7 locations available to explore, and while each mission's layout will be randomly generated, missions in a given location will tend to have similar features unique to that location.
From left to right (easiest to hardest) these are as follows:
- Wales (Easy Difficulty) - The starting locale, featuring farms and hills in abundance.
- Luxembourg (Easy Difficulty) - An early locale which is flatter and milder than Wales, though more people suburban areas are present.
- Scotland (Medium Difficulty) - A very sparsely populated locale compared to Wales, but features steeper hills and harsher weather conditions, making it vital to monitor your temperature and stamina here.
- Norway (Medium Difficulty) - Sparsely populated, with an emphasis on lake and river crossing that may take some time to master. This is also the coldest of the locales.
- Isle of Man (Medium Difficulty) - A good, middle-of-the-road locale in terms of difficulty, featuring all types of hazards in varying levels of abundance.
- England (Hard Difficulty) - Though the environment isn't too much of a challenge, farmers, residents and police officers are sure to be found thanks to the much higher population density. You're almost certain to pass through residential property, too.
- New Zealand (Hard Difficulty) - Owing to its highly mountainous, remote environments, New Zealand takes the cake as the hardest locale to successfully navigate. Conditions high in the steep mountains can be very harsh.
Throughout these locales, you'll be faced with various hazards. Not just the harsh environments and the elements, but passersby and other folk you might meet along your adventure. Some may be friendly, though some may intend to bring an end to your mission:
- Police Officers are found most commonly in less rural areas, such as villages and along roads. They're likely to stop you in your tracks if they see you in certain areas, such as crossing busy roads or entering private property. A run in with a police officer can potentially bring an end to your mission if played wrong. They might also be summoned by Farmers if you attract too much attention while crossing their property.
- Farmers are found in every farm area. Sometimes they may not be in sight, both other times, they'll spot you. It's important to negotiate your situation if you have a run in with a farmer, else they may call for police officers or set their dogs on you. Farmers come in 5 different personality types which may affect how they act:
- Jolly and Relaxed farmers are unlikely to have a problem with you so long as you negotiate with them.
- Curious farmers are more likely to notice you from a distance and are more likely to engage in lengthy conversations.
- Stressed and Stern farmers are most likely to ask you to leave their property, though they may still be able to be negotiated with. Fail that, though, and you may have to deal with their dogs or police officers.
- All five farmer varieties can spawn with vehicles - either Quad Bikes or Tractors, which can increase their mobility.
- Dogs can also be found in farms, albeit less commonly than farmers. Some farmers may have one or more dogs, which will chase after you and attempt to bite if they catch you crossing their farmer's farmland. Use dog treats to distract them if possible, or use your surroundings to your advantage.
Cenhadaeth launches for Nintendo Switch, Nymbus and Windows on April 30th 2022.
The Music Calls[]
Next, I have some details regarding a brand new IP that I plan to work on in the coming months. Please take a look:
In this adventure, you will take the role of Kishi. Abandoned at birth by her parents, Kishi was found as a young kitten by Chief Pedro, the leader of Chorus Village. Ever since, she has lived in the village, a remote desert outpost, and been raised by the native population. Ever since then, Kishi has been the village's most hopeful young hero, having been trained by Chief Pedro since a very young age to help and protect the citizens of the village.
One day, on the nineteenth anniversary of Kishi being taken in by Chief Pedro, the village plans to host a surprise party to celebrate. Chief Pedro manages to lead Kishi away from the village so that the preparations can take place. However, once the preparations get underway, a group of bandits known as the Desert Marauders attack Chorus Village. Their objective is unknown, but without Kishi present in the village to stop them, they ransack the place, stealing from homes and most cruelly of all, vandalizing the Great Chorus Tree.
This tree has stood at the heart of Chorus Village for centuries, its leaves bearing Rhythm Souls, magical essences that help keep the village and all of the surrounding land of Electria alive. The leader of the Desert Marauders steps up to the Chorus Tree, pistol in hand, intent on one thing only.
Her name is Vuko, and she seeks to steal the Rhythm Souls from the Chorus Tree for her gang's nefarious purposes. With little to no resistance from the village, Vuko and her crooks steal every last Rhythm Soul from the tree, leaving it a wreck, before making off.
By the time Kishi has returned to the village, all hope is lost. The Chorus Tree is left a wreck, every last one of its Rhythm Souls having been ripped from its branches. Chief Pedro is distraught at the incident, believing himself to have failed as the village's leader. With no Rhythm Souls on the Chorus Tree, the land of Electria is sure to to be plunged into chaos, just like it was in ancient times. However, he claims there is one thing left that can be done to possibly save Chorus Village and the rest of Electria from this fate.
He leads Kishi to a secret underground cavern beneath the broad, tangled roots of the Chorus Tree. Here, there is a shrine, a glimmering weapon perched at the base. This weapon resembles a sword, with the keys of a piano along its side. Without hesitation, Chief Pedro picks up the weapon and gives it to Kishi.
It's the Music Blade, a weapon handed down through generations which was originally owned by the legendary hero, Glissando, who saved the land of Electrica from tyranny many years ago. Pedro states that he has been waiting for many years for the day where Kishi would become old enough to wield the blade and become Chorus Village's hero in a time of desperate need. With the blade in hand, Kishi sets out to find the Desert Marauders and reclaim the stolen Rhythm Souls from them.
Kishi: Shattered Rhythms is an upcoming game coming to the Nymbus. The game fuses rhythm and beat-em-up elements to create a unique method of combat. Using the Music Blade, along with the assistance of Rhythm Souls, which are musical essences containing various songs and melodies, is sure to help Kishi fight against the forces stopping her from finding the Desert Marauders. With her primary method of attack being the Music Blade, Kishi can increase the power of her attacks by timing them with the beat bars that appear on screen while a given song is playing.
In addition, Kishi: Shattered Rhythms borrows many elements from open world adventure games. The game is set in the vast land of Electrica, a civilization on the frontier of a vast desert, with many characters and settings taking inspiration from western-themed media. By exploring Electrica, Kishi is able to find more Rhythm Souls which can help her defeat different enemy and boss types in her quest to find out more about the Desert Marauders.
Kishi: Shattered Rhythms will release in early 2023, but until then, be sure to look out for more announcements regarding information about the game!
A Special Broadcast from Gem Island[]
Now it's time for a special broadcast. Please take a look.
Good morning, trainees! This is Professor Tetra, head developer of the Auralite Program, coming live to your television screens! First of all, I would like to thank you all for your patience. Recently we have been encountering problems regarding the development of the Auralite Program's Amethyst Testfire. These problems have taken longer to deal with than we intially expected, but we are pleased to announce that we will be opening up the Sapphire Testfire in June! |
What does that mean for you all, you may ask? Well, the Sapphire Testfire will allow trainees from all over the world to finally take part in the Auralite Program for a 72-hour period. Beginning on June 8th and ending on June 11th, by signing up to the program with your Nymbus account, you'll be able to take part in training activities with our team of 18 trainees! And yes - that means exactly what you think! We have a selection of new trainees who will be joining the program, which is part of the reason for this broadcast. |
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to invite these trainees for their Auralite Program inductions yet, meaning there are no interviews this time. That being said, I have compiled a handy presentation to introduce these new trainees. Once they arrive on Gem Island for the Sapphire Testfire, be sure to greet them warmly and offer any help they may need to adjust to the program! With that said, let's introduce our new trainees! |
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And those are three of the four new trainees that will be joining the program in June as part of the Sapphire Testfire. There is also one more trainee that will join that I have yet to announce, that reason being - uh - I haven't decided yet. That's why I want to hear what YOU have to say, my fellow trainees! In May, I will be holding another vote to determine who the eighteenth and final trainee of the Sapphire Testfire will be! Keep your eyes peeled for more information as I will be sharing data about the three potential trainees in the near future. With that said, I think that just about - |
GEM ISLAND EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM THIS IS NOT A TEST GEM ISLAND AUTHORITIES AND THE AURALITE PROGRAM HAVE ORDERED A TOTAL LOCKDOWN OF ALL SETTLEMENTS AND BUILDINGS ON THE ISLAND DUE TO THE SUDDEN BEHAVIORAL CHANGES OF NATIVE ISLAND WILDLIFE. YOU MUST REMAIN INDOORS AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO SEEK SHELTER INDOORS, REMAIN HIDDEN FROM AFFECTED WILDLIFE SPECIMENS BY USING NATURAL SURROUNDINGS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. DO NOT ENGAGE IN COMBAT WITH AFFECTED SPECIMENS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN DISCLIPINARY ACTION POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN EXPULSION FROM THE AURALITE PROGRAM. |
A New Beginning[]
Next, I'm pleased to announce some details concerning a new instalment for an existing IP. Please take a look at the following trailer:
Draco Duel 3 is the long-awaited third instalment of the Draco Duel series. Taking heavy inspiration from its predecessors, Draco Duel 3 is a 3D arena fighting game that takes place in the fantastical land of Arcania.
Draco Duel 3 focuses on the third season of the Duel League - following the first season in Draco Duel and the second season in Draco Duel 2, which was cut short by the invasion of Xsomnis - where Draconids fight for the honour of being crowned Arcania's strongest fighter. The Duel League consists of Duels, 5 minute matches between Draconids where the objective is simple - deplete your opponent's two lives to win, using any kind of attack to your disposal.
To shake up the formula, Draco Duel 3 brings some changes to how Duels work:
- Aerial Combat is now a major focus in Draco Duel 3. In battle, all fighters are able to take to the air using the ZL button, from where they can move around in any direction while airbourne. This gives them added agility while opening up all sorts of new angles for attacks to happen from. Some Draconids may fare better in aerial combat than others, however these Draconids likely fare much better on the ground than aerial-oriented Draconids.
- Primal Forms are an all-new transformation replacing Etherial Finales from Draco Duel and Draco Duel 2. During battle, Draconids are able to activate their Primal Forms to greatly increase the power of their attacks while also boosting their mobility and defence. This state of transformation only lasts 15 seconds, however, and can only be used once per match, so it's important to time it wisely.
Draco Duel 3 will launch on the Nymbus and Z-Lunar ZCLIPSE in the 2022 holiday season. More details regarding Draco Duel 3 will be revealed closer to launch. For now, stay tuned for updates by following the WIP sandbox page.
One Last Thing[]
Thanks for taking your time to enjoy this Button Studios Direct. I hope the projects interested you and I would greatly appreciate any comments, either here or on these games' respective pages.
Oh, I guess there's one more thing I can confirm before I wrap up. Here: