Rollin' Rascal Kickstarter Announcement Trailer, A Game Inspired By Classic Sonic and Super Mario Bros.

[Muscles Maximum]

Curiomatic, or you may better remember them as Smashified from way back when, are a talented group of artists who would often take old and sometimes forgotten characters from games and breathe new life into them. Showing what they could look like if they were in Smash Bros., or if their game would get remade in the modern day. They've been relatively silent in recent times, and this is probably why. 

They've teamed up with Gabriel Gonzalez, who directed the well known fan game or I guess framework, Sonic GT, and took the essence of the times when seemingly so many were making wide open space classic Sonic in 3D levels. I know being in this fandom for as long as I have, these 3D frameworks of how Sonic should work in 3D has gotten pretty tired even years ago. But man, I still can't help but wonder why Sonic Team just can't do something like this.

I think this looks great and it's nice to see what the crew from Curiomatic have been cooking up after all this time. You can follow their kickstarter here, for any who might be interested. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/curiomatic/rollin-rascal

Edited December 1, 2023 by Fast Skip

[Marcello]

Geez, that character design is bad. 

[Shaddy Zaphod]

The game looks quite fun, but I must concur with Marcello. Between this and Spark, what is it with Sonic-inspired games refusing to frame their protagonist's face well? Not sure what makes devs so afraid of copying Sonic's muzzle.

 

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

Nice visuals, nice music, gameplay that looks really fun, and a character design that is uh...pretty bad. What is he even supposed to be? I mean, he doesn't necessarily have to look like an animal or human, but I just don't know how to interpret him. His head seems to be evoking a wheel, but it doesn't really work.

[MGA_Gamer]

Another Sonic clone?! That must be the 1000th one now? I've lost count!

[Shiny Gems]

1 hour ago, MGA_Gamer said:

Another Sonic clone?! That must be the 1000th one now? I've lost count!

If I had a nickel every time a Sonic clone was announced, I would have a lot of nickels for sure.

Confusing character design aside (What is that character supposed to be, anyway?) This looks cool! I do think this is more like Sonic than Super Mario Bros. as the title of this topic says.

[A super No.1 washedupgamer]

Jumping onto enemies and riding them is an idea I've had abd wanted to see for a long time. I'm glad to see someone implement it into a fangame at least. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by A super No.1 washedupgamer

[Solly]

Why is it that every time I see a competent-looking indie game that bills itself as a spiritual successor to a major franchise that it has to have a main character and/or name that completely kneecaps its appeal? Maybe that's not very charitable but I'm just bewildered every time I see a project get so many things right (or at least appear to from the outside) and then fall flat on its face when it's time to create a memorable and marketable protagonist or brand. 

Spark the Electric Jester, Rollin' Rascal, Bug Fables, Yooka-Laylee, the list goes on. I realize gaming mascots haven't been in vogue for decades, but still. It feels like only Shovel Knight and maybe Bloodstained managed to stick the landing. 

On the subject of the game itself, it does look fun. It also looks very easy to break.

I see you're graded on different things in the announcement trailer, which is a smart move on paper so that you're not JUST focused on moving as fast as possible, meaning you hopefully have to engage with the stage rather than making the level designer cry. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Solly

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

23 hours ago, Solly said:

Spark the Electric Jester, Rollin' Rascal, Bug Fables, Yooka-Laylee, the list goes on.

I think the characters of Bug Fables and Yooka-Laylee are perfectly fine (though nothing too special I guess) but Spark is a very lame and uninteresting design, I agree.

[Type3Diabeto]

On 12/2/2023 at 2:04 PM, Solly said:

Spark the Electric Jester, Rollin' Rascal, Bug Fables, Yooka-Laylee, the list goes on. I realize gaming mascots haven't been in vogue for decades, but still. It feels like only Shovel Knight and maybe Bloodstained managed to stick the landing. 

Echoing this and what other members above have said, I feel this is something Freedom Planet got right that other 'sonic likes' such as Spark didn't. Interesting and well designed characters (especially in the sequel). This Roiling Rascal looks like an abomination, although the game looks super fun. 

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Eh, I can work with the character design.

It's nothing special, but that gameplay tho...I NEED THIS NOW!!!!!1

Edited December 15, 2023 by CrownSlayer’s Shadow

[Ravenfreak]

The main character looks a bit weird but other than that the game play looks fantastic and I think I might back this project! Plus I see the people working on Rollin' Rascal worked on Poglings, which is Chadtronic's chao garden like game and I've heard A Hat in Time is a good game too and they worked on that.