Okinawa Rush wins Retro Roots award at Pixel Awards Europe
HIYA Fighters!
We’re super excited to announce that Okinawa Rush has won in the RETRO ROOTS category at PIXEL AWARDS EUROPE! We cannot begin to express how happy we are, especially considering all the other amazing games that were nominated. It’s a great honor!
The whole Pixel Heaven event was an amazing adventure in and of itself. So many people showed up to play Okinawa Rush and we received a great deal of feedback. Honestly, the only problem with Pixel Heaven is that the event is over. Such great people and atmosphere. Hoping to be there once again next year!
Thank you all for your support. Don’t forget to wishlist Okinawa Rush and help us spread the word. The game launches next week and we’re working hard on the next trailer. We hope to show it to you soon ;)
Okinawa Rush nominated in RETRO ROOTS category at Pixel Awards Europe 2021
We have some more great news!
Long story short, we're so excited to tell you that Okinawa Rush is nominated in Retro Roots category at Pixel Awards Europe 2021! This is a great distinction and an honor to be nominated among such amazing games.
Keep your fingers cross!
Check all nominees: https://www.pixelheavenfest.com/pixel-awards-europe/
Prepare your nunchaku and tie your bandana as we have some big news for you!
Our action-packed game is coming to Steam on October 21! We're not gonna lie, we're as much exited as we're stressed. No matter what will happen, it's gonna be a crazy day!
Thank you all so much for your support and patience. Don't forget to add Okinawa Rush to your wishlist, so you won't miss a date. It'll help us improve our visibility on Steam!
Also, we have a fresh new trailer for you. Check it out below: [previewyoutube="ZoMMYiA9jlQ;full"]
First things first - huge thanks to people who wishlisted the game and/or backed the Kickstarter, you guys are awesome. Developing Okinawa Rush has been a long but joyous journey and now we’re finally at the finish line and it feels so rewarding.
Plotting the course
Ok but enough of getting side-tracked. Before Okinawa Rush was even a fully formed idea, I knew that it needed a solid story. I think that in this type of game you need to have something driving you forward to progress through the levels and it can’t just be the want to finish it. That’s why right off the bat, you have a compelling reason for revenge, a clear villain in the Black Mantis Clan, and an interesting setting to explore. Then as the plot unravels it leaves you wanting more, which keeps you playing, even when the game gets hard, and when you get through that part where you died 100 times already, you get a moment to breathe and put down the controller. Your prize is here. The cutscene.
Pen. Paper. Cutscene!
Okinawa Rush has many cutscenes to discover, all hand-drawn and designed by my brother David. We really wanted to capture that magic of cinematics in old games, that rewarded you for beating some really difficult, skill-based part. But making cutscenes, as we have found out, is a lot of hard work. OR has 3 different characters, each with a different storyline, and each with 3 different endings. That’s a lot of ground to cover. We had to really get our noggins jogging to figure out how to connect everything to the Black Mantis clan in a way that makes sense and makes for an engaging story. For that, we first made some simple storyboards, then grabbed a pen and paper and made some better, more detailed sketches. Afterward, we used a lot of these sketches as guides to create the carefully crafted pixel art cutscenes you can see today.
Setting yourself apart
The cutscenes are great at keeping the player engaged in the game but the game has to be interesting and fun to play, to begin with. We’ve talked a little about how we crafted the OR gameplay so let’s focus on the “interesting” part now. The setting of Okinawa Rush, as the title might hint, is a fictional, parallel-history version of Okinawa. In this world magic is real and so are the monsters. I was set on Okinawa as the setting from the start because of my interest in traditional martial arts, and specifically - karate. Karate has originated from Okinawa when the island banned all the weapons, and that tidbit of information stuck with me and prompted me to read more into the topic. We draw a lot on Okinawan and Japanese history in how we design the buildings and landscapes, and on mythology for the supernatural elements. That does not mean that we’re trying to give you an authentic Okinawan experience, far from it - we actually decided not to give the setting a precise date so as not to prompt people into connecting it with the real world. We mix and match elements from many inspirations, be it old Amiga games, mythology, or a random bird that just flew past my window. What if Shin could fly? Hmmm...
Ok, I’m getting distracted, I think it’s time to stop writing. Stay tuned for more devlogs though! In the meantime, if you have any questions, leave a comment below. If you’re itching to try the game, check out our demo. When you’re done drop a comment below with your impressions! We really appreciate all the feedback.
Yep, Steam Next Fest is over, but… well, let’s just say we like you guys too much to take that demo away from you just yet :D So, as you might’ve already noticed, the Okinawa Rush demo is STILL AVAILABLE! If you haven't had a chance to play it yet, go check it out now!
SPEEDRUN CONTEST
We would also like to congratulate our speedrunners. Hats off to you! We didn’t get many submissions to the Speedrun Contest, but all of those runs were amazing. Because of that we decided to… reward all of the participants!
Demi-Wahoo - you won in the Master Challenge! category. What an amazing run! It was a really hard challenge, so huge congratulations. You have won not only our digital prizes, but also a special set of Okinawa Rush goodies (and most importantly… our hearts). Check your Steam inbox, you should have already received a message from us. [previewyoutube="O5DLiegVxF4;full"]
Omarlobo & Janko7171 - thank you so much for your submissions in the Stage 1 Category. Omarlobo, you were the fastest and you deserve all the recognition :) Janko7171 your run was also great and it was a pleasure to watch your race. Both of you will get our digital prizes on the launch day. Please, check your Steam inbox for more details from us. [previewyoutube="9Lo0xy4w6IY;full"]
[previewyoutube="FaAbEBXw_so;full"]
Last but not least, MASSIVE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU who played the demo. We got so much great feedback from you and thanks to that we can make Okinawa Rush an even better game.
Take care fighters and stay tuned… that’s not the end of our journey, quite the opposite I would say ;) More details about Okinawa Rush and the launch soon! And don’t forget to leave any feedback you have in the comments!
Steam Next Fest is coming to an end. This is the LAST CALL to take part in our Speedrun Contest (more info HERE) and test the demo :D We got a lot of great feedback, but the more suggestions we get from you, the better Okinawa Rush will be on a release day.
ALSO if you’ve missed the developer’s stream, on which Steve and David, creators of Okinawa Rush, were playing the demo with their commentary, then don’t worry. Starting from… now... we broadcast that video here on Steam, so you all could watch it :)
Thank you all for leaving comments and sharing your feedback regarding the demo. We work hard to ensure you’ll like the game so no critique is too small for us to consider. We’re really committed to making Okinawa Rush the best it can be so don’t hesitate to drop a few words of your impressions in the comments section. And now, without further ado...
Bosses
Welcome to another devlog! Today we’re here to talk about a few of the bosses of Okinawa Rush. We’ve already covered the heroes so it’s only fair that we move on to the baddies. Of course, there’s the Black Mantis Clan, it has many members of different shapes and kinds, plenty of them of extraordinary strength and skill, but they’re not the only adversaries standing in your path. Today we’re going to focus on 3 encounters you’ll face on your journey: Rock Man, Jubokko, and The Kung Fu Masters.
Let’s Rock with the Rock Man
Rock Man in all his blue, muscular glory is one of the deputy leaders of the demonic Black Mantis Clan. His appearance, albeit supernatural, is still mostly humanoid. His mission is to obtain Hiro Yashima’s (who you might remember from the previous devlog) legendary training scroll at all costs, and he has the tools to do it. With his body chiseled and hard as a rock he can perform many devastating attacks, and his hammer-shaped skull allows him to nail his enemies to the ground. But that isn’t even his most devastating power, Rock Man, living up to his namesake, is able to summon rocks from the sky to crush anyone who tries to stop him.
Are you stumped? - Jubokko
Jubokko is a demonic hybrid of a man and… a giant tree stump. Yes, you’ve read that right. His roots reach deep and far and he rules over the forest and all the souls that dwell there. Nothing happens without his knowledge. Not much knowledge also leaves the forest because people who venture inside rarely come back. That is because Jubokko has a twisted obsession with preserving his victims as living tree sculptures thus trapping their souls forever in wood. To do that he first has to capture them and to that end, he uses his special powers. He attacks from a distance with his pine cone fists but is not afraid to get up close and personal by rolling on his side towards you and crushing you with his body. He has a keen interest in adding our heroes to his disturbing exhibition, will you let him?
The Kung Fu Masters
The Kung Fu Masters, as their name suggests, are martial arts masters. They have dedicated their lives to the mastery of Kung Fu. What their name doesn’t tell you is that they’re triplets! These three brothers have traveled far and wide to find worthy opponents who would truly test their skills and defeat anyone who dared to challenge them. After one of these bouts with a ninja from the Black Mantis Clan, they’ve obtained a dark crystal holding immense power. Oddly though, instead of making them stronger, this acquisition has sent them into a never-ending argument over which one of them should get to actually use the crystal. The three brothers stand in your way, aching to challenge you. Will you accept?
That’s all for this devlog! How did you like our bosses? Which one are you the most excited to fight? Let us know in the comments below! All of your comments and feedback are truly very valuable to us, and we want to hear from you guys, so, once again, I invite you to check out the demo and to post your impressions. Please stay tuned for more devlogs like this!
As always thank you all for the feedback! We appreciate each and every comment, so don’t hesitate to leave your impressions and questions under this post or at the forums. This game wouldn’t be possible to make without the support from the community so we take every bit of criticism into consideration (and feel honored to hear your praises).
[previewyoutube="HVE5m6mqQHA;full"]
A Festive Demo
Steam Next Fest is upon us and so we’ve decided to treat you guys to a new and improved demo of Okinawa Rush! In this iteration, you get to play through Tutorial, Stage 1, and Master Challenge!, where you face off against The Kung-Fu Masters. The demo will be available until the end of the festival (June 22nd).
Run Like The Wind
Hope none of you fighters skipped the leg day! To celebrate Next Fest and the release of our new demo update we’re running a Speedrun Contest. You can compete in 2 categories, and yes, there are prizes. To those unfamiliar with the term, speedrunning is basically trying to beat a game as fast as possible, and that’s what this contest is all about. The game obviously being the Okinawa Rush demo. Why speedrunning? Okinawa Rush is a game perfect for this type of competition, and it even features a built-in timer, so it was really a no-brainer to do this.
SPEEDRUN CONTEST
How does it work?
Players decide which category they want to participate in and record themselves playing through the corresponding stage. The 2 categories are Stage 1 and Master Challenge!. TWO IMPORTANT THINGS: - In Stage 1 Category we compete on “Purple Belt” difficulty, be sure to choose it when you'll launch the stage. In Master Challenge! the difficulty is set to "Black Belt" by default ;) - Note that one person cannot win in both categories, so choose wisely, warriors!
How to submit?
Every participant has to upload the video of their run to YouTube and link it in the appropriate thread on the Steam forums, marked with their category of choice. The video will enable us to verify your submission. Deadline is June 22nd, 11:59 PM (CEST).
We are a small indie developer and the game isn't 100% finished. Please, do not use any bugs you will find in the game to take advantage in this contest. Let's keep the competition clean and fair :) If you've encountered any issues during your run, please let us know! Also, submissions sent from YT accounts with inappropriate or racist content/nickname won't take part in the contest.
What are the prizes?
👊 A key to Okinawa Rush (the full game) 👊 Digital Soundtrack 👊 Digital Artbook (all prizes mentioned above will be deliver to both winners on a release day) 👊 AND a special box full of goodies (stickers, t-shirt, poster and soundtrack on CD) for the winner in Master Challenge! Category :D
Do you have what it takes to blow the competition away?
Be like water, a Stream, to be precise
This Friday (June 18th) we’re doing a Livestream with developers! The stream will take place at 11:00 AM (PT) / 08:00 PM (CEST) - set a reminder!
Do you have any burning design questions you’ve always wanted to ask?
Do you have any nice words to pass to the devs?
Do you have a 12-page document detailing why the position of this one ledge in Stage 1 is breaking the game?
^ If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is your chance! So grab your popcorn, mark the calendar, cancel all the meetings and enjoy the show. Be there or be square!
That’s it for this update. Are you excited about the new demo? Are you itching to try your hand at the Speedrun Contest? Are you buying a new TV to watch the Livestream on as we speak? Let us know in the comments below! And if you try the demo, please leave us some feedback. We love hearing from you guys and it really helps us make Okinawa Rush a better game.
Welcome to another devlog, this time about the heroes of Okinawa Rush. Before we get to that though, I’d like to once again extend my gratitude to anyone who’s supported the Kickstarter and/or wishlisted the game on Steam, you’re the best! For anyone who has not checked out the demo yet, you can download it HERE. We love hearing from our fans so make sure to leave any feedback on the Steam forums, we appreciate every comment!
Heroes
As you know, in Okinawa Rush you get to play as one of the 3 characters: Hiro, Meilin, or Shin. Each with a decidedly different playstyle, move-set, and personality. This made me think that a short devlog elucidating some of the differences between the heroes may be a good idea, to give you a better feel for each of them. It’s also good to familiarize yourself with each of them if you don’t choose to pick them, just to know their strengths when playing with a friend in the 2-player local co-op mode. For example, each character is more proficient with a certain type of a weapon which lets them wield it for longer without it breaking.
Hiro
Hiro is an Okinawan karate master and the “main” character. He and his brother Shin, trained together for many years, and this allowed him to develop his secret technique. Those decades of training have honed his martial arts skill to a supernatural level. Hiro is able to summon fire at will and his ferocious “shinku-kia” scream can obliterate any foes that stand in his way. He's also the character most proficient with swords. He ventures on the path of vengeance after the Black Mantis Clan murders his wife and kidnaps his children.
Meilin
Meilin is a master of Wing-Chun, Kung Fu and Tai-Chi. She is the character most proficient with nunchakus but her weapon of choice is a bladed combat fan. Thanks to her supernatural abilities that she has honed for years, she’s able to conjure those fans at will. She uses chi energy to empower her attacks and thus is able to send her enemies flying across the room, and her “scorpion kick“ delivers a deadly poison. Anyone who stands in her path learns that she is not to be trifled with. She sets out on a journey to find her father and finally arrives in Okinawa.
Shin
Shin trained martial arts with his brother Hiro but has left Okinawa to pursue a more spiritual life. In service of that, he has joined a Zen monastery and continued his Karate training alone. His time at the monastery has made him the character most proficient with bo-staves. He did not however plan to use his combat skill, being aware of how devastating of a power he possesses. He has lived peacefully for many years, not letting his emotions drive him and lead him to violence. Unfortunately, his peace has been disturbed when one of the monks of his order, who had mysteriously disappeared a few months prior, turned up suddenly on the steps of the temple. Poisoned and battered, the monk bared a mark of the Black Mantis Clan on his shoulder. Not able to control his emotions anymore, Shin leaves the monastery to put a stop to the atrocities and to find an antidote for his ill comrade.
Well, that’s it for this devlog, I hope you have learned a bit more about each of the fighters. Do you know which character you will play as? Let me know in the comments! I also invite you to check out the demo and post your impressions. As always we appreciate all of your comments and feedback, and please stay tuned for more devlogs like this!
As you may have noticed - we’re still updating and improving the Okinawa Rush demo. They’re mostly small upgrades and fixes, but we also managed to sneak in two major improvements!
Firstly, we got some negative feedback in regards to the jumping mechanic and we decided to take a closer look at it. Thanks to the latest updates, it’s now more comfortable to control the jumping direction while in the air. And it makes Okinawa Rush even more fun to play :)
Secondly, we love classic, difficult arcade action games and platformers. But it’s obvious that not all players are into the current incredibly hard gameplay of the demo. So, from now on, when you start the demo, you can choose from various difficulty levels, called ranks :D
Check out the demo and see for yourself. Do not stop leaving us feedback. Your opinion has a real influence on Okinawa Rush and will make the game even more excellent at launch!
