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Exclusive: Backyard Wrestling 2 Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
13/09/2004
Vast improvements are being made, as we go wrestling...
With only a few weeks before its release, TotalVideoGamesâ Assistant Editor, Derek dela Fuente, spoke with Eidosâs Producer, Mike Schmitt, about the trials and tribulations in creating a sequel - Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood.
Backyard Wrestling places the player in the role of an aspiring wrestler. You must be prepared to endure extreme amounts of pain and take incredible risks in order to move one step closer to the BYW title and ultimately be crowned 'The King of Hardcore'. But as you would expect the road to glory and adulation is long and dangerous. With rules to a minimum and being âard a prerequisite, the new offering in this building of a brand is sure to offer more inventive ways to inflict pain, whilst playing dirty.
TVG: What has the team learnt from the first Backyard game and what do you see as some of the real differences, maybe improvements, in the sequel?
The team learned a great deal on the first BYW game. Paradox primarily specialised in one-on-one fighting games so BYW was something quite different for them. A lot of time was spent on the first game working on technology in order to allow for environmental interaction (an important factor in the world of wrestling). So when development began on BYW2 a lot of hard work had already been done âunder the hoodâ so to speak. The first thing youâll notice is the improvement in graphics, with more polys on the wrestlers, hi-res textures on the characters and in the environments. It looks dramatically different from BYW1.
TVG: What are the locations and settings for BYW2 and can you tell us about some of the cast? Perhaps you can detail one of your favourites?
We tried to pick environments that were new and unique for wrestling matches. The game takes place in a fictitious town so we chose locations one might find in their home townâ¦a burger joint, a mini golf course, a trailer park, a construction site, etcâ¦
As for the cast, we went with a number of licensed characters. We have real, legit, hardcore wrestlers such as New Jack, Sandman, Mad Man Pondo (to name a few) and also some real life celebsâ¦.Rock Nâ Roller, Andrew W. K. and adult film star Tera Patrickâ¦.
My favourite seems to change every weekâ¦..How can you not like The Masked Horn Dog?
TVG: You are offering a wrestler system. Please tell the readers more?
Put simply, the wrestling mechanic was rebuilt for BYW2. We now have proper submission holds, grapples, etc⦠It feels like a real wrestling game (versus just being a brawler).
TVG: What kind of body and environmental detection does the game offer and do the team have to curtail their imagination for fear of censorship? How far does the game go in terms of credibility and plausibility?
Every environment had a few areas where cool environmental interactions can take placeâ¦we encourage the player to explore their surroundings and figure out ways to incorporate all the items in the environment into their matches. The game definitely goes for the âover the topâ factorâ¦.weâre not making a simulationâ¦.people get that in real life! Some of the scenarios are pretty wild but not completely unbelievable.
TVG: We are informed that backyard wrestling is inspired by the real thing and the kinds of events we shall witness in the game happen in real life. Surely not?
We did get a lot of input from a number of the licensed wrestlers as far as moves, tactics and weapons go. We tried to stay true to the look and feel of the BYW videos/DVDsâ¦..there are no real ârulesâ but matches can be won by pins or knockouts.
TVG: How varied are the skills and styles for the competitors in the game and what kind of learning process is there?
The wrestlers are quite different from each other. For example if you play as Supreme youâre a bigger, more powerful guy than say Sonjay Dutt -who is more of a high flyer. We encourage people to try all the various licensed characters and discover their strengths/weaknesses, etcâ¦
TVG: How has the team gone about creating the playersâ physiques and movements? Have you created any new techniques to give lucid movement and are you adhering to the real rules of physics and inertia?
All the moves are hand animated and look fantasticâ¦.As for real physics, etcâ¦a bit of both actually (real moves and some insane over the top stuff). My favourite move is the âstaple gun to the foreheadââ¦..explore the Office level and youâll see it!
TVG: How close do you see the game in terms of a wrestling, fighting, sports game? Would you see this as catering to this audience?
I think itâs a combo of a number of genresâ¦you donât even need to be a wrestling fan to jump in and have tons of fun. When you watch the WWE for example so much of it is fluff, soap opera, drama, etcâ¦..we really donât have thatâ¦.Just colourful characters, zany environments and over the top action thatâs readily accessible to all gaming fans.
TVG: What XBOX live options are there?
Voice, scoreboards, custom soundtrack, etcâ¦
TVG: Sum up in a sentence what you believe the spirit of Backyard wrestling is all about?
Itâs wrestling by the people for the people!
THANKS
There you have it grappling fans, an insight into what we can expect in this hard fought and thoroughly thrilling, bruise a minute game. From what weâve seen with a greater focus on the challenge, and a much improved environmental setting along with NPC interaction, this looks like it could well please fans of the genre of ârough houseâ carnage!
