Pixel Pizza

A little behind-the-scenes: Up til this point I have always been the one to reach out to the guests we have on the show. But recently I actually got my first email from a game developer who wanted to come talk on Pixel Pizza! So I'm honored to have Prateek Jadhwani, developer of the very promising farming/life sim Brocula, as this week's guest. We go over learning game development from scratch, making games that YOU want to play, and our least favorite chores! Some rad chiptunes this week from RangerBTS too.

LINKS:

🐦 Brocula Twitter: @Broculagame

🎮 Brocula Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1364740/Brocula/

📀 RangerBTS: https://rangerbts.bandcamp.com/

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Our guest today has probably been on more podcasts than I have, and that's saying something! Video game composer Chase Bethea has over a decade's worth of industry experience working on all kinds of games in all kinds of genres. Jazz, Calypso, chiptune...you name it, he's done it! So as you can imagine there's a lot to dive into. We discuss what it's like hopping from genre to genre, how he's seen his personal style evolve, and what it was like giving the keynote speech for Global Game Jam 2022. To top it all off, we play some of Chase's newest music from the game Of the Peril of Parrots!

LINKS:

🐦 Chase's Twitter: @Chasebethea

🌐 Chase's Website: www.chasebethea.com

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Let’s get technical this week as we talk with up-and-coming solo indie developer Aurora! They discuss combining their skillset in music, pixel art, and programming to make games. Aurora also talks us through the Godot engine and how they are using it for their procedurally generated exploration game, Silt Spawn! If you’re just getting started on your development journey and want to hear from somebody who’s been there, this is the episode for you.

We've got a double order of pizza for you this week! Thanks to the power of #brandsynergy, I connected with the director of the post-apocalyptic beat-em-up Pizza Kidd! His name is Collin Venuto, and his unique background as a Philadelphia-based record producer and product designer has informed the way he makes games in a really fascinating way. Tunes this week come from the Icelandic chiptune artist Buddypal!

LINKS:

🎮 Pizza Kidd on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2105260/Pizza_Kidd/

👾 Pizza Kidd Discord: https://discord.gg/v2uvZTbXdE

🐦 Pizza Kidd Twitter: @KiddPizza

📀 BuddyPal: https://buddypal.bandcamp.com/

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

Unfortunately we don't have a proper interview this week for you, but rest assured there are plenty more to come. So, this week's guest is...me?! Yep, Pixel Pizza host Jared Ettinger is on the scene with a solo act to keep the show going. If you've wanted to learn a bit more about the interviewer you've been listening to, now's your chance. I discuss my own background in the industry and also dive into some video game news headlines.

Some dope chiptune/vocaloid tracks this week from 3xBlast!

LINKS:

📸 Jared's Instagram: @Jgevoices

💿 3xBlast: https://3xblast.bandcamp.com/

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Get snackin' on some Pixel Pizza as you hear from Chris Stallman, the Art Lead at Young Horses. His strikingly funny and weird style has brought the hit games Octodad: Dadliest Catch and Bugsnax to life! Chris tells us how he makes his characters so distinctive, working game design into character design, and what food he ate in the Bugsnax research process 😋 Music from Temmy!

LINKS:

🐦 Chris's Twitter: @ChrisStallman

🐴 Young Horses: https://younghorsesgames.com/

💿 Temmy: https://temmy.bandcamp.com/

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

All systems go for another Pixel Pizza! Coming to us from Zanrai Interactive is Jason Koohi, developer of the narrative-driven space shooter Visegunne. As part of a two-man team, Jason does art, music, game design, and voice over for the studio's games. We chat about capturing the feel of mid-90's shoot-em-ups, incorporating narrative in a genre that usually doesn't have it, and gush over Star Fox 64! Not enough people are talking about Visegunne and I hope after this chat you'll be just as excited about it as us 🚀 Music by One&Done!

LINKS:

🐦 Jason's Twitter: @Zanrai_Int

💿 One&Done: https://onedoneproject.bandcamp.com/

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Somebody order a pizza? Well this one's topped with roguelikes, deckbuilders, and...Space Invaders?! Eddie Cai, designer of the upcoming Star✩Vaders, walks us through what it's like bringing this methodical yet exciting concept to life. With chiptune jams from Paula Haunt!

LINKS:

👾 Star✩Vaders Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2097570/StarVaders/

🐦 Eddie's Twitter: @AxolotlStar

💿 Paula Haunt Bandcamp: http://paulahaunt.bandcamp.com

📺 Paula Haunt YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOIhvgSingg1cz1L1jCBFsw

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

A new episode means a new run here on Pixel Pizza, where we'll be chatting with Pedro Guerra- creative director on the exciting indie roguelike Elsie! Pedro tells us all about accessibility features, working with publishers Playtonic and Jirard the Completionist, and delicious Cuban pizza 🇨🇺🍕

Chiptune artist of the week is Drama Trial!

LINKS:

🐦 Knight Shift Games Twitter: @KnightShiftTeam

🧪 Playtonic Publisher Twitter: @PTonicFriends

🎮 Completionist Twitter: @Completionist

💿 Drama Trial: dramatrial.bandcamp.com

🍕Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Ready to get animated? Good, cause we're back with a guy who's specialized in bringing the magic of cartoons into the video game space. As an artist on the 2020 Battletoads reboot and a senior concept artist on the upcoming Disney Illusion Island, Rory Jobson tells us all about what it's like to create authentic games with beloved IPs while also giving people something they've never seen before. Moral of the day: Just because you miss an opportunity once, doesn't mean it won't come back around if you keep at it!

Music today from the awesome German chiptune duo AFX030!

LINKS:

🐦 Rory's Twitter: @RoryJobson

💿 AFX030: https://afx030.bandcamp.com/

🍕 Pixel Pizza Socials: @PixelPizzaPod

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza @ yahoo.com