Old School Gamer Magazine chats with “The Kaiju Offensive” developers Hayden Downs and Hermann Eichhorn, who detail the creation of the game and their goals for the future. Combining the top-down gameplay of the original Grand Theft Auto games and classic monster flicks, “The Kaiju Offensive” is an interesting indie title with retro roots.

Old School Gamer Magazine: How was this game born?

Hayden Downs: Actually the inspiration partially came from a Godzilla game, that we didn’t like. We realized that we hadn’t seen any new kaiju games in a long time, and even more important, good ones. So we made it our goal to make a kaiju game everyone could play and thoroughly enjoy.

Old School Gamer Magazine: What was development like?

Hermann Eichhorn: It was and continues to be an enjoyable experience, creating ideas for the kaiju, mixing new designs with old inspiration. We developed our own assets so we aren’t limited by someone else’s imagination.

Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes this game special?

Downs: It’s fun to play! It’s meant to give players a feeling of nostalgia while experiencing something new and different. Players use their own strategy to survive while trying to meet their objective. They can employ their own tactics as they battle it out in the open, snipe the enemy, or hit and run. Some kaiju will have completely different playstyles. For example, fliers play as top-down shooters with mouse aiming. Ground kaiju don’t use the mouse at all and play more like a beat ’em up game.     

Old School Gamer Magazine: What games influenced this one the most?

Eichhorn: ‘War of the Monster,’  ‘Godzilla: Save the Earth,’ ‘I Was an Atomic Mutant’  and a little bit of ‘Grand Theft Auto 2.’

Old School Gamer Magazine:  Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

Downs: The Bug Queen wasn’t actually in the original plan for the game. She sort of came to life while we were brainstorming alternative ways to gain health and energy. Then we started to imagine a kaiju that gets its energy by eating enemies.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

Eichhorn: We believe so. They should always be remembered because without them games wouldn’t be where they are now.

Old School Gamer Magazine:  What’s your favorite memory as a gamer?

Downs: Playing, exploring and feeling totally immersed in a game. Conquering the world in ‘Mount & Blade Warband’ is an event that really stands out. It took us a very long time to reach the objective. The game was interesting enough for us to keep returning.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Who will enjoy this game the most?

Downs: We would say people who like Kaiju and 2d action games. Anyone can enjoy it, but we believe those who hold top-down 2D games close to their heart will really love this one.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Bottom Line, why must someone play this game?

Downs: Because it’s FUN! It’s a breath of fresh air. We’ve taken elements from games that we enjoy and incorporate them with our own ideas. Players can determine their own strategy and tactics in order to destroy the city and win the game.

Old School Gamer Magazine: How do you want this game to be remembered?

Eichhorn: As a great addition to the giant monster games world.

Old School Gamer Magazine: What’s next?

Downs: To keep expanding on the title. Add more enemies and more to the experience.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Anything else you’d like to add?

Eichhorn: We have watched others play the demo and seen them get “caught up in the action” and forget their objective. The objective is plain and simple. The player, the kaiju, needs to destroy all of the buildings in the city. They have the option of playing the easy or hard modes. We believe that players will continue to play until they master the game.

Links to our social media accounts:

http://razorsedgegames.org/the-kaiju-offensive/

https://twitter.com/SuspiciousDuck5

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsOD54qg2YZxZ4VSaTtXXjg

https://www.facebook.com/Suspicious-Ducks-348478558913772/

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Patrick Hickey Jr. is the author of the book, “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” from McFarland And Company. Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games–including Deus Ex, NHLPA 93, Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, Wasteland and NBA Jam–the book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega-publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming’s classic titles.

Note: The Writer of this article also serves as a voice actor and Script Editor on the game featured.