TAG: Do you think it would translate well to the PSP?

DJ: It’s certainly a possibility if the demand was there, we would have to sit down and have a think about what elements would best suit the PSP. I’m not a fan of straight game ports – you rarely get the best result for either the consumer or developer.

TAG: What was the toughest challenge as far as the art was concerned?

DJ: Well there was a lot of art to make, that was a challenge. We ended up with over 450 different large 3D world tiles that make up our levels and over 300 unique 3D objects – then add into that all the detailed character and creature animations / particle, weapon and environment effects / menus and HUD etc, there’s a lot in there.

TAG: Is it easy to extract the most out of the DS graphics wise? Or is there still a lot more to come from the DS?

DJ: I think there’s still more to squeeze from the DS. We have a lot of polys shifting about onscreen in our game I’m sure we could push it further in a sequel.
Developers will always be pushing games hardware to make it do things that surprise people. This is the case with any console/computer, from the Spectrum to the PS2.

TAG: Talking more about game graphics, what has impressed you recently on the DS?

DJ: A few recent Square-Enix games like Heroes of Mana and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings have really stood out visually on the DS, the upcoming FF tactics too.
Brothers in Arms was technically impressive, although let down by frame rate drops at times. Hopefully they’ll be able to fix that in a sequel.

TAG: Which part or feature of the game are you particularly proud of?

MT: It’s not something I would say I’m proud of, but I do love the map that charts your progress at the start of each mission (think Ghosts and Goblins). It’s proper old school and I think it’s pretty cool every time I see it.

TAG: Are there any plans for a sequel?

MT: Well, I don’t think we’d do a straight sequel, but we’re definitely discussing some sort of follow up that builds upon the existing engine. If we did do a follow up game the introduction of vehicles the player can jump in and use would be high up on our wish list. We also had a few cool ideas regarding the use of the DS touch screen and how we could use it to help immerse the player in the game world.

DJ: Yes, we have a few good ideas bouncing around at the moment.

TAG: Finally, describe Operation Vietnam in 5 words or less

MT: You can shoot cows – yahtzee!

DJ: DS Squad based explosive action!

Screenshot:

Operation: Vietnam is out now in the US and released in the UK in October.

TAG: What were your roles on the project?

DJ: I was lead artist on the game. Because we were such a small team I also got to also do some of the design, the particles, some of the smaller creature animations and so on – there was quite a bit of role crossover.
Small teams are fun to work in as it’s easier for everyone to have creative input.

MT: I was the Lead Designer, so it was my job to hit the coders and artists with a big stick when they didn’t do what they were told.

TAG: Tell us about the game. What are we paying for?

DJ: It’s a top down arcade shooting action on the Nintendo DS. In it you control a small squad of individual soldiers who have crashed down into the dense jungle and need to fight their way to safety.
There are 10 main campaign levels to explore. On top of that are 11 varied bonus levels, a hard campaign mode and a number of special cheat modes to unlock.

TAG: What stage of the games development are you at?

DJ: We are all finished now. It’s pencilled in to be released on the 15th Aug in the US by its publisher Majesco. I’m not sure if the European release date is confirmed yet, that version is being distributed by Eidos. They will probably announce a street date at Leipzig.
MT: The game is in a box and on the shelves (US), so I’m at the stage of heading to the pub.

TAG: Do you think that the DS has a reputation for just puzzle games, and how do you think Operation: Vietnam going to fit in?

DJ: There may be a lot of puzzle games on DS, but there are lots of other genres available like Mario Kart, Metroid Prime Hunters, Ouedan etc.
I think Operation Vietnam will fit in really well. Take a look at what else is out there and I think you’ll agree that there really is nothing quite like it on the DS. We had a great time making it, and I think that really comes across in how fun it is to play.

MT: The DS does appear to be geared around puzzle / RTS games, at the present time. However, Nintendo have sold so many DS machines (40m?) it’s safe to assume that there’s a market for games like Operation: Vietnam. From what I’ve been reading on the forums, DS owners have been crying out for a game like this for a long time. I guess there are only so many dogs you can stroke and cows to milk before it starts becoming repetitive. We’ve got cows in our game actually. You can blow em’ up.

TAG: It looks a bit like Cannon Fodder on DS.

DJ: Yes, I remember playing Cannon Fodder on my old Amiga 500; it was fantastic – bloody hard at times too. Operation: Vietnam may look like Cannon Fodder first, as we have some surface level similarities (you control a squad, have rockets and grenades), however we have a narrative at the core of the game so you get a logical progression as you work your way from deep inside the jungle towards your final goal.

Sometimes the levels break in two when the squad gets split up, requiring you to experiment with new gameplay tactics. We also have napalm air strikes you can call in, sniper rifles, minefields, villagers to rescue, lots of animated wildlife, big end of level bosses, player speech.

MT: I guess there are similarities, enemies to kill, traps to avoid etc, but I personally think Operation: Vietnam shares greater similarities with classic top down shooters such as: Commando, Ikari Warriors and Fernandez Must Die.

TAG: Do you think this type of game is particularly suited to the touch control method of the DS?

DJ: Totally, although we haven’t overused the touch control for the sake of it. The game is an arcade shooter at its core, so you use the D-Pad primarily for movement and A,B,X,Y for guns/grenades/medipacks etc.

What the touch screen has allowed us to do is to create a simple and visually accessible interface system that doesn’t get in the way of the game. Our design is very ergonomic as you just slide your thumbs a short distance from the digital controls (then back again) to select your troops / issue orders / toggle the map for navigation – all whilst the game is still running at full speed on the top screen.

TAG: So what were your influences when making the game?

DJ: We drew inspiration from a number of arcade action games like Cannon Fodder, Ikari Warriors, Metal slug, Alien Breed, Midnight resistance and The Chaos Engine. All excellent action games.

MT: Lager.

Screenshots:

Operation: Vietnam is out now in the US and released in the UK in October.