Interviews

Behind the action with Flipper Critters' Zsolt Kigyossy

Control systems, quirky characters and why Flipper Critters will be the most exciting handheld pinball game ever

Behind the action with Flipper Critters' Zsolt Kigyossy
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DS
| Flipper Critters

Having got ourselves all hot and bothered last week about the remergence of colourful DS pinball adventure Flipper Critters, we thought it only proper to find out more. And happily Zsolt Kigyossy, MD of Budapest-based gamemaker Zen Studios, was on hand to ping us some extra details.

First up is the question of how the pinball controllers are mapped onto the DS.

"You should find the control very natural – every button on the left side of the DS moves the left flipper and every button on the right side moves the right," Zsolt says, explaining that in this way people will be able to create their own personal set-up.

"My favourite is using the left button of the D-pad for the left arm and the 'A' button for the right arm," he adds.

Of course, the 'A' and 'B' buttons have other functions when the pinball's not in play, such as launching the ball or skipping dialogue.

There are also special touch objects, such as jumpers which are sunk into the ground. Tap on these with your stylus when prompted and they'll rise up. "Touchable objects are signaled with a hand icon and have an important role in the gameplay," Zsolt explains.

From table to field

So that's the flippers sorted, but what about the critters? Well, the world of Flipper Critters features a mixture of mechanical and magical technologies, and has small strangely-named villages (Torogbad and Ylwitch) set within wild vegetation, rivers and mountains, Zsolt reveals.

This world's inhabitants – the Critters – include Miranda, a reclusive sorceress, Bureaucrat Pig, who's in control of the moon, and a spiky hedgehog who distributes balloons to visiting tourists.

Playing as the earnest young Tiger, you'll have to pinball your way through nine quests provided by these characters to complete the story. Helping you will be your companion, a wise-cracking if grumpy monkey.

"The critters are located in different locations, which are essentially pinball playfields, and the player can travel among these places absolutely freely," says Zsolt of the open-ended progression.

Using the 'Start' button, you'll always be able to see a world map and so check your position and where to head for the next quest.

Faster, faster pinball

As for the reason Zen Studios decided to make a pinball-based game in the first place, Zsolt believes the fast-paced but static-screen gameplay means the genre is ideal for handhelds.

"There are some popular GBA titles and the excellent Metroid Prime Pinball on the DS, but we've chosen to be much more radical in our approach," he promises. "You'll experience explosions, rivers of molten steel, glowing neon lights, destructible objects, mobile enemies, and more. These will make our pinball game more exciting and immersive than any to date."

Flipping 'eck! We'll have to wait until February 2007 to find out if such high ambitions are met. Click 'Track It!' to get updates when we do them.

Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.