Tak Fung on taking MiniSquadron: Special Edition for an App Store dogfight

One of the most critically acclaimed iPhone games of 2009 was Tak Fung's MiniSquadron. Although, like many such labelled, it deserved more commercial success.

So it's now time to revisit the game, which Tak has done with the addition of new content (maps and planes), plus a new free-to-play pricing model. MiniSquadron: Special Edition is due out on 23 April.

We also asked him some questions including what and how.

Tak Fung: This is my opportunity to give something back to the fans of MiniSquadron. Essentially, to give them more things to shoot at. The art style was pushed again to be even more colourful and wacky, continuing to build the universe of crazy planes and flying hamsters.

The helicopters came when people were asking for the UFOs in the original game to be able to hover. So, in order to change things around, I thought of utilising that mechanism but with helicopters (as they weren't in the original game).

They're another control style that people might have fun with. They have super tight turning circles but they only shoot left or right, so planes can get them from above or below but the choppers can out turn them. I think it'll prove to be something people will enjoy experimenting with, especially in multiplayer.

I like giving freedom to artists so in this particular instance all of the ideas for art style (including all the levels) were handed over to Nils Pormann of Dandelion & Burdock. The idea was to make it very colourful and something maybe more playful - as opposed to anything based on reality. I guess it makes a change from his usual work of making videos for music bands.

Yeah, definitely! I never wanted a hardcore experience - and to be honest - part of making games is to have a bit of fun. I often throw in silly random things that I find amusing. I just hope other people also find joy in it.

The community aspect is excellent, and it really is a very simple, efficient and cost effective way to add online high scores to any game. At present, as a tiny developer, I would rather put my concentration on developing the core game and utilise existing platforms like OpenFeint for areas in which they are experts in.

The pricing method [first two levels free, thereafter 99c/59p for each set of two] was simply a good way to automatically tier the pricing of the app for everyone.

It is as fair as you can get with pricing, where you have a free demo and a pay-as-much-as-you-want mechanism all rolled into one place. It also saves me time and headaches of deciding what to do with special one off sales and the like.

I have zero idea whether this will be more successful than the original release but I can't wait to find out. And of course I hope it will encourage more people to try the game who weren't so sure the first time round.

Having completed three games in a space of 10 months, I plan to step up the gears and go ahead and push myself and go and risk more. I have a few projects that are just starting to kick off which I think will be even more eye-catching, daring, fun and involving than anything I've done before, although I can't say anymore than that.

For the moment at least, iPhone/iPod touch is still the primary platform - but I keep a lot of options open, in order to stay competitive. My most basic goal is to move on from eating instant ramen within the next 10 months. It is time!