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Downwell(video game)

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Downwell
Developer(s)Ojiro Fumoto
Red Phantom Games (PS4, Switch)
Publisher(s)Devolver Digital
Designer(s)Ojiro Fumoto
Programmer(s)Ojiro Fumoto
Artist(s)Ojiro Fumoto
Composer(s)Eirik Suhrke
EngineGameMaker: Studio
Platform(s)
ReleaseiOS
  • WW:14 October 2015
Windows
  • WW:15 October 2015
Android
  • WW:27 January 2016
PS4,Vita
  • WW:24 May 2016
Switch
  • WW:31 January 2019
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter,platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Downwellis a 2015vertically scrolling shootervideo gamewithroguelikeelements. It was developed by Ojiro Fumoto and published byDevolver DigitalforiOSandMicrosoft Windowsin October 2015, forAndroidin January 2016, and forPlayStation 4andPlayStation Vitain May 2016. ANintendo Switchversion was released in January 2019. British studio Red Phantom Games developed the Switch and PlayStation ports.[1]

Downwelluses apaletteof four colors, which default to black background and white outlines, with red as a highlight for gems, enemies and other important items, and blue for water environment features.[2][3]The exact colors can be changed through unlockable in-game palettes.[4]The art style and underground level design have been compared toSpelunkyandCave Story.[5]

Gameplay

[edit]
Downwell'sprotagonist Welltaro shooting a stomping-resistant snail enemy with the "burst" ammo upgrade.

InDownwell,players control a "curious man" named Welltaro,[6]who is at the local park one night when he decides to explore the depths of thewellnearby. Knowing that monsters are waiting for him inside, he straps on his gunboots and starts his trip downwards, killing his enemies to proceed and collect treasure.[7]The game has three basic controls: left and right movement, and the ability to jump while on a solid surface. When mid-air, pressing and holding the jump button fires from Welltaro's gunboots.[8]

The well is procedurally generated,[5]and the player is often confronted with a large number of different types of enemies, most of which can either be shot with the gunboots or stomped by jumping on them; others, however, are resistant to being stomped and can thus only be killed with bullets. While normal enemies only feature a red glare alongside the white outlines, these particular enemies are completely highlighted in red, with a more filledspritebody.[8]The gunboots are automatically reloaded when Welltaro hits a surface, regardless of whether or not it is solid.[7]During the descent, players will find "timevoids", which, upon entering, stop everything outside them, as well as the music. These timevoids may lead to caves, which provide the player with a large amount of gems, or with an alternate weapon, which influences speed, delay, ammo usage, ammo count and the shoot pattern of the gunboots, as well as providing either health or a max ammo upgrade.[9]In other cases, the timevoids lead to a shop, where Welltaro is welcomed by aJizō,who is taking the place of ashopkeeper,offering the player three different items in exchange for gems.[10]

The well is built up from multiple stages, each of them having three levels and featuring different sets of environmental designs and enemies.[11]At the end of each level, the player is given the choice between three Welltaro upgrades, which persist throughout the play session and support the player, in addition to ammo upgrades or shop purchases.[12]Additionally, alternating with color palettes unlocks, the player unlocks different movement styles, which influence Welltaro's position and movement animation while on solid ground, as well as some of the well's procedural attributes, like frequency and type of timevoids.[4]

Development

[edit]

Downwell'sdevelopment began around March 2014. At that time, Fumoto had graduated inopera singingat theTokyo University of the Arts,but felt like that was not the way he wanted to go in life.[13]So, at the end of February 2014, Fumoto canceled his studies and went on to make multiple "game-a-week" projects, after he read about that idea inRami Ismail's article onGamasutra.[14]Downwellwas Fumoto's thirteenth project, in which he instantly saw a high potential and decided to continue its development.[10]Much of the game was influenced with Fumoto's obsession withSpelunky,and the initial idea for the game came from him wondering what a mobile phone game with similar gameplay would be like.[15]In early development the gameplay was that of a standard platform game, however once Fumoto came up with the Gunshoe mechanic he rebuilt the game around it.[16]During early development, the game was titledFallorWell,however, during an indie meet-up in Tokyo, Japan, Fumoto figured that he needed an actual name for his game, and therefore came up withDownwell,and stuck with it.[17]While the game was not very popular at the time, Fumoto started posting animatedGIFimages ofDownwell'sgameplay in early development stages on his JapaneseTwitteraccount, which came to the attention ofCara EllisonfromThe Guardian,as the game was largely different from Japan's usual indie gaming market.[18]On the same day of the article being published, indie publisherDevolver Digitalhooked up with Fumoto through a comment on one of his GIF images, which showed the player shooting monsters and crates together with the "drone" upgrade, which repeats the actions the player takes.[19]This comment and the following dialog then led to Devolver Digital becomingDownwell'spublisher.[20]With constant support from Devolver Digital and Fumoto's continuous posting of GIF images led to the opening of the game's official website and the announcement for the late 2015 release oniOSandMicrosoft Windows.[21]

The game was shown at gaming conventions, one of which was theIndependent Games Festival 2015,which was held from 2 March 2015 to 6 March 2015, at whichDownwellgot to the finalists of the "Student Showcase Award".[22]Another important convention was Japan's largest indie games festival, BitSummit 2015, which was held from 11 July 2015 to 12 July 2015, and at whichDownwellwas nominated for the Vermillion Gate Award by the Grand Jury and scored second behindLa-Mulana 2.[23]The game was finally announced for a release on 15 October 2015 and was released for iOS and Microsoft Windows, while Moppin continued working on the Android version. On 12 November 2015,Downwellwas nominated for "Best Mobile/Handheld Game" forThe Game Awards 2015,which took place on 3 December 2015.[24]On 11 December 2015, publisher Devolver Digital teasedDownwellfor future release onPlayStation Vitaby sharing a picture showing the game running on a PlayStation Vita device withtate modeenabled.[25]On 26 January 2016, it was announced thatDownwellwould be released the following day, respectively, 27 January 2016. On 9 February 2016, an official video bySony Computer Entertainmentrevealed that the game would be released forPlayStation 4and PlayStation Vita sometime in 2016.[26]

Fumoto announced in January 2018 that he had started working forNintendo,saying "I'll do my best".[27]It is believed that his success withDownwellwas a large factor in his hiring.[28]Fumoto previously stated that "[i]t was super fun developing games as indie" and that he "[could not] wait to see what it's like to develop games as part of a bigger team."[29]In September 2018, during that month'sNintendo Directshow, it was announced that Red Phantom Games was developing a port ofDownwellfor theNintendo Switch.[1]At the beginning of 2019, Fumoto announced he had quit his job at Nintendo and returned to indie development.[30]His next gamePoinpywas designed partly in response to the reception ofDownwell.[31]

Reception

[edit]

Upon release,Downwellreceived critical acclaim. OnMetacritic,the game currently holds a score of 81/100 for Microsoft Windows,[33]91/100 for iOS,[32]80/100 for PlayStation 4,[34]and 85/100 for PlayStation Vita.[35]Steven Hansen fromDestructoidpraised the game's design concept and giving it a perfect 10/10 by saying that "[t]hese are the kind of things you learn as you delve deeper and deeper into Downwell's four worlds (three levels each) and they are presented intelligently."[37]Another positive review was written by Nadia Oxford ofGamezebo,who gave the game 5 out of 5 stars and praisedDownwell'soverall play-style and design, stating that "Downwellis easily one of the best action games to hit mobile this year. It’s intense, it’s unique, and every game you play goes towards unlocking something new. "[38]Peter Bathge from German PC gaming magazinePC Games,however, gave the game a 70% score, criticizing that "[the game] feels somehow weird on the PC. This does not only come from the not always perfect, fixed and predefined controls, but the whole game principle is obviously cut to the mobile market needs."[39]

Awards

[edit]
List of awards and nominations
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2015 Independent Games Festival 2015 Student Showcase Award Nominated [22]
BitSummit 2015 Vermillion Gate Award Nominated [23]
TouchArcade Game of the Week — Week 42, 2015 Won [41]
GameSpot Game of the Month — October 2015 Nominated [42]
The Game Awards 2015 Best Mobile/Handheld Game Nominated [43]
Pocket Tactics Action Game of the Year 2015 Won [44]
Destructoid Best PC Game of 2015 Nominated [45]
Best Mobile Game of 2015 Won [46]
The Jimquisition Game of the Year 2015 Won [47]
2016 Game Developers Choice Awards 2016 Best Debut(Moppin) Nominated [48]
Best Handheld/Mobile Game Nominated [48]
2016 SXSW Gaming Awards Mobile Game of the Year Nominated [49]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abLanier, Liz (14 September 2018)."'Downwell' is Getting a Switch Port ".Variety.Retrieved18 September2018.
  2. ^"Downwell for Nintendo Switch".Nintendo EShop.Nintendo. 31 January 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 3 April 2019.Retrieved22 September2021.
  3. ^Coffin, Steve (13 March 2019)."Downwell's Palette Progression".Scoffin Games.Retrieved22 September2021.
  4. ^abSmith, Adam; Smith, Graham (20 October 2015)."RPS Verdict: Downwell".Rock Paper Shotgun.Retrieved22 October2015.
  5. ^abRobinson, Nick; McElroy, Griffin (31 March 2015)."Cave Story meets Spelunky in vertical roguelike shooter Downwell".Polygon.Vox Media.Retrieved22 October2015.
  6. ^Lowe Bros. (14 December 2017)."Things are going DownWell:P".Kickstarter.Retrieved27 February2020.
  7. ^abSavage, Phil (27 February 2015)."Downwell is a vertical shooter about falling down a well".PC Gamer.Future US.Retrieved22 October2015.
  8. ^abPriestman, Chris (25 September 2014)."Downwell Is A 2D Platformer Built Around Gun Shoes".Siliconera.Curse, Inc.Retrieved22 October2015.
  9. ^Kotzer, Zack (21 October 2015)."Freefalling in love with Downwell, the tiniest roguelike".Kill Screen.Kill Screen Media.Retrieved22 October2015.
  10. ^abEllison, Cara (31 October 2014)."Embed With... Ojiro Fumoto".Embed with Games.Archived fromthe originalon 18 October 2015.Retrieved22 October2015.
  11. ^Smith, Adam (19 October 2015)."Wot I Think: Downwell".Rock, Paper, Shotgun.Retrieved22 October2015.
  12. ^Narcisse, Evan (16 October 2015)."DownwellIs the Best Three Dollars You'll Spend on a Video Game This Week ".Kotaku.Gawker Media.Retrieved22 October2015.
  13. ^Ellison, Cara (11 April 2014)."The Japanese Developer OfDownwellUsed To Be An Opera Singer ".Kotaku.Gawker Media.Retrieved22 October2015.
  14. ^Crecente, Brian (23 March 2015)."Here's the one-dev, 8-month, 'gunboot' game that won over PAX East".Polygon.Vox Media.Retrieved22 October2015.
  15. ^Moser, Cassidee (19 November 2015)."The story behind Downwell, one of this year's most delightful surprises".Kill Screen.Kill Screen Media.Retrieved6 December2016.
  16. ^Crecente, Brian (23 March 2015)."Here's the one-dev, 8-month, 'gunboot' game that won over PAX East".Polygon.Retrieved6 December2016.
  17. ^Holmes, Jonathan (6 March 2016)."Downwell developer digs deep, devises demure deliberation diamonds".Destructoid.ModernMethod.Retrieved6 March2016.
  18. ^Ellison, Cara (1 October 2014)."Dōjin nation: does 'indie' gaming really exist in Japan?".The Guardian.Guardian News and Media.Retrieved22 October2015.
  19. ^@devolverdigital (30 September 2014)."@moppppin What is this and how do we play it?:)"(Tweet).Retrieved22 October2015– viaTwitter.
  20. ^Dotson, Carter (27 February 2015)."Get on Board the 'Downwell' Hype Train!".TouchArcade.Retrieved22 October2015.
  21. ^O'Connor, Alice (27 February 2015)."Gun Boots: Downwell Coming To PC".Rock, Paper, Shotgun.Retrieved22 October2015.
  22. ^ab"2015 Independent Games Festival Winners".Independent Games Festival.UBM TechWeb.6 March 2015.Retrieved22 October2015.
  23. ^ab"BitSummit 2015 Award Winners".BitSummit.12 July 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 6 June 2017.Retrieved22 October2015.
  24. ^"Nominees Announced for The Game Awards 2015".The Game Awards.Ola Balola.12 November 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 15 November 2015.Retrieved13 November2015.
  25. ^Nakamura, Darren (11 December 2015)."Devolver shows off Downwell running on PlayStation Vita".Destructoid.ModernMethod.Retrieved11 December2015.
  26. ^Carter, Chris (9 February 2016)."Downwell is definitely coming to Vita and PS4".Destructoid.ModernMethod.Retrieved9 February2016.
  27. ^Kerr, Chris (23 January 2018)."Downwellcreator Ojiro 'Moppin' Fumoto has joined Nintendo ".Gamasutra.UBM TechWeb.Retrieved27 January2018.
  28. ^Tucker, Kevin (23 January 2018)."Downwell Developer Ojiro Fumoto Joins Nintendo".Shacknews.Retrieved27 January2018.
  29. ^Sarkar, Samit (23 January 2018)."Downwell creator joins Nintendo".Polygon.Vox Media.Retrieved27 January2018.
  30. ^Fumoto, Ojiro [@OjiroFumoto] (1 January 2019)."I was working at Nintendo for most of 2018 but I quit at the end of the year to pursue being an indie dev again. Working there was an incredible experience but ultimately I found my passion to simply be making a thing I want to make. So yeah, I'll get working on that this year!"(Tweet).Retrieved4 January2021– viaTwitter.
  31. ^Kyle Hilliard (19 July 2022)."You Might Be The Bad Guy In Poinpy According To Its Creator".GameSpot.Retrieved30 August2024.
  32. ^ab"Downwell for iPhone/iPad Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Retrieved30 May2016.
  33. ^ab"Downwell for PC Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Retrieved5 October2018.
  34. ^ab"Downwell for PlayStation 4 Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Retrieved11 June2016.
  35. ^ab"Downwell for PlayStation Vita Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Retrieved5 October2018.
  36. ^"Downwell for Switch Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Retrieved30 October2019.
  37. ^abHansen, Stephen (20 October 2015)."Review: Downwell - Falling with style".Destructoid.ModernMethod.Retrieved24 October2015.
  38. ^abOxford, Nadia (21 October 2015)."Downwell Review: Pumped Up Kicks".Gamezebo.Retrieved24 October2015.
  39. ^abBathge, Peter (22 October 2015)."Downwell im Test: Der pixelige Retro-Sprung in einen tiefen Brunnen lässt uns nicht mehr los - mit Trailer".PC Games(in German).Computec Media.Retrieved24 October2015.
  40. ^Hodapp, Eli (15 October 2015)."'Downwell' Review – The Gold Standard for Attention to Detail in Retro-Styled Pixel Games ".TouchArcade.Retrieved5 October2018.
  41. ^Dotson, Carter (16 October 2015)."TouchArcade Game of the Week: 'Downwell'".TouchArcade.Retrieved23 December2015.
  42. ^Tran, Edmond (12 November 2015)."Game of the Month - October 2015".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Retrieved23 December2015.
  43. ^"Nominees | The Game Awards 2015".The Game Awards.Ola Balola.12 November 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 14 November 2015.Retrieved23 December2015.
  44. ^Neumann, Dave (18 December 2015)."Action Game of the Year 2015: Downwell".Pocket Tactics.Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2015.Retrieved23 December2015.
  45. ^Hansen, Steven (12 December 2015)."Nominees for Destructoid's Best PC Game of 2015".Destructoid.ModernMethod.Retrieved23 December2015.
  46. ^Nakamura, Darren (22 December 2015)."Destructoid's award for Best Mobile Game of 2015 goes to..."Destructoid.ModernMethod.Retrieved23 December2015.
  47. ^Sterling, Jim(21 December 2015)."The Jimquisition Game of the Year Awards 2015".The Jimquisition.Archived fromthe originalon 8 January 2016.Retrieved23 December2015.
  48. ^ab"16th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards".Game Developers Conference.Retrieved24 February2019.
  49. ^Dornbrush, Jonathan (21 March 2016)."SXSW Gaming Awards 2016 winners".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved24 February2019.
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