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Studio Feature
- Tantalus Studios
(Added 30th
November 2002 - By Andrew Blanchard)
This Tantalus Studios feature was to be the third
in a series of articles we're compiling at EAGB about
studios that have created 'cutting edge' titles, but
unfortunately are still without publishing and distribution
deals. As we've said before, this is mainly due to the
publishers' unwillingness to put any title out on the
GBA market that have no licenses or movie tie-ins to
automatically push unit sales and make money.
At least that's how I intended to write this article,
but Tantalus aren't only incredibly talented at producing
games, they also seem to be reasonably successful in
getting them published too. With this in mind, rather
than focusing on one or two finished projects, I thought
I'd just highlight some of their current technology,
which will hopefully feature in a future release. This
follows a meeting at the Developers' Lounge during September's
ECTS with Tom Crago of Tantalus. Tom had traveled from
Australia to attend the show and to demonstrate some
of the studio's present and future games; from my point
of view it was well worth the trip.
CRIS (Character Render Interactive
System)
This is not really a game, but an 'in house' technology
that helps to set Tantalus apart from the rest of the
pack. Basically, it allows developers to replace traditional
hand drawn sprites with 3D ones, resulting in smoother
and more adaptable animated characters. These are created
using polygons, but the demonstrations that EAGB saw
illustrated just how flexible this system is. Probably
the most impressive detail of this application for gamers
is that it dramatically cuts the instance of severe
frame rate issues in a game, which tend to happen when
a lot is happening onscreen, so replacing bitmapped
sprites with polygon ones improves things dramatically.
The routine is currently used in most of their titles
and its visual impact has to be seen to be appreciated.
Equestrian Demo
This demo represents a practical application of the
CRIS technology, with the challenge being to produce
a fully 3D horse and allow it to walk, gallop and jump
around a course. The courses in question are actually
taken from ATV Quad Racing, but the whole thing was
produced in a matter of days, and by a single programmer/artist.
As a rider, going around the courses is incredibly easy,
with the horses 'handling' feeling very realistic. Try
an impossible jump or maneuver though, and you will
fall off and have to climb on the horse again. The finished
product promises a variety of game modes including a
3-day event, cross-country and show jumping. If the
demo is anything to go by, it should be a groundbreaking
and original title.
Anaka
Although this is in the very early stages of production,
the overall design for the game is nearing completion.
Hopefully this will look and feel very different from
any GBA game lead character, with the emphasis on a
cartoon look rather than realism. Featuring one of the
most detailed lead characters yet to be seen in a handheld
title, Anaka is basically a platformer that features
expansive levels and immersive, thought provoking gameplay--think
of an incredibly enhanced Tomb Raider--well, in the
gameplay department anyway.
The animation is also looking quite spectacular,
with the lead animator having previously spent some
years in the film and TV industry, bringing some very
high-end production values to the title. There are only
a few pre-production sketches available at present,
but Tantalus hope to have some actual screens and in-game
footage available on their web site before the end of
the year.
Junga Demo
As a huge fan of platforming games, I was anxious
to get my hands on a playable version of Junga and the
results certainly weren't disappointing. One of the
things that is currently stifling the gaming genre is
the complete lack of variety, and critics have often
remarked that simple puzzle elements would save even
the most mediocre of titles. Tantalus has obviously
taken this advice onboard, as Junga not only features
some wonderful graphics and animation, but also some
intriguing mind-benders. It's far from complete yet,
but the finished version promises a battle system and
huge levels whilst significantly raising the bar for
immersive and satisfying gameplay.
Released Games
Tantalus have had their success stories too, releasing
games for several publishers and as a result, are starting
to build up an impressive portfolio of titles demonstrating
the studio's varied approach to game design. These include
the wonderful ATV Quad Racing for Acclaim, which includes
a newly developed racing engine and which was reviewed
here some months ago.
Also due for release in the next month or so will
be the fifth installment in the Woody Woodpecker Crazy
Castle series for Kemco, which will improve both gameplay
and visuals for the GBA by utilizing the CRIS graphics
system.
Flintstones fans will also be pleased to learn that
the Tantalus' take on the famous animated series, Dino
to the Rescue, is looking wonderful, and will hopefully
allow everyone to forget the terrible GBA titles that
have preceded it.
Looking into 2003, Tantalus will continue to support
the GBA, and have just signed on to produce the third
installment of the Top Gear series for Kemco. This will
use an improved ATV Quad Racing engine while extensively
utilizing a very high polygon count for the actual cars.
If initial demos are anything to go by, this could be
the racing title everyone's been waiting for. In addition,
there's another very high profile (and secret) title
that should be released sometime in Q3, but we'll let
you know more about that when it goes public. They're
also developing two in-house titles (one of which is
Anaka) drawing on their extensive expertise and utilizing
their own CRIS technology.
Like Crawfish or Digital Eclipse, Tantalus are proving
to be a GBA developer to look out for and if their current
projects are anything to go by, there certainly appears
to be an exciting future ahead for this Australian-based
company. What we've featured here is a small sample
of the Tantalus portfolio, so I'd urge you to check
out their web site which not only has a lot more news
and information but also features movies of the games
in action.
Special thanks to Tom
Crago of Tantalus for his help in this feature.
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