Interview de Martijn Wenting

Puissance-Pocket :Warp looks very close to FZero and WipeOut. Obviously, people will compare your game with the other two : what should convince them that your version is simply... better ?

Martijn Wenting : Well, wipeout is no doubt the best futuristic racing game ever made. So we wouldn't dare saying our game is better. But comparing it to e.g. F-zero on the GBA, we can say that our game is visually much more appealing as well as gameplay wise.

Puissance-Pocket :Aren't you afraid that 8 tracks is too few ? How many players can compete together ? Is it a "One for Four" cartridge system ? What about the graphics : 3D, FZero-like ?

Martijn Wenting : The graphics are semi-3D. Which means it has a flat floor which can rotate (like fzero and GTA Advance) and we have 3d objects on top of that (unlike fzero, which simply has no objects alongside the tracks). We also have a 1 minute long Full Motion Video intro (which utilizes our GBA Full Motion Video engine) of which you can see some screenshots on our website (www.karma-studios.com). As far as the tracks go, we'll probably add a feature to play all the tracks backwards, so you can access 16 tracks in total. As far as multiplayer issues go i can't comment on that at the moment.

Puissance-Pocket :You have currently two GBA games ready to go onto the market. Can you tell us a few words about your next GBA games like Cybores, EFX, or Tubes ?

Martijn Wenting : Well, it's likely that the following 2 titles will see the market even before Stip GBA and Warp: EFX is futuristic 3D shoot-'em-up in the style of Space Harrier and Iridion 3D. The game features 8 levels with very realistic 3D backdrops and enemies. Each of the levels has its own theme and enough variation within the levels itself (unlike Iridion). Also it will feature a nicely balanced gameplay, a multitude of weapons, bonuses and upgrades. We hope to release the first screenshots and promo movies soon. Super Nova (working title) will be a hilarious vertical shoot-'em-up with numerous gags, funny enemies, bosses and situations that will surprise you (time and time again). The game features 5 different worlds, each with its own theme. Each world will also feature 2 bosses. Besides our own games, we also do conversion/licensed games as well, these projects include US racer (Q1-2002) and Downforce GBA.

Puissance-Pocket :Are you in touch with Nintendo ? Some developers complain a lot about Nintendo's way of communicating with developers, especially in Europe. Do you feel lonely, too, with Nintendo keeping silent ?

Martijn Wenting : We have an okay relationship with Nintendo Of America, so i don't know about Nintendo Europe. But our experience is we don't need much help or communication with Nintendo, so it's not really a problem for us if the communication is bad.

Puissance-Pocket :On your website, you're talking about project for nextgen consoles. What can you say about forthcoming projects on Nintendo GameCube ?

Martijn Wenting : At this moment i can't reveal any information on our nextgen titles. At the moment we don't have specific plans for Nintendo Gamecube.

Puissance-Pocket : Thanks a lot for answering all our questions.

Martijn Wenting : No problem, greetings to your readers!