Best Buds vs Bad Guys is a father-and-son labor of gaming love
Games often have great stories, but rarely do we hear about the sometimes-great stories behind the games. In the case of Best Buds vs Bad Guys, a retro run-n-gun project now on Kickstarter, the tale of the game’s development is maybe more compelling than the game itself.
Made by a development team of two – a father and his 11 year old son – Best Buds vs Bad Guys is in many ways a labor of love, with a special message behind it. Richard and Lucas both have a love of classic games like Contra, Metal Slug, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, and apparently always wanted to develop a game of this genre together.
But the game is a statement of sorts as well. The two of them are on the autistic spectrum, and wanted to get the message across that having a condition like Asperger’s doesn’t prevent you from making your dreams and ambitions come true. Put it all together, and Best Buds vs Bad Guys is a great, positive game – and story – that the industry can always use more of.
“This is where the idea came about,” says Richard on the project page. “Two ‘Best Buds’, which is the name we call each other, going up against legions of evil bad guys, helped by a lot of crazy weaponary and power-ups!
We wanted to create an authentic retro experience which draws upon Lucas’ imaginative ideas for enemies and levels and my admiration & love of classic 80s/early 90s arcade machine games like Contra, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Green Beret, Mega Man, Bionic Commando.”
In the game, you team up and battle the foul creations of Doctor Jushaan’s twisted genius and escape from his digital prison dimension. Travel to 11 different worlds, all presented in classic 16-bit style, with a catchy chip-tune soundtrack and lots of OTT weapons.
Best Buds vs Bad Guys is currently a little over half way to its goal of £4,500, with just a few days left. If you want to back this cool game (and give this story a happy ending), check out the Kickstarter page here.