GM Edge

Above: Main characters (left to right) Obel and BUBZ in the stylish look of Teleka

On 64Digits, there are 4 fairly popular games that steal the show. Among these are Platformed and Teleka. Today, I (Clay) talk to 64Digits celebrity, Obel Isk (Zane), about his highly intisipated project, Teleka. 

CLAY: What was your original inspiration for Teleka and when did you begin forming the game itself?
ZANE: My original inspiration for Teleka? If it’s gameplay you’re wondering about, I got most of my ideas from one of the older Zelda games. Teleka started out as just a simple minigame called DodgeBubble. You were in a room full of floating bombs coming after you, and you could destroy them by tricking them into ramming into one another. I wanted to give it a story, and it kinda snowballed from there. I started that about two and a half years ago.
CLAY: I see. So Teleka has some major history behind it. What sort of ideas came from this snowball effect?
ZANE: Hehe, snowball effect. I love that phrase. As I said, it started out as just that little top-down shooter. But then I had some crazy ideas. I thought it would be cool if your character could create cyclones that you control. I eventually got bored of the whole minigame scene, so I decided to make it into an adventure game. I dropped the top-down perspective, and placed a little emphasis on exploration. I gave it some worlds to explore and some characters to interact with. I also invented some new items, such as that throwing star among others.
CLAY: I think we’ve all seen the concept art on 64D. How well is that style transferring to a GM game, and what’d it take to achieve that look? 
ZANE: I’m not sure if one can even call that concept art. That’s actually how the graphics look in-game. Though I must admit, it looks a little odd. Pre-rendered 3D graphics on a 2D plane might seem a little awkward. With today’s standards, especially in console gaming, most games are presented in realtime 3D. But then again. If you’ve ever played the first Oddworld game, you can probably notice how the game is completely two-dimensional, but the graphics are prerendered. Perhaps Teleka can carry on its legacy? Anyway, achieving the right look was a pain in the ass from the start. I’ve restarted Teleka about six times, three of them due to graphical changes. But I’m finally satisfied with the look now, and this will be the final thing.
CLAY: I understand Teleka features everything from cuddly robots to space age geckos. Can you give us some background on the story?
ZANE: BAHAHA! CUDDLY! Heh, you crack me up sometimes. The geckos are the cuddly ones, trust me. BUBZ will massacre you and your entire city if he’s willing to. Anyway, the main plot is just the typical bad-guy-looking-for-something fiasco, but there are also a few subplots. BUBZ is banished and sent on an impossible mission, Obel is sent with him, and Aster is protecting BUBZ and Obel while trying to hide something the Dystopia is looking for. I would say more, but I would probably get carried away.
CLAY: What kind of gameplay can I expect? What word (i.e. genre) best describes it?
ZANE: I hate sounding like a broken record, but it’s a Zelda-ish adventure game.
CLAY: Sounds like you got a long road ahead of you. Simple question, are you receiving any help on this game? 
ZANE: Occasionally. At school I discuss my ideas with my friend Asterisk. He helps me loads with concept and music. There’s also Kenon, who I often consult for ideas. Oh yeah, and Andes. He helps me with all kinds of ideas, such as bosses and items. Serprex and a few others have also helped me with development. 
CLAY: Anything special about the game’s score?
ZANE: There are a few things. The song “Invader from Inside” was composed way back for the first incarnation of Teleka, but eventually I decided to remake it for the game’s new feel. The song will be used for a very “heated” part of the story. If you haven’t heard the song, just ask me and I’ll let you have a listen. Also, in the song “Dystopia Incarnation,” which will probably be used for kind of a trashed city scene, you can hear background vocals near the end. It’s me speaking, but the sound is heavily manipulated.
CLAY: Sounds like you’re really paying attention to all aspects of the game. Well, thats all for now. Any final thoughts? 
ZANE: Yes, I know I’m a little late, but I would like to thank Al Gore for his work and congratulate him for the Nobel Prize he won recently. Manbearpig is at large, and he must be stopped!