The “adult (b)arcade” a.k.a. an arcade for grown-ups is a thing in 2018. Well, it has been for awhile now and it’s not just the games, it’s the environment. Glows from cathode-ray display screens bathe players’ faces, and glitched-out sound effects circulate through these venues and the excitement is contagious. Also, Beer. Some of these establishments are not only buying cabinets for new games, but the players/patrons that frequent these nostalgic haunts are actually willing to invest their own time and money into hardcore competitive games with intense skill curves.
Brooklyn-based BumbleBear games seems to be doing well enough with Killer Queen, the 10-player competitive platformer that dominates most of these alcohol fueled game centers is inspiring. Killer Queen Black, This Switch version, with full online play, will bring it to the masses. The idea that people not a part of the major metropolitan arcade and/or con scene are finally going to be able to play this makes me so happy. Also, this isn’t simply a port of the O.G. Killer Queen. This version will be 8-player with up to four on one Switch. 8-player is achieved by either ad-hoc or online play. The game will also be available on PC. It will also contain entirely new content not seen on the original arcade version.
We got a chance to play Killer Queen Black (a lot!) at PAX West 2018 as well as chat with Joshua DeBonis of BumbleBear Games. It was a great conversation and I didn’t have to shout in his ear like if I was at (b)arcade. Check the audio at the link.
To listen to the full interview click here: https://soundcloud.com/poppundits/interview-with-josh-debonis-of-bumblebear-games
-Dagobot
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