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For everyone looking forward to Vigilante 8: Arcade coming out tomorrow be sure to thank Peter Morawiec, Co-founder and Creative Director of Isopod Labs for answering these questions for us, and for doing it at what must be an extremely busy time since the game releases tomorrow. Peter was kind enough not only to answer the questions, but to send over a few screenshots as well.
Question: How did you arrive at making remaking Vigilante 8 for the current generation of gamers? Peter: As the original developers, we obviously love the franchise and have been meaning to make another installment for years. However, we didn’t have the right opportunity until 2006 when we decided to have another go at games (after taking a brief hiatus away from development). Vigilante 8: Arcade struck us as the perfect project – something that was dear to us, had an existing following, and a perfect fit for XBLA. Thus, Isopod Labs was born and off we went… Q: When in the process of deciding to make Vigilante 8: Arcade was it determined it should be on Xbox Live Arcade? Peter: Honestly, it was always intended as an XBLA game. XBLA seemed like a great emerging platform for startup developers, especially for arcade titles like Vigilante 8. What’s more, there weren’t any real car-combat titles in the pipeline back then, or full 3D titles in general for that matter, so it was a perfect opportunity.
Q: How difficult is it to develop for Xbox Live Arcade?
Peter: Ha, it was quite a challenge actually. Since we’ve decided to fully rework the game from scratch with an all new engine and graphics, it took a good six months longer than we initially thought given the size of our tiny team. It was also our first Xbox 360 title. But, the most unexpected set of hurdles had to do with the finishing stages, working our way through all the various technical compliance requirements, and a lot of waiting on clarifications, test results and approvals. We’ve ultimately discovered that in those respects, shipping an XBLA game isn’t all that different than a regular retail game.
Q: Did you spend a lot of time playing Vigilante 8 and Vigilante 8: Second Offense before beginning development?
Peter: Not all that much actually – the gameplay was still very much in our blood. There were some debates early on about which cars/characters/arenas to include (we couldn’t fit them all), so we spent some time looking at the games for those reasons, only to ultimately focus on the original V8 for the most part.
Q: Was it difficult to stay true to the feel and style of the older Vigilante 8 games?
Peter: It’s an all new physics engine, so it wasn’t trivial. The feel is slightly different, but it still plays very much like the original games. Our goal was for players to find Vigilante 8: Arcade both familiar yet fresh, even for those who played the old games, with enough learning curve to keep them interested in sticking with the game, improving their driving skills and perfecting their combat techniques.
Q: Looking back on Vigilante 8: Arcade what are the things that you are most proud of?
Peter: I’d say delivering on what we set out to do. Being a self-funded production, it was quite a challenge at times, but in the end we’ve really given this game our best shot, spending the extra time required to get it done right and fully maxing out the (former) 150MB limit. It was very much a labor of love and we’re extremely excited to finally see it go out into the marketplace.
Q: Is there anything you were hoping to get into Vigilante 8: Arcade that did not make the cut?
Peter: The Crater Maker, one of our more notorious weapons, no longer causes terrain deformation. The terrain in Vigilante 8: Arcade is now being done with procedural Bezier patches, which results in very smooth surfaces. Unfortunately those cannot be manipulated easily.
Q: What is your preferred vehicle to play with?
Peter: I love the Piranha. This car is a new addition, a tribute to Vigilante 8’s PC predecessor – it was Jade Champion’s ride in Activision’s Interstate ’76.
Q: Can you give us a few tips, tricks, or hints for Vigilante 8: Arcade?
Peter: The first thing to learn is tight turns: power-sliding (Gas + Brake) allows you to turn your vehicle on a dime. You can’t really play the game effectively by using the standard steering alone. The handling takes a bit of practice. Other tips? Keep grabbing shields and power-ups. Finally, learn the old-school ‘combo strings’ to fire the Charge Attacks – it’s quicker than holding down the button! Check out our FAQ for the full list: www.v8arcade.com Screenshots 
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