Developer Playlist is The Black Panel’s occasional column devoted to industry figures and the games that inspire them. Each instalment features a ‘playlist’ of influential titles hand-picked by a talented creator.
Developed by a studio based right here in Australia (Land Down Under, Great Southern Land, etc), Dustforce presents us with a rather daring hypothesis, i.e. that we can have as much fun with a broom as we can with a shotgun. Among the indie success stories of 2011, this innovative platformer continues to attract new players. Now, as the first major update for Dustforce is arriving, we catch up with Hitbox Team’s Terence Lee. The man responsible for the game’s sound effects and music talks about two titles (one a single player epic, the other a multiplayer staple) that he just can’t get enough of.
—– Terence Lee’s Playlist —–
The Super Nintendo years are widely considered the golden age of JRPGs and few games exemplify the staggering ambition of the era more than CHRONO TRIGGER. Created by an all-star line-up of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest veterans, Square’s time travelling saga arrived on the SNES in 1995. Lee is a devoted fan, describing it as “an interactive blend of the best learnings from other art forms – visual, motion, music, and story. The result is a genuine feeling of adventure, loss, and completion. Every time I play it again,” he says, “I get new inspiration from the emotions it creates.”
A dozen years have passed since the release of the much loved Half-Life mod, but the Counter-Strike phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down. Lee identifies the COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE version of the game as his FPS drug of choice. Developed by Valve in collaboration with Hidden Path Entertainment, this 2004 remake gave the still popular original a fresh coat of paint, while retaining fan favourite maps and modes. “I return to Counter-Strike simply because I am addicted to it,” Lee says. “The chance to display personal skill is a rewarding aspect of games and it’s definitely a quality present in Dustforce.”
What’s next for Hitbox Team?
The four man studio is currently rolling out a substantial update for Dustforce. According to Lee, players can look forward to “new content, a level editor and a level sharing server”. Mac and Linux editions of the game are also on the menu. You can learn more about Dustforce at the game’s official website.
Where can I hear Lee’s music?
Lee issues his work under the Lifeformed moniker and his retro influenced electronica is well worth a listen. You can sample and/or purchase Fastfall: Dustforce OST on Bandcamp. Lee is currently scoring a documentary series chronicling the development of Double Fine Productions’ new adventure game.
Chrono Trigger image credit: MobyGames