Dream On Studio talks Nintendo support

Cubed3 managed to catch up with Ben Yoris, the director of France-based Dream On Studio and project coordinator of upcoming DS game Touch of the Dead to ask him a few questions about the game and the studio's other projects.

C3: The game is stated as being an ‘on-rails tactile shooter’ – could you explain this a little, please? Will it be similar to games like House of the Dead?

BY: Yes, it’s similar to those arcade games where you do not control the camera but have to focus on advancing without being hurt by the enemies. All the gameplay is based on this: you have weapons with limited ammo and you have to reload frequently. You must reload and manage your weapons/ammo smartly to avoid being overwhelmed by the zombies. Powerful weapons have limited ammo, that’s why we call our game a “survival shooter” in comparison to arcade games where ammo is not limited.

The game also supports two-player co-op wireless multiplayer. Yoris goes on to mention that the studio is also very seriously considering developing a Wii version of the title. Dream On Studio is also working on three other projects. The first is Space eXploration Rally (a game in the same vein as Wipeout) on the DS, which apparently runs at 60fps (well, the beta does). The second is Treasure Quest, which was initially a GBA title but is now being moved to the DS. The third game is Nightmare Buster, but is no longer a priority.

I must say, I love the sound of SXR. According to Yoris, it's like Wiepout and Extreme-G, only it's set in the wild and not on circuits. I'm terribly excited about the kind of stuff we'll be seeing on the DS this year and the next ... now that the "experimental" phase is more or less over, it's time to see what happens when you really push the limits of the system.