Adventure Gamers: Steve, how is the writing in So Blonde either similar or different to other games you've worked on? Are you venturing into new territory here, or will this feel very much like "a Steve Ince game" for those who have played your games in the past?

Steve Ince: To be honest, I didn’t really set out to write in a particular style, it simply grew from the characters themselves. Sometimes when writing them it was like they were speaking independently in my head, which makes my life so much easier.

AG: The game gives off a very "old school" vibe – not in its impressive production values, but its overall mechanics (2D, point-and-click) and gameplay focus. Was that a fairly conscious effort on your part, appealing to the kind of market that made Runaway a hit, or were you simply just making the kind of game that you wanted to make?

SI: I loved the ideas immediately and was able to buy into the whole concept with great eagerness. With that on mind I set out to help create a game that would match that initial specification.

Jerome Britneff-Bondy: There are many reasons, the most obvious one being that we all love adventure games so we naturally came to that genre. Also, So Blonde is the first game entirely developed by Wizarbox and we wanted to spend our time on the game itself – rather than on its production tools. Adventure games are not about technology but about content. That’s where we put our efforts.

AG: The one thing that some might consider less traditional (or at least less welcome) is the inclusion of mini-games. In many games, these can feel tacked on, like a cheap ploy to add some "action" value to an otherwise fairly relaxed adventure. What role do they serve in So Blonde, and how have you managed to integrate them so that they feel natural to the story?

SI: They’ve just been tacked on to manipulate the gaming press. No, not really. There are a few different styles of mini-game but their purpose is linked to the gameplay at that point. Even the stylised nature of the first one – based on the Game & Watch Nintendo style games – fits with what Sunny is trying to do at that point of the game – she needs to collect water in a coconut shell. Rather than just have “use shell on water” we have “use shell on water and trigger mini-game”. It’s good fun, which was the real aim of putting them in to begin with.

JBB: We always wanted to bring an “old school” feeling in So Blonde. We assumed it completely by adding 16 mini-games, including references to some of the videogame industry’s milestones titles - like Game & Watch or even Space Invaders, which became Temple Invaders here.

AG: Any reassurances you can offer to those whose pulse quickens at the mere thought of stressful activities?

SI: Take a breath and get a grip – the world will come to an abrupt end if you fail them! Well, it might not. The games are fun and even if you fail them a couple of times you can have fun trying. It is possible to cheat your way through them, but the game may go off into a corner to sulk for a while.

JBB: All mini-games are part of the storytelling, for it illustrates – in a funny and interactive way – some specific situations. Their purpose is to bring some fun sequences between two puzzles. Now, traditional adventure fans can relax, for all mini-games can be bypassed by a simple click if you don’t want to play it. Knowing that, I recommend you to test them all for I’m sure you would be surprised by your own skills! (Remember: If Sunny can, YOU can!)

AG: Steve, you're a big proponent of "interaction density", so can we expect there to be lots of non-essential stuff to see and touch and mess around with just for fun?

SI: I think it’s only right that the player is able to interact with things in the background and this game is filled with stuff like that. I hope that some of the descriptions will give people a laugh or two.

AG: So while your first game is just hitting the English market, now you're well underway on the "Nintendo" version — the alternate-storyline "what if" version of the game for the Wii and DS. That's a creative way to approach cross-platform releases. How did that idea come about?

SI: We discussed it and I realised how great it would be to build on this idea and give the player a new gameplay and story experience without it being a sequel and without undermining the PC version.

JBB: We wanted to create something new on the Nintendo platforms, but not different to the point where it would be considered as a So Blonde 2. We also had to manage the existing PC version’s background, so we applied the “butterfly effect”. What if the main character had met the “bad guys” first and became friends with them? A simple change in the starting situation would change everything…



AG: How much of the game would you say is simply recycled from the original, and how much is entirely new? Tell us honestly, for those considering buying both, will it really feel like a different game that's worth our while (and money) to play twice?

SI: I would estimate that 80 – 90 percent of the story and gameplay is new. There are places where we get very close to the original, but most of the time we are treading a new path, but using many of the existing characters and locations. Some of the PC locations have been re-drawn to better fit the new platforms and many of them are completely new, as are some of the characters. We also have a new playable character.

JBB: The game uses about 20% of the PC version but nothing has been really “recycled”. The story and puzzles are completely new and were designed to complete the PC version – though there’s no need to have played it to enjoy this edition. Most locations have been redesigned and cut into several screens. Last, we tried to take in consideration most of the PC players’ feedback in this version.

AG: The Wii and DS are obviously much different platforms, so how will the game seek to utilize both the unique features and limitations of each system?

SI: The interface has been developed to take full advantage of the consoles’ individual features. The really great thing is that the game is equally at home on a large TV (through the Wii) and the much smaller screens of the DS.

JBB: We designed the game to make it fully playable with the stylus and Wiimote. I also think we’ve found a simple but efficient way to use the DS dual screens. Last, the mini-games have been redesigned to make the most of Nintendo’s unique controllers.