Game Makers Yorkshire and the North

GaMaYo 23 Showcase #7:
Retro Racing 2 at GaMaYo

Over 35 new games will be on show at GaMaYo on 21st November with 400 developers attending the event to try them out. The event is managed by Game Republic along with their Official Partners Red Kite Games, Barclays Games and Creative and Escape Technology  – The event is also being sponsored by Plus Accounting and WX – the host venue for the event which is set to be the biggest gathering of indie game developers in The North.

Today we look at demo number 7 confirmed to be at the event – a game by Mr Qwak 

Retro Racing 2

What would be your description of your game?

Rev your engines and get ready for a thrilling ride with Retro Racing 2, the ultimate old-school retro racing game that brings back the excitement of classic 2D top-down racing.

Choose from a variety of cars, each with unique performance characteristics, and race across diverse tracks and challenging environments. Collect power-ups, to increase Top Speed, Acceleration and Tires, or for an instant Nitro boost, and speed your way to the top of the leaderboard!

This nostalgic yet fresh racing game offers an adrenaline-pumping experience that will keep you hooked for hours. Slick graphics and exhilarating gameplay make Retro Racing 2 a must-play for racing enthusiasts of all ages.

The story of Retro Racing 2 begins with its predecessor, Retro Racing. First released on mobile, the original game achieved remarkable success, climbing to the number one spot in the Racing category on the iOS App Store. Its authentic gameplay and nostalgic charm won over fans and critics alike, setting the stage for a follow-up that could build on its strong foundation. Were there any key inspirations or ideas that drove you for Retro Racing 2?

The roots of Retro Racing 2 stretch even deeper, back to the early days of my game development career. Inspired by my work on classic Amiga games like Nitro (Psygnosis, 1990) and All Terrain Racing (Team 17, 1995), I sought to infuse Retro Racing 2 with the same exhilarating, fast-paced action that made those titles beloved by a generation of gamers.

The path to developing Retro Racing 2 has been anything but straightforward. I have tackled every aspect of the game’s creation single-handedly, from programming and design to graphics and the development of production tools. I even built my own game engine to power Retro Racing 2.

I’ve been working on Retro Racing 2 for more years than I’d like to admit. It’s been a challenge, but also a labor of love. Every obstacle was an opportunity to learn and improve, and I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve accomplished.

With Retro Racing 2, I carry forward the essence of what made the original game a hit, while introducing new features and improvements that enhance the player experience. The game retains the top-down racing perspective that fans adore, but with refined controls, more intricate tracks, and a host of new vehicles to master.

I also paid close attention to the feedback from players of the original Retro Racing. Listening to the community has been crucial. Their insights have guided many of the decisions I’ve made, from gameplay mechanics to level design. I want this game to feel like a true evolution of the original.

Retro Racing 2 is a tribute to the games that inspired me and the fans who supported me. It’s been a long road, but knowing that people are excited and eager to play makes it all worthwhile.

Tell us about the team behind the game?

Mr Qwak is a solo independent game developer, based in Sheffield, England.

I’ve been making games for over 4 decades. Starting out on the BBC Micro, from a young age I fell in love with coding and the idea that I could create my own games. I developed a number of unpublished titles for the platform, but the one early release that I was most proud of, was a fast paced puzzle platform game about a duck, called ‘Qwak’.

Eventually I moved on to other platforms, I had some success on 16 bit home computers, along with a few unpublished games I had 3 published ones: Nitro (Amiga and Atari ST) and Qwak and All Terrain Racing (Amiga). The former was published by Psygnosis, the latter both published by Team 17.

The Amiga version of Qwak was an updated and enhanced version of the original BBC Micro game. Before moving on the mobile, I developed and self-published a new version of Qwak for Windows and Mac.

Around 2012 I started working on mobile. I released a version of Qwak for iOS, which was largely based on the desktop version. I also developed and released a top-down racing game, called ‘Retro Racing’. This did surprisingly well, it had great reviews (a UK AppStore review average of 4.8) and was number 1 in its category for quite a while.

What kind of experiences do you hope to bring players?

It’s all about fun authentic retro game-play. Guaranteed to raise your heartbeat.

In 10 words or less, highlight the appeal of the game?

Looks simple … but the secret sauce in the game-play.

Any links to access/wishlist the game?

iOS AppStore: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id574100120

Game Page: http://mrqwak.com/games/retro-racing-2

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