UPDATE: Alright, so we decided to throw up some gameplay footage, just so you guys can see how things are going. It's not looking like the Kickstarter is going to succeed, but we're planning on doing a Reddit thread in a last-ditch effort to get contributors. 

This gameplay footage is all pre-alpha, so everything but the basic mechanics are subject to change. Most notably, soon we will be making all the character sprites larger and improving the sword swing animation/timing. We just wanted you guys to see what the game looks like in action. Enjoy!

Note: The full script for our video is included below for hearing-impaired viewers.

Note #2: FAST FAST LASER LASER will cost just $3 upon release!

What is FAST FAST LASER LASER?

You know what we like? We really like Bomberman '93. That game was rad.

As far as “2D, arena-based multiplayer combat” games go, the Bomberman series is one of the only games in town. They just don't make them like that anymore. So how would you make a game with totally fresh, unique mechanics that captures the spirit of what makes a classic multiplayer game like Bomberman so enjoyable?

We think we've got it figured out.

The box art/poster art for FAST FAST LASER LASER, inspired by a certain classic game series (image credit to Keith Burgun)

FAST FAST LASER LASER is shaping up to be the first great multiplayer, top-down, competitive game since Bomberman. In the game, players have two weapons, a laser-blasting pistol and a sword. Each match takes place on a single, two-dimensional screen, with the camera sitting high at a bird’s eye view. Players have the ability to shoot lasers and bounce them off of certain reflective surfaces in an attempt to take out opponents. The sword is more of a defensive weapon––players with guts can attempt to reflect incoming laser blasts back towards their originator with a well-timed swing of their blade.

The catch? Each time a laser gets volleyed, it gains speed, becoming more deadly. As matches progress, players can collect upgrades which improve their movement speed, the speed of their laser bolts, the number of lasers they can shoot at once, and the number of times a single laser will reflect. Despite the fact that characters only have a joystick and two buttons at their disposal (one for the laser pistol and one for the sword), lots of competitive depth will be possible thanks in part to the ability for lasers to bounce off each other.

Imagine two players dueling with multiple laser blasts and sword swipes; for each second that duels continue, the lasers get faster and the battle becomes more intense. You’ll also be able to dodge the lasers your opponents shoot at you by ducking around corners. In 4-5 player matches, this creates some seriously entertaining situations.

Who we are:

Utah Raptor Games is a three-man team composed of three core employees:

Lee Dubose - Programming
Jonathan Broom - Programming
Ryan Rigney - Design

We've also hired a few outside talents to help with certain aspects of FAST FAST LASER LASER's design:

Keith Burgun - Art
Jason Cathey - Music/Sound

All we need is love––and your help!

All we need is proper funding and a few months to finish the game. With the money we receive through Kickstarter we’ll be able to pay our composer to create an original soundtrack, pay our artist (the excellent Keith Burgun, creator of iOS classic 100 Rogues), and cover all of the other costs of developing a game (licensing fees, hardware and software costs, etc.) 

We’re developing the game for the Xbox Live Indie Games Marketplace using Microsoft’s XNA 4.0 development toolkit.

Video Script

Scene 1: Alexa in the Grove

PENTON: “Hi there! I’m Alexa Penton from Utah Raptor Games. We’re a new independent game studio that wants to take your money, and we made this video to trick you into giving it to us.”

CLIPS AND ART ASSETS FROM GAME

VOICOVER STARTS - PENTON: “Our game is called FAST FAST LASER LASER. It’s a fast-paced four-player shootemup that takes place in grid-like arenas full of reflective surfaces. As a player, it’s your goal to take out your opponent with a blast from your laser pistol.” VOICEOVER ENDS

Scene 2: The Demonstration

RYAN PETERSON AND ANDREW KOCH DEMONSTRATE SHOOTING LASERS AT EACH OTHER. JAMES CUTCHIN APPEARS FROM NOWHERE AND TACKLES THE SNOT OUT OF PETERSON

Scene 3: Back to Alexa in the Grove

PENTON: “So what makes FAST FAST LASER LASER better than the thousands of other games on the Xbox Live Indie Games Marketplace?”

Scene 4: The “Interview.”

RIGNEY DOES A VARIETY OF NONSENSICAL THINGS WHILE SITTING IN A CHAIR

VOICEOVER - Penton: “I sat down with lead designer Ryan Rigney in an obviously-staged interview to ask him.” VOICEOVER ENDS

RIGNEY: “I’ve always really liked games that you can play on the couch with your friends.”

SHOT OF RIGNEY AND BROOM PLAYING A VIDEO GAME

VOICEOVER - RIGNEY: “Having somebody there in the room with you makes the whole experience a lot more fun.” VOICEOVER ENDS

BACK TO RIGNEY IN THE CHAIR

RIGNEY: “FAST FAST LASER LASER pulls influences from cool older multiplayer games like Bomberman ’93 and channels that sort of spirit while presenting an entirely new game mechanic.”

Scene 5: Name Dropping

FOOTAGE OF BURGUN'S GAME, 100 ROGUES

VOICEOVER STARTS - RIGNEY: “All of our game’s art was done by Keith Burgun, the designer and artist behind 100 Rogues, which, if you haven’t played it, is a pretty fantastic iPhone game."

FOOTAGE OF CATHEY PLAYING PIANO AND GENERALLY BEING SEXY

VOICEOVER CONTINUES - RIGNEY: “On the musical side of things, we’ve got the immensely talented Jason Cathey, who recently appeared as a producer on Trey Songz newest mixtape––Anticipation 2." VOICEOVER ENDS

Scene 6: Making Fun of Programmers

PENTON IS BACK IN THE GROVE

PENTON: “Our team of unusually attractive programmers is working to make sure that FAST FAST LASER LASER isn’t a busted piece of crap. Let’s see what they're up to!”

PENTON LEAPS OUT OF CAMERA FRAME, THEN REAPPEARS IN A ROOM WITH A WHITEBOARD

PENTON: “So guys, whatcha workin’ on?”

BROOM AND DUBOSE:  RAMBLE ABOUT TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF GAME DEVELOPMENT USING JARGON - ALEXA LOOKS BORED AND WANDERS OUT OF FRAME

VOICEOVER - ALEXA: “Well, that was super interesting, I guess.”

Scene 7: The Wrap-Up

PENTON: FAST FAST LASER LASER could be done within just a couple of months, but we need your help. We’re hoping to raise this much money holds out hand to help pay for the development of the game, and we’ve got a lot of fun rewards for those who are willing to help out. Thank you for watching our video. We’ll have more news about FAST FAST LASER LASER for you as our work on the game continues.

Scene 8: Bloopers

1 - PENTON: ACCIDENTALLY SAYS "FAST FAST LASER LESB...blahblahblah"

2 - PENTON: "What's my line?"

3 - KOCH YELLS AT PETERSON FOR MAKING INCORRECT LASER SOUNDS WITH HIS MOUTH, WHILE RIGNEY AND CUTCHIN DEMONSTRATE CORRECT LASER SOUND ARTICULATION

4 - RIGNEY READS A LINE WHILE PENTON RUINS THE SHOT

5 - RIGNEY: REFERENCING THAT TREY SONGZ MIXTAPE - "Anticipation II: Still Anticipated." BROOM: "The Anticipating" BOTH LAUGH