Vitamin Connection, developed by WayForward, was released for the Nintendo Switch on February 20th. It features dual protagonists, and has a control scheme that matches the movements of each one closely to a Joy Con controller. The player-controlled ship co-piloted by protagonists Vita-Boy & Mina-Girl is even designed to resemble two Joy Cons mashed together. In an interview with Siliconera, game director James Montagna details just what went into the creative decisions behind the making of the game.
The principal inspiration for Vitamin Connection, Montagna explains, was the Nintendo Switch itself. Before the specifics of the game's world and mechanics were chosen, he and the other developers at WayForward set out to create a game that would make full use of the Switch's unique features—namely its motion controls, HD rumble, and IR camera, among others.
As is suggested by the inclusion of "Connection" right in the game's title, the idea of connecting two players was likewise a driving force behind what ultimately became Vitamin Connection. Motagna explains that his hope is for whomever is playing the game, be it two friends, two family members, or any other conceivable gaming duo, to deepen their connection with one another through a style of cooperative gameplay that necessitates close coordination.
"Vitamin," the other word in the title, is meant to invoke the game's setting. Just like in the weirdly high number of 90s cartoon episodes about fighting germs inside a human body, Vitamin Connection's Vita-Boy & Mina-Girl too are responsible for protecting a human body from viruses and other baddies of the microscopic world. Once the setting was chosen, Montagna and the development team found that they were coming up with unique designs for virus enemies in addition to other compelling features, until they ultimately had an entire game's worth of ideas.
The full interview also touches on the developers' close collaboration with music studio Mint Potion, its similarity to Switch launch titles like Snipperclips, the game's physical release via Limited Run and more.
Vitamin Connection is available now on the Nintendo eShop.
Source: Siliconera