WayForward, an independent video game developer who recently worked on River City Girls and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, has announced its latest title Vitamin Connection.
WayForward Technologies, Inc is an independent publisher and game developer that began its journey in Valencia, California in 1990. During its almost thirty-year history, the company has helped to develop iconic platformers, shooters, and adventure games. Some notable titles for the company include Contra 4, Sigma Star Saga, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and River City Girls. The company has developed many of its games using Kickstarter, with one of its most famous, Cat Girl Without Salad, starting out as an April fool's joke in 2013. Over the years the company has developed countless titles for various Nintendo platforms and now it has announced its latest title Vitamin Connection for the Nintendo Switch.
While it's hard for small developers to get their start, WayForward has managed to do so through hard work and a willingness to listen to their consumers. If the company continues to have lasting success and secures bigger contracts in the future it might change the way that game developers interact with their consumers in the future.
Vitamin Connection's announcement comes courtesy of WayForward which provides details about the game including the fact that it will be two-player and be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. In the game, players will man miniature capsule ships piloted by Vita-Boy and Mina-Girl as they battle evil bacteria that have housed themselves in living organisms. Players will make use of a claw tool and Vitamin Beam as they make their way through various mazes in the game. Additionally, WayForward states that there will be rhythm challenges and various other mini-games within each level. No release date has been announced, but the company says that it will release a digital version of the game after the physical release has started.
While specific elements of the game haven't been showcased yet, it's a good sign that WayForward is releasing details about the game so early on. Additionally, its exclusivity with the Nintendo Switch seems to indicate that the company is confident that it will sell well enough on the system.
Though exclusivity isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's a bit perplexing that WayForward would go this route given that it has had so much support from various other platforms. Given its comments about a digital release, it's possible that the company will release the game for other platforms once the physical run of games is completed.