8-Bit Boy coming to Wii U

Danish studio AwesomeBlade Software has announced that it's retro-inspired platformer 8-Bit Boy is coming to the Wii U. The studio actually consists of a single man, Rasmus Kønig Sørensen, an ex-video game journalist who recently graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in Construction Management and is currently searching for a job. Sørensen is a huge fan of Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man, and decided it would be fun to create a video game that pays tribute to his favorite games while he waits to hear back from employers.

The game will most likely be a Wii U eShop title, but it sounds like it will offer a lot of content. The story mode is reportedly more than 12 hours long, with more than 250 hidden locations. It is also in development for the PC, Mac, Xbox 360, and PS3. The console versions are expected to be released in 2013.

Press Release after the break.




Press Release 11-05-2012 START:
8-Bit Boy is what you get when you cook down all the greatest platformers of the late eighties and early nineties and add a personal and touching storyline, deep engaging gameplay, vast worlds to much to explore and super tight controls. This is really what 8-Bit Boy is all about. Most modern developers put the emphasis on puzzle solving instead of simple engaging gameplay.  This is fine, but it’s not what I want as a platform lover. This is why this game is going feel so fresh and new – even though it’s based on the familiar classic platforming roots.I just can’t wait for you to try 8-Bit Boy and see for yourself.
Features:
- 12+ hours of main story gameplay
- Deep engaging gameplay
- Tack sharp controls
- 250+ hidden locations!
- 5 epic bosses
Release:
December 2012 -  PC and Mac
January/February 2013: Windows 8 app
TBA: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U
Stay tuned for more screenshots and gameplay videos in the coming weeks!   A tribute to the greatest platformers
Growing up in the late eighties, I guess it’s no secret where I got my inspiration from. My favorite games from that era were Giana Sisters, Wonderboy in Monsterland, Psycho Fox, Rick Dangerous, Megaman, Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog. Each of these games has contributed to 8-Bit Boy in one way or another. 8 Bit Boy doesn’t feel like any of the mentioned games in particular, but has elements from each of them. I really wanted to capture that perfect gameplay of the old classics – without the game feeling old and dated. I really do think I have accomplished just that. And in my humble opinion this is probably some of the tightest controls I have ever tried in a platformer. I really do hope all you platform lovers out there feel the same way when you try this game.It was crucial to me that this was going to be a full featured game and not some kind of short app game that is finished in an hour or two. So the game ended up having 12+ hours of main story gameplay and a lot of replay value and on top of that more than 200 hidden locations. Half way through making the game, I realized that this was a pretty ambitious decision to make for a one man indie title. Now I know why most platform games are a lot shorter. That said I’m really proud of sticking with my initial plan and finishing this massive game.
A personal story behind 8-Bit Boy
The games storyline is somewhat based on my own story. Our hero is this depressed and unemployed 32-year old guy, who hasn’t been able to get a job after finishing his exams one year ago. Our hero gets sucked into this happy, vivid and colorful 8-bit world where he has to overcome many obstacles to help him out of the status quo of unemployment and help him support his family. So this is a personal story that deals with some adult issues like unemployment and feeling inadequate. Combine that with a vivid and colorful 8-bit world and you get something very different. This pretty much sums up my own story and I felt I had to do something about my own situation. To keep myself from going crazy from employment – I started programming 8-Bit Boy while looking for a job. So you might say that I also got sucked into this parallel 8-bit world of my own. I really hope you will enjoy 8-Bit Boy and relate to my story. Best regards, Rasmus Kønig Sørensen, Creator of 8-Bit Boy & AwesomeBlade Software
About AwesomeBlade Software
AwesomeBlade Software was created just after I started planning on 8-Bit Boy in January 2012. I am the only one working there, but if 8-Bit Boy is the success I hope and believe should be, AwesomeBlade Software will hire more talents to help make the next game planned. My ultimate goal with 8-Bit Boy was to create the perfect platformer I would want to play myself. After spending countless hours with 8-Bit Boy – I still enjoy playing it. 
About Rasmus Kønig Sørensen
My background for making games, is my lifelong passion for games going all the way back to the Sega Master System, NES and Amiga 500. I still enjoy many of the ultra-challenging games of that period. Later I worked as a game journalist in my spare time for different Danish online magazines, writing reviews and news. I had to quit those spare-time jobs, because of my time consuming education. In January I got my bachelor in Construction Management and that has absolutely nothing to do with games. However unemployment got me thinking about alternative options. All my life I have dreamt about making games and I actually made a few on the Amiga 500 with AMOS – The Creator. So this seemed like the perfect time for pursuing my dreams while looking for an actual job. If 8-Bit Boy is even the slightest bit successful – I guess I found a job after all.