- It's Summer!! - 1 August 2025
It's our second Summer since we`ve started developing this game…… It's pretty playable and getting into shape now, but we're tweaking the details and are still working on enemies such as the boss characters. We're working towards our goal of releasing the game by the end of this year. To keep us going, we've asked Officer Sakuragi to cheer us on a bit, although I dare say she doesn't seem too enthusiastic."See you, Scramble Vice!!"
- Character Introduction: Lord of the Flies - 13 June 2025
In chapter 3, “Lord of the Flies,” you get to meet a criminal who lives two lives: unknown to all, he's a skilled hacker, but notoriously, he is a popular exposé-type V-avatar, using the alias “Lord of the Flies." He hacks into security cameras and drones throughout Tokyo to spy on politicians and people with significant high profiles to get the dirt on them. Despite over 3 million subscribers on his account where he spreads their scandals all over the internet, he's managed to retain his anonymity so far, but his enemies aren't few; the bounty on his head exceeds 100 million yen. Beneath the facade of his v-avatar, he is secretly researching a severe corruption case related to a public works project. What is his real objective for risking his own life to expose all the black rumors that surround him? While the police and bounty hunters from around the world are in pursuit of him, the L…
- Spring has come! - 16 May 2025
I started drawing this in March, but by the time I was done all the cherry blossoms had already fallen…… Destruction is a big part of the game, so now we're working on making tons of background graphics and destroyable objects. We're eager to show you all what it looks like in action, so we're working on it everyday. As the weather is starting to get warm, things are heating up in development too! Hope you look forward to it! "See you, Scramble Vice!!"
- Viper the Chivalrous - 11 April 2025
An independent AI created by the late professor Eleanor Stoneman, who was known for her unconventional approach to AI research. Created with "Beliefs from Lore" embedded in its core, Viper grew into a character with an obsession for aesthetics. Its principles and behaviour center around one rule: To be cool. Viper believes itself to be the last hero left in this mad world. Using stolen Rumble Gear to save the weak and eat the rich, Viper targets corrupt politicians and mobs to steal from, with the purpose to distribute wealth to the poor and charitable organizations. Surprisingly, Viper is quite aware that its actions and values are too good to be true, and that good and bad can never be black and white. Nevertheless, this does not sway Viper, because "living up to one's own beliefs is the coolest thing to do." In the 2nd episode, “The Great Outcast,” Officer Sakuragi comes in contact w…
- Rumble Gear - 14 March 2025
"Rumble Gear" is the term used to call the two-legged exoskeletons in Scramble Vice. Originally, they were manufactured as robot suits to help foot soldiers seize control of war zones , but during the 21st century, after a global treaty restricted use of middle to long-range missiles, they gained wider recognition for military use because of their high mobility, ability to carry heavy weapons and short-range guided missiles. The world has been relatively calm after the Northern Conflict, which lasted 5 years…… Yet big corporations in the robotics industry are thriving, and older generation exoskeletons are now either discarded, or traded on the black market to be used by terrorists. With time, pilots coined the term "Rumble Gear," partly sardonically, knowing that even the most advanced technology is ultimately nothing more than a disposable tool used for fighting. "See you, Scramble Vi…
- Happy New Year! - 2 January 2025
- Happy Holidays! - 23 December 2024
- Goodbye, summer. - 13 December 2024
We had warm weather till the end of October in Japan, but now we've had a sudden shift to winter. Where did autumn go? Take care, everyone. "See you, Scramble Vice!!"
- Wingmen - 18 October 2024
Scramble Vice is a single player action game, but to create the effect of being on a team, we're creating a "Wingman" system where support characters may come and help. Each team member of the 9th unit will ride a wingman machine with its own unique characteristics. Allow me to introduce a few. "Johnny" Used by the unit leader "Jōtarō Jingūji". It specializes in rescue operations in hazardous situations. Its strength lies in its capability to move through rough footing, making it the perfect companion to Sakuragi after she's destroyed the roads during her missions. It's a reliable machine, but may fall short in speed and is not as suitable for combat. "Betty" The unit used by "Professor", a defiant old man who originally worked for Public Security. It has large rocket thrusters installed in lieu of legs, allowing it to elevate itself to reach high areas easily. However, its airborne fun…
- Wanted Criminals - 20 September 2024
Our previous game ”Shinobi non Grata" was created to work like an arcade game, and we were quite particular about it. It paid off, and we were able to make the gameplay fast-paced the way a ninja game should be. For "Scramble Vice" we're trying to focus on destruction instead of speed as the element of fun. There are several named "Wanted Criminals" in Scramble Vice that have absolutely nothing to do with the 12 chapter main story. Finding them is a part of the fun. Why are they wanted? What kind of machines do they ride, and how do they fight? I'll tell you a little bit about one such criminal, dubbed "Snake Eyes". He owns an illegal casino on a ship, is a gambler himself, and a veteran pilot that fought in the Northern War. He wears an exoskeleton and finds excitement in betting his life on each fight he gets himself into, survival being his ultimate prize. Having lost his eyes in a p…
- Are you ready to scramble up Tokyo? - 2 September 2024
- Summer greetings - 26 July 2024
- The music of Scramble Vice - 19 July 2024
Music played a big part in our decision to create a 90's anime styled game in 2024. While creating our current PV, we tried various types of music to figure out what would work best. It came as no surprise, however, that retro jazz fusion suited the game the most. Once that was decided, it also helped other areas of the game's design to take shape. When I was a kid, I used to watch the reruns of "Lupin the 3rd" and "Space Adventure COBRA" (which my parents tried forbid me to watch) every week, and I still love both animations to this day. I watched "Cowboy Bebop" after I turned into an adult, and that too left an impact on me. It's no secret I'm influenced by these works, so combining the unlikely worlds of "Gasoline-filled robots working in mundane life" and "Cool and stylish jazz fusion" has been great fun. It's exciting to see what synergy it could create. "Shinobi non Grata" was int…
- Saul Bass and Scramble Vice - 28 June 2024
Our previous game "Shinobi non Grata" had three visual key points kept in mind during its design. (1) Using a Nintendo Famicom palette, (2) Brush calligraphy and (3) Silhouettes. To create a concrete design, I thought it would be for the best to decide on a visual keypoint for Scramble Vice too. While thinking about it, I had the idea to combine elements that are on the polar opposite of what you would expect from a Sci-fi game with robots. (I'd have to admit it's also because a futuristic imagination has never been my strong point.) That's when I thought of Saul Bass. He's the graphics designer that worked on the title logos for movies such as "Psycho", "The Man with the Golden Arm'', "North by Northwest", "Vertigo", and of course one of my favorite anime, "Cowboy Bebop". His style of using simple shapes and deformed silhouettes seemed perfect to create a retro look that would give a c…
- Antiheroes and Scramble Vice - 7 June 2024
Scramble Vice was inspired by the late Mikiya Mochizuki's manga "Wild 7". The idea formed when I began to think it might be interesting to create a robot story with a hero that breaks the rules. Everything started out light-heartedly, but as I was creating the movie clips it evolved into what it is now: Rule breaking policemen that ride robots, wreak havoc even when there are civilians around, and even think nothing of destroying the city as they take down criminals. Modern society can lead us to feel trapped, so having a game that allows you the freedom as an antihero that goes a little crazy to get the job done could be fun and liberating. I thought something like that would be appreciated globally. It's what I keep in mind as I write the instruction manuals, work on the dot art and run the test plays. Storywise, I was influenced by the book "Farewell, my lovely '' by Raymond Chandler…
- Animation: 3D movement - 21 May 2024
There's one thing we've been particular about in the animation for Scramble Vice, and that's to make the characters look and move as if their 3D. Lately, there's a popular tactic using rotation, shrink and expand functions to create layers for 2D animations, but we've made a point not to use those methods as much as possible and create animation patterns instead. We haven't been drawing the characters straight from the front, or directly from the side. By drawing how they run and walk with their 3D dimensions in mind, they have a more solid presence. Having designated artwork of the characters standing with their legs slightly apart and their feet firmly planted to the ground give a better effect of their weight. Although it's a robot game, it was also important to make their movements not too stiff… To express their hydraulics for their punches, jumps and landing, we're using more fram…
- Pixel Art: Density - 26 April 2024
In our previous game Shinobi non grata, the topic was to try and push the limits of 8-bit animation. Because the story has a protagonist left behind the times, it was meaningful to have the graphics look like it was made for a very old game console. This time however, the game is about combat robots in the future… Having solid, realistic details are essential to make it work. That's why we're putting a lot of effort in the pixel art. One of my favorite games, "In the hunt (1993)", comes to mind as I create the art pixel by pixel so this would become a game that makes destruction fun. The protagonist's exoskeleton has been redone from scratch. That's how committed we are. Even the enemy robots have several varieties of animations, although their main purpose is to be taken down. I think I mentioned in my previous post how enemies play a big role in world creation, so we're making a point…
- About the storyline - 12 April 2024
Shinobi non Grata wasn't meant to be focused heavily on the storytelling, but even so, it was designed to plant a seed of doubt by the last stage through the background, credit visuals and effects. "Was the fight truly about a generational change? Maybe it has a different meaning to it." If you were led to believe so, you might see the game in a different light. Scramble Vice, on the contrary, has a plotline that develops as you make progress. The main storyline unfolds as you gradually get closer to the truth, you're able to enjoy banter between the protagonist and other team members, and there are sub-missions that are short stories of their own. We're trying to put in effort even in the details apart from the gameplay. It was difficult to get to know the characters in Shinobi on Grata, since it was a hardcore ninja action game where most characters are killed off quickly. This time,…
- Speed and Weight - 29 March 2024
"Speed" was the principle element in our previous game, "Shinobi non Grata." So, starting from the game design, controls and visuals to music, the game was tuned to unfold at a fast pace. It was made to feel the excitement of running through the battlefield, slashing past hordes of enemies and fighting formidable shinobi bosses... The pace and rhythm of the game is what, I feel, made the game fun. For "Scramble Vice" I'm hoping to make "weight" the element of fun for the game. By that, I don't mean to simply make the controls feel slow and heavy, but when the robots jump or attack, I want them to react in a way suitable to their weight. When they use their vernier thrusters to dash or when they take flight, I want the controls to feel smooth but tune it in a way you still feel the weight of the machine. That also goes for the sound design; I want the sound to reflect the weight as well.…
- Pilot Mode - 15 March 2024
We're working hard to create a solid robot action game, but we're also designing missions where the pilot will have to leave her machine behind to fight the enemy crime syndicate. When our protagonist Kei Sakuragi heads out with her handgun to fight terrorists in the flesh, she'll find herself facing tanks and cannons that wouldn't have been formidable had she had her robot with her. Exciting, no? On the way, she could find a powerful side arm, or maybe take control of a car or motorbike. We're thinking of ways to expand on the variety of fun. If we could make her robot exoskeleton feel like just another vehicle she could ride, that would be great. Being able to see a tiny character in motion should be fun in itself. Or at least, that what I tell myself while I add little touches to the pixel art we create every day. It's definitely going to be something to look forward to! "See you, Sc…
