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Prison City News

Capturing the Perfect Shots!

Get a behind-the-scenes look into Prison City's marketing process with Joe, our lead video editor!

[h2]1. Please introduce yourself and your role in the development of Prison City.[/h2]

Joe: My name is Joe La Scola and I’m a video producer, content creator, and live-action concept designer for Prison City.


[h2]2. When you first heard about Prison City, what were your initial thoughts on what the game could possibly be/look like?[/h2]

Joe: When I first heard about Prison City I was like “Oh, man. We’re getting Escape from New York The Game!” I was excited for an honest, good, retro action-based platformer that felt like it was a lost game I could add to my NES collection. I was even more excited at the prospect of creating retro-inspired ads and videos like the ones we grew up with.


[h2]3. Can you describe what the process is like behind-the-scenes when making videos and/or shorts for the game? How do you come up with ideas, and how do you determine what to show and what not to show both pre-launch and post-launch?[/h2]

Joe: When it comes to creating content, there are different strategies depending on the social media platform. In general, our goal is always to have the game reach as many people as we can—appealing to both the veteran retro-gamer and the younger gaming audience alike. It’s a little tougher with an indie game. You want to show all the cool stuff that’s been worked on, but you also don’t want to give it all away at once—all while still conveying why someone should play this property they’ve never heard of.

Joe: So there’s a bit of a balancing act to making compelling content that will get people initially interested. We try our best to show just enough so you want to learn more about the games, and then post launch, all of the bits we’ve been keeping in-pocket come out to play—the secrets, the power up locations, the levels and boss strategies, and all kinds of little surprises. You can pull out all the stops post-launch, and it feels good to have that creative freedom to do so.


[h2]4. What’s it like working alongside other game disciplines like Art, Design, Writing, and QA Testing? How do you think these game disciplines meld together to influence the work you produce?[/h2]

Joe: Working alongside the other game disciplines is essential for creating the content to sell the game. From art and design, to writing, QA, and testing—everyone involved is integral to making the end product be the very best it can be. And it helps when you have a great team to work with like I do. I’m always impressed with everyone’s work—not just on Prison City, but Retroware as a whole. It’s great to be able to create in a space with other artists who share the same passion and interest— all working together to accomplish a common goal. I’m lucky to be able to share ideas and create with a team of not only extremely talented, but also really great people.


Stay tuned for more updates!

You can wishlist and play Prison City--available NOW!

Just a Walk in the Park!

Hal continues his infiltration into Prison City at the Preserve security zone! Get a glimpse at what to expect!


[h2]Techno-Terrorists[/h2]
Like the Rooftops zone, you’ll find a host of Grenaders positioned throughout the Preserve, in addition to Shieldnaders, Mobsters, and Shield Drones!




[h2]Mutated Plant Overgrowth[/h2]
This former zoo and nature preserve has now become overgrown with mutated plant life! Climb past vines and thorns, and watch out for blossoming Killer Plants!




[h2]Artificial Winds[/h2]
Although this security zone was once a nature preserve, it has several areas where the Techno-Terrorists have experimented with generating artificial weather! Be wary of navigating these rainy sections, as the wind may flow from either the right or left. Depending on which direction the wind blows, you may find yourself encountering wind resistance!


[h2]A…Dolphin?![/h2]
Nothing to see here! Just a normal dolphin providing you with the Warden’s Key Card! Surely this is normal, yes?


[h2]The Most Mutated of All Mutants[/h2]
Waiting in the bowels of the security zone is Mistress Drosera–one of Doc Diver’s mutated creations!


You can begin your infiltration of the Preserve security in Prison City–available NOW!

The Jumbotron Warden Sets Up the Goal!

Sim Sanders, the leader of the criminal gang of athletes stationed throughout the Stadium security zone, pilots his Jumbotron against Hal! Check out all of its attacks here!


[h2]1. Detroit Tigers[/h2]
The Tiger Head shoots out pink orbs of energy that will track and follow Hal! Slide away or jump over them as they descend towards the ground!


[h2]2. Detroit Red Wings[/h2]
The Red Wing head tosses out batches of mini embers that’ll burn up the ground they land on! Watch your step and keep attacking the Warden amid the flames!


[h2]3. Detroit Lions[/h2]
The Lion Head will drop to the ground and fire energy orbs similar to the ones launched by Dodgeballers! Time your jumps and try to attack the head as it falls from the Jumbotron or while it’s firing at you!


[h2]4. Detroit Pistons[/h2]
The Piston Head launches several floating electro-cannons that will both follow Hal and increase in number by one each time they fire lightning bolts! Stay alert and keep moving until the pistons return to the head!


Eager to face Sim Sanders’ mechanized god in the Stadium?

You can jump into Prison City available NOW!

Sim Sanders’ Gang of Criminal Athletes Have Taken the Stadium!

[h2]Athletes? No. Criminal Athletes? Yes![/h2]
Sim Sanders has ordered his gang of criminal athletes to guard the Stadium security zone against any and all intruders! To start off, Hal will face a bunch of Footballers–tough guys who will charge at Hal as soon as he enters their view! The quickest and easiest way to dispatch them would be to slide INTO them, rather than attack them with the chakram!


Then there’s the threat of the basketballers and dodgeballers–the former will throw large basketballs that bounce off surfaces, while the latter can throw energized dodgeballs that will rapidly ricochet off walls and the ground!


Next come the Hockeymen–skilled athletes who will lay pucks on any flat surface and hit them towards Hal! Jump over the pucks to get close up and attack them before they can launch another one!


[h2]Sports Ball Launcher[/h2]
As Hal makes his way through the Stadium zone, he’ll come across a Sports Ball Launcher. These machines will charge up and fire out multiple types of sports balls as soon as Hal enters the room it’s stationed in!


[h2]An Obstacle Course of Death[/h2]
Midway through the security zone, Hal will have to navigate through an obstacle course type of area that features all of the criminal athlete types, except for a Dodgeballer. Players will need to rely on their timing skills to slide away from hockey pucks, jump onto hanging pipelines, and evade a Basketballer’s attacks at the very end!


[h2]The Main Event: Facing the Jumbotron![/h2]
At the very end of the Stadium security zone, Hal will face the Jumbotron–Sim Sanders’ mechanized god that features multiple attacks that–like the obstacle course–will test players’ skills, and perhaps their patience, too…



Infiltrate the Stadium zone in Prison City–AVAILABLE NOW!

Prison City Fan Art Showcase!

We’ve had so much fun seeing all of the awesome fan art made for Prison City! To celebrate the end of the first week of the game’s release, we’re excited to show some of the art made by our community!

[h2]1. Here’s an amazing design by comic artist Steve Gregson (@RoboticSteve)![/h2]
https://twitter.com/RoboticSteve/status/1693684602206875993?s=20


[h2]2. Up next we've got this sweet custom Lego scene made by our resident master builder, Ed![/h2]
https://twitter.com/Retroware/status/1697366062205940095?s=20


[h2]3. Followed by this amazing drawing by Bunny Tripper (@Cartoontriper1)![/h2]
https://twitter.com/Cartoontriper1/status/1696944991367754165?s=20


[h2]4. Finally, @xanderarnot decided to weigh in with his own masterpiece![/h2]
https://twitter.com/xanderarnot/status/1693691994172764317?s=20


Thank you all for your artistic support, and thanks to everyone who picked up Prison City this week!

Look forward to even more very soon!