Prison City News

Prison City's lead developer, Programancer, sits down to talk about the game's music, working with Retroware's testers, and why Hal uses a chakram!

Question #1: What did you envision for the music in the game? Did you take the inspiration from certain artists/games when it came to that? Also, what was it like working Raddland Studios and Matt Creamer?

Programancer: When I first started Prison City, I kept thinking about music from games like Street Fighter 2010 and Power Blade- a mix of high octane NES goodness and catchy melodies. I have been a huge fan of Matt Creamer's work since playing Retro City Rampage and I knew from the start that he was the only person I wanted to create music for this game! Working with him has been wonderful, and he knocks it out of the park with every track!

Question #2: Can you describe what it was like working with the testers at Retroware? What are some notable bugs you or the testers found that you're relieved to have resolved?

Programancer: They're the essential front lines of the bug war! It is so easy for bugs to slip through the cracks that developers would never find- we get so used to our games that we go through the motions as if it's just second nature- we can set out to test every possible thing those changes may have affected. The testers have been really awesome to work with and they've found things I absolutely never would have found on my own- and honestly, it's a huge relief every time a bug is found because it gives me an opportunity to dive into things I probably haven't touched in a while and fix them up- or in some cases make things better than they were before


As for a bug that I'm most relieved to have resolved is one where a certain NPC just idles on screen having a smoke after you're supposed to respawn from dying. While it was enjoyable to see that NPC have a nice relaxing break, it wasn't a whole lot of fun for the player!

Of course, there are some bugs I try to keep in, however, if they're helpful for speedrunners--and can only be triggered with a deliberate attempt--but that one just wasn't cutting it.

Question #3: Why did you decide to go with a chakram as the primary weapon for Hal? Did you consider other weapons prior to deciding on the chakram? Also, can you describe what it was like getting the chakram to work as desired/as in its current state in the game?

Programancer: The chakram was actually one of the first things I coded, and honestly I didn't have much time to consider another type of weapon when I started developing Prison City-

I knew that I didn't want to go with a gun and instead wanted to go with something with a little more subtle nuance that didn't have unlimited range but could still be utilized in 8 directions. I've always been a big fan of Power Blade's boomerang, but I didn't want to go quite as far in that direction either- I did like the idea of a returning weapon though. I ended up looking to Xena for inspiration- Xena had a chakram and Xena is cool! The thing where the chakram returns to you with a different arc depending on which direction you're facing was inspired by Link's Awakening- where Link will swing his sword from different angles depending on what direction you're facing.


With all of that in, I knew the game would have to be designed almost entirely around the player's moveset and weapons, so I made sure there were some beneficial quirks to it- like for example: even though the chakram returns to the player after hitting a wall, it will still push through slightly so you can damage enemies or crates that are next to the wall it's hitting. In some cases, enemies will be positioned perfectly around the player, and if the player holds the attack button when throwing a chakram, it'll hang out in front of them for a while, and they can move it around them briefly. This was inspired by Castlevania 4's whipping mechanics!


That's all we've got this time! Check back for more updates!

Download and play the free Prison City demo now!

The Chakram – Regular Version
The regular chakram deals a decent amount of damage–capable of dispatching normal enemies, typically with a few throws by Hal. The same goes for destructible objects, like boxes, barrels, and power-up crates.

The Chakram - Upgraded Version
While retaining the same overall mechanics as the regular chakram, the upgraded version is able to deal A LOT more damage to all enemy types–bosses included! In fact, the upgraded chakram is able to burn through boss health bars very quickly, so long as the player is skilled enough to either not get hit once while Hal is holding the upgraded chakram, or not lose every chakram upgrade in their kit.


In addition to an increase in damage potency, the upgraded chakram is able to fly beyond level obstructions to hit enemies. This is perhaps the single key advantage the upgraded chakram has over its normal counterpart. Being able to hit enemies on a platform above you or otherwise behind a level obstruction gives players even more flexibility to navigate each level with less of a worry.


The upgraded version of the chakram further eclipses its normal form by being able to cover a larger area. By utilizing the “Hold in Place” mechanic, Hal can throw one or multiple upgraded chakram and hold them in midair for a limited time. If used correctly, this mechanic can provided a sort of defense for Hal, against oncoming enemies.

Weapon Energy Management
It should go without saying that managing the chakram's energy is also key to surviving each level. If a player attempts to spam the “Fire” button for the chakram, they will see the blue energy bar underneath the orange health bar deteriorate rapidly. Below are three examples of the blue energy bar in use, with one instance showing Hal having already acquired upgrades to increase the amount of stock the energy bar contains.


If this energy bar becomes empty, or very low in stock, then Hal will be unable to throw his chakram as fast, or as frequently, as players may like, so be mindful of how often you press the "Fire" button!

With that, it's time to put these useful tips into practice!
Be sure to check back for more updates and check out Prison City’s free demo available now!

The aerial warden “Hind D” waits for you at the very peak of the Rooftops level featured in Prison City’s latest demo! For those about to jump in, or for those who may be having some trouble, we’ve broken down each of the attacks from this warden to help you know what you're up against!

Bullet Run!
The first attack players can expect is a flurry of projectiles fired from its nose gun. These bullets will blast through the entire surface of the rooftop, so be careful when trying to evade them!

Missile Launch!
The second attack is a single missile fired from one of the Hind D’s launchers affixed to its wings. It’ll zoom across the entire rooftop surface, and getting hit by a missile WILL cause a large recoil! So, in the off chance you DO get hit, at least try to stay on the roof!

Be advised: These first two attacks will repeat once in their order before the warden transitions to the next sequence, so be ready for a second Bullet Run after the first Missile Launch!

Machine Gun Volleys + Grenades!
The third attack consists of two. Dutch Eli will shoot several bursts of projectiles at you from an open side of the Hind D, before finally tossing a handful of grenades onto the surface. Hint: DO NOT stay underneath the Hind D when these get tossed out!

Triple Missiles!
For the last attack, the Hind D will fire (from either the left or right side offscreen) a set of three missiles at Hal. However, rather than fire them all at once, the Hind D will launch them separately–but in somewhat close intervals–from each other, giving Hal just enough time to dodge them.


Following this, the attacks will repeat in this order! It’s up to Hal to defeat the Hind D and clear the skies of Prison City!

Think you can take down the Hind D warden? Download and play the free Prison City demo now!

Check back for more updates soon!

As we get closer to the release of Prison City, we wanted to highlight some of the most notorious bugs that plagued our dev team! Here’s a look at some of the funniest (and most frustrating) bugs we had to deal with across the game’s development!

1. Hal Finds a New Home



This bug involved Hal getting stuck midair at this section of the Factory level–a level previously available in the demo. This was found when Hal tried to hop onto a barrel as it's going down the conveyor belt. After getting stuck at this spot, one of our testers pressed the jump button once, which would lock Hal's sprite into a "crouching" pose!

Also, fun fact, if Hal were to take damage from projectiles or running into large boxes, he could stay in that midair spot while in his “dead” pose!



2. Mod Loader's Floating Legs



This one’s a notorious bug that was around in the early builds of the game. Normally, the Mod Loader boss for the Factory level would execute its death animation when defeated by Hal’s chakram–both the normal and upgraded versions. However, if Hal uses a grenade on the Mod Loader while it's in mid-jump, its central body would fall to the ground per the game’s physics, but its legs would remain in the air.

3. "I am become wall."



As a personal favorite of one of the testers, this bug is pretty self-explanatory. First, Hal attempts to jump onto a ladder from a snow grinder. Second, as Hal attempts the jump, Hal gets caught by the snow grinder and hits an icicle on the ceiling. Third, the game tries to recognize Hal catching on to the bottom of the ladder, but it also recognizes he was “hit,” which causes a jolt to his sprite. Finally, the game is unable to register Hal’s sprite climbing the ladder and instead misplaces him in the same visual spot as he was in the previous section.
In short, Hal has "become wall."

We hope you enjoyed seeing some of the bothersome bugs we found while making Prison City!

Check back soon for more updates! And don't forget to wishlist and play the free demo now!

We’re back this week from our secret bunker in Prison City with another dev log featuring Programancer and his insights into the game’s journey and some of the references he’s made to various existing media…


[h3]Question #4: Can you describe the journey you took and how it feels taking the game from a concept to a nearly completed title at this point?[/h3]
Programancer: Technically, Prison City started as a very, very simple and vague idea–”What if there was an NES action approach-a-thon in the spirit of Mega Man, Power Blade, Shatterhand, etc., except every level you enter has a unique entrance sequence for the player?”- so in my head, the intro to the Rooftops level is what I would think about- the player coming in from a zipline and breaking through the window of a building before starting the level.


It wasn’t until RetrogradeJam 3 in 2022 that I had decided to flesh all of that out and see what I could come up with using (and updating) systems I had already refined from other projects I have made, and build a simple plot around it. Since then, it’s been a lot of thinking up cool ideas to introduce into levels and letting those ideas grow organically- some stayed the same, but many evolved into something emergent and different. Now that the game is nearly finished, it’s crazy looking back on how it has grown since it started as a 10-day jam game. Very surreal!

[h3]Question #5: Why “Detroit” Prison City?[/h3]
Programancer: I knew I wanted to set the game in a real world location, and, growing up in Michigan, it made sense to me to go with Detroit! It’s the setting for some of my favorite 80s movies- something I love to pay homage to- and I think it’s easily one of the most immediately recognizable cities in Michigan~


[h3]When asked about making references to existing media, Programancer gave an extensive list with some highlights including:[/h3]
1. The contact for Rooftops (I. Simon) is a reference to the following:

• Iroquois Plisskin from Metal Gear Solid 2
  
• Simon Quest from the Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest (Programancer’s other title)
  

2. The boss for Rooftops (Hind D) is a reference to the following:

• The Hind D in Metal Gear Solid
  
• Liquid Snake in Metal Gear Solid
  
• The Pilot's name is Dutch Eli, a reference to Eli from Metal Gear Solid (Liquid Snake), and Dutch from Predator
  

3. The boss for Freeway (Fury Rhoads) is a reference to the following:

• Randy Rhoads from Black Sabbath
  
• Lord Humungus from Mad Max 2
  
• The title for Mad Max: Fury Road
  

That's a wrap for this week! Stay tuned for more updates from our secret bunker inside Prison City!

You can wishlist and play the free demo, available now!