Fans of the side-scrolling shoot ’em up genre may want to sit down for this one; Super Stardust and Resogun developer Housemarque has announced plans to work with Eugene Jarvis, co-creator of the legendary Defender series, on a brand new game.
The Finnish studio confirmed the news during an event in its native capital Helsinki, and later Jarvis himself took to Housemarque’s blog to express his own excitement about the new-fangled allegiance.
“When I saw Resogun I couldn’t believe how these Housemarque guys took Defender to a new level. I wondered… what would happen if we teamed up? Mash up old school arcade with mad voxel tech and crazed nouveau Helsinki gamers… All I know now is that it is going to be explosive.”
Undoubtedly, it’s a tantalizing partnership for fans of the genre. Couple the legacy of a titan such as Defender with the bleeding-edge gameplay and astute eye for detail that Housemarque has displayed not only in Resogun, but across the studio’s catalog of titles including Dead Nation and the Super Stardust series, and the end product could prove to be something special.
First released all the way back in 1981, Defender may have inspired many imitators, but for the side-scrolling shooter, it was one of the initiators. With that in mind, the very proposition of Jarvis getting the opportunity to bring some of the design ideas and mechanics to the modern day audience, infused with Housemarque’s excellent production values, will be music to the ears of side-scrolling shooter fans.
Tell us, what do you think of this association? Are you excited to see what Housemarque and Defender co-creator Eugene Jarvis can cook up? Let us know below. In related news, Resogun Defenders, the game’s second expansion pack, has been slated to arrive on PlayStation 4 next week.
