We’re currently working on a review for Timber Tennis: Versus, so I got in touch with Crunching Koalas to talk a bit about the game’s development. Come check it out!
PS4B: Good morning! Thank you for joining us today. Could you please help us get started by introducing yourself and tell our readers a bit about your work?
Hi Antonio, thank you for the invitation! Crunching Koalas was originally established as a development company back in 2012 – you might have heard about a puzzle game called MouseCraft, which takes some elements from Tetris and Lemmings to do its own thing.
But then the company’s scope of work changed, and we are currently a porting and publishing games. Our first porting project, “Sky Force: Anniversary,” has been ported to most of the available consoles, including the Nintendo Switch (it was actually released on the same day as Timber Tennis: Versus!). Our portfolio also includes ports of titles such as Lichtspeer, BUTCHER, Oh… Sir! The Insult Simulator, Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs and This War of Mine: Complete Edition – coming very soon to Nintendo Switch!
PS4B: Timber Tennis: Versus is out on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. How would you describe the game to someone who’s never heard about it?
It’s also available on Steam! Timber Tennis: Versus is a new addition to the Timberman family. It’s a simple, yet challenging tennis game with several power-ups, different courts, players (with tons of reference to popculture personas) and balls (have you ever wondered how it is to play tennis with a… hamburger?). Its pixel art style also has its charm. Also, you can play it regardless of the age – when we were showcasing the title on a video game expo, a lot of youngsters came to play with us, but older people also enjoyed it.
PS4B: How long did it take to develop the game for its console release? Did you run into any particular hurdles or challenges?
I wouldn’t call them hurdles or challenges, but we had to introduce a few new features when porting from mobiles. These include: online multiplayer modes (cross-platform play is supported), rebalancing, and power-ups.
PS4B: With the game out on Nintendo Switch and PS4, are you currently working on a new project?
We are simultaneously working on a few projects. From a publishing side, one of our main focus is ELDERBORN (https://store.steampowered.com/app/727850/ELDERBORN/), a skill-based heavy metal First Person Slasher. When it comes to porting, there are still a few undisclosed projects, and we can’t wait until we can announce them. For the upcoming future, look forward to This War of Mine: Complete Edition and My Memory of Us releases on Switch.
PS4B: And now it’s time for us to go. Is there something else you’d like to add?
Fingers crossed for the future of Beyond PlayStation and your blog!
