[PS4Blog.net Interview] Melonhead Games On Rooftop Renegade

We’ll be working on a review of Rooftop Renegade, so we got in touch with Melonhead Games to talk a bit about the game and its development. Come check it out!

PS4Blog: Hi! Thank you for joining us today. Could you please help us get started by telling our readers a bit about yourselves?

George: I am a programmer and co-founder of Melonhead Games. I integrated most of the code for Rooftop Renegade and ensured it ran as smoothly as possible across all the platforms.

John: Hi! I am a video game composer, and I did the music and sound effects for Rooftop Renegade. My biggest focus is always trying to create music that evokes the world it is set in. If music can be counted as world-building, then that’s what I’m all about.

PS4B: On that note, Rooftop Renegade is launching on PS4 and Nintendo Switch on February 17. What can you tell us about this project?

John: One of the main things we were aiming to build is a game that feels great to speedrun. The controls, level design, dynamic music, and Generator Mode are all geared towards creating that flow state as you keep getting better at the game.

George: We created a few different playable modes in the game to provide options to the players. Arcade Mode has handcrafted levels by us with AI gunners. The Generator Mode allows you to enter a seed and generate a custom level that can be shared with friends. Our generator also carries into our Party Mode, which supports four players, with three playing as gunners trying to slow the runner down and taking turns for the best score.

PS4B: How long did it take to develop the game? How much did it change between the initial concept phase and the version we’ll soon get to play on consoles?

George: The game started development as just a prototype of the party mode in the 2018 Global Game Jam. We discovered that we loved the concept and wanted to polish it into something we could release across the platforms. A lot has changed since then. We added the single-player modes, and AI gunners introduced the abilities and refined the mechanics, art, and music.

John: While I joined much later in the project, the music system itself went through a couple of iterations as we adapted it based on player feedback and how we saw the game coming together. On the Soundtrack release, curious players can find a few of the Beta versions of music that we had in place before overhauling the music system.

PS4B: Are you considering releasing any additional content for the game either by updates or DLC, or will you be focussing on a new project once the game launches?

George: Currently, we have no locked-in plans for additional content or DLC. However, that doesn’t mean there definitely won’t be. We have bounced some ideas, and depending on the popularity of the game, plans may change. At the same time, we are both eager to work on a new project. Though we have nothing ready to share yet, we have some ideas, and it will likely be something completely different.

PS4B: Will you be releasing the soundtrack for Rooftop Renegade?

John: Yes! The soundtrack will be released across streaming platforms and Steam the same day as the game. We’re calling it the “Original Soundtrack+” because we want to make it clear that it isn’t just a straight copy from the game. I’ve put more time into fleshing out and sculpting the tracks into versions that are more enjoyable for album listening. On the Soundtrack+, players will find Soundtrack versions of all level music, they’ll find a Continuous Mix of the tracks, and they’ll find a few other bonus versions – including those Beta tracks and some loopable versions.

PS4B: And that’s all the time we have for today. Is there something else you’d like to add before we go?

George: We do have a community Discord and Twitter that people can join to discuss best times and be among the first to hear anything new we announce.

John: If you like the game, let us know! You can find us on the internet. You can contact me specifically over at my website.

And, of course, we have our store pages up on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation.

Thank you for having us!