Jam City Rollergirls is a brand-new indie game based around the wild world of roller derby. The idea was hatched in the minds of the game’s creators, Frozen Codebase, during a team outing to a real-life roller derby event. So impressed were they by the punk skaters with personality, sexiness and vigor that they were inspired to create a video game around them. Frozen Codebase started working with local leagues such as the Brewcity Bruisers and the Mad Rollin’ Dolls, and then with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. They then used the knowledge that they’d gleaned to turn the core, fundamental tenets of the sport into an arcade sports game for WiiWare.
Jam City Rollergirls has the addictiveness of a pick-up-and-play kart racing game, coupled with the sort of power-ups that take the sport into more arcade-action territory. The team even enlisted the help of real-life skating stars such as “Bloody Mary” and “Suzy Hotrod” (can you tell these girls don’t mess around?!). Here’s Frozen Codebase President Ben Geisler talking about the experience of making the game:
“As I look back, it’s amazing to see how one outing to a rink can inspire a whole game. And we’re grateful as indie developers that this sort of random inspiration can provide a living for us.* We lived, breathed and died roller derby for more than a year creating this game. This is how games should be made.”
Jam City Rollergirls will be available for download exclusively via Nintendo WiiWare on January 24th for 1000 WiiPoints.
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