Pocket Universes

👋 Hi there! Welcome to the latest edition of SUPERJUMP Weekly. This week, we're celebrating handheld gaming with a series of features that explore different platforms and games (including some notorious attempts to take on Nintendo's mighty Game Boy). In this issue, we also showcase the works of Jade Hadfield and feature REPLACED in our latest On the Radar update.

We hope you enjoy this issue. Please consider becoming a Backer if you would like to support our unique brand of independent games journalism. Thank you.

IN THIS ISSUE

✍️ Story Showcase: Handheld Gaming
⭐ Author Showcase: Jade Hadfield
📡 On the Radar: REPLACED
📅 This Week on SJP
🏆 Backers

Pixel art gets a bad rap. While it is sometimes used out of laziness, there's also no question that pixel artists do some amazing work using only the simplest of tools. If you want to see what pixels are truly capable of, REPLACED is truly taking the art form to the next level.

The 1980s, a different timeline. A nuclear accident has devastated large swaths of the United States, leaving many dead and even more struggling for life as society collapses all around them. Just when the night seemed darkest, the Phoenix Initiative revealed the R.E.A.C.H. program, a new technology that promised to stop the death. But there are a lot of secrets surrounding Phoenix and R.E.A.C.H. - not the least of which is that the R.E.A.C.H. program has been transplanted into a human body now headed out into the wasteland.

REPLACED is an action platformer that's all about spectacle. Gameplay appears to be split into two modes. The first is a 2D brawler, pitting the protagonist against waves of enemies in combo-based combat. The second is platforming, with the protagonist free-climbing up various tall structures. Both modes are designed for spectacle, whether showing off impressive vistas or fluid dodges and blows.

Really, it's any excuse to show off the absolutely stunning visual design. REPLACED shows off a lot of features that we're not used to seeing in pixel-based games - highly detailed lighting, subtle shadow effects, and some interesting tricks to simulate 3D when it's needed. Scenes can quickly shift from beautiful to terrifying and the protagonist explores the desolation. Add in a 80s-style dark synth soundtrack and you have something that's a treat for the senses.

REPLACED is pending a release date.

💻 Created by Sad Cat Studios
✍️ Andrew Johnston

Thank you to Berke, Brandon, CT, Cathie, Claire, Geena, Lexi, Nick, Oren, Peter, Troy, Radha, and Wes for supporting independent, cynicism-free games publishing.