Inner City Kids Coming to PS Vita Next Spring

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Inner City Kids Coming to PS Vita Next Spring

Hi, this is James Biddulph here, solo developer at Jamo Games with some exclusive info on Inner City Kids!

Inner City Kids on PS Vita

Inner City Kids is a street culture themed, turn based strategy game for PS Vita that follows a group of friends who, upon discovering that the city’s adults are being kidnapped and replaced by robots every evening, team up to fight for their city. They soon discover that the plot goes much deeper than they expected — quite literally!

Explore the city and the robot dungeons below on a quest to stop the whole city from being overrun by the evil automatons. Create new weapons to suit your play style from thousands of different combinations of modules that are collected throughout the game, and explore open levels to discover new secrets, missions and weapon modules.

Inner City Kids on PS VitaInner City Kids on PS Vita

Whether you are exploring robot facilities deep below the city, saving adults from abduction, or gathering new intel, you will come across new weapon modules and frames. You can build up a collection of powerful artifacts throughout the game, and revisit previous locations later on to discover powerful secret weapons and unexplored areas. This means that you can invent your own strategies from thousands of different weapon combinations to play however suits you best, inventing weapons such as healing turrets, acid grenades, stealthy remote drones or whatever you can come up with! Whether you should go all out, play defensively or set traps for your enemies will depend on you, your weapons, and the obstacles that you face.

In Inner City Kids, weapons are made up of frames and modules. Frames define the method of attack (gun, sword, turret, mine, remote drone etc), whereas the modules define the weapons effect (damage type, status effects, area damage etc). Using this simple system, the player is able to come up with whatever strategy suits their situation best, and isn’t limited by just using whichever weapon has the highest numbers on it.

Inner City Kids on PS Vita

Each enemy has its own abilities and strengths that you must react to and learn to deal with. For example, you may have to deal with a Scuttle Factory unit. These units can produce a new Scuttle unit each turn, which will charge at you and explode upon impact, doing a lot of damage to your characters. However, they have very low health, so it might be a good idea to equip some weapons that do small amounts of spread damage, allowing you to take out many of them at once. These weapons, when paired with some healing and defensive weapons might give you enough strength to push forward, clearing out whole groups of Scuttles as you go, until you reach the factory unit.

A different method would be to play more defensively. You could set up a main base, creating turrets and mines to hold off the Scuttles, while creating remote controlled drones to send out to attack the factory.

These are only two options, but in reality the options are almost endless. As you progress through the game and earn new weapon pieces, you will be able to develop more complex, more powerful strategies of your own, as you face ever more dangerous challenges.

If all goes to plan, the game should be released on Vita spring 2015. To keep up to date with development and news related to Inner City Kids, follow Jamo Games on Facebook or Twitter.

Good luck out there, Inner City Kids!

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50 Comments

11 Author Replies

  • The Vita seriously needs a new first person shooter…..I’m tired of all these indie games…..”console quality gaming” smh…oh well

  • Wow that looks awesome. Vita, check. RPG, check. Stylistic and thematic, with a unique setting and story, check. I had never heard of this, and now I’m really looking forward to it!

  • I thought we were suppose to try to keep inner city kids off the street.

  • PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita

  • I hope you are prepared for the barrage of “Indie games sux, and the I want AAA games” comments.

    That aside, the game looks very interesting. I love my turn based games, and this looks right up my alley. Can’t wait to hear more about it!

    • Haha don’t worry, I love AAA games too! Glad to hear that you like turn based games, I love them and I really think that the vita is a good fit for the game!

  • Looks interesting. I’ll add it to my list.

  • @#1 The Vita needs good games. This looks like a good game. This is a game the Vita needs. If you love FPS so much, you already realize there are platforms which better cater to your taste.

  • Oh man, Oh man…this looks AWESOME! Between this game and Frozen Synapse Prime, my need for an X-COM-style game will seriously be met on the Vita (personally, I wish they’d just port Enemy Unknown over to Vita, but that’s another story for another day). I know that some will bash this game because it’s either “indie” or “looks like a Nintendo game,” (please see post #1 for an example of what I’m talking about), but these posts completely ignore the content that was presented in the Blogpost by James. Inner City Kids may have the look of an 8-bit game, but it sure sounds like a modern game to me (i.e., complex turn-based strategy game, thousands of weapons, etc.). It’s ignorant to pigeon-hole a game like this. Contrary to popular belief, this is “console quality gaming on-the-go.” #VivaLaVita!

    • You seem as excited as me! X com is amazing, definitely a big influence on my game. I am a pixel artist professionally, hence why the game has pixel art graphics, but rest assured it isn’t retro in any way!

  • I need Gta SA on my Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita PS2 games on Vita

  • Hey James,

    It looks very promising! I was wondering if you would consider bringing this to the PS4 as a cross buy and cross save game. It would be great to even add couch co op and online co op.

    Thanks for all your hard work and please consider my request to bring it to the PS4. I own a PS4, PS3, and Vita I would be interested to play it on my PS4 and be able to continue my quest on the go with my Vita.

    Cheers!!!

    Graf

    • Hi! I would love to see the game on PS4 too, but there are really a lot of things to consider with something like that, so I have no idea at this point if it will ever happen. However the game is really well suited to the vita, so you should have a lot of fun when it is ready!

  • @10 (GrafUlrich88) – Classy post and great request! I don’t own a PS4 yet, but I really think this game would also shine on consoles.

  • Wow the customization looks incredible! I’m definitely keeping my eye on this one.

    • Thanks! I have been working on it a lot to make it as good as I can, you should have a ton of tactical options by the time that the game is done!

  • Looking forward to trying this one out. I’m hoping there’s a compelling story.

  • Looks really interesting! Hopefully you’ll release a demo!

  • Awesome. I actually love SRPGs but hate Lord of the Rings middle earth crap or Japanese fantasy that always gets applied to these games. Glad this game takes a different setting and art style.

    • Thanks! I really wanted to make it different and I don’t think we see enough games in modern urban settings

  • I am REALLY into this visual style. This has earned a solid spot on my radar for the future.

  • I like turn RGP games! Thanks for making one!

  • A brand new turn-based SRPG for Vita?! Awesome!

    Even better that it has such a unique and compelling story, plus that weapon customization seems awesome (though that screenshot is hella confusing. lol).

    I think you made the right move going with the Vita. Aside from the luxury that a combo of physical and touch controls can provide you, there’s a lot of negativity toward indie games on the PS4, and I don’t think the pixel art would sit well with that crowd, sadly. Pixel-art games like these are best received on PC and Vita.

    • Hey, I’m glad you like the game! The screenshot is confusing, but the weapon system is actually really simple! I’m still trying to figure out the best way to show it, but it is really just a drag and drop system.

      I agree, I’m really happy to be developing on the vita, I really love mine so it is an honour to be making games for it!

  • Sounds interesting! I hope there’s a demo to try the game when it launches, as I don’t 100% understand the ins and outs of the game just from the description. Appreciate your team supporting this great portable.

    • I’m not sure at this point if there will be a demo or not, but there will at least be some videos soon showing exactly how the game works!

  • Keeping my eye on this.

  • The game looks cool. I hope the playable characters are interesting.

  • I’m not super sold on the art style, but the game sounds amazing!

    I’ll likely end up picking it up. =)

  • Cheers from Brazil, this looks insane!

  • I love Tactic RPGs, looking forward to it!
    Menu & weapon system looks new & awesome..
    World map, mission screen or free roam, i wonder..?

  • Inner City Kids…..they make me wanna holler!

  • Hey James,

    This game looks killer. I’ve been looking for a good Strategy game to dive into and this looks like it might be it. The weapon system sounds promising and the graphical style looks amazing. Ignore all the naysayers because this game looks great. Keep up the good work.

  • This game seems interesting, both in play & style. But Sony seriously needs to get 1st party on some content for this beautiful & powerful machine. If nothing else, it can be used for second screen/controller experiences easily built into games. All I see so far is LBP using Vita well as a screened controller, & Amazing Frog & Rayman I think using it well for second screen content. In fact, here’s some easy ways to get it to sell:

    1). Send all current (& future) registered users a free 16gb mem card. Hand in hand with that, slash prices on mem cards at least 50%.
    2). Ensure all the companion apps for games going forward are available for the Vita, before iOS or Android.
    3). Have 1st party, & highly suggest to 3rd parties, look into using Vita for second screen experiences. But don’t “force in” the experience, whatever comes organically. Uses such as for map, inventory, etc. type small things should be simple & a no-brainer to make available on the Vita, i.e. WiiU pad.

    Now obviously good, fresh, non-port games will sell more systems, point blank. But the little things may also attract new Vita users and excite its current users as well.

  • Looks great man! This one looks like a day one buy for me. :)

  • This gotta be a joke. A bad joke.
    With gamescom around the corner and sony comes up with a NES-looking game like this..
    HEY! THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE HOPEFUL GAMESCOM WOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS YEAR’S E3 FOR VITA FANS! LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF SURPRISES ‘AWAITS’ YOU AT THE EVENT, LOOK AT THIS GAME!

    sony.. when somebody comes around and says YOU’RE FULL OF CRAP! That’s exactly it, you’re SO full of crappy games like this.
    Pathetic.

  • RoD_GX

    An indi developer making a game for the vita, and you take it as Sony made this game and the fact that it exists is reason enough to dis Sony? How many people have been asking for Minecraft for psvita, that’s just a game that looks like it was released early on the ps1.

    Maybe you’re the one who’s pathetic?

    P.S.If you’re just trolling then whatever, but if you’re not and you really think this way then I feel sorry for anyone who knows you in person.

  • RoD_GX

    A real gamer would be excited by a great game, and wouldn’t make broad assumptions about the game before playing it. Let’s all be a bit less shallow, and love games for how enjoyable they are, not on how many polygons they’re pushing.

  • @1 ew…if you haven’t gotten enough of FPS games from the 360/PS3 era then…I dunno…but I am personally sick of that genre.

  • Not sure about this game but I need to see this game in action to really have a idea about this game or not.

  • I think I am just going to have to accept the fact that Sony is never, ever going to end its obsession with all things indie.

    I seriously don’t get it. I don’t understand this love affair. It has to be the fault of mobile gaming and the casual market growing so much larger in the past few years. Now that gaming is available pretty much everywhere, on all platforms, and games like Flappy Birds, Candy Crush and that new Kim Kardashian game raking in millions of dollars, Sony apparently thinks that is what the hardcore crowd actually wants.

    I can’t think of a single indie title that I actually enjoy, on the PS Vita. Not one. Not even Retro City Rampage.

    I feel like the video game industry is going through what the music industry did in the 80’s, when electronica and synthesizers were all the rage. Everyone is experimenting with new ideas and new directions, and most of it is absolute crap. Just because it’s new and independent doesn’t mean it’s good or valuable.

    As usual, I offer the suggestion that Sony create an indie-specific program for the casual gamers who don’t already have their fill of 99-cent shovelware apps on their smartphones.

  • the game sounds really good. def keeping my eye on it. hits all the right notes. one problem: the title is kind of weak.

  • are there any LGBT characters or choices in the game?

  • this looks great, and created by a one man dev team makes it even more impressive. I’m really looking forward to it

  • Being a gamer or more importantly, a person who truly loves to game, I don’t care wether my games are Indies or AAA. I love any game which is fun to play, and really dislike people who bash on games depending on the budget required to make that game aka the indie hate….

    Anyways truly looking forward to this game and this is definitely on my must buy list when it comes out. Also thanks for supporting the vita my most favourite gaming platform of all time!!

  • Indie games are bad in general. It’s not our fault that we don’t like them.

  • I’m laughing at all these indie game haters on these comments. How can fun games be a bad thing? I don’t get it. And I have no idea why people are comparing these indies to casual .99 cent shovelware.

    If a game isn’t fun for you then that sucks, but just because one game isn’t fun and it happens to be an indie game, don’t lump them all together and call them all garbage.

    For instance I haven’t bought a call of duty game in 4 years? Why? Not fun for me. Does that make all huge blockbuster games crappy? No. I can’t wait for Witcher 3 and Arkham Knight. But I’m also hoping Shovel Knight gets released for playstation too. And I can’t wait till September 2nd for Velocity 2x.

    I still have a NES hooked up to my tv, does techno Super Bowl look like crap? Yes. But it’s damn fun, and that’s what I play video games.

  • This looks freakin’ awesome. I want it.

    Looking forward to seeing some video soon.

  • I’m not an indie hater but, come on…THESE ARE JUST TOO MANY INDIE GAMES FOR THE VITA. Im not even asking for AAA titles but, at least something similar to PS2 quality games.
    Even Crash Bandicoot from PS1 is better than this….

  • + CraddaPoosta I agree 100% with you mate.

  • Will the interface be suited to both touch and button control? I prefer touch for menus and such, but others prefer buttons, and some prefer a combination.

  • NICE! Thanks for putting this one on my radar, James.

    X-Com was my favorite game growing up and turn-based RPG’s are still one of my staples!!!

    I look forward to more info in the future.

  • Never thought I’d see “gamers” complaining about getting more games on their system. Truly depressing how close minded some people are.

  • Sweet, this looks really cool,

  • This game looks very cool! Do you have plans on releasing this game in Brazil? (Please, say yes!)

  • i would actually really like to see this come to PS4 as well since I don’t own a Vita…and probably never will…

    It looks cool, and honestly the art style mixed with the fact it’s an SRPG = a winning combination for me.

  • Respect indie developers they are not related to sony. Blame directly to SONY America for abandoning console-like title to PS VITA.

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