You just don't get the same kind of humour and bizarre characters in games as you used to. How many games can you think of like Amazing Tater or James Pond where you play as an obscure character that really shouldn't be the star of a video game? I can think of even less where you play as something as mad as an inhaler, and as someone with a vivid imagination, I'm fully here for it.
Check out Wheeze!, a new retro-inspired platformer from UK-based studio Vault Interactive. You play as Pumpy, an inhaler on a mission to take down the corrupt head of a healthcare organisation. It's very close to home if you ask me, so I hope Pumpy can come out on top and make some real change in both his and the real world!
Vault Interactive have built this game using Unity and GBStudio, creating a game that definitely wouldn't feel out of place on the Game Boy DMG. I could really see ModRetro picking this up and running with it as one of their releases; it's quirky enough, and any game that promotes taking down pollution and 'sticking it to the man' is alright in my book.
Vault Interactive describe the game as having 'tongue in cheek' humour, something I've missed since Rare's glory days on the N64. If it's anything like Chantey and the devs nail the narrative, then we could have a new Game Boy mascot on our hands.
The only other game based on asthma that I can think of is Bronkie the Brachiosaurus, a SNES game where you play as an asthmatic dinosaur. Pumpy looks like he's got a bit more about him than Bronkie, however, especially after seeing clips of him flying a plane and squaring up against a big cigar, and I reckon with enough shouting about him, this could go on to be as well received as games like Kero Kero Cowboy.
The game has a Kickstarter campaign that's waiting to go live. Vault Interactive have told me that they are hoping to have a demo ready around Summertime this year, so make a note of Pumpy and keep checking back here to find out how development is going!
