It seems like every two months or so Austrian publisher THQ Nordic adds a new IP/property to its portfolio. It's latest acquisition: 90's-style 3D side-scroller Rad Rogers.
Inspired by classics like Commander Keen, Conker, Ruff’n’Tumble & Jazz Jackrabbit, Rad Rogers belonged to Slipgate Studios (previously known as Interceptor Entertainment) before the acquisition. How much THQ Nordic paid for the IP, was not divulged.
What was revealed is that the game, which released for PC late last year, will now be published by THQ Nordic for PS4 and Xbox One, with developer Slipgate working on the ports.
As you may know, Rad Rodgers generated $81,961 USD on Kickstarter, in order to come to life. According to the deal, THQ will be helping "complete development" of the game, which heavily suggests that the publisher will provide additional funding to get the game to consoles.
Frederik Schreiber, Slipgate Studios accompanied the announcement with the following statement:
“Rad Rodgers was a game we had a lot of fun developing. Beginning with the successful crowd-funding campaign which motivated us extremely, through to the loads of responses and praise we got from fans of the game. It was a great experience for us and now we are happy to let THQ Nordic take over this, as we have the feeling they do not just buy games, but do take good care of them too.”
Never heard of Rad Rogers? No problem: here's an official overview via THQ Nordic:
Rad is a rambunctious but spirited young boy who maybe plays too many video games. After dozing off at the tail end of a long night of gaming, Rad awakens to find his dusty old console has turned itself back on. Suddenly a vortex emerges and he's sucked into his TV, where he finds himself the star in his very own video game adventure.
Dusty is Rad's good-hearted but foul-mouthed, now-sentient game console. His clock speed isn't what it used to be, but what he lacks for in megahertz he makes up for with experience and attitude!
Rad & Dusty's adventure begins in the First World, taking them through seven dangerous stages of action-packed, humor-filled, hardcore platforming fun. This decaying jungle world has been infected by a fierce corruption, and it's up to the unlikely buddy-duo Rad and Dusty to save the jungle's inhabitants and restore the Elder Tree as guardian of the land.
Features
- Weapons: Dusty arms Rad with a variety of radical bad-ass weaponry. The Bolt Blaster has unlimited ammo, is easy to use, and more than enough firepower to get the job done. The Phoenix Cannon shoots out a fiery bird whose wingspan lights enemies ablaze as it flies by. There are 5+ weapons in this first chapter, with more to come.
- Sounds & Music: Our composer Andrew Hulshult combined his years of musical experience (both performing and writing) with his passion for retro-style gaming to create an amazing and authentic soundtrack for the game complete with MIDI-inspired music... And synthesizers!
- The Pixelverse: While Rad and Dusty are a great team, only Dusty can enter the electrified Pixelverse - a dangerous spacetime-breaking region that exists behind the game world. Dusty enters the Pixelverse when necessary to repair glitches in the running game world, allowing both Rad & Dusty to continue their journey.
- Classic Easter Eggs: The game features hard-to-find collectibles in sometimes even harder-to-find classic secret rooms. Use your precision platforming skills to collect 'em all.