PREVIEW : VanillaBeast: Ace in the Hole (PC)
Are you ready for a game that mimics the top games of the 1980s and 1990s while also including actual adult celebrities? Make a note of this one when it launches on Kickstarter on March 15th, since it checks a lot of boxes for vintage aficionados. Vanillabeast: Ace in the Hole is what I’d come up with if the indie dev overlords gave me the power to spoof everything I liked about the 1980s as a kid. That is, if I knew anything about programming. Still, credit where credit is due: I’m good at looking at stuff.
I got a sneak peek at one of the levels to get a sense for the game. Sure, you’ll have to wait until next year, but that’s the whole point of Kickstarter.
Vanillabeast: Ace in the Hole is a throwback to the 1980s and 1990s, with references to Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!, Double Dragon, and Samurai Champloo, all of which were created by separate creators. Even if there are a lot of titles enclosed, there has to be some consistency, right?
Vanilla departed the agency after feeling deceived and cast away, his main ambition being to fall into obscurity. Everything was going according to plan until someone, or something, in Vanilla’s town began murdering local women of the night. Vanilla emerges from his retirement to confront those guilty for the disappearance of the ladies he loved so dear to his… heart.
Play as VanillaBeast as he fights the forces of evil who are attempting to take away his nightlife and all he values. Make your way through a spectacular retro-style open world adventure with a large range of stages covering beaches, casinos, flashbacks, and racing tracks.
You’ll meet a large cast of present and previous Adult Entertainers eager to assist you on your mission through power-ups, equipment, and other kinds of “support,” so don’t worry. Vanilla isn’t alone in his quest for nighttime justice.
You play 0069 agent VanillaBeast, and he’s riding a motorboat named the Motor Boater when we first meet him. The tone is created right away, and simply listening to the conversation confirms that this game was built particularly for me. With Larry Laffer’s charm and Bond’s licence to kill, Vanilla is a ladies’ man. You must penetrate some bigwig’s lair by winning a card game to catch their attention, without giving too much away because it may alter. VanillaBeast is a top-tier undercover operative. I’m living the ideal as a suave secret agent, carrying out top-secret operations and dating some of the world’s most attractive ladies. He had everything until one assignment threw it all into turmoil.
While this is going on, Vanilla speaks with Agent Juggz via a Mr S Snake-like communications system. Being previously stated, the tone is quite well defined, and as a fan of Leisure Suit Larry, I found the gameplay to be really pleasant. It’s worth mentioning that some of the material is NSFW. Every day is a breast day if you review games in the comfort of your own workplace. This is because there is some explicit content, chiefly double entendres and censored Eva Notty pin-ups.
Many great artists contributed beautiful characters and level designs, notably the renowned pixel artist Giuseppe “Misbug” Longo. 8-Bit Universe, the vintage music titans, provide a rocking soundtrack. Exploration of a large open world landscape from the top down. There are several side missions that connect the open world to the specific levels. While touring the club, you could come upon anything that will aid your surfing trip, and vice versa. Laugh-out-loud dialogue and circumstances. This is one of the most hilarious games you’ll ever play. The gameplay is insanely diverse. Casinos, nightclubs, golf courses, and human resources Park derby, camp, football, surfing, fighting, racing, and so forth. Retro-style gameplay combined with cutting-edge animation and game design. A really unique, yet familiar, experience unlike any other you’ve ever had. VanillaBeast is a collection of tried-and-true styles.
Gameplay Styles•
Leisure Suit Larry – The Leisure Suit Larry series began in the late 1980s, and if you were old enough (and permitted) to play them, there’s little question they left an indelible impression on you. LSL was a forerunner in the field of adult comedy in video games. We’re basing our open world on the LSL model of “find an item here, use it there,” while including mature comedy to keep you entertained and engrossed in the plot.
• Punisher (NES) – Rail-scrolling action is a rare type of game that isn’t seen very often nowadays. Punisher, Gotcha!, Terminator 2 The Arcade Game, and a few more have left an indelible mark on us in the past. VanillaBeast need a rail-scrolling shooter like Punisher (NES) from the 1990s.
• Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out! (NES) – In our parody boxing tribute to the iconic NES title, we’ve developed an entire circuit of boxers for you to fight your way through while Vanilla reminisces about the time he battled his way to meet the Champ, Tike Myson.
• Jaws (NES) – Remember how Jaws offered a great open-water boating adventure as well as a fascinating underwater diving game? We’ve come up with a really nice reimagining of this classic that you’ll love while remembering the good old days of gaming.
• NES Open Tournament Golf – One of the best golf games ever (we know, it’s relative; please don’t get too technical). Our Golf minigame is inspired by the popular NES golf game from the 1990s.
• Friday the 13th (NES) – Do you remember the NES game Friday the 13th? Aren’t you sure you liked it, or at least liked to hate it? We’ve brought this classic game meant to stop that terrible purple and teal evildoer to a whole new level by sending you to Camp Crystal Fake to save the girls in a side-scrolling level inspired by Friday the 13th.
• T & C Surf Design / California Games – In a level inspired by T & C Surf Design, you may surf waves and battle opponents. To make this T & C Surf Design spoof level one of the best aquatic adventures you’ve ever seen, we’ve added a combo point system, insane obstacles, opponent fights, and a giant shark to the original surf style action. Never before have pixelated waves looked so nice.
• Outrun (Arcade) / Speed Racer (Arcade) – Race from and into danger in levels inspired by Outrun / Speed Racer. Vanilla’s Black Bullet roadster has never looked better with a complete array of gadgets and tricks at your disposal.
• Final Fight and Double Dragon – Do you enjoy classic brawlers such as Final Fight and Double Dragon? We feel the same way. You’ll play a variety of levels based on those classics, but on a more contemporary size.
• MK or SF – Have you ever gotten to a boss battle and wished you could fight them like MK or SF? Now’s your opportunity to shine. Actual 2D fighter controls will be available for a few bosses.
I was in my element playing the Vanillabeast: Ace in the Hole alpha, which was a pixel art affair with a who’s who of villains – from Destro to Skeletor. That’s not all; the real theme music that played at the end of the demo was also spot-on. Again, no spoilers because it could make it into the final game, but let’s just say it’s a rearrangement of a Bond theme, composed exclusively by Mr Laffer.
So, how do we go from here? This month, on the 15th of March, a Kickstarter campaign will launch where you may support the next game. There are more incredible perks coming up, but I’ll announce them closer to the Kickstarter launch. If you’re an arcade aficionado who was ‘there dude,’ you’ll be ecstatic with one of the prizes. However, the game itself is worth your money.
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