Last month, we reported on a Kickstarter campaign for Hazelnut Bastille, an RPG heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. We're happy to confirm that this campaign has now been successful, and a Nintendo Switch version of the game is definitely on the way.
The project is now over 100% funded (at the time of writing the game has amassed over $73,500, easily passing its goal of $65,000) and there are still 21 days to go for more funding to roll in. This extra funding is important, too; the campaign's first stretch goal has already been met - which will add extra dungeon content - but there are more goals to unlock if more backers support the game.
If you check out the Kickstarter page yourself, you'll notice that there is actually a stretch goal for the Switch version set at $110,000. Naturally, with developer Aloft Studio already confirming the production of a Switch version prior to this goal being met, this has caused quite a bit of confusion, but the team has kindly explained to us exactly what's going on here:
"We have publicly committed to releasing for the Nintendo Switch, and as early as possible! The purpose of the Stretch goal is to finance earlier development (and especially manufacturing of the cartridges, as this is quite costly); but we will release for the Nintendo Switch regardless, and anyone who backs during the campaign will be able to choose the Switch platform for their digital and physical copy pledges."
If you want to learn a little more about the game, feel free to check out our original story and our interview with the developer from March of this year. Of course, you can also learn more (and support the project) from the Kickstarter page shared above, too!
Have you secured a Switch version for yourself? Are you looking forward to seeing the game arrive on Nintendo's system? Feel free to share your thoughts with us below.
Comments 62
Happy this is coming for Switch, it looks fantastic!
I wish them luck, they look to be putting a lot of work into this.
I wanna back this. I do but I haven’t. Hmmmm. Not sure why I am hesitant.
I wish it was announced at "totays direct"
Neat! I'll be waiting for a store physical version though if that happens.
@Stocksy I’m in the same boat and its a combination of not wanting to back too many kickstarters due to both costs and the risks.
I may give the PC demo a bash and see how I feel. May also just back if it passes the $110,000 stretch goal to guarantee an early Switch release.
Wow and it's getting a physical release as well. Can't wait for it.
It looks amazing. Have noticed there's only two buttons for using inventory items though. Hope that gets changed so you're not having to switch items out all the time like in Link's Awakening.
Nice really excited for this one. Anyone interested in this should go check out blossom tales. That was a great game for $15
In a way I'm sort of hoping for a new top-down Zelda game, I wouldn't be surprised if one comes along at some point in the future.
I've been watching this and I'm glad to hear that it was funded. I've been holding out since I have several Kick Starters I've backed in the works and I'm not sure if I want to back digital or go up to a physical backer. Either way, the game looks really good.
Hopefully it’s not like Midora all over again....
Put my money down before the physical only goal was released.
Then changed my amount so that I could get the digital and Physical only.
Just love the look of it, and have been keeping an eye on them since before the Kickstarter was released.
This looks really well done, however it does look like some elements have been straight ripped from Link to the Past/Minish Cap/Golden Sun/Secret Mana, I know its "inspired" by but its seems more of a homage, I think I actually saw the Mana Fortress in there
Looks solid, hopefully we won't have to wait too long for release!
Man, that cover art is hideous.
@Tendogamerxxx Hi Tendo, HB devs here!
I can definitely understand that sentiment. I studied Midora very carefully. I can give you a quick rundown of the redflags that are present on that project's KS page, which as someone considering backing future KS, are good to look out for again:
The video for Midora does not depict actual gameplay scenes, but only mockups. The creator is relying on other people (contractors) to do the work, and he doesn't have the money to pay them full time, even with 73k USD. There is no demo present, which would allow a user to evaluate the work and their competence. The boss appears as a concept, not a working game asset; the presentation is art-centric, with no indication of design.
I can confidently say that we don't have these issues. Our video depicts full gameplay scenes; there is a demo present, which is quite substantial; we are doing the work ourselves, not paying contractors- we will continue working even with no money, as we have for 2 years already, and we aren't giving ourselves much to begin with; we are around 50% done with development, and quite a lot of finished systems are shown in the video; we have a detailed budget that you can check out in the campaign.
Hope that helps!
@SmaggTheSmug That one is a bit older (I should replace it on the presskit) Improved the heroine a bit, but admittedly that cover is only a mockup, as a placeholder for a later professional promo artist.
https://gyazo.com/0201f5aa171b8f520c782ef5c0b09d8d
@Spectra With the phyiscal the delivery for UK is an extra $16 ($12ish)
@AloftStudio The composition is bad. Why is the main character scrunched in the corner while the middle of the box is empty? She should be placed front and center, and well presented to the viewer! Showing the titular Hazelnut Bastille wouldn't go amiss either.
The title screen in the trailer is pretty great, showing both her and the castle, inviting into the world.
I am eager to see the finished version. This one wouldn't encourage me to pull this game off the shelf.
@Spectra I don't disagree at all. I think waiting for full release is best for most games as a rule, but we are super thankful for those helping us out at this point! As a reference:
The Digital copies are 15 USD in campagin, expected 20 USD at launch.
The Physical copies are 50 USD for the campaign special cover, and expected to be 40 USD at launch for Switch.
Waiting for launch mostly doesn't lose you many opportunities, other than being involved in dev!
This one looks promising. As far as other Zeldalikes on Switch go, Blossom Tales felt mediocre but passable, and Ittle Dew 2+ felt really really good, but had annoying loading times.
To anyone who wants a nice Zeldalike right away, I recommend Ittle Dew 2+.
Im drooling it looks so good!
@EarthboundBenjy oceanhorn is very zelda inspired too n half decent. those frequent long loading times on ittle dew totally killed the experience for me
@AloftStudio, The box art looks great. Just the art style and the concept would drive me to pick it up off the shelf as it depicts, to me, my favorite kind of genre and style. Great job! Game looks great too. I wish you much luck during development. I've backed way too many kickstarters and have been burned too many times or have waited too long past promised deliveries for almost all of my investments to bear fruit. So I'm happy to see this pop up on store shelves or eshop whenever it does and will def be a day 1 purchase. Good luck!
Looks really cool @AloftStudio , congrats on reaching the funding goal.
Was some of the music inspired by Zelda: Spirit Tracks?
The first 20secs from the trailer reminded me of riding the train in that game
@Perryg92 That is one of the songs Shannon and I were thinking of when we made the trailer song! Doesn't appear in the game though, just a one-off for the trailer.
@AcesHigh Yeah I hear that. I am a fairly experienced indie dev... yet when I am looking at the Kickstarters of other projects... I really have to think carefully about whether what I am seeing depicts competence and habits that will lead to full success. I haven't been burned yet, but it is a hard process. For someone outside the industry... pretty hard to discern. Waiting for after reviews is the advice I would give for most consumers... which is pretty odd advice, as a KS creator, hehe... but it is what it is!
Looks really nice, definitely interested!
@AloftStudio @FX102A seeing the dev/someone involved posting here makes me more inclined to back it. Especially the honesty to their replies. I also love physical so always on the look out for games that plan a physical release.
@8-Bit_Superman Actually, you will probably see a store version too, and it will be cheaper than what we are offering it for in the campaign; the campaign physicals are a hair pricier, since they are helping us to finance production of the whole batch (it costs 60,000 USD, and is needed upfront!!!), and we are giving thanks by offering a Limited Edition cover for those!
Campaign Limited Edition Physicals go for 50 USD, and the standard post-release are expected to be 40 USD.
I like it to come to Switch as well Physical not a Digital download. If they go that route it would more then get the funding. But if they don't make this mention it will probably not make it. But I will support it if that. I'll probably looking at the 100USD support when I decide.
Eh I’ll pass on this
@Mgene15 nothing lost nothing gained.
@AloftStudio so where are your sources for that?
@SwitchForce
Uh dude, that's the dev making the game, lol
@AloftStudio
I'll be honest with you, I don't like the KS cover art. Sometimes the regular edition has better art IMO. Your game looks pretty damn solid though and I'll probably snag it.
@SwitchForce NDA'd, sadly... I hate having to say that
@8-Bit_Superman
"@TurboTEF The physical version will be a kickstarter exclusive"
So how much truth is that?
@SwitchForce That is a misconception; we will offer it both after, and at release.
@AloftStudio
I ask because I would like the Physical from kickstarter. But having a Switch Physical would be a seller for me as a gamer and collector.
Sure, but I may not understand the question. Could you ask the question more directly / completely? Which info would you like to know the source for?
I love it!! ALTTP is my favorite Zelda!!
@AloftStudio As a Nintendo Switch owner and collectors for Switch games that interested me. Being able to know that it will come Physical for anyone with Switch makes it more viable as nowadays for me having that option is a selling point. I know it does cost more to go physical that's the nature of game development. Just asking to not forget that Physical for those like me are a selling point. Whether or not we are minorities here I do like my options.
@TurboTEF lol doh...didn't look at the name and kickstarter name.
Now this is how you do a retro-style game! This looks utterly fantastic! It seems like a mixture of PS1 pixel art with the action-adventure gameplay of A Link to the Past (my favorite game of all time btw). Count me hyped!!
Looking forward to it. It looks awesome!
well, I certainly hope they make $100,001 (+$1 just to be sure), I have donated a good portion myself, so am looking forward to my physical copy
feels great to b a backer for this game
This game looks great! The graphics and gameplay seem very polished. I´ll definitely keep an eye on it.
@Fake-E-Lee it's great. Dungeon design was awesome bosses were awesome. Totally had a link to the past feel to it
@Fake-E-Lee combat was definitely a plus in the game. Overall, it needs to get more attention. Any zelda game or zelda like is always a must buy for me. Some aren't so good but this one is up there and worth the price. Plus it's around 15hours of gameplay which is solid.
Well wonderful for them. It looks amazing, and I'm not a person who plays every Zelda clone that exists. To this day, Neutopia I and II are about the only Zelda rips I've EVER played, but I'm impressed by this. This is going into my mental wishlist for now. Now too await a release date and a review.
Digital price seems really nice for the kind of content promised. I'm really looking forward to playing this game!!!
I clicked on the video expecting to see a generic throwaway Zelda Clone but this game looks fabulous! Will definitely be keeping an eye on this one.
Big plus having the developer come on here and comment/answer questions. It’s that sort of attitude that makes me want to back the Kickstarter, almost irrespective of whether it’s my kind of game or not - but I do really like the look of this, so consider it backed (digital for me every time)
@SmaggTheSmug
If people still blindly pull things off of shelf without researching them, I don't know what to say. It literally takes five seconds to pull out your phone and watch gameplay on YouTube or read a quick review.
@Frenean I bet people do. Also if I didn't like the cover I wouldn't bother to research. Does that make sense?
I wish them luck, but I don't do kickstarter for videogames anymore. Though this one seems like it will be worth it, I can only wish them well, and I will be eager to dig into the exploration and adventure this game has to offer. Looks beautiful too. Just so much luscious sprite animation, the game feels very lively.
Who put the mushroom enemy from The Messenger on the box?
Zelda-inspired? They took damn near everything!
Looks like a cross between Link to the Past and Sword of Mana. Might pick this one up.
So they’re pulling a Bloodstained. Nice!
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...