While the anime-inspired action title Super Dragon Punch Force 3 is gearing up to debut, we at GamingonPhone had an opportunity to interview the amazing team of Talent Digital Art, the developer based in South Africa. I sat with Tanya Brits and Judd Fitzjohn, the CEO and Creative Director of Talent Digital Art respectively to gain insights regarding the inspiration behind the title, the development challenges the team faced, and more, which you can read below.
1. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind Super Dragon Punch Force 3 and how it ties into the Boy Kills World franchise?
Of course, we love talking about the project’s origins! A fictitious fighting game called Super Dragon Punch Force 2 appears in the film Boy Kills World, and it’s supposed to evoke all kinds of Street Fighter II nostalgia. In building Super Dragon Punch Force 3 (SDPF3), a very real game unlike its predecessor, we wanted to continue that spirit of nostalgia and geekism, and for us that meant introducing a boatload of pop culture references, some that are subtle and some that are more on the nose.
2. What motivated Talent Digital Art to venture into the gaming industry with this particular project?
Being gamers ourselves we were no strangers to the fighting game genre, so when the opportunity presented itself to build a fighting game that ties into Boy Kills World and this really exciting new IP universe, we jumped at it.
3. I was pretty impressed with the teaser since I love these animation snippets for a game. Can we expect more of these cutscenes in the game, say, while presenting the story?
We’re so glad you liked it; we can’t wait to develop and release more content like it. While SDPF3 does not have a story mode, we are constantly thinking about how we can enrich players’ experience of our world and characters.
Players will be able to start piecing together who the characters are and how they fit into the larger world by reading their bios, exploring their various cosmetic items, and engaging with all of the complimentary material we’re planning to release in the coming weeks and months.
4. As a manga/comic books fan myself, I would like to know which were your inspirations behind Super Dragon Punch Force 3? Do we get to see some notable characteristics influenced by popular comic figures for the characters in game?
The main inspiration for the game was Super Dragon Punch Force 2 as featured in the Boy Kills World film, but we certainly included characteristics from the general anime genre in the art direction for the game. We hope that players enjoy the overall setting and flavor of the game as we try to incorporate everything from arcade machines to trading cards and plushies.
5. Given that Super Dragon Punch Force 3 will be available on both PC and mobile platforms, will cross-play/cross-progression functionality be a feature?
Very much so, as long as players use the same account for both platforms.
6. What challenges did you face during the development process, and how were they overcome?
All of them! No, we’re just kidding, but being a new studio and this being our first game meant that we had a lot of building to do—not just the game, but our pipelines and processes too. We’ve never hesitated to reach out for help because we know just how helpful and generous the game development community is, both locally and internationally.
So we were able to lean on those who have gone before, as well as those who are currently entrenched in development on their projects. We’ve certainly learned a lot in the process and expect to continue to learn a lot as people get their hands on the game. We’re hoping for a ton of feedback so that we can continue to improve the game and the way we operate as a studio.
7. How are the ranked modes in the game going to be? Will we be having Tiers or Leagues, you know some kind of rank pushing to do?
Definitely! Players will be able to grind away right from the get-go. We also have several updates lined up for the coming months that will continue to build on the ranked experience.
8. Can you discuss any plans for post-launch content or updates for the game to keep players engaged over time?
We are incredibly committed to realizing Super Dragon Punch Force 3’s full potential and there is so much content that we want to bring to the game. We also know that we’ve been very close to the game for some time now, so the community is going to provide us with a fresh perspective of where the game is at and where we might take it.
9. Will the game feature cosmetics? If yes, what kind of them can we players expect?
Yes, it will, and we can’t for people to see everything we’ve dreamt up so far. There are various areas where players will be able to engage with cosmetics whether it be a new skin for their favorite character or building out their player card with a custom border, background, or card art.
10. I’m pretty sure the game will feature vibrant characters. But, if you could insert any character from another franchise into the game as a special guest fighter, who would it be and why?
Wow, that’s an impossible question, so we’ll go with the first one that comes to mind. Satoru Gojo because the combination of his fighting skills and humor would make him a great fit for the Super Dragon Punch Force universe.
11. Ahead of release, what are the team’s feelings and expectations about how the game will be received by players?
We believe the game will resonate with players, allowing them to enjoy its characters, world, systems, and mechanics as we’ve designed them. Our goal is to open the fighting game genre up to a broader audience through the game’s free-to-play model and its streamlined controls, and we hope that this goal is realized even during the game’s Open Beta phase.
That being said, with the game releasing in Open Beta, it does mean that there’s still a lot of work for us devs to do, though we’re looking forward to that work being informed by what the community has to say.
Read our other Interviews here:
- Motorsport Manager Online developer interview
- Comedy Night developer interview
- Phoenix Games Interview
For more Mobile Gaming news and updates, join our WhatsApp Group, Telegram Group, or Discord server. Also, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Google News for quick updates.
