There is no age to bounce back. After Balan Wonderworld failed earlier this year, Yuji Naka announced plans to go independent. And the least we can say is that he wasted no time.
In 2018, the famous Phantasy Star and Sonic the Hedgehog programmer announced to start a new chapter in his professional life by joining Square Enix, and to specify that at his age, each game now counted triple. The rest, you know it: at its release in March 2021, the critical and commercial failure of Balan Wonderworld is such that the director formalizes his departure the following month. But because Yuji Naka has seen others, he used his 56th birthday to announce his new status as a programmer on the Unity engine.
Yuji Naka Presents
But now, three short months after changing hats, the indefatigable creative has already published his first trial run. No ? Yes :
I created a super casual game called SHOT2048. This is the first time in my 37-year career that I, Yuji Naka, have developed a game on my own. I would appreciate it if you would play it and talk about it around you. Thank you very much.
And the man kept his word, since SHOT2048 is davailable for free on Android (here) and on iOS (the).
Double to replay
Of course, don’t expect the game developed in a few months to reinvent the wheel, since SHOT2048 is understood as a dice roll game mixed with the principle of addition made famous by 2048, the famous mobile game from Gabriele Cirulli.
On a vertical board, the players will thus have the mission of merging dice showing the same side, in order to try to reach the score of 2048, and possibly exceed it. But be careful: if one of them stops in the red zone, you will have to start over from the beginning. A bit like the young developer, in short.
If the roll of the dice and the additions are your strong point, SHOT2048 is thus now available on mobiles, and free of charge. To be continued in the next episode ? With Naka, anything is possible …
