ZPF is a retro-inspired 16-bit horizontal shooter, also known as a SCHUMP for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. In this arcade-style shooter, players fight their way through six plus levels taking on aliens, epic bosses, and discovering hidden secrets. ZPF is sure to transport people back to a simpiler time, where two buttons and a joystick was all that was needed for a fun time.
ZPF’s Development was a Community Effort
ZPF is the latest retro project from publisher Mega Cat Studios. The ZPF development team consists of a small group of six creative people who brought this game to life. The team couldn’t think of a better Publisher to work with than Mega Cat Studios, whom are not a stranger to the retro-genre. They have a long catalogue of retro games that include Tanzer, Almost Hero, Backyard Baseball ’97, and a ton of others. With the help of Mega Cat Studios, the ZPF team decided to utilize crowdfunding to give the project legs and give consumers a great way to purchase a physical copy of the game. With a goal of raising $15,000, the retro-gaming community showed up by fully funding ZPF in 19 minutes! By the time the Kickstarter ended, ZPF had raised $204,000! The biggest draw for the Kickstarter was the physical copies of the game. Some of the Kickstarter rewards included the game box, Sega cartridge and manual, which instantly transports older folks to that feeling of opening up a present and getting a new game back in the day.
ZPF encapsulates the vibes, music, and shoot’em up arcade feel of old. Designed specifically for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, PC owners need not worry because the ZPF beta is available to try out now. ZPF has six plus chaotically designed, vibrant, pixelated levels that encompass the future, fantasy, aliens, and more. Along with the vibrant 16-bit art style, the music brings it together, fully capturing the sounds and feel of old that drives the action forward while teleporting players back to the arcade at the mall.
Players have three different characters to choose from. The Knight, which for some reason defies the laws of gravity, fights with Vulcan Blades as its primary weapon and Severing Strike as its secondary weapon, Gladius, a small ship with Rapid Spread as its main weapon and a liquid metal shield as its secondary and lastly, Gold, another ship with a Slicer Beam as its main weapon and Plasma Hammer as its secondary. The controls are simple, but dodging bullets and taking down enemies is a harder feat to accomplish than one would think. There are a good amount of hidden secrets and multiple endings, running through ZPF multiple times is a must! I can’t lie, games like this frustrated me as a kid and it turns out, they still frustrate me as an adult. It took me awhile to fully get into ZPF, but the dev team absolutely nailed that retro feel of the game. The art style plays against the player as the bullets almost melt into the background and are hard to see at times. Once I made some adjustments, I was able to make some headway in the game. This isn’t a game that I would typically play, but I do have to say that I had fun playing it. If I wasn’t writing this preview, would I play ZPF? Most likely not, but I had fun playing it and I can see why the community responded so positively to this game. PLUS! ZPF has a physical cartridge, box, and manual… a super cool bit of nostalgia for someone that lived through it.
With the exclusivity of ZPF being developed for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, the Kickstarters success has ensured that ZPF will be enjoyed not only on the hard to come by Genesis/Mega Drive, and Steam, but the stretch goals were met which means that ZPF will eventually find its way over to Xbox and Nintendo Switch. If you’re into fast-paced, high-adrenaline, 16-bit, chaotic sweetness, you can play the ZPF beta on steam now. Make sure to wishlist the game and stay up to date with all the latest updates.
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