Terra Incognita was revealed as one of the first indie-developed games heading to the Wii U eShop, with funding from a successful Kickstarter campaign. The game itself is a retro-inspired RPG with a serious amount of depth and variety, but for more information, read on below in an exclusive interview with developer Dan Steer….

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Firstly can you tell us about your gaming background. Which games or systems stand out for you?

I have been in love with video games since the NES. I then enjoyed years of the SNES and Mega Drive too! My favourite game series are Suikoden, Chrono Trigger, Secret Of Mana, Final Fantasy etc. I used to get lost in these timeless RPGs for ages!

What is your experience with game development?

I have been testing Indie games and making my own small, hobby games for about three years. But it was around a year ago, that I really wanted to create a deep game world and would draw players in. Retro RPGs are what I love. I think at that stage I was ready to start developing the world of Terra.

What is Terra Incognita? How does the \’Deluxe Edition\’ differ?

So, Terra Incognita RPG is the name of the game series. With the first instalment, Chapter one – The Descendant, currently in development.Terra Incognita RPG is a retro inspired role playing game, it has a really rich, deep back story. And tons of lore to help build a fantastic experience for RPG gamers. The game has a mash up of visual styles, most heavily influenced by Suikoden and Chrono Trigger. The deluxe version of Terra Incognita Chapter One- The Descendant includes two full campaign expansions and a digital art/lore pack. There are physical versions of this pack available. One expansion/add ons Terra Fiends gives the player the ability to embark on the adventures in Terra and collect, trade cards called Terra Fiends. As well as being a real world table top card game, in Terra the add on gives the player a whole new campaign section, new playable character and much more. The second expansion/add on is called Bearkin. This is also a full campaign, its a really deep, sad story of a Felgan called Bearkin. The Felgan are a race in Terra, they are Bear-like creatures that have been at war with Humans for over a century. In the add on, Bearkin will join as a playable character and you will go on a journey to find out why Bearkin’s family were murdered. This add-on contains murder mystery style gameplay. A whole new play style for Terra. Back to Basics are still seeking funding for Terra Fiends and Bearki

How long do you think it would take to complete the game? What kind of side-quests will we be seeing?

Side-quests, side-quests, and more side-quests! The world of Terra is massive, with each new location comes more side-quests and unlockables. Not just fetch quests either! We have a battle arena, fishing, monster hunts, secret dungeons/labyrinths, Terra Fiends card trading with NPCs – and more! Something I have been working on recently is a game called Dragon Rider, a sort of \’mini-game\’. After you fly by dragon for the first time you can take part and win prizes/loot etc its a Space Invader-style mini-game with a space shooter feel to it. But with Dragons! And other monsters from the game.

What is the current status of the Wii U build? When can we expect to see it on the eShop? Have you made use of any of the Wii U’s unique capabilities?

The PC build is coming along very nicely, things should be tidy and ready for the initial planned release date of December 2013. The Wii U and and OUYA builds run great, but we want to concentrate on finishing the core game before tweaks are made for the Wii U game pad etc. I think the pad will be used for a smooth inventory management system. As for a release date for the consoles, I\’m holding my horses on that one because on testing, game bug-review process times can sometimes take longer than expected. I\’ve learnt that from testing Xbox Indie games.

How easy was it to get the game to the Wii U? Nintendo approached you, but what was the nature of this communication?

The plan for Terra Incognita initially, was just a Windows release, but Kickstarter was great for publicity more than funding. Nintendo reached out to me about a possible Wii U eShop release. They were keen to ship Wii U development kits to us immediately. First it was Skype, email chats. We are looking at a contract meeting very soon. More will be revealed on that as it happens! Since then we have been contacted by the people Behind the retro handheld gaming console, the GCW-zero and the OUYA about ports. Very exciting!

Once development is complete, what is next for Back To Basics Gaming? Would you develop for a Nintendo platform again?

When the game is done and released we will start on the second chapter of Terra Incognita, a ton is already written. Yeah, if the reception is good, we would love to develop for a Nintendo platform again.

Check out the ongoing Kickstarter campaign for the Terra Fiends and Bearkin add-ons