The critically acclaimed 2D platformer, Mutant Mudds, from indie studio Renegade Kid is heading to Wii U in a high-definition version with bonus Ghost levels and GamePad support. Cubed3 caught up with Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham to discuss the Wii U edition, the Mutant Mudds concept and plans for the future on Wii U and 3DS.



Cubed3: Please introduce yourself and Renegade Kid to our readers.

Jools Watsham: My name is Jools Watsham, I am co-founder of Renegade Kid with my friend and business partner, Gregg Hargrove. We founded Renegade Kid in 2007 after having worked at a few different video-game companies, including Iguana Entertainment, for about 14 years.

Cubed3: Please tell us a little bit more about the Mutant Mudds concept.



Jools Watsham: Mutant Mudds was and always will be the one game that we pour challenging fun into just because we want to. It started as a selfish endeavor of mine to fulfill a long-time dream to develop a 2D platformer. I never felt the need to steer its content in such a way that could make it more marketable. It is purely what appeals to me. I feel very fortunate that other folks seem to like it too.

Cubed3: With the game a success on Nintendo 3DS, why the leap to Wii U as well and what are the key differences in the Deluxe version?



Jools Watsham: There are a number of different reasons we wanted to bring Mutant Mudds to Wii U. The main reason is to hopefully find a new audience with those who do not have a Nintendo 3DS. The Wii U's GamePad also lends itself rather well as a portable experience, which felt like a good fit for the game considering its origins. We didn't want to do just a direct port of the 3DS game though. We have added 20 new Ghost Levels, which contain new enemies and power-ups. Mutant Mudds Deluxe also support 16:9 aspect ratio for a crisp and clean HD experience on your TV.



Cubed3: The new Ghost Levels seem a great addition to the game, how are the unlocked?



Jools Watsham: We specifically wanted the new content to be accessible immediately. The Ghost Levels are unlocked as you progress through the normal levels. The basic rule is: if a level is open in the normal world, its counterpart in the ghost world is also available.

Cubed3: The new approach to tackling enemies and the world movement are a refreshing addition to these Ghost Levels - how did these come about?



Jools Watsham: In a similar way to how the 20 Grannie levels, which we added to the original Nintendo 3DS game, introduced fresh gameplay, we wanted the Ghost Levels to provide a new experience too. Once the concept of the ghost world theme was formed, the idea to have the ghosts immune to Max's water cannon seemed like a natural fit - a simple yet significant change to how you approach the levels. This then led to the new Ghost Shot power-up. Also, to give the levels a sense of mischief being caused by the new spectral inhabitants, the idea of shifting large chunks of the ground plain came about, which I am very fond of.



Cubed3: We love 2D platformers like Mutant Mudds, but what ever happened to the initial 3D platformer design?



Jools Watsham: Developing a 3D platformer is significantly more complex and time-consuming than a 2D platformer. Maybe one day we'll see Max return to his polygonal form.



Cubed3: What are your thoughts working on the Nintendo Wii U so far and are there any other Wii U projects in the pipeline?



Jools Watsham: We've really enjoyed working with the Wii U and will continue to do so. I expect we'll explore both 2D and 3D game development for Wii U in the future.

Cubed3: What are your thoughts on working with Nintendo and their approaches to indie development so far?



Jools Watsham: Working with the Nintendo team has been fantastic. I think their attitude towards independent developers is smart and wise.



Cubed3: What are your favourite developers/studios you've looked to for inspiration?



Jools Watsham: Nintendo's first-party games are always a great source of inspiration for me. Both Capcom's and Konami's classic games, especially in the SNES era, still provide much insight into masterful art, design, and audio techniques.

Cubed3: We're excited about the Mutant Mudds sequel! Will there be versions on both Wii U and 3DS?



Jools Watsham: Thank you! Yes, I think it is safe to assume that Mutant Mudds 2 will be on both 3DS and Wii U. But, if one platform released before the other, it will be the 3DS that sports Max's new adventure first. Max knows where his roots are.

Cubed3: Do you plan on perhaps expanding the Ghost Levels mode for Mutant Mudds 2?



Jools Watsham: We have a ridiculously large list of ideas for Mudds 2, and Ghost Levels is certainly a consideration.



Cubed3: Renegade Kid is well known for top notch FPS titles - will you be returning to concepts like Moon and Dementium in the future?



Jools Watsham: We'll have more news on that specific question later.

Cubed3: If you could work on any Nintendo franchise what would it be and why?



Jools Watsham: I like the idea of taking an off-beat character from Nintendo's vast library and giving them their own game. Imagine the adventures of a Goomba or a Boo. That is what I would choose to do, if given the choice. That way there are no preconceived ideas of what the game should be, which makes it more fun for us to develop and hopefully more fun for the player to discover.







