Fans of Samurai Pizza Cats will finally get their first chance to play Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast From The Past at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Publisher Red Dunes Games and developer Blast Zero will bring an exclusive playable demo to the RDG booth in Hall 7, Booth N03, giving attendees their first hands-on look at the action-RPG nearly a year after it was originally announced.
The TGS demo is focused specifically on the game’s platforming and combat, with players able to experience the different abilities and playstyles of the three Pizza Cats. While the demo won’t include everything planned for the full game, Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast From The Past will also feature RPG customization, character progression and exploration, alongside an entirely new story that expands on the world of the original anime rather than retelling its existing episodes.
Blast Zero CEO Dave Baljon said the team wants the game to make players feel like they are directly controlling the characters from the anime, with the developer already planning to show even more of the game next year. The three Pizza Cats are designed to play very differently, with Speedy (Yattarou) specializing in close-range combat, Guido (Sukashii) focusing on platforming and aerial attacks, and Polly (Pururun) using projectiles to attack from a distance.
Players can switch between the three characters almost instantly, allowing their different abilities to be combined for attacks and other solutions. A card-based upgrade system will also let players customize the Pizza Cats and develop their preferred playstyles. Game Director and Music Composer Sebastien Romero noted that the system is intended to reward experimentation, with more creative character switching becoming increasingly useful as players become familiar with each cat.
Blast Zero is also putting considerable effort into recreating the spirit of the original series. According to Sultan Darmaki, EO and Creative Director, the Japanese and English versions of the game are being developed as distinct works, preserving the humour and characterization associated with each regional release rather than simply using one unified script.
That attention to detail extends to the game’s environments and animation. Art Director and Lead Animator Laurent Romero has reportedly collected screenshots covering the show’s locations and character attacks, with more than 10,000 files dedicated to researching the locations alone. The team has also studied how different areas connect to one another and consulted real maps of Japan to help determine where locations inspired by real regions should appear in the game’s world.
Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast From The Past is being developed as an action-RPG that combines platforming and combat with customization, progression and exploration. The TGS demo will offer the first public opportunity to see how those ideas come together, while the full game aims to capture the energy and humour of the classic anime in a brand-new adventure.