We are delighted to be joined by writer, art director, film producer and co-founder of Bit Bot Media Joshua Viola. Josh has been involved with comics such as True Believers and Unioverse. He has also been involved with the Kickstarter for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise graphic novel.
Hi Joshua, it is wonderful to have you here with us again.
For anyone unfamiliar with The Rocky Horror Show, how would you describe it?
For those unfamiliar, The Rocky Horror Show is a cult-classic musical that mixes sci-fi, horror, and comedy. It follows a young couple who end up at the mansion of a mad scientist named Frank N Furter (who turns out to be an alien). Frank brings his creation, Rocky, to life as his ideal partner, and things spiral into chaos as everyone starts giving into their desires. It’s famous for pushing boundaries around gender and sexuality.
Can you tell us how you got involved with The Rocky Horror Show Video Game?
I secured the rights to develop the game through my company, Metal X Entertainment (an extension of my other company, Bit Bot Media). After locking in the rights, we teamed up with FreakZone Games to bring the project to life.
Can you tell us about The Rocky Horror Show Video Game?
The game takes players on a retro adventure through the bizarre world of Richard O’Brien’s musical. You play as Brad and Janet, navigating Frank N Furter’s mansion in a classic sidescrolling platformer filled with lots of challenging tricks and traps. There are infinite retries, so you’ll never hit a “game over” screen. Best of all (in my opinion), the game features 8-bit chiptune renditions of the legendary songs.
How is the music of the iconical musical being handled for the game?
Sam Beddoes of FreakZone Games nailed it with his 8-bit chiptune versions of all the songs, and they’re seriously awesome. They’re super catchy and keep you hooked as you play through the entire game.
Could you tell us a bit about the history of the development of The Rocky Horror Show Video Game?
The development process was pretty straightforward. I worked closely with Sam as he developed the game, providing feedback and handling communication between the IP holder and FreakZone for approvals. The experience was smooth, and everyone involved was fantastic to work with.
What’s your favourite part about the game?
I’m obsessed with it all—the retro art style, the gameplay—but it’s really the music that hooks you. The catchy tunes get stuck in your head, and you’ll find yourself playing the game over and over just to hear them again.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Thanks for reading. It’s time to do the time warp… again, but this time with a controller!
We would like to say a big thank you to Joshua for chatting with us. We wish them the best of luck with The Rocky Horror Show Video Game.
