Characteristic: “It is A Perversion Of The Whole Thing”

Jeff Minter is, perhaps justifiably, recognized as a notable figure in the gaming industry. His career, which began with the establishment of Llamasoft in 1982, has produced a plethora of the most unique and recognizable titles in existence, including Tempest 4000, Akka Arrh, Polybius, Assault of the Mutant Camels, and Gridrunner.

For those familiar with Minter, you may also want to check out Digital Eclipse’s Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, an engaging interactive documentary showcasing the creator’s career, complete with numerous playable games from the Llamasoft back catalog.

However, along with partner and co-developer Ivan ‘Giles’ Zorzin, Minter is set to launch another stylized remake titled I, Robot, inspired by the original 1984 arcade relic from Atari and creator Dave Theurer (who, by the way, also developed the original arcade Tempest, a title that significantly influenced Minter’s career).

Building on the critical acclaim of both Tempest 4000 and Akka Arrh for the Switch, I, Robot revitalizes the original’s maze-like gameplay where you evade the watchful eye of “Big Brother,” shoot down “Tetras” in space, and create striking painterly masterpieces with the “Ungame” mode – all while infusing unmistakable Llamasoft iconography.

We recently sat down with Minter (and Giles, if only briefly) to learn more about the game, Llamasoft’s collaboration with Atari, and Jeff’s thoughts on the upcoming Switch 2.

Nintendo Lifestyles: Could you discuss how I, Robot came to fruition?

Jeff Minter, Llamasoft founder: Well, I often browse Atari’s back catalog for games to reinterpret and I tend to gravitate towards the more obscure options. The big titles are usually already spoken for, and if you focus on games like Asteroids or Centipede, people tend to have pretty strong opinions about how they should be, which can limit creative freedom.

The lesser-known titles often have intriguing concepts that perhaps did not receive the level of attention they warranted back in their heyday. I quite enjoy the idea of taking these games, dusting them off, and potentially giving them a bit more exposure today. I, Robot is a particular favorite of mine; I played it quite a bit back in the day. A friend of mine even owned the arcade machine, so I was able to visit his house and play it extensively.

The technology was groundbreaking at the time, and it definitely left an impression on me. One aspect I loved was that due to the graphics technology being so novel, they included an entire mode in the game where you simply interacted with the 3D graphics. That was at a time when I began experimenting with my own early light synth work, so it was fascinating to play a game that wasn’t necessarily a game, yet still engaging. I’ve actually incorporated something similar into my own version; it’s called ‘The Ungame,’ allowing you to explore the parameters of the lighting.

In what ways has Llamasoft’s I, Robot evolved from the original?

There is definitely a touch of Llamasoft in there; I can assure you of that. However, you also need to make the traditional transition from an arcade environment to a home setup; arcade games are designed to kick you off within three minutes to earn more coins. So, it’s essential to adjust it for players to settle in and enjoy it a bit longer.

I’m hopeful that I’ve retained enough of the original for fans to appreciate it, but there is also a sufficient amount of Llamasoft influence for those who love Llamasoft to enjoy it too.

The core concept remains the same. There’s this ever-watchful presence observing you, and you can’t leap while it’s watching. I’ve expanded that element a bit, so now the presence can fire at you while it’s active, along with some other features. I’ve increased the pace slightly, so it’s not quite as slow anymore. Every few levels, you encounter something called Arena Mode, where you actually face attacks from every direction, but you have more firepower to fight back with.

Ultimately, I’ve maintained the essence of the original, and I hope people will enjoy it. I’m eager to find out if I’ve balanced the nostalgia for the original with enough Llamasoft flair for ardent fans to appreciate.

Were there any difficulties in the development of I, Robot that you haven’t faced before?

For me, it’s always a bit of a leap into the unknown when I’m creating a new game. I don’t really sit down and plan everything out in advance; I tend to come up with it as I go. Sometimes it can take a while for a game to lock into its rhythm; you might be tinkering away, you might have some structure in place, but it’s not quite clicking yet.

It can be a tense time because you start to wonder, ‘Am I ever going to make this work?’ I’ve found myself in that position countless times throughout my career, and eventually, you have to trust your instincts that everything will come together. A similar situation occurred with Akka Arrh, where it took a while for me to find the right feel for that one.

From a technical standpoint, it’s not particularly cumbersome to develop, so there aren’t many problems in that regard. It performs exceptionally well on the Switch and also runs smoothly on the Atari VCS. [Note: Not the original VCS; we clarify that Atari launched a Linux-based console in 2021 that unfortunately didn’t quite take off, but still features most of Atari’s first-party titles.]

How have you found designing for the Nintendo Switch specifically?

Giles, come here!

[Giles joins the interview.]

Giles: Creating the graphics, handling the sound, everything functions perfectly, no issues at all. Nintendo has excellent documentation; my only criticism is that there are so many different ports for various elements, it can get a bit scattered.

The biggest challenge has been getting everything to fit together, all the UI elements, small details need to be precise, and it can take quite a bit of time to get just right.

an extended period to examine apparent problems, usually taking hours at a stretch. However, the system is fantastic; it performs exceptionally well, and the game operates at 60fps.

You mentioned that you enjoy pursuing the more obscure titles; do you encounter any resistance from the folks at Atari, or do they simply allow you to continue with your vision?

Jeff: Generally speaking, they allow me to work on my own ideas. During the initial development stages, they might provide some suggestions, but often I respond with, “It’s too early for feedback; everything is subject to change!”

However, they are usually quite receptive to my stance, and this is one of the reasons I appreciate collaborating with them. They grant me complete creative liberty to do whatever I wish, and having experienced this several times, they have enough trust in me to just let me proceed, knowing that something great will eventually materialize.

You’ve previously stated that partnering with Atari gives you essential creative freedom, but also offers some financial stability. Considering this, can we expect this collaboration to continue in the future?

Jeff: Absolutely, I’m very pleased with it. I can just sit back and think about the aspects that I excel at and not worry about the areas I’m less skilled in. For instance, marketing is not my strong suit. I’m grateful to pass that responsibility to them, and they do an excellent job; they create amazing trailers that I could never produce myself.

As you mentioned, there is certainly some financial security involved, which is always appreciated. So yes, we are definitely not done just yet.

I’d like to ask if there’s anything else in Atari’s back catalogue that you might have your eyes on, but I suspect you’re not going to tell me!

Jeff: All I can say is that we had a meeting to discuss what I might work on next. Before the meeting, I explored the IP catalogue and