Echoes of the Unread (NES)
I recently had the chance to try Echoes of the Unread, which is a unique game with an old school feel to it. Our adventure begins when Rhapsody falls asleep while studying for her exams. Rhapsody needs to find song notes in the world to bring her back to reality.
Hitting the right notes
From my short time with the demo I already like what I see and I am excited for the full release of this adventure. A date has not been provided yet, but it’s stated for a 2025 release. Echoes of the Unread is a really unique adventure that will give a retro feel to players.
I recently had an opportunity to interview the game creator, Matt Tuttle. Matt took the time to answer my questions about Echoes of the Unread. Here’s how it went.
Carmelo: How long has this project been in the works for? How did you come up with the story?
Matt: I started the project in 2016, but it had a very long hiatus. It’s something like 3-4 years of actual development time. The story came to life during the pandemic lockdown. Like a lot of other people, I felt the isolation from working at home, and realized it fit perfectly with the idea of being trapped in a library at night.
Carmelo: Rhapsody the main character has a very unique name. Why was it chosen?
Matt: Music was planned to be a larger part of the narrative earlier in development. Almost every character in the game has a “musical name” and I just stuck with them at a certain point.
Carmelo: Do you have a big team or are you a one man show?
Matt: It’s just me. The game started as a gift for a family member and grew into something bigger. I did the art, sound, coding, all of it. I got better at pixel art as the project progressed and I’d already made quite a few simple Flash games before Echoes of the Unread.
Carmelo: Watching the trailer, seeing the graphics and sounds takes me back to when I was a kid when gaming was simple and fun. Where did you get the inspiration from for the sound?
Matt: The game is very much a love letter to Nintendo games. I wanted to match the vibe of those early titles without making it “Nintendo Hard”. The other inspiration is Rare from the 90s. Those games were just silly and a reason I added voices to the game.
Carmelo: Are there any other projects you are working on? or plan to in the future?
Matt: I have some other prototypes I’m working on but nothing concrete at the moment. Although, it will probably be using Godot instead of being another NES game.
Carmelo: What made you get into gaming?
Matt: I grew up on Nintendo. Mario, Zelda, and Metroid especially. A behind-the-scenes article in Nintendo Power about Ocarina of Time is the reason I taught myself to program at a younger age. More recently I find myself enjoying indie games. Outer Wilds and Tunic both influenced this game as well as Celeste.
Open the book on adventure
Matt has put a lot of time and effort into Echoes of the Unread. It’s remarkable that one person has made this game. I personally can’t wait to play the full game for the NES. Be sure to check out the kickstarter link for more information on the game. Thank you Matt and Mega Cat Studios.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/megacatstudios/echoes-of-the-unread-a-new-8-bit-musical-adventure?ref=bqddun