Interview de Boris Lifshaz

Puissance-Pocket : Can you introduce your company to us ? What is your job ?

Boris Lifshaz : Superempire Interactive Inc was founded in 2000 gathering experienced programmers, artists and animators. Our team members had 3 - 7 years experience in developing computer games. In May of 2001 we became authorized developer for Nintendo GBA. Because Superempire development team located in Moscow we can deliver highest quality games with main competitive advantage - 30% to 50% lower budgets than any US or European team.

Puissance-Pocket : Why are you interested in the GameBoy Advance ?

Boris Lifshaz : GBA allows us to develop kind of games we used to play when we were kids. Only GBA allows to create succesful arcade scroller.

Puissance-Pocket : Can you remember to us your projects already realized ?

Boris Lifshaz : Superempire was involved in development the following titles:

- M&M's Blast GBA,
- porting of Caesars Palace from PS1 to GBA,
porting of Earthworm Jim 2 from SNES to GBA,
- Our favourite title which we created from scratch Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit GBA

Puissance-Pocket : Has it been hard to make the games on the GBA ?

Boris Lifshaz : GBA games are more simple than games for more powerful platforms. But, since there are obvious GBA hardware limitations, it takes time to figure out tricks to go beyond those limitations to make high quality games. When we develop title from scratch, we are flexible in finding "chemistry" between technology and gameplay. On the other hand, when we have to port game, most of the time publishers require port to be identical to its original, and that's where we have hard times.

Puissance-Pocket : You developed a nice 3D engine in a demo called "Apache Rescue", can you describe it ? Are you in touch with publishers to use this engine for a game ?

Boris Lifshaz : We wanted to port Comanche to GBA. That is how Apache Rescue was born. It is 1st and 3rd person shooter flying hellicopter taking action in various places of the world. We practically reached the playable quality, but since there is no backlight in GBA, 3D games do not look as nice as on TV or PC.

Puissance-Pocket : What technologies did you use to develop Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit on the GBA ?

Boris Lifshaz : To create Pink Panther we had to develop new technology we called PinkTools, consisting of Advance Editor and Advance Engine. This technology fully exploits GBA capabilities and simplifies game development. Full functioning editor allows easily to build new levels.

Puissance-Pocket : What do you think about the "3D games" ( Ecks VS Sever, Doom, Star X...) already released on the GBA ?

Boris Lifshaz : We think that GBA is 2D platform, since 2D games are fast, bright and simple, exactly what youngest gamers need. 3D games on GBA is an interesting experiment, but it is difficult to compete with GameCube out there. Doom had to be brought to GBA, as it was on any other platform. It's nice to recall old good Doom.

Puissance-Pocket : You said "exactly what youngest gamers need"...so you think that GBA is a platform for kids ?

Boris Lifshaz : Actually not. But still most of the GBA games target kids and teenagers upto 12 years old. And this is right.

Puissance-Pocket : What are your future projects on GBA ( what sort of games, involved technologies ... ) ?

Boris Lifshaz : In GBA, it is almost impossible for an independant developer to create title and then start pitching it to publishers, since publishers in present days would go only with titles backed by well recognized property (characters). So, our future GBA plans are pretty much tied with publishers' plans. We are discussing some projects now and may start new production next month. Meanwhile, we are constantly enhancing and polishing our technology to bring the best games to GBA.

Puissance-Pocket : Have you got any project for Gamecube ?

Stepanov Ilia : Not yet. But it is in our next year plans.

Puissance-Pocket : These days, a rumor say that a new backlit GBA "2" will be released by Nintendo. It would have 2 additional buttons, a new design and a new processor. What do you think about that ? Did you hear anything from Nintendo ?

Boris Lifshaz : Unfortunately, we haven't heard anything on GBA "2". But, backlight for GBA will be really great and definately will make developers to pay more attention to graphics quality.