South Wales, United Kingdom – Former Rare and Retro Studios developer, Rhys Lewis whose prior credits include Banjo-Kazooie, Metroid Prime 3 and Donkey Kong Country Returns, has released Star Drift on the App Store Today. This is the first title for Lewis’ Squarehead Studios, an independent game developer formed in 2014 on the edge of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales.
As a procedurally generated, endless space gunner, Star Drift carefully avoids the frustration of virtual control schemes, instead utilising a simple one-touch mechanic similar to Flappy Bird; press anywhere on screen to move up, release to drop down.
“a space shooter for the mobile age” – Mark Brown, Pocket Gamer
Star Drift also features a unique upgrade system. Pickups boost the players capabilities but only for a limited amount of time. Negative pickups, such as viruses leave the ship vulnerable and unable to fire but this can be turned to the players advantage, if they can discover how.
“For Squarehead’s debut title, I wanted to focus on a tight and accessible arcade experience. I love the timeless nature of the classics and I think that Star Drift evokes the same feelings of simple fun and enjoyment” said Lewis.
Retro inspired, vector-style graphics are complemented by an atmospheric sci-fi soundtrack provided by renowned composer, David Wise.
“Dave is an industry legend and it has been a privilege to work with him on Star Drift” said Lewis.
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
* Optimized for iPhone 5, iPhone 6/6 Plus
* Requires iOS 7.0 or later
* 67.9 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Star Drift 1.0.1 is a premium title with no adverts or in-app-purchases. Normally priced at $2.99 / GBP2.29 it’s available today at the special launch promotion price of $0.99 / GBP0.79. It is available in the Games category.
Squarehead Studios
Star Drift 1.0.1
Purchase and Download
Media Assets
Squarehead Studios is an independent game company, formed in 2014 by veteran Nintendo developer, Rhys Lewis. The company based in the beautiful mountains of South Wales, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons national park. Their focus is firmly on creating original and joyful experiences for gamers of all ages. Prior to founding Squarehead, Rhys was the A.I. lead at Retro Studios. During his career he has worked on both sides of the atlantic at companies including Rare and Retro Studios. Some of the games he has contributed to include Banjo-Kazooie, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Rhys and David first crossed paths at Rare (although they were on different teams at the time) and were reunited again when they worked on Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze at Retro Studios. All Material and Software (C) Copyright 2015 Squarehead Studios Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.