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A soon to be game classic inspired by some rather obvious hits from the past. The game itself is set in an environment that draws heavily from Chicano and Mexican American heritage. Players navigate through levels teeming with various encounters and challenges. As Barrio, (the protagonist) players encounter imaginative enemies like hard taco monsters, (Crunchers WIP) navigating through platforms that blend traditional motifs we are all familiar with and fictional elements. The game is designed with fun in mind, and difficulty is represented not as a barrier but as an expected mechanic. (Granted, I only have one level, but this was a consideration I factored in. As I would love to continue this work) Yet, it is important for me to portray Barrio as a hero, hopefully he is a relatable hero that pays homage to those of us who grew up in less than privileged positions are heard and they deserve representation.
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The piece is a balance of humor and potentially offensive content. Within reason, this is the intended nature of the work in some manner. As humor has always been a convenient option for Chicanos to make any form of cultural commentary. The goal is to be more thought provoking than “angering” for my user, and this is a creation that will illicit different responses depending on simply the users background. The decsion to make the story revolve around the cultural battle of “street vs hard tacos” as a theme was made for several reasons. The concept of using human enemies introduces a new layer of complex meaning that I am honestly not intending to make. There are many games where the enemy is seperated from “human” as much as possible not just for “ratings” sake, but also for story. And I am able to make more cultural commentary using a “Taco Cruncher takeover” platformer theme than other game formats.
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The usage of the GameBoy over other systems of play is crucial. I do think it is important to make my game available online all the same. But its “real” existence is within a cartridge and played on the GameBoy Advance. I want the user to have an emersive expierence with the game, and so often we dont give much thought into the hardware behind the games we commonly see. The nostalgic aspect may reach a certain crowd, but I hope my user feels the authenticity of the final piece and appreciates my push for cultural diversity in as many modalities as possible.
Barrio Bros
