Aegis Wing

Infobox VG| title = Aegis Wing


developer = Carbonated Games
publisher = Microsoft Game Studios
released = May 16, 2007
genre = Action
modes = Single player, Multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: Everyone (E)
platforms = Xbox 360 (XBLA)
media = Download
input = Gamepad

"Aegis Wing" is an Xbox Live Arcade game developed by three Microsoft interns and Carbonated Games. It was released on May 16, 2007. The title is available for free to all Xbox Live members in North America.

Gameplay

"Aegis Wing" is a side-view scrolling shooter, where the player controls a small ship pitted against countless foes. It may be considered a member of the "bullet hell" sub-genre. While the scrolling backgrounds in the game are strictly non-interactive, the player must also avoid stationary mines positioned at certain points. There is a boss at the end of some stages, requiring numerous shots to defeat.

While the ship has only a single non-upgradeable main weapon, the player can collect one of four power-ups to grant access to a "super weapon" with a limited number of uses. Only a single super weapon can be carried at once

The title supports up to four players playing co-operatively, either on the same console or via Xbox Live. If more than one player is playing, players can choose to temporarily attach their ship to that of their allies. When this occurs, one player pilots the combined ship, while the remaining player(s) are able to fire in a 360-degree arc. The super weapons become more powerful with each ship added to the formation. In co-op, when a player dies, destroyed enemies sometimes leave behind a "back ship" power-up; the surviving players can pick this up to resurrect one of their dead teammates.

Development history

According to an IGN developer's spotlight, the game was created when Microsoft's J Allard proposed a summer internship focused on game design. [cite web | url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/788/788372p1.html | title=Aegis Wing Developer Spotlight | last=Brudvig | first=Erik | publisher=IGN | date=2007-05-14] In response, three Microsoft interns, Scott Brodie, Danny Dyer and Matt Monson, created "Aegis Wing" in the summer of 2006. Dyer and Monson had been active members of the [http://tagd.cs.tamu.edu Texas Aggie Game Developers] , a student organization at Texas A&M University that encourages video game development among students. The three did all of the initial development work within their small team, although with artwork and audio support from other sources. The game was later brought to Xbox Live Arcade with assistance from Carbonated Games.

As the Microsoft XNA toolkit was not yet ready when the team began work, the team was required to create several of their own tools. Due to the limited time period available (i.e., just 3 months), they were also forced to remove certain features in order to maintain their schedule. For example, a planned ability to allow players to merge their ships in multiple configurations was scaled back to a more-manageable single configuration. [cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6170807.html | title=Q&A: Aegis Wing interns take flight | last=Sinclair | first=Brendan | publisher=GameSpot | date=2007-05-15] Nonetheless, the interns were able to finish their work on "Aegis Wing" by the end of the summer, handing the game off to Carbonated Games for final polish before release.

References

External links

* [http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/a/aegiswingxboxlivearcade/default.htm "Aegis Wing" at Xbox.com]
* [http://www.carbonatedgames.com/ Carbonated Games Official Site]