A Wii exclusive game is on its way to being released on other gaming platforms thanks to the success of a Kickstarter campaign. The Wonderful 101 surpassed its $50,000 goal just a half-hour after launching on Monday. The game has raised $1.4 million as of writing, with 21,468 backers pledging an average of $40.
What is the Wonderful 101?
Wonderful 101 is an action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames. The game was originally released for Wii in August 2013.
Players control a group of superheroes who can fuse together into “Unite Morphs.” These are offensive tools, such as an enormous fist that can be used to defend Earth from various threats. Thanks to the number of pledges, the company reached its stretch goals and plans to release the game on the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and Steam. Rewards for the Kickstarter include a digital version of the game, a physical version and numerous other merchandise options, including a keychain, comic, stickers, soundtrack, and more.
Who is behind the game?
PlatinumGames is a Japanese video game developer founded in 2007 after Seeds and Odd gaming companies merged. Wonderful 101 was directed by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya who has worked on numerous games, including Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and Viewtiful Joe.
While it’s unusual for bigger developers to crowdfund their games, PlatinumGames turned to Kickstarter in order to self-publish their own IPs, they said on their campaign page.
Although PlatinumGames has been able to grow over the years thanks to the players and our fans, we still haven’t been able to fully realize our long-time dream of self-publishing our own IPs. With your support, we hope not only to bring The Wonderful 101 to a wider audience on a variety of platforms, but also to add some content that will enhance the experience even more! This campaign is your chance to empower us to pursue self-publishing and take our destinies into our own hands.
Should you back the Wonderful 101?
What is interesting is that the company still needs funds to bring its cult classic to life just a few weeks after it announced Chinese tech giant Tencent made a capital investment in the company. The amount invested was not disclosed.
While the original game did not sell as well as expected, it has many hardcore fans, Verge reported.
Crowdfunding games is becoming an increasingly popular option for people to participate in. For those who never got a chance to play Wonderful 101 on Wii U, this campaign will give you a chance to play it on other popular consoles. And for hardcore fans, this campaign is one way to show your support.
