Snoopy WWI Flying Ace – Interview

We scored an interview with Clark Stacey, Vice President of Smart Bomb Interactive, the folks who brought us Snoopy vs. the Red Baron on PS2, PSP and PC. Clark was nice enough to answer our questions and divulge the first details of Snoopy‘s brand new adventure, DLC, multiplayer, gameplay mechanics, and brand spanking new screens lie just a click away!

We scored an interview with Clark Stacey, Vice President of Smart Bomb Interactive, the folks who brought us Snoopy vs. the Red Baron on PS2, PSP and PC. Clark was nice enough to answer our questions and divulge the first details of Snoopy‘s brand new adventure.

QJ: I got some positive Crimson Skies meets Warhawk vibes from the trailer… am I crazy?

Stacey: Possibly, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting your perceptions too much here. Crimson has certainly been an influence on the design of our flight mechanics and controls, and I think High Road to Revenge set a benchmark for approachable, addictive multiplayer dogfighting on a console. The comparison to Warhawk is more of a stretch – our on-foot gameplay is very different and probably owes more to Ratchet, the Lego series, the A-Team, and McGyver .

QJ: I noticed Snoopy manning anti-air cannons and dispatching mean little enemy troopers with a slingshot, there even seemed to be what looked like a small amount of platforming involved, what can we expect from the ground based warfare and how integral is it to the overall experience?

Stacey: Our main thrust with this game is to tell a great story with a lot of action and humor. ItÂ’s first and foremost an aerial adventure, but Snoopy and Woodstock both have some missions out of the planes. Snoopy is based out of a few different airbases over the course of the game as well; there he can explore on foot, quaff root beer with fellow pilots in the OfficerÂ’s Club, upgrade his equipment, and a few other things too cool to talk about yet.

QJ: Does Flying Ace include a single player campaign?

Stacey: Absolutely.

QJ: I assume it would be fair to say the meat of the game is in the multiplayer, what kinds of game modes are there going to be?

Stacey: I think the meat of the game is in the dogfighting, which is easy to jump in and control but has a lot of depth with the different weapons, planes and skills. ItÂ’s meat we serve throughout the single player campaign with a variety of side dishes, but pure carnivores might belly up to the online play and stay there. We have some co-op challenge modes and a variety of versus and team games. I canÂ’t spill them all just yet, but I can say that they range from the whimsical to the hardcore. Well, E-rated hardcore.

QJ: How many players does the game support in online matches, and is local split screen play supported?

Stacey: Our online specs vary by platform, and we havenÂ’t announced final numbers yet. We have already played some great 16-player matches at the studio, however. And yes, we will have local split-screen play.

QJ: Will there be any co-op missions?

Stacey: Yep.

QJ: Are planes and weapons upgradeable or customisable in any way?

Stacey: Yep. ThatÂ’s kind of a big deal in this game, actually. For now we have to leave it at that.

QJ: Are you looking at releasing the game on disc or via digital distribution on PSN, XBL or Steam?

Stacey: This game will release at retail on disc.

QJ: Do you have any plans for DLC?

Stacey: Plans for, yes. The multiplayer experience we have now is really fantastic, and this gameÂ’s still a year away. If players online become as addicted to it as we are, there will definitely be DLC.

QJ: Now I know you can’t talk about what platforms the game is being developed for just yet, but (hypothetically) if one of the supported platforms was the PS3, would you include support for motion control?… (hypothetically)

Stacey: In recognition of all the hours of non-frustrating fun and precise game control the PS3 motion control has blessed gamers with?

QJ Of course we don’t know for sure whether Flying Ace is coming to the Wii, but if it were (again, hypothetically), how would it control?

Stacey: IÂ’m just thinking out loud here, but remember when you were a kid how youÂ’d run around the yard with a toy plane, making all these swooping and banking motions to guide it through enemy fire? Imagine the Wiimote is that toy plane, your living room is the yard, and Smart Bomb is the neighbor kid chasing you. No wait, weÂ’re your favorite uncle, coming to give you more toy planes. Actually, no – weÂ’re your big brother, showing you how to strap bottle rockets to the toy plane and shoot them at the neighbor’s kid.

QJ: Who would win in a Lucy vs. Snoopy: No Holds Barred fight to the finish?

Stacey: A decorated veteran with decades of combat experience against a five cent psychiatrist… wasnÂ’t that the premise of all of Steven SeagalÂ’s movies? IÂ’m not sure I can pick a side in this, actually, since I have to work with both of them.