Update [Tue 7th Nov, 2023 11:20 GMT]: The Kickstarter for the Mega Drive/Genesis port of Hunter Girls has been cancelled and is now issuing refunds, due to what the publisher has called in a statement "unforeseen circumstances"
The Mega Drive/Genesis carts had already been produced and were expected to ship to backers today (November 7th), but earlier this week PSCD Games made a thread on Twitter, implying that the relationship between the developer and publisher has since deteriorated. As part of the thread, PSCD Games told backers to request a refund directly from Meridian4 (the intermediary company running the campaign) and to buy the carts directly from their website instead.
Meanwhile, in a message to backers, Jeff Giasson, head of Meridian4, issued the following update on Kickstarter confirming they would not be able to fulfill the campaign as initially promised and were already issuing refunds:
"Hello,
We Regret to inform you that, due to unforeseen circumstances, we are unable to fulfill the Hunter Girls Campaign as initially planned. Your support means the world to us, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience. Your full refund is in progress. We appreciate your understanding and patience.
Thanks for your support.
Sincerely,
Jeff Giasson"
It's obviously not an ideal situation for anyone involved, with backers certain to have questions over how the project fell about so quickly when it seemed so close to completion. If you have any difficulty getting your money back, please let us know and we'll be sure to investigate.
Original Story [Mon 7th Aug, 2023 15:00 BST]: The fantasy-themed Mega Drive/Genesis runner Hunter Girls has officially hit its Kickstarter goal (as spotted by FusionRGamer).
Hunter Girls, in case you've never heard of it, started life as a Steam game back in 2021. However, late last month, a company called Retro Quest launched a Kickstarter for a Mega Drive/Genesis port, with the notable homebrew team PSCD Games tasked with converting the game to Sega's 16-bit machine.
As detailed on the campaign page, the group had originally planned to only raise £3,874 to fund development costs and the price of manufacturing but it has since raised £4636 as of the time of writing. There are a couple of stretch goals still to hit, which include one target for three new bosses to be added and another for additional graphics.
In Hunter Girls, you play as three heroines known as Agnes, Kim, and Flora, who each possess a different ability (sword combat, archery, or magic). Your goal is to make your way from one side of the level to the other while fending off ogres, magic-wielders, and other enemies with the powers at your disposal. The Kickstarter pitches this interesting blend of gameplay as "a runner mixed with Lost Viking-like gameplay."
In order to get a digital ROM of the game, you'll need to chip in £9. This will come with a digital copy of the soundtrack. You can also get a physical cartridge for £28, or a more complete version (with a box, manual, and cart) for £36. Rewards are expected to ship in September 2023.
If you're on the fence about backing, there's a free demo of the game available that you can download and try now from PSCD Games' itch. You have until August 29th to support the project.