Mighty Coconut will soon release an Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland DLC course for Walkabout Mini Golf, and in this interview we speak with Don Carson to learn how the team translated Carroll’s surreal world into playful, navigable spaces for VR. Don Carson is the senior art director for Mighty Coconut, and has worked as a Senior Show Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering, art directing projects like Splash Mountain, Mickey’s Toontown and Blizzard Beach. His focus is bringing design principles unique to environmental storytelling to projects all over the world. Don has applied designs to computer games, the theatre and other media. He has a long career in theme park design, and strives to show the potential of using the principles of environmental storytelling to influence an audience’s experience, whether they are exploring a physical or virtual world. This conversation covers the course’s inspirations, John Tenniel’s influence, scenes that work particularly well in VR mini golf, the design challenges of making Wonderland playable, and how the studio balances nostalgia with a fresh Mighty Coconut spin. Continue reading “Developer interview: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Walkabout Mini Golf)”
Author: Press Play Media
NBA Bounce review/interview (PS5)
Unfinished Pixel SL’s NBA Bounce, published by Outright Games, approaches basketball from a lighter and more accessible angle than most sports titles. Built around official NBA teams, mascots and arenas, it replaces technical realism with a vibrant arcade presentation that prioritizes instant fun over simulation. Every match unfolds at a brisk pace across team-themed courts, capturing a lively atmosphere that’s easy to jump into without studying playbooks or advanced mechanics. If a family-oriented version of NBA Jam was made, it would look a lot like this. Continue reading “NBA Bounce review/interview (PS5)”
Once Upon a KATAMARI review (PS5)
The moment the Prince of the Cosmos rolls out in Once Upon a KATAMARI, players are swept into the kind of absurd misadventures that gave the Katamari franchise its cult status. The narrative premise – where the ever-flamboyant King of All Cosmos accidentally wipes out the Earth, Moon and stars, and the Prince must travel through eras to rebuild the sky – is delivered in the familiar tongue-in-cheek, surreal tone the series thrives on. The journey through prehistoric landscapes, ancient Japan, and other whimsical periods gives the game a playful energy. There’s little dramatic weight behind the story, yet its eccentricity remains essential to the series’ identity and returns in full force here. Continue reading “Once Upon a KATAMARI review (PS5)”
Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake review (PS5)
From the moment the opening world map unfurls, it is evident that ARTDINK and Square Enix have crafted a labour of love rather than a mere nostalgia grab with their Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake. The twin sagas of the Erdrick lineage are offered as a single package, and the first title introduces a lone hero set upon a mythic quest, while the second expands into a party-based journey of cousins and legacy. That dual structure remains intact, with new narrative threads woven in to brighten familiar beats and better contextualise the era of the games, yet the fundamental simplicity of the tales persists – hero versus evil, travel through dungeons, reclaim the land. The remake honours the original tone while making the past accessible for modern sensibilities at the same time, marking another great revival by Square Enix. Continue reading “Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake review (PS5)”
Wreckreation review (PS5)
Three Fields Entertainment’s latest arcade-racer sandbox, Wreckreation, published by THQ Nordic, sets out to blend high-octane driving, spectacular crashes and a robust track-builder into one open-world experience. Players are dropped into a roughly 400 km² “MixWorld” environment, able to race, destroy and construct courses solo or with friends. On its own terms this premise feels both ambitious and nostalgic. Continue reading “Wreckreation review (PS5)”
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