We finally have a release date for WayForward’s forthcoming brawler River City Girls 2, and it’s set to arrive just before Christmas – December 15th! But before we get that game, we thought we’d take a look back at the developer in general.
The team has been around since the 90s, working on smaller fare like Star Warped and Casper: Animated Activity Center before hitting the big time with portable versions of hit games like The Spongebob Squarepants Movie and The Scorpion King: Sword of Osiris. But then it struck even more gold with Shantae, and the next thing you know, it’s working on major franchises like Double Dragon and even Contra!
So what are the five greatest games we’ve gotten from the company? Well, that’s a mountain- sized task, especially when you consider the last few years alone. But here now are WayForward’s top five greatest games – and soon it’ll likely be six, if River City Girls 2 lives up to the hype!
Contra 4 (Nintendo DS)
Back in the mid-2000’s, the Contra series had some traction going with new PlayStation 2 games like Contra: Shattered Soldier and Neo Contra. But WayForward effectively brought back the old-school vibes with Contra 4, a Nintendo DS gem that makes the both out of its screens.
Not only that, but it looks and plays like something you’d find out of the SNES era, with creative boss designs and the kind of challenge that Contra players savor. Honestly, we’re disappointed it hasn’t gotten more love in the modern age. But if you have a Nintendo DS (or even a 3DS), this is a must-add for your library.
The Mummy Demastered
While Universal’s reboot of The Mummy (the one with Tom Cruise) left a lot to be desired, WayForward’s tie-in game was truly exceptional. Rather than simply following the movie plot, it instead struck out in its own action-filled territory, with lots of twists and turns, exciting weapons and cool battles that made it worth playing. But the visuals and sound are really something, showing a lot more love than you’d might expect from a movie-based property. This is one of the few examples where the game outperformed the movie it was based on.
DuckTales Remastered
Honestly, just let WayForward handle all the Disney properties. Seriously. DuckTales Remastered is a wonderful remake of the original NES release, featuring a majority of stars from the series, as well as Disney animation, great gameplay and lots of other surprises. Plus it’s simply a blast to play, even as you conquer the moon to Jake “Virt” Kaufman’s awesome soundtrack. The only thing that bums us out is that WayForward didn’t get a chance to do the same for the Rescue Rangers. Or, for that matter, Darkwing Duck!
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
The original Shantae ushered in a new style of side-scrolling platform adventure that had us under her spell from day one. (In fact, if you look at eBay listings, you’ll see the original game going for record prices!) But as you can see, the sequels have done exceptionally well at keeping the vibe – especially Half-Genie Hero. This magical journey is tons of fun, complete with animal transformations, lots of good laughs, refreshing 2.5-D style visuals and the kind of dancing you can easily get behind. We’re down for a new adventure whenever Shantae wants to return.
Double Dragon Neon
Double Dragon Neon doesn’t just pay loving tribute to the classic Technos franchise. Rather, it excels past it with all kinds of 80s nods, as well as a stylish soundtrack, an array of killer moves, exciting co-op and fun graphics. Not to mention that it has one of the best end bosses you can find and a few surprises. It’s available for every platform under the sun (well, not the Commodore 64), so track down a copy and enjoy!
Want to win a good game console to play all of these on? We can help with our holiday giveaway!
