WayForward Technologies, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games
FoundedMarch 1990; 32 years ago (1990-03)
FounderVoldi Way
Headquarters,
U.S.
Key people
Voldi Way (CEO)[1][2]
Matt Bozon
Products
Websitewayforward.com

WayForward Technologies, Inc. is an American independent video game developer and publisher based in Valencia, California. Founded in March 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super NES and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational software. In 1997, they relaunched their video games arm, placing the company as a contractor for publishers and working on a variety of licensed assets.

The company has created a variety of original game properties such as their flagship Shantae series, including the first title in the series which appeared on the Game Boy Color and was published by Capcom. WayForward Technologies has worked on games for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita handheld consoles, WiiWare games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U, Nintendo Switch consoles and games for personal computer and mobile phones.

History

WayForward Technologies was founded in 1990 by Voldi Way as an independent video game design company, following on from a previous company he started that specialized in software for sheet metal fabrication.[3] Early on, the company focused on producing software for the Super NES, Genesis, Game Gear and Game Boy Color. They branched out into educational games for the personal computer and Leapster.[3] During this time, many of the staff were doing other jobs in order to support their ambition to become game developers.[4]

In 1994, WayForward Technologies entered into a partnership with American Education Publishing in order to focus on developing further educational video games.[5] The partnership was successful, with the company winning awards for innovation at the 1995 Consumer Electronics Show. During this time, WayForward focused on licensed assets such as the Muppets for their educational games.[4]

WayForward restarted their video game development business in April 1997, working as a "developer for hire" by providing services to software publishers.[3] John Beck, CEO, stated that by providing services on small projects the company has managed to remain a stable level of work. In mid-2002, WayForward released their first internally developed game based on their own intellectual property Shantae. While it achieved critical acclaim, it was one of the last games to be released for the Game Boy Color and as a result only enjoyed limited success.[3]

When Nintendo announced the dual-screen handheld console that became the Nintendo DS in early 2004, WayForward began examining the various options the new console offered. Work started on a sequel to Shantae using the two screens. Despite presenting the concepts to a number of publishers, they were ultimately unsuccessful at securing a deal.[4] Because of the large number of Shantae related assets that were produced, including 3D models, WayForward frequently uses them when trying out new technology or development platforms.[3] In 2004, the company was contracted by THQ to produce a chat game called Ping Pals for the Nintendo DS. Despite the tight timescales involved in developing the game, WayForward used the opportunity to obtain development kits for the platform.[4] The game was received unfavourably by the majority of critics and gained only a single positive review.[6] In 2006, the company produced and released Justice League Heroes: The Flash just as the Game Boy Advance was reaching the end of its commercial life cycle, which met with largely positive reviews.[7] WayForward has gone on to develop further titles for the Nintendo DS. Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck, based on the 1951 Warner Bros. cartoon Duck Amuck[8] received mixed reviews upon release.[9]

On February 19, 2008, John Beck and Matt Bozon were speakers at the Independent Games Summit, part of the 2008 Game Developers Conference, discussing a range of issues facing independent games companies.[10] Lit was announced on March 5, 2008, and was released on February 9, 2009, for the WiiWare online shop platform.[11] A new game in the Shantae series was considered for the platform.[12]

WayForward introduced a new character named Alta, who is a pink-haired girl that wields a scepter. She represented a new intellectual property. This was revealed on March 9, 2009, to be a DSiWare game called Mighty Flip Champs!. WayForward created Mighty Milky Way, another puzzle platformer with a new character named Luna. Its sequel, Mighty Switch Force!, was released on the 3DS eShop on December 22, 2011, with a sequel two years later called Mighty Switch Force! 2 on the Nintendo 3DS' eShop.[citation needed]

Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! was released on November 20, 2012. A sequel, Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know!, as well as Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land, were released in 2013.[13] A sequel to Mighty Switch Force! was released on June 13, 2013.[14] A new Shantae game was revealed via Nintendo Power,[15] Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, which was released on October 23, 2014, on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop. Another game in the series, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, was crowdfunded via Kickstarter and released in December 2016.[16] On April Fool's Day 2013, Wayforward made a fake announcement for a game called Cat Girl Without Salad! Fans responded positively to the game's concept, leading WayForward to later develop it into a full title, which was released via a Humble Bundle in June 2016.[17][18][19]

Games

Year Title Platforms
1992[20] FunPack[citation needed] PC
1994 Mickey's Ultimate Challenge[citation needed] Sega Genesis, Super NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Master System
1997 Star Warped[citation needed] PC
1998 FunPack 3D[citation needed]
Casper: Animated Activity Center[21]
Microshaft Winblows 98[citation needed]
Outburst[citation needed]
1999 The Land Before Time: Preschool Adventure[citation needed]
Life's Little Lessons with The Berenstain Bears: How to Get Along with Your Fellow Bear[citation needed]
Xtreme Sports Arcade: Summer Edition[citation needed]
2000 Xtreme Sports[citation needed] Game Boy Color
Bear in the Big Blue House: Bear's Sense of Adventure[citation needed] Windows
Delirium[citation needed]
Sabrina: The Animated Series: Zapped![citation needed] Game Boy Color
2001 Sabrina: The Animated Series: Spooked![citation needed]
Pearl Harbor: Defend the Fleet[citation needed] Windows
Wendy: Every Witch Way[citation needed] Game Boy Color
WWF Betrayal[citation needed]
2002 Shantae[citation needed]
The Scorpion King: Sword of Osiris[citation needed] Game Boy Advance
Godzilla: Domination[citation needed]
2003 Rescue Heroes: Billy Blazes[citation needed]
Nickelodeon Toon Twister 3D[citation needed] Windows
2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie[citation needed] Game Boy Advance
Ping Pals[citation needed] Nintendo DS
2005 Sigma Star Saga[citation needed] Game Boy Advance
SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants![citation needed]
Tak: The Great Juju Challenge[citation needed]
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus[citation needed]
2006 X-Men: The Official Game[citation needed]
Unfabulous![citation needed]
Justice League Heroes: The Flash[citation needed]
American Dragon: Jake Long – Attack of the Dark Dragon[citation needed] Nintendo DS
American Dragon: Jake Long – Rise of the Huntsclan[citation needed] Game Boy Advance
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab[citation needed] Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses[citation needed]
2007 Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck[citation needed] Nintendo DS
Shrek: Ogres & Dronkeys[citation needed]
Contra 4[citation needed]
2008 Space Chimps[citation needed]
2009 LIT[citation needed] WiiWare, iOS, Android, Windows
Mighty Flip Champs![citation needed] DSiWare
A Boy and His Blob[citation needed] Wii, Nintendo Switch
Where the Wild Things Are[citation needed] Nintendo DS
Barbie and the Three Musketeers[citation needed] Nintendo DS, Wii, Windows
2010 Galactic Taz Ball[citation needed] Nintendo DS
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem[citation needed]
Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame[citation needed] Nintendo DS, Wii
Shantae: Risky's Revenge[citation needed] DSiWare, iOS
2011 SpongeBob SquigglePants[citation needed] Nintendo 3DS, Wii
Centipede: Infestation[citation needed]
Thor: God of Thunder[22] Nintendo DS
Mighty Milky Way[23] DSiWare
Mighty Flip Champs! DX[citation needed] PlayStation Minis
BloodRayne: Betrayal[24] Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows
Aliens: Infestation[25] Nintendo DS
Mighty Switch Force![26] Nintendo 3DS
Happy Feet Two: The Video Game[citation needed] Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS
2012 Hotel Transylvania[citation needed]
Double Dragon Neon[citation needed] Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Silent Hill: Book of Memories[27] PlayStation Vita
Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?![28] Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS
Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition[citation needed] Wii U, Windows
2013 The Smurfs 2: The Video Game[citation needed] PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360
DuckTales: Remastered[29] Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land[citation needed] Nintendo 3DS
Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know![30] Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Nintendo 3DS
Mighty Switch Force! 2[citation needed] Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
2014 Drawn to Life[citation needed] iOS
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark[31] Nintendo 3DS
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse[32] Wii U, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS, Windows, Amazon Fire TV, Nintendo Switch
Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom[16] PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, Windows
Wonder Momo: Typhoon Booster[citation needed] Nvidia Shield, Mac OS
Scooby Doo! & Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe: Adventure[citation needed] Windows, Nintendo 3DS
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut[citation needed] Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze[citation needed] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS
2015 Mighty Switch Force! Hose It Down![citation needed] iOS, Windows
Watch Quest! Heroes of Time[citation needed] Apple Watch
Til Morning's Light[citation needed] iOS, Fire OS
Adventure Time: Puzzle Quest[citation needed] iOS, Android
Mighty Switch Force! Academy[citation needed] Windows
Goosebumps: The Game[citation needed] PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS, Windows,[33] Nintendo Switch[citation needed]
Marvel Puzzle Quest[citation needed] PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Descendants[citation needed] iOS, Android
2016 Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche[citation needed] Windows, Nintendo Switch
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero[16] Wii U, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
2017 Mystik Belle[34] PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The Mummy Demastered[citation needed] PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
2019 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night[35] (with Artplay and 505 Games)
Spidersaurs[36] iOS (formerly), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Mighty Switch Force! Collection[37] PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Miraculous Crush: A Ladybug & Cat Noir Match 3[citation needed] iOS, Android
Shantae and the Seven Sirens[38][39] iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
River City Girls[40] (with Arc System Works) PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
2020 Vitamin Connection[41] (with Nintendo) Nintendo Switch
Marble Knights[citation needed] (with Apple Inc.) iOS
Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia[42] PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia[citation needed] (with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Nintendo) Nintendo Switch
2021 BloodRayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites[citation needed] PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows, Nintendo Switch
2022 River City Girls Zero[43] PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Dawn of the Monsters[44] PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Lunark[45]
River City Girls 2[46] (with Arc System Works)
RWBY: Arrowfell[47] (with Arc System Works)
2023[48][49] Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp[50] Nintendo Switch

References

  1. ^ "Interview: WayForward's Voldi Way talks blobs, Shantae, and street cred".
  2. ^ "WayForward and Arc System Works Announce Female Follow-Up to River City Ransom". Game Informer.
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  6. ^ Geoffery Winter. "Ping Pals". Nintendojo. Archived from the original on November 14, 2006. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  7. ^ "Justice League Heroes: The Flash". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  8. ^ Guy Cocker (July 13, 2007). "E3 '07: Duck Amuck Impressions". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  9. ^ "Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  10. ^ "Games Developers Conference – Independent Games Summit". CMP Media. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  11. ^ Damien McFerran (March 6, 2008). "WayForward Developing Exclusive Horror Puzzle Title for WiiWare". WiiWare World. Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
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  36. ^ "WayForward у Твіттері: «Apple Arcade is coming, and with it... Spidersaurs! Experience over-the-top, explosive action from the team that brought you Contra 4! Spidersaurs will be available to play exclusively on Apple Arcade later this year. Learn more about Apple Arcade at https://T.co/K4xFn0G5ZY… https://T.co/UAXt6bTOOR»". Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019. ((cite web)): External link in |title= (help)
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  40. ^ "Archived copy". Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  41. ^ "WayForward Announces Vitamin Connection for Switch".
  42. ^ "WayForward-Developed DreamWorks Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Hits Nintendo Switch This September". May 12, 2020.
  43. ^ @WayForward (December 30, 2022). "As 2022 draws to a close, we're looking back at some of our gaming milestones for the year! First was the Valentine's Day release of…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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