Fireball Island was the elusive game for me and my childhood. I asked for it for Christmas a number of years in a row, and I never received it. After looking at it as an adult, I understand why my parents decided to forgo purchasing it. Flash forward 30 years, the game is making a comeback. It has been reworked and modernized by Restoration Games. The updated game play gives the players more control and decisions, but still has a bit of the chaos that existed in the original. It looks like a whole lot of fun and it's a game I'm looking forward to playing with my children.
Restoration Games tasked me with creating the Kickstarter campaign video. It was a large undertaking, not just on the technical side, but also to give it justice. There is a lot of nostalgia built up over the years with a game like this and I wanted to do it justice. I was given the island model, but I textured, lit, and animated all of it. There is a lot of physics going on in these renders, which added a new layer of challenges for me. In the end I'm really happy with how it turned out and I hear it's also going over really well on the Kickstarter, which makes me happy.
As of this writing there is still time to back the game! It's nearing $1 million and there are lot of unlocked stretch goals for all.
Restoration Games says this about the game:
"Welcome to Fireball Island! You may have heard stories. You may have visited when you were younger. Perhaps you even saw a fireball engulf a fellow traveler in a hellscape of horror that makes you afraid to close your eyes at night. Whatever the case, welcome back! Turns out that Vul-Kar didn't like having his gem stolen way back when, so there has been some volcanic upheaval, an explosion in our snake population, feral tigers, new types of trees bent on ending human life, and swarms of bees everywhere. But don't worry — we have top people working on it.
Start your day of adventure at the helipad. Be sure to sign the waiver, which legally obligates you to take snapshots across the island. You'll race down the many paths, avoiding hazards all the while. On the plus side, you get to keep all the treasure you find.
Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar is a restoration of the classic 1986 game Fireball Island that features a unique 3D island and a host of marble mayhem. This new version boasts an island that is even bigger than the original (and yet fits in a smaller box) and more marbles. It is a family-weight game for 2-4 players (5 with an expansion) that plays in 30-45 minutes. Simple card play replaces the random roll-and-move of the original, and the set collection for the treasures offers some interesting choices for players.
Remember, you don't have to outrun the fireball — just the other players."
