The Big 10
STORIES EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
017The Big 10
STORIES EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
they could turn around a fully
bespoke theme song in a relatively
short amount of time.
“As it turns out, the timing
worked perfectly,” Parker says, later
adding, “They nailed it with their first
draft almost exactly. [...] We couldn’t
be happier with how the song has
turned out and the fantastic response
it has gotten from the public!”
When we ask Lobban about how
the band composed the song, it
comes back to ‘Picture This.’
“Young Horses suggested [it] was
in the Bugsnax ballpark, so I used
that track’s structure and
arrangement as a basis,” he explains
over email, “I programmed a beat
and wrote the music by playing along
with a keyboard while freestyling
vocal melodies over the top. The
instrumental was mostly put
together with a Roland JV-1010 (a
sound generator from 2000 whosetones ended up in lots of fifth-gen
videogames) to which I added some
synth sounds of my own.”
Due to the global health crisis,
Bonito had to buy a microphone and
set up a makeshift home studio to
record her vocal track.SOMETHING TO CHEW ON
“The key to catchiness,” Lobban tells
us, both musically sense and
conceptually, “Is to articulate
something memorable concisely.”
We think you’ll agree ‘It’s Bugsnax!’
is that to a tee. Lobban explains the
process further: “Songwriting is
about drawing ideas from your
subconscious and arranging them
well; I find that the subconscious has
a tendency to suggest obvious,
resonant phrases, which is great
since that is exactly what you want
to give people, though it takes a bit
of editing to keep them original and
functional. ‘It’s Bugsnax!’ is no
different – what you hear are our
best subconscious ideas about
half-bug-half-snack creatures
improvised and formed into a song.”
It’s fair to say the song was a
delightful surprise, and we’re going
to love exploring Snaktooth Island.Bugsnax will launch on both PS4 and
PS5 in December this year.Q On Snaktooth, you are what you eat.
We’re already planning our menu.Q rYou’ll need to fulfil requests as
well as catch ‘snax for yourself.info patches
update your brain
YES, TURRICAN
The legendary 16-bit-era metroidvania shooter
is heading to PS4 in two collections, Turrican
Anthology Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Featuring the
original Amiga trilogy, console editions, and
the unreleased Super Turrican Director’s
Cut, there’s plenty here for retro-heads. Be
warned, physical copies will be very limited.BUSHIDO’S BACK
The PS1 cult classic Bushido Blade is the
inspiration for Kickstarter indie duellist Die By
The Blade. Set in a ‘Samuraipunk’ universe the
emphasis is on parries and counters as you’re
always one hit away from defeat. As enemies
have specific fighting styles and attacks
you’re encouraged to learn and adapt.AN UNFORGETTABLE TRIP
The elevator pitch for PS5 game Lost At Sea
is ‘Firewatch-meets-The-Witness-meets-
Hello-Neighbour.’ It’s a story-heavy, first-
person exploration of life, love, and family on
what at first glance appears to be a deserted
island. There is something out there, but you’ll
have to watch this space to discover what it is.BONI-TWO
We ask the band about games
they love. Sarah Bonito says,
“PS2 was my first console
and I was obsessed with
playing Crash Bandicoot
every day after school.”017The Big 10
STORIESEVERYONE’STALKINGABOUT
they could turn around a fully
bespoke theme song in a relatively
short amount of time.
“As it turns out, the timing
worked perfectly,” Parker says, later
adding, “They nailed it with their first
draft almost exactly. [...] We couldn’t
be happier with how the song has
turned out and the fantastic response
it has gotten from the public!”
When we ask Lobban about how
the band composed the song, it
comes back to ‘Picture This.’
“Young Horses suggested [it] was
in the Bugsnax ballpark, so I used
that track’s structure and
arrangement as a basis,” he explains
over email, “I programmed a beat
and wrote the music by playing along
with a keyboard while freestyling
vocal melodies over the top. The
instrumental was mostly put
together with a Roland JV-1010 (a
sound generator from 2000 whose
tonesendedupin lotsoffifth-gen
videogames)towhichI addedsome
synthsoundsofmyown.”
Duetotheglobalhealthcrisis,
Bonitohadtobuya microphoneand
setupa makeshifthomestudioto
recordhervocaltrack.SOMETHINGTOCHEWON
“Thekeytocatchiness,”Lobbantells
us,bothmusicallysenseand
conceptually,“Istoarticulate
somethingmemorableconcisely.”
Wethinkyou’llagree‘It’sBugsnax!’
is thattoa tee.Lobbanexplainsthe
processfurther:“Songwritingis
aboutdrawingideasfromyour
subconsciousandarrangingthem
well;I findthatthesubconscioushas
a tendencytosuggestobvious,
resonantphrases,whichis great
sincethatis exactlywhatyouwant
togivepeople,thoughit takesa bit
ofeditingtokeepthemoriginaland
functional.‘It’sBugsnax!’is no
different– whatyouhearareour
bestsubconsciousideasabout
half-bug-half-snackcreatures
improvisedandformedintoa song.”
It’sfairtosaythesongwasa
delightfulsurprise,andwe’regoing
toloveexploringSnaktoothIsland.BugsnaxwilllaunchonbothPS4and
PS5in Decemberthisyear.QOnSnaktooth,youarewhatyoueat.
We’realreadyplanningourmenu.QrYou’llneedtofulfilrequestsas
wellascatch‘snaxforyourself.info patches
updateyourbrain
YES,TURRICAN
Thelegendary16-bit-erametroidvaniashooter
is headingtoPS4in twocollections,Turrican
AnthologyVol.1 andVol.2.Featuringthe
originalAmigatrilogy,consoleeditions,and
theunreleasedSuperTurricanDirector’s
Cut,there’splentyhereforretro-heads.Be
warned,physicalcopieswillbeverylimited.BUSHIDO’SBACK
ThePS1cultclassicBushidoBladeis the
inspirationforKickstarterindieduellistDieBy
TheBlade.Setin a ‘Samuraipunk’universethe
emphasisis onparriesandcountersasyou’re
alwaysonehitawayfromdefeat.Asenemies
havespecificfightingstylesandattacks
you’reencouragedtolearnandadapt.AN UNFORGETTABLE TRIP
The elevator pitch for PS5 game Lost At Sea
is ‘Firewatch-meets-The-Witness-meets-
Hello-Neighbour.’ It’s a story-heavy, first-
person exploration of life, love, and family on
what at first glance appears to be a deserted
island. There is something out there, but you’ll
have to watch this space to discover what it is.BONI-TWO
We ask the band about games
they love. Sarah Bonito says,
“PS2 was my first console
and I was obsessed with
playing Crash Bandicoot
every day after school.”