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Press release:
Carlisle, United Kingdom – October 14, 2015 – Independent game developer Steven McCarthy is excited to unveil a Kickstarter campaign to fund an authentic NES-era soundtrack for his negative-space shmup title currently in development, Ghost Police. Conceptualized as a fusion of the NES and Game Boy, the development of the game is nearly complete and will be finished regardless of the Kickstarter campaign – but rather than use licensed music, McCarthy hopes to enhance Ghost Police with music by Jake “virt” Kaufman using the N163 sound chip, a rare sound expansion chip that Namco used in early NES games, which is different from the one used in Shovel Knight in its own amazing ways.

Jake has scored the Kickstarter trailer above using this sound chip and a playable demo is available on the Ghost Police Kickstarter page, where backers can fund virt’s next 8-bit musical masterpiece:

The base funding level of an equivalent $16,000 USD will include $10,000 (62.5%) budgeted solely for music, with the remainder going to Kickstarter fees, campaign management, and compensation for the additional art assets that will be generated as part of the reward tiers that are available. A copy of the Ghost Police for PC is available for the equivalent of $7.80 USD – with the soundtrack, beta access, and backers’ pixelated likenesses featured in the game at higher support levels.

“Shoot-em-ups, and rail shooters by extension, are some of the most honest games on the market,” notes developer Steven McCarthy. “Mars Matrix, R-Type, Gradius, G-Darius, DoDonPachi – there’s no season pass, there’s no ‘press F to pay respects’ – there’s just a scrolling screen, intelligently-designed waves of enemies, and some incredibly varied, amazing gameplay mechanics! Shoot-em-ups are underrated, and I’m terrible at every last one of them. So I’m getting my own back by making a shooter with cutscenes and a timer for your health. You’re welcome, shmup fans.”

McCarthy has also revealed four potential stretch goals, which include new modes, ports, an expanded soundtrack, and a potential remix album by Jake and his friends at Scarlet Moon Artists.

“Many people don’t know this, but I actually got my start in videogames working on the Game Boy,” comments composer Jake “virt” Kaufman. “As Ghost Police blends styles from the NES and Game Boy, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to come full circle with the NES soundtrack for Shovel Knight by writing this with the Namco 163 sound chip, an expansion that I’m familiar with and am eager to push to its limits!”

Ghost Police is a non-shooting shooter. Pixelart fights pixelart for domination of the screen, and your weapon is the ability to destroy it and reshape it at your whim – think of it as a cosmic brush. You’ll need to simultaneously navigate two ships through two overlapping levels of obstacles and enemies, but don’t feel discouraged – power-ups are dotted across each stage to boost the size of your brush and your timer gauge, each hidden deviously under the background graphics of the stage.

From a story perspective Ghost Police takes place in New York 19XX, exploring a mysterious distortion in time and space that has invaded the city. People in New York call it the Void – it consumes everything it touches in our dimension – but it also opens the door for the undead to invade. Whatever it is, the Void spreads without stopping, tearing holes and sending waves of ghosts across the city. Join two detectives–one alive, and the other very much less so–as they uncover the secrets of the powerful and notorious Phoenix family and their role in unleashing this menace upon the world!

Key Features:
Innovative non-shooting shooter gameplay requiring strategic thinking and lightning reflexes
– A story full of intrigue and mystery as the freelance police uncover the secrets of The Void Gorgeous hand-drawn visuals that pay tribute to the NES and Game Boy platforms
– With your help, an authentic 8-bit soundtrack by Shovel Knight composer Jake Kaufman!

About Steven McCarthy
Steven McCarthy is a freelance illustrator with a university-level foundation in drawing. In the past he’s provided technical support and graphic design for companies dealing with solar panel installation, motorhome hire and clothing.

On top of these extraneous qualities Steven has a raw, self-taught edge in pixelart and old-school game design honed through years of enthusiasm and single-minded trial-and-error. Ghost Police is his in/auspicious debut as a producer and he will be creating more content and characters in the game related to the Kickstarter.

Follow Steven McCarthy on Twitter and Tumblr

About Jake Kaufman
Getting an early start in music during his early and more formative years, Jake quickly made a name for himself in the demoscene and was a pioneer of the chiptune scene. Known for his ability to create catchy melodies and work within the limitations of various videogame platforms, some of his earliest work in games can be heard on the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance.

Since that time, Jake has worked in-house with several development studios as well as in a freelance capacity, contributing to titles as varied as Red Faction Guerilla and Saint’s Row 2 to
Contra 4 and Shovel Knight.

He is also known for his lovable puggle, Nugget, who makes frequent appearances on Jake’s social media profiles.

Learn more: http://virt.rocks
Follow Jake Kaufman on Twitter, Facebook, and SoundCloud