Joakim “Konjak” Sandberg’s latest action platformer Iconoclasts has been available for PC, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4 since January 2018. However, with the Nintendo Switch booming and indies receiving widespread attention, exactly when can we expect to see it on the hybrid platform?

According to publisher Dangen Entertainment, Iconoclasts will be out on August 2nd… for Japan, at least. Revealed by Famitsu, the game will hit the Nintendo eShop next week in the region. When will it arrive in the United States and Europe? Hopefully, more information will be provided on that front soon.

If you haven’t played it already, Iconoclasts is certainly worth a look. The story centres on Robin, a mechanic who helps people but operates without a license. When the Agents of One Concern decide to persecute her in the name of “Mother”, Robin has to escape and team up with some unlikely allies to survive.

Why is Ivory in short supply? What’s happening to the Moon? There’s a lot going on throughout the game’s numerous locations (which collectively house over 20 bosses to fight). Stay tuned for more details on the Switch version, which adds a Boss Rush mode and a new difficulty on top of the stellar base game.

To learn more about the game’s development, GamingBolt spoke to creator Joakim Sandberg. We asked about the game’s journey from Ivory Springs to its current form and the challenges faced along the way.

"Some days I would wonder if I was spending too much time off from making “gameplay” when I had spent hours on a cutscene, for example."

Iconoclasts has been hailed as one of the best game releases of the year so far by fans and critics alike, and some also call it your best effort so far. As a solo developer, did you have a different approach in the creation of this game and did you expect it to be as successful as it is?

My approach was simply an attempt to do a large action-adventure (took a lot longer than intended), and I managed that, which is fun. Success would simply be not starving or being mired in debt as a result, which I also avoided!

Ivory Springs was initially what Iconoclasts was set to be. What changed during development that made you decide that Iconoclasts had more to offer than what was already seen in Ivory Springs?

I don’t specifically recall what made me decide to return to it. I think I was falling out of love with a problematic game engine I had before that and must’ve replayed the Ivory Springs demo and thought “there is probably something to this, and if I will ever make a huge game alone, I should do it now”.

Were there any challenges faced, and what was the experience like in trying to bring the game over to the PS4 and the PS Vita?

In all of dev, motivation was always a challenge, with hiatuses here and there. Some days I would wonder if I was spending too much time off from making “gameplay” when I had spent hours on a cutscene, for example. After the game took several years, the worry that it may not be worth it also creeps up. Porting hasn’t been a challenge because MP2 Games made it so seamless.

Given the success and popularity of the game, are there plans to bring the game over to other platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One?

That would be great!

"Animation is massively key in how it feels to move a character. Just consider how it “feels” when you play a game as one character, then suddenly the controls are handed to a much shorter one."

What were some of the inspirations you drew on to create the game’s complex science-fiction narrative?

Hmm, I don’t think I can point to a specific story. It must be an amalgamation of many things. Fantasy or sci-fi, doesn’t matter. The much more important core was telling a story about characters reaction to a world designed around themes. A fantastical world is very useful for a game setting, too.

The game places great emphasis on its story which a little unusual for games in the Metroidvania genre. How do you approach the process of writing when making a game?

Being a solo developer on this, I never had a script. I had notes on moments and set-pieces I knew were necessary, and then let my established characters drive how and why the game reached those points, and what would be said. It somehow worked out. I had a goal, but nothing exact. If you know your characters, they should be able to act out the story for you.

Iconoclasts offers some noticeably wonderful animations which helps add a real sense of flow to movement in the game. Has such detailed animation always been a priority for you when making games?

Animation is massively key in how it feels to move a character. Just consider how it “feels” when you play a game as one character, then suddenly the controls are handed to a much shorter one. You feel a difference, despite it just being visual. A very smooth animation and a very harsh and quick animation are both things necessary for a game. They give different energies.

"Don’t quit any job before you have something working or lose friendships or contacts. None of these are game design tips, but they’ll be of great help for your health."

One of the great things about this game is its mix of great puzzles with some truly memorable boss battles, with no in-between fights feeling like filler content. Are there any games in particular that influenced this design philosophy?

Monster World IV is very similar in structure. Within dungeons, almost every room has something like a light puzzle, and there are several boss battles. There isn’t a deep crafting system, instead there’s a focus on being dynamic with the few abilities you have. So that game is very comparable to Iconoclasts.

What can we expect to see next from you as a game developer? Is there something you already have planned?

Ideas are the easy part for me. I know what I want to try. Much smaller things. I feel I finally learned how to “scale back” and not go crazy with the scope again.

As a solo developer, you’ve worked number of different games over the years. Are there any words of wisdom you would like to pass on to aspiring game developers?

Always that you should not sacrifice anything starting out, so you can remain as happy as possible. I made some of those mistakes, but at least financially I always had the ability to survive and accrued no debt even after 7 years. Don’t quit any job before you have something working or lose friendships or contacts. None of these are game design tips, but they’ll be of great help for your health.

Is there a specific reason why the game was not launched on the Xbox One?

Focus on the couple we chose, just to get it out there. We (me and distribution publisher) were all kind of green behind the ears, and making updates and changes to several platforms was enough work.

"PS4 Pro is a much bigger benefit to 3D games or 2D games with a 3D codebase or shaders. Iconoclasts is always going to look the same, so this wasn’t anything me and the porting guy discussed at lengths."

The Nintendo Switch version is lacking too. Why is that?

That’s just the same answer as the Xbox One.

What resolution and frame will the PS4 and PS4 Pro versions run at?

The game is pixel art, so it only really scales one way, but it should look nice and sharp.

In a recent interview, Mark Cerny, the lead engineer of the PlayStation 4 Pro claimed that converting a base PS4 game to PS4 Pro version is just 0.2 Or 0.3% of the overall effort. What is your take on this? Do you think that the extra work required to develop an additional Pro version is actually bigger than the number quoted?

This really isn’t the game to ask about this stuff, it’s a very simple game with very few shaders. PS4 Pro is a much bigger benefit to 3D games or 2D games with a 3D codebase or shaders. Iconoclasts is always going to look the same, so this wasn’t anything me and the porting guy discussed at lengths.

Is there anything else you want to tell us before we let you go?

I hope you enjoy the game with its many mixtures of gameplay concepts, I suppose that’s all!

After seven long years in development, Joakim Sandberg’s Iconoclasts is finally ready to release next week. The platforming action adventure title features a mechanic named Robin who gets involved in some pretty heavy circumstances (One Concern agents, Penance, you know the drill).

A new trailer for the game has emerged which highlights some of the features that players can expect. Check it out below. Robin has quite the move set with her wrench capable of traversing platforms and attacking enemies. It can even be used as a zipline across certain sections.

Iconoclasts will feature a fairly hefty campaign with over 20 bosses to battle and three difficulties to play through. Considering Sandberg’s work on Noitu Love 2 Devolution, we expect Iconoclasts to live up to the “emotional rollercoaster” hype line. It releases on January 23^rd for PS4 and PC. Head over to Steam to learn more about it including the (modest) system requirements.

Not many people are aware of Joakim Sandberg, the extremely talented indie developer who brought us Noitu Love 2: Devolution in 2012, but he’s been busy with his next magnum opus. It now seems that his work has come to fruition as Iconoclasts has been announced to release on January 23rd 2018 for Steam.

Iconoclasts starts a mechanic named Robin who wants to help the world but doesn’t have a license. With the world falling apart, Penance raining from the skies and other forces of conflict after her, Robin has her hands quite full. The game will sport 10 “dense” locations, over 20 bosses, three difficulties with the ability to tweak other settings and plenty of action and puzzles.

Check out the release date trailer to see just how cool the gameplay looks. The system requirements are also quite light with a dual core CPU at 2 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, 512 MB of VRAM and 500 MB of hard drive space required to play it.