It’s rare that popular games get developed by just one person. Usually, a whole studio is behind the major AAA titles that come out today. The bigger studios have a lot of resources and money at their disposal, but every once in a while, a great game comes from a hard-working individual.
That seems to be the case with My Friend Pedro, a shoot’em up style of game developed by DeadToast Entertainment. This quirky game was developed by one person for the most part: Victor Ågren. The game has done surprisingly well despite not having the backing that today’s modern games often have.
In fact, in the first week of being out to the public, My Friend Pedro has sold an incredible 250,000 copies. This is an amazing feat. Victor originally started working on the game as a student in college. Originally, it was a flash game for a project. Then, after the right partnerships came together, My Friend Pedro was officially released this year. The rest is history as they say.
So why exactly has this game sold so well in its short existence? Well, a lot of it has to do with its gameplay. For example, while you’re traversing through the various levels, there are plenty of enemies to take out. The combat keeps the platforming mechanics fresh, as you’re always watching your surroundings for the next looming threat.
The level variety is pretty good here. Every stage is well designed and has creative themes. You can tell right away that this game was a passion project for Victor. Even though he didn’t have a lot of money, he found time to give this game a distinct personality. It really shines through the moment you pick up the sticks.
One of the more unique aspects of the game is its time-slowing feature. Players can slow down time, which comes into play when assessing the surrounding enemies. A kicking feature was also added to this version, a much-needed improvement from the original flash game.
There are plenty of ways to kill enemies in this game as well. For instance, players can shoot bullets off pans that then angle off into an enemy. The parkour moving system is particularly fun to experience, whether you’re running or doing flips.
It’s pretty incredible to see this four year-long project have as much success as it’s having right now. It just goes to show you that hard work does pay off, even for the little guys.
