The document discusses existing games that provide inspiration for the game pitch. It analyzes screenshots from Undertale, Earthbound, Ace Attorney, and Backbone. These games share similarities like pixel art styles, a focus on story and writing, character portraits, and menu-based dialog. The document notes these games inspire the layout, content, and writing approach. It aims to emulate their pixel art quality and bring out strong writing like the referenced games.

1. Research
Fred Clayton

2. Existing Product
This is a screenshot for the somewhat recent game
Undertale. This could be compared to my game
pitch quite easily my main comparison would be the
two’s art styles because I plan on the game being
monochromatic, just like this image my game would
implement few colours.
The games would share a comedic tone in different
ways.
The UI’s would also be similar with a character’s
portrait taking up most of the screen with menus
and dialog taking much of the remaining space.
The sound is used for music and sound effects I
want to use music too but something far more
subtle, I also want to use effects to convey dialog.
The audience appeal is oddly wide for such an odd
game; I would say that the main draw is the writing,
which I hope is the case for my game too.

3. Existing Product
This is a screenshot of Earthbound, a
game that’s older than me but its
recent in a universal sense.
I chose this game for two very
specific reasons; The last game is a
spiritual successor to Earthbound so
many of my reasons for choosing for
that apply here. The other reason is
the psychedelic backgrounds and
environments found throughout the
game as I real they would fit with the
supernatural setting of the
conversations of my game, as such I
want to emulate these.

4. Existing Product
This is a screenshot of Ace Attorney a
“recent” game. I mainly chose this
screenshot as it inspired not only the
layout of my game but also its contents.
Both games feature portraits for its
respective characters which are very
slightly animated (mouth movements,
blinking, etc.)
Seeing as both games are based around
the protagonist taking on a “case” and
talking their way through the twists of
each story; I feel the comparison is just.

5. Existing Product
I took my writing from quite a few
places, but Backbone was a big part
of my process; this is because both
involve detectives of a kind,
interviewing people in a witty, light-
hearted way.

6. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched
products have?
– All these games have a pixel art aesthetic with various
levels of detail in their art.
– All these games rely on their story and writing to
varying degrees.
• What aspects of the research will you include
within your on work?
– The writing of these games, I hope to bring out in my
out work.
– I hope that my pixel art will stand up to the standard
set by these projects.

7. Bibliography

8. Bibliography
1. Capcom. (2001) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.
2. EggNut. (2019) Backbone.
3. Ape Inc. (1994/1995) Earthbound.
4. Toby Fox. (2015) Undertale.