Pixel Ripped 1995 is a nostalgic virtual reality journey through one of the most beloved eras of videogames, and it has received high praise from both fans and critics for its homages to the classics. Now, the Ultimate Challenge Update aims to recognize and celebrate the myriad of different kinds of gamers out there. To achieve that, this free update introduces a brand new set of features, challenges and rewards that will greatly improve the replayability value of the base game, as well as make all of the 6 levels more diversified and adaptable to many different styles of play.
Whether your goal is to explore each secret corner of the map, defeat the toughest enemies or become the fastest player to beat the game, there will be an Ultimate Challenge waiting for you!
UPDATE TRAILER
"Pixel Ripped 1995 is a tribute to the gamers themselves, ones who grew up protecting fascinating digital worlds, who became friends with the most charming low-resolution characters and who poured their hearts and souls into beating the hardest of challenges." - Bárbara Framil (Narrative Designer, ARVORE)
Those who enjoy exploration and want to uncover more of the Pixel Ripped's secrets might appreciate the new Golden Cartridges that have been scattered throughout the game. Finding the sneaky cartridges hidden both inside and outside of the in-game levels will require ability, attention and creativity, but determined players will earn unique rewards.
A new difficulty system introduces the optional Hardcore Mode, which completely refreshes the experience of playing all levels with tougher obstacles, stronger enemies and different gameplay mechanics that reward strategy and skill. Players craving the difficulty of their favorite retro games will remember the good old days of powering through a fair share of “game over” screens and savoring each new hard-won checkpoint.
New features for speed-runners will open up a variety of strategies to get through the levels in record time. Ranging from an ability that helps Dot run faster to secret shortcuts hidden in the map, the new options aim to encourage resourcefulness and exploration for a more exciting speed-run experience. Other useful additions include an in-game timer for each level, the ability to skip cut-scenes after finishing the game for the first time and a record of the player’s best times on the menu.
The update also gives a new spin to a familiar element — Dot’s Pixels. The multi colored cubes collected through each level used to be tied exclusively to Dot’s health system, but now they’ll step up to a much more interesting and versatile role in the gameplay. By sacrificing some of their pixels, players will unlock the Ripped Boost!, a new ability that wipes all enemies from the screen, while making Dot stronger and faster for a short period. A high number of pixels will also be a requirement to open the mysterious Pixel Doors, that reveal entirely new segments of levels, with fresh challenges and secrets.
Tying the new features together, the Score System will consider multiple factors (enemies beaten, pixels collected, difficulty mode and time) to let players evaluate their own performance in each level. As players master Dot’s new abilities and find the strategies better suited for their gameplay style, they’ll be able to track their improvement by beating their past high scores recorded on the menu.
Players who manage to rise up to the Ultimate Challenge will find exclusive rewards waiting for them. By collecting Golden Cartridges and beating the game on the Hardcore Mode, players can unlock 8 brand new Outfits to customize Dot’s armor to their liking. There’s also a rumor that finding all Golden Cartridges lets Dot uncover the secrets of the Pixel Stone Temple in a mysterious Extended Ending.
And to celebrate each and every player who helps turn “Pixel Ripped 1995” into a bigger and better game, two new pieces of content will be available to everyone from the get-go. A fully original interactive comic book added to David’s room will tell the tale of one of Dot’s many adventures, sharing a glimpse into her life outside of the games. An extra After Credits Scene will give players a few more moments alongside Dot and her friends — and might even offer a few hints towards the future of the series.
With Pixel Ripped 1995 we at ARVORE want to transport players back to a moment in their lives that they may have almost forgotten — but that they certainly cherish — when they were playing with their 16 and 32 bit systems, challenging their friends at the arcade, or checking out the latest release at the local rental shop. Through VR, we can relive these nostalgic experiences, and remind ourselves where we come from as video game lovers. The game also resonates with the younger generations of gamers, who can discover how life as a gamer in the 90s was in some ways different, and in other ways exactly the same as today, because who didn’t want at least one more try when their parents asked them to shut down the console and go to bed?
DEVELOPMENT NOTES
Ever since the first days working on the project, there has been a very special connection between the development team and the Pixel Ripped community, so much so that the future of the series was decided by the fans themselves. Players who completed the first game encountered a time machine that allowed them to choose their favorite year, and the developers used that to decide the setting for the next game: 1995.
At ARVORE, the development of Pixel Ripped 1995 was led by the mastermind behind the series, Creative Director Ana Ribeiro — who not only has creative superpowers, but also personifies Dot, the game's hero. Ana and her team were fully committed to yet another labor of love, built from the ground up for Virtual Reality. Players of all major VR platforms will live a magical experience that will amaze them with the innovative use of classic mechanics, gaming references, hilarious dialogue, easter eggs and of course, the challenging gameplay of 90s classics.
“Thanks to the success of the first game, we were able to dedicate more resources and use more experience to create a game that is an even crazier nostalgic adventure. The setting of 1995 gives us a lot of great classics to reference and a whole new world to explore,” says Ricardo Justus, CEO and Co-Founder of ARVORE.
The Inception of the Series: Pixel Ripped 1989
Launched in July 2018, and with over 17 award wins and nominations, Pixel Ripped 1989 is a wacky multi-dimensional homage to the early days of gaming. The player embarks on a journey into the screen of a classic video game and beyond. Set in the era of portable 8-bit consoles, this game-within-a-game follows the adventures of Dot, an in-game character who sees her world torn apart by the Cyblin Lord, a villain able to break through the video game screen and invade the real world.
In the game, the player inhabits Nicola, a second-grade student who must help Dot save both realities from this menace by facing challenges in the retro-gaming 2D world, all while distracting the cranky teacher and escaping from the furious headmaster in her own 3D world.
The game has received funding from Oculus and multiple international awards and nominations:
About ANA RIBEIRO
Ana Ribeiro is a pioneering Brazilian virtual reality game developer. Born and raised in northeastern Brazil, she gained local and worldwide recognition for her creativity and exploration of VR Games, earning her multiple awards and even carrying the 2016 Olympic torch with a VR headset on her head. She has a Master’s in Game Design at NFTS UK, Degrees in Games Programming & Psychology.
About ARVORE
ARVORE is an award-winning Brazilian studio based in São Paulo and Los Angeles that creates and develops profound interactive narrative experiences using the latest immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality. With a multidisciplinary team of innovators and trailblazers, and a lab tasked with expanding the possibilities of these platforms, ARVORE connects different technologies, senses and media to push the envelope of storytelling to new levels. ARVORE’s products reach global audiences through digital distribution and local audiences in Latin America through Voyager, a leading chain of VR theme parks owned and operated by the studio.
FEATURES
- Hardcore Mode: Test your skills across all six levels in a new difficulty mode with tougher enemies and challenges!
- Golden Cartridges: Find hidden collectables spread across all levels to unlock super-secret content! Rumor has it that something special might happen at the end of the game...
- New Ripped Boost ability: This special move makes Dot super powerful when she gathers enough pixels and allows hardcore players and speed-runners to devise new strategies for clearing each level.
- Dot outfits: Unlock new armors for Dot that give bragging rights to true Pixel Ripped fans!
- Pixel Doors: Explore alternative routes that will only open for the best players!
- Interactive comic book: A fully original Pixel Ripped story added to David's room.
- New after-credits scene for all players.
- Score System and Level Records: Brag about your best score and time on each level!
- Cut-scene Skip and built-in gameplay timer to improve the speed-running / time-trial experience.
- Several bug fixes and improvements for the overall experience.
"Pixel Ripped 1995 is a tribute to the gamers themselves, ones who grew up protecting fascinating digital worlds, who became friends with the most charming low-resolution characters and who poured their hearts and souls into beating the hardest of challenges." - Bárbara Framil (Narrative Designer, ARVORE)
Those who enjoy exploration and want to uncover more of the Pixel Ripped's secrets might appreciate the new Golden Cartridges that have been scattered throughout the game. Finding the sneaky cartridges hidden both inside and outside of the in-game levels will require ability, attention and creativity, but determined players will earn unique rewards.
A new difficulty system introduces the optional Hardcore Mode, which completely refreshes the experience of playing all levels with tougher obstacles, stronger enemies and different gameplay mechanics that reward strategy and skill. Players craving the difficulty of their favorite retro games will remember the good old days of powering through a fair share of “game over” screens and savoring each new hard-won checkpoint.
New features for speed-runners will open up a variety of strategies to get through the levels in record time. Ranging from an ability that helps Dot run faster to secret shortcuts hidden in the map, the new options aim to encourage resourcefulness and exploration for a more exciting speed-run experience. Other useful additions include an in-game timer for each level, the ability to skip cut-scenes after finishing the game for the first time and a record of the player’s best times on the menu.
The update also gives a new spin to a familiar element — Dot’s Pixels. The multi colored cubes collected through each level used to be tied exclusively to Dot’s health system, but now they’ll step up to a much more interesting and versatile role in the gameplay. By sacrificing some of their pixels, players will unlock the Ripped Boost!, a new ability that wipes all enemies from the screen, while making Dot stronger and faster for a short period. A high number of pixels will also be a requirement to open the mysterious Pixel Doors, that reveal entirely new segments of levels, with fresh challenges and secrets.
Tying the new features together, the Score System will consider multiple factors (enemies beaten, pixels collected, difficulty mode and time) to let players evaluate their own performance in each level. As players master Dot’s new abilities and find the strategies better suited for their gameplay style, they’ll be able to track their improvement by beating their past high scores recorded on the menu.
Players who manage to rise up to the Ultimate Challenge will find exclusive rewards waiting for them. By collecting Golden Cartridges and beating the game on the Hardcore Mode, players can unlock 8 brand new Outfits to customize Dot’s armor to their liking. There’s also a rumor that finding all Golden Cartridges lets Dot uncover the secrets of the Pixel Stone Temple in a mysterious Extended Ending.
And to celebrate each and every player who helps turn “Pixel Ripped 1995” into a bigger and better game, two new pieces of content will be available to everyone from the get-go. A fully original interactive comic book added to David’s room will tell the tale of one of Dot’s many adventures, sharing a glimpse into her life outside of the games. An extra After Credits Scene will give players a few more moments alongside Dot and her friends — and might even offer a few hints towards the future of the series.
With Pixel Ripped 1995 we at ARVORE want to transport players back to a moment in their lives that they may have almost forgotten — but that they certainly cherish — when they were playing with their 16 and 32 bit systems, challenging their friends at the arcade, or checking out the latest release at the local rental shop. Through VR, we can relive these nostalgic experiences, and remind ourselves where we come from as video game lovers. The game also resonates with the younger generations of gamers, who can discover how life as a gamer in the 90s was in some ways different, and in other ways exactly the same as today, because who didn’t want at least one more try when their parents asked them to shut down the console and go to bed?
Our game is a nostalgic trip back to 1995 in a Virtual Reality love letter to classic gaming. Video game hero Dot recruits the help of the best gamer of the year, an unassuming 9-year-old boy named David, to face challenges together through the world of 2D games and the very first 3D games. They will venture through homages to the best games and genres from the 1990s, like action RPGs, brawlers, platformers, space shooters, and racing games – all while dodging the indignation of miffed parents through multiple environments. With 6 fully original levels that each feel like entirely different games, Pixel Ripped 1995 is an incredible journey for both VR and retro gamers.
PRESS RECEPTION (PSVR)
"...a very well thought out VR implementation, a great control scheme and easy to understand, fun, familiar gameplay. I loved playing this quirky title, its like nothing else I have played before and I adored it." - 9/10 The Digital Fix
"One of the biggest compliments that can be given to Pixel Ripped 1995 is that any of the titles created for the specific stages are worthy of their own, standalone releases. After every completed section, it was a pleasure to revisit each title in the level select option, and always a bitter pill to swallow when realising they were about to come to an end again." - 9/10 Cubed3
"Pixel Ripped 1995 is a must-have PSVR game, especially for gamers who grew up in the '90s as it makes for one brilliant nostalgia trip." - 8/10 VideoChums
PRESS RECEPTION (PSVR)
"...a very well thought out VR implementation, a great control scheme and easy to understand, fun, familiar gameplay. I loved playing this quirky title, its like nothing else I have played before and I adored it." - 9/10 The Digital Fix
"One of the biggest compliments that can be given to Pixel Ripped 1995 is that any of the titles created for the specific stages are worthy of their own, standalone releases. After every completed section, it was a pleasure to revisit each title in the level select option, and always a bitter pill to swallow when realising they were about to come to an end again." - 9/10 Cubed3
"Pixel Ripped 1995 is a must-have PSVR game, especially for gamers who grew up in the '90s as it makes for one brilliant nostalgia trip." - 8/10 VideoChums
DEVELOPMENT NOTES
Ever since the first days working on the project, there has been a very special connection between the development team and the Pixel Ripped community, so much so that the future of the series was decided by the fans themselves. Players who completed the first game encountered a time machine that allowed them to choose their favorite year, and the developers used that to decide the setting for the next game: 1995.
At ARVORE, the development of Pixel Ripped 1995 was led by the mastermind behind the series, Creative Director Ana Ribeiro — who not only has creative superpowers, but also personifies Dot, the game's hero. Ana and her team were fully committed to yet another labor of love, built from the ground up for Virtual Reality. Players of all major VR platforms will live a magical experience that will amaze them with the innovative use of classic mechanics, gaming references, hilarious dialogue, easter eggs and of course, the challenging gameplay of 90s classics.
“Thanks to the success of the first game, we were able to dedicate more resources and use more experience to create a game that is an even crazier nostalgic adventure. The setting of 1995 gives us a lot of great classics to reference and a whole new world to explore,” says Ricardo Justus, CEO and Co-Founder of ARVORE.
The Inception of the Series: Pixel Ripped 1989
Launched in July 2018, and with over 17 award wins and nominations, Pixel Ripped 1989 is a wacky multi-dimensional homage to the early days of gaming. The player embarks on a journey into the screen of a classic video game and beyond. Set in the era of portable 8-bit consoles, this game-within-a-game follows the adventures of Dot, an in-game character who sees her world torn apart by the Cyblin Lord, a villain able to break through the video game screen and invade the real world.
In the game, the player inhabits Nicola, a second-grade student who must help Dot save both realities from this menace by facing challenges in the retro-gaming 2D world, all while distracting the cranky teacher and escaping from the furious headmaster in her own 3D world.
The game has received funding from Oculus and multiple international awards and nominations:
- New Face Award at the 22nd Edition of the Japan Media Arts Festival
- Most Innovative Game - BIG Festival 2019
- Best VR Games Showcase - SIGGRAPH 2019
- Best VR Game at GDC 2018 - Tom's Guide
- Best VR Game Selection 2018 - VR Awards
- IndieCade 2018 - Official Selection
- Most Innovative Game 2018 - Lisboa Games Week
- Most Innovative Selection 2017 - Proto Awards
- Best Original Score Selection 2017 - Proto Awards
- Best Virtual Reality Game 2015 - AMAZE Festival
- IndieCade 2015 - Official Selection
- Best Demo Pitch 2014 - Intel
- Steam Store (LINK)
- Oculus Store (RIFT LINK & QUEST LINK)
- PlayStation Store (LINK)
About ANA RIBEIRO
Ana Ribeiro is a pioneering Brazilian virtual reality game developer. Born and raised in northeastern Brazil, she gained local and worldwide recognition for her creativity and exploration of VR Games, earning her multiple awards and even carrying the 2016 Olympic torch with a VR headset on her head. She has a Master’s in Game Design at NFTS UK, Degrees in Games Programming & Psychology.
About ARVORE
ARVORE is an award-winning Brazilian studio based in São Paulo and Los Angeles that creates and develops profound interactive narrative experiences using the latest immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality. With a multidisciplinary team of innovators and trailblazers, and a lab tasked with expanding the possibilities of these platforms, ARVORE connects different technologies, senses and media to push the envelope of storytelling to new levels. ARVORE’s products reach global audiences through digital distribution and local audiences in Latin America through Voyager, a leading chain of VR theme parks owned and operated by the studio.