Super Rad Charityrun
TRU FUN Entertainment is partnering up with Can Do MS to raise money for charity. Throughout September, all sales of Super Rad Raygun on itch.io will see proceeds go towards Can Do MS. Founded in 1984, the foundation funds research for cures to Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that Super Rad Raygun’s co-creator Chris Bryant suffers from. As such, this cause is particularly close to his heart.
The inspiration for the battery system of Raygun was inspired by his struggles with the disease. While knocking around ideas for a follow-up to their XBLIG title Rad Raygun, both Bryant and Chris Hernandez (the other half of TRU FUN Entertainment) were seeing the sights of Seattle during their visit to PAX Prime 2013. Bryant’s MS would consistently take a toll on his body every 10 to 15 minutes, which required him to sit and rest to regain his strength.
During one of these breaks, the team brainstormed how they could incorporate the struggles of MS into a game mechanic. Bryant thought up of the battery system in Super Rad Raygun, which allows the main character to combine many powerful abilities at once. The more things enabled, the more energy you’ll burn through, which then requires you to wait if you expend all of your energy. It’s a nifty mechanic, but one that becomes particularly poignant from its real-life inspiration.
That was actually lost on me when I initially played the game, but my discussion with Bryant the following year at a convention gave me a greater appreciation for the work done. Super Rad Raygun isn’t perfect, but it’s damn good and well worth it for fans of 90s platformers. I’d urge everyone to grab it this month, especially since the proceeds will be going to a great cause. If you happen to already own the game, though, a separate page is available to let you directly donate to the charity.