Goats Go To War: Kickstarter Project Aims To Keep A Programmer Housed And Fed

It’s hard out there for a goat. You’re relegated to the background in many RPG games, chewing morosely while adventurers and soldiers light out for the darkened corners of the World, fighting dragons, the hellborn, and coprophagic demons. But now the goats are taking on the world’s vilest enemy – the Nazis – and they mean business.

GOATS vs NAZIS is an indie NES game by Jim Welch that should take about a year to finish. Welch is asking for $14,000 to help feed and clothe him while he works on the game (where the heck does he live?) and he’s offering the game for free once he’s done.

The game is a top-down shooter with seven levels and a password progress system. You can eat enemy weapons to shoot them back at them and it includes some delightful chiptune songs including the boss theme. The minimum pledge is $10 and that gets you the game ten days early along with a link to the soundtrack.

I think this is interesting for a few reasons. First, it’s a goofy take on such jingoistic titles like Bionic Commando (Spoiler Alert) and Rush’n Attack and, more important, it’s actually built for the NES, forcing folks to rethink that platform’s current viability. Second, it’s a great way for Jim Welch to support his gaming habit and, since he’s giving the game away, it’s the only way he’ll see a penny from this while he builds it. Indie game devs need all the help they can get and this is a great way to get it.

Third, goats fighting Nazis is pretty bad-ass.

The project has hit about $200 now but I suspect it will get funded once people discover its magical storyline. It’s also a great example of how Kickstarter can keep independent art of all stripes alive.

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