[Update] 3D Platformer Griff the Winged Lion Jumps Against the Odds

[Update – 9/8/16] In a bizarre move, Breakerbox Studios have canceled their Indiegogo campaign and moved it to Kickstarter. The move comes less than a day after we posted this article. The campaign page appears identical, though the original Indiegogo video is now private, replaced with a new one that seems to be exactly the same. We’ve reached out to Breakerbox for comment, and will update when we hear from them.

Original story below.

Attention! This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill! There is a new 3D platformer in the crowdfunding wild and it needs your help! Griff The Winged Lion emulates the style and gameplay of classic platformers of the PS1 era. From the looks of it, they seem to be pulling it off so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV5dJomMNTw

Developer Breakerbox Studios isn’t shy about their PlayStation 1 inspirations. “After nearly 20 years, we’re still playing games like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon,” the campaign page reads. “Griff is a 3D platforming adventure with a PSOne-esque style, inspired by games like Crash and Spyro while offering a variety of unique features and mechanics.”

The Indiegogo page has a decent layout. Images of scrolls display the needed information, giving the page a unique look. Crash and Spyro aren’t directly mentioned again, but they may as well be. What’s described sounds exactly like those games. There’s a lot of jumping (go figure) as well as collectables, mini-games, and boss battles.

Much like Spyro, Griff sports a medieval fantasy setting. You play as Griff, a lion prince summoned by a mage to receive a new role in life. For whatever reason, the mage can’t figure out Griff’s role. As a result, the young lion must embark on a journey to find his own path in life.

One of the key features of Griff the Winged Lion is its retro art style.While you may imagine 8 or 16 bit graphics, that isn’t the case. Breakerbox is going for the look of a Playstation 1 game, an increasingly popular trend judging by games like Banned Memories and Back in 1995.

Although it seems like it’s only been up for a few days – Indiegogo doesn’t display when a campaign launches – this promising platformer may still fail. At the time of writing, Griff has raised a grand total of zero dollars of its ambitious $15,000 goal.

We’ve looked at the poor record of platformers on Kickstarter and Indiegogo before. It would really suck to have to add another game to that list. I’m not sure if this article will be enough to drum up interest. For the sake of platforming fans everywhere, I hope Griff can spread its wings and get off the ground.