About this project
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs - 3DS / Steam / Dreamcast
$96,591
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is an all-new 2D 16-Bit style run'n'gun
shoot-'em-up including giant Mecha action, based upon the original series from 1986 for Nintendo 3DS, Steam (PC, MAC, Linux), Sega Dreamcast and PC Engine.
Allow us to take you back in time with this original 80's IP. Power Stride and Ready to Ride!
Upgrade your pledge with our add-ons! Remember, you dont need to change your pledge level, just add the amount for the add-on you want and leave us a message what you have added.
- $5 - Additional EBU Star Star Sheriffs Badge
- $18 - Additional digital copies of the game for desktop platforms (Windows, Mac or Linux) (restricted to $25 level or above)
- $18 - Additional digital copies of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs for Nintendo 3DS. (restricted to $25 level or above)
- $15 - Grab yourself the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs Game soundtrack on CD!
- $15 - Grab yourself the cool SNES style retro game box
- $29 - Grab yourself the official physical Sketch & Artbook
- $35 - Grab yourself the full digital package (all digital rewards)!
- $39 - Grab yourself the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs series soundtrack Kickstarter edition by Dale Schacker on 2 Cd's
- $35 - Additional physical Windows, Mac or Linux copy
- $45 - Additional physical Dreamcast copy (standard version)
- $45 - Additional physical PC Engine / TG16 copy (standard version)
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is a classic anime-space-western TV series that originated in the 1980's.
The animation was made by the japanese anime studio "Studio Pierrot" in 1984. Back then it had the name Seijushi Bismarck.
In 1986 World Events Productions (WEP) reworked the series for the US market. A complete new soundtrack was made by Dale Schacker.
Lets see the amazing Intro:
The Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs series features a thrilling space western themed storyline, 4 main heroes, a giant Cowboy Mech called Ramrod, some badass enemies called Outriders with their leaders Gattler the Rattler, Jesse Blue the traitor and Nemesis.
The voice cast featured an all-star cast + actors who went on to archive great success. The primary English actors were as follows:
- Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime, Voltron) - Narrator, Commander Eagle, Nemesis, Ramrod
- Rob Paulsen (TMNT Raphael) - Saber Rider, Jesse Blue
- Pat Fraley (Bravestarr) - Fireball
- Pat Musick (ThunderCats) - April
- Townsend Coleman (TMNT Michelangelo) - Colt
The primary German actors were as follows:
- Ekkehardt Belle (Steven Seagal) - Saber Rider
- Florian Halm (Colin Farrell) - Fireball
- Katrin Fröhlich (Gwyneth Paltrow) - April
- Christian Tramitz (Der Schuh des Manitu) - Colt
- Norbert Gastell (Homer Simpson) - Commander Eagle
- Hartmut Neugebauer (John Goodman) - Nemesis
- Manfred Erdmann (Mr. T) - Ramrod, Narrator
Unlike Gundam, Macross and many other anime-series, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs never got its own video game. We think it is finally time! With this Original 80's IP, we'll take you back in time.
We will complete the task and retell the full story of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs in
the form of a Video Game for the Nintendo 3DS, Steam (Windows, Mac Linux) Sega Dreamcast and PC Engine. We are planning to release the game in Europe, America and Japan.
In order to use the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs IP we got the full support from World Events Productions (WEP). WEP is also known for Voltron: Defender of the Universe and Denver the last Dinosaur. We also have the full support of the original animation producer Studio Pierrot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrot_(company)) which is also know for anime series like Hikaru no Go, Blue Dragon, Naruto and Bleach.
Do you need to know the original series in order to play the Game?
No! It is not necessary to know the original series in order to play or understand our game. The game gives you all the necessary information. After you play our game through, you'll want to watch the original series!
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs features a classic anime style from the 80's. The game is being designed with 16-Bit graphics. What better way to represent the late 80's Video Game History than first class 16-Bit pixel art graphics?
Take a look at our work in progress for the game:
See here a running Demo with scanline filter enabled :
http://asciiart.bplaced.net/saber/
Thanks thecixxx!
Here are some features of the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs game:
- Real 80's IP & real 80's feeling
- 16-Bit pixel art 12 differently themed missions
- 4 playable characters and their vehicles (Saber Rider, Fireball, April and Colt)
- Different weapons
- Intense Mecha battles called "Challenge Phase"
- Game Soundtrack based on Dale Schacker's Original Series Soundtrack
- Voices from the Series featuring Peter Cullen and others
- Bonus Games & Highscores In-game music box
- Nintendo 3DS Play Coin Support
- Full New Nintendo 3DS Support
- Stereoscopic 3D on Nintendo 3DS
- Scanline Filter for the PC Version for perfect retro feeling
- Perfect playability with tight controls
- Secrets to discover
In the faraway future… Humans have spread beyond living on Earth (Yuma) and have colonized planets across the universe, creating a New Frontier of man. In order to protect these new settlers and maintain law and order in the New Frontier, Earth's Cavalry Command was created. Cavalry Command is a military organization that maintains an army and fleet of ships to protect the New Frontier and the residents of the planets within it known as Settlers. Within Cavalry Command is a unit of special operatives known as Star Sheriffs that function as the organization's field agents, investigating any crimes and plots that threaten the security of the New Frontier.
The main foe of Cavalry Command and the Star Sheriffs is a race of non-human creatures, Vapor Beings, also known as Outriders, that have jumped into our dimension in order to conquer it. They attack the Settlers, destroy settlements, and kidnap humans in order to mine various metals or crystals from the soil of various planets.
Outriders are superior to humans in battle technology. They control a legion of gigantic robots known as Renegade Desperado Units with weapons greatly superior to the weapons and defenses of the space-going fleets of Cavalry Command. In response to the Outriders' threat, Cavalry Command develops a prototype spaceship known as the "Ramrod Equalizer Unit" that has the ability to transform from a spaceship into a powerful robot that can fight the Outriders on equal terms.
Saber Rider (Original name: Richard Lancelot) Saber Rider is the team's leader and captain of the Ramrod Equalizer Unit. He is occasionally referred to by the nickname "Top Sword". He is a young man, yet is described as having legendary sword skills and marksmanship. Saber Rider hails from the Scottish Highlands and is an expert with both swords and horses. He is generally depicted as being a gentleman with a cool head for tactics and decision-making.
Fireball (Original name: Shinji Hikari) Fireball, a former race car driver with a somewhat quick temper, was the youngest driving champion in history. He now serves as the pilot of the Ramrod Equalizer Unit, and also has secondary control of the heavy weaponry located in Ramrod's chest region. He drives the Red Fury Racer/Turbo, a race car armed with an extensive arsenal of weapons.
April (Original name: Marianne Louvre) April Eagle is the daughter of Commander Eagle. She is the engineer who designed, and was in charge of, Project Ramrod. Before joining the Star Sheriffs, she was a professional tennis player. She was trained at Cavalry Command under General Whitehawk. April has a robotic horse named Nova with the abilities of Saber Rider's Steed.
Colt (Original name: Bill Willcox) Colt is a bounty hunter on the trail of Vanquo, an Outrider spy. Colt has an almost infallible accuracy with firearms and serves as the gunner on board Ramrod. His character is depicted as somewhat of a loner, but also as an outrageous flirt; he flirts with nearly every woman he meets. His parents were attacked and killed by Outriders just after Colt left to join a traveling rodeo. This event prompted him to become a bounty hunter.
Ramrod (Original name: Bismarck) Ramrod was developed by April Eagle as the technological "miracle weapon" that would allow humans to counter the threat of the Outriders. Although it can be flown by one person, the ship is designed to be operated by four people, each sitting in separate units that control specific functions: navigation (April), weapons (Colt), pilot (Fireball) and the commander/tactician (Saber Rider).
In Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs it will be possible to play with the four heroes, their vehicles and of course the giant Cowboy Mech Ramrod. Each of the 12 Missions will be packed with a lot of action.
Before each mission starts, a Mission Briefing is being held.
The mission objective will be given by a superior officer and depending on the story that person will change and other characters appear.
When the mission starts, the player will control one of the 4 heroes in classic side scrolling run'n'gun fashion, best know from games like Konami's Contra, Sunset Riders or Alien Soldier. It is possible to collect weapon upgrades, health items or granades. Sometimes also special items need to be collected in order to proceed with the mission. The player also has to survive several Mini Boss Attacks.
Some missions require the use of the heroes vehicles in order to proceed the mission. The gameplay will be displayed in classic side scrolling fashion best know from games like R-Type, Gradius or Darius.
Of course our game will also offer Boss fights and they will be big!
The Outriders are always using giant mechs called Renegade Desperado Units as their last resort when their plans don’t work out.
Every Renegade differs in apperance, strength and abilities. Therefore each Boss Fight needs a different strategy to win.
In order to withstand such a Renegade attack the player has to go into the mighty Challenge Phase. The Star Sheriffs Space Cruiser Ramrod transforms into a giant Cowboy Mech.
The Challenge Phase:
Once in Challenge Phase the player has full control over the Ramrod Mech.
The Nintendo 3DS will make use of both screens for the Challenge Phase. The fight will be displayed in two perspectives. On the 3D Screen you will see the full fight in stereoscopic 3D.
To ensure the real feeling the music in our Game will be based upon and inspired by Dale Schacker's original Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs Soundtrack. If we reach certain stretchgoals, there will be even some new Saber Rider music by Dale Schacker himself. The Sound FX will be inspired by the original series as well.
Here are a few examples from Dale Schacker's original soundtrack:
We're excited to bring Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs to the Sega Dreamcast and PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16. The Sega Dreamcast version will take full advantage of features like the VMU.
There are two versions for each system. The regular edition and the Limited Edition.
The limited edition for each system is exclusive to Kickstarter and limited to 200 units, individually numbered. The LE is a beautiful collectors edition that features exclusive packaging, a poster and a 2-disc set with the game OST. Don't miss out on these - they are the only copies that will ever be available!
Dreamcast Promo Demo
Want to get an idea of how cool it would be to play Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs on your Sega Dreamcast? We created a promotional demo that you can burn onto a CDR and run on your Dreamcast. You'll be able to see some cool promotional art, running on the real hardware.
Download the promo demo here and check it out on your Dreamcast!
If our initial Kickstarter funding goal is reached, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs will be released for Nintendo 3DS, Steam (Win, Mac, Linux). The Sega Dreamcast and PC Engine version will follow shortly after. All backers can rest assured that we will deliver a complete and satisfying game. However, given the opportunity and additional resources required, we have a list of cool additional features we’d love to deliver in order to make Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs an even better game. We also would like to expand the range of current platforms.
In order to do this we’ll need to significantly expand our resources and budget, and if we can reach the funding number required we’d be excited to do so. The exact release timing and scope of each version will be determined by the success of this Kickstarter campaign and specifically, our stretch goals.
Any extra money will go towards improving our game. Below you can see the extra features we’ll be able to fulfil by reaching the stretch goals.
Here you can see how we will use the budget we will get here in this campaign:
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is a real passion project for the whole team and we’ve all made financial sacrifices to get it this far. Our plan is to have Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs ready to ship for the Nintendo 3DS and Steam (PC, MAC, Linux) in Q4 2016. The Dreamcast and PC Engine Version will follow in Q2 2017.
Please note that because of our agreement with WEP all rewards here are Kickstarter exclusive. If we reach certain stretchgoals like the classic platforms or Amiibo, we will add some rewards so you can also choose from these aswell.
Here you can see a list of rewards we are going to offer:
Reward Matrix:
If you are interested in the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs anime series, you can buy the Blu-rays on Amazon.
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs - Box Vol. 1 Blu-ray DE/ENG
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs - Box Vol. 2 Blu-ray DE/ENG
Thank you very much for your support!
Risks and challenges
Video game development always comes with certain risks and challenges but with our careful planning we are confident, that we can tackle any problem that might occur. We got everything together to create and deliver a great game for every interested gamer and Saber Rider Fan.
Our biggest challenge right now is to get this project funded.
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is a IP owned by Studio Pierrot/WEP.
If our project does not get funded, the project is over and the licence goes back to WEP. This is part of the agreement we have with them.
A lot of Video Game Kickstarter campaigns show a lot of progress or even the almost finished game. Because of the nature of our campaign and because of the agreement we have with WEP, this is not entirely possible for us. The risk of sitting on a almost finished game and not be able to sell it because the campaign was not successful and the IP went back to WEP is just to high. So please see this campaign and the material here as a pre production.
However, we invested already a lot of time, a lot of dedication and money to get this project up and running. We are set and ready and can't wait to get into full production mode. Now it is on You to help Us to write a small part of video game history.
Power Stride and Ready to Ride!
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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Tune your pledge with our add-ons! Remember, you dont need to change your pledge level, just add the amount for the add-on you want and leave us a message what you have added.
$5 - Additional EBU Star Star Sheriffs Badge
$18 - Additional digital copies of the game for desktop platforms (Windows, Mac or Linux) (restricted to $25 level or above)
$18 - Additional digital copies of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs for Nintendo 3DS. (restricted to $25 level or above)
$15 - Grab yourself the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs Game soundtrack on CD!
$15 - Grab yourself the cool SNES style retro game box
$29 - Grab yourself the official physical Sketch & Artbook
$39 - Grab yourself the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs series soundtrack Kickstarter edition by Dale Schacker on 2 Cd's
$35 - Additional physical Windows, Mac or Linux copy
$45 - Additional physical Dreamcast copy (standard version)
$45 - Additional physical PC Engine / TG16 copy (standard version)If we hit stretch goals like WiiU, PS4 or Xbox One you can choose from these as well.
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Stay tuned for news!
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Ja, aber sicher! Die pling-Unterstützer wurden nicht vergessen.
Jeder Plinger ist automatisch beteiligt und bekommt für die auf pling gespendete Summe automatisch sein Spiel mit dem entsprechenden Reward von Kickstarter.
Ausserdem werden alle Plinger namentlich in den Credits erwähnt.
Bei einigen war das ja eh Bestandteil seines alten Rewards.
Rewards
Funding period
- (38 days)