Pixel Ripped 1995: The Virtual Reality Love Letter to Classic Gaming is out on Oculus and Steam VR

In these times of stay-at-home confinement, we may not go out as much as we'd like, but at least we can invite you to a multi-dimensional VR trip back in time to 1995, an era that planted the roots of gaming for a whole generation. Pixel Ripped 1995 is out this Thursday on Steam, Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest. The game is expected to release on PSVR in few months.
With Pixel Ripped 1995 (trailer) 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.


EARLY RECEPTION

"ARVORE and Ana Ribeiro have delivered what I feel is a truly brilliant game worthy of any gamer's purchase and a great sequel to a very very good first game." - GAMERTAG VR

"Pixel Ripped 1995 nails the artstyle and videogame graphics from the 90s, all details about life in that era, this game gets it all right." - Hotshot 80s

"It's a fun cute little game that has a lot of interesting ideas that will only work in VR." - Handsome Phantom


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 - IntelPixel Ripped 1989 is available in the following stores:
Steam Store (LINK)
Oculus Store (RIFT LINK & QUEST LINK)
PlayStation Store (LINK)For more information, visit PixelRipped.com or Arvore.io.