Every once in a blue moon, a game comes along that completely enthralls my attention. Something about it, whether it's a particularly attractive art style, or an innovative or creative approach to gameplay, will just plant a seed in my mind and I can never quite forget about the game. For the last few years, Victory Heat Rally, has been that game for me. I remember immediately wishlisting the game on Steam when I first saw a trailer. The incredible, charming art style and the instantly fun looking gameplay served as a solid one-two-punch that laid its left and right hooks in me and I've been ravenously looking for updates on the game ever since. Now the release date is upon us - October 3rd on PC and Mobile (via the Crunchyroll Game Vault), with a Nintendo Switch release date to be announced in the future.
Ian from Skydevilpalm, the studio behind Victory Heat Rally, was gracious and kind to allow me to interview him about the upcoming game.
Hey! I’m Ian, co-creator and designer of Victory Heat Rally, pixel artist & co-founder/owner of Skydevilpalm.
What are the main inspirations behind Victory Heat Rally?
Victory Heat Rally draws from a variety of influences across video games, motorsports, and media. On the video game side, we were inspired by classic SEGA arcade titles like Sega Rally Championship, OutRun, Power Drift, and Super Hang-On for their fast-paced, energetic gameplay. We also drew from other racing games like Crash Team Racing, Ridge Racer, Need for Speed, and Mario Kart, particularly for their focus on fun and engaging mechanics. Even outside of racing, games like Street Fighter Alpha and Fatal Fury influenced the competitive spirit we wanted to capture.
From the world of motorsports, it’s obviously rally racing, especially the legendary Group B era, which was a major influence along with the evolution of rally racing through the 90s and early 2000s.
As for media, Japanese anime and manga were big sources of inspiration, especially the work of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball) and iconic anime & OVAs from studios like Sunrise. We wanted to channel the energy, vibrancy, and action of 80s and 90s media into the game, making every race feel larger than life.
The art style immediately catches the eye. I love bright early 1990s flavored vibrant colors. It almost has a Neo Geo feel to it, and makes me think of Windjammers or Metal Slug. Were there any key influences on the art direction?
The art direction of Victory Heat Rally is definitely inspired by the vibrant, bold color palettes of early 90s arcade games, especially those from Neo Geo titles like Windjammers and Metal Slug As you mentioned. We wanted the visuals to really pop off the screen and be instantly eye-catching. The visual aesthetics also draw heavily from fighting games like Street Fighter Alpha and Fatal Fury, with their distinctive style, characters, and environments. The use of exaggerated, playful visuals—like the chibi-style cars inspired by TOMY’s Choro Q series—helps to further enhance that fun, arcade feel.
Another major influence on the cars comes from Akira Toriyama’s vehicle designs, which have a unique blend of charm and detail. In general, we also took cues from the presentation of 90s Capcom and Konami arcade games, which are known for their energy-packed visuals and immersive gameplay. We also pulled inspiration from various 80s and 90s media to create a style that feels nostalgic but fresh, embracing the colorful, larger-than-life aesthetics of the time while giving it our own modern twist.
What I've heard of the soundtrack is phenomenal. In my opinion, it seems to hearken back to upbeat, DnB/breakbeat game soundtracks of the era. I feel like I'm hearing some Cruis’n Exotica and maybe Ridge Racer influences. What goes into composing tracks for a game like this? Did any game soundtracks serve as some sort of a North Star to guide you in capturing the tone you were trying to evoke?
I’m gonna let one of the composers answer this one directly. - Ian
“Me and Alyssa have been working tirelessly on the musical identity of the game, getting inspiration from anything that could match the VHR overall aesthetic.
Therefore, there's an overabundance of 90s sounds in there, mainly jungle, drum n bass, happy hardcore, without leaving out lessons from various sources like, of course, Ridge Racer, Daytona USA, Cruisin', as well as "Naganuma-style" experiments that at the same time wink at James Shimoji and even Splatoon.
The game look goes really hard already, and having a soundtrack that goes just as hard can really help it to stand out from the rest EVEN FURTHER. It's a labor of love as well as a tribute to all the racing games we grew up with, and appreciate.”
- RoBKTA
What all game modes do you plan to include in Victory Heat Rally? Is there a Story Mode planned?
Victory Heat Rally features four core game modes. The first is Championship, which serves as the main single-player progression mode, or what you could call the "story mode" of the game. Then there’s Arcade GP, where you can jump into the GP events from the Championship in a simpler, arcade-style challenge. We also have Versus, a split-screen multiplayer mode for head-to-head racing with friends, and lastly, Time Attack, where you can race against the clock to set your best times.
What level of customization do you plan to offer? I see some options to swap out car parts and some cosmetic customization involving colors. I didn’t know how much of a focus this part of the game was for you.
We went for a more streamlined approach to customization in Victory Heat Rally. You can unlock alternate paint jobs for each driver’s car, and selecting different wheels/tires will change the wheel color. It’s a simple system that adds just enough customization without overshadowing the core gameplay. That said, we’re open to the idea of expanding customization options in future updates after the game’s launch.
Any plans to sneak the Initial D car into the selection? 😉 I feel like it'd look great in your aesthetic and obviously it's an iconic “drifting” car. I seem to remember Horizon Chase Turbo putting that 1985 Toyota Sprinter Trueno in the game, cheekily under the name “Deja Vu.”
At the moment, we don’t have too many homages in the form of cars, but we’re definitely fans of Initial D! While the iconic Toyota AE86 doesn’t make an appearance, there is a tribute to Initial D in the game—but in a different form. Keep an eye out for it!
I see the Victory Heat Rally Twitter account is frequently sharing real world racing pictures and clips. Clearly someone on the team is a legitimate racing fan. Is racing a passion for all of you? What's your history with cars?
My brother Aidan (The other co-founder/Director of Skydevilpalm) and I personally run our studio’s social media, including the Victory Heat Rally Twitter account. We’ve been into racing since we were kids, and sharing rally content and car culture is a way for us to express that passion. Likewise, we hope that through Victory Heat Rally, we can spark that interest in people who may not have been into cars or rallying before. It’s a chance for them to experience the excitement we’ve always felt about it.
Arcade racing games are one of my favorite game genres. Do you have any favorite arcade racing games either from the past or newer titles that you enjoy?
I’ve always enjoyed racing games, from the classic arcade titles to the more simulation-based games of today. Lately, I’ve been really into Gran Turismo 7, WRC, Dirt Rally 2.0, BeamNG, and The Grid on my Switch. As for my arcade favorites, it’s classics like Sega Rally, Scud Race, Daytona USA, and Wangan Midnight. Those games hold a special place for me and were an influence on the kind of experience we wanted to capture with VHR.
Is there anything else you wanted to share about VHR?
The development of Victory Heat Rally has been a wild and sporadic ride. What started out as a simple prototype gradually evolved into the game it is today. In the beginning, we had no funding—it was just a collaboration with Colonel Sandwich, working on the game in our spare time with no budget. We eventually launched a Kickstarter in 2020, which helped us raise the funds to continue development. After the campaign’s success, we were approached by several game publishers and ultimately partnered with Playtonic Friends.
Development wasn’t without its challenges, especially when the pandemic hit. The shutdowns affected not only the project but our personal lives as well. For me, one of the biggest but most rewarding challenges was becoming a father to my two beautiful baby girls. It’s been a long journey, but despite the ups and downs, we’re incredibly proud of how far VHR has come.
I have a couple of general questions. I see your company is based out of Las Vegas. What is that like? I'm used to seeing California based game developers, but you might be the first one I've seen in Vegas. Is there a nascent game development scene bubbling up in Las Vegas? Do you feel like Vegas as a city has any influence on the culture of your studio?
I’m originally from Los Angeles, born and raised, but my brother and I relocated to Vegas in 2019. There’s a small indie dev scene here, and we started attending a local meet-up before the pandemic shutdowns unfortunately put a stop to that. We’ve also connected with other developers and creatives through events like the LVL UP Expo, where we’ve showcased Victory Heat Rally twice, with a booth featuring two playable demo stations.
As for Vegas itself, it’s a unique place to live & work from. Being here definitely gives you that feeling of wanting to test your luck and go for something big, which kind of reflects how we’ve approached our journey with VHR.
Lastly, what's the story behind the studio name and the logo? The giant talon coming out of the sky conjures imagery of something like a Thunderbird from Native American folklore. Or not, I could be completely wrong on that assumption, hahaha
The story behind the name Skydevilpalm actually comes from a funny, late-night experience my brother and I had while watching old-school kung fu movies. We were watching The Flying Guillotine, a movie about a kung fu master with a wild weapon that could decapitate enemies by throwing a hat onto their heads. At one point, we both swore we heard a line about a technique called the "sky devil palm," and we immediately thought, "That would be a cool name for our new game studio!" So we went with it. The funny part? We later realized the line didn’t actually exist in the movie at all. Weird, right?
As for the logo, the three parts of our name are all represented. The "sky" is symbolized by the waves at the top, which can represent air, sound waves, the ocean—essentially standing for physical matter or space. The "devil" and "palm" are shown by the arm & outstretched claws of a dragon reaching down from the heavens. We wanted the logo to capture that sense of something powerful and unexpected descending from above.
I wanted to offer a sincere thank you to Ian and the fine folks at Skydevilpalm for taking the time to answer my questions and provide a wonderful interview for our humble blog - Netto's Game Room. My anticipation for Victory Heat Rally is through the roof, and I just cannot wait to get my grubby mitts on this game. As a reminder, it releases on October 3rd for PC and Mobile (via Crunchyroll Game Vault), and a Nintendo Switch release date will be announced in the near future.
Trailer:
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