"Katie Cadet"

We published two Katie Cadet games - Starflyers: Alien Space Chase and Royal Jewel Rescue.

The early days of computer games were a constant struggle with memory constraints:

what could fit on a CD as well as what would work on most home computers.

The products were released in 2002 and although technology was quite advanced

by then, there were many issues that still forced artists to adhere to 256 color palettes.

It turned out to be less of a problem than we originally thought. We could still draw

in TRUE COLOR, and then convert it to a 256 color palette.

By keeping the scenes simple, the loss was minimal.

Katie Cadet was a fun premise to pursue.

Katherine Diane Cadell is no ordinary girl with an extraordinary imagination.

She becomes Katie Cadet, the greatest Star Pilot in the galaxy.

Everything always commenced with the sketches.

We first tried to establish her character and attitude.

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Next we needed to establish the look of her living room and the hub of the spaceship.

The two layouts needed to match, for the fantasy to be believed.

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The next screen below says it all.

Immediately, the artists went crazy with ideas for a space game.

Below are some early sketches for the Space Academy.

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Below are finals for the Academy Hub

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And the Academy Launch Pad

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And the planets! Below – Planet Hot Chocalopagus

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And Planet Funopolis

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Sailing inside Newton’s Mouth – Oh no!

The Aquacube

All in all, it was a fun endeavor. Hope you enjoyed the trip!