Featherweight

Featherweight is a racing game developed and published by Pixelburst Gaming for the Nintendo Switch. It is considered a spiritual successor to Kirby Air Ride, borrowing its basic control scheme and tweaking the balance of the gameplay through the addition of its spell mechanic. The game is set in Auster, a warm and tropical fantasy world where Humans live in harmony with large land-based birds called Mephoru and racing has become a popular pastime, but is endangered when a malevolent being threatens to reawaken the dark god Raven.
==Gameplay==
The majority of gameplay takes place on racetracks, with players taking control of a team consisting of a Rider and a Mephoru and moving across the track to complete specific goals. In the midst of most races, players should keep track of two specific stats:
* Health is the more important of the two stats, especially in Battle Rules races. Whenever a character takes a hit, they will lose Health, with the exact amount being determined by Power and Vitality. When a racer loses health, they either lose speed for three seconds and risk falling behind, lose a shield, or are pulled out of the race completely when out of shields.
* Mana is only slightly less important by Health, but can be more useful by far if used properly. In most races, each character has access to four spells. These spells are used to seize places from foes or to defend your current spot in the rankings, and can make or break a strategy. When depleted, Mana will slowly regenerate. The speed is dependent on various factors in races.
Players have the ability to Charge - one of the gameplay mechanics borrowed from Kirby Air Ride. Charging causes the player to lose speed, but will grant them a short but large boost in speed when released. Players with this speed boost can ram into rivals to deal damage. Charging can also be used to drift past tighter corners. Players also have access to two types of movement - Running and Flying. Running is generally faster, and allows the player to cast spells, while Flying is somewhat slower and can only be used when they have the speed boost from a Charge, but grants access to a variety of shortcuts.
===Grand Prix mode===
The main gameplay mode for multiplayer, though it can be played with one player and multiple NPCs. Grand Prix mode is split into multiple smaller gamemodes, all competitive in nature and all perfect for having fun with friends. And, of course, all gamemodes under Grand Prix are capable of online multiplayer.
====Feather Cup====
One of the Grand Prix modes. This gameplay mode is an eight-player race to the finish, and combat follows Race Rules - that is, characters cannot be knocked out of the race by losing all their health, but instead receive a speed penalty for three seconds before regaining all their health.
====Racer’s Cup====
One of the Grand Prix modes. This gameplay mode is an eight-player race to the finish where combat more closely resembles Mario Kart - by collecting Tomes or defeating enemies on the racetrack, players can pick up predetermined spells which (though requiring no prep time or Mana to use) are used up when casted. Health is not an issue either - hitting a player with a spell will cause that player to stop momentarily, and how long they’re stopped for is determined by their Vitality.
====Fighter’s Cup====
One of the Grand Prix modes. This gameplay mode is an eight-player battle royale taking place on a looping track, where the goal is to be the last player or team of players standing. Combat in this gamemode follows Battle Rules - if you lose all your health, you lose a shield, which marks your lives. Lose three shields, and you’re out! Game over! Knowing when to use spells is ideal in this gamemode.
===Rider’s Quest mode===
The game’s story mode. Rider’s Quest mode can be played by up to two players, and takes them through the tale of how a small group of Riders and Mephoru managed to stop the rise of Raven, a malevolent deity. Missions in this mode are varied, with some as simple as beating enemies in a race or defeating them all, and others slightly more complex like completing a race without defeating enemies or casting spells, and some as strange as managing to get defeated by a specific enemy. You will also face bosses!
==Characters==
Players are able to select a team prior to racing. Each team consists of one Rider and their Mephoru ally, and each team is defined by their own unique spells and weapons.
Character 	Stats 	Description 	Style 	Unlockable?
FeatherweightsLatti and Aegis 	Vitality:★★★★☆Accel:★★★★☆Charge:★★☆☆☆Flight:★★★☆☆Power:★★★☆☆Weight:★★☆☆☆	A pair of adoptive siblings whose knack for bringing out the best in each other has brought them to the Feather Cup Grand Prix. They are the among youngest racers to ever participate, but also the most gifted. Latti is also the current wielder of the Phoenix Lance, an ancient weapon capable of wounding immortal beings. 	Latti wields the legendary Phoenix Lance - a powerful halberd forged from the ash of the immortal god from which it receives its name. Though somewhat slow, the Phoenix Lance's length makes it ideal for pushing foes back even from farther away. It also excels at attacks whilst charging, and barely slows Latti down when drawn.Her preset magic is primarily focused on gaining the advantage through tactical movement - Side Dash and Haste to improve her maneuverability, Trailblazer to take advantage of the maneuverability and dish out damage, and Fireball as a basic attack. 	No
Red BlossomRaja and Adom 	Vitality:★★★★☆Accel:★★★☆☆Charge:★★☆☆☆Flight:★★☆☆☆Power:★★★★☆Weight:★★★☆☆	A veteran riding team that, despite their incredible skill, has never actually participated in the Feather Cup Grand Prix. They are both loyal to Raven, but see his opposition less as obstacles and more as rivals to test her skill. The two encompass everything that Latti wants herself and Aegis to be - skilled, stoic, and cool.	TBA 	No
Cloud RidersBlanc and Basilisk 	Vitality:★★★☆☆Accel:★★★★☆Charge:★★★★☆Flight:★☆☆☆☆Power:★★★★☆Weight:★★☆☆☆	A veteran team of the Feather Cup Grand Prix that never seems to gain spotlight for the traits that they would prefer to show the world. Blanc styles himself as a noble and just hero, but is actually just a total jerk with a lot of heroic delusions. Also, Basilisk has really, really weird eyebrows... 	Blanc is one of the few characters who doesn’t use a weapon to fight at close-range, instead preferring melee combat. When necessary, however, he uses the Razor Discs - circular metal shuriken that can be thrown at more distant enemies. He has to wait for them to return before they can be thrown again, but gains the boon in speed from not having his weapons drawn until they return.His preset magic is primarily focused around close-range, with Ice Shards and Flash Shot to deal with nearby foes in various ways and Satellite Cutter to defend himself, and is one of the two characters whose presets come with Copy Cat.	No
Winds of AetherAerora and Vanilla	Vitality:★☆☆☆☆Accel:★★★★☆Charge:★★★★☆Flight:★★★★★Power:★★☆☆☆Weight:★★☆☆☆	The youngest racer in the Feather Cup Grand Prix, and one of the higher-ranking racers in her previous race. Though not the best racer, her light weight and innate magical potency makes her an aerial menace when she has as full stock of Ether, but physically weak in melee range. 	Aerora wields a staff with lower range and power than other weapons, as well as offering a slightly slower deceleration rate than other weapons. It isn’t recommended for use except as a last-resort when out of Mana.Her preset magic a varied assortment that can fit nearly any situation rather well. Her main offensive power comes from Wind Disc, with Satellite Cutter and Side Dash aiding her whenever defense and evasion are necessary. She also has Heal Aura to restore her health - a feat that can save her life in a pinch. 	No
Iron BattalionTorendin and Falco 	Vitality:★★★★★Accel:★☆☆☆☆Charge:★★☆☆☆Flight:★★☆☆☆Power:★★★★☆Weight:★★★★☆	A former soldier, fleet commander, and bounty hunter and the mephoru who saved his life from certain doom long ago. Since then, Tonendin has dedicated his life to building a new reputation for himself and Falco by racing in the Feather Cup Grand Prix, of which he is the oldest racer. 	Tonendin wields a massive mallet, which slows Falco down even when put away, its so large. It makes for crushing offense at close range, though it can be somewhat tricky to time when the player is being rushed by rivals.To make up for his slow speed, his preset magic comes with Haste. He also has Ice Shard and Thin Ice, in order to give enemies a tough time by altering the terrain or hitting them with close-range magic, and can defend himself using Orbital Shields. 	No
Raven's OmenThana and Gadget 	Vitality:★★☆☆☆Accel:★★★★★Charge:★★★★★Flight:★★☆☆☆Power:★★☆☆☆Weight:★★☆☆☆	One of the few humans, and one of the even fewer mephoru, loyal to Raven. Thana and Gadget are clearly up to something shady in this particular Feather Cup Grand Prix, as the two have no clear motive to participate and have not been known to be good enough to match those that they would be up against. 	TBA 	No
LifestreamZoey and Stitches 	Vitality:★★☆☆☆Accel:★★★★★Charge:★★★★☆Flight:★★★★☆Power:★★☆☆☆Weight:★☆☆☆☆	The subjects to a Raven loyalist's experiment in which their biologies were exposed to pure mana, rendering them mute, magically potent, physically unstable, and dependent on a constant intake of mana to survive. They're actually quite the friendly pair when you get to know them... 	TBA 	
==Magic==
Magic is a key gameplay element, being present in every gamemode in some form. Nearly every spell costs Mana to use, but each can change the balance of a race entirely.
Name 	Stats 	Description
Fireball 	10% Mana0.25 second cast time	A basic projectile attack that bounces off of walls. It doesn’t do much damage, but its low Mana cost allows it to be used repeatedly with little risk.
Ice Shards 	15% Mana0.25 second cast time	A cluster of projectiles that spread outwards in front of the caster (unless otherwise specified). Their range isn’t very good, but their quantity makes them a powerful close-range offensive.
Wind Disc 	20% Mana0.5 second cast time 	A projectile that homes in on players in front of the caster. Its relatively sluggish vertical movement makes it easy to dodge via Flying.
Flash Shot 	20% Mana0.5 second cast time 	An arguably slow projectile that is best used at close-range, where it’s most likely to hit the target. On impact, it blinds the target, giving the caster a chance to close in.
Shade Pulse 	15% Mana0.25 second cast time	An AOE attack that releases a pulse of darkness. It doesn't do much damage, but its knockback and ability to protect against other projectile spells make it useful regardless.
Trailblazer 	50% Mana1 second cast time 	Causes the caster to leave a trail of fire behind them for a three second, which can damage foes if tread upon. Works very well with Haste, but the combination costs a lot of Mana.
Thin Ice 	50% Mana1.5 second cast time 	The caster summons a large patch of icy ground underneath them, which can make movement harder for rivals attempting to walk on it. Best used near hazardous terrain.
Satellite Cutter	50% Mana2 second cast time 	The caster summons a larger disc of wind to float around them for five seconds. Enemies that make contact with the wind disc will be tossed backwards and take some damage, making it ideal for defense.
Haste 	25% Manano cast time 	A boosting spell that temporarily increases the caster’s speed. Good for quickly catching up with other racers or taking certain shortcuts.
Side Dash 	20% Manano cast time 	A dashing technique that can be used to make a quick aerial recovery or evade an attack. It can also be used to quickly approach a rival player. Cannot be stolen by Copy Cat - it can only be nullified.
Orbital Shields 	50% Mana1 second cast time 	The caster summons a trio of mirage-like shields that orbit them. The caster cannot use other spells without first dispelling or losing the shields, but they are capable of blocking enemy magic.
Heal Aura 	All Mana1.5 second cast time 	A restorative technique that completely drains the user’s current Mana supply to completely restore their Health. Downside is, its lengthy cast time means it can be risky to use in a fight.
Copy Cat 	100% Manano cast time 	A strange ability that captures a spell being used by a nearby enemy and reverses the effects. If an attack is absorbed, its fired back at the enemy. If a support skill is used, its effects are applied to Copy Cat’s caster. It requires precise timing, and only nullifies some skills. Cannot be stolen by Copy Cat - it can only be nullified.
==Trivia==
* This game draws from multiple places when it comes to its inspiration.
** The basic concept is actually inspired by the user named White Kirby. His works were frowned upon for a myriad of reasons, with one being that his namesake character was literally just a white Kirby, and he defended this design choice by saying that the protagonist would have to be some sort of Kirby because it was inspired by Kirby Air Ride. This game, which has gameplay heavily inspired by Kirby Air Ride, is basically Ink’s rebuttal.
*** These origins are referenced by one of the teams in the game - Basilisk and Blanc, whose pale color scheme, dragon- and beetle-themed Mephoru armor, and role as self-proclaimed heroes who are actually assholes are all based off of White Kirby’s character.
** The ability to cast spells while riding Mephoru is inspired by Final Fantasy.
** The concept of bird riders is somewhat similar to the idea of Loftwings in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - giant birds that form bonds with inhabitants of Skyloft at a young age - as well as the Chocobos from Final Fantasy. With this in mind, Mephoru were designed to be more similar to roadrunners or feathered velociraptors rather than traditional birds or ostriches.
*** The similarities between Mephoru and Final Fantasy’s Chocobo are referenced by one of the characters in the game - Aerora, whose name and appearance are inspired by Final Fantasy’s Black Mage, and Vanilla, their yellow Mephoru, inspired by the Chocobos.
*** The inspirations drawn from miscellaneous Nintendo games prompted the creation of Commodore Tonendin and Falco, who are inspired by F-Zero's Captain Falcon and Star Fox's Falco. Tonendin's name is also an anagram of Nintendo.
Category:Racing Games
Category:Multiplayer Games
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Category:Ink's Games
Category:Nintendo Switch Games