Thomas joins another friend with the Nintendo Switch. Mike Bithell has announced that the classic modern platformer game Thomas Was Alone is officially launching on Nintendo Switch next month. This marks the newest release since its original launch in 2012, where it has been seen on every gaming platform since its launch, including the PlayStation Vita Handheld Gaming System.
The news comes from a tweet from Mike Bithell, the director of the appropriately named Bithell Games. The tweet was subsequently accompanied by a 60-second trailer of Thomas Was Alone. The trailer shows the same gameplay that was set in 2012, with a group of colorful characters, represented as shapes, platforming their way along an elaborate computer system, all in a quest to find friendship and meaning in a world filled with calculations and rivers of code. Thomas Was Alone looks as sharp as ever, and the same platforming challenges remain intact. Included with this release is the “Bejamin’s Flight” DLC that expands the story by focusing on the aeronautical character, Benjamin. Additionally, this port of Thomas Was Alone will include a Director’s Cut, which features commentary from Mike Bithell regarding the development of the game. The port of Thomas Was Alone is being done by Ant Workshop, which helped port the Visual novel/interactive stories of Subsurface Circular and Quarantine Circular, both games also created by Bithell Games. Thomas Was Alone was granted a physical release for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, and while no plans were announced for the Nintendo Switch, the possibility exists for a likely physical release.
https://twitter.com/mikeBithell/status/1355199411186499585?s=20
Originally released in 2012, Thomas Was Alone is the story of Thomas-AT-23-6-12, an AI commonly referred to as Thomas. Thomas lives in a digital universe, tasked with user requests, running across a nearly endless 2D plane of existence. An unexplained event occurs in which Thomas, and several other AI’s gain sentience. In the calamity, Thomas discovers other AI like himself, and together, they attempt to discover exactly what caused this event and perhaps, discover something they were never programmed to experience but feel within themselves, and that is the power of friendship.
With narration from actor Danny Wallace (Assassin’s Creed Vallhalla, Volume), Thomas Was Alone is an adventure of belonging from the perspective of beings within a computer system, and the viewpoint of the computer engineers that created Thomas and the gang. Thomas Was Alone was met with critical praise for it’s unique storytelling and focus on simple, yet effective platforming. The narration from Danny Wallace, and the music score from David Housden (Volume, Q.U.B.E 2) Thomas Was Alone made a profound impact in the indie gaming scene, successfully selling over 1 million copies and earning a BAFTA award.
The Nintendo Switch has been seen as one giant port machine, and rightfully so, as the sensation of carrying all sorts of games on the go is an exciting thought. Most importantly, the porting process gives opportunities for older games to have a new chance to be heard and seen. While Thomas Was Alone isn’t a powerhouse video game by any means, its focus on a simpler, quieter view in video games can be a big draw for Switch owners looking for something different to play on-the-go. This is also a great tite for casual players to experience, which invites players to learn a story and the meanings of the story. There is a small treasure trove of indie games to be unearthed from the last two consoles generations, and it would be fantastic to see more of these titles gain a second chance on Nintendo Switch. In doing so, it’s possible for a new audience and appreciation to be found.
Thomas Was Alone launches on Friday, March 19th for the Nintendo Switch eShop in North America. Thomas Was Alone is available now on PS4, Vita, Xbox, Wii U, and PC.
