Developer Blog - Introducing Jynx
Today in our developer blog for Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers, we introduce a new member of the core cast. It's time to meet Jynx!
Click to embiggen!
We spotted Jynx finishing up a race in Fast Cars 7, and asked if we could share a few words.
Tell us a little about yourself.
"Name's Jynx."
...hi?
"Hi."
Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
"Not particularly. Unless you've got some specific question?"
Well... you play Fist of Discomfort 2, right?
"Grace does. The others do. So, I play it. Not my focus, but I'm decent enough at it and Grace likes having me be her tag team partner, so I'm in. Wouldn't bother but FOD2's got those USB ports in the front, right? That means I can use a bio-feedback joystick. Supposedly reads your brain waves. Probably doesn't, but it does make the inputs smoother, easier on my wrists. Couldn't go more than an hour of play without it."
Yeah, I noticed the wrist braces...
"Guessing you noticed a hell of a lot more than that, just too polite to mumble out a question about it. Go ahead, mumble away. I'm used to it."
Uhh...
"Syringomyelia. Cysts in the spinal cord. Results in weakness or partial paralysis of the extremities. Varies from person to person. Weak legs and arms, in my case. Joint pain. Some good days, some bad days. The cane keeps me moving. Bit fancier than I'd like, but Jian bought it for my birthday. Not gonna be ungrateful to my sibling. They've done a lot for me over the years. But my focus is the arcade, not the haunted ruin that is my body, yeah?"
Sooo... Fast Cars 7?
"Fast Cars 7. Best in the series, hands down. Five was good, really solidifed the aesthetic, but seven's where it's at. Ben and Matt, the guys who own this arcade? They put me in touch with Naomi, who rigged up low-effort steering and hand controls for me so I can play without my legs getting sore. Can ride out hours on that game. Have, some days. Just... lose yourself in the absolute speed and the precision of each turn, always heading to the horizon. Meditative, kinda. Intense yet meditative. Of course, could be wrong about that; I'm the only person I know who can chill the hell out and relax while listening to Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. I'm kinda weird like that."
So you're Team Good Clean Fun's racer?
"Don't race professionally, if that's what you mean. But guess I count as part of the team. First member of the team, since I literally live three floors up from here -- Jian adapted up an apartment for me and Mynx, my pride and joy in cat form. So I ride the elevator down and boom, I'm in the arcade before anyone else. The others just sort of... showed up, little by little. Grace first, Locksley last. Guess it counts as a team? Not sure. Whatever."
Anything else you'd like to add?
"No."