Stardust Skate (Sound Design Commentary)
Updated: Sep 12
Preface: In the interest of upholding prior agreements, I will not be discussing anything related to my experience working with clients or any other professionals involved in any of the projects featured on this blog. This is purely about detailing my personal creative decisions while working on the project.
Heyo! KSD here again!
It's been a little while since my last post but nonetheless, today we're going to be revisiting the Sound Design of Stardust Skate!
This was my first foray into video game Sound Design, so naturally I was a little nervous, but I learned a lot about the process while working on it and I’m looking forward to sharing some of it with you!
CREDITS:
Sound Design
Project Info & Video Link:
(Gacha Machine)
The most important aspect of the gacha was to capture the sense of anticipation with each pull. I started with the twisting of the gear, making it as crunchy and tactile as possible, then moving into a short riser as the machine starts to lift, before slamming down to spit out a capsule. The crash itself it made up of a few different metal elements, I had a vending machine or refrigerator in mind while making it, trying to get that slightly hollow sound with the rattling and squeaks of all the moving parts inside being disturbed.
(Analog Menu Clicks)
The game as a whole was largely themed and inspired by the skate games and culture of the 90's and early 00's, so incorporating mainly analog sounds into the UI was a must. Some of the elements used throughout the game include: Arcade machine buttons, Cassette tapes/players, Relay clicks, Cash registers, Cameras, Ratchet screwdrivers, Record scratches, Typewriters and more. Anything that felt tactile and mechanical in nature felt like a good fit for the style.
(Bouncing Motif)
This is where I figured out how to more effectively design identities for groups of sounds. It's something that doesn't usually show up in my more familiar workflow with animation. I started by designing each bounce sound to correspond with the material that the player had jumped on. This was a good start, but I found that they lacked a certain sense of cohesion, and needed a clear motif to indicate not only that a bounce had occurred but also to make it feel satisfying as an action. So I designed a dedicated bouncing sound that could be mixed in with all the different materials.
(Collecting Stars)
This was without a doubt going to be the sound you hear the most. It's almost constantly playing during gameplay, so it was imperative to make sure the player could hear and feel every single star that they picked up along the way. The rising pitch as you collect more was added by the game's developer, and I'm very happy they chose to include it, because I think it only elevates the experience and makes it even more satisfying as you rack up a big combo.
(Wheezing Ghosts)
Working in Sound Design often involves doing things you never expected you'd be doing when you signed up for the job. Case in point, while there's times that pre-recorded or pre-designed sounds are more practical and will save you a lot of unneeded effort, there's also situations where it's simply easier to just pull out a microphone and record yourself wheezing and grunting for a few seconds. That was the case with the ghost enemies. I didn't want to resort to a pre-made voice pack, and I didn't want to have to hire someone for something so small, so naturally I just ended up doing it myself. I keep a small list of all the times it's happened, and it makes me laugh imagining what my IMDB page might look like if they were included as acting credits.
That's all for today! I really hope you enjoyed hearing about the creative process, and hopefully I'll see you again for the next post! Until then!
KSD
