escapeVektor was originally a retro-styled arcade title on WiiWare. It plays a bit like an advanced version of Pac-Man where you must trace out all the lines on each stage while avoiding enemies. Nnooo originally planned to have four episodes of escapeVektor on Wii, but these will be combined into one package for 3DS. I got a chance at GDC to take a look at their work in progress, which unsurprisingly, plays identically to the original.

In the version I saw, the bottom screen contains some of the status information originally included on the main screen. The second screen can also show extended parts of tall stages. Nnooo is considering allowing Vektor to travel onto the bottom screen in some cases, as long as it doesn't cause problems shifting from the 3D screen to the 2D screen.

Nnooo took a lesson from Nintendo and made sure that Vektor is positioned on the reference plane, as is true with Mario in Super Mario 3D Land. Doing so also helps reduce ghosting effects, which is important in a high-contrast game such as this. It looks great and is well-complimented by its electronic soundtrack.

The biggest functional addition to escapeVektor are online leaderboards. Nintendo's new online infrastructure has made it possible for indies to easily add leaderboard support, and Nnooo will thankfully take advantage of it. If escapeVektor does well, Nnooo will continue to support it with new features, such as a level editor.

Portable escapeVektor is still early, but it's on the right track to becoming a great arcade-style handheld release. I enjoyed the original and can't wait to get the game in portable form. I am interested to see what direction they take with the new levels as well as what else they can pull of in regards to 3DS features.

You can take a look at the work-in-progress as Nnooo's Nic Watt narrates below.