A “shmup” built from the ground up, you say? And one that features…a cat? Yep, that’s exactly what Beyond the Pixels has introduced with Astro Burn, and, hey, you can actually go and check it out right now with a playable demo on Steam!
We talked about Astro Burn earlier this week, and it’s something special. A game built with passion by someone with a love for the genre. And that someone is HaZ Dulull. After working on a number of screenplays (including The Beyond, which you can check out on digital platforms), HaZ is now working his magic in the gaming world.
So what inspired this? Why take such a crazy risk in a growing genre? And why a cat?! Well, hey, the best way to get these answers is to sit down with Beyond the Pixels’ main man himself, HaZ! We discuss all things Astro Burn, so let’s dive in!
So what motivated the creation of Astro Burn? A love for old-school shooters?
It was Christmas day 2024, Whilst rummaging through my old SNES cartridge collection, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia — titles like R-Type, Axelay, UN Squadron, and Gradius reminded me of the pure joy and lasting impact those deceptively simple games had on me growing up.
I miss those arcade days — huddled around a cabinet with friends, cheering someone on as they battled the R-Typeboss. There was a real sense of excitement, imagination, and connection that came from those shared moments.
After countless late-night, coffee-fueled chats with friends in the games industry reminiscing about that golden era of shooters, I felt inspired to create Astro Burn — my love letter to the mid-’90s space shoot-’em-up, reimagined with a modern twist.
Do you think we’re seeing a return of the classic “shmup” style games? We’ve definitely seen releases getting our attention, like Earthion.
Oh absolutely! From ports to remakes to brand-new IPs, there’s a real resurgence of those classic games I grew up loving. And it’s not just shmups, look at titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge or the new Terminator 2: No Fate game from the awesome team at Bitmap Bureau. They’re all celebrating that unmistakable ‘90s magic, tight gameplay, chunky pixel art, and pure arcade nostalgia done right.
What’s really interesting is that kids today don’t even see these games as retro, to them, it’s something completely new and fresh. They grew up in the PlayStation and 3D gaming era, so when they come across a pixel-art 2D game, it instantly sparks their curiosity. For those of us who played through the ’80s and ’90s, though, it’s pure nostalgia — and that’s exactly why I love bringing that magic back today.
Tell us why you’ve chosen a cat to pilot the ship. A love of cat, perhaps?
Well, everyone who knows me, is aware of my love for cats, it’s something about those feline creatures, the way they look deep into your eyes (soul) and…judge the hell out of you.
But the main reason why Astro Burn’s protagonist is a bad ass cat is mainly because as I was coming up with the idea of a shmup, I watched my cat Mia strut across the desk with a sassy, badass attitude—and that moment of inspiration, that way she sat there with her back to me yet turning her head to stare at me with this “Yeah, I know I’m a badass” look, literally was the inspiration catalyst to Astro Burn’s fearless Space Pilot.
Originally, the game was only going to star the space cat pilot. But one day, my iPhone AI — Siri — popped up with a meeting alert, and Mia immediately swiped the phone right off the desk.
That sparked the idea of adding a robot companion into the game. It also made it more fun for my dialogue writer Nathan Faudree to really have fun with the dialogue script. From there, AL the Bot was born — creating a fun, quirky, and comedic dynamic with Astro, the sassy space pilot cat.
Tell us about the backstory behind Astro Burn. How does a cat get involved, anyway?
As a filmmaker who’s directed and produced feature films and TV shows, story and lore were always going to be central to the games I make.
In Astro Burn, the story unfolds in a special Prologue accessible via the Story Mode in the demo. It’s told through Astro herself — breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the player.
We learn that Astro was once an ordinary kitten until her owner, an astrophysicist, “volunteered” her (cue paw-air quotes) for a next-gen astronaut experiment involving neural implants — giving her human-like cognition and the ability to pilot a ship. Before she could even say meow, she was launched through an artificially generated portal for faster-than-light travel.
To fend off the science purists, Astro cheekily explains that cats’ ageing slows dramatically during FTL travel — and tells us not to Google it… it’s just a thing! After all, they sent Laika the dog to space, so why not a cat?
Fun fact: the story was inspired by Félicette, the real Parisian stray who became the first cat in space in 1963. So yes — there’s actually a touch of real science behind Astro Burn (phew!).
How much effort did you put into getting the gameplay just right? And for that matter, the one-button approach?
Oh, so much effort! Every hour of every day — seven days a week — goes into perfecting the gameplay. Even shifting an enemy by a single pixel can completely change how the game feels. Luckily, I’ve got an amazing group of play testers on Discord and through Firstlook.gg who give constant, honest feedback.
I also love showcasing Astro Burn at indie game events and watching players of all ages jump in, you learn so much by simply observing where they struggle or smile. Those moments directly inspired how I built the game’s onboarding and tutorial flow.
The one-button control scheme is my tribute to the classic arcade shmups I grew up with — just a joystick and a fire button. It keeps things instantly accessible and fun — pure pick-up-and-play nostalgia!
What the heck is Catnip Mode, and why is it so beneficial to the player?
Haha! Glad you caught that. Cat Nip Mode is basically bullet time meets Max Payne… in space!
The idea actually came from watching my own cat, Mia, after consuming a bit of catnip, she gets totally spaced out yet somehow hyper-focused, swiping at anything that moves (even the window blinds). I thought, what if that energy became a power-up?
So in the game, Cat Nip Mode lets players slow down the chaos of bullet hell, giving them a brief moment to dodge strategically, line up shots, and study enemy attack patterns before the madness kicks back in.
How did you get to team up with Venice Bleach for the music?
Venice Bleach is my good friend Roman Rappak, one of the most talented people I know. We first met years ago at an Epic Games event, back when we were just two indie creators making cool stuff in Unreal Engine. Later, Roman composed the music for my animated feature film Max Beyond (created entirely in Unreal Engine 4.26).
We’ve always shared and championed each other’s work. One day, I sent him a quick test video of a spaceship firing projectiles, and he instantly got it. Within minutes, he called me up saying, “I have to do the music for this game.” Because we both share the same love for gaming and music, collaborating was effortless.
To add fuel to this creative bromance, I was actually a fan of Roman’s music before we met, so getting to work with him is basically like a fanboy working with his favorite artist, so as you can imagine there isn’t any notes that come from me or revisions needed as I just love his music and he totally gets what I like.
Fun fact: the cat meows you hear in the Astro Burn trailer and soundtrack started as a playful experiment Roman sent me. I loved it so much I said, “Let’s make that a signature sound for the whole game!” That even inspired us to replace traditional voiceovers with expressive cat meows and English subtitles, the kind of wonderfully bonkers ideas we both thrive on.
What was probably the toughest part in developing a game like Astro Burn?
Game development is always tough, but for me, the biggest challenge is avoiding feature creep. I constantly have new ideas I want to add, but I have to stay disciplined and make sure everything fits within the game’s production model, which, in my case, means delivering it on a tight 12-month schedule and a micro-indie budget. It’s a constant balancing act between creativity and focus.
Before games, you actually worked on a number of screenplays. How has the transition from one medium to another been for you?
I actually began my career in games back in 1998 as an intern artist on Motocross Mania (PS1/PC, published by Sierra), before moving on to titles like Colin McRae Rally (Codemasters, PS2) and Battalion Wars (Kuju/Nintendo) as an FMV and cinematics artist.
I later shifted into film and TV as a visual effects artist on Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight, eventually becoming a VFX Supervisor and Producer for BBC and Discovery series. That experience led me to directing and writing — my debut feature The Beyond became a commercial hit and later streamed on Netflix, followed by 2036: Origin Unknown starring Katee Sackhoff, which had a US theatrical run and Netflix release.
Disney then brought me on to direct the mini-series Fast Layne and the musical short Under the Sea: A Descendants Story.
By 2018, I was experimenting with Unreal Engine for film previews, and when the pandemic hit, I dove fully in — creating the feature Max Beyond entirely in UE4 (now on Amazon and Apple TV). That led me back into games, directing cinematics for Evil Genius 2 (Rebellion) and most recently, Chapter 1’s in-game cinematics for Dune: Awakening(Funcom).
Are you also working on an accompanying film to go along with the Astro Burn game? We’ve heard rumors.
Yes! – though not as a feature film, but as a TV series that’s currently in early development. It was actually announced on the Hollywood trade site Deadline.
I’ve always loved the transmedia approach to creating IP, and Astro Burn was designed from day one to be more than just a game. It naturally expands into other mediums and the series will carry that same charm through 2D pixel art animation. More on that next year!
What’s the biggest challenge in putting together a game such as this?
Time, budget, time.. Did I say time already? I wish there was more time available in a day!
How has the reception for Astro Burn been so far?
It’s been an incredible journey so far, I mean, come on, it’s a sassy space cat in a shmup… What’s not to love?
But in all seriousness, the response has been overwhelming. Players of all ages, genders, and backgrounds have shared such amazing feedback, and that positivity genuinely fuels me and the team to keep pushing forward.
When can we expect the game to release?
Aiming for the end of March 2026.
Finally, name your favorite “shmups” of all time. No pressure!
That’s easy – R-Type and Axelay! (both on my SNES).
Big thanks to Overload PR for letting us talk to HaZ. The demo is available to check out on Steam now! (No word on consoles, but hope springs eternal!)
