It is worth noting that Super Zoo Story has a different premise from Stardew Valley. Instead of letting players run their farm, Super Zoo Story focuses on having players manage a zoo filled with all sorts of animals, including dinosaurs. However, despite the two games having a different focus, the latest gameplay trailer of Super Zoo Story still resembles Stardew Valley despite its developers promising to redesign the game.
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Super Zoo Story’s Gameplay Trailer Still Looks Like a Stardew Valley Mod
Shortly after the controversy last year, Super Zoo Story stayed low-key and focused its time on developing the upcoming game. Last month, the indie developer released the first gameplay preview for Super Zoo Story, giving players a more detailed look at what to expect from the upcoming game. However, while some fans expressed their interest in Super Zoo Story, it appears that the game still couldn’t shake off its reputation of ripping off Stardew Valley’s art style. Some players commented on the trailer that the developer needs to come up with its own art style, while others joked about how they are excited to play this “Stardew Valley mod.”
Just by watching the trailer once, it still doesn’t take a lot to see how Super Zoo Story looks like Stardew Valley, from the trees to the buildings to the character’s design and NPCs. Of course, it is worth stating that Stardew Valley did not invent the pixel-art aesthetic. However, Concerned Ape was able to develop a visual style that made Stardew Valley stand out against all other pixel art games.
However, to give credit to Super Zoo Story, some design elements that players previously criticized were slightly changed in the latest preview. Previously, the dialog box in Super Zoo Story heavily resembled the one in Stardew Valley, from the style of the box down to the text’s font. However, in the trailer, the dialog box now sports a new design, and the font is now different from Stardew Valley. Another design element that players allege Super Zoo Story took from Stardew Valley is the mini-menu showing the in-game time, calendar, and money. However, no one knows if Super Zoo Story also changed the design of the mini-menu in the game since it did not appear in the latest preview. Apart from these small changes, most players still believe that Super Zoo Story’s aesthetic still heavily resembles Stardew Valley.
Stardew Valley’s Concerned Ape’s Reaction to Super Zoo Story
At the time of writing, Concerned Ape still hasn’t reacted to the latest trailer of Super Zoo Story. However, it is worth remembering that when Super Zoo Story was first revealed, Concerned Ape did notice the similarities, thanks to fans pointing them out. In a statement, Concerned Ape said that he has no problem with games taking inspiration from Stardew Valley, especially since Stardew Valley itself is inspired by Harvest Moon. However, what Concerned Ape isn’t okay with is if it turns out that Stardew Valley assets were actually used in Super Zoo Story. In addition, Concerned Ape also revealed that Super Zoo Story’s developers have “taken it a little too far and that their attitude about it has rubbed me the wrong way too.”
After Concerned Ape’s statement, Super Zoo Story’s developers posted a letter of apology saying that “it was never our intention to copy art from other games,” clarifying that they agree that “some of our art appears similar to Stardew Valley. The developers ended their letter of apology by promising to redesign all assets resembling Stardew Valley. However, looking at the trailer and the comments posted by players, it appears that Super Zoo Story has yet to keep its promise.
Super Zoo Story is in development for PC.
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