If you haven't yet played or heard of Miami Shark, allow us to set the scene: You are a shark in the waters surrounding Miami. You are angry and hungry. You eat flocks of ducks and people, and soar into the air to drag airplanes into the ocean. Explosions ensue. Basically, Miami Shark is the greatest videogame ever.
The game was developed by Felix Wiesner (Wiesi), a Flash artist who calls Hamburg, Germany, his home. Miami New Times recently probed the mind of the developer to find out more about this insane game.
New Times: What was the inspiration behind Miami Shark?
Wiesi: One day I was trying random words on Google Picture search and stumbled over a pretty famous fake photo from 2002 which shows a great white shark attacking an Air Force Hawk helicopter and I thought, Wow, this is hilarious; I have to make a game out of this!
Not many flash or console games (with the obvious exception of GTA Vice City) are set in Miami. What led you to set the game in Miami? Do you have any personal connection to the city?
I think I just loved the idea of a cruel shark in an environment where most people in the world relate to paradise and sunshine. Besides, I am a huge fan of the '80s, the Miami Vice style, and so I tried to tie it all together.
The backgrounds in Miami Shark are a pretty realistic depiction of the architecture of the city and the overall look, aside from the UFOs, that is. What elements of the city were you trying to capture in the backgrounds and overall art direction of the game?
Basically, I took my inspiration from pictures you get when you use search words like Miami mansion on the Internet. I myself have never been in Miami before, so I am happy to hear that the game pretty much nailed the look.
In the YouTube clip, which runs a beta version of the game, you can hear Will Smith's "Miami" in the background. I'm assuming this was left out due to copyright reasons? If you ever were to make a sequel to Miami Shark, what would you like to add to the game? Were there any features of the game you had to leave out?
Yeah, I had to leave that song out; otherwise Will would have sued me, I guess. If I make a sequel, which is likely, I think I will add some beach environment with a lot of people standing there and screaming in horror and stuff. Also, there will be completely new aircraft and other things to attack and pull out of the sky, but that remains a secret for now.
What is the awesomely Miami-sounding music playing at the title screen?
That song is called "Galactic Race" by Benanderson. You can find the long version on the audio portal of newgrounds.com, where people submit their homemade songs. (Direct link here.)
Is there anything in the world cooler than dragging a stealth bomber into the ocean as a shark?
Yes, there is. You will see in Miami Shark 2!
Wiesi, we here at New Times believe you sure have set the bar pretty dang high.
