WayForward

WayForward Technologies is an American independent video game development studio and publisher headquartered in Valencia, California. Founded in March 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, the company began as an independent software and game-design business after Way had previously established a software company serving the sheet-metal fabrication industry. Its early work covered console software for systems including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Game Boy Color, alongside educational software for personal computers and Leapster learning devices. During the 1990s, WayForward expanded its educational-game activities. In 1994 it entered a partnership with American Education Publishing, developing additional educational titles and licensed projects. The business received innovation recognition at the 1995 Consumer Electronics Show. Like many small independent studios of the period, WayForward operated with a limited financial base, and some employees held outside jobs while the company worked toward becoming a sustainable game developer. WayForward relaunched its core video-game development operation in April 1997. Under chief executive John Beck, the studio adopted a developer-for-hire model, taking on projects for publishers and rights holders. This approach gave the company a steadier flow of work and enabled it to build expertise across multiple platforms, genres, and licensed properties. Its contracted work included games connected with established entertainment brands, as well as original and educational software. The studio's most important original property is Shantae, a side-scrolling action-platform series created by Matt Bozon. The first Shantae game was released in 2002 for the Game Boy Color and published by Capcom. Although it received strong critical attention, its launch late in the Game Boy Color's commercial life limited its market performance. WayForward continued developing the property and eventually established Shantae as a durable multi-platform franchise through releases such as Shantae: Risky's Revenge, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, and later entries. WayForward has developed games for a broad range of Nintendo and other platforms, including the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, WiiWare, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, personal computers, mobile devices, and retro-oriented hardware. Its portfolio combines original intellectual property with licensed adaptations. Notable licensed projects include Contra 4, Duck Amuck, Adventure Time games, Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land, and Justice League Heroes: The Flash. The studio has also created original digital titles such as Lit, Mighty Flip Champs!, Mighty Milky Way, and the Mighty Switch Force! series. WayForward's brand identity is strongly associated with hand-drawn 2D presentation, character-led action, cartoon-inspired art direction, and gameplay that draws on classic platform and adventure design. It has nevertheless worked in 3D and across changing hardware generations, often reusing or adapting internal character and art assets while evaluating new platforms. In addition to developing games for external publishers, the company has increasingly participated in publishing and self-publishing arrangements, particularly for its own properties. The company remains active as an independent developer and publisher. Its work spans original franchises, licensed entertainment properties, ports, remasters, retro releases, and collaborations with platform holders and other publishers. In 2025, a proposed collaboration involving a re-release of Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! on ModRetro hardware generated online criticism related to ModRetro owner Palmer Luckey and his public political and business associations. WayForward stated that Archie Comics, the rights holder, was responsible for the arrangement and that WayForward would not receive royalties from individual hardware sales, although subsequent deletion of clarification posts fueled further online speculation.

WayForward Technologies was established in March 1990 by Voldi Way as an independent technology and video-game company. Its creation followed Way's earlier work in software for sheet-metal fabrication. The new company initially pursued console development for platforms such as the Super NES, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Game Boy Color. It also produced educational software for personal computers and Leapster devices, allowing the business to operate across both entertainment and educational markets while it built its development capabilities. In 1994, WayForward formed a partnership with American Education Publishing to expand its educational-video-game work. The relationship supported projects using licensed characters and educational themes, including properties associated with the Muppets. The company received innovation recognition at the 1995 Consumer Electronics Show. However, the studio remained small and resource-constrained; during this formative period, some employees maintained other employment while contributing to the company's ambition to become a full-time game developer. WayForward restarted its video-game division in April 1997 and increasingly operated as a contract developer for publishers. John Beck described the developer-for-hire model as a way to maintain a relatively stable workload through smaller projects. This strategy exposed the studio to a wide range of platforms, genres, and licensed properties while reducing its dependence on a single original franchise. The company subsequently worked on handheld, console, educational, and licensed games. The studio's major creative turning point came with Shantae, an original action-platform property created by Matt Bozon. The first game launched in 2002 for the Game Boy Color, with Capcom serving as publisher. Despite favorable critical reception, its release near the end of the Game Boy Color's lifecycle restricted its commercial reach. WayForward later explored a sequel for Nintendo's forthcoming dual-screen handheld, initially developing concepts and assets for a Nintendo DS project. The sequel did not secure a publisher at that stage, but the work helped the studio experiment with new platforms and preserve a body of reusable character and environment assets. WayForward's contract work during the mid-2000s included Ping Pals for Nintendo DS, Justice League Heroes: The Flash for Game Boy Advance, and Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck for Nintendo DS. Reception varied by project. The company used some of these assignments to obtain development hardware and gain experience with emerging systems. It also became active on digital-distribution services. Lit was announced in 2008 and released through WiiWare in February 2009. The studio then introduced original digital characters and properties, including Alta in Mighty Flip Champs! for DSiWare and Luna in Mighty Milky Way. Mighty Switch Force! launched on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in December 2011, followed by Mighty Switch Force! 2 in 2013. These projects reinforced WayForward's reputation for tightly designed 2D games with distinctive cartoon presentation. During the same period, the studio expanded its work on licensed properties. Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! was released in 2012, followed by Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know! and Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land in 2013. The Shantae series became increasingly central to WayForward's identity. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse was released for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in 2014. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero was supported through Kickstarter crowdfunding and released in December 2016, demonstrating the company's ability to use direct fan support for an original property. WayForward also developed the joke concept Cat Girl Without Salad!, first presented as an April Fool's announcement in 2013. Positive fan response led to a completed release through a Humble Bundle in 2016. The company has also published ports and other external projects, including PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Mystik Belle in 2017. Across subsequent platform generations, WayForward continued to develop and publish games for Nintendo systems, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, mobile platforms, and retro-oriented hardware. Its activities have included original games, licensed adaptations, remakes, ports, and publishing arrangements. The company has remained particularly associated with 2D action-platform games, though its portfolio includes puzzle games, adventure titles, educational software, and games based on television and comic properties. In August 2025, WayForward announced a collaboration with ModRetro concerning a re-release of Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! on a Game Boy Color-compatible FPGA system. The announcement led to online backlash centered on Palmer Luckey, ModRetro's owner, including criticism of his political statements and his association with defense manufacturer Anduril Industries. WayForward removed the original announcement and later explained that Archie Comics, the rights holder, was responsible for the deal and that WayForward would not receive royalties on each hardware unit. The later removal of the explanatory posts generated additional speculation, making the episode a notable reputational controversy for the studio.

• 2025

  ModRetro collaboration controversy

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  A proposed Sabrina re-release collaboration with ModRetro prompts online criticism and a public clarification from WayForward.

• 2016

  Shantae: Half-Genie Hero released

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  The Kickstarter-supported Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is released.

• 2014

  Shantae and the Pirate's Curse released

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  The third major Shantae game launches on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U digital storefronts.

• 2012

  Adventure Time adaptation released

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! launches as one of WayForward's prominent licensed games.

• 2011

  Mighty Switch Force! launches

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  The first Mighty Switch Force! is released through the Nintendo 3DS eShop.

• 2009

  Lit released on WiiWare

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  WayForward releases Lit through Nintendo's WiiWare digital platform.

• 2008

  Independent Games Summit appearance

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  John Beck and Matt Bozon speak at the Independent Games Summit during the Game Developers Conference.

• 2002

  First Shantae game released

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  The original Shantae launches for Game Boy Color, published by Capcom, establishing WayForward's best-known original property.

• 1997

  Video-game division relaunched

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  WayForward restarts its video-game business and expands as a contract developer for publishers.

• 1995

  Innovation recognition

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  The company receives innovation-related recognition at the Consumer Electronics Show.

• 1994

  Educational software partnership

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  WayForward partners with American Education Publishing to expand educational game development and licensed learning projects.

• 1990

  Company founded

  [1]WayForwarden.wikipedia.org

  Voldi Way establishes WayForward Technologies as an independent technology and video-game company.

Independent, creator-led game developer and publisher specializing in polished 2D action, platform, adventure, and puzzle games, while also producing licensed titles for major entertainment properties.

• Original video-game franchise · 2002

  Shantae series

  WayForward's flagship original property is a side-scrolling action-platform series centered on Shantae, a half-genie heroine. The franchise combines exploration, transformation abilities, combat, platforming, humor, and colorful hand-drawn presentation. Its entries have appeared across Nintendo handhelds and consoles, PC, and other platforms. The first game launched on Game Boy Color in 2002, while later releases broadened the series' audience and established it as one of the studio's defining properties.

• Licensed action game

  Contra 4

  Contra 4 is a WayForward-developed entry in Konami's run-and-gun action franchise. Designed for Nintendo DS, it adapts the series' fast-paced shooting and platforming to the handheld's dual-screen format. The project exemplifies WayForward's role as a specialist developer entrusted with established console and arcade properties.

• Puzzle-platform video games · 2011

  Mighty Switch Force! series

  Mighty Switch Force! is an original puzzle-platform series built around shifting blocks and manipulating the environment to reach objectives. The first game appeared on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in 2011, followed by Mighty Switch Force! 2 in 2013. The series reflects WayForward's emphasis on compact digital games, responsive controls, stylized character design, and mechanics that reinterpret classic 2D platforming.

• Puzzle-platform video game

  Mighty Flip Champs!

  Mighty Flip Champs! is a digital puzzle-platform game developed for Nintendo DSiWare. It introduced Alta, a pink-haired character equipped with a scepter, and used screen-flipping and spatial manipulation as central mechanics. The game was part of WayForward's effort to create original properties for emerging digital-download platforms.

• Puzzle-platform video game

  Mighty Milky Way

  Mighty Milky Way is an original puzzle-platform title featuring Luna. It belongs to the same broader period of digital experimentation as Mighty Flip Champs! and Mighty Switch Force!, using compact stages and unconventional movement and puzzle mechanics rather than a traditional linear action structure.

• Puzzle-horror video game · 2009

  Lit

  Lit is a WayForward-developed digital game released through Nintendo's WiiWare service. It combines environmental puzzle solving with horror themes and requires players to navigate dangerous spaces while managing light and darkness. Its release demonstrated the studio's willingness to create original games for console digital storefronts rather than focusing exclusively on boxed retail products.

• Licensed action-adventure game · 2012

  Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!

  This licensed action-adventure game adapts Cartoon Network's Adventure Time property into a 2D game developed for Nintendo platforms. It uses characters and settings from the animated series while drawing on exploration and platforming conventions associated with WayForward's original work.

• Licensed action game · 2013

  Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know!

  This follow-up Adventure Time game expands WayForward's work with the animated franchise through a dungeon-oriented action format. It was released in 2013 and illustrates the studio's ability to adapt cartoon licenses into different gameplay structures.

• Licensed platform game · 2013

  Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land

  Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land is a WayForward-developed platform game based on the animated series Regular Show. Its presentation and gameplay draw deliberately on 8-bit-era conventions, matching the studio's broader interest in retro-styled design and licensed cartoon properties.

• Licensed retro video game

  Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!

  Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! is a Game Boy Color-era licensed title associated with WayForward's later collaboration with ModRetro on a retro-hardware re-release. The 2025 arrangement became controversial because of the public profile and business associations of ModRetro owner Palmer Luckey.

• 2025

  Backlash over ModRetro collaboration

  WayForward's announcement of a ModRetro re-release of Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! triggered social-media criticism concerning Palmer Luckey's political statements and his association with Anduril Industries. WayForward removed the initial announcement, explained that Archie Comics controlled the relevant deal and that WayForward would not receive royalties from individual hardware sales, and later removed the explanatory posts. The episode generated further speculation about the studio's involvement but no confirmed financial misconduct is identified in the supplied sources.

  Source

Read more

• 2025

  Clarification of ModRetro deal participationOther

  Background

  Online criticism followed an announcement linking WayForward with a ModRetro re-release of Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!.

  Action taken

  WayForward deleted the original announcement and later stated that Archie Comics was responsible for the deal and that WayForward would not receive royalties from individual hardware sales.

  Aftermath

  The subsequent deletion of the clarification posts led to additional online speculation and reputational criticism.

  Source

• 2016

  Crowdfunding of Shantae: Half-Genie HeroStrategy

  Background

  WayForward sought fan support for a new major installment of its original Shantae franchise.

  Action taken

  The company used Kickstarter crowdfunding to support development of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero.

  Aftermath

  The game was released in December 2016 and demonstrated a direct-fan funding route for one of WayForward's original properties.

  Source

• 2002

  Launch of the Shantae propertyProduct launch

  Background

  WayForward sought to develop and release original intellectual property rather than relying solely on contracted and licensed work.

  Action taken

  The studio released the first Shantae game for Game Boy Color, with Capcom as publisher.

  Aftermath

  The game earned critical praise but had limited commercial reach because it arrived near the end of the Game Boy Color's market life. The property later became WayForward's flagship franchise.

  Source

• 1997

  Adoption of a developer-for-hire modelStrategy

  Background

  After restarting its video-game division, WayForward needed a sustainable way to maintain development work as a small independent studio.

  Action taken

  The company expanded contract development for publishers and rights holders, taking on smaller projects across multiple platforms and licensed properties.

  Aftermath

  The model helped WayForward maintain a steadier workload and build experience that later supported original franchises and larger licensed projects.

  Source

1. 1WayForwarden.wikipedia.org
2. 2WayForward official websitewayforward.com