Dev behind some of the best retro throwbacks on Switch turns an April Fools joke into a gorgeous Zelda-like with ’90s anime vibes

When they noticed it was April Fool's Day, fans were disappointed that developer Inti Creates' teaser for a 2D mech adventure called Divine Dynamo Flamefrit was only a joke. But the developer has now released a full trailer for Divine Dynamo to prove that the game is very real, and coming this year. 

The debut trailer, released July 18, contains similar footage to the April Fool's teaser, showing its 16-bit protagonist Yuuto Hino spinning his sword into monsters loitering in Zelda-style cryptic dungeons. 

"Roll, slash, and spin your way through enemies!" declares an enthusiastic narrator. "Search for new allies on your otherworldly adventure!" Your destiny is to free the alternate universe Hologard from calamity. Along the way, you'll take control of Yuuto's robot friend Flamefrit during first-person boss fights, which look like they'll contain a lot of fiery projectiles. 

"FLAME SABER!" the narrator cries out like they're witnessing a special attack in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Actually, Divine Dynamo Flamefrit takes several cues from manga and anime; its voice acting cast includes Chainsaw Man actress Bryn Apprill, and its enemies have a Gundam sleekness to them. 

"With graphics that evoke a specific retro 16-bit era, players will feel right at home in the world of Hologard," says the game's Steam description. "Divine Dynamo Flamefrit strives for an authentic take on games and anime from the 90s."

Divine Dynamo Flamefrit will be available in Japan as part of a bundle deal with Inti Creates' new card-battler Card-en-Ciel, set for October 24, but the developer has not yet set an international release date for the game itself. So far, the dev simply plans for Divine Dynamo to be out later this winter on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC through Steam. 

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