Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Developed In Parallel On Vita And 3DS

Armature Studio, formed by a team of developers that once worked at Retro Studios on Metroid Prime, are developing Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. Blackgate is a side-scrolling Metroid-style game and will take place after the end of Batman: Arkham Origins on PC and consoles.

Blackgate runs on a modified version of the Bluepoint Engine, Armature have revealed via Twitter. The Bluepoint Engine has been used to create games like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Both 3DS and Vita will use the same engine.

That said, neither of the two versions is a port of the other, according to Armature’s Technical Director Jack Mathews. When asked whether 3DS or Vita is the lead platform, Mathews replied: “It’s a combined effort. Most everyone has both dev kits on their desk. Platforms too different to concentrate on one lead.”

Despite the technological differences in platforms, the game will be the same on both 3DS and Vita, with the only major differences being in the graphics department. “Vita has higher res assets, 3DS has 3D,” Mathews confirmed. He elaborated further: “We have custom tools to help generate ideally sized models and textures for each platform from a common source.”

When asked by fans if the 3DS version would run at 30fps in 3D, Mathews stated it would. “If we don’t hit 30, we’re not doing our jobs,” he said to one Twitter user.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will be released alongside Batman: Arkham Origins on October 25th.