Last year, the upcoming open-world simulation game calledSuper Zoo Storyfound itself in hot water after players criticized its arty style as being eerily similar toStardew Valley. However, even at first glance, it doesn’t take too much for players to notice how heavilyStardew ValleyinspiresSuper Zoo Story, which is prevalent in its latest gameplay trailer.
It is worth noting thatSuper Zoo Storyhas a different premise fromStardew Valley. Instead of letting players run their farm,Super Zoo Storyfocuses 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 ofSuper Zoo Storystill resemblesStardew Valleydespite its developers promising to redesign the game.
RELATED:There’s No Way Super Zoo Story Ripping Off Stardew Valley Wasn’t Intentional
Super Zoo Story’s Gameplay Trailer Still Looks Like a Stardew Valley Mod
Shortly after the controversy last year,Super Zoo Storystayed low-key and focused its time on developing the upcoming game. Last month, the indie developer released the first gameplay preview forSuper Zoo Story, giving players a more detailed look at what to expect from the upcoming game. However, while some fans expressed their interest inSuper Zoo Story, it appears that the game still couldn’t shake off its reputation of ripping offStardew Valley’sart 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 Valleymod.”
Just by watching the trailer once, it still doesn’t take a lot to see howSuper Zoo Storylooks like Stardew Valley, from the trees to the buildings to the character’s design and NPCs. Of course, it is worth stating thatStardew Valleydid not inventthe pixel-art aesthetic. However, Concerned Ape was able to develop a visual style that madeStardew Valleystand out against all other pixel art games.
However, to give credit toSuper Zoo Story, some design elements that players previously criticized were slightly changed in the latest preview. Previously, the dialog box inSuper Zoo Storyheavily resembled the one inStardew 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 fromStardew Valley. Another design element that players allegeSuper Zoo Storytook fromStardew Valleyis the mini-menu showing the in-game time, calendar, and money. However, no one knows ifSuper Zoo Storyalso 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 thatSuper Zoo Story’saesthetic still heavily resemblesStardew 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 ofSuper Zoo Story. However, it is worth remembering that whenSuper Zoo Storywas 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 fromStardew Valley, especially sinceStardew Valleyitself is inspired byHarvest Moon. However, what Concerned Ape isn’t okay with is if it turns out thatStardew Valleyassets were actually used inSuper Zoo Story. In addition, Concerned Ape also revealed thatSuper Zoo Story’sdevelopers 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’sdevelopers posted a letter of apologysaying that “it was never our intention to copy art from other games,” clarifying that they agree that “some of our art appears similar toStardew Valley. The developers ended their letter of apology by promising to redesign all assets resemblingStardew Valley. However, looking at the trailer and the comments posted by players, it appears thatSuper Zoo Storyhas yet to keep its promise.
