Star Garden Surpasses Kickstarter Goal, Announces Shogo Sakai Collaboration as Major Stretch Goal

Indie Game 'Star Garden' Exceeds Kickstarter Goal; Game Garage Sets $180,000 Stretch Target for Shogo Sakai Soundtrack Contribution Game Garage, the independent studio behind the forthcoming Nintendo Switch indie title Star Garden, has exceeded its Kickstarter funding goal with remarkable speed.

Initially seeking $35,000 to bring their Sonic Adventure and Kirby Air Ride-inspired project to life, the campaign has garnered over $158,000 from backers with 20 days remaining.

Now, the team is ramping up momentum with ambitious new stretch goals, including coveted PlayStation and Xbox versions and a special collaboration with renowned composer Shogo Sakai. Sakai, a familiar name for fans of HAL Laboratory and Nintendo classics, is best known for his work composing soundtracks for Mother 3 (Game Boy Advance), Super Smash Bros.

Melee, and Kirby Air Ride.

After a lengthy tenure at HAL Laboratory, Sakai began freelancing in 2023, producing music content and engaging with his fanbase through a YouTube channel dedicated to classical music and video game compositions. Game Garage has introduced a $180,000 stretch goal that, if achieved, would secure Sakai’s involvement in crafting two original tracks for Star Garden.

The indie project offers a unique blend of life simulation, pet raising, and vehicular combat, inviting players to nurture and train fantastical creatures known as Lumi.

These creatures not only evolve but also transform into vehicles reminiscent of the Warp Stars from Kirby, designed for both battling and racing. The partnership between Game Garage and Sakai emerged through the efforts of Robert Maloney, producer on Deltarune, who facilitated the connection between the young development team and the veteran composer.

In an official Medium blog post, Sakai expressed gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunity: “At this stage in my career, being invited to contribute to a new project by a younger generation of creators is deeply moving.

My response can only be to give my utmost in producing music, striving to make Star Garden as beautiful and engaging as possible.” With the Kickstarter campaign still open, Game Garage encourages fans and supporters to help reach this new goal—unlocking Sakai’s contribution and further expanding the ambitious scope of Star Garden.

Those interested can back the project on Kickstarter to help make this collaboration a reality and bring the title to more platforms, including PlayStation and Xbox, alongside the Nintendo Switch and digital eShop release.

PlayStation Xbox Kickstarter Goal developer Garden Star Garden Game Garage Shogo Sakai Nintendo Switch HAL Laboratory Super Smash Bros. Melee Kirby Air Ride Mother 3 Robert Maloney Deltarune