WayForward Technologies, Inc. is an American company that creates and sells video games. It is based in Valencia, California. The company was started in March 1990 by Voldi Way, a technology business leader. WayForward first made games for consoles like the Super NES and Sega Genesis, as well as for television games and personal computer educational software. In 1997, the company started a new part focused on video games, working with other companies to create games based on their characters or properties.
WayForward has made several original game series, including its main series called Shantae. The first game in this series was released for the Game Boy Color and published by Capcom. The company has developed games for handheld consoles such as the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and PlayStation Vita. It has also created games for Nintendo's WiiWare system on the Wii and Wii U, as well as for the Nintendo Switch. WayForward has also made games for personal computers and mobile phones.
History
WayForward Technologies was started in 1990 by Voldi Way as a company that makes video games. Before this, he had another company that made software for making metal parts. In the beginning, WayForward made software for the Super NES, Genesis, Game Gear, and Game Boy Color. Later, the company made educational games for personal computers and the Leapster. At this time, many employees had other jobs to support their goal of becoming game developers.
In 1994, WayForward worked with American Education Publishing to create more educational video games. This partnership was successful, and the company won awards for innovation at the 1995 Consumer Electronics Show. During this time, WayForward made games using characters like the Muppets.
In April 1997, WayForward restarted its video game business by working as a "developer for hire," meaning they made games for other companies. John Beck, the CEO, said that working on smaller projects helped the company stay busy. In mid-2002, WayForward released their first game made by the company, called Shantae, based on their own idea. Though it was praised by critics, it was one of the last games made for the Game Boy Color and had limited success.
When Nintendo announced the Nintendo DS in early 2004, WayForward studied the new console’s features. They began working on a Shantae sequel that used the console’s two screens. However, they could not find a publisher to support the game. Because they had already created many Shantae game materials, like 3D models, WayForward often used them to test new technology. In 2004, WayForward was hired by THQ to make a chat game called Ping Pals for the Nintendo DS. Even though the time to make the game was short, the company used the chance to get tools for the console. The game received mostly negative reviews and only one positive review. In 2006, WayForward released Justice League Heroes: The Flash, which had mixed reviews as the Game Boy Advance was ending its time on the market. The company later made more games for the Nintendo DS, including Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck, based on a 1951 cartoon.
On February 19, 2008, John Beck and Matt Bozon spoke at the Independent Games Summit during the 2008 Game Developers Conference about challenges for independent game companies. A game called Lit was announced on March 5, 2008, and released on February 9, 2009, for the WiiWare online store. A new Shantae game was considered for the same platform.
WayForward introduced a new character named Alta, a pink-haired girl who uses a scepter. This character was part of a new idea for a game. On March 9, 2009, the company announced a DSiWare game called Mighty Flip Champs! featuring Alta. Later, WayForward made Mighty Milky Way, a puzzle game with a new character named Luna. The sequel, Mighty Switch Force!, was released on the 3DS eShop on December 22, 2011, and a second sequel, Mighty Switch Force! 2, came out in 2013.
In 2012, Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! was released. A sequel, Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know!, and Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land were released in 2013. A new Mighty Switch Force! sequel came out on June 13, 2013. A new Shantae game, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, was announced in 2014 and released on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop. Another Shantae game, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, was crowdfunded through Kickstarter and released in December 2016. On April Fool’s Day 2013, WayForward joked about a game called Cat Girl Without Salad!. Fans liked the idea, and the game was later released through a Humble Bundle in June 2016. In May 2017, WayForward published versions of Mystik Belle for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
In August 2025, WayForward announced a partnership with ModRetro, a company that makes Game Boy Color clone consoles owned by Palmer Luckey. The partnership was to re-release Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!. The news caused strong reactions online, with people mentioning Palmer Luckey’s support for Donald Trump and his company, Anduril Industries. WayForward first removed the posts about the partnership, saying that the rights holders of Sabrina, Archie Comics, were responsible for the deal. They later removed their explanation, leading people to believe WayForward was involved in the partnership.
Games
A plan for a Shantae sequel was called Shantae: Risky Waters. It was intended for the GameCube and would have been a rafting game. The game’s design included features that made the GameCube controller feel like it had left and right triggers with special resistance. The plan was canceled after WayForward could not find a publisher. Later, WayForward decided to publish all Shantae sequels on their own, beginning with Risky's Revenge.