When developer Alx Preston released adventure game Hyper Light Drifter at the end of March 2016, it was rapturously received by critics who loved the game's retro feel. Inspired by favorites like Final Fantasy 6, Super Mario Bros, and the Legend of Zelda series, the game follows a hero as he tries to find a cure for his crippling health condition, inspired largely by Preston's own struggle with a congenital heart defect.On the first episode of our new gaming series Pixel by Pixel, we meet Preston and his small team at California's Heart Machine studio to witness the feverish final moments leading up to the game's highly anticipated release. We also talk with Preston's family members and cardiologist to find out how he channeled his ongoing health concerns into his most exciting project yet.