For reasons of time and skillset, I'm planning to build a 2d game. And probably tile-based, for speedy level creation.
However, I don't know what style of gameplay to offer. The points of contention include:
- Avoid enemies (e.g. Super Mario) or collect weapons and destroy enemies (e.g. Contra). My bias is sans weapons, because the sophistication and attack patterns of enemies required for a weapons-based game is much more, and I'm trying to minimize the work involved.
- Individual levels (e.g. Bubble Bobble) or one giant world (C64 had heaps of these, e.g. Finders Keepers, but I can't think of many recent games that fit this mold). Although it means more work, I'm inclined to build one giant world, because the replay value is much greater.
What do you think?
What does "sans weapons" mean?
ReplyDeleteAlso, weapons don't need to be super complicated - they could even involve simply rolling bombs or setting a trap (burning patch or something). Bubble Bobble has very simple "weapons" - set for each character type. It's good to be able to bash your enemies once in a while. Did you ever play "Another World"? Brilliant kind of action/problem solving 2D game. The most you ever had was a single gun that could shoot in straight lines.
Re one giant world vs levels - are you saying that the replay value on a level game like Bubble Bobble is low? :P
I think as long as you have a good story line, individual levels vs one giant world doesn't matter (would you say single player Halo is levels or one giant world?)
If I was going to make a 2D platform game, it would be similar (but simpler than) Another World http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_World_(video_game)
Free demo downloadable from AW homepage.
Sans weapons means minus weapons. :) good point about limited weapons. Even Super Mario Bros had weapons, but the focus was on platforming and I guess I'm still trying to decide what the focus should be.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Bubble Bobble is a champion games, and infinitely replayable. However, the current generation of gamers don't appreciate starting from level 1 every time they play a game. Which is funny, because they're happy to repeat the same battle a million times in Final Fantasy, or traverse the same area over and over in World Of Warcraft.
I have a personal bias for adventure games anyway, so I like the idea of players exploring an area and finding their way through. Not necessarily 1 giant world, but perhaps a series of large areas.
I played Another World ages ago. I'll download it and jog my memory a bit.
Chris
Ah right, the old font analogy :)
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean about starting from level 1 - so yes, exploring one sort of continuous world or set of events would be better.
So simple weapons are in and probably a continuous type of game. Cool!
Here's a lateral idea, but for something different, why not have the player control the world rather than the player.
ReplyDeleteIf you push sideways, the world tilts and the guy starts running down the hill building up momentum. If you push downwards, the ground falls out underneath him. If you push up before he hits the ground, you springboard him up.
You could then build some interesting contraptions that you need to manipulate to get the guy through.
Or maybe mid-game you can switch between character control, overall world control, or nearest-contraption control.
You could even have the guy called "Kon". And he could fight "trolls". And you could call it "KonTroll", with the play on words of "control" because you can control anything.
How about controlling the position of his knees with the analog sticks? Both sticks down then up to jump into the air, then slam the sticks in opposite directions for a fierce splits kick!
ReplyDeleteYou could make him a frog, and call it "Analog Frog". :)