sandmountainslim Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I LIKE it! Reminds me of mowing the lawn. Wp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiohead Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) It has potential, but it's hard. It's not enticing enough right now for me as the player to try to improve. I played about 8 straight rounds of losing my 3 men one right after another, only improving slightly each time. Even my 13 yr old video game wizard son took a crack at it. But ultimately, we didn't even complete the 1st level. I lost interest and just I gave up. Other than just trying to clear the board, I didn't feel much reward to continue. The other games variations, while good ideas, just make a hard game that much more frustrating. Maybe you could have the enemy stalk you slower in the first round, giving the player a better chance to win the level (maybe at the same slower speed used by the "smart enemy" in the Game 2.) Then with each completed level, the enemy gets a little faster, or more obstacles appear, etc. Build the challenge up. That way, a player can complete the first couple of screens and feel that they're making progress. The current speed of the enemy should be considered level 3 or 4. If you don't want to change up the speed, can you add hidden items in the red area that when uncovered, the enemy "freezes", reverses course, or disappears to another part of the screen away from you? Can the player move diagonally for a better chance to avoid the enemy? I know you're trying to keep it under 2K, so I don't know if any of this is possible. To me, it's like a carnival barker letting you make the first 2 shots into the basket, before you try for the winning 3rd shot. If you can't make the first shots, you're not going to stay and play his game for the prize. Unfortunately, that's how I feel with your game at the moment. Otherwise, it's a really clever game idea and I look forward to seeing more! Thanks! Edited August 3, 2011 by radiohead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 Thanks for the input! I still have a lot to do with adjusting the speeds and all that, but I just added diagonal support just to try it out. I think I may make it so you go faster when holding the button and get reduced points, dropping diagonal movement. Muncher.bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Thanks for the input! I still have a lot to do with adjusting the speeds and all that, but I just added diagonal support just to try it out. I think I may make it so you go faster when holding the button and get reduced points, dropping diagonal movement. Muncher.bin Lookin' good! My high score so far: -B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianC Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Neat game! Plays kind of like a reverse Qix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS_Dracon Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) I like the speed now. How about to increase the enemy number (NUSIZx) every new level? Edited August 7, 2011 by LS_Dracon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiohead Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Moving diagonally helped tremendously for me. It became more playable. After clearing 2 boards, I then selected the more difficult games selections, which I wasn't inspired to do before. I think there still needs to be some subtle game/graphic change after clearing boards (Space Invaders get lower after each round, Pac-Man adds new fruit, Centipede & Missle Command change board colors, etc.) Maybe combine the other game variations as part of the level advances (game 2 is level 3, game 3 is level 5, and so on.) But just adding diagonal moves is a great fix. Keep up the good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 I've added the ability to move faster by pressing the joystick button. There is now a meter at the bottom left indicating how much longer you can move fast. You can replenish the meter by collecting more red while going slow. Muncher.bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+atari2600land Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I've added the ability to move faster by pressing the joystick button. There is now a meter at the bottom left indicating how much longer you can move fast. You can replenish the meter by collecting more red while going slow. Looking good! I suggest that the red changes color each time you clear the board and enter a new level (i.e. blue for level 2...) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Kofoed Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I like the basic gameplay and concept, but it would be nice if the player sprite was anything, you know, other than a box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) Changes: * board changes color every level * enemies get stretched to double width at the fourth board * the amount of time you can go fast decreases as you clear boards * you get another life every four boards in games 1-4 I'm about out of ROM now but there are always optimizations to be made. Let me know what you think Muncher.bin Edited August 14, 2011 by Wickeycolumbus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impaler_26 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Nice little game, i like it! Could you make it so that the game waits a few seconds before you can restart it with the fire-button after you die? A few times i lost my last life while i had the fire-button pressed and the game immediately restarted and i couldn't see my final score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS_Dracon Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 (edited) 2k is a challenge? Why not use 4kb? How about use a color background? A dark luminance ($x2 or $x4). Acording Atari, game with color background sell better. Edited August 16, 2011 by LS_Dracon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+atari2600land Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I wondered if the same game could be done in 2k using batari Basic. Press the select switch to toggle between 1 enemy, 2 enemies bouncing, and 1 enemy bouncing and 1 enemy chasing you simultaneously. Granted, it's not as nice as Wickeycolumbus's, but I got bored. bBiter.bas.bin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 very cool! thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted August 26, 2011 Author Share Posted August 26, 2011 (edited) 2k is a challenge? Why not use 4kb? How about use a color background? A dark luminance ($x2 or $x4). Acording Atari, game with color background sell better. I kind of like the black background, but I'll play around with other colors. I'm not sure what else I can do with the gameplay, but I might go 4K to include a title screen and SaveKey support. Nice little game, i like it! Could you make it so that the game waits a few seconds before you can restart it with the fire-button after you die? A few times i lost my last life while i had the fire-button pressed and the game immediately restarted and i couldn't see my final score. Thanks! Let me know what you think about this ROM. Muncher.bin Edited August 26, 2011 by Wickeycolumbus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r_type2600 Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 That's one great little game! Smooth original gameplay and very addictive! Also like how it somehow manages to feel like an early Atari effort (graphics) and play like an early Activision classic (intense gameplay) The game variations already provide a number of logical additional game elements, but I think it would be better to merge them into one full-fletched game with increasingly difficult levels. That would really boost the long-term appeal of the game. This game has the stuff of a classic, so I think you should really consider 4k to max out its potential (even if you only end up needing 3k). Only for additional game elements tough - presentation extras (like a title screen etc.) would only water down the raw charm of this little gem. A few small suggestions: - a couple more "dumb" enemies with different bouncing patterns. - more (than 2) on-screen enemies in later levels - the different type of enemies should be distinguishable. Different (invaders) graphics for the various "dumb" moving patterns, different colors for different speeds. The smart enemy could then look like the invaders UFO. Don't really see the necessity for color backgrounds, the "food" surface changes color with every new level anyway, so that already provides enough variation, without getting confusing. And I love the player "block" sprite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 That's one great little game! Smooth original gameplay and very addictive! Also like how it somehow manages to feel like an early Atari effort (graphics) and play like an early Activision classic (intense gameplay) The game variations already provide a number of logical additional game elements, but I think it would be better to merge them into one full-fletched game with increasingly difficult levels. That would really boost the long-term appeal of the game. This game has the stuff of a classic, so I think you should really consider 4k to max out its potential (even if you only end up needing 3k). Only for additional game elements tough - presentation extras (like a title screen etc.) would only water down the raw charm of this little gem. A few small suggestions: - a couple more "dumb" enemies with different bouncing patterns. - more (than 2) on-screen enemies in later levels - the different type of enemies should be distinguishable. Different (invaders) graphics for the various "dumb" moving patterns, different colors for different speeds. The smart enemy could then look like the invaders UFO. Don't really see the necessity for color backgrounds, the "food" surface changes color with every new level anyway, so that already provides enough variation, without getting confusing. And I love the player "block" sprite Thanks for the kind words! I'm using this 2K version for the 2011 mini game compo, but will work on a 4K version for later release. Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll do my best to incorporate them into the final game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Nice game. A couple of comments: - The colours seem really garish: bright green, yellow, red. Is this a Christmas release or something? I dunno, the colour slection could be better. - I think you need a more original looking alien - it looks like a copy of one of the aliens in Space Invaders... Other than that no negatives - it is fun to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TwentySixHundred Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 I like this game alot and cant wait to see a 4k version ,really fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Why can't you add the difficulty switch to switch control schemes? B being you hold the stick to move in that direction, and A to just tap it and it keeps moving. I would like to play on a Sanwa stick, that I use for shoot em ups, so I would like the option to have the character only move when you're pressing a direction of the stick. This definitely looks like my kind of game, I'll fire it up on the harmony cart tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impaler_26 Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 ... Thanks! Let me know what you think about this ROM. ... Very nice, that's much better! Now i was finally able to take a snap of my best score (so far): How about animating the enemy sprite (if you have enough bytes left)? Even a simple 2-frame animation would be neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+atari2600land Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I would really like to see a 2k homebrew game be successful enough to be in the store. And I think this is the one to do just that. What I'm saying is: please keep the game at 2k! We need more of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+atari2600land Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 So, are you going to work on this some more, or is it finished? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 So, are you going to work on this some more, or is it finished? Work on it some more when I get the chance I've had a couple ideas on how to improve the game, just no time to implement them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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