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Project Log #3

Updated game UI

Added lives and points system

Added enemy cubes type 1 (not currently functioning)

The first type of enemies will simply move side to side on he screen. They'll come from either left or right go to the other side then disappear. The second type will do the same but slow down when above the player before shooting them and then repeat when they come back from the other side. The third type will spawn from the sides and point at the player before shooting 3 lasers one after another that stay in place for 5 secs.

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Project log #2

I want to give the game a unique look. I want the platforms players and other moving parts to be done in 3D but the borders, score, time and stuff will be in 2D. I have moved the camera angle to make it so 3D aspect of the moving objects, most notably the platforms, become more prominent.

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Project log #1

The arcade game's working name is "Cube Buster" and I made a mockup tittle screen for it. The choice of color is due to me wanting the 2 main colors to be opposites of each other so they would give off a stronger glitch effect.

I also ended up making some assets like the platform, player cube, enemy cubes and pellets.

The platforms is meant to be similar to the ones in the UNDERTALE Sans boss fight as the idea of them in 3D seemed really neat looking. The cubes are meant to be one simple color but I decided to ad an outline color to them so they don't blend in with the background.

The enemies pellet's would disable the platform they hit for 5 seconds where it becomes prismarine color like the cubes and dimmed out.

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Goals - 19/01/24

Finish project proposal

Start prototyping the project

Import/ create sprite assets

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Project log #0

Game description/Story

In (Game Name) You play as a cube that fight off other infected cubes by shooting them(IDK). It takes inspiration from titles such as Space Invaders, Inversus and Flat heroes.

Gameplay/Mechanics

The game would be a bullet hell where you play as a cube that dodges incoming projectiles in a limited movement on top of a set of platforms. The player would control a cube that has 8 directional movement inside a box on the screen. The cube starts of with 5 Health and cannot regain it once its lost. The player gets points for hitting shots and some more when a target is destroyed. The platforms have health of their own and once down they will be unusable until the next event. An event is when the platforms disappears and move around in a way that causes the player to need to do some form of parkour to not fall.

Controls

Using the joystick the players can maneuver the Cube between platforms by going side to side. The lower left button can be used for jumping and the lower middle button can be used to shoot upwards into the enemies.

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Goichi Suda

Suda51 ( Goichi Suda's alias) is a video game writer, designer and director

Fatal Frame: Mask Of The Lunar Eclipse

Shadows of the Dammed

(TBF)

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HUD - Score

When the game loads it tries to get your high score, if it doesn't find one it will make one. When the game ends it will save the players score into the save slot. When the game loads a slot it will use the one from the previous one rather than make a new one. Using a widget we bring the players current score and high score t have it displayed on the UI.

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Game Ideas

- Idea 1

My first Idea is about making a shooting game. I wanna make it around the idea of shooting stuff to get as many points as possible whilst also avoiding other stuff. I'm thinking of a 2D shooter where the player can aim in 8 directions and move around to aim, dodge and collect collectables.

The inspirations for this idea would be...

Wild Guns (1994)

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Inversus

The equilibrium part would be that when a character shoots its stops moving so the player will have to be able to balance between firing at the enemies for points and evading them to maintain health.

- Idea 2

I also want to consider making an 2D auto side scrolling platformer. I want the game to be similar to Super Mario. Bros but instead of not being able to walk backwards on the level the is always moving forwards to keep the player on their toes. The player would be in a constant run where they stay in the shape spot in the screen when not touching the joystick but when moving around they can get top one side of the screen to another to make the player feel more agile.

The idea takes from media such as...

Super Mario. Bros 3

Rogue Soul 2

Katana Zero

You should try to find balance in this game by not being so for back into the screen you struggle to pull of some stunts while also not being to far ahead and receive attacks for enemies you couldn't see coming.

- Idea 3

My final idea would be making a top down bullet hell. The game would have somewhat similar playstyle to Undertale, specifically the parts when you fight monsters, with you inside a box as projectiles fly about. Every so often powerups will appear. They give health, a boost or event been a point multiplier.

This idea came from thinking about...

Deltarune

Just Shapes & Beats

Flat Heroes

The balance needed in this game would be the players actions based on risk & reward. The powerups would have more projectiles surrounding the or even be luring you into danger. This is where the player must what's more valuable, their health or their points.

What all these proposed ideas have in common is a need for balance that takes form in Risk vs Reward . If you stand shooting for too long you risk being shoot yourself. If you rush without planning your actions you might find yourself stumbling and failing. If you get to close to the projectiles you risk losing health. all of them have a reward that comes with a risk. Regardless of which option I pick I will make it so the more points you get/ have the harder the stage becomes.

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Arcade game categories

There is a wide variety of arcade games out there spanning many genres. Some games even share a common theme/goal that captures what its truly about.

High score

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong kidnaps Pauline and it's up to Mario to rescue her. To do so the player must parkour over obstacles like barrels and live flame on a construction cite in an attempt to rescue the damsel in destress. The game in of of the first platformers ever making it a hit once it came out eventually leading to Donkey Kong being seen in the same light as Pac-Man was in the golden era of arcade games.

Pac-Man

Pacman in trapped alongside 4 ghosts attempting to catch him in a maze. The player must avoid or munch on the ghosts until we get all the dots and advance to the next level. Pac-Man was a revolutionary arcade game that created the maze chase genre, inspirited many others and become one of the first videogame mascots.

Space Invaders

Space invaders is a shoot-em-up game where the player shoots at invading aliens with a cannon before they reach you. You are fixed to shoot and can only move sideways behind four bunkers. Its one of the most revolutionary games of all time, one of which started the golden age of arcade games, temporarily making it the highest-grossing entertainment product at the time.

Shooters

Space Harrier

The Space Harrier returns to stop an evil tyrant from corrupting the peaceful Land of the Dragons by finding Euria, the missing heir to the throne. The player character can run across the ground or fly using his flight belt. In January 1986, Game Machine listed Space Harrier as being the top-grossing title on the monthly upright/cockpit arcade cabinet charts in Japan. It remained at the top of the upright/cockpit arcade charts for much of 1986, through February, March and early April, then returning to the top in May, remaining at the top through June, July and August, and then topping the charts again in October.

Solar Fox

The player's task is to pilot a star ship through a series of squared solar cell matrixes inside a rack. While capturing the cells the player must dodge waves of fireballs that are being thrown by Sentinels. The game did well enough for it to get an Atari port.

Navarone

You pilot a ship destroying 2 of 3 things from a top-down perspective. There are dots, bombs and shooters. It was one of the first arcade shooters that could not only move you from left-to-right but could also move you top-to-bottom. It was featured in the latest Namco Museum collection

Racing

Road Blasters

In RoadBlasters, the player must navigate an armed sports car through 50 different rally races, getting to the finish line before running out of fuel. The objective is to complete all 50 rallies without running out of fuel. The player's car has two fuel tanks, a main tank and a smaller reserve. If the main tank runs empty at any time, the car begins to use its reserve. In a review of the Lynx version, Robert A. Jung concluded, "This is a mind-blowing awesome adaptation. I'd recommend it to most video-game players -- fans of driving games, fans of shooting games, fans of action games, and fans of the arcade original.

Super Sprint

Super Sprint is a game where up to three players can drive formulae-one like cars around a circuit. You have to drive 8 circuits, each consisting of 3 laps and as you progress more and more obstacles appears on the circuit like oil puddles or even tornados. In Japan, Game Machine listed Super Sprint on their August 15, 1986 issue as being the second most-successful upright/cockpit arcade unit of the month and was the ninth highest-grossing upright/cockpit arcade game of 1986.

Night Driver

In Night Driver the player controls a car which must be driven along a road at night time without crashing into the sides of the road as indicated by road side reflectors. The game is controlled with a single pedal for the accelerator, a wheel for steering and a four-selection lever for gear shifting. It's one of the first first-person racing video games and is believed to be one of the first published video games to feature real-time first-person graphics.

Fighting

Mortal Kombat 2

The game's plot continues from the first game, featuring the next Mortal Kombat tournament set in the otherdimensional realm of Outworld, with the Outworld and Earthrealm representatives fighting each other on their way to challenge the evil emperor Shao Kahn. The gameplay system of Mortal Kombat II is an improved version of that from the original Mortal Kombat. There are several changes in standard moves: a crouching punch was added, low and high kicks have greater differentiation , roundhouse kicks are made more powerful , and it is easier to perform combos due to reduced recovery times for attacks. MK2 was the pinnacle of fighting games at the time, it was the last great 2D fighting game. 

King of Fighters '95

Rugal Bernstein, thought to have perished in an explosion in the previous game, had in fact survived and sent out invitations to the teams from the previous game signed simply ‘R'. The game features a similar cast to KOF '94 with the exception of the USA Team, which was replaced by the Rival Team. Upon release, Computer and Video Games magazine called it "arguably the greatest 2D fighting game ever" made. The King of Fighters '95 was awarded Best Neo-Geo Game of 1995 by Electronic Gaming Monthly in 1996.

Holosseum

Holosseum plays similarly to other 2D versus fighting games during its release, which the player's character fights against his or her opponent in best two-out-of-three matches in a single player tournament mode with the computer or against another human player. The player has a character roster of four selectable fighters to choose from, each with their own fighting style and special techniques.

Brawlers

Knights of the Round

Knights of the Round is an arcade game released by Capcom in 1991. A side-scrolling beat 'em up based loosely on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the game features an action role-playing video game-like level advancement system, with fighters automatically being upgraded to new weapons and armor as they advance through the game. In Japan, Game Machine listed Knights of the Round on their March 1, 1992 issue as being the most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles such as Street Fighter II: The World Warrior

Armored Warriors

Armored Warriors , is a 1994 mecha-themed beat-em-up game released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game for their CP System II hardware. The game's most prominent feature is its multi-player option, and the ability to augment the players' mechs with a large array of different parts for varied attacks.[3] Multiple regions of the mech could be switched, including the arms, legs and handheld weaponry. Such parts were gained (or lost) by inflicting damage upon enemies, which would cause various parts to disembark and be wielded by the player.  In Japan, Game Machine listed Armored Warriors on their December 1, 1994 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. In 2023, Time Extension included the game on their top 25 "Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time" list.

Alien vs. Predator

Alien Vs Predator is a 1994 beat 'em up video game developed and released by Capcom for the CPS-2 arcade game system. It is based on the science fiction franchise of the same name. Introducing an original fighter to the game: Lt. Kurosawa, the players take control of up to three from the selection of four cyborgs and Predator characters in a battle against the Alien hordes and rogue human soldiers. Alien vs. Predator uses a control setup with an eight-directional joystick and three buttons: one to attack, one to jump, and one to shoot. The default cabinet for the game allows as many as three players to play simultaneously, although some smaller cabinets only accommodate two players. Alien vs. Predator has been very well received by critics. In Japan, Game Machine listed the game on their July 15, 1994 issue as being the third most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles like Fantastic Journey and Puyo Puyo.

Interactive

Whac a mole

Whac-a-Mole is an arcade game. It was created in 1975 by the amusements manufacturer TOGO in Japan. A typical Whac-A-Mole machine consists of a waist-level cabinet with a play area and display screen, and a large, soft mallet. Five to eight holes in the play area top are filled with small, plastic, cartoonish moles, or other characters, which pop up at random. Points are scored by, as the name suggests, whacking each mole as it appears. The faster the reaction, the higher the score.

Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine

Dance Dance Revolution is a music video game, developed by Konami, released in arcades on September 26, 1998, in Japan. The core game involves the player stepping their feet to correspond with the arrows that appear on the screen and the beat of the song playing. During normal gameplay, arrows scroll upwards from the bottom of the screen and pass over a set of stationary arrows near the top . When the scrolling arrows overlap the stationary ones, the player must step on the corresponding arrows on the dance platform, and the player has been given a judgment for their accuracy of every streaked note .

Air Hockey

Air Hockey is a Pong-like table top sport where two opposing players try to score goals against each other on a low-friction table using two hand-held discs and a lightweight plastic puck. A typical air hockey table consists of a large smooth playing surface designed to minimize friction, a surrounding rail to prevent the puck and strikers (paddles) from leaving the table, and slots in the rail at either end of the table that serve as goals.

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Arcade games

An arcade game is a coin operated entertainment machine installed in a public businesses such as bars, restaurants or amusement arcades.

Arcade games were originally housed in amusement halls which were people could spend their money on coin operated machines like slot machines or pinball and have fun. In 1971 Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney created the first arcade video game - Computer space.

Atari, a company founded by Nolan and Ted, would later release Pong surpassing Computer Space. After this many game companies began making their own arcade games throughout the 70's with racing games taking the lead. Until 1978 when Tatio released Space Invaders creating the shoot-'em-up genre and starting the golden age of arcade games.

In 1980 Pac-Man was released by Midway and developed by Namco, both becoming arcade giants. Pac-Man revolutionized arcade games in many ways, introduced a new genre the maze chase and also becoming the first mascot character in gaming. Donkey Kong would later introduce many people to platformer games and becomes popular on a similar level to Pac-Man.

In 1991 Capcom released the game Street Fighter 2 which is considered to be the pinnacle of of the fighting game genre. It inspired games like Tekken and Mortal combat and still has influence on most of modern fighting games.

As the 2000's rolled around the popularity of video game arcades slowly started to die out due to consoles becoming more mainstream with entertainment arcades simply couldn't reproduce. This leaves us at the current state where arcade games are mostly found in entertainment centres and even some popular restaurant chains. The community for arcade games still lives on to this day in many form of different media be it art, tournament and even recreations.

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8 & 4 Directional movement

The vector snaps the to a grid of 45 degrees giving the character 8 directions to move in. If the Grid size is set to 90 the character will only have 4 directions to turn to but will also fell quite janky due to delay. The ABS (absolute) makes it so the negative direction value is treated as a positive so it doesn't just snap to the the positive directional input.

A lot of games only allow movement 4 directions while some prefer to have 8 directions which fits more precise movement heavy games.

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Fixed camera

having a fixed camera mean that it stays in the same location in an area and only moves by turning around. This can have limitations like having limited room for characters to be seen but it can also helpful with things like hiding something from the players immediate view.

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Triangle

Triangles are related to thing like trios, the number three, unbalance, direction and oddness . It's a shape when commonly see around us.

Triangles are the most basic and simple polygons consisting of only three sides. Polygons are used in 3D modelling as the edges make it easer to fold, mode or stretch the corners when in comparison to other shapes.

This is very noticeable in older games where models where more polygonal and rigid. Trying more to recreate the main shape of the object/figure.

Miracle Matter is the "final boss" Boss in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards that you fight in act 4 of Ripple Star. It takes form as a white icosahedron (20 faces) with blood red "eyes" on each side that black out as you deal damage to it until their all gone. If you don't have all the crystal shards from the previous planets will lead you to the bad ending. If you have collected all the crystal shards defeating the boss unlocks the final planet Dark Start along with the game's true final boss.

Miracle matter attacks by shifting forms using powers similar to 7 of Kirby's copy abilities.

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Circles

Circles represent unity, continuation, infinity, cycles and perfection. This shape appears in our everyday life.

Circles can be used in game design for many things like hitboxes. Using similar shapes for hitboxes can help with consistency with leads to hitboxes being less janky. Here are the hitboxes for some of Kirby's moves in SSBU.

Kirby - Ultimate Frame Data

Kirby is a very circular character. He consists of a couple circles, literally. He has a circle for his main body, two smaller stubby circles for hands and another pair of elongate 3/4 circles for his feet. He's the main character in his series and acts as a hero the save popstar and it's residents from danger.

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Square

Squares symbolise sturdiness, strength, completeness, structure and security. Many things show squares or square like shapes in life.

Squares can be used in games design for artistic purposes such as pixel art. A digital art style where you only use single coloured pixels to draw. Pixel art is a great visual style for games that is sadly overlooked for being somewhat seen as "basic".

Thwomps are enemies in the Mario series introduced all the way back in Super Mario Bros. 3 that have a very square like design with sharp edges, sometimes spikes, and smash down on Mario when he is too close to them.