Retro Player by justinooncx

[raw]
made by justinooncx for LD36 (COMPO)
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Intro
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What's this? Why's everything in monochrome? Why is everything so blocky and pixelated?

It's time to pay a small homage to the ancient technology of yesteryear! Back to good ol'-fashioned 8-bit graphics and SFX!

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How To Play
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- Drag the player indicator around the screen, and the character will move towards it.
- Drag the crosshair to aim where the character is firing.
- Tap on the powerups at the bottom to use them when they are fully charged!
- Stay alive for as long as possible!

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Notes
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- Kill 30 of any enemy to charge up the Bomb Powerup!
- Clear the screen from enemies and threats with a single tap!

- Kill 7 slimes to charge up the Speed Powerup!
- You move at twice the speed for 20 seconds!

- Kill 10 constructs to charge up the Shot Powerup!
- Double your firing rate for 20 seconds!

- Kill 12 mushrooms to charge up the Health Powerup!
- Heal 1 health! Can't go above 5.

- Skeletons drop free powerups when killed!

- This game is mobile-friendly!

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Post-Jam Updates
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If you want to play the updated version, click on the post-jam link below!

1.1
- Music changed to 8-bit. Finally!
- 3 bosses added! (Technically one with three forms)
* An extra layer on the Ancient Technology theme: Golems!
* Kill 30 enemies to spawn a golem to fight!
* Defeating the golem increases the enemy spawning rate by a small amount.

1.2
- Tapping on the character now stops her in place to allow emergency stops or to realign your indicator
- Golem's 'Paper' form improved
* Open palm now moves towards your crosshairs to intercept your shots

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And a special thank you to those who have played this game and given their support!

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Feedback

gassasin
28. Aug 2016 · 20:22 UTC
Verry Chellenging and cool game! Maybe u should put this game on google play
McMutton
28. Aug 2016 · 20:22 UTC
Nice gameplay concept... even though i saw myself pretty much avoiding the main mechanic pretty fast by placing the crosshair in the middle and moving the character around it.

But the "exploding" enemies kinda take care of that tactic as well.

Well done!
mat1er
28. Aug 2016 · 20:48 UTC
Really good!
RasmusErik
28. Aug 2016 · 20:56 UTC
Very good.

Really like the mechanics for steering the character.
I agree with gassasin, that it would be a nice game
to publish on google play and/or similar.
ulanda
28. Aug 2016 · 21:59 UTC
Very polished game, great art!
UnknownEvil
29. Aug 2016 · 00:06 UTC
Nice art, unique gameplay. Very hard, I like it.
quentinus60
29. Aug 2016 · 00:13 UTC
Good game !
time : 150
score : 14600 for the second try
MaTeX-7seven
29. Aug 2016 · 00:46 UTC
Really cool, and hard gameplay ^^ The art looks great and the music is very nice. gj
KingEthaniel
29. Aug 2016 · 00:54 UTC
Really interesting mechanic, I like the idea of not directly controlling your character in a fast paced action game! Also, really good art and sound.
crazyrems
29. Aug 2016 · 00:58 UTC
Really neat! It's simple and challenging at the same time.
minnouu
29. Aug 2016 · 01:09 UTC
Very nice music and art. Also really hard
masterkrepta
29. Aug 2016 · 01:43 UTC
Came because Vivian got my attention... stayed for the Awesome Art work and game play, I was raised by my game boy basically so this was excellent.,
Zaretsu
29. Aug 2016 · 01:55 UTC
Your art work and animations are phenomenal, I am glad I've a touch screen, addictive play. Controls had me hooked. :)
Ultrachessmaster
29. Aug 2016 · 02:00 UTC
dis gam is gud
Xlip
29. Aug 2016 · 02:18 UTC
ow i liked it
pokenoufl
29. Aug 2016 · 04:06 UTC
Loved it, music is great. I could see this turn into a full game if you were to set up stages. great job
killthealias
29. Aug 2016 · 04:18 UTC
This is probably one of the more interesting games I've played so far. The exclusive focus on mouse-based gameplay is really unique and makes what would otherwise be easy into a difficult challenge (in a fun way). Biggest complaint is the break from tone when the piano comes in, would have been better to have actual chiptune music.
spatanz
29. Aug 2016 · 04:20 UTC
Nice art work, quite challenging and the control is interesting.
Good job~!
Rico The Jammer
29. Aug 2016 · 05:20 UTC
I used the same strategy as @McMutton (put the crosshair in the middle, keep left click pressed, dodge everything) and could not die.

I am not too sure what you can do to avoid that though... trivializing winning strategy aside, it is very well done!
Azlen
29. Aug 2016 · 05:35 UTC
Looks easy, turns out to be quite challenging. Especially hard when using a trackpad.

On the second try I figured that the game is easier with the crosshair in the middle, and just moving the player around it. Although I notice that this has already been mentioned by "@Rico The Jammer" and @McMutton.
Bogden
29. Aug 2016 · 06:13 UTC
Nice fundamentals. Interesting twist on a classic genre as well.

Only big gripe would be missing keyboard shortcuts for the abilities.
KevKevOnFire
29. Aug 2016 · 06:18 UTC
Works nice, looks nice. Main complaint is that the controls are kind of awkward and put a big divide between this game and the theme, both its own and the game jams. Can't say I can think of any Gameboy games that used drag-and-drop as the primary control scheme.
QwaKlak
29. Aug 2016 · 08:25 UTC
Greatfun http://screenshot.sh/mMhYjge0ey5Bm
alexv
29. Aug 2016 · 09:13 UTC
Looks nice. Not sure how I feel about the whole multitasking thing, I found myself just leaving the cursor in the middle of the screen and working with that.
Maybe this could be a debuff, losing control over one of the two
g_o
29. Aug 2016 · 09:21 UTC
Pretty nice but goddammit it's hard!
Kassimkot
29. Aug 2016 · 09:46 UTC
nice. loving the concept. love the design. love the title screen. you always seem to bring back nostalgia in your games. an element which i love very much.

awesome game, man
Terrabalt
29. Aug 2016 · 10:07 UTC
Wow, not only you emulated the graphics and feeling of the old consoles, you emulated the hardness of those games as well! good job!
SamuelSousa
29. Aug 2016 · 11:34 UTC
I can't drag both at the same time :) Very neat!
Had to loose the first time to play. Lovely art.
Things can get very hard which keeps you on your toes...

Google Play definitely.
tomer_cool
29. Aug 2016 · 12:05 UTC
Nice game, good graphics, so retro.
onyon
29. Aug 2016 · 12:14 UTC
Nice graphics, love the retro vibe and the difficulty.
facelesstheone
29. Aug 2016 · 13:17 UTC
Oh my, brilliant gameplay idea! =))) It's not just an ancient pixelart, it's the most ancient controls possible =))) It's older than videogames, so we never used them actually.
c4m
29. Aug 2016 · 13:54 UTC
I really loved the art style!
congrats!
fixedgerald
29. Aug 2016 · 14:37 UTC
Neat concept, cool graphics.
peterthehe
29. Aug 2016 · 15:11 UTC
Really fun and super retro. It reminds me of my old VTech toy laptop with a game just like this - except for it was supposed to teach maths instead! Great work!
jakatpemadi
29. Aug 2016 · 15:23 UTC
Good gameplay, cool graphic, great game... Nice, thank you... =D
oskardevelopment
29. Aug 2016 · 15:32 UTC
Nice graphics and a cool idea, was a tad hard to keep both the character and the aim active!

Was a tad extra hard with the web as the web started to jump around if clicked in the wrong place.

Good luck! :)
KLegacy
29. Aug 2016 · 15:59 UTC
Graphics were great, The concept was very interesting as well, good job.
RhythmLynx
29. Aug 2016 · 16:45 UTC
Had a lot of lag on this for some reason, made the difficult control scheme really clunky. Interesting concept though, I think it might work better on a touchscreen than with a mouse
edve98
29. Aug 2016 · 18:10 UTC
Wow, awesome visuals! I find this game very hard, I wonder if it's easier on mobile (can you move crosshair/player at the same time?).
JD557
29. Aug 2016 · 18:32 UTC
Nice visuals. I didn't like the controls, but I guess that's because I'm playing with a touchpad. It probably works better in mobile.
MrBrenan
29. Aug 2016 · 21:16 UTC
Nice, simple and cool.
This should be better on smarthphone to controll the player and the aim at the same time.
wrexialmt
29. Aug 2016 · 21:28 UTC
Looks and sounds good, The mechanics are cool and rather unforgiving. I found myself just dropping the aim in the middle of the room and just dodging enemies and projectiles though since its quite impossible to manage both at the same time.
TheLaw
29. Aug 2016 · 21:48 UTC
Cool GB Classic design, but game is damn hard.
Ghen
29. Aug 2016 · 22:01 UTC
i love the art, get vibe of original gameboy from it, anyway, the control a bit hard, that drag player and the cursor with only 1 control
very fun and challenging
hawkinslance
29. Aug 2016 · 22:42 UTC
I had a lot of fun playing this game! Challenging and simple. I love the challenge it provides do you want to aim or do you want to move? The visuals are great too!
DragonZBW (SparkLight Games)
29. Aug 2016 · 22:48 UTC
Super hard but good
nille
29. Aug 2016 · 23:11 UTC
interesting control scheme, nice retro design, pretty hard
Robin 'sod off' Field
29. Aug 2016 · 23:45 UTC
I suck nuts at it, but it's pretty damn addicting.

The controls make such a simple concept incredibly challenging and fun. And the art is super cute.
MarekkPie
30. Aug 2016 · 00:47 UTC
Amazing artwork and overall execution. The controls are a bit tough for a mousepad. Could have done without the gamergate reference, though. :(
kadealicious
30. Aug 2016 · 01:58 UTC
Cool game, although I would have preferred a zelda-esq movement style.
sP0CkEr2
30. Aug 2016 · 02:03 UTC
Cool Game, but the controls were tough. Nice Artwork.
Avalanche Games
30. Aug 2016 · 02:05 UTC
Controls were different to what i'm used to but it made things interesting.

Looks and sounds great too!
leialus
30. Aug 2016 · 03:29 UTC
cool Game, so dificult, but cool.
Nichii
30. Aug 2016 · 08:12 UTC
This is really good, Kudos for including Vivian James. The art and retro feel really works out. The controls were very innovative and I liked that. The only cons I can say about this game is the steep learning curve and how the game throws everything at you in less than a minute. Also the movement click is sometimes hard to click on due to its small size. Anyway, good job and good luck on future games.
steph88
30. Aug 2016 · 08:13 UTC
Hi, nice game and congratulations ! Simple mechanics that still offered a decent amount of challenge.We're realizing a video with several games of the Ludum Dare #36. We made the same thing at the previous jam.

Can you add your game on indiexpo.net ? (it's free)
So we can include also your game in the video ;)
p.s. write #LDJAM in the game's description. (you can already find several games from the jam there)
skorpyo
30. Aug 2016 · 08:48 UTC
Very nice idea to use only mouse for movement and aim control, it gives some chalange. I like that kind of games :)
johanw123
30. Aug 2016 · 11:19 UTC
awesome, looks really good.
johnbjuice
30. Aug 2016 · 14:26 UTC
Music glitch - the piano part played over itself until it got super loud and painful! Seems like a bug where the game keeps playing the file even though it is already playing.

The controls are interesting and difficult - I found myself just moving the shooting crosshair every once in a while and mostly focusing on moving the character.

Not a fan of the GG reference, gross.

Art style is consistent and good otherwise.

Solid game.
AWOL
30. Aug 2016 · 17:59 UTC
I like the black and white artwork. For a minute my character just stood there and wouldn't move. I think this is one of the more solid games I've played though and its actually about Ancient Technology
CyberStarLight
30. Aug 2016 · 18:31 UTC
Well made, the graphics are nice, and the controls are interesting.
Sun-Wukong
31. Aug 2016 · 00:44 UTC
Ughh. Looks nice, but controlling two objects with single device that cannot be in two places at one given time is terrible idea from my point of view.
shimage
31. Aug 2016 · 02:36 UTC
My score was time:120 score:12100. I enjoyed it!
I want to move the character and an aim at the sametime. But that feeling was fresh and fun. The slime avoiding my bullet is so wise. Good!
publicidadeba
31. Aug 2016 · 03:40 UTC
people are loving this game. I like how the navigation and shooting works, nothing have seem. Asthetics are really good, well done!
wilsk
31. Aug 2016 · 11:56 UTC
Interesting idea for a control scheme, definitely not the type of game something I'm good at! Thanks for the fun times.
ocarson
31. Aug 2016 · 12:49 UTC
Cool game, i like the tough girl, she is cool, I think this is very gameboy, would be interesting to have a gameboy control scheme, or, indeed, if it was made in something like GBDK for actual hardware.
The actual gameplay was an good concept, feels very experimental, I like experimental! Visuals are fantastic in my opinion.
I didn't get far enough to see a boss, but I did have a good time with it, good job overall.
🎤 justinooncx
31. Aug 2016 · 13:18 UTC
@ocarson Currently, if you want to see the boss, you'll have to go to the post-jam link. The game that's embedded right now is version 1.0, so that people will see what I came up with in 48 hours without the improvements afterwards. Just to make things fair. Thanks for playing, though!
ocarson
31. Aug 2016 · 13:24 UTC
No worries! My pleasure!
nardelli
31. Aug 2016 · 21:56 UTC
Nostalgia! :D
Really nice art, and challenge! Congratulations. I let the aim in the center and moved only the girl, but I lost anyway. The AI is pretty well!

Success!
Cliff Lee CL
01. Sep 2016 · 10:15 UTC
Polished game is always good to play :)
Strike
01. Sep 2016 · 14:21 UTC
That's a very polished game and I love the Game Boy aspect. Now I'm going to play the post jam version to get more immersed thanks to the 8-bit music ;) Very challenging gameplay and very refreshing. I never played something like that before. When reading the instructions it felt weird at first, but it works pretty well. It feels like managing 2 characters at the same time in a way, which is what makes it pretty interesting to play. I'm wondering if having gameboy-type controls would make it feel more like a retro game. I'm not sure if it would make it easier to play as well. Maybe something like d-pad to move the character, and d-pad while holding a button to move the cross hair.

My only regret is that is typically a scoring game, and I don't see any score. I was about to ask you what was your high score so there was some challenge there, some kind of goal. Or maybe a timer to compare how long people survive. Or maybe both :D This would add much more value to the game. I would play it a lot to try to by my own record (or other people's one ;) )

And thanks to keep working on your game. I'll follow this page to see if you release new versions. Now it's time to try v1.2 !
Strike
01. Sep 2016 · 14:24 UTC
Wow ! The boss is insane ! \o/
🎤 justinooncx
01. Sep 2016 · 16:02 UTC
@Strike Thanks for the feedback! There were a few limitations that I had to adhere to when making this game:

a) Mouse controls were a must. As much as I wanted to have a proper Game Boy control layout, it would be rather unplayable on mobile. And having onscreen buttons and joysticks are tacky as hell.

b) Low resolution. To keep to the retro feel, I had to sacrifice space, which made fitting in the UI pretty hard. I decided to leave the score at the end after all it's done. As for a leaderboard thing, well, that was kinda tricky as well.

Again, thanks for playing!
PlonkyDonkey
02. Sep 2016 · 15:49 UTC
interesting game, very nice art style. found the control scheme a little weird to get used to.
Deive_Ex
04. Sep 2016 · 17:18 UTC
Oh, I really liked the game! The pixel art is pretty nice and the gameplay is interesting and challenging.
Frump
05. Sep 2016 · 06:45 UTC
Cool game, pretty unique control scheme. I liked it.

It ran much better in Firefox. I had some glitches with the music in chrome.
Jupiter_Hadley
06. Sep 2016 · 19:24 UTC
Super challenging game! I included it in my compilation video series of Ludum Dare 36, if you’d like to take a look :) https://youtu.be/lT_5Gj1NQIo
chocobyte
07. Sep 2016 · 10:43 UTC
8-Bit yeah! Great work, very polished. The 8-bit music in the post jam version adds to its charm even more :)
pyokoanarogue
08. Sep 2016 · 21:02 UTC
Very nice. but hard on the wrist.