LudumData

Star Driller Ultra by Omiya Games

[raw]
made by Omiya Games for LD32 (COMPO)
Drill through space and destroy your enemies to claim yourself as the king of the galaxy! Star Driller Ultra is a Star Fox-inspired space combat game where your play as a neon-colored drill to obliterate evil space ships.

Xbox 360 controller supported!

Controls (Keyboard):
* WASD or Arrow keys to move
* Hold Space to drill (this uses fuel)
* Q & E or Z & X to change targets
* Esc or P to pause

Controls (Xbox 360):
* Left Control Stick to move
* Hold A to drill (this uses fuel)
* Right or Left Shoulder Buttons to change targets
* Start to pause (menu has to be navigated by mouse)

Psst! I also made a Jam game!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-32/?action=preview&uid=53111

== Change Log ==

Version 2: made the credits unlocked by default. Changed the hints and controls text to provide more information, early on.

Version 3: removed the problematic graphic qualities, Fast & Fastest, as they cause the target reticule to disappear. Removing any web-builds, as they also don't display the target reticule. No other changes were made.
Itch.io (Windows, Mac, Linux) http://omiyagames.itch.io/star-driller-ultra
GameJolt (Windows, Mac, Linux) http://gamejolt.com/games/shooter/star-driller-ultra/61422/
Source (@BitBucket) https://bitbucket.org/OmiyaGames/ludum-dare-32
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-32/?action=preview&uid=20557

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.85 76
Audio 3.69 91
Fun 3.66 147
Graphics 4.45 19
Humor 2.13 840
Innovation 3.41 344
Mood 3.56 141
Theme 3.05 792

Feedback

馃帳 Omiya Games
20. Apr 2015 路 01:16 UTC
I'm working on a WebGL build currently, but it may not make it by Compo's submission time. In the meantime, enjoy the executable for all major Operating Systems.
馃帳 Omiya Games
20. Apr 2015 路 01:52 UTC
OK, got the build up. I don't know why the audio sucks. For now, I recommend judging the executables, as they just work.
amras0000
20. Apr 2015 路 02:22 UTC
Gorgeous
NickMakesGames
20. Apr 2015 路 02:43 UTC
This *really* came together quite nicely. I love the psychedelic wire-frame graphic style. It works especially well with the player ship when it's drilling - the spiral effect is really pretty.
The camera also works very well. I like that it automatically locks onto the next target so that you can focus on always closing distance between your next target and dodging missiles.
allanolivei
20. Apr 2015 路 02:57 UTC
The graphics is perfect, but I prefer it without the auto target.
taylor.smithgg
20. Apr 2015 路 03:57 UTC
This was awesome. I didn't feel that it hit the theme quite as it should, but otherwise, this is an awesome piece of work.
馃帳 Omiya Games
20. Apr 2015 路 04:00 UTC
@taylor.smithgg Good point. The idea, at the very least, was "you are the weapon," which I thought was unconventional. Which was probably a poor interpretation.
Neonlare
20. Apr 2015 路 04:04 UTC
This is amazing. the flair and style is insane, whilst the theme is a lil weak (it's still unconventional, so that's fine by me) the rest of this is absolutely amazing in terms of presentation and style. One of my favourites so far. Incredible stuff for 48 hours.
Birke
20. Apr 2015 路 04:07 UTC
Wow very pretty game. A bit hard to tell what is going on from time to time and it feels like using the arrow keys is not really necessary since you can just switch targets to avoid projectiles but overall solid entry. It would have been nice if the menus was navigated with the keyboard since that's what the game is being controlled with.
tppr2046
20. Apr 2015 路 04:08 UTC
Interesting!! Good idea!
Lynx
20. Apr 2015 路 04:12 UTC
Well done! Just well done!
I could never even begin to possibly dream of making something like this.

Very challenging on trying to focus on where everything's coming from, where I'm supposed to go. A mini-map might help that.

Just...just...just... wow.
mtanton
20. Apr 2015 路 04:15 UTC
Super awesome game! Love the aesthetic. It's nice to see a unity game that takes a different approach to graphics.
GhostBomb
20. Apr 2015 路 05:07 UTC
Really dazzling aesthetic, if not particularly practical. I think this game could make for a pretty thrilling arcade game if you just went for broke and made the player go dizzyingly fast all the time. Really enjoyed just messing around.
From Smiling
20. Apr 2015 路 05:44 UTC
Plays and looks very very stylishly! Also very cool and colourful. I feel there's a bit of spacial information that's very chaotic though, instead of compelling?
stoarch
20. Apr 2015 路 05:49 UTC
Interesting game. Minimap will be helpful.
nicotuason
20. Apr 2015 路 07:04 UTC
Takes a white to get used to the controls, but after that it's fun to play! Love the stylish design and colors of the enemies.
DragonXVI
20. Apr 2015 路 09:41 UTC
Gorgeous presentation, controls and view are a little odd but y'get used to them. Gameplay's fairly simple and some of the enemy types add a good bit of variety. Nice work!
Split82
20. Apr 2015 路 12:54 UTC
Love all the visual effects. Gameplay is intense!
met44
20. Apr 2015 路 13:42 UTC
Good job you did there mate, congratz !
TwiiK
20. Apr 2015 路 14:23 UTC
Great looking game. Really innovative graphics and style. It was a bit hard to see what was going on though.
KedumeBits
20. Apr 2015 路 14:55 UTC
Awesome. Congratulations for the job.
Lancelot Gao
20. Apr 2015 路 15:32 UTC
Love the graphics style. A highly polished game!
NekuSoul
20. Apr 2015 路 16:08 UTC
Amazing Visuals
stig1
20. Apr 2015 路 16:24 UTC
Impressive, best looking game I've played so far!
Hatsome
20. Apr 2015 路 17:27 UTC
Good looking visuals
Lady Beardo
20. Apr 2015 路 17:42 UTC
Wow! Love the look. Fun!
MightyToast
20. Apr 2015 路 19:08 UTC
Really tight controls and polished mechanics. Great work!
Geckoo1337
20. Apr 2015 路 21:26 UTC
This project has an amazing aesthetic, but the gameplay seems to me too confusing so as to be enjoyable - my point of view. However it's a good work for this LD32. Thank you ++
Lyje
20. Apr 2015 路 21:45 UTC
Graphics and aesthetics are awesome! Nice idea, but I didn't really feel in control of the ship. Perhaps the arcade idea was taken a bit far in that sense compared to giving the player more control?
ChrisGaudino
21. Apr 2015 路 00:57 UTC
Gorgeous effects, but sometimes they're so dense that its very difficult to make out exactly what is happening.
graebor
21. Apr 2015 路 01:12 UTC
Nice, very stylish. Wish the menus and popups between levels had controller support too though.
AtomicVikings
21. Apr 2015 路 16:52 UTC
A really nice game. Was a big fun to play that game. Really awesome.
BeardoGames
21. Apr 2015 路 19:01 UTC
Wowee, that was a blast! It looks and sounds fantastic, and the gameplay brings to mind twitchy older arcade games, but with a 3D perspective. Really, really enjoyable!
Elemental Zeal Games Studios
21. Apr 2015 路 20:18 UTC
Really nice looking, and neat combat. Well done. :)
DarkMeatGames
21. Apr 2015 路 23:36 UTC
Really beautiful and well polished graphics, audio, and gameplay. I felt a bit overwhelmed starting out, and took a while to figure out the controls/goal. Slowing down the introduction of new mechanics would really help. Seriously nice job for the compo, very highly polished and fun.
Os_Reboot
22. Apr 2015 路 03:24 UTC
Clever mechanic, smooth gameplay, a blast overall!
Bashabookoos
22. Apr 2015 路 19:37 UTC
Great design! Nice audio and visuals, reminds me of some old space piloting games. I really like the alternating pitches of when your fuel is depleted. One problem I had, was the words for who your target locked onto is slower than the camera.
Simon
22. Apr 2015 路 19:55 UTC
This is really awesome. Beautiful and a great mood it made me feel something close to nostalgia I think. Very well done!
puppetmaster
22. Apr 2015 路 20:22 UTC
+ graphics style
+ level selection
- to much sound-fx

Well done!!
Headmade
22. Apr 2015 路 20:23 UTC
Interesting concept. I played it basically as a one button game (using only space and an occasional target change). It worked well that way. I don't know why i didn't like moving with WASD.
I really would have preferred if after destroying a target the closest one would be picked next but that is a minor gripe with an otherwise exquisite entry. Very impressive what you managed to accomplish in such a short time frame.
DKoding
22. Apr 2015 路 20:30 UTC
cool graphics. Smooth gameplay albeit a little confusing at times. Love the effects. Great entry.
sputnik
22. Apr 2015 路 20:34 UTC
Awesome graphics and core mechanics! The audio is wierd though.
ETHproductions
22. Apr 2015 路 21:17 UTC
Awesome job for 48 hours! The graphics are really great, and the audio is nice as well. It was pretty fun, too, although it was practically impossible to avoid the bullets coming in from all directions. Maybe tone the action down a bit?
Frenchie
23. Apr 2015 路 02:20 UTC
Really beautiful game! Had fun playing it. Wasn't a huge fan of the auto-target either (especially switching targets) but everything else was great!
ajopart
23. Apr 2015 路 09:00 UTC
Graphically speeking, it's wondeful. But I hardly see the link with the theme. Camera works perfect, it's smooth, it's long. Nice game !
tmpxyz
23. Apr 2015 路 12:14 UTC
nice work!
Dejvo
23. Apr 2015 路 14:54 UTC
This game is fenomenal!!! superb graphics, fun gameplay, fenomenal music. one side note, it's a bit hectic and a lot of times, you'll find youself not knowing what are you doing and just mashing space. meybe put a camera a bit more to the back ;). other than that, fantastic work
dydx
23. Apr 2015 路 15:01 UTC
Sweet graphics, cool music, fun gameplay! This game rocks!
chromebookbob
23. Apr 2015 路 17:30 UTC
Pretty game, I like the music. Well done!
Taldius
24. Apr 2015 路 01:29 UTC
First, the game looks really good, I love the geometry type art style and help really to understand everything. The mechanics are good also. The only problem was the fix camera behind the spaceship, it gets really frustrating in the last levels when the ship starts rotating everywhere and you can't follow the action or the current target. Maybe use the second stick to change a little the angle of the camera could have helped.
But despite that, the game was really good and I had a lot of fun playing it!
Pixel Heart
24. Apr 2015 路 14:51 UTC
Graphic is simply AMAZING!!
I found it tricky at first but it became bore and more natural as I played.
Very well done!
rnlf
24. Apr 2015 路 18:43 UTC
This is a really unique and really great game! I made it to stage 8, but was unable to finish it due to my only negative remark about this game: selecting the target to lock on is next to impossible and you only see what kind of target you have selected when the palyer ship turns towards it. Getting out of the danger zone with heavy fire is almost impossible. My suggestion would be to allow free flight and use a button to lock onto the enemy closest to the center of screen.

But besides that: I loved this game! It looks really, really cool, with it's very unique elements, the audio is very good, the gameplay idea is great, was is the the use of the theme.

Very good work!
PixelMind
24. Apr 2015 路 19:39 UTC
Very good arcade game. Especially for a 48h entry. Great graphics and gameplay. Many 5* from me.
Andrea
24. Apr 2015 路 20:11 UTC
Great game, very nicely made, though I feel like we don't have many choices when it comes to moving across the galaxy. Dodging for example seems to be unnecessarly difficult.
It got frustrating on stage 8, but I might try again later when I'm less angry :D
Great work!
Noah Ratcliff
24. Apr 2015 路 21:40 UTC
I have no idea what's going on but I think I'm ok with it.
pi_pi3
24. Apr 2015 路 22:08 UTC
This was really good. I like it.
TheMeorch
24. Apr 2015 路 22:53 UTC
Stunning visuals, aesthetically and technically. It can be difficult to understand exactly what is happening from moment to moment, but all in all this is just amazing work, especially for the Compo.
coderitual
25. Apr 2015 路 00:17 UTC
Superb! Graphics style is just perfect. Gameplay could be more polished though :)
Gunzil
25. Apr 2015 路 05:08 UTC
The visuals are really good, they were some of the best I've seen so far out of the entries I've played, especially for a compo entry.

I think switching between targeted enemies and constantly moving toward them is an interesting control scheme, but without any extra interaction beyond pressing A to boost its a little simplistic. If it were possible to have a better perspective of what else is happening beyond what you're looking at there could be some strategy where you can target different enemies to move around the area and herd guys chasing you, but as it stands it was a bit too random for me. I couldn't really see anything and just relied on my reactions to boost at the right times to not take damage.

A playthrough video from my stream is forthcoming :)
bvanschooten
25. Apr 2015 路 10:30 UTC
That was a really interesting experience. Presentation is really great and the gameplay feels original. I found it confusing though, in particular the location of objects is not clear much of the time.
hexagore
25. Apr 2015 路 15:16 UTC
There's not been enough of this style of graphics this Ludum Dare so was really pleased to see this. I felt a bit detached from the actual gameplay itself, that fuel tank is far too small :P. Still, this was entertaining :)
zerocreativity1
25. Apr 2015 路 23:20 UTC
Camera could use some work, it was hard to see what going on. It might be cool, to have a laser or something to take down the enemies, but other than that pretty solid game.
steboots
26. Apr 2015 路 12:18 UTC
This is one of the most beautiful fun games I've played for ld. It's hard to believe this was made for compo. For me, this defines what I'd aim for.
elpaulo
26. Apr 2015 路 17:19 UTC
Crazy good game ! Smooth gameplay and great mechanics.
MrShoestore
27. Apr 2015 路 00:41 UTC
i love the vfx work on this. something about the music though, it sounded like 2 songs playing at once. asides from that it's a very nice game, but it took me a bit to really grasp what was happening.
aeveis
27. Apr 2015 路 06:54 UTC
Very nice particles! I beat the game. The auto targeting was okay, except it usually didn't target what I wanted and I ended up spamming the next target key. I think maybe a minimap would have been nice just to know where the enemies were spatially. Otherwise pretty polished, good job!
TyrusPeace
27. Apr 2015 路 15:17 UTC
I get that you wish the player was more in control of the lock-on mechanics, but your super-simplified controls and UI here did give us all an interesting experiment in a fast-paced space shooter controlled only with wasd.

I think you did a good job making a fun experiment in 48 hours here.
馃帳 Omiya Games
27. Apr 2015 路 18:31 UTC
@TyrusPeace
Thanks, I really appreciate that feedback! I've always tried to innovate on the games I make whenever I can. Hearing that you liked the experiment a lot really makes me happy.
klianc09
27. Apr 2015 路 21:18 UTC
I think, this would be really f***** awesome with 6DOF movement and manual lock-on to whatever is in front of you.
The way it currently auto-locks on (arbitrary) enemies is rather frustrating, it almost always means a 180-degree turn-around after a kill during which the camera just takes like forever to reposition itself correctly, to see something again. Most of the time it's easier killing enemies "on the fly" to a far more distant enemy...

As you said in your post-mortem: awesome graphics and polish/juice/feel, but has that major flaw that just annoys...

Still, having that moment where the whole screen is full of flashy bullets/lights and you are like "WTF is happening"... that's just awesome.
sararyCow
27. Apr 2015 路 21:23 UTC
Very good game! It has a lot of flare with an interesting gameplay.
Anikki
27. Apr 2015 路 21:28 UTC
Feels very smooth, yet I had no idea what was going on for quite a while.
UnconventionalFusion
27. Apr 2015 路 21:29 UTC
Very well made for 48hours. Good job!
clegamecoop
27. Apr 2015 路 22:26 UTC
I actually enjoyed playing it. I got to level 10. I enjoyed all the pretty colors and particle effects. xD It was fun and easy to pick up plus I could use the controller which was a plus. The sound effects and could've been a little better, but still a pretty fun game.

--David M (ViRiX_Dreamcore)--
defacid
27. Apr 2015 路 23:00 UTC
Excellent job, Taro! I thought that it kind of became a bullet-hell after you beat the first couple of levels, and that's not my sort of thing. It was also slightly confusing with everything moving around - I know that it's color coded, but though visually attractive, it was pretty hard for my eyes to separate targets, from enemies, from bullets.

Again, besides my personal preferences, GREAT JOB!
broknecho
28. Apr 2015 路 00:45 UTC
The targeting system made this feel like a rail shooter in open space! That is really cool. Neat execution.

Control felt really good too. Hard to see bullets coming in from behind you but overall everything felt really tight.

Great Job!
Saker Games
28. Apr 2015 路 06:39 UTC
Beautiful and fun game. Congrats! :)
Skiddings
29. Apr 2015 路 20:00 UTC
This was so much fun! But damn it got hard! My hands are sweaty now.
BIZM
30. Apr 2015 路 03:49 UTC
Cool game! Very impressive visuals and audio! The mechanics are solid, but the controls were a little difficult to get used to.
BIZM
30. Apr 2015 路 03:50 UTC
Just found out you also made a jam game. WHAAAAT?
alvivar
30. Apr 2015 路 10:47 UTC
Love it! Really fun, played it several times.

The auto target was really cool when you hit several objects in chained, nevertheless, it would be interesting an option to deactivate it and fly free!

Solid entry (y)
Xanjos
30. Apr 2015 路 17:54 UTC
Visually this game is absolutely stunning. It starts off a bit slow but by the time you get to level 7, it becomes so intense it gets a lot harder to keep track of things (especially since there's no minimap/radar of some sort).
Evergreen Games
01. May 2015 路 06:30 UTC
Wow incredible! super satisfying to get a chain! maybe add a multiplier? the only problem is the laser sometimes get in the way of the camera.
Knowledge
01. May 2015 路 15:49 UTC
It is a fun game to play. Unfortunately, the waepons don't seem all taht unconventional. the graphics are a bit confusing (for me). Don't think this game is bad, as i had a great expirience playing it.
馃帳 Omiya Games
01. May 2015 路 22:44 UTC
@BIZM
Yeah, I did indeed take the extra challenge to take both, though the latter more for boredom. Glad you enjoyed this game!
jhell
02. May 2015 路 13:23 UTC
Very well-made graphically, the mood is perfect with the music and all. The beginning of levels tend to be difficult and then it quickly decreases, until the end where you just spend time chasing the blue/green ones.

The controls get some time to get used to but then they work. An option to disable auto-targeting would've been cool :)
Crowbeak
03. May 2015 路 01:22 UTC
I like this a lot, but the fact that it's just in 3D space with targets chosen seemingly at random and nothing in the background to help you orient yourself is rather confusing.
RyanNielson
03. May 2015 路 18:26 UTC
Great work! Nice that you have Xbox controller support! You should add an option for inverted Y axis :)
flipanda
03. May 2015 路 21:23 UTC
great job on the game! love the added xbox controller support. but its the triggers that switched targets for me and not the shoulder buttons.
NightShadow0
04. May 2015 路 13:19 UTC
This is awesome! I felt a little overwhelmed, perhaps because i've never actually played Star Fox, but had a lot of fun regardless. I also felt myself wanting a "Combo!" popup to appear whenever i got more than one enemy in a single thrust, but that's just a silly observation. Impressive amount of content, too. Great work!
NaKolenke
05. May 2015 路 08:47 UTC
The main problem of the game is that it is turning into indistinct colorful mess, which is almost impossible to navigate through on the last couple of levels.
And, still, it's a really good entry! Well done!
sP0CkEr2
06. May 2015 路 03:44 UTC
visually stunning - but also confusing at times - great idea for the theme - nice game
asobi tech
09. May 2015 路 18:44 UTC
Beautiful stuff. Really good use of lighting. Great arcade feel to the game.
sorlok
10. May 2015 路 22:32 UTC
Very fun! Zipping around in the starship was great! The counter to indicate distance was helpful, but some more feedback might have helped (often the ship obscured the enemies).
tummyache
10. May 2015 路 23:46 UTC
The graphics make it a little hard to tell what's happening, although they are absolutely gorgeous. The music and audio fit really nicely and I had a lot of fun with it. Overall it's really really good.
deadbodyoutline
11. May 2015 路 00:30 UTC
cool and pretty eye-candy entry! the audio also adds to the game. Auto target is a bit annoying, as the next target could be near the actual target. To sum up, love this one!
Null DIES
11. May 2015 路 01:02 UTC
This is AMAZING! Definitely the most fun I've had playing a LD32 entry :)
BTW it took me about 50 minutes to get through the levels!
It's sometimes very confusing/overwhelming but that's totally fine by me, once you get "in the zone" it becomes manageable :)
It might be better though if you increase the field of view a little bit and/or make the camera slightly further from the player (so I can see more of what's going on).
Something I struggled with was how I change the target, it seemed that it goes through a pre-arranged list and not depending on where things are relative to me, which made it very hard to find an asteroid when I'm low on health and trying to escape the mayhem :D

Oh and I always love it when people come out with new ways to show the Credits :)
Larzan
11. May 2015 路 08:28 UTC
Beautiful, a bit difficult to control and overal confusing to me, but thats maybe a personal thing.
Demy
11. May 2015 路 09:17 UTC
Wow, awesome style and graphics. And I like the way you guide player through controls set. Nice idea
jukimv1986
11. May 2015 路 18:59 UTC
Nice game, amazing work for 48 hours!
Forlorn79
11. May 2015 路 23:00 UTC
This game gets really hard at level 6 and again at 8. I'd like a sound effect for going in reverse, and for filling up when you haven't drained. I was able to beat the game, but it took a long time on the last levels, because I couldn't easily target asteroids or the closest object. Maybe having optional targeting and more buttons for different targets. I really love the audio, and the overall look and feel was good. I hope you keep working on it!
Dorgam
11. May 2015 路 23:09 UTC
One of the longest games I played here!
It kept me going tell the end although it was super hard. I would really love to play more of this on my mobile phone. Keep it up :)
nihilaleph
12. May 2015 路 00:54 UTC
Won't have time to play all the game before the time ends, but what I was able to play, pretty neat and beautiful game!