LudumData

Another Dragon by GeorgeBroussard

[raw]
made by GeorgeBroussard for LD34 (COMPO)
On an alien planet you must fight the dragon that grows ever nearer.

--

CONTROLS: Left/Right arrows + Space

The game checkpoints at 3 places (start, mid point where it gets hard, and boss). There are only 7 screens to play through.

As always I wish I had more time for polish. It's not a deep or complex game but it has a lot of variety and is a complete thought. The game doesn't handhold you and I deliberately tried to keep interface and text off screen. It doesn't tell you to his Space to restart a level, for example, because I feel that's obvious and intuitive. Your controls change up slightly for the boss. Shouldn't be hard to discover.

I put about 27 hours of work into this (Fri (midnight-6am), Saturday (6pm-8am), Sun (2pm-8pm).

Obviously influenced by the great Eric Chahi and his seminal work, Another World (Out of this World).

Hope you enjoy it.
Web (Unity WebGL) https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2926749/LD34/html5/index.html
Windows https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2926749/LD34/AnotherDragon_Windows.zip
OS/X https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2926749/LD34/AnotherWorld_Mac.zip
Source https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2926749/LD34/Broussard_LD34_Source.zip
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-34/?action=preview&uid=8631

Ratings

Coolness 59% 3
Overall 3.48 292
Audio 3.15 248
Fun 3.37 320
Graphics 4.06 95
Humor 2.79 287
Innovation 2.65 752
Mood 3.74 91
Theme 2.38 939

Feedback

madjackmcmad
14. Dec 2015 路 03:26 UTC
Beautiful homage to OoTW. Nailed the simple style too. And I love the heroic concept that even us folks with a little too much belly can still slay dragons.
eigenbom
14. Dec 2015 路 03:36 UTC
Tough, stylish and entertaining. :D
dalbinblue
14. Dec 2015 路 04:11 UTC
Really nice homage to Another World. Definitely really nice looking, and the ground biters are certainly as tough as the original ones. The game is a bit frustrating tough, especially with the long distance between the checkpoints and the random boulders. Regardless of that, fine work for two days.

Also this went through my head after dying numerous times : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwNaJAH_8-U. It's Heart of Darkness not Another World, but the games are similar.
Hjalte500
14. Dec 2015 路 04:16 UTC
FUUUUUU! Jumping is just like in the old days. Game feels amazingly whole and coherent. Also its beautiful! How did you make that screen effect?
馃帳 GeorgeBroussard
14. Dec 2015 路 04:16 UTC
I wash checkpointing every level but it felt too easy. But I may revert it if people feel that way. really the 1st 4 levels are easy to get through (1st checkpoint). It can literally take 20 seconds. Levels 5/6 are tougher but are in their own checkpoint. And level 7 (boss) is his own checkpoint. So really, the boulders are too hard. Maybe I will slow them a tad more or something to help. Thanks for the feedback.
RadMcCool
14. Dec 2015 路 04:30 UTC
Really enjoyed that. Checkpoints were annoying a couple of times but i got into the flow of the game and got through to the end. :D
馃帳 GeorgeBroussard
14. Dec 2015 路 04:42 UTC
@RadMcCool -glad you liked it. there's a thin line between challenge and annoyance :)
takemikazuchi545
14. Dec 2015 路 05:31 UTC
Wow that cave level is frustrating but the mood was spot on.
edriavw
14. Dec 2015 路 05:57 UTC
love the graphics, stuck on the boulders T_T
馃帳 GeorgeBroussard
14. Dec 2015 路 06:03 UTC
re: Boulders...patience usually wins. It's 2 shorts levels. Once you make it past 2 of them you are checkpointed.

Thanks for sticking with it. I hope most ppl finish the game.
IAmSpencer
14. Dec 2015 路 06:04 UTC
You nailed the 'Another World' feel. Reminds me so much of that game, everything is spot on, the graphics, the challenge, the atmosphere. Perfect.

Short, but due to it's difficulty, I think it was a very good length.

Overall, this was the perfect little LudumDare game, I loved it, nice job!
sanojian
14. Dec 2015 路 07:47 UTC
The screen texture/shimmer is stunning. A really challenging game. Those little mouthalumps are unpredictable buggers.
Pikace
14. Dec 2015 路 10:53 UTC
Going throught the 1st checkpoint was challenging (not used to this kind of jump anymore :D), after that, finished it in one shot.
Nice hommage
esayitch
14. Dec 2015 路 12:30 UTC
Falling boulders are a massive spike in difficulty, but the game is gorgeous and an amazing throwback to a bygone era. Really excellent entry, could have maybe used a sombre background tune.

Good luck in the compo!
tanis
14. Dec 2015 路 15:52 UTC
Beautiful homage to Another World! :D
It's tough but it's definitely fun. It took me a while to understand where the main character was colliding though ;)
Well done!
rogual
14. Dec 2015 路 17:30 UTC
Beautiful. Couldn't get past the boulders/eat-you bugs screen, but I would have loved to see the rest of it.

Was expecting a similar control style to AW, but not really a bad thing that you diverged from it. controls work great as they are.
George
14. Dec 2015 路 20:01 UTC
Amazing graphics!
BuffaloPhil
14. Dec 2015 路 20:43 UTC
6o's Trek meets Out of this World. Loved it
veverichka
14. Dec 2015 路 22:03 UTC
Nailed the graphics!
hexagore
14. Dec 2015 路 22:57 UTC
This is a really nice homage. Probably slightly depressing for Eric to think how much of Another World you implemented in 2 days in 2015 versus how long it took him to make that game :) Ridiculous really.

Shares the same brutal difficulty too. Love the visuals, sounds are spot on too.
dos
14. Dec 2015 路 23:09 UTC
Fell in love with jumping animation <3
daveh
15. Dec 2015 路 01:49 UTC
Really enjoyed it. It's very polished. I found the checkpointing to be fine. The first section was the hardest for me; took me a couple dozen tries. I managed the cavern on the first try, and the dragon in two tries. Loved the atmosphere; you managed to capture that AW feeling perfectly.
LandoSystems
15. Dec 2015 路 05:02 UTC
I like the style and the way it builds anticipation, its a clever use of the theme. I died a lot though, the forward velocity of the jump feels a little stunted and took a while to get used to. It was really satisfying to see the blob creatures get smashed by the rocks, because fuck those guys. The end fight was solid too. Great work overall!
sP0CkEr2
15. Dec 2015 路 05:54 UTC
very well done - love the vintage tv look - nice simple mini game
SteveSalmond
15. Dec 2015 路 08:22 UTC
Wow, you really nailed it this time George! Awesome work all round :D
commodoreKid
15. Dec 2015 路 09:29 UTC
My favorite part is the retro visual style. Other than that difficulty of challenge is right. I think it could be longer though but I realize you had to polish it to look nice like this. Clean entry, I like it!
TeamEagle
15. Dec 2015 路 12:41 UTC
Another world much? Haha, it was a bit hard tho.
maunovaha
15. Dec 2015 路 13:31 UTC
Well made game, I was a bit scared at first when I noticed that dying goes back to the start. But luckily it switched as the game progressed.. other than that, good mood/audio/graphics.. fighting the dragon was a bit easy, but fun. good job! :)
local306
15. Dec 2015 路 22:06 UTC
Nice use of shaders to give it the retro feel. Controls could be a little more responsive though.
Drtizzle
16. Dec 2015 路 00:59 UTC
Really nice presentation! Controls are hard but you will get used to it after a while.
I don't know if this is intended to be a 100% homage to Another World, but the difficulty curve is too steap in my opinion. It might scare players off.

Great graphics, a bit too hard.

Well done!
Jesse Freeman
16. Dec 2015 路 01:45 UTC
Really love the graphics. Once you get used to the way the character jumps it's good but I died a lot. I really like the multi-screen approach, very nice!
salmonmoose
16. Dec 2015 路 01:54 UTC
Loved the original Another World, and this captured a lot of the style.
Anshul Goyal
16. Dec 2015 路 03:44 UTC
Not bad. I think the collision boxes can be reduced :)
GoodwolfStudio
16. Dec 2015 路 10:30 UTC
great retro-style game. Good feeling too it. But why kill the dragon? It didn't do anything :(
馃帳 GeorgeBroussard
16. Dec 2015 路 10:32 UTC
@GoodwolfStudio...because it's there and for any video game to be good, something needs to die! :) I only regret I ran out of time to put in blood splatter.
SecondDimension
16. Dec 2015 路 18:15 UTC
Really tough but still fun to play, great graphics.
newbeings
16. Dec 2015 路 19:22 UTC
Awesome graphics - really nice. Made me think of Another world and Don't look Back. Loved the boss battle!
Split82
16. Dec 2015 路 23:16 UTC
Awesome job. Really enjoyed your game. Nice game design!
Paul Sinnett
16. Dec 2015 路 23:59 UTC
Great work! I love the fuzzy TV effect!
KunoNoOni
17. Dec 2015 路 04:11 UTC
I finished it and it was really good. I did like the homage to AW(OoTW), one of my favorite games from back in the day. You really should create an extended version of this game and put it on steam for a couple of bucks. I really think your LD games are getting better and better with each LD. :D
andyman404
17. Dec 2015 路 06:34 UTC
Awesome pixelart. Great work for 27 hours!
blackmagic
17. Dec 2015 路 08:01 UTC
Yeah, i kill the dragon! Wouhou! Great hommage to Mr Chahi! The respawn was a good idea and the boss battle also! With better graphics and animations this game might have been a true roller coaster !
pjimmy
17. Dec 2015 路 13:44 UTC
awesome, the visuals are super, and you've emulated the spirit of Another World superbly, well done :)
however, the theme gets a little lost. I understand the concept of the dragon growing nearer, but still, I would have liked something less ethereal. I grew up playing your games, it's awesome you're still making them! keep it up ;)
publicidadeba
17. Dec 2015 路 22:19 UTC
Gave 5/5 for almost everything! Had so much fun playing this, especially slaying the dragon. Thank you!
Evgenii Petrov
18. Dec 2015 路 10:55 UTC
Absolutely great job!
ajopart
18. Dec 2015 路 11:48 UTC
Well made game. Nice graphics. Must be tired but I don't see the link with the theme "growing". Never mind, congrats
recursor
18. Dec 2015 路 12:27 UTC
This is a very enjoyable game that is not too hard but not too easy. The old school graphics and screen look is great and everything goes together very nicely. Best thing I've played so far. Excellent work!
Crowbeak
18. Dec 2015 路 13:04 UTC
I really like the visuals. The filter over everything gave it a nice texture.
Clavus
18. Dec 2015 路 13:06 UTC
Short, but polished. Didn't do much with the theme but it was pretty nice.
Gamepopper
18. Dec 2015 路 13:36 UTC
Brilliant tribute to Another World, great artstyle and clever strategy to beat the final boss! Great job!
Yakka
18. Dec 2015 路 18:52 UTC
Just awesome! Tintin x Another World, what could possibly go wrong? Not related to the themes, but who cares? :p
scorched
19. Dec 2015 路 09:15 UTC
Really reminded the Another World, well done!
Wish there was music and the dragon death animation was more vivid :-)
馃帳 GeorgeBroussard
19. Dec 2015 路 09:37 UTC
@scorched - Gotta save something for the sequel! :)
wilbefast
19. Dec 2015 路 17:38 UTC
I slew the Dragon, yay ^^ Only died like a million times :P

Nice homage :) The graphical effect is nice too. I really think the rocks need to follow some sort of pattern though. Another World was super hard but you could learn it by rote eventually. I felt in the cave sections that I made it through mainly because I just got lucky with the random number generator. I did play it till the end though :)
zenmumbler
20. Dec 2015 路 14:55 UTC
I like the 80s screen effect and the retro movement was no problem for me as I'm old. Dem kids clamoring for more checkpoints just don't know...
Great mood and sound effects were great, how did you make the dragon squeal?
ethankennerly
20. Dec 2015 路 19:17 UTC
When I saw the pixelated dragons, hero, and monsters with hexagonal pixel filter, I felt intrigued. If you continue to develop this, on the Chrome with an older Windows AlienWare M11x, when the frame rate was choppy and I couldn't jump the second maw on the ground in the second screen after a dozen attempts, I felt discouraged.
ButtonMasherBros
21. Dec 2015 路 17:06 UTC
Pssst - you are in today's LUDUM DARE TO BELIEVE! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW3u_aFLXVA
wdebowicz
22. Dec 2015 路 23:01 UTC
The screen effect is great, I appreciate that there were checkpoints!
gokottastudio
23. Dec 2015 路 17:52 UTC
Great look!
Smirnov48
24. Dec 2015 路 00:30 UTC
The end is epic! A lot of fun and humor! Good job!
Frenchie
24. Dec 2015 路 02:00 UTC
Game looks fantastic! I'm glad there were checkpoints or I'd be here all night!
davekalina
24. Dec 2015 路 16:50 UTC
Super cool tribute to one of the all-time great adventure games; really nails the mood of the original.
FiSilva
27. Dec 2015 路 10:53 UTC
Nice game, I liked the different challenges and the mechanics for the boss fight. I think the difficulty was just right, not too hard, not too easy.
Also nice visuals.
Jezzamon
27. Dec 2015 路 23:54 UTC
Interestingly I didn't really like this game much at all. Dodging randomly appearing boulders and jumping over monster things didn't really seem very interesting.

And the theme?

Maybe I need to have played Another World to understand this game?
Docjekyll
29. Dec 2015 路 04:42 UTC
Nice, short experience. Very satisfying. :-D
Jeasonfire
30. Dec 2015 路 19:52 UTC
The game looks very nice and seems quite polished, but the controls are a bit iffy. I imagine I'm missing some throwback to a very old game where the controls were clunky or something, but such are the woes of young people.
managore
04. Jan 2016 路 19:50 UTC
Gorgeous homage to Another World with a nice variety of challenges and a challenging but rewarding difficulty! There is a heck of a lot of polish in this game and it was a joy to play!
ViKing Games
05. Jan 2016 路 01:11 UTC
Loved the graphics, especially the little details like the screen effects, enemies being squished by the boulders, and spears staying in the dragon. The sound effects were great, and for some reason I didn't mind the lack of music, not even noticing until I started typing this.

I haven't played Another World (unlike every other commenter here, haha), but I enjoyed it anyway. Good job!