Original name: Super Sparty Bros
When: May 2016
Engine: Unity
Language: C#
Target Platform: Desktop browsers (WebGL), MS Windows and Mac OS X
Role: Programmer
Credits:
- Character and platforms – Michigan State University
- Character and enemy animations – Michigan State University
- Music – Michigan State University
- Sounds – freesound.org / freesfx.co.uk
- Sword, castle, background – Open Game Art
- Fire, flying enemies – Magali Lau @MagaliLau
- Programming and other animations – Me
This video game was developed for the fourth course of the Coursera Specialisation: Design and Development of Video games dictated by Michigan State University. It’s a mod of the prototype implemented through all the classes as a practice example.
Below is the prototype developed by the teacher’s course.
The final assignment was to modify the game, we were free to implement or modify any feature, the only requirement was to generate at least an stable WebGL version with four significant modifications, each modification could be either about the gameplay, game design or the game aesthetics.
I decided to create a new mini game using the assets and some of the mechanics previously seen in class like the ability to run, jump and double jump. The new game will be a sort of tower defence where the only goal is try to get the highest score besides to resist the most time possible before the irremediable defeat. The enemies will spawn at the other extreme of the screen and will leap across the platforms for reach the tower.
Below is the scenario designed for the new game.
Initially the number of columns and platforms in the game were set parametrically and the game will generate the scenario randomly under the conditions that the number of platforms should be a multiple of the number of columns and can’t be less than number of columns multiplied by 3, this in order to have at least one column in the middle.
Although it may sound cool from a programmer’s point of view to have a lot of columns and have some empty spots randomly generated to make the game more difficult, after some play testing I decided to just allow a vertical movement for the camera and make it static horizontally, which lead to have no more than 5 columns according to the resolution used and no use the empty spot feature because the game was enough hard without it.
There are flying enemies that will generate a big damage to the tower with bombs, and flying allies who will provide us with health recovery items and extra lives as well.
Finally the player has a shield to defend himself against the enemy swords and he has an special attack. There is a power bar depicted as a sword at the top-left corner, that will flash when the player has killed a certain quantity of enemies, allowing to use a power up that will grind up all the enemies in the screen.
Below a short video with the gameplay.