Platform Shooter: Little Green Soldier (NOW ON ARCADE!)

LINK TO PLAY ON SCIRRA ARCADE! (Level 1 FINALIZED DEMO, JANUARY 2, 2017):

https://www.scirra.com/arcade/action-games/little-green-soldier-14119

CONTROLS:

Left & Right arrows - Moving left & right

Up/Spacebar - Jump (hold to jump higher)

Down - Crouch (+ Spacebar to drop down platforms)

X - Hold to absorb enemy projectiles

C - Shoot (only after absorbing)

P/Enter - Pause & unpause

M/Backspace - Mute & unmute

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Hey! I'm a 19 year old amateur game developer, but have some degree of experience in drawing and spriting. Since I'm still busy in school, just this level took me 6 months to complete :/ (though it's mainly because of the many checks-and-balances needed for the mechanics involved.)

The gimmick of the game is absorbing enemy projectiles and firing it back at them. I suppose it's a little like Kirby...except you don't gobble up the enemy itself, you grab their fire and throw it back at them. It'll be a bit more difficult :>

This first stage only features heat energy (from the fireballs and bombs) but I'm including more types in future levels (electric, kinetic, light, elastic, gravitational, nuclear etc).

Anyway, screens!

As an aspiring programmer in animation/gamedev, I'll greatly appreciate your feedback on this game. So...if you will?

Very good. :)

The concept of absorbing enemy bullets to gain energy is very interesting.

Visually it's clean and nice. The sounds work well too.

I had difficulties to jump with the arrow key (I would prefer a left handed key)

For a 15 years old creator, I would say 'Bravo'!

KaMiZoTo thanks much!

I thought of implementing left-hander controls, but then I hope to reserve the WASD keys for switching between energy types...

I think I'll make 2 separate control schemes to choose from at the start, then.

Oh, and I claim no credits over the music used! Every composition is taken from other NES games (Alien 3, Journey to Silius and Snake's Revenge). I'm still learning to compose :(

This game is looking great, love the tight controls. It reminds me a lot of the early Mega Man, but more enjoyable. Keep up the great work!

yankeesbro hey, thanks a lot!

I actually did draw a lot of inspiration from classic Mega Man, from the graphic style down to the alien's animation. Heh...

But having played through the entire Mega Man 1, I decided that solid platforms were what made it really frustrating, so I opted for the more comfortable jump-thru platforms like in Contra or SMB2.

For the same reason, I also don't want to add spikes or bottomless pits in my game; they're punishing and also ridiculously overused in the platformer genre. But that leaves me quite lost on level design...

Anyway, thanks again! I appreciate the comments.

Solid game feel, love the amount of detail you have put into this game. for a 15 year old you have a good grasp on what made the old school games great.

love the pause when you encounter the boss battle.

very megaman like, which is a good thing.

Nixel Very cool game so far! Took me a bit to get used to the buttons and then I got through haha! Very clean all around - and you're sticking to classic game play which I did while adding to it with the power absorption! Well done!

Keep it up! Epic work!!

Nice game Nixel ... Liked the graphics and the absorbing method <img src="smileys/smiley36.gif" border="0" align="middle" /> .

Hey guys. Busy school term, really. I can only barely make progress.

I won't be adding a Level 2 soon; I'm currently trying to give the game storyline elements, which will firstly involve making a decent intro.

The intro will show the main villain, The General:

<img src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb366/IC-Claws/ezimba11179727955300_zps7e78c903.png" border="0" />

As you can see I'm trying out Cave Story-style portraits for dialogue mugshots, and I'm quite happy with it so far.

The General is a man who arose during the global energy crisis, with his army H.U.M.A.N.I.T.Y. (Heroic Unity of Military Alliances, Nobly Insuring Tomorrow's Youths), to manage energy distribution across the world. But he's a greedy one, and when every village is rationed a pitiful amount of energy, The General and his cronies are living in luxury...

that is, until he is confronted by a mysterious alien threat.

After Level 1 I plan to have our alien hero escorted to a nearby village, which will serve as a home base of sorts (like Cave Story's Mimiga Town, or Megaman Zero's Resistance Base/ZX's Guardian HQ).

You will be escorted by this yet-to-be-named kid:

<img src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb366/IC-Claws/ezimba11179765649000_zps7b5c04cd.png" border="0" />

His little family lives a dark and cold life in the village. Disillusioned with H.U.M.A.N.I.T.Y.'s propaganda, they see you as their last hope to fight against H.U.M.A.N.I.T.Y., in return promising you a home to return and rest.

Do comment if you ever feel like it!

Why you do not use spritefont ?

standard font is so horrible :)

Oh yeah, I only just learned about spritefont recently, and I'm changing all of it to spritefont already. It definitely looks more consistent with the pixel art style of the game.

Thanks for the tip though!

Nixel

Really impressed with what you have so far! Has a good level of difficulty too, really interested in where you will take this game!

Don't be so discouraged by your six months a level, a lot of that is just getting the base of your game down, it goes a lot smother as you continue.

At least so I am told :p

Thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it. And also to everyone else who commented previously!

Oh...for most other games it will be easier to develop when they go further, but I'm trying to add new mechanics in each level (different energy types and whatnot). So it's safe to say that I really will take some time for the other levels as well. But I won't stop! It's a project that I've taken quite far and I don't intend to cut it off soon.

Heh just trying to keep you positive! Keep up the good work!

Very Cool game! and love your sprites.