[Prototype] Ninja/Dungeon 2D thingy (Working title...Probably...Hopefully)

karl182

Hi All!
Here's a little game I've been working on a while.

The inspiration for the game is somewhere between oldschool Prince of Persia, Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider and oldschool platformers with responsive controls.
It can be played solo or 2 player Local Co-Op(You need 2 controllers for this at the moment).

I don’t want to say anything more, as part of the test will be to see if players are able to grasp the mechanics without me saying anything. :)

I only have 1 prototype level so far to test the mechanics so it should only take a couple of minutes.

I made use of super basic geometry to try and get the gameplay sorted out so all you’ll see are blocks of various colors.
And a little ninja sprite I made a long time ago.

Any comments and feedback will be much appreciated when you have time!

Thanks in advance!

PC Download link: (25MB)
https://dropbox.com/s/yisjuq4f1k8y805/Ninja2D Prototype v0.0.1.7z?dl=0

Karl

quintond

I like it ... it is very cool. The mechanics are easy to understand ... going to try it with my game pad when I get home tonight ... but it is pretty cool. I can see how this game can get addictive and the checkpoints are definitely well place.

I think anyone would expect the Ninja to attack things and maybe have to sneak past guards and stuff ... using smoke bombs ... but the mechanics are solid.

Good job ... keen to see where you take this. :)

karl182

Thanks dude!
I'm keen to see if someone can try the co-op mode as well.
I tried designing the levels in such a way that switches work a little differently, so that you have to work together when playing Co-Op.

karl182

Hi All!
I've recorded a quick run through of the single player mode.
It may be easier to take a quick look at this for those who don't have time to try it out for themselves.
Thank you and enjoy! :)

FanieG

@karl182 - still love that little ninja character. Glad you used him again. The link above does not seem to work, so my feedback is based on the video you put up. I like games like this, and really liked the 4 door puzzle close to the end of the video. I think one thing that would annoy me is the low ceiling which you jump into with your head. Have you had a look at platform effectors 2D. That should allow the player to jump through ceilings a little bit without bumping against them. Also, how does health work in your game. I thought the red areas on cubes would do damage, but in the video there are some places where you touch the red parts and nothing happens. I really like the way you used 3D cubes to give your 2D game a bit of an isometric look. You could also use the wall climbing more. Good luck. Please see if you can fix the download link, so that I can try and give better feedback.

karl182

Hi @FanieG!
Thanks for the feedback! Yeah the low ceilings are not something I have thought about but definitely will! :) The Player is killed by die red blocks, except the red blocks you saw me touching only hurt once they start moving. The idea is to have spikes come out once the start moving(in the actual art(once it's added later)), but I see now how it can be confusing at the moment. The video doesn't show me dying, so it would help if you could try it out yourself and see what you think about the respawn system.
Sorry for the issue with the link, it seems only the first part of the url was linked, but it is fixed now! :)

Thanks for the feedback so far, and I'm looking forward to hear what you think once you try the game.
Any ideas or suggestions are more that welcome! :)

Have an awesome evening!

Karl
The link again just in case:
https://dropbox.com/s/yisjuq4f1k8y805/Ninja2D%20Prototype%20v0.0.1.7z?dl=0

konman

Hi Karl, I took it for a spin...

The gravity feels a bit floaty. I'd like to see a bit of acceleration as you fall (until you reach terminal velocity ofcourse ;)
The teleportation thing works very well.
I'd like to see blood. The purple puff when you die feels weird. I want a super meat boy explosion of meat and chunks please... ;)
i liked the double jump and wall jump mechanic. it feels right.
The checkpoint system works well too.
The item text feels like it is infront of the level, seems to crop for certain items, especially the very first one.
Basic sounds will make the prototype a bit more interesting for people to try as well.
I think spikes and blades, acid pools, electrocution pads, fire/flame blowing traps would work well here.
Maybe some breakable urns that give temporary bonuses like accelerated speed or double jump distance?
I'd love seeing enemies and maybe a boomerang like weapon you have to retrieve.
Maybe a grappling hook thing too?

Overall it has a great feel. The 3d level is interesting. Keep going with this it is interesting and with a few more mechanics and art you might be onto something here.

Cheers,
Konrad

karl182

Hi @konman!
Thank you very much for trying it out and for you feedback!
I've increased the terminal velocity of the character a little and it does feel a bit more natural thanks! :)
I will sort out the text cropping into object issue as well and try to make some sounds when I have time.
I agree that some sounds would make it more interesting and feel more alive probably.
Oooh I like the ideas for traps and weapons you have! Will definitely try and implement some of them as well! :)

I will post an updated link to a new version as soon as I have time to work on it some more!

Thanks again for all the feed back for everyone so far! It really is inspiring and a great source of motivation!

Have an awesome day!

Karl

konman

@Karl182 Hey Karl, I know you've been busy with stuff that go BOOOOM. Which looks like an interesting concept. I lurked that thread an played it a bit. Just curious as to know what your progress has been with this little prototype? Can we expect an updated demo at some point? No pressure... ;)

karl182

Hi @konman!
Sorry for the late reply!
I have worked on this some more and will hopefully be releasing an updated version this year still. :)
I am still learning as I go along, so I sometimes get sidetracked with other aspects of game development. :D
Have an awesome day!!

Karl

Mexicanopiumdog

Hey @karl182!

I gave this a try and like most of the controls; the jumping/throwing/crouching work very smoothly...the wall jumping is a bit meh as i dont always want to jump off into the opposite direction when i wall jump...I guess I am a bit too used to how Super Meat Boy's wall jump/slides works :P

The throwing mechanic is a really sick little addition which i think might be the most interesting for me...
You could get really creative if you make the mechanics of throwing that ball a bit more versatile ie. Having the ability to controll the angle of the throw....like this you could almost have multiple ways of completing a traverse/section - which is always a nice bonus in platformers and makes the player feel a lot more rewarded than going a set route with little room for creativity...

Also, I was expecting sounds! You are also very talented on that side and I am very keen to hear what Ninja sounds you are going to come up with, if you decide to develop further!

Nice prototype

karl182

@Mexicanopiumdog Thanks for giving it a try!
I've been working on this off and on every now and then. I will try and post a new version sometime soon hopefully.
Thanks for the feedback! I'm still learning Unreal Engine so I'm kinda making it up as I go along.
Haha yeah for some reason I tend to leave sound and music for last in my own projects. :)
Have an awesome day man!

karl182

Here's a screen shot of what I'm kinda going for with the look.

I am also thinking of making the main character an invading alien. He is pretty much useless as an invader, but he believes himself to be at the very top of his field.(which is invading and take over planets...)
He is sent to "invade" a planet similar to earth, but that has no more inhabitants. This is done purely to get him out of the way and avoid having him screw any more missions.
It could be cool to have him narrating the story as it progresses, and through the narration we see how differently he experiences all of his actions. He will exaggerate everything that happens and spin it in such a way as to make himself sound awesome, but the player also sees the situation and thus know what "really" happened.
I think this can add some nice humor to the game, and this is something I really want to focus on.

Any way, just some thoughts. :)

Have an awesome day everyone!

Karl

quintond

Hey Karl,

I like the style ... looks good, the only thing I can suggest is you may need to make the platforms stand out a little. From the screen shot it looks a little difficult to work out the platforms.

Other than that, I really like it. I think you should stick with the Ninja, but make it like he is the last of his clan of Ninjas and needs to invade the Shogun's castle ... you can use the rest of your background.

Just a thought.

karl182

Hey Quinton!
Thanks for the feedback!
The the platforms are difficult to see in the screenshot, but I've never really noticed it while testing.
When the camera is moving it gives you a nice perspective of where everything is, but I will look into it!
Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Yeah I've been having some problem making the alien fit into the word, so I think the ninja may be better.
Can't really think why I wanted to go with an alien now to tell you the truth haha.

Thanks for the input!

Karl