For my research, I'm going to look into the Donkey Kong Country games for the SNES/GBA.
When these games were released in 1993, 1995 and 1996, they revolutionized the standards for a platformer game, bringing to the table expensive 3D pre-rendered graphics, vibrant immersive worlds, unique gameplay and level mechanics and also sporting an awesome soundtrack.
What I'll be looking into is the design of the game, such as:
.What do the items in the game do, and how do they aid/hinder the player?
.How does the characters moves and playing style change to fit certain situations?
.What unique gimmicks do the levels in these games sport?
.How are character designs molded to fit the characters role/mechanic?
.What trait does these games share with other games designed by Rareware?
.How did the gameplay and mechanics change when the Donkey Kong Country games changed into 3D with Donkey Kong 64 (Nintendo 64) and Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)?
Better check yo'self before you Shrek yo'self.
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Thursday, 2 May 2013
FMP - Game Layout/Design Document
NOTE: I will be updating this post regularly when I develop new ideas.
For extra fun, read this design document in Stephen Fry's voice.
The story of this game is that Sketch and Trixie were enjoying a day of relaxation at Turtle Beach, when suddenly, the sunlight disappears and the evil Baron Krinde appears from nowhere and kidnaps Trixie, with no clear motive.
The sun returns and everything seems normal again, but Sketch, now infuriated, won't stand for this and immediately sets off on a quest to save his girlfriend and defeat the evil monarch.
He soon discovers, than not only Trixie is in trouble but inhabitants in many of the islands area's, so Sketch, while still keeping his main goal as Trixie, vows to return the island to normal and free the kidnapped inhabitants.
.
Sketch has to traverse nine worlds, each containing three levels, a boss stage and a secret level. (With the exclusion of the final world, which is one normal stage and two bosses.)
Along the way, Sketch will have to free the inhabitants of the worlds by breaking the cages they are in, and also occasionly, Sketch will run across Sprites, which are fairy creatures who'll give Sketch health upgrades when found and sometimes give Sketch some special power or new ability to make the adventure easier. (These abilities wear off after you exit the world, but will always be active in that world especially.)
Turtle Beach
A beautiful beach, filled with glorious sunshine, green palm trees, glimmering sand, vibrant blue sea and sentient killer Ice-Cream.
Lovely.
NPC's to save: 3 Turtles, 1 Sprite
Enemies:
Ice Scream - A sentient Ice-Cream who walks around, sipping a freezing cold drink and enjoying the sun. (Odd for someone of his molecular makeup.)
He'll throw his drink at Sketch, and if the drink hits, Sketch will be frozen in place temporarily, which can be bad news if Ice-Scream is only a few steps in front of him, as Ice-Scream will Begin walking forward after throwing his beverage.
Crabschtick - A bunch of grouchy crustaceans who bury themselves in the beach, waiting for Sketch to come near so they can snip him up a treat.
A few jumps on their heads after they emerge should do the trick.
Mersalka - They may look similar to the charming merpeople of the Deep Blue, but unfortunately for Sketch, these renegade merpeople in particular are as evil as mixing marmite with jam.
They'll leap from the sea, harpoon in hand, ready to spear the catch of the day.
Worse than that, they are too far away for Sketch to attack, so you'll just have to dodge them.
Buck - Everyone likes to go to the seaside and build a sandcastle every now and again, but what can you do when the bucket and spade come to life?
Unfortunately, for Sketch, this beach has a few of these unnatural sandcastle building tools, and they'll quickly build a barrier in front of them that Sketch must destroy in order to proceed onward.
Grogs - Krindes 'run of the mill' henchmen.
They share their masters ugly looks and evilness, but unlike Baron krinde, these grunts are as thick as a puddle of mud, and usually run blindly after whatever their lord demands, even if it leads off a cliff.
This time Krinde wants Sketch, but these slack jawed imbeciles are very easy to take down, so there isn't much of a problem.
Boss Stage: Mermalade's Lagoon
Boss: Mermalade (A giant Mersalka.)
Sketch starts to run down a peer which leads to the forest nearby, but while travelling, he enters a small cove area with a cave leading straight out to sea.
Suddenly, a massive figure begins swimming from the distance towards the peir, and when it emerges, it turns out to be a massive 'queen' Mersalka, who's ditched the harpoon and instead uses her hands to smash the peir that Sketch is standing on.
Sketch will have to jump on her hands to harm the boss, and after half her health is gone, Mermalade becomes incredibily enraged, and begins to smash the pier much faster, and also she begins swiping at Sketch. (This can be dodged with a well-timed jump.)
She'll also swim tot he distance and start spitting a stream of water at Sketch.
After eight hits, she gives up the fight and quickly retreates into the briny, leaving Sketch with the ability to move onward.
Funky Forest
NPC's to save: Three Monkeys, Two Sprites
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Cobalt Caverns
NPC's to save: (Still idea developing)
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Dastardly Desert
NPC's to save: (Still idea developing)
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Deep Blue Sea
NPC's to save: Four Mermaids, One Sprite
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Swamp Level (Still developing.)
NPC's to save: Three Bee's, Two Sprites
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Creeper Carnival
NPC's to save: Four Clowns, One Sprite
Castle De Pore Krinde (Final Level)
NPC's to save: Trixie, no Sprites
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
For extra fun, read this design document in Stephen Fry's voice.
The story of this game is that Sketch and Trixie were enjoying a day of relaxation at Turtle Beach, when suddenly, the sunlight disappears and the evil Baron Krinde appears from nowhere and kidnaps Trixie, with no clear motive.
The sun returns and everything seems normal again, but Sketch, now infuriated, won't stand for this and immediately sets off on a quest to save his girlfriend and defeat the evil monarch.
He soon discovers, than not only Trixie is in trouble but inhabitants in many of the islands area's, so Sketch, while still keeping his main goal as Trixie, vows to return the island to normal and free the kidnapped inhabitants.
.
Sketch has to traverse nine worlds, each containing three levels, a boss stage and a secret level. (With the exclusion of the final world, which is one normal stage and two bosses.)
Along the way, Sketch will have to free the inhabitants of the worlds by breaking the cages they are in, and also occasionly, Sketch will run across Sprites, which are fairy creatures who'll give Sketch health upgrades when found and sometimes give Sketch some special power or new ability to make the adventure easier. (These abilities wear off after you exit the world, but will always be active in that world especially.)
Turtle Beach
A beautiful beach, filled with glorious sunshine, green palm trees, glimmering sand, vibrant blue sea and sentient killer Ice-Cream.
Lovely.
NPC's to save: 3 Turtles, 1 Sprite
Enemies:
Ice Scream - A sentient Ice-Cream who walks around, sipping a freezing cold drink and enjoying the sun. (Odd for someone of his molecular makeup.)
He'll throw his drink at Sketch, and if the drink hits, Sketch will be frozen in place temporarily, which can be bad news if Ice-Scream is only a few steps in front of him, as Ice-Scream will Begin walking forward after throwing his beverage.
Crabschtick - A bunch of grouchy crustaceans who bury themselves in the beach, waiting for Sketch to come near so they can snip him up a treat.
A few jumps on their heads after they emerge should do the trick.
Mersalka - They may look similar to the charming merpeople of the Deep Blue, but unfortunately for Sketch, these renegade merpeople in particular are as evil as mixing marmite with jam.
They'll leap from the sea, harpoon in hand, ready to spear the catch of the day.
Worse than that, they are too far away for Sketch to attack, so you'll just have to dodge them.
Buck - Everyone likes to go to the seaside and build a sandcastle every now and again, but what can you do when the bucket and spade come to life?
Unfortunately, for Sketch, this beach has a few of these unnatural sandcastle building tools, and they'll quickly build a barrier in front of them that Sketch must destroy in order to proceed onward.
Grogs - Krindes 'run of the mill' henchmen.
They share their masters ugly looks and evilness, but unlike Baron krinde, these grunts are as thick as a puddle of mud, and usually run blindly after whatever their lord demands, even if it leads off a cliff.
This time Krinde wants Sketch, but these slack jawed imbeciles are very easy to take down, so there isn't much of a problem.
Boss Stage: Mermalade's Lagoon
Boss: Mermalade (A giant Mersalka.)
Sketch starts to run down a peer which leads to the forest nearby, but while travelling, he enters a small cove area with a cave leading straight out to sea.
Suddenly, a massive figure begins swimming from the distance towards the peir, and when it emerges, it turns out to be a massive 'queen' Mersalka, who's ditched the harpoon and instead uses her hands to smash the peir that Sketch is standing on.
Sketch will have to jump on her hands to harm the boss, and after half her health is gone, Mermalade becomes incredibily enraged, and begins to smash the pier much faster, and also she begins swiping at Sketch. (This can be dodged with a well-timed jump.)
She'll also swim tot he distance and start spitting a stream of water at Sketch.
After eight hits, she gives up the fight and quickly retreates into the briny, leaving Sketch with the ability to move onward.
Funky Forest
NPC's to save: Three Monkeys, Two Sprites
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Cobalt Caverns
NPC's to save: (Still idea developing)
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Dastardly Desert
NPC's to save: (Still idea developing)
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Deep Blue Sea
NPC's to save: Four Mermaids, One Sprite
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Swamp Level (Still developing.)
NPC's to save: Three Bee's, Two Sprites
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Creeper Carnival
NPC's to save: Four Clowns, One Sprite
Castle De Pore Krinde (Final Level)
NPC's to save: Trixie, no Sprites
(Enemies and Boss to come soon)
Sunday, 28 April 2013
FMP - Neo-Retro Platforming Game
So for my Final Major Project at College, I've canned the idea of
continuing Sorceress Burning Flames, and my goal I set, "My art has to
be realistic", fell through almost immediately.
Lets face it, I've always sucked at realism, Cartoonesque drawing is where my skill is.
So I'm instead going to be designing characters, enemies, bosses, items and worlds for a 'Neo-retro' game.
An example of Neo-Retro is New Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Rayman Origins. (Basically a game that uses new age artwork and a few new mechanics, but uses a 'Retro' gameplay.)
I've already started the designs and why I have several so far, I'm nowhere near done and I have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks.
I will be creating:
. Initial drawings of each character in the game, including the playable character, the NPC's of the game, the enemies (Enemy design is my main focus.) and the Bosses of each world.
. Design a map for the game with each level on it.
Also design the odd element for a level.
. Develop a playable demo of the game, including character animation and level art. (Won't be a complete level, but will be able to show on-lookers how the game will look.)
. This is a maybe, and depends if I have enough time at the end of the project, but I may create a small 'Arcade Cabinet' to house the games demo in, and Liam and Jamie would be helping me to build it.
Keep in mind this is only if I have enough time at the end.
I know this will be the third games project I've done, but keep in mind that the career I want to get into is video game design, so doing these projects provides me with knowledge and practice towards this.
That, and video games are my favorite leisure activity, and since I'm usually playing video games in my free time, I have plenty of inspiration for this project.
Lets face it, I've always sucked at realism, Cartoonesque drawing is where my skill is.
So I'm instead going to be designing characters, enemies, bosses, items and worlds for a 'Neo-retro' game.
An example of Neo-Retro is New Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Rayman Origins. (Basically a game that uses new age artwork and a few new mechanics, but uses a 'Retro' gameplay.)
I've already started the designs and why I have several so far, I'm nowhere near done and I have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks.
I will be creating:
. Initial drawings of each character in the game, including the playable character, the NPC's of the game, the enemies (Enemy design is my main focus.) and the Bosses of each world.
. Design a map for the game with each level on it.
Also design the odd element for a level.
. Develop a playable demo of the game, including character animation and level art. (Won't be a complete level, but will be able to show on-lookers how the game will look.)
. This is a maybe, and depends if I have enough time at the end of the project, but I may create a small 'Arcade Cabinet' to house the games demo in, and Liam and Jamie would be helping me to build it.
Keep in mind this is only if I have enough time at the end.
I know this will be the third games project I've done, but keep in mind that the career I want to get into is video game design, so doing these projects provides me with knowledge and practice towards this.
That, and video games are my favorite leisure activity, and since I'm usually playing video games in my free time, I have plenty of inspiration for this project.
Monday, 25 March 2013
Alice Project - Artist: Don Bluth
Don Bluth
Don Bluth is an animator for several successful films and an ex-animator of Disney.
Bluth attended Brigham Young University in Utah for one year and after got a job at The Walt Disney Company. He started in 1955 as an assistant to John Lounsbery for Sleeping Beauty. In 1957 Bluth left Disney only two years after being hired. Afterwards Bluth spent two-and-a-half years in Argentina on a mission for the LDS Church. He returned to the United States where he opened the Bluth Brothers Theater along with his younger brother Fred, though he occasionally worked with Disney. Bluth returned to college where he got a degree in English Literature from Brigham Young. Bluth returned to animation business and joined Filmation in 1967 where he worked on layouts for The Archies and other projects. He returned full-time to Disney in 1971 where he worked on Robin Hood (Which happens to be one of my favorite Disney films from my childhood.), Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, The Rescuers and directing animation on Pete's Dragon. His last involvement with Disney was the 1978 short The Small One. Then he went on to make and produce his first short, Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979), which takes place in his hometown Payson, Utah during the 1940s as Banjo travels to Salt Lake City to find the urban world.
Here is a list of his work:
Don Bluth is an animator for several successful films and an ex-animator of Disney.
Bluth attended Brigham Young University in Utah for one year and after got a job at The Walt Disney Company. He started in 1955 as an assistant to John Lounsbery for Sleeping Beauty. In 1957 Bluth left Disney only two years after being hired. Afterwards Bluth spent two-and-a-half years in Argentina on a mission for the LDS Church. He returned to the United States where he opened the Bluth Brothers Theater along with his younger brother Fred, though he occasionally worked with Disney. Bluth returned to college where he got a degree in English Literature from Brigham Young. Bluth returned to animation business and joined Filmation in 1967 where he worked on layouts for The Archies and other projects. He returned full-time to Disney in 1971 where he worked on Robin Hood (Which happens to be one of my favorite Disney films from my childhood.), Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, The Rescuers and directing animation on Pete's Dragon. His last involvement with Disney was the 1978 short The Small One. Then he went on to make and produce his first short, Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979), which takes place in his hometown Payson, Utah during the 1940s as Banjo travels to Salt Lake City to find the urban world.
Here is a list of his work:
·
Sleeping Beauty (1959, assistant animator, uncredited)
·
Popeye the
Sailor
(1960-1962, animation director (Jack Kinney), uncredited)
·
The Sword in the Stone (1963, assistant director,
uncredited)
·
Fantastic Voyage (1968, TV series, layout
artist)
·
Archies and His
New Pals (1969,
TV special, layout artist)
·
Will the Real
Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down (1970, TV series, layout artist)
·
Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies (1970, TV series, layout
artist)
·
Robin Hood (1973, character animator)
·
Journey Back to Oz (1974, layout artist)
·
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974, short film)
·
The Many
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977, directing and character animator)
·
The Rescuers (1977, directing animator)
·
Pete's Dragon (1977, animation director)
·
The Small One (1978, short film)
·
Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979, short film)
·
Xanadu (1980, animated sequence unit, animator)
·
The Fox and the Hound (1981, animator)
·
The Secret of NIMH (1982)
·
Dragon's Lair (1983, video game)
·
Dragon's Lair (1983, TV series)
·
Space Ace (1984, video game)
·
Space Ace (1984, TV series)
·
An American Tail (1986)
·
The Chipmunk Adventure (1987, animation style)
·
The Land Before Time (1988)
·
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
·
The Funtastic
World of Hanna-Barbera (1990, ride)
·
Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp (1991, video game)
·
Rock-a-Doodle (1992)
·
Jungledyret (1993, animation style)
·
Thumbelina (1994)
·
A Troll in Central Park (1994)
·
The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)
·
Anastasia (1997)
·
Bartok the Magnificent (1999)
·
Titan A.E. (2000)
·
Dragon's Lair
3D: Return to the Lair (2002, video game)
·
Mary by the Scissor Sisters (2004,
animated segments of music video)
·
Tapper World Tour (2010, video game)
One of the last animated films Don Bluth worked on was 20th Century Fox’s Titan A.E (Which is also one of my favorite movies of all time.), but unfortunately, the film did poorly in the box office (Only earning back $37M of the $70M budget.) and causing the company Bluth was employed under to be shut down in Titan A.E’s wake and no longer developed 2D features.
Since 2000, Bluth has been anything but idle, as he has been working on smaller projects, like music videos and video games and also hosting a website where he teaches budding artists the art of animation.
He also plans to do a brand new animated feature entirely 2D in the coming future thanks to overwhelmingly positive reaction to the Blu-Ray re-release of Anastasia.
He has described his interest in animation as “An attraction to the beauty of how the drawn characters come to life.”
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Mock FMP - Rethinking my Idea
I’ve decided to rethink my idea for my Mock FMP
I was happy with my initial idea, The Knightingale Chronicles to begin with, but after a while, I noticed I had no motivation or goal for the idea, I was just drawing the characters and had no idea what to do with the idea next.
This happened before with the Story and ‘Symbiosis’ projects, where I stuck with an initial Idea I disliked and ended up with a poor outcome due to lack of interest and not enough exploring.
So I’ve decided to put my work so far on my first idea as experimenting with ideas and concepts, and I plan to try a new idea which could be alot more enjoyable and more towards a subject I like, and in turn produce a better idea and project.
I’ve had an idea for a cartoon/Classic video game style video game that I’d be making concept art for, similar to the Games project we did in the first half of Year 2.
I’ve contemplated what genre its to be, and since I did an action platformer for my Games design, I am instead going to try and do a racing game, similar to Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast and Crash Team Racing.
I’d be making character art, object designs, vehicle designs, track concepts and maybe even a front cover if I have enough time.
If I don’t have enough time and I have more ideas at the end of my Mock FMP, this may very well be the idea I carry across to my FMP if it comes to fruition in the Mock.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Mock FMP - Final Idea
Final Mock FMP Idea-
Knightingale Chronicles: Trading Cards
For my mock FMP, I plan to make a set of trading cards,
consisting of Fantasy-themed characters and being similar to popular card games
such as Top Trumps, Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh.
For the project, I’ll be researching the layout and format of existing trading card games and also researching into the various fantasy themes that I intend to portray, such as mythological and fictional creatures, portrayal of said creatures in existing media such as video games, films and other card games.
For each character and item, I intend to do a full-colour digital image for each.
I will then make the card layout, which will show the art of the character, a small backstory and the stats of the character along with an image for the back of the card. (Still contemplating what to do on the back, it might just be a logo.)
By the end of the mock FMP, I hope to have at least six hero characters, three villain characters and a few traps and items made as actual cards, printed out and cut into actual cards.
If I can achieve this, I’ll expand this project into my proper FMP and make more character and item art, the cards for these arts, the packaging for said cards and when it comes to showing my FMP at the exhibition, I’m going to leave a stack of cards for people to take a card for themselves as a sort of freebie thing.
For the project, I’ll be researching the layout and format of existing trading card games and also researching into the various fantasy themes that I intend to portray, such as mythological and fictional creatures, portrayal of said creatures in existing media such as video games, films and other card games.
For each character and item, I intend to do a full-colour digital image for each.
I will then make the card layout, which will show the art of the character, a small backstory and the stats of the character along with an image for the back of the card. (Still contemplating what to do on the back, it might just be a logo.)
By the end of the mock FMP, I hope to have at least six hero characters, three villain characters and a few traps and items made as actual cards, printed out and cut into actual cards.
If I can achieve this, I’ll expand this project into my proper FMP and make more character and item art, the cards for these arts, the packaging for said cards and when it comes to showing my FMP at the exhibition, I’m going to leave a stack of cards for people to take a card for themselves as a sort of freebie thing.
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